The American University of Beirut
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Vol. XLIII, No. 27
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
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CES Spring dinner
AUB Civic and Volunteering Fair 2011 a success Rayane Zahreddine Staff Writer
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he third annual AUB Civic and Volunteering Fair took place this year on Wednesday and Thursday, April 27 and 28. The event was organized by the Center for Civic Engagement and Community Service (CCECS,) in collaboration with the Office of Students Affairs (OSA) and the Student Representative Committees (SRC.) The Fair lasted for two days and included two keynote speeches by Bishop Gregoire Haddad
and director of Catharsis وZeina Daccache, a film screening (“12 Angry Lebanese,”) a music concert by May Nasr, and a box painting event. Around 100 booths were built around the Green Oval and in the West Hall area, and were used by the participants of the Civic and Volunteering Fair. It featured 65 Lebanese non-governmental organizations (NGOs) whose representatives explained their work to the visitors and provided them with an opportunity to engage in communi(Photo by Mohammad Azzam)
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Argentine Tango Festival in Lebanon
Don’t Miss! AUB’s 44th Middle East Medical Assembly (MEMA) In the undeniably dynamic field of medicine, it is critical for health care providers to remain abreast of the most current developments. AUBMC, in joint sponsorship with the Cleveland Clinic, invites you to the “44th Middle East Medical Assembly (MEMA)” between Thursday May 5 and Friday May 8.
American Society of Insight Club hosts lecture on inappliMechanical Engineers cability of Secularism as a solution hosts SPDC 2011, an AUB first Ali Kassem Edrees Elrachidi Staff Writers
Outlook Staff
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he American Society of Mechanical Engineers hosted the annual Student Professional Development Conference (SPDC 2011) for the first time at AUB. Students and professors represented multiple universities from Lebanon and around a dozen other universities from the Middle East. The universities represented where Cairo University, The British University in Egypt, and Ain Shams Universi-
ty from Egypt, BITS Pilani from Dubia, Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research from UAE, National University of Modern Languages from Pakistan, Umm al Qura University and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals from KSA, Islamic Azad University of Abhar and IAUM from Iran. Lebanon was represented by the American University of Beirut (AUB), Beirut Arab University (BAU), Lebanese American Univercontinued on page 4
INSIDE
Mega sale at AUB bookstore Mega sale at AUB bookstore starting May 9 and up until 1. Flyers will be given away at the gates during that week. Campus News Arts & Culture Alumni News Entertainment Out Loud
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slam’s stance in regards to secularism is rather unclear; as many question marks endure. In an attempt to “present Islam’s approach to secularism,” AUB insight club held a lecture entitled “Is Secularism the Solution to Lebanon?” on Thursday, April 28. The lecturer, Mr. Husam Al-Ghali, attempted to explain Islam’s point and then went on to present his personal proposition of possible alternatives. Mr. Al-Ghali, a holder of a degree in Islamic law since 1991, began by noting how Lebanon’s sectarian system is something that no one in their right mind would want. Then he went on to define
(Photo by Edrees Elrachidi)
secularism and noted that, while the common definition limits itself to a separation between state
and religion, the true doctrine is continued on page 4
‘When a White Dove Soars...’ benefit night
The Insight Club and Children of Adam Club invite you to a benefit night entitled “When a White Dove Soars...” on Wednesday May 4 at 7:30 p.m. at West Hall, Bathish Auditorium. All proceedings will go to support Palestinian refugees in Lebanon
Campus News Latin Dance Club hosts a night to remember
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Campus News Music Club rocks out at Obros pub in “Quit Work Make Music” concert
Bliss Street, West Hall 208 Tel: 01 350 000 or 01 374 444 Ext.3193
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Campus News Gender and Health Among U.S. Middle Eastern Immi-
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Campus news
May 4, 2011
Latin Dance Club hosts a night to remember
Outlook
Open dance floor, show and lottery prizes
Mohammad Yaghi Staff Writer
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night of stylish, dazzling, and spectacular performances summed up an incredible evening on the Green Oval on Saturday, April 28. Members of the Latin Dance Club showed off their moves for their final show of the year despite the light rain. The event then led to an open dance floor in which many participated. The show included different dance styles such as Samba, Cha-cha, Viennese Waltz, Jive, Tango, Swing and Salsa. The dance event even included a performance by the Lebanese Champions of Ballroom Dancing. The evening ended with a lottery with prizes including dance lessons and a dinner for two. Though the night started later than expected, many members
of the audience started dancing before the show started with many in the audience murmuring that “the music choice was mind-blowing.” A lot of the audience members came to support friends and to have fun like Anthony Touma who came, “Because our best friend is in it,” while someone who wished to remain anonymous came, “Because our friend Suhail Kassab is dancing in it and it’s nice to come to such a social event.” Others came to enjoy a night of Latin Dancing like Mark Francis. He said, “Yes, I did enjoy the event, although there were a lot of non-Latin Dances. There was good choreography. Overall it was a nice evening and worth the money.” Although many enjoyed the night, there were a few who did not. A person who wished to remain anonymous said, “I didn’t really enjoy the night, I mean the dancing was great, but they
(Photos by Mohammad Azzam)
could have done it somewhere different. I’m really cold and the rain was quite a distraction. Also there aren’t enough seats for everyone and we unfortunately had to use thickfoamy posters to sit on the muddy ground. Even then I couldn’t see everything. Also the event
started a half-hour late and waiting for the show in the mud isn’t much fun. I think the planning of the event wasn’t as good as it could have been because of the surprise rainstorm, but overall the dancing was great, the crowd who attended had a lot of fun and I hope next year it
won’t rain.” This event was organized by the Latin Dance Club of AUB, one of the biggest clubs in AUB and offers dance classes to all throughout the year. The main purpose of the group is to introduce different styles of Latin Dancing to AUB students.
Recycling at AUB Ali Kassem Staff Writer
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rom its wildlife and greenery to the ecofriendly Charles Hostler student center, AUB is a leader when it comes to the environment. Indeed, recycling has always been a practice of the AUB community and AUB students have regularly been encouraged to take up the habit. While many took steps and abided by the eco-friendliness, some did not. In an attempt to promote this eco-friendly philosophy and make sure AUB remains the ecological leader it is, new and improved recycling bins have been placed at various locations on our green campus. Recycling bins have been available for quite some time but they were not as hands on as one would wish nor were they as well organized, like as what we have been seeing on our university grounds lately.
This is no longer the case as we now have a significant number of eye-catching bins, with separate compartments for glass, plastic and cans, positioned at various locations throughout our campus. The factors behind this are not yet clear but it appears as if AUB’s “Recycling program” is undergoing some sort of revitalization that would see our campus advance in its protection of the environment. If the whole of the AUB community, around 8500 not including staff, was to commit to recycling, a noteworthy promotion of the surroundings would take place. Caterina Belardi, an AUB eco-concerned student, stated that she loves the step but thinks “It needs to be better promoted and advertised. Recycling is just as important as the non-smoking policy and it should be advertised just as zealously.” As a matter of fact, the importance of such advertisements becomes perti-
(Photos by Rami Diab)
nent when one inquires about what is going into the bins. While many are not yet aware of these bins’ presence several students seem to, unfortunately, ignore the recycling policy and simply throw whatever trash they have in whatever bin there is. This is a rather gloomy fact and the responsibility to prevent it lies on the shoulders of ev-
ery AUB related individual. Surely, as university students, we should all be aware of the deleterious consequences such acts could have and should in no way exercise them; we might go as far as saying we should prevent their practice. It appears that much more remains to come and AUB’s strive to preserve
and respect nature can only be successful if faculty, students and staff all cooperate and support every step taken towards that end. Consequently, we should all make sure that we, as well as all those around us, abide by what most students have called a “great step in the right direction.”
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Campus news
May 4, 2011
SMEC holds Seventeenth Annual Science, Math and Technology Fair
Mohammad Yaghi Staff Writer
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he Education Students Society and the Science and Math Education Center (SMEC) organized the Seventeenth Annual Science, Math and Technology Fair on the weekend of April 30 - May 1, at the American University of Beirut. The Fair provided students from schools throughout Lebanon with the opportunity to share scientific, mathematical and technological projects with their peers from other schools. The Fair aimed at encouraging and reinforcing education policies into developing students’ scientific and mathematical critical thinking skills, providing a relevant hands-on and out-of-class dimension to scientific and mathematical instructions,
promoting creativity, initiative, collaborative skills, and independent thinking among students, and encouraging schools, parents, and student involvement in the learning process. The opening ceremony took place in Assembly Hall and saw various schools bringing in projects for the Fair. These projects were assessed by a selected panel of judges. Students presented their work to the judges in a heated contest that lasted the course of the day. Parents, teachers, principles, directors, friends, and media were not allowed to oversee the panel discussing the winner of each competition. The projects selected first place were presented during the closing ceremony in Assembly Hall. Overall, this was a fruitful event with many students creating lifelong friendships and learn-
Music Club rocks out at Obros pub in “Quit Work - Make Music” concert Outlook Staff
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n April 29 of, the AUB Music Club organized a concert “Quit Work Make Music” that took place at OBROS pub Clemenceau. Performances began at 9:30 p.m. and featured only bands registered as part of the AUB Music Club. After weeks of practicing and a sound check that took place before the show the four bands out on a show that got the audience screaming and chanting for more. Performing bands included Burgundy (Pop/Alternative Rock), B&H (Rock/Progressive), TBA (Acoustic/Soft Rock), 80’s Revolutions (80’s Rock). AUB’s Music Club cabinet members also improvised with one other on blues and rock tracks. Each band performed for about 30 min-
(Photo by Rami Diab)
utes and the night ended at 2:00 a.m. Some of the bands performing such as 80’s Revolution hope to feature more of their songs at AUB’s major musical event of the year, AUB Outdoors offering musical fans a wide range of styles and musical genres to choose from.
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(Photo by Mohammad Azzam)
ing more about other disciplines in science, math, and technology. An array of schools partici-
pated in the competition with Sagesse High School, Rawdah High School, International College, and Brumma-
na High School being some of the schools attending this fair.
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AUB Civic and Volunteering Fair continued from page 1
ty service. The NGOs consisted of environmental ones like Greenline and the Association for Forests, Development and Conservation (AFDC,) and social ones like Ayadina and Tamanna. In addition to the NGOs, 19 AUB centers and groups whose members were engaged with civic work participated in the fair, such as the AUB Red Cross and the Civil Engineering Society. The seven sponsors, including Fransabank and BankMed, were also present. Furthermore, a food court was formed by local community groups like Souk Al Ard and offered healthy food for the visitors of the fair. Lina Abou Farraj, administrative assistant of the CCECS and member of the
committee organizing the fair said that the goal of the event was “to share the spirit of community service in AUB and to make students feel more engaged in the community.” She also said that this year’s fair was “more successful than previous ones” because there we more NGOs involved than in previous years and it was the first year involving sponsors and a food court. Although the fair was prematurely interrupted on Thursday by the rainy weather, it still left a positive impression on the students who visited it. Psychology student, Christine Saliba said: “I think [the fair] was really interesting and it was a great opportunity for students to enrich their CV. The best part was the food court!”
Insight Club hosts lecture on inapplicability of Secularism as a solution continued from page 1
much deeper and infiltrates social norms and beliefs, education, upbringing and every aspect of man’s daily life. Furthermore, he explained what he believes to be the most important matter to tackle: distinguishing religion from sectarianism. As the lecturer noted, the distinction should not be a hard one to make because extreme allegiance to your political sect represents, in principle, a disagreement with the Islamic way of life. As an illustration the lecturer spoke of how Islam can never accept injustice, such as the murdering of another in defense of your sect’s interests, while sectarian thought can. In this sense, religiosity is not the same as sectarian thought and that distinction is crucial for any further discussion. In a similar context the lecturer mentioned how Islam does “not want to establish religious politics but rather to have religious politicians.” This is be-
cause religion and Islam are callers for peace and forgiveness, things that, if Lebanon’s men of state were to apply, would bring Lebanon the tranquility it tremendously needs. In this sense, presenting secularism as the remedy to Lebanon’s problems would be “giving a cure for a different disease” since religion is not the heart of Lebanon’s problems. Under such light, secularism would fail in solving Lebanon’s feuds the same way it failed in solving Ireland or India’s bloody conflicts. It is the political system and its leaders that are, according to the lecturer, the matter to be dealt with. What, then, is the solution? It is certainly not secularism. Secularism is, in fact, an injustice. Being adopted from Europe and having many elements that do not see eye-to-eye or even conflict with Islamic law, as a Muslim would not be able to exercise their Islamic way of life under a secular state. Hence, enforcing a secular state is, in application,
May 4, 2011
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American Society of Mechanical Engineers hosts SPDC 2011, an AUB first sity (LAU), and Notre Dame University (NDU). The conference was held in Charles Hostler Student Center at AUB on Friday and Saturday April 29 and 30 respectively and was packed with events and competitions. Winners benefited not only from cash prizes and certificates, but also from professional exposure and the chances to attend and compete in event finals in the USA. The competition events that took place over the twoday period saw the best of the students’ engineering education being put into practical applications. One of the competitions was “The Old Guard Oral Competition” in which the student had to give a short seminar in a subject matter related to some area of the broad field of engineering. The winning team members in this competition are Sayed Aaquib Hazari from BITS Pilani, who won 500$ and a trip to compete in the final competition at ASME’s IMECE in USA, Omar Zayed from British University in Egypt who won 150$, Joseph Tayoun from NDU who won 100$, Christian Bou Khater from AUB who won 50$, and Omar Zayed from British University in Egypt who won 50$based on the best technical content. Another contest was the “Rapid Design Challenge.” This contest is a spontaneous challenge where teams of 4 are registered on a first
come first served basis (10 teams max). The teams did not know what the challenge is before they entered the competition. They were given an engineering problem in which they were asked to improve and optimize the original design. BAU’s Team 9 took the first prize of 200$. Teams 10 and 6 of BAU took the second and third place respectively. NDU’s Team 1 won the 4th place. Also, Rami Alaudeen from Umm al Qura University who received 200$ won the “Old Guard Technical Poster” Competition. Serge Khalil and Nadim Haddad of NDU and Paul Harb of the LAU were of those who won. Afterwards an impromptu was held in which all the participants were divided into teams of 5 and were given a list of materials and a mechanical device they should create in a fixed amount of time and with the material constraints. This year’s impromptu was building a penny transporter made of balloons, straws, scotch tape, and cardboards. It was won by Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research. In the “Student Design” Competition, NDU Team 1 won $500 and a travel allowance to go to the finals (Denver, USA), NDU Team 2 won 300$ and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals won 150$. The “Student Design” Competition is a competition in which several teams of up to four students compete to
present their solutions to a range of design problems. This year’s competition was building a prototype device that propels a model car as far as possible in a straight line by converting the potential energy of one liter of water at one-meter height. All water must be contained within the device and a penalty was assessed for any water spillage. Moreover, a “Student Design” Exposition was held on Saturday between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. which is an exposition in which students from participating Lebanese universities showcased their preliminary Final Year Projects (FYP) in front of a large audience of students, professors, and professionals. The SDE was of particular importance to students from the participating Lebanese universities as representatives from the Lebanese Industrial Research Achievements (LIRA) Program were present to give a workshop on the means of collaboration between the academic institutions and the Lebanese industry. Then they toured the exhibited preliminary FYPs of Mechanical Engineering students; giving them first hand feedback from an industrial perspective and discussing the way forward for these projects. The Student Design Exposition winners were: Thermoelectric Module (BAU), Helicopter (BAU), and Solar Car (LAU).
oppressing Muslims living under such a state. This is true for Islam because Islam is, in addition to being a spiritual faith, a “whole system that relates to marriage, commerce and every other aspect of our lives.” As a conclusion, noting that Lebanon is not a state where the law stems from the Holy Quran or the Holy Bible, with the exception of laws relating to “personal affairs” such as marriage,
a drastic change is not called for. To the contrary, according to the lecturer, the solution to our problem would be to listen and converse with one another, to follow the teachings of the true religion: that of forgiveness and love, and to learn co-existence as well as implementing laws that fight corruption and prevent the use of religion as a means to a political end. As a matter of fact, such use, a sin according to Al-Ghali,
is a disfiguration of religion. This was compared to how extremists misuse Islam and commit acts that Islam unreservedly refuses. Finally, one of the most important changes to make would be to eliminate sectarian politics, which “no mind and no religion” can agree to, while leaving all laws that relates to people’s personal affairs unscathed.
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Campus news
May 4, 2011
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Gender and Health Among U.S. Middle Eastern Immigrants
Nour Jane Kachicho Staff Writer
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esearch has shown that the health of U.S. Middle Eastern immigrants improves with their duration in the U.S.“Theories and statistics are poorly matched,” said Jen’nan Read, Associate Professor in the sociology department of Duke University. Read was the main speaker in a lecture entitled, “Gender and Health Among U.S. Middle Eastern Immigrants,” on Thursday, April 28, in Van Dyck Hall. According to Read, 13 per-
cent of the U.S. population is composed of immigrants, who used to be mainly European before, but are now mainly non-Europeans.which include Arabs. Read argued that what the research shows and what it implies are two separate things that should not be confused. Arab immigrants in the U.S. are shown to have bad health in arriving to the U.S. according to research. According to Read, they cannot have bad health because ill people do not migrate. It is also more likely that they lived a healthier lifestyle before immigrat-
ing to the U.S. When they arrive to the U.S, surmises Read, it is probable that they adopt the American lifestyle and that they disconnect from their origins. “As a result, the advantages they brought with them to the U.S. erode,” said Read. The U.S census may have many flaws such as miscoding Arabs as white, and assuming that all Arabs are Muslims, according to Read. Research also shows Arab women to be unhealthier than Arab men because they rate themselves as having poorer health and report worse health in gener-
al.
Read found that research was again poorly matching its theories and statistics. She argued that Arab women were rating themselves as unhealthy because they were more likely to have poor internal health such as depression, as compared to the Arab men who were more likely to have drinking and drug problems. Read found that it is two and a half times more likely for an Arab women to discuss her health, as compared to Arab men. Arab women were reporting worse health because they
were going to the doctor more often than Arab men, commented Read. It only looked like they had worse health because they were reporting a bad medical condition and could have possibly been responsible for a person in the family who was ill. “People have tried to overplay the differences because that is the norm,” said Read in reference to the research, and concluded that Arab men were healthier than Arab women.
SBS and PSPA hosted lecture
The Balkans: Confronting the Yugoslav Controversies Jackie Daoud Staff Writer
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lthough there has been a great deal of debate surrounding the Yugoslav controversies, the one thing that stands true is that history has played a key role in molding peoples perspectives. The problem that has persisted through time is the conflict that sparks tension between different nations as they fight for their facts to be heard. Throughout time, historical facts have become distorted leading to a divergence of narrations and breeding mistrust and animosity between nations, particularly among the Serbians and Yugoslavs. The idea Charles Ingrao has put forth is to create a book collated by impartial scholars from a myriad of countries in order to merge facts and hopefully reach a middle ground to this ongoing conflict. The tragic events that took place in the Balkans between 19911995 have been misrepresented in ways that have led to recrimination and heightened tension among the nations that were involved; Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia and the former Yugoslavia. The Yugoslav
wars were highlighted by bitter ethnic conflicts mostly among the Serbs on one side and Bosnian and Croatians on the other as they battled for the Balkans. Particular hostility emanated between the Serbs and Bosnian Muslims leading to war crimes that were labeled a genocide of sorts. The scholars initiative characterizes a collective aim by scholars to bridge the gap that exists between their knowledge of past events and the distorted ideas that politicians and media have imposed on mass cultures in order to preserve their own images. The goal here is not to resolve all conflicts, as we are way past that point, but to try to come to a conclusion that all parties can agree upon to understand the unfortunate events, exclusive of any politically biased standpoints that have been thrown in the mix. In order to successfully implement this, evidence was put forward and evaluated from all sides. Among the eleven main subjects of focus, the book covers ethnic cleansing and war crimes that were committed in an effort to try to pinpoint who the perpetrators were and the role
the media played in aggravating the tension between both sides. In addition, they discuss the dissolution of Yugoslavia and the animosity the Serbs faced in Kosovo. Over 300 scholars from all over the world were involved in this project, including those representing countries within North America, Western and Eastern Europe as
well as some who represented impartial countries such as Australia. Although the scholars initiative examines the 15 year period between 1986 and 2000 and attempts to remove historical myths that have surfaced, many other benefits will stem from this project for example it could lead to the reexamination of other his-
torical myths that arose from Central Europe. The hope here is that this is only the first step of a domino effect, leading to more projects of this nature and uncovering facts that will get us as close to a ‘middleground truth’ as possible pertaining to other controversies that have occurred within our ancestors past.
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Campus news
May 4, 2011
The CES Spring Dinner
Emile Zankoul Staff Writer
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efore the Spring semester ends and itsfinal exams start, the Civil Engineering Society (CES) organized its annual and traditional Spring Dinner. The dinner took place on Saturday, April 30, in El Fornayo Restaurant that is located in Safir Hotel in Raouche. This event has become a sort of custom for the Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Department as CES is the only society in AUB that organizes a dinner as such at this time of the year. People started arriving to the restaurant at around 8:30PM and were seated progressively according to the seating plan. The attendees consisted mainly of Civil Engineering students from the four years, but there were as well a few students from other Engineering departments. Also, two guests honored the dinner being Dr. Salah Sadek and
Dr. Mounir Mabsout, Chairperson and Professor from the CEE Department respectively. The total number of guests who attended was around 80. Once everybody seated, the guests enjoyed, under a relaxed and joyful atmosphere, a refined Italian dinner starting by various salads as appetizers, followed by different kinds of pizzas and pastas. Following that, a cake was cut to celebrate the occasion and everybody was served for dessert. After everyone got full, it was time for the special surprise that the CES had prepared. Indeed, the event was sponsored by Swatch, so a free Swatch Watch was going to be offered to the lucky winner of the draw according to the tickets’ numbers. Unlucky number 13 turned out to be lucky this time as Essa Saab, 3rd year Civil Engineer, won the draw holding the ticket numbered 113. The winner said: “I would simply like to thank the CES for the watch, but mainly for this pleasant dinner!”
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Finally, the moment everybody was waiting for arrived: the dancing. The students filled the dance floor and started dancing showing great skills. A group of them performed all types of dabké presenting a very impressive show pushing some of the waiters to join in. On another hand, there were also those who danced under the beats of Western music as the DJ
played diverse tunes. Carine Choubassi, 2nd year Civil Engineer and one of the attendees of the event, stated: “I think that the event was a great success. I was glad I got the opportunity, through this dinner, to see the friends I’m used to see in class outside that context for a change.” Christopher Sassine, 2nd year Civil Engineer and CES Secretary, said “It’s pleas-
ing to see all those Civil Engineering students gathered in one place other than AUB. Thank God, the success of the event surpassed our expectations and we promise to keep organizing such events to keep the CEE students gathered in this same spirit!”
Psychology Student Society kick-starts Lebanese expatriate in Kuwait wins trial against weekly movie night Benihanna restaurant franchise
Christine Saliba Staff Writer
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he Psychology Student Society, the newest student society in AUB, has already instilled a tradition of weekly movie nights. Every Thursday night at 8:00 p.m. in West Hall, a psychology related movie or documentary is being shown. On Thursday April 21, the BBC documentary “The Brain: A Human Story” was featured, tackling the issue of mind control. The notions of mind control, brainwashing and psychological manipulation first appeared when attempting to explain how totalitarian regimes succeeded in indoctrinating people to their philosophy through propaganda. Later, these issues were close-
ly studied by psychologists in order to explain a wider range of phenomena, such as conversions to new religious movements and cults. Mind control is still a controversial subject, eliciting fear and paranoia among lay people. On Thursday, April 28, another BBC documentary “Exposed- Liars and Love” was featured, this time about liars and love rejection. The first part tried to unravel some of the obscurities surrounding of the most powerful human instincts: Lying. Even though lying is very widespread (everyone has lied at least once) it is a barely understood mechanism. “Exposed” introduced the case of a man who made up an elaborate story to steal 15 million dollars. The documentary also exam-
ined various ways of beating the polygraph examination test (lie detector). Why don’t impulsive liars feel guilt? How do the victims of scams and rip-offs move on? Are liars made or born? Answers to all these questions and many more were found in this fascinating documentary. The second part of the documentary introduced the mechanisms of love and took a closer look at the pain that follows a breakup. The regions of our brain that respond to physical pain overlap with the regions that react to social rejection. Thus, the pain of rejection is more than just a figure of speech: Rejection really hurts. All students are welcome next Thursday to watch the movies and enjoy the popcorn.
Christine Saliba Staff Writer
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ark Makhoul, Lebanese expatriate in Kuwait and creator of the popular blog “248am.com” won on Thursday, April 26 the trial filed against him by the company Las Palmas, Middle East owner of the Benihanna franchise, a Japanese restaurant chain. Las Palmas demanded 18,000 US dollars in damages and requested the closure of Mark’s website, after he posted a negative review of the restaurant last November. In his post, Mark
was claiming that the quality of the food was very poor: “The chicken was very chewy (I could swear it was undercooked if not raw) and tasted terrible.” “Even the rice and the veggies that came with it tasted bad AND were under cooked.” In his blog, Mark expresses his great relief and hopes this victory will discourage any further attempts at diminishing online freedom of speech.
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May 4, 2011
Arts & Culture
Immortalized by a Photo
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Graduating Students flock to the Spring photo-shoot to leave their stamp in AUB history Mohamad Al Medawar Webmaster
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Let’s go, com’on! We only have a one-hour break to get our pictures taken on West [Hall], yalla!” said one female student, all dressed up with high heels and full make-up, yelling at her group of friends chatting on Main Gate. She was so eager to get to the Annual Spring Cap and Gown Photo-shoot for graduating students, organized by the Yearbook team and Student affairs. As students entered West Hall Common Room, they were welcomed by a Yearbook team member that guides through getting their cap and gown photo for the upcoming issue of yearbook, along with optional group photos with your friends. “It was so much fun, but a bit chaotic”, said Camille Salem, Editor in Chief of the Campus Yearbook. In fact, he exclaimed that some Yearbook members told him that “if they knew it would have been so much fun, they would’ve come evey hour of every day of the photo-shoot!”
The photo-shoot session was stretched across 4 days from Monday April 18, till Thursday April 21. The days were divided so that each faculty had at least 2 days for its students to pass by and get their photos taken, starting from FHS and OSB on Monday and ending with FEA on Thursday. Salem was glad that the team worked harmoniously, everything was planned beforehand, and everyone knew what to do. However, it happened by coincidence that “you’d find my Yearbook team members at one time with a few graduating students taking their photos, and in other times, there are a few members with a lot of students, but everyone was committed to their shifts” explained Salem. This factor, along with others, such as students who are a bit aggressive or who try to get ahead in line by either “blackmailing the team” as Salem put it, or by taking over ten pictures each than asking for more because the first ten didn’t look good. “You have to be firm!” stated Salem, “and help the stu-
dents choose a single picture or else you’d waste a lot of time choosing pictures.” According to him, it seems that female students spend the most time choosing the perfect picture, whereas males would say “you choose it, I don’t care” to show off his “coolism” especially if his male friends were around him. Moreover, the largest number of photos was taken on the last day because many students waited until the last hour of the last day to get their pictures taken, which caused some problems especially with students who didn’t come on the days assigned for their faculty, and came in rush hours of other faculties. Other students complained about the shortage of gowns and hoods, knowing that the Yearbook team had to purchase extra caps, gowns, and hoods on their own expense to cover for the shortage. Still students complained about availability and sizes. “it was inevitable and predictable,” revealed Salem, “and it’s impossible to get enough”. What they did how-
ever, was buy more hoods for larger schools such as OSB and FEA. Some students thought they would get special attention and get their photos the “express way” as Salem described it, because they were graduate students, but that didn’t happpen. Whereas the students who really needed special attention, such as the handicapped or physically disabled, were given priority and utmost care, “they were very thankful” explained Eman Abdulkarim, Yearbook team member. “It was so joyful to see the level of creativity students had while having their pictures taken! Some of them jumped, while others used the frames we provided so innovatively, in ways we couldn’t imagine!” Abdulkarim exclaimed. She also explained that “the photographers were so patient, nice, and did more than they have to, even taking double roles sometimes, especially when it got busy, by helping Yearbook members in dressing the students and showing them how to pose for the
camera!” Funny incidents were also reported where some students, for example, tried to pay the $2 photo fee with a credit card, while others forget their IDs and ran out of West Hall to get them, taking the gowns with them, forcing Yearbook team members to run after them and collect the gowns. As for Outdoors festival, theYearbook team is planning activities as well. The Yearbook Cabinet would like to thank all who participated in making this photo-shoot proceed successfully and smoothly, namely the Yearbook team, “Photo Naji” Photographers, the students, and Student Affairs. Moreover, any student who missed the photo-shoot is encouraged to contact the Yearbook Cabinet (yearbook@aub.edu.lb) to get their photo taken. Test your knowledge on the campus yearbook by solving the crossword puzzle on page 9.
AUB CEC hosts first international Argentine Tango Festival in Lebanon Outlook Staff
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he Continuing Education Center (CEC) at AUB organized the “Beirut International Tango Festival,” the first international Argentine Tango festival took place at St. George’s Yacht Club Lebanon, between Wednesday April 27 and Sunday May 1. Since its inception in 2009, the festival has attracted leading international musicians, dancers, and DJs as well as participants from all over the world. The event included open dancing by attending couples and tango performances were staged by five experienced Argentine tango dancers, couples Miguel Angel Zotto
(Photos by Rami Diab)
& Daiana Guspero, Ezequiel Paludi & Geraldine
Rojas, Rodrigo Rufino & Gisela Pasi, Pablo Inza
& Yamila Ivonne and Mazen Kiwan & Cecilia Pic-
cinni.
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Alumni news
May 4, 2011
Outlook
Websites designed by AUB alumnus receive nom honorable Mention at 15th Annual Webby Awards The passage below has been adopted from Cleartag.com where it was later modified and edited. The original text can be found at http://www. cleartag.com/blog/news/ cleartag-receives-nomination-honorable-mention-at15th-annual-webby-awards/ Two websites developed by a group (Cleartag) headed by an AUB alumnus Tarek Dajani, received recognition at the 15th Annual Webby Awards. Beirut Terraces was nominated for ‘Best Real Estate Website’ from among 10,000 entries. Another design by the group, Drive For Change received an honorable mention in the ‘Green’ category. The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet. It was hailed by the New York Times as the
“Internet’s highest honor”. The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet. It is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 650-person judging academy whose members include Internet co-inventor Vinton Cerf, R/GA’s Chief Bob Greenberg, “Simpson’s” creator Matt Groening, Arianna Huffington, and Harvey Weinstein. Winners will be announced on May 3rd, 2011 and honored at a star-studded ceremony in New York City on June 13th, where they will have an opportunity to deliver one of the Webby’s famous five-word speeches. Past Webby Award winners – and their speeches – include Al Gore (“Please don’t recount this vote.”), Stephen Colbert (“Me. Me. Me.
Me. Me.”), and Michel Gondry (“Keyboards are full of germs.”) For a full list of last year’s five-word speeches, please visit: http://www.webbyawards.com/press/speeches.php. Beirut Terraces Beirut Terraces is a residential development by Herzog and de Meuron in the heart of Beirut’s famed Mina el Hosn District. Far from the ubiquity of standard residences, Beirut Terraces delivers a bold vision: 130 living spaces, each as unique as their owner. To reflect this, Cleartag developed an intuitive, interactive website that highlights the features of this dynamic ‘Vertical Village’. “Nominees like Beirut Terraces are setting the standard for innovation and creativity on the Internet,” said
David-Michel Davies, executive director of the Webby Awards. “It is an incredible achievement to be selected among the best from the nearly 10,000 entries we received this year.” As a nominee, Beirut Terraces is also eligible to win a Webby People’s Voice Award, which is voted online by the global Web community. From now until April 29th, Cleartag and Beirut Terraces fans can cast their votes in The Webby People’s Voice Awards by visiting www.webby.aol. com (Hint: The voting complex is slightly complicated. Once you sign-in, search for “Cleartag” and Beirut Terraces will come up, and then, VOTE!) Drive for Change The Drive for Change campaign is a CSR initiative on
behalf of a Lebanese automotive distributors, Rymco that is sponsoring a traffic and air pollution project proposed by ‘The Atmospheric and Analytical Laboratory’ at the American University of Beirut (AUB). In order to do this, Rymco and AUB designed a first-of-its kind moving laboratory: a Nissan URVAN equipped with topof-the-line real-time pollution measuring equipment. Cleartag developed an interactive campaign to follow the van around Lebanon. Data collected from the van live streams into the micro site, while users are encouraged to generate their own content by submitting their thoughts and photos (via Facebook and Twitter) about the pollution they notice.
Alumni class notes a strong vote in that direction—Abu- Absi promotes meaningful dialog and inspires discovery in community.” [samir.abuabsi@utoledo. edu] [http://www.utoledopress.com/]
Samir Abu-Absi (BA ’63), earned his PhD in linguistics in 1972 from Indiana University. He was a visiting assistant professor of English at AUB from 1972to 1973. Currently professor emeritus of English and linguistics at the University of Toledo in Ohio, Abu- Absi is the editor of Arab Americans in Toledo: Cultural Assimilation and Community Involvement (University of Toledo Press, 2010). Poet and essayist Naomi Shihab Nye writes: “Many of us have long believed a ‘world of education’ or a ‘world of exchange’ could be much more useful than a ‘world at war’ and here’s
WehbeShuayb (BS ’56, MD ’60) practiced general and thoracic and vascular surgery at Emory University Hospital in West Virginia (196066), was an associate in surgery at AUBMC (196772) and president of Al Janoub Hospital (1970-2010). He also served as president of the American College of Surgeons’ Lebanon Chapter (1998-2000) and has been a member of the
Board of Governors of the American College of Surgeons since 2003. He and his wife Magda El Zein have two daughters (Wafa and Samar) and several grandchildren. [wmshuayb@ hotmail.com
Loutfi K. Echhade(BBA ’73) has been appointed to the Finance Subcommittee and the Audit Committee of Ernst & Young’s EMEIA region (Europe, Middle East, India, and Africa) where he is also senior principal of assurance and advisory business services. Echhade was recently certified in financial forensics by the American Institute of
Certified Public Accountants. [Loutfi.Echhade@sa.ey. com]
Fayez Suidan (BA ’51, MC ’55) joined AUBMC in 1962 after completing a four-year residency in general surgery at AUBMC and a three-year residency in OB-GYN at the University of Chicago Lying-in Hospital. He enjoys working with medical students in the Outpatient Department, surfing the Internet, communicating with friends, listening to classical music, and playing with his eight grandchildren. Suidan sent this photo with Dr. Randa Jalloul, who graduated from AUB in June 2010. [drfsuida@idm.net.lb] Adopted from AUB MainGate’s Winter 2011 Issue.
Outlook
May 4, 2011
Book Review
Maya Sfeir
Entertainment
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Cap and Gown Crossword Puzzle
News Executive
Masculine Identity in the Fiction of the Arab East since 1967 While a great number of works on contemporary Arabic fiction have focused on feminist issues inherent within the literature, Samira Aghacy’s “Masculine Identity in the Fiction of the Arab East since 1967” draws attention to the representation, or rather the construction, of masculinity within these works. Pertaining to the recent field of Male Studies, Aghacy’s work aims to demonstrate the extent to which masculinity is a fluid concept in a number of literary works from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria. Establishing that the Six-Day War that took place in 1967 between Israel and the Arab states of Egypt, Jordan and Syria did unsettle what was once thought stable and unshakable, Aghacy goes on to examine the construction of manhood within a number of novels that have been written since that time. Referring to works by Rachid Al-Da‘if, Hanna Mina, Hayat Sharara, Sahar Khalifah and many others others, Aghacy presents valuable insights to the subjects’
masculinity within the works. In the introduction to her book, she establishes the main purpose of her research: “. . . my aim in this study is to deconstruct the terms of essentialist sexual and biological differences between men and women, revealing masculinity as a dynamic process that is constantly shaped and reshaped within particular systems, frameworks, and discursive mechanisms” . Written for academics and field specialists, Aghacy’s book is definitely not an easy read for amateurs. Nonetheless, her theoretical approaches are highly commendable, and Aghacy’s own analysis of the works is amazingly insightful. In addition, her style reflects the clarity and depth of her thought. Aghacy’s book might not be your usual novelistic reading; nonetheless, it remains an indispensable and illuminating work for experts and scholars in the social sciences and literature as well as, though to a lesser extent, in history and political studies.
Across 2 is what covers your entire body, except the face 4 is the word I use to describe my university 6 is what you wear on your head! 8 is why you need to wear items 2 and 6. Down 1 is when Seniors are graduating 2 is what Cap and Gown all about 3 is the team that conducts the Cap and Gown Photoshoot 4 is the University your graduating from 5 is what the yearbook staff T-shirts say in English and Arabic at the same time 7 is the newspaper covering all events at AUB
Movie Review
Last Night
A Tribeca Film directed by Massy Tadjedin, “Last Night,” stars famous actors Kiera Knightley, Sam Worthington, Eva Mendez and Guillaume Canet, and was released in cinemas in Lebanon on April 14, 2011. Its release date however was November 2010. Tadjedin, Iranian-American, is known for screenwriting “The Jacket,” in 2005, which also featured Kiera Knightley. “Last Night” is a drama and romance that focuses on the strains of marriage and doubt, as well as the strengths
in which the married couple begins to argue and eventually doubt their marriage. The film’s time span is over two days. This shows the extent to how much can happen within this time and the rapid progression of conflict and its consequences that eventually must be faced. Michael and Laura embark on their business trip, while Joanna randomly encounters her past love, the charming French, Alex Mann (Guillaume Canet), with whom she finds herself spending the rest of her day.
of desire. It closely resembles a modern version of “The Great Gatsby,” written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, published in 1925. In both “Last Night” and “The Great Gatsby,” individuals bound by marriage are greedy and only think of themselves. When Michael Reed (Sam Worthington) and his wife Joanna (Kiera Knightley) attend a dinner party, tension begins to grow as suspicion is raised. From the moment that Laura (Eva Mendez) is introduced as Michael’s work partner, a turning point is formed
Nour Jane Kachicho At this point the viewers discover that it takes two in order to create tension, as it is revealed that Joanna had in fact never told her husband about her past lover Alex. The viewers are kept on the edge of their seats, wondering whether Joanna and her husband will indulge in their desires or refrain from them and stay faithful to one another. While some may find the movie to be monotonous because there is little action and the scenes are long, others may enjoy the shift of the scenes from one couple to the
other as they are portrayed in a parallel situation. The soundtrack is in harmony with the movement of the film, and there is a lot of symbolism presented. The tension is symbolized with the couples’ habits, such as their late night dinners and disagreements on furniture, which reinforce the fact that they are disconnected. Overall, “Last Night” suggests that even though many people frown upon divorce, some couples remain unhappily together and very much alienated from one another.
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(With reference to the Volunteering Fair that took place on Wednesday and Thursday April 27 and 28 respectively) What is your organization’s mission statement? 1) Aie Serve: Aie serve is a youth non-gorvenmental, non-political, non-religious, non-profit organization whose focus is on training youth to be more aware of their capabilities, and empowering them to take initiatives to improve their communities. 2) Al-Hadi Institution: Al-Hadi Institution for the visual and hearing impairments and language and communication disabilities aims at developing the comprehensive abilities of the people of special needs by means of teaching, rehabilitation, and education in a dignified, egalitarian, and respectful manner that enables the handicapped to feel his humanity, and get integrated in the society as a missionary, constructive, truthful, active, and interactive person with all sectors of the society. 3) Red Cross: “Helping people, saving lives, volunteering.” 4) Amel Association: Amel is a non-profit, non sectarian organization that supports the most underprivileged populations in Lebanon, through various programs involving health care, psychosocial support, rural development, vocational training, child protection and the promotion of human rights. 5) Greenline: “Environmental Association dedicated to access of environmental rights and resources. This is a right that human being should have.” 6) Association for Forests, Development & Conservation (AFDC): The Association for Forests, Development and Conservation (AFDC) was established in 1993 to achieve sustainable conservation of natural resources, raise awareness and build capacities to contribute to the national efforts for better environmental management. Fundamental to AFDC’s mission is the pursuit of community-based conservation for the sustainable livelihoods of people. This comes from the idea that conservation will fail if local communities do not benefit from it. 7) Dar Al Amal Association 8) Children of Adam: Dedicated to helping underprivileged orphans in Lebanon from different sects. 9) Caritas Lebanon: Caritas Lebanon mission is to enhance solidarity in order to promote and develop the human being without any discrimination. It commits itself to Assisting people in need and reviving a sense of responsibility in order to attain a larger solidarity in the relations between various social groups. 10) Civil Engineering Society: Unites Civil engineering students and teacher with a goal to raise money for events toward civic engagement and awareness. 11) The Economic and Social Fund For Development (ESFD): The ESFD mission is to alleviate poverty and mitigate the social impact of the economic transition in Lebanon on marginalized and disadvantaged groups.
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(With reference to the Volunteering Fair that took place on Wednesday and Thursday April 27 and 28 respectively) What is your organization’s mission statement? 1) Insight Club: “provide perspectives on a well-rounded way of living and appreciating life through balance between physical, intellectual and spiritual needs” 2) Lebanese Autism Society: “advocates for rights of individuals with Autism and provides them and their families with support and services” 3) Ayadina Association: Ayadina Association is a not-for-profit, nongovernmental associa 4) Dar Ilham wa Yusuf Alghanim: To provide a home for children, who are either orphaned or need shelter, to continue to nurture them, guide and support them through their educational path, so they become independent productive citizens capable to face the everyday challenges. 5) Animas Lebanon: “Dedicated to the greater good of animals” tion dedicated to community development with a focus on the children and senior citizens of the Nabaa area (Sin el Fil district) Lebanon 6) Children hInternational Summer Villages (CISV): CISV educated and inspires action for a more just and peaceful world. 7) Junior Chamber International (JCI): To provide development opportunities that empower young people to create positive change
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Sports
Heather Jaber News Executive
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ans of American football will be excited to learn of the new initiative to start an official team for AUB. First year Business Major David Sabra, first year Computer Science Major Mohammad Bachir and Biology Juniors Rayan Sibai and Michel Skaf are helping to lead the creation of the team, which began with 12 students playing tag-football for fun. The team now has around 45 total members and is looking to expand and solidify an official team. The team started to form with Sibai and Skaf forming a group of 12 fellow students in the biology major that met about once a week to play. As Sibai was the only one with experience at the time, they created their own rules and had so much fun that they created a Facebook group, wanting to keep the games going. Sabra came upon the
May 4, 2011
Are you ready for some football? group on the field, asked to join, and later helped to initiate the official team that Sibai and Skaf had attempted to start. Bachir heard through word-of-mouth, contacted the group through Facebook, and the group thus grew to around 50 people playing each week at the Green field. For those who do not fully understand the difference between American football and rugby, which exists as an official team for AUB, Sabra and Bachir explained that, while there are similarities, the concept of each sport is quite different in the end. “There are differences with the equipment used [but] the method of scoring is the same - catching the ball in the end zone area. The main pass used in rugby is the backpass or lateral pass. It’s a lot quicker, rugby. American football [is] complex,” said Sabra. “There’s definitely a place for both rugby and American
football,” he added. “They’re very different sports…I think American football is more of an entertainment kind of sport for an audience.” While Sabra believes rugby is more of an aggressive sport, he stresses that American football is for the “model citizen,” and that it “should represent the university community.” Bachir added that American football involves a lot of teamwork and communication to play, which are important tools for any person to build. “Every member is just as important as the other… everyone has to give all their effort to help that one man get through…it’s a combination of brains and brawn.” In the past, while other students have formed groups to play American football together, this is the first time an official team has been formed. With the help of the Dean of Athletics, Ghaleb Halimi, the group will reportedly be an official team by the Fall 2011 semester. While
American Football Polls Mohammad Yaghi News Executive
Posters and all different forms of notifications have been posted around AUB about the development of an American Football Team for AUB. Outlook took the initiative then to survey and assess the popularity and openness of such a team from the AUB student community. Over a hundred AUB students were asked three questions that were whether they wanted an American Football Team at AUB, would they participate in such a team, and whether they would watch any American Football games happening at AUB. The results were as followed: A total of 100 students were inlcuded in the three polls
Halimi and the administration have been “very supportive,” the main issue with the formation of the team has been “the consistency of the guys that come,” according to Sabra. “All we need now is to sign up the players,” added Skaf. The group of players consist of some that were raised in America and have a handle on the sport, and “the guys who just want to get into a physical sport,” said Bachir, explaining that the team is truly for anyone who wants to channel their passion for football, learn how to play, or to simply join a “brotherhood” of sorts. “We’re all going to have to support each other, with [things like] academics, with family issues…it’s going to be our own little community where we’re helping each other. Anyone who wants to join will get that support.” The group hopes to help raise awareness for their team and to promote the concept of “model citizens.” Sa-
Outlook
bra spoke about the importance of remaining grounded and projecting a respectable image to the public. “When it comes to sports in Lebanon, it’s all about the one guy, his great talent. In American football you cannot do that – it’s not going to work. It has to be kind of a model for the community.” As for beginning the initiative, Bachir explained that they are excited about the prospect of launching an American football team at AUB. “AUB is one of the most influential colleges around Lebanon…we’re hoping it will make a big difference.” Sabra added that the group goes beyond just the physical aspect of the sport. “We want the support of the student body. This is not something we want to turn into a show, to show off our skills. I want it to be a community theme…for the good of AUB students - maybe even beyond that community.”
Outlook
Viewpoint
May 4, 2011
Opinion Fantasies do come true
Editor’s Corner
Volunteering at AUB
Rami Diab Editor-in-Chief To share a skill, to demonstrate devotion, to gain leadership, , to learn from the experienced, to repay a debt, to take on the challenge, to explore new friendships and embark on uncharted voyages, to offer succor, to advance, to progress, to feel good, to stand up and be counted with the rest, all these virtues and more; what better way is there to realize them I ask you than through volunteering and service? Last week, AUB’s Civic and Volunteering fair took place as organized by the Center for Civic Engagement and Community Service (CCECS) and brought together some 65 nongovernmental organizations and 19 university clubs and organizations with the help of seven sponsors, all with the aim of facilitating volunteering and service by the university (see page 1 and 4 for the full article). Some of us volunteer out of volition and some of us out of coercion and between those, the former is said to be more praiseworthy and blessed. And of done out of volition, some of it may spring from ulterior motives and some of it may spring from untainted intentions and between those, the latter is said to be more praiseworthy and blessed. It is also said, that if we are pushed into service, that we should then push service aside and if that if ulterior motives guide us, that we had best guide them away
“Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” (American anthropologist, Margaret Mead). as the two will only serve to vandalize our spirits during our working hours. Enjoying what we do with deep conviction and giving of our physical selves as equally as giving of our souls offers us a double benefit of joy and genuine, honorable service. And if happiness be absent from the equation, if it does not develop during labor from the inwards out than faltered are we in out trials to earnestly serve. In the words of Gibran Khalil Gibran once more, “Happiness is a vine that sakes root and grows within the heart, never outside it.” Once we give out of happiness the process becomes a spontaneous exchange. Suddenly, what we give, we get back, right then and there and we could ask for nothing more in return. Our enthusiasm can become contagious at times as we begin to haul in a multitude of new volunteers following in our footsteps of tireless, selfless service to the community baptized in unified everlasting joy. What more could we ask for? What material gain could possibly replace such a feeling of content? What material worth could add to the feeling in that regard, add to our already filled cup of joy? Life is one big test at volunteer work. Rejoice, we have fulfilled our purpose her, now we can die happy.
Dalia Hosn Staff Writer I’m pretty sure that every single one of us has watched all those lovey-dovey Disney masterpieces throughout our childhood. From Cinderella to Aladdin, the story of a commoner marrying someone of the royal family has always intrigued us. What girl didn’t look for her prince charming? What guy didn’t want a princess for a bride? As a little girl I always wanted to be a princess, but of course those were only the vague fantasies of a dreamy little girl. Not anymore! Watching the royal wedding
last Friday, April 29, was like being transported back in time to those moments of innocence when all you wanted was a prince charming on his shiny white horse. But let me get one thing clear from the get-go, it’s not exactly the prince that I envy or even the expensive wedding, it’s the event itself. The first thing I thought, when Princess Catherine got into that golden carriage was, “Wow, dreams do come true!” There’s a strange thing that happens when you grow up, just one moment when you wake up and realize that your head needs to come down from the clouds. As an adult you’re suddenly expected to have realistic expectations and realistic goals, and all that dreaming is thrown out the window. “Get real!” they’d all say. Quite a bitter initiation into the world of adulthood, and to think you’d been looking forward to it! But that is what happens. We abandon all those “silly” dreams of becoming astronauts, seeing the world, or finding prince charming,
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and we settle for secondbests: trapped behind a desk, and returning to a home that isn’t happy. We convince ourselves that this is reality. But it isn’t! People do still become astronauts, or we wouldn’t have any more astronauts. People do go around seeing the world, or travel agencies would have long since gone out of business. And guess what, you can always find your prince charming. Sure, there are only a couple of princes left in the modern world, but that’s not what I’m referring to. Love is still out there, and that was the most beautiful thing in that wedding. It wasn’t the ornate carriage of red and gold, the high ceiling of Westminster Abbey, or those freakish hats with their ribbons and flowers (definitely not those!). No, the most beautiful thing was the union itself. Their smiles, and the hope they represent for all of us. It’s not impossible. If a merchant’s daughter can land a prince, you should be able to do just about anything.
Ad Anarchy Christine Saliba Staff Writer Wherever you happen to be walking or driving in Lebanon, you can’t but notice the incredible amount of haphazardly placed advertisings fighting for your attention. Not only are these billboards disfiguring the landscape, they
also represent a threat for public safety since they don’t abide by any security rule. From the cheap looking ads on Dora highway to the huge posters placed on crumbling buildings, Lebanese roads are starting to become a real visual nightmare. It seems our government has realized the imminence of this issue. On April 19, the minister of Interior Ziad Baroud has
promulgated a new law whose purpose is to charge the owners of illegal billboards with a fine, leading to their dismantling. It will be applied starting May 5. Hopefully, this new law will not suffer the usual fate of Lebanese laws—a brief surge of enthusiasm and exemplary behavior quickly followed by general indifference and relapse into old habits.
The event will take place at the Charles Hostler Student Center Swimming Pool at 12 noon on Tuesday May 10th, 2011. Come and bring your friends to this big event and watch engineering groups from different universities compete.
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Out of the Box The Outlook team
Chairperson
Talal Nizameddin
Faculty Advisor
Cleo Cacoulidis
Responsible Director
Antonios Francis
Editor-in-Chief
Rami Diab
Associate Editor
Timmy Malkoun
Editor at Large
Yahia Hamade
Arabic Editor
Mariam El Ali
Photography Editor
Salim Batlouni
Layout Director
John Hajjar
Members at Large
Samer Bu Jawdeh
News Executives
Heather Jaber Maya Sfeir Mostafa Fadlallah
Webmaster
Mohamad Al Medawar
Business Managers
Sally Khalifeh Lara Traboulsi
Staff Writers Khodor Abu Daya Nader Al Ahmadieh Mona Ayoub Fouad Badaoui Caterina Belardi Amir Bitar Jackie Daoud Tracy Dariane Sarah Al Dirani Edrees Elrachidi Dalia Hosn Elie El Khoury Aziza Khalil Yasmin Fansa Yumna Ghandour Maryam Hoballah
Lynn Itani Nour Jane Kachicho Anis Kadado Tala Kardas Wajiha Jurdhi Kheir Marie Nakhoul Rita Obeid Rami Panayoti Yasmine Saab Joseph Saba Christine Saliba Amer Sare Mohammad Yaghi Emile Fares Zankoul Rayane Zahreddine Lama Zakharia
Photographers Mohamad Alameh Tariq Buhilaigah Dima Hajj Nadi Nassar
Lotfi Al Salah Wael Salem Antoine Salloum Mohammad Azzam
Cartoonists
Deedee El Jilani Jamila Mehio
April 27, 2011
Career and Placement Services Guidance Tips on writing resumes
The top of the resume should include: Name, Current address & telephone number, including area code, Permanent address and phone number, Email address, Optional: your Web page address Objective the specific position you are seeking, the skills you wish to use on the job, The field or organization type by which you wish to be employed. Education Names of the degree granting institutions, listing first the most recent degree earned., Degree received and major, Graduation date or projection graduated date, Any minors, specialization or focus areas, Honors and GPA (based on a 4.0 scale) or average (over 100) recommended only if they are a strong selling point, Overseas academic experience, Senior research/ honors thesis title and often a brief description. This can also be listed in the EXPERIENCE section, if relevant. Experience Title and description of the position, Name of organization and location with city and country, Dates of employment/involvement (month and year) Suggestions for Describing your Experiences Describe your experiences in terms of accomplishments including the variety of tasks performed and progressive increases in responsibility, Begin each sentence with an action verb (organized, developed, directed, etc.), Use nouns that convey key skills or knowledge, Avoid personal pronouns, Quantify your experience whenever possible to demonstrate the scope of your responsibilities. For example, “planned and managed a budget of $10,000” or “supervised a crew of four.”, Include paid jobs, internships, volunteer community service, extracurricular projects involving leadership or teamwork, special academic research or honors projects, etc. Additional Information This section can include languages, computer skills, interests, sports, extracurricular activities, volunteer experiences, etc. However, if one of these areas is especially relevant to your objective, you may choose to put it into a separate section. Other Possibilities for Sections Choose your headings based on your background and the qualifications you believe will be important or of interest to the employer. Be descriptive in your selection of a heading. Sample headings may include: Honors and Awards, Professional Affiliations, Publication, Community Service, Outstanding Accomplishments, Summary (usually included near the top, listing specific skills, past experience, etc.) References If references are requested, a separate reference sheet is paper clipped to your resume (or presented later in your job search if you are a finalist for a position). This should have your name at the top and list the names, titles, addresses and phone numbers of you references. Remember that it is important to contact your references prior to submitting their names to potential employers. Resume Format and Layout There is no single, best way to set up your resume – the resume format you choose should present your strengths clearly. There are three basic resume formats: chronological, functional/ skills, and combination. Your resume should be laser printed on conqueror/galgo/bond paper and enclosed in a Nylon folder. Sample resume available at: http://www.aub.edu.lb/sao/cps/skill/Documents/sample%20resume.doc For more info contact Career and Placement Services Director Dr. Maryam Ghandour at mg03@ aub.edu.lb (West Hall Rm 112E Ext. 3172). Anything discussed with the counsellor is based on mutual trust, is kept confidential and will not be released to anyone without the student’s written consent.
Outlook is a weekly publication of the American University of Beirut (AUB) and represents the voice of the student body. It is an independent, non-affiliated publication that favors no ethnic, religious, or political group. All columns, articles, and reports are the property of Outlook and do not necessarily represent the views of Outlook or the AUB community. Outlook welcomes all contributions. Authors please include full name, major, ranking, and contact information for verification. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any way, shape or form without the written consent of Outlook and/or higher authorities. Outlook reserves the right to edit all material. © Outlook 1949
Outlook
RIP: Mohamed El Ballouli (Sophomore Business Administration) May God rest his soul and may he forevermore be remembered.
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منوعات
كاتب من هذا الزمان :صبحي موسى -يحيا الوطن
نهاد غازي عواد كاتبة صحفية
«سأجرب كل ما أعلم من طقوس وشعائر،،،كي ترسو بسالم،،،على سفينتي تشبه خضراء،،،ال أرض اليابسة،،،وال حتى السماء العالية،،،لكنها،،،تتسع لرجل بال أصدقاء ،،،وال ينتظر معونة من أحد ».مقطع من قصيدة «الرحلة» من ديوان «في وداع احملبة» للشاعر والروائي صبحي موسى .هو الديوان اخلامس عشر حيث سبقه أربع مجموعات شعرية هى «يرفرف بجانبها وحده ،قصائد الغرفة املغلقة ،هانيبال ،لهذا أرحل»، فضالً عن ثالث روايات حملت عناوين «صمت الكهنة»، «حمامة بيضاء»« ،املؤلف». لقد استطاع صبحي جتذيب رؤيته النوعية في الكتابة الشعرية والروائية .قصيدة النثر لدى موسى تعالج املساءل
والسياسية اإلجتماعية والوجودية على عكس ما هو سائد عند كثيرين .فهو يعتمد الديوان احلالة كتجربة شعرية يدخل فيها الكثير من التيمات الشعبية والتراث واألساطير .له رؤيته الفلسفية بالرحيل الذي طاملا شغل النفس البشرية. فالرحيل مؤلف من 3مكنونات :الشخوص (األنا و اآلخرين) ، الزمان (الواقع و املنت َ َظر) ،املكان ( ِمن و إلى) .وموسى يرى الرحيل جماعيا .رحيل قامت به األنوات الى اجملهول .انه رحيل جماعي جليل معذب وجد في الشعر خالصه وفي القصيدة بيان على وجوده فأثر ترك بصمة الكلمة ثم الرحيل .جيل قال عنه صبحي ” :ال أحد يعرف الشعر أكثر منا ،وال أحد يصدق أننا نقول شعرا ً أفضل مما يقوله العظماء ،ليس ألننا منلك ما ميلكونه من اللغة ؛ ولكن ألننا الذين منلك املعاناة “ .رحيل الى النص النه الوحيد الذي ينفي
املوت والناطق األمثل باسم الوجود .فالصمت قناع للموت وباب للوهم بأن احلياة مستمرة: ” أيها األصدقاء ما عاد بيننا ذلك العهد القدمي ،فقد سئمت الثرثرة ،واملناورة ،سئمت قصائد الشعر ،وسئمت احلكماء، واللحى احلليقة ،والعيون املريضة بالصحف ،سئمتكم ..وال عقد بيننا على الصمت “.وكما الفلسفة ،حتمل نصوص موسى رؤيته السياسية كانت في حرب اخلليج أومشروع الشرق األوسط اجلديد .رؤية تنتصر لالنسان وترفض الهيمنة التي يرزح حتتها العالم كما تنتصر للمظلومني من وجود قطب واحد يعاني نفسيا من جنون القتل والديكتاتورية وتسير كل شي الى مصلحته .يرفض اإلحتالل واإلستعمار ويبني موقفه على شواهد تاريخية وحتليالت عميقة وثقافة واسعة حيث يقول عن احتالل العراق: « آه يا أصدقاء … ماذا سنقول
شخصية األسبوع الدكتورة هالة محتسب سارة أحمد الديراني كاتبة صحفية
ولدت الدكتورة هالة محتسب في أكرا عاصمة جمهورية غانا في أفريقيا ،لوالدين كرميني هما األستاذ عثمان محتسب والسيدة سحاب حمامي .بقيت الدكتورة هالة في غانا حتى الثامنة من عمرها حيث عادت إلى لبنان مع أهلها .وفي لبنان درست في مدرسة مقاصد خالد بن الوليد وبقيت فيها حتى تخرجت منها في العام .1980وبعدها إلتحقت الدكتورة باجلامعة األمريكية في بيروت ودرست فيها مادة البيولوجية ،وفي العام 1983 نالت شهادتها اجلامعية .ومن ثم تابعت دراساتها العليا في اإلختصاص نفسه ونالت شهادة املاجيستير في العام.1985 ثم بعدها تزوجت من الدكتور كامل غالي وسافرت برفقته إلى أمريكا ليتابعا دراستهما. وهناك تابعت الدكتورة دراستها في مجال علم األحياء حيث نالت شهادة الدكتوراه في العام 1990من جامعة Kansas State .University, Manhattanوبعد نيلها شهادة الدكتوراه تابعت الدكتورة أبحاثها العلمية في مختبرات اجلامعة التي تخرجت منها ،حيث قامت بالعديد من األبحاث حول أنواع مختلفة من املواد التي تعمل كمضادات ملرض للسرطان (.)1993 -1990 ومن العام 1994 -1993عملت مع مجموعة من الباحثني في مختبرات جامعة Case Western
Reserveلفهم أسباب مرض سرطاناجللد. وفي العام 1994عادت الدكتورة مع زوجها إلى لبنان ،وإلتحقت باجلامعة األمريكية كأستاذة محاضرة في كلية العلوم حتى العام 2004حيث أصبحت منذ ذلك العام تعد دكتورة من الدرجة األولى في اجلامعة األمريكية .أما اآلن فتعمل الدكتورة على العديد من األبحاث املتعلقة باملواد املستخرجة من األعشاب فاعليتها ضد سرطان .)colon األمعاء(cancer كما وأنها اآلن عضو مجلس التحرير جمللة Clinical Cancer .Investigation Journal ومديرة حترير العدد اخلاص من اجمللة Frontiers in Biosciences .Journal حازت الدكتورة خالل مسيرتها العملية على العديد من اجلوائز التكرميية وأبرزها كان اجلائزة األولى في Suad al-Sabbah Awardعن أفضل البحوث املنشورة من قبل من خريجي اجلامعة األميركية في بيروت عام .2003ونالت اجلائزة األولى في Abdul Hameed Shoman prize
للمساهمة في العلوم الطبية في العام .2004كما وحازت على اجلائزة األولى ألفضل ملصق قدم في املؤمتر العلمي اإلقليمي االول بشأن الطب العربية اإلسالمي التقليدي في األردن عام .2007 ماذا حتبني أن تقولي للطالب؟ « أنصح كل الطالب بأن يختاروا اإلختصاص الذي يحبونه وذلك
ألن سر كل جناح يكمن في حب اإلنسان ملا يعمل .كما وأود أن أؤكد النجاح ليس جناحا ً أكادمييا ً وحسب بل إن جناح اإلنسان كي يكون كامالً وحقيقيا ً ينبغي أن يقترن بالنجاح اإلجتماعي ،وهذا النجاح ال ميكن حتقيقه سوى من خالل توسيع معرفتنا وثقافتنا مبختلف األمور واجملاالت إذا أمكن. كماأننيأرىأنأساسجناحياليوم يكمن في حبي وشغفي لعملي وأخالصي فيه ،وسعيي الدائم إلكتساباملعرفةوالثقافة». ما هو نهجك أو قاعدتك في هذه احلياة؟ « ميكنني أن أخلص نهجي في هذه احلياة من خالل هذا املبدأ (العمل الشاق يثمر: )Hard work pays offوما أعنيه هنا أن في هذه احلياة مشقات كثيرة ولكن السبيل الوحيد لتخطيها هو بالعمل الدؤوب واجلاد .كما ان اإلنسان في هذه احلياة سوف يواجه العديد من األمور اجليدة واألمور السيئة، فما ينبغي عليه هو أن يستفيد ويتعلم من األمور السيئة وأن يسعى لتحقق األفضل واألفضل بعد كل جناح يحصل عليه». وماذا عن حياتك الشخصية؟ « بداي ًة أنا أم لولدين :نزهة البنت الكبرى ( 20سنة) وعمرو (16 سنة) .عائلتي الصغرى هي أولى أولوياتي بالرغم من شعوري الدائم أنني مقصر ًة جتاه أوالدي وزوجي ،إال أنني أسعى دائما أن أكون قريبة جدا ً منهم .فالوقت الذي أمضيه مع عائلتي هو وقت مقدس بالنسبة لي وال أسمح ألي شيء أن يعكره!»
للمتنبي ،هل اشترينا العب َد ولم ْ نشرِ العصا مع ُه ؟!» .نظرة تكاد تكون قومية وانسانية شاملة .طرح كل شيء قيد املساؤلة ولم يبرأ أحدا .عالج أحالم الضعفاء والفقراء واملساكني واملظلومني.حملهم معه في رحيله .حمل أحالمهم ورمالهم وتراثهم وتاريخهم وذاكرتهم وأماكنهم وكلماتهم ونصوصهم .حملهم مرددا: ” كنا صغارا ً يا أبي ؛ نسعى حافني جتاه ال َعلَ ِم والطابور ِ وعى :حتيا البالد واملدرس،ونردد بال البعيدة ..حتيا البال ٍدُ التي تعني الوطن .و في العسكرية كنا األرض فنزلزلها، نضرب بأقدامنا َ ونع ُّد البالدَ في قلوبنا -قرانا التي ُ نعرف مواقعها على اخلريط ِة ، ال هكتارات الرمل التي حتاصرنا من ِ َ ،شكل احلديقة التي صوب كل ْ نحلم بامتالكها ،وج َه اجلنرال سخرنا للعمل في بيته الذي ّ ُ ونهتف (: شيء كل نحصي .. ٍ يحيا الوطن الذي ال نعرف مدا ه
ايار 2011 ,4
اوتلوك
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يحيا الوطن الذي لسنا كلنا فداه .”).. يحيا الوطن الذي سرق معناه، يحيا الوطن الذي حرق رُباه ،يحيا وطننا احملمي من ر ّباه .يحيا لبنان .يحيا الهالل اخلصيب.
َ يحاكم القرآن الكرمي والقاضي ح ٌر طليق تتمة من ص16
ّ الشهرة ولن عشر من نساعده على احلصول على خمسة عشر أخرى» .وقد ارتأى اجمللس أن ال يع ّلق على احلدث لعدم اعطائه زخ ًما إعالم ًيا كما حصل ساب ًقا. كما أ نّه من الالفت بدء حملة شاملة في أمريكا لتحسني وعي املواطنني في اإلسالم وتعاليمه. بال ّر غم من هذا ،لم ييأس تيري جونز إذ طالب األمم املتحدة بإ تّخاذ اجراءات ضد اإلسالم لإلنتقام مما حصل وأعلن في أفغانستان. أن «الوقت قد حان جلعل اإلسالم عرضة للمحاسبة». كما أنه في 22نيسان ّ خطط ملظاهرة أمام املركز اإلسالمي في «ديربورن» ،كما أوردت صحيفة النيويورك تاميز .ولكن مت إلقاء القبض عليه أل نّه رفض أن يدفع دوال ر ًا واح ًد ا ثمنًا لـ»سند سالم» وف ًقا لقرار القاضي مارك سمرز الذي اجرى محاكمة لتحديد ما إذا كان ّ يشكل تهدي ًد ا للسالم جونز ثم متّ إطالق سراحه واألمنّ . بعد قبوله بدفع املبلغ املتوجب. ّ جدي ٌر ذكره أن املبلغ ( )$1 يغطي تكاليف حماية
ّ الشرطة للمتظاهرين كما أن دفعه يقتدي بعدم اقتراب أي مسجد ملدة ثالث جونز من ّ أعوام. في لبنان ،تساءل سماحة مفتي اجلمهورية الشيخ محمد رشيد ق ّباني في حفل تكرمي شيوخ القراء واملقرئني نهار اخلميس الفائت ( )4 /28 ما إذا كانت الدميقراطية التي تعد بها أمريكا هي ذاتها التي سمحت جلونز بارتكاب جرميته النكراء. أما على صعيد اجلامعة ّ األمريكية في بيروت بكل أي عمل مك ّو ناتها فلم يصدر ّ أو بيان للتنديد أو مساندة ملا فعله جونز .ولكن بعد سؤال عدد من التالمذة من مختلف الطوائف فقد اجمعوا على أن ما فعله جونز كان خطأ .ولكن عند استيضاح سبب تنافي ما فعله جونز مع حرية ينصها ال ّر أي والتّعبير التي ّ الدستور األمريكي ،برز ر ّد التلميذ في علم الكمبيوتر واملواطن األمريكي جوزيف سابا الذي قال »:طب ًعا هناك حرية رأي وتعبير ولكن لكل شيء حدود .أيقبل جونز أن أمه عاهرة؟ أال أقول له أن ّ الرأي يعتبر هذا ضمن حرية ّ والتّعبير؟» .
أ وتلو ك
اجلامعة األميركية في بيروت
إلى جميع قراءنا :صحيفة االوتلوك ترحب بالراغبني لإلنتساب إلى فر يقها.
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املنشورة الطالبية املستقلة منذ عام | ١٩٤٩األربعاء 27نيسان |2011
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15 شخصية األسبوع الدكتورة هالة محتسب
15 كاتب من هذا الزمان :صبحي موسى -يحيا الوطن
َ يحاكم والقاضي ح ٌر طليق القرآن الكرمي
خضر أبو دية كاتب صحفي
الضغوطات بعدما حالت ّ يقد م اخلارج ّية واحملل ّية من أن ّ القس تيري جونز على إحراق ّ 200نسخة من القرآن حتت عنوان «اليوم العاملي حلرق القس طريقة القرآن» ،اختار ّ أخرى إليصال رسالته إلى العالم وهي بإخضاع القرآن إلى محاكمة مدن ّية في 20 آذار أمام هيئة مح ّلفني. إحترام من وبال ّر غم كان احملاكم، شكل ّيات الرئيسي واضحا أن الهدف ً ّ من احملكمة هو حرق القرآن إذ كان من غير املفاجئ أن يتم إصدار حكم اإلدانة بحق القرآن في «جرائم احلض ضد اإلنسانية مثل ّ على أعمال عاملية ارهابية من قتل ،واغتصاب ،وتعذيب وجرائم ضد املرأة ،واألقلية واملسيحيني ،ونشر التح ُّيز والتّعصب» على حد قول تيري الذي كان القاضي. استغرقت احملكمة ثماني
دقائق .وقبل إعالن احلكم قال القاضي تيري أنه ال ميكن قيام محكمة من دون معاقبة احملكوم عليه. كما أضاف أن احلكم مت بعد إستشارة هيئة احمل ّلفني من جهة واستطالع على صفحة االنترنت التّابعة له. االستطالع كان يحوي أربعة خيارات يتم من خاللها معاقبة القرآن وهي :إحراق، وإغراق ،ومتزيق ،أو مواجهة فريق من ال ّر ماة .حصل اخليار األول على أعلى نسبة من التصويت .لذلك متّ تغميس القرآن في مادة الكيروزين ملدة ساعة قبل احلكم ومن ثم متّ إشعاله وتركه ليحترق ّ إلى أن أصبح رما دً ا. ما كان غري ًبا أكثر من اإلقدام على هذا العمل هو عدم حصول أي ر ّد ة فعل عاملية أولية ،إذ لم حتصل مظاهرات أو أعمال شغب .وقد عزا احملللون هذا األمر إلى غياب التّغطية اإلعالمية حيث لم تغطي أي محطة إعالمية هذه احملكمة .بعد بضعة
أيام من الواقعة ،قام ال ّر ئيس األفغانستاني حميد كرزاي بنشر بيان طالب فيه األمم يتحمل املتحدة «بجلب من ّ مسؤولية هذه اجلرمية ضد الد ين إلى العدالة» .وفي ّ أول نيسان ،أي بعد أكثر من أسبوع على عملية احلرق ،قامت تظاهرات في أفغانستان قتل فيها عشرة عمال أشخاص معظمهم ّ في األمم املتحدة. على ضوء هذه الفاجعة أدان البيت األبيض بلسان ناطقه الرسمي جوي كارني حرق القرآن ووصفه بعمل غير أمريكي وغير الئق .ولكنّه أضاف أن هذا ال يبرر قتل عمال في األمم املتّحدة في ّ أيضا استنكرت أفغانستان. ً السالم في األمم سفيرة ّ املتحدة اجنلينا جولي حرق القرآن وص ّر حت أنها «ال جتد الكلمات لوصف أن يقوم شخص مبثل هذا العمل مقد س من قبل لكتاب ّ أشخاص آخرين». أما ر ّد الفعل اإلسالمي
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جتسد بتصريح األمريكي ّ الناطق الرسمي باسم مجلس العالقات األمريكية اإلسالمية أن «جونز قد
حصل على دقائقه اخلمسة تتمة ص15
أسامة بن الدن في رحلته األخيرة ..مبحرًا مصطفى فضل اهلل كاتب صحفي
نقلت صحيفة النيويورك تاميز تفاصيل العملية التي قام بها اجليش األميركي في باكستان حيث قتل فيها زعيم تنظم القاعدة واملطلوب األول في العالم من قبل الـمخابرات األميركية ،أسامة بن الدن. لسنوات طويلة استم ّر البحث عن «الشيخ أسامة» ملا يقارب عق ًدا من الزمن .ذاك امللتحي جبال جرداء ،قصة اخملتفي بني ٍ حتاكي اخليال انتهت خيوطها مبقتل البطل .ففي متوز املاضي، قام عدد من الباكستانيني العاملني في وكالة االستخبارات املركزية برصد أحد املق ّربني من بن الدن في سيارة وتبعوه حتى سجلوا رقم السيارة ،وتبعوا ّ ال ّرجل حتّى قادهم إلى مجمع مترامي االطراف ،يقع عند نهاية طريق ترابي طويل ،فيه قرية صغيرة ثرية ،حتيط بها األسوار
األمنية العالية ،وتبعد 35ميال من العاصمة الباكستانية. وفي ليلة مقمرة بعد ثمانية أشهر ،قام 79مج ّن ًدا من كتيبة كوماندوز أمريكية بالهجوم مع أربع طائرات هليكوبتر على اجملمع مع قيام اجليش الباكستاني بحماية املنطقة والبقاء على التأهب لتأمني الدعم في حالة ّ حال احلاجة .أسفرت املواجهة عن خمسة من القتلى ،كان أحدهم طويل القامة ،هو رجل ملتح ووجهه ّ ملطخ بالدماء مع استقرار رصاصة في الرأس .قام عضو من قوات البحرية بأخذ صورته بالكاميرا وحتميلها إلى البنك االحتياطي الفيدرالي على أن تتح ّول إلى برنامج الـ»تعرف على الوجوه». وكذلك كانت ،هي املطاردة األوسع في التاريخ ،واألكبر تكلفة واستفزازًا .وقد وضعت جثة اسامة بن الدن العدو رقم واحد في أميركا ،في طائرة هليكوبتر لدفنها في البحر،
لكي ال يُنظر إليها أو يخُ شى منها مرة أخرى .تأخّ ر املسؤولون في البيت األبيض في إعطاء الضوء األخضر للعملية بسبب خوفهم من أن ال يكون بن الدن موجودًا هناك ،حتى أعطى رئيس البيت األبيض قراره بأن جتُرى العملية من قبل مجنّدي الكوماندوز. بدأت العمل ّية بعد ظهر األحد ،وبقي الرئيس األميركي ومعاونوه في غرفة العمليات ليتابعوا أحداث العمل ّية بصمت« .جيرونيمو» هي كلمة الس ّر لدى فرقة الكوماندوز التي السعيد للرئيس جاءت باخلبر ّ األميركي .من جانبها قالت وزيرة اخلارجية األميركية هيالري ضد تنظيم كلينتون إ ّن املعركة ّ القاعدة لم تنته مبقتل زعيمها، وأكدت مواصلة محاربة حركة طالبان في أفغانستان .وأضافت أن واشنطن ستواصل تعاونها مشددة على أن مع باكستان، ّ ضحايا تفجيرات القاعدة كانوا
من جميع الديانات مبا فيها اإلسالم. في املقابل استنكر رئيس احلكومة الفلسطينية املقالة بغزة إسماعيل هنية اغتيال بن الدن ،ووصفه بأنه مجاهد عربي ومسلم رغم االجتهادات واالختالفات في الساحة العربية واإلسالمية حول دور القاعدة. وهددت حركة طالبان باكستان بشن هجمات على أعضاء ّ احلكومة واجليش الباكستانيني، وأيضا على الواليات املتحدة بعد اإلعالن عن مقتل بن الدن في العملية املشتركة للقوات األميركية والباكستانية .كما جاءت تهديدات من أعضاء في منتديات جهادية باالنتقام «إذا كان»خبر مقتل تنظيم القاعدة صحيحا .وأثار أسامة بن الدن ً مقتل زعيم تنظيم القاعدة فعل متباينة على املستوى ردود ٍ ّ الشعبي في عدد من الدول، فبينما قوبل باالبتهاج من قبل
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آالف األميركيني ،أبدى البعض ّ حتفظهم في دول إسالمية وحتى تشكيكهم في الرواية األميركية.