I 5, V 43

Outlook The American University of Beirut

Vol. XLIII, No. 5

| Tuesday, Oct 26, 2010 | The Independent Student Publication Since 1949

Social Club Soap Soccer Turns Wednesdays at AUB Fun

The Former Mongolian President at AUB

Giovanny Reaidi Staff Writer

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Amer Sare Staff Writer

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INSIDE

n Thursday October 21, 2010, Mongolian Former President Nambaryn Enkhbayar visited AUB’s campus to give a lecture titled “History of Mongolia and Topics related to International Politics and Economy.” As a Professor, Enkhbayar is described by Theodor Hanf to have come from a wide experience in academia, having received his education in Leeds, Russia, and Mongolia.

Enkhbayar later served as a minister in the Mongolian parliament, a minister of culture, and of course, the president of Mongolia.

After sharing his feelings about AUB, Enkhbayar presented details about the geography of Mongolia, saying that being strategically situated in between Russia and China, it is quite conspicuous amongst Korea, Japan, ChiCampus News Arts & Culture Spotlight Out Loud

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na, Russia and Kazakhstan.

Mongolia is a large country, about 1,564,115.75 km2 in total, but comparing it with its neighbours, it is relatively small, yet rich and interesting.

Of the most renowned of Mongolian men was Jenghis Khan, who expanded the empire from Korea to the mideteranian. Only shortly after his death however, his empire was divided to small size empires and conquered

by Chinese tribes, who after taking over Mongolia, inherited the Mongolian alphabets.

In 1911 Mongolia gained its independence from China however only legally so by 1921. In 1917 the Russian revolution was on fire and they were eager to expand their revolution around, so the Mongolians requested the help of the Russians to fight off the Chinese which continued on page 4

Arabic News 10-12 Opinion 13 Editorial & Opinion 14 Out of the Box 15

UBites cannot seem to get enough of soccer football and, with the weather’s help, everyone was looking to a friendly match in the blistering sun, covered in cool, soapy water on Wednesday, October 20.

Fifteen AUB teams and an LAU team competed for the prizes up for grabs: free open wings and beer for all five team members of the winning team at Treesome, Gemmayzeh. The runners-up also got a Dunkin Donuts voucher for free coffee and donuts over a five day period.

Due to popular demand, a friendly girls-on-guys match opened the tournament, much to the crowd’s delight.

Naji Ibrahim and Roy Chaaya, AUB’s official Soap Soccer commentators cheered on the participants and spectators till it was time for class.

Joe Kanaan and myself carried on the commentating torch, until the fun and music was far too loud for classes to proceed and the organizers had to turn the volume down.

Soap soccer has become the unofficial AUB pastime after two tournaments being hosted in the same week, with immense success. Dozens of students witnessed the players fall on top of each other,

slide out of the pool and even watched the field deflate as Lebanon’s infamous electricity went out at 3:00pm.

Loud music, hot weather and the Social Club trademark atmosphere made this event one to remember after the resounding success of the club’s ‘Welcome Back Party.’ We can only anticipate what the club has in store next!

Photo by Lotfi Al Salah

CCECS and Beeatoona Partnership Raises Awareness on E-Wastes

Tala Kardas Staff Writer

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nvironmental issues have become a concern worldwide and the case is no different at AUB. This was demonstrated by the E-waste Awareness Seminar and Collection Day held on Wednesday, October 19 in Bathish Auditorium, as part of the first EDay in Lebanon. This event, which was under the patronage of the Minister of Environment, Mr. Moham-

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Social Club Soap Soccer

mad Rahal, was organized by the Center for Civic Engagement and Community Service (CCECS), Beeatoona, and the Environmental Club.

As explained in the presentation given by Mrs. Nadine Haddad from Beeatoona, Ewastes are any object containing an electronic board or battery, which have to be disposed because they do not respond to the current demands. They are harmful to both the environment and human health because

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they contain lead, mercury, and chromium (among others), which have proven toxic effects. With the advent of technology, these materials are abundant and therefore must be handled in a specified manner in order to reduce their adverse effects.

As Haddad stated, in Lebanon, these wastes are either disposed of in landfills or are burned in the open, especially in rural areas, leading to contamination of natural recontinued on page 3

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Campus News

Oct 12, 2010

Science Lecture Hall (SLH) A full makeover?

Nader Al Ahmadieh Contributing Writer

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ow that a month had almost passed since the summer vacation had ended, it’s fair to say that we AUBites, whether students or teachers have come accustomed to the daily routine of university life and the events of the new academic year. Besides the routine of the university itself, another phenomenon has become part of the day-to-day routine, and that’s the various construction plans that we encounter on the road as we commute from our homes to our university. In fact, most if not all of us have heard or actually said the phrases “what are they doing” or “it’s gonna take forever to get this over with” and especially “why did they wait till now,” these being among various questions and comments that we exchange within our own minds and among others, at times being a juicy topic for social ‘chit-chats.’

What’s even more interesting is that such questions even exist in our tiny little communities such as schools or homes, where such curious comments and questions are triggered by many events that might take place around us, and the AUB community is no different. Many of us have taken few seconds to stop and look at projects that

may be taking place at AUB, whether buildings, digging, remodeling faculty lounges and others and wonder about what’s going on or why this is taking place; examples are many, yet a particular case was of particular interest: the works taking place at the hall near the biology building, famously known as the SLH. Yes, many of us remember taking lectures in that building, with the uncomfortable chairs, the distorted sound system and the poor ventilation, yet as of last year classes were suspended in that hall, and a major construction project has been taking place in SLH ever since, and here many including myself have asked the question “what happened to SLH?” so I decided to take on the challenge and go check things out.

Searching for answers to my inquiry, I met with Mr. Bassem Barhoumi, the director of the Facilities Planning and Design Unit which was responsible for the project, and the very cooperative Mr. Barhoumi was more than happy to provide the needed information. To begin with, the most logical question had to be asked: What exactly is going on at SLH? Barhoomi explained that the SLH was undergoing a “complete revamping” process, where many enhancements and

features are being installed and provided for the students to become a “state of the art” auditorium. New acoustics, audiovisual system and furniture are being installed in the auditorium in order to provide a better learning experience for the students, where both teachers and students had complains from the inappropriately functioning sound system and the pictures from the overhead projector that were sometimes unclear. Moreover, the SLH is having a “complete shift” concerning the atmosphere, the insulation and the ventilating systems, where it will be converted from the old stuffy room that used to be poorly aired and always hot as I’m sure many of us remember. In addition, the tiny stairs that used to exist at the sides of the room are being replaced in order to allow handicapped students to enter the hall, where the old room setting made it almost impossible for them to go in and out. Also sprinklers and emergency exits are being created in the hall, in order to comply with the ADA safety requirements, since the room as Mr. Barhoomi informed me was not following safety standards.

So the work being done in the room seems promising, but the second very frequent question asked by the stu-

dents remains: why wait till now to do the renovation? To that question, Mr. Barhoomi said that the students have the “wrong impression” concerning the projects; in fact, a project like this isn’t something that’s simply decided and done right away, the project has a long process of planning, directing and then execution up to the final date of delivery where the project would be finally ready for use. To consider the SLH project for example, the plan of the process is directly related to the Dean, where the dean himself decides when the date of delivery would be, and on that basis the steps of the projects would be decided; plus the project has to have a mutual agreement among all those who plan to use it because a room like SLH is going to be used by many professors teaching different courses so this room must meet their requirements to teach. Therefore, agreements are done between the professors on what would be installed in the room based on their needs and after a final consensus has been reached, the Dean would set the timing and plans with the engineers as I mentioned before, after which the site would be examined and plans made for construction before the execution of the project begins.

As a matter of fact, I learned

that the SLH project dates more than a year back, yet the delicate planning does take its time and that’s why the project seems to be taking a lot of time. Concerning the date when the project would end, Barhoomi estimates that the new SLH hall would be delivered by midNovember, and the final date to when the students can start going in is of course decided by the Dean.

The details of the project being done prove that it is indeed a promising one and shows the constant plans to develop the different facilities around the campus and further enrich student life.

To many, the SLH building might not mean much, especially to the new students that came this year ane before, since the renovation project was already taking place when they entered AUB, but to many who spend long periods of biology, physics and others in that hall, and to curious people who are anticipating to see what the old room would turn out like, this project might very well leave a big impression.

So one would wonder if it’s human nature to be curious and tend to rush things to an end, and regarding whether the new SLH would be something to admire, well I’ll just leave that up to you to decide.

Business Student Society (BSS) turns AUB Greenfield to Soap Giovanny Reaidi Staff Writer

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ctober this year is showing no signs of cooling down, and AUBites are taking advantage of that to have some good old, soapy, football fun!

The Business Student Society organized a “Soap Football” Tournament in the AUB Greenfield on Saturday, October 16 at 2pm. Soap football is a favorite summer pastime where two teams compete on an inflatable mini-soccer

field, soaked with water and soap. The swimwear-clad teams slip and slide as they try to score goals.

The tournament was hosted

by AUB favorites Naji Ibrahim and Roy Chaaya, who entertained the crowd with their hilarious and irreverent commentary as the players fell down in epic proportions.

The matches alternated between all-girl teams and allboy teams (unfortunately for some), but the fun and ex-

citement stretched throughout the four hours the tournament lasted. Winners got medals and a 50% discount on the BSS’s upcoming “Fall Frenzy” party.

At the end of the day, 16 teams left AUB’s Greenfield, battered, bruised, soapy, filled with Red Bull and above all, happy to be part of the last few fun summer events of 2010--a promising preview of what the BSS ‘10’11 have in store for the rest of the year!

Photo by Salim Batlouni

Oct 26, 2010

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Professor Scott Bollens’ 18 noted observations of Beirut Khodor Abou Daya Contributing Writer

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cott Bollens, the well known professor of planning, policy and design, was invited by the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture to share his notes about Beirut in Architecture Lecture Hall on Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at 6:00 pm.

Over the past 17 years, Professor Bollens has worked extensively to study the role of urban policy and city building amidst nationalistic ethnic conflict and political transitions. He examined Jerusalem (Israel/ Palestine), Belfast, Johannesburg, Nicosia, Sarajevo and Mostar, Barcelona and the Basque cities of Spain. Some of his published work could be found in Jafet Library.

Now, Professor Bollens’ places Beirut under the microscope. The two main questions he is trying to answer are: How have urban policy and urban governance in Beirut influenced sectarian (interconfessional) relations since the civil war?

How have sectarian relations influenced post-war Beiruti urban development and the practices of urban planning?

Dr. Bollens was not able to find a complete answer to

both questions till now since he has spent only few days exploring Beirut and its suburbs. During these few days he walked 25 km inside Beirut, drove through out the suburbs, and interviewed 24 experts on urban planning and policy. However, he was able to set 18 observations.

The observations’ integrity is solidified by the amount of work he has done till now.

Before indulging us in the notes on Beirut, the professor reviewed his past work in different cities and revealed interesting remarks. A landmark of Dr. Bollen’s work is a spectrum at which one could place the state of a city. This spectrum’s extremes are active conflict and stability. In essence, cities usually move from active conflict towards stability. During this transition, peace is much more dangerous than war or conflict since in peace some policies could strengthen segregation. For example, in Belfast the Catholic-Protestant conflict ended up in a treaty after building peace walls. These peace walls do not separate the two entities as a whole.

Actually, they separate certain smaller areas entirely found in larger areas. After this treaty and during peace, the number of peace walls increased exponentially. Also, during peace in Jerusalem,

Israel built more walls, enforced inequality in services, and absorbed 12% of west bank in an attempt to change national borders. Hence, urban management could be used to divide when its primary concern should be to open up a city, reinforce its communal identity, and integrate its entities. Another issue that Dr. Bollens stressed on is “buffer zones”.

Buffer zones are meant to relieve tension between the different entities. They could be any place that is isolated from sectarian feud such as a public park.

Following the review, the 18 observations of Beirut were uncovered and they are: - Beirut displays little evidence of cross-confessional public interest.

- The city is fragile and the government’s susceptibility to collapse is given.

- There is presence of three systems operating in urban/ suburban context.

- The state is a necessary “network” for sectarian politics.

- Sectarian balance is both required and problematic.

- The city cannot operate as a van guard for change. Urban based reforms will be sectarianized.

- Beirut is a penetrated city by sectarian political parties.

Beirut is a watched, securi-

tized city.

- Beirut has no genuine or real sense of centrality.

- Beirut’s urban and suburban sectarian space is “ignitable”.

- Sectarian daily mixing with limits.

- Territorial conflict and tension more pronounced and new in suburban municipalities of greater Beirut area than in Beirut city proper - Beirut’s “green-line” is moving.

- Hezbollah has effectively used urban development as a political mechanism of survival and political viability.

- Urban “assets” could increasingly become the subject of sectarian conflict.

- Capitalism is its own “sect” in terms of class. Operates below radar in terms of who is in control of ownership.

- Solidiere is an example of a corporate profit making entity being established amidst a failed and fragmented state.

Able to create its own sealed membrane vis-à-vis the state.

- There is resilience of urban social and economic system.

After the lecture ended, the floor was opened for questions from the audience. When asked about the limitations of urban management, the professor responded that “we create opportunities for inte-

gration for those who want to integrate.” He adds that public space does increase mixing of different entities however one must be careful where to place these spaces so not to cause collisions. To illustrate how misallocation of public space deems it ineffective, he mentioned the public spaces in Beirut that have nobody in them. At the end, the professor was asked to give recommendations on how to change the state of Beirut. Thus, he claims that political re-structuring, active municipalities, and public authority are crucial for Beirut’s ascend towards stability.

One of the most important issues that Dr. Bollens pointed out is the lack of public space and social housing. There are no buffer zones in Beirut! The opposite sides of the conflict are so close to each other and there is no space in which they could relieve their building tensions. That might explain the continuous raging hatred on both sides.

It also puts responsibility on those who want integration and not separation to create these buffer zones and make Beirut back again one of the safest places that a tourist can visit.

“The Civic Engagement Center is where you can get rid of your e-waste and protect your environment at the same time.” continued from page 1

sources. Both actions are considered the least favorable, especially when prevention of the whole situation is possible.

She went on to explain that the collaboration the NGO has with the CCECS places emphasis on reuse and recycling of the unwanted electronics. All collected PCs are refurbished and donated to the less fortunate. What can-

not be reused, however, is collected and sent to Europe for segregation and material recovery, since this option is not available in Lebanon for such materials. The collection has been ongoing since 2008.

Haddad also went on describe the other activities that Beeatona has conducted since its establishment.

These have been mainly centered on raising awareness amongst youth and try-

ing to set legislation in place.

She noted the support of the Ministry of Environment before stating that the ultimate goal of the NGO is to build a good recycling plan for these E-wastes instead of having to send them to Europe, which is also costly.

Provost Ahmad Dallal was also present at the event and gave a short speech that highlighted the importance of the collaboration between AUB and Beeatoona. He

hoped that this would be one of many initiatives taken towards achieving sustainability.

The Minister of Environment also attended the event at a later stage, as he was delayed due to traffic, but was unable to give his introductory speech.

Additionally, a competition was held during the length of the week that asked students to bring in the most amount of E-waste possible. Environ-

mental Club president Maria Saidy explained that this was mainly “done to encourage students and give them an incentive to collect the Ewaste they have at home.”

She hoped that collecting these wastes would develop into a habit among AUB students. Saidy added that “The Civic Engagement Center is where you can get rid of your e-waste and protect your environment at the same time.”

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Oct 26 , 2010

campus news Nambaryn Enkhbayar Visits AUB

continued from page 1

led to the 1921 revolution. By the year of 1990, Mongolia was successfully transferred into its democratic regime.

Since Mongolia has only two neighbours, it is very dangerous to for it to live solely dependent on them, a rule generally applicable to all other countries having two neigh-

bours or less. This is precisely why Enkhbayar diverted his attention to this “third neighbour” concept, in hope that it will decrease its dependency on Russia and China. Today, Mongolia has America, Japan, Korea, India, and Qatar as its “third neighbour” presenting Mongolia with abundant political and economic relations.

Enkhbayar described the

Mongolia democracy as half democracy. That means that they have democracy but it is not efficient or applicable. Mistakes are made, and all the fixings are on the political level. This is why one third of the population is under the line of poverty. What is considered democratic and good, is the sign of former presidents, because in many other countries those in pow-

er rule for good.

Former president Enkhbayar tried to apply the three 15’s policy which says that the country should have: 15% annual growth and should be kept for 15 years, to produce a GDP for Capital worth $15,000 which is now about 3,000$.

One of the promises that Mongolia hasn’t been able to keep is that one concerning

the notion that the government will give away $1,000 to every citizen of Mongolia.

People are still waiting, demanding and frustrated of the false promises however.

Biology Student Society (BSS) Reception Welcomes New Biology Students Yasmin Fansa Maryam Hoballah Staff Writers

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he Biology Student’s Society (BSS) held their first meeting of the year on Tuesday, October 18, 2010 at 5:30 pm in the Charles Hostler Student Center Auditorium. Tens of students filed into the auditorium to be welcomed to the new academic year, as an AUB Biology student. Not

only was the reception held for new Biology students, but also to encourage non-members to join the BSS. The organizers of the event presented a three-minute movie to introduce the Biology Department’s faculty. Following that, Riyad Sadek, the BSS advisor, welcomed his colleagues, Chairman of the Biology Department, Dr. Colin Smith, and Provost Ahmad Dallal. Sadek stated that the reception was a

chance for students and faculty members to meet other members of the Department in an informal setting.

Sadek stated that, “University life is more than [focusing on studying]. It’s about getting different perspectives and [learning from each other and the faculty].” Sadek went on to encourage a culture of helping, counseling, and advising one another within the department. He stressed on the importance of creating good memories during one’s university years so that later on in life one could look back and reminisce on the fond moments.

The BSS advisor spoke highly of the BSS and encouraged the audience to join the society. He said, that by joining the BSS, a student would be joining a community that involves the students, the faculty, and the staff. Being a part of the BSS would leave students with great experiences and further insight into ways to tackle real-life issues beyond university life, with the advising by the faculty and peer-advising.

Concerning elections, Sadek announced that elections for the BSS would be held in early November. Prior to that, however, the next couple of weeks will entail a period of nominations for candidates to be elected into the committee. Once that committee is in place, those students will take charge of running the

BSS. Sadek went on to thank the volunteers that helped with organizing the reception and handed the floor over to Biology students Zeinab Zourkot, Jana Noureddine, and Marie Nakhoul.

The three girls presented two clips to the audience that displayed the feelings they, as students, shared towards their professors and the extracurricular side to the Biology Department. The aim of the footage was to stress on the high levels of interaction between the faculty members and the students of the BSS. This was particularly attractive to the new students, entering the Department who could definitely benefit from the guidance. The society offers advising sessions by the advising committee and pro-

vides members with lectures on MCAT preparations, med school advice, and other future options that may arise.

Moving towards the leisure aspect of the society, the three girls announced the numerous events hosted annually by the BSS, such as the Christmas Dinner, talent shows, quiz and trivia nights, fundraising activities, and outdoor events.

Finally, in attempt to comfort the new sophomores, the BSS members ended their presentations by refuting the stereotypes often casted towards biology students.

Marie Nakhoul commented, “Not all biology students are competitive; do not believe what you hear,” and continued to say, “We want you to be united. You are one generation.”

Photo Courtesy of Zeinab Zorkot

Oct 26 , 2010

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From Relief and Works to Human Development UNRWA and Palestinian Refugees after 60 Years

Sarah Al Dirani Samer Bu Jawdeh Staff Writers

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fter 60 years, a number of intellectuals, in an international conference organized by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestenian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut, reflected on the previous work of UNRWA, and its progressing plans. The event took place on the 8th and 9th of October in West Hall-Bathish Friday 8-covered by Sarah Al Dirani The first session of this conference was concerned with discussing the topic of “Meeting Challenges in Programmes and Service Delivery”. Where Ali Khader - the acting director of the UNRWA’s health department- explained the ways the UNRWA used in order to deliver its health services, as well he talked about the UNRWA’s achievements, challenges, and future goals. “ Then, Alex Pollok- the director of the UNRWA’s microfinance programme - talked about the UNRWA’s important role in providing the Palestinian’s with sever-

al substantial services, such as educational and medical care services. After that, Raja Deeb -Syrian speakercommented on the UNRWA’s operation in Syria, and then he mentioned one of the most important fears that the Palestinians are facing nowadays, which is the fear from the UNRWA’s inner purpose that could be depriving them from their right to return.

While the second session held the topic of “Protection: From Concept to Practice”, and in this session Mark Brailsford, the coordinator of the UNRWA’s senior protection, stressed on the role that the UNRWA played in securing the Palestinian’s with their needs, and that they provided a lot of development projects that contributed in improving the Palestinian’s situation.

Then, Elizabeth Ferris- the senior fellow of UNRWAconfirmed that there will be no real solutions for the Palestinian’s conflict, except by political efforts. Finally, Chareen- the senior research assistant in UNRWA- talked about the important aids that the UNRWA gave to the Palestinians in all periods, especially in the periods of military siege. Saturday

9-covered by Samer Bu Jawdeh One of the greatest challenges UNRWA faced rotated around explaining to the refugees that UNRWA’s role is to ease hardships and not to, in any way, infringe on the right of return Elaborating, Dawn Chatty, University Reader in Anthropology and Forced Migration and Deputy Director, says: “Refugees wonder why UNRWA wants to improve their camps…Is it because they want us to stay here?” This is a serious misconception.

Palestinians should not correlate UNRWA’s work in improving the camps as an attempt to override their right of return.“UNRWA,” Chatty proceeds “was not created to solve conflicts but to assist refugees in a sustainable manner…UNCCP which was formed to solve the conflict wasn’t able to survive for more than four years.” Nevertheless, Chatty believes that UNRWA should put more effort in “explicitly expressing that the right of return is taken seriously and is not undermined”. Indeed, camps are only a temporary place of residence, but that does not imply that proper living standards shouldn’t be attended to. Yet, the fact that UNRWA cannot take sides

distances the Palestinians from UNRWA. Another reason behind this mistrust was UNRWA’s disregard of the refugees input for camp improvements. “UNRWA’s topdown approach” is no longer applied, Mona Boudoir, Head of the Camp Improvement Programme in Jordan and West Bank, discusses this issue; there has been tremendous improvement following the shift to “…the bottom-top approach…with better understanding of the camp and especially its citizens we were able to properly intervene in the camp and reshape it…involving the community in the restructuring turned out to be an extremely beneficial approach. Today, “refugees are the heart of decision making.” True, camps have witnessed a lot of improvements, yet all lecturers agree: “there is still a very long way to go”. Camps still suffer from a lot from overcrowding, low-job opportunities, poor planning, improper sanitary systems, negligence from the government…Rana Hassan, Masters in Urban Planning and Policy Candidate, boldly states that Palestinians also suffer from “discrimination, surveillance…”

Their essential human rights are being violated. Rana and

Social Club Party at Matisse

other participants in the conference point out how Palestinians today, in Lebanon, do not have the right to own or work. “UNRWA,” shouldn’t only be a “service provider…” but should also “advocate the rights” of Palestinians was how Rana expressed it.Commenting on the right to work, Sergio Bianchi, Graduate Institute of Geneva, considers the issue to be “too early…” Until then, it seems that the basic human rights of Palestinians will remain lingering between the political views and sectarian considerations…

Photo Courtesy of Sarah Al Dirani

Giovanny Readi Staff Writer

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eeping true to tradition, the AUB Social Club organized its annual “Welcome to AUB Party” in one of Beirut’s hottest clubs. On October 8 over 550 AUBites packed Matisse club in Monot, kicking off the Fall Semester extracurricular activities with a huge bang.

One of AUB’s favorite DJs, lil’T played an extended set of urban music that had the jam-packed dance floor grind and shuffle in unison. DJ Mak’s electronically generated vibes then made sure the

dance moves became more graceful, but just as intense.

Hour after hour, the party showed no sign of letting up.

The sheer number of clubbers had even the valet parking company overwhelmed, but eventually, everyone got in and enjoyed the celebration of a new year at the American University of Beirut, courtesy of one of the most active clubs on campus.

Good music and an awesome atmosphere was not the only treat though, for every lady present at the event got a $50

Dermaline gift voucher, the night’s cherry on top.

The AUBite renowned clubbing track record was upheld that night and the event was an enticing preview of what the Social Club at AUB has in store for the rest of this year, which AUBites look forward to.

AUB in the club!

Social Club AUBite night goers having themselves a blast!

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Oct 26 , 2010

Real-estate Investigation around Beirut Where will we live next year?

Mohamad Al Medawar Staff Writer

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ave you noticed all the construction sites scattered all over Beirut and other cities in Lebanon? We had ‘Abou Naji’ close down because a skyscraper will be built there instead, parking lots close down and turned into construction sites, and the seaside being crammed with towers and buildings blocking the sea view from the highest spots in Beirut. Previously, when passing next to a construction site with a sky-high building in progress, people would think that finally, the country is coming back together and being reconstructed after all the devastating wars we’ve been through. However, that notion is not even close to reality.

In 2008, the world was distressed after a financial crisis swept throughout the countries costing people their life savings and bankrupting countless banks, institutions and industries. The crisis

also impacted the real-estate sector, which was essentially the triggering flare that lit the whole situation up. In Dubai, the real-estate sector was badly bruised. Its government, the owner of realestate companies, was in debt by tens of billions of dollars, while thousands of employees lost their jobs. On the other hand, Lebanon’s financial sector dodged the bullet.

In fact, a counter-wave hoisted its real-estate sector to unprecedented levels of prosperity and opulence during that period. This, however, was accompanied by a rocketing elevation in land and apartment prices.

A Lebanese television show has recently done an investigation on how the youth in Lebanon, newlyweds, and students are finding it increasingly difficult to purchase or rent apartments, especially in Beirut or its vicinity. Buildings, towers, skyscrapers, and construction sites can be spotted on every corner in Beirut. The city is becoming a forest of cement. However, none of these

apartments are affordable by even affluent middle class citizens, and if some are, they are sold unimaginably fast.

In Achrafiyeh for example, new buildings are being sold even before the construction begins, with prices ranging from $5,500 per squared meter on the first floor to almost $16,000 per squared meter on the last floors, which means that the last floor apartment that has an area of, let’s say, a 500 squared meter, would cost almost $8,000,000! Unfurnished!

What’s more troubling is that some reports indicate that the quality of cement used in construction may vary depending on availability of raw material and their prices. In fact, due to the recent spur in construction and real estate investment, increased demand on the construction material accompanied by the increase in prices, and the muddled state of this sector, the cement quality is deteriorating. In some cases, when cement raw material are missing from the market, the construction site

cannot delay its work so as not to fall behind schedule, so they resort to using dirt extracted from river beds and farm lands, resulting in a low quality, fragile cement! Not to mention diluting the cement with water to get greater amounts, but consequently using even more fragile cement!

Now to get to the more important point, apartments in the vicinity of AUB and around ‘Hamra’ rank the third highest in value, after the sea side (‘Ramlet il Bayda’ and ‘Rawshe’), and ‘Verdun’. A couple of years ago, ‘Hamra’ witnessed an upgrade of its infrastructure, it’s street, its street tiled with granite, dozens of coffee shops, restaurants, and shopping locations opened, leading to a surreal boost in real-estate prices whereby the price of one squared meter ranges between $10,000 – 15,000. Another reason behind it is the increased demand on small apartments by students and university faculty. Interviews were done with random people in Hamra street. One

lady, sobbed about her son who wanted to get married, but had to buy a house first, so he kept searching and saving money for 10 years, until he gave up, left his fiancé, and emigrated. Another engaged woman had her wedding in a week but still hadn’t found an affordable apartment yet..

Although construction workers and engineers admit that this sector has greatly evolved in Lebanon, and is now using the latest in technology and methodology to build skyscrapers and towers, it’s an unfortunate truth that the citizens of this country will not benefit from all this advancement.

Is there a solution to this issue? Where will middle class people live a year from now?

After all the old buildings are torn down, replaced by highly overpriced, multimillion dollar apartments and deluxe condos! Will Banks cover loans for people who can barely afford to repay there loans back with 4 % interest or more on a course of 30 years more or less?

‘Artbook Beirut,’ Art for Beirut Caterine Belardi Staff Writer

A

s part of the worldwide ‘Festival of the Italian Language’ a special opening initiated the week-long event. On Monday, October 18, guests made their way through the doors of the Italian Embassy in Baabda, Beirut, as “Artbook Beirut” was finally revealed to the public.

An eye-catching and interactive installation was set all along the length of the room which allowed us to overlook the breathtaking beauty of Beirut at sunset. A carpet of Campari bottles was arranged, as a support to 25 artbooks displayed, each opened

at a specific page, praising the Lebanese artists that took part in the project, while a journey through Beirut by car was projected in the background. As people knelt and flipped pages eagerly to discover and unveil the artistic treasures of the book, several speakers took the stage and shared a few words with the present audience. The incoming Italian ambassador Giuseppe Morabito highly praised the “the economic relationship which further stretches into strong cultural bonds which we, Italians, are honored and eager to entertain with Lebanon.”

The impressive publication, published by Editalia, was completed in honor of the

150 years of the sponsoring brand Campari, which Morabito explains “has always had a strong cultural tradition in promoting arts.” The project curator, Marco Milan, and his right-hand collaborator, Nora Zanella, both illustrate how it all came to life. “We wanted to create something more than just a catalogue or an art collection. We wanted to create action, movement, dialogue, hence the absence of biographies or artwork explanations,” Milan stated.

Zanella added, “We featured the artists’ emails for the audience to have the possibility to build a contact. This book is not the final product, it’s only the starting point for something much bigger and more

powerful to come.” As to the choice of Beirut for the artwork, Milan reveals, “It was due to two factors; the lively artistic scene and the unique relationship established between the Beiruti artist and the environment in which he or she creates.”

The artists that were present all shared the idea that more than the book itself, “The richness of the opportunity was in being able to talk and share [our] art with Marco and Nora, strolling through Beirut, living it as human experience and the rest was just the cherry on the cake,” explains Ghassan Halwani. The inspiration, which guides the artists to create, is unlimited and so unique

to each one of them. For example, Nadine Kanso reveals how her work “is focused on the dual reality of Beirut and its society. I combined black and white pictures of symbols, messages on our walls with a colored snapshot of the glamorous social life underneath.” She rightly stated, “We have a problem, our walls say it but we just don’t want to see it!”

The diversity of this palette of artists is revealed like a mosaic of techniques, inspirations, and stories; they complete a beautiful living metaphor of what Beirut is today…a book to explore page by page, just like “Artbook Beirut.”

Outlook

Oct 26 , 2010

arts & culture

7

Days of Science 2010-11 ‘Khalik Baladi’ Samer Bu Jawdeh Contributing Writer

D

ays of Science was a complete success due to the devotion and collaboration of around 17 devoted AUBites. The event also known as Ayam Al Ouloum and themed ‘Khalik Baladi’ for this year, was organized by the Ministry of Culture in association with the municipality of Beirut, municipality of Geneva, and Switzerland’s embassy in Lebanon. It started on the 14th of October and proceeded until the 16th from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

IBSAR, Nature Conservation Center for Sustainable Futures, gathered students from different majors such as engineering, nursing, and business, to volunteer and work on ten different experiments, which were mostly initiated and developed by environmentally dedicated AUBites. IBSAR decided on ‘Nature Lab’ to be the theme of its laboratory setting.

“From the theme you can directly infer the goal” commented Biology Major Hussein Nassar, elaborating that the purpose behind all the ex-

periments is to “preserve biodiversity and take into consideration environmental issues and the welfare of nature” stressing on the importance of “finding alternatives to protect nature.” The ten experiments, which were performed daily and continuously, included Hot Box, in which heat is created from the reaction between CaO (calcium oxide) and water without the formation of the greenhouse gas CO2. This experiment attracted a lot of kids who were surprised because they saw water boil and sensed the heat by touching the hot box but could not perceive any fire behind this temperature rise. Other experiments included ‘Sage not Rage’ where a simple homemade chemical is used in order to repel insects rather than kill them, ‘Light and Enlighten’ which is based on the concept of creating electricity from a rotating magnetic field, ‘Photo Album’ which consists of a series of steps in order to recycle paper, ‘Oily Hair’ which is a method of cleaning oil spills, Biodegradable Pots, Chromatography, Acid Attack, Air Purifier, and finally Composting. Most of these experiments were chosen form

AUB volunteers demosntrating an experiment before an audience

AUB volunteers gather for a group photo

the IBDAA Book of Proceedings. IBDAA, part of IBSAR, aims to encourage students towards creativity and provide them with the required space to show their originality. When asked about their experience, volunteers replied by stating that they not only learned and expressed

science while having fun but also sharpened their scientific skills and personalities by thinking outside the box, working in teams, and communicating with spectators having different ages and backgrounds. Days of Science is an annual event, so those of you who missed it

The Little Engineer stand

this year can always express their creativity and develop their character next year.

Until then, you can start preparing your experiments, or you could browse www.Ibsar.org to know more about the event and other interesting events AUBites could be part of.

Photos by Mohamad Alameh

8

Outlook

Spotlight

Kitty cat near West Hall

Caution at upper level cafeteria

Oct 26, 2010

The new cafeteria ­– lower level

The new cafeteria – upper level

All photos by Salim Batlouni

Breast cancer awareness month – stand on West Hall

AUB choir sing in unison

Oct 26, 2010

Outlook

Out loud

9

“Out Loud” is brought to you by Outlook Staff Writers Edrees Elrachidi and Emile Zankoul, giving you the opportunity to convey your opinions on AUB-related issues. Want to be heard? Find either Edrees or Emile on campus, give them your thought, and your picture and feedback just might be incoprorated into Outlook’s upcoming issue.

“It’s very artistic. I love the pictures on the walls. It’s comfortable. The design is a blend between Eastern and Western societies. They should have separate bins for recycling” (Samar Semaan, Chemical Engineering Junior).

“It’s nice but I felt it’s smaller than before. The food is good, but the salad bar is missing, that’s something I miss” (Left to right: Samer Abou Nehme, Agriculture 4th year & Jessica Al Asmar, Agriculture 4th year).

“It has a lot of options, yet the portions are small” (Left: Mira Toukan, Chemical Engineer 2nd year).

“For the little portions they are serving they’re a bit over-priced” (Right: Christina Theokari, Civil Engineer Junior).

“It’s great! The food is excellent. The food variety is good. But there is no ice tea!” (Left to right: Laura Abboud, LAU transfer AUB & Karine Rouphael, Nursing Sophomore).

All photos by Mohamed Alameh

“It’s just live. The design is nice, comfortable seating and the food’s good, prices are average but the portions are small for what you pay” (Jihad Bou Merhi, ECE Sophomore).

“It’s nice but the options could be more diverse. They’re quickly sold out. The cafeteria should exist to serve its students not to make immense profits” (Faisal Zaghloul, Freshman).

“It’s pricy. The only good thing about it is that it’s a spacious area for people to gather enjoying air-conditioning in summer and the roof over their heads in the winter” (Jihad , Civil Engineering Graduate & Amal Khawaja, Civil Engineering Junior - Zeina Wafa, Civil Engineering Junior).

‫‪Oct 26, 2010‬‬

‫‪10‬‬

‫‪Outlook‬‬

‫‪arabic news‬‬ ‫إزرع مع إبصار‬

‫عامر الص ّريع‬ ‫كاتب صحفي‬

‫أقامت جمعية إبصار للتوعية‬ ‫واحلفاظ على البيئة يوم‬ ‫السبت الواقع في ‪/16‬تشرين‬ ‫األول‪ 2010/‬رحل ًة كان الغرض‬ ‫منها غرس ما يقارب اخلمسني‬ ‫شجيرة في بلدة فنيدق‪/‬عكار‪.‬‬ ‫انطلقت احلافلة املتوجهة إلى‬ ‫فنيدق منذ الصباح الباكر‪،‬‬ ‫وكان على متنها ‪ 22‬تلميذا ً‬ ‫متطوعا ً لغرس الشجيرات في‬ ‫احلديقة العامة لبلدة فنيدق‬ ‫الواقعة في الشمال الشرقي‬ ‫ملدينة طرابلس وتبعد حوالي‬ ‫بيروت‪،‬‬ ‫‪ 135‬كلم عن العاصمة‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫طبيعي‬ ‫بجمال‬ ‫كما تتمتع‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫عليل‪ ،‬ودماثة‬ ‫صاف‬ ‫وهواء‬ ‫آسر‪،‬‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫وبساطة أهلها‪ .‬فهم بالرغم‬ ‫من بساطتهم وفقرهم‬ ‫النسبي بتميزون بأي ٍد مبذولة‪،‬‬ ‫وبوجو ٍه سمح ٍة نقية‪ .‬ما إن‬ ‫علموا بقدومنا حتى تسابقوا‬ ‫للترحيب وتقدمي العون‪ ،‬وكانت‬ ‫القهوة املرة والشاي البداية‪.‬‬ ‫بعد أن قام بإرشاد الطلبة‬ ‫إلى كيفية استخدام املعاول‬ ‫وكيفية الغرس‪ ،‬ألقى آربي‬ ‫سركسيان املشرف العام‬ ‫للرحلة‪ ،‬كلم ًة خاطب فيها أهل‬ ‫القرية مشيرا ً إلى أهمية احلفاظ‬ ‫على الشجر كما البشر‪ ،‬فهذه‬ ‫احلديقة التي ستفتح قريبا‬

‫أبوابها ستكون مأو ًى لألطفال‬ ‫وأهلهم‪ ،‬وبعد خمسني سنة‬ ‫من اآلن ستكون هذه الشتالت‬ ‫الصغيرة أشجارا ً باسق ًة وارفة‬ ‫الظالل‪ ،‬ولرمبا ستكون املنطقة‬ ‫اخلضراء الوحيدة الباقية بعد‬ ‫زحف الغابات اإلسمنتية على‬ ‫الطبيعية‪.‬‬ ‫وما كان مشجعا ً هو تفهم‬ ‫األهالي وتعاونهم املطلق‪،‬‬ ‫بل إصرارهم على غرس هذه‬ ‫الشجيراتبأنفسهموتعهدهم‬ ‫بالرعاية واحلماية لهذه السلع‬ ‫التي باتت نادرة‪ .‬كما وأكد عبدو‬ ‫طالب (أحد رجال القرية) بأنهم‬ ‫سيقومون بحماية الضيعة من‬ ‫أي قطع أو تخريب‪ .‬فعلى طول‬ ‫طريق القرية تدهشك املناظر‬ ‫الطبيعية من جهة‪ ،‬ولكن‬ ‫تدهشك املناظر التخريبية من‬ ‫كسارات وفضالت وقطع جائر‬ ‫من جهة أخرى‪.‬‬ ‫لم تكن السعادة والبهجة‬ ‫مقتصر ًة على وجوه أهل القرية‬ ‫وحسب‪ ،‬بل بدت على وجوه‬ ‫طالبنا األعزاء الذين تفانوا في‬ ‫عملهم حتى النهاية‪ ،‬متحلني‬ ‫بابتسامات عريضة متأل الوجوه‪،‬‬ ‫ملل‪.‬‬ ‫كلل وال ٍ‬ ‫عاملني بال ٍ‬ ‫لم تكن هذه مجرد رحلة عادية‬ ‫عابرة‪ ،‬ولم تكن مجرد عملية‬

‫متطوعون ‪ IBSAR‬يفلحون األرض‬

‫لغرس بضع الشجيرات هنا‬ ‫وهناك‪ ،‬ال بل كانت جترب ًة فريد ًة‬ ‫مكلل ًة بالبهجة واملرح‪ ،‬كما‬ ‫عبر معظم الطالب الذين‬ ‫ميزهم اختالف الصفوف‬ ‫مؤكدين‬ ‫واإلختصاصات‪،‬‬ ‫عزمهم على إعادة هذه الفرصة‬ ‫متى سنحت‪ ،‬وكما أشار‬ ‫سركسيان إلى أن جمعية إبصار‬ ‫ستقوم بهكذا رحالت كل سبت‬ ‫على مدار السنة الدراسية لهذا‬

‫العام‪.‬‬ ‫وبعد االنتهاء من الغرس‬ ‫والتقاط الصور مع أهل القرية‬ ‫الذين صاروا أصدقائنا اجلدد‪ ،‬غادر‬ ‫الطالب احلديقة تاركني ورائهم‬ ‫حديقة لم تعد جرداء‪ ،‬وفسحة‬ ‫أمل جديدة‪ ،‬وبسمة على وجوه‬ ‫األصدقاء اجلدد اللذين ودعوا‬ ‫الطلبة كما رحبوا‪ ،‬بكل حفاوة‬ ‫وتقدير‪ .‬فكانت عيون الكبار‬ ‫تبرق أمالً والصغار حتدق دهش ًة‬

‫وفضوال ً بالغرباء الذين ميرون من‬ ‫قريتهم‪ ،‬فأهل القرية أبوا إال‬ ‫املساعدة في نقل األغراض من‬ ‫احلديقة إلى احلافلة التي لم‬ ‫تسطع ولوج الشوارع الضيقة‬ ‫باملساحة‪ ،‬الواسعة بصدر‬ ‫سكانها الرحب‪ ،‬فغادر الطلبة‬ ‫م ّودعني بأفضل توديع عازمني‬ ‫على إعادة هذه التجربة متى‬ ‫سنحت‪.‬‬

‫‪Weekly Cartoon‬‬

‫‪Deedee El Jilani‬‬ ‫‪Cartoonist‬‬

‫‪11‬‬

‫‪Outlook‬‬

‫‪arabic news‬‬

‫‪Oct 26 , 2010‬‬

‫الراحل نصر حامد أبو زيد يعود إلى اجلامعة األميرك ّية!‬ ‫مصطفى فضل اهلل‬ ‫كاتب صحفي‬ ‫أُقيم يوم الثالثاء املاضي الواقع في الـ‬ ‫‪ 12‬من تشرين األ ّول في قاعة عصام‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫للمفكر الراحل‬ ‫فارس حفل تكرميي‬ ‫الدكتور نصر حامد أبو زيد‪ .‬أبو زيد‬ ‫هو أحد املفكرين الذين دفعوا ثمنا ً‬ ‫ومتسكهم بقداسة حر ّية‬ ‫جلرأتهم‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫الفكر‪ .‬ففي عام ‪ُ 1995‬طرد أبو زيد‬ ‫من مصر بعد تكفيره وتطليقه من‬ ‫زوجته‪ .‬فذهب هو وزوجته الدكتورة‬ ‫إبتهال يونس إلى املنفى في هولندا‪،‬‬ ‫حيث صمدا معا ً با ِق َيني على زواجهما‪،‬‬ ‫التمسك باحلرية‪ ،‬ولو في منفى‬ ‫وعلى‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫مكاني ال يصمد أمام سلطة الفكر‪.‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫نظم النشاط برنامج أنيس مقدسي‬ ‫لآلداب بالتعاون مع املركز الثقافي‬ ‫العربي‪ .‬الساعة ال ‪ ،5:20‬والقاعة‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ومثقفون وطلاّ ب‬ ‫تعج باحلياة‪ ،‬أساتذة‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫من مختلف األعمار‪ ،‬نقاشات حول‬ ‫الراحل وأفكاره وحول حرية الفكر‬ ‫وق ّوة املثقف واحلرية العربية وغيرها‬ ‫مما لم تلتقطه األذن أمام اختالط‬ ‫األصوات واألشخاص‪ .‬الساعة الـ‬ ‫‪ 5:35‬اجتمع احملاضرون على الطاولة‬ ‫أمام احلضور احملتشد واملتر ِّقب‬

‫للكلمات‪ .‬تبدأ املراسم‪ .‬الدكتور ماهر‬ ‫يرحب باجلميع ويس ّلم الدكتور‬ ‫ج ّرار ّ‬ ‫أسعد خير اهلل ضبط اإليقاع وتنظيم‬ ‫النقاش‪ .‬يفتتح د‪ .‬خيراهلل “هو قدوة‬ ‫نادرة مما يحمله من شغف باملعرفة‬ ‫ومن جرأة وثبات وعناد في الدفاع عن‬ ‫حر ّية الفكر” ويزيد واصفا ً منهج أبو‬ ‫زيد بأنه منهج يتحاور فيه الوحي‬ ‫يقدم الدكتورة إبتهال‬ ‫والتاريخ‪ .‬ثم ّ‬ ‫يونس‪ .‬هي أستاذة األدب املقارن في‬ ‫جامعة القاهرة وطبعا ً زوجة الدكتور‬ ‫أبو زيد‪ .‬أرهفت األسماع لتلك الزوجة‬ ‫ا ّلتي لم تفارق زوجها “ ُمش لسواد‬ ‫عيونه” تقول مبصر ّي ِتها اللطيفة‪،‬‬ ‫بل ألنّها حت ّبه وتؤمن فيه‪ .‬قالت إ ّن‬ ‫احلديث عن “نصر” هو حديث ممتع عن‬ ‫باحث أكادميي وإنسان ومواطن‪ .‬فالت‬ ‫د‪ .‬يونس أ ّن روحه اإلنسانية الغريبة‬ ‫في عفويتها هو ما مي ّيزه كإنسان‪ ،‬هو‬ ‫طفل كبير‪ ،‬يستقبل زواره ويناقشهم‬ ‫حتّى لو كان يغسل الصحون! وأنهت‬ ‫قائلة “أنا في إنتظار حامد أبو زيد‪،‬‬ ‫ليس الباحث األكادميي‪ ،‬بل في إنتظار‬ ‫نصر‪ ،‬فقط نصر”‪ .‬عال التصفيق‪.‬‬ ‫يُنقل احلديث للدكتورة شيرين أبو‬ ‫النجا‪“ .‬أفخر أنني أُسميت بإبنته‬ ‫ال ّروح ّية”‪ .‬تتابع أبو النّجا حديثها‪،‬‬ ‫فهو الذي غ ّيرها بقوله ّ‬ ‫“كل شخص‬

‫مهم لذاته وفي ذاته”‪ .‬كانت حتكي‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫بكل إنطالق في احلديث عن صدقه‬ ‫املمتنع وو ّدعت امليكروفون بقولها‬ ‫“أستعيد ّ‬ ‫كل غضبة كان يغضبها‬ ‫نصر وأقول له أحبك يا أبي‪ ،‬أشتاقك‬ ‫كثيرا ً”‪ .‬ينتقل احلديث إلى الدكتور‬ ‫فيصل د ّراج يقول “قد كان لنصر‬ ‫مأساته وهي مأساة العقل احل ّر”‪.‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫أكد د ّراج أ ّن األخالق تؤ ّدي إلى املعرفة‪،‬‬ ‫ولكن املعرفة ال تؤ ّدي إلى األخالق وإلاّ‬ ‫ملا وجد وعاظ السالطني(في إشارة‬ ‫لرمبا إلى ظاملي أبو زيد في مصر)‪.‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫شكل‬ ‫فبالنّسبة لد ّراج فأبو زيد‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫املستقل الذي يطلق ما‬ ‫محنة الفكر‬ ‫يحكمه عقله وزاد من محنته كونه‬ ‫وحيدا ً بني نخب بالده‪ ،‬فال العقالن ّيون‬ ‫وال العلمان ّيون وال املتن ّورون وال الطلاّ ب‬ ‫وقفوا معه‪.‬‬ ‫“حاور املوت في شعره و أخيرا ً في‬ ‫داره ونشكر احلياة التي أعادته إلينا”‬ ‫على هذه الكلمات من الدكتور خير‬ ‫اهلل دخل الشاعر عباس بيضون‪.‬‬ ‫وببضع كلمات قال بيضون عن أبو‬ ‫زيد “كان يعرف أن مشروعه لن يكون‬ ‫شيئا ً إلاّ إذا غدا على جدول الثقافة‬ ‫وغدا مشروعها اخلاص “ وختم قائالً‬ ‫“أما نصر فناضل بال ناصر مدافعا ً‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫مد ٍع لها‬ ‫عن أفكاره بأسنانه غير ّ‬

‫العصمة “‪ .‬تستلم دكتورة األدب‬ ‫املقارن بجامعة القاهرة الدكتورة‬ ‫فريال غزول آذان اجلمهور “رحيل من‬ ‫الصمت ال احلديث‬ ‫أحب فرض‬ ‫علي ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ألنني أقف مذهولة أمام الغياب “‬ ‫تتسائل غزول عن س ّر البراءة التي‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫كل ذاك العمق‬ ‫تخفي خلفها‬ ‫الفلسفي وتنهي قائلة “ع ّلمنا‬ ‫والصدق واملبادرة فليسمر‬ ‫احلوار‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ظ ّله األخضر في حياتنا اليابسة”‪.‬‬ ‫وكان اخلتام مع األستاذ حسن ياغي‬ ‫الناشر املعروف الذي نشر معظم‬ ‫كتب الراحل‪ .‬وبكل لوعة‪ ،‬وتقطع بني‬ ‫شهقات احلزن‪ ،‬كانت كلمات ياغي‬ ‫تسرح في احلديث عن شخصية أبو‬ ‫زيد ا ّلذي نأى بنفسه عن املشاريع‬ ‫الكبرى بحيث لم يتراجع عن أفكاره‪،‬‬ ‫همه إعالء شأن العلم والدفاع‬ ‫فكان ّ‬ ‫عن الفقراء‪ .‬و أنهى ياغي بكلمة‬ ‫قالها له أبو زيد م ّرة “يال يا حسن‬ ‫علي‪ ،‬فأنت السلطة‬ ‫مارس سلطتك ّ‬ ‫الثالثة بعد اخملابرات والناطقني بإسم‬ ‫اهلل “!‬ ‫الساعة اآلن الـ ‪ .7:09‬حفل‬ ‫كوكتيل بني الـ “نسكافيه” وبعض‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫الكل‬ ‫املعجنات‪.‬‬ ‫احللوى والكعك و‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫غارق بني ابتسامات ودموع وأحاديث‬ ‫حول الراجل أبو زيد‪ .‬نصري الصايغ‬

‫متحدثا ً لـ “أوتلوك”‬ ‫احلاضر للحفل‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫“أمثال أبو زيد موجودون وسيظهرون‬ ‫ولكن “اهلل يجيرنا من رجال الدين” “‪.‬‬ ‫الدكتور ماهر ج ّرار يتنقل بني الضيوف‬ ‫محاورا ً‪ .‬اجلميع بإنتظار الفيلم‪.‬‬ ‫هو فيلم حملمد علي األتاسي‪“ ،‬في‬ ‫إنتظار أبو زيد” ‪ ،‬ص ّوره على مدار ‪6‬‬ ‫سنوات وأنهاه قبل وفاة أبو زيد بثالثة‬ ‫أشهر‪ .‬يبدأ الفيلم بطاولة عليها‬ ‫ميكروفونان وكرسيان فارغان على‬ ‫مسرح معتم إلاّ من ضوء مس ّلط على‬ ‫ثم باب مطار بيروت يدور مع‬ ‫الطاولة‪ّ .‬‬ ‫صورة نصر حامد أبو زيد منعكسة‬ ‫على الزجاج‪ .‬يحمل الفيلم بواقع ّيته‬ ‫وبعفو ّيته الواضحة الكثير من‬ ‫أفكار أبو زيد عبر عرض محاضرات‬ ‫له من على مسرح املدينة ومن داخل‬ ‫اجلامعة األميركية وغيرها‪ .‬يظهر‬ ‫أسلوبه في احلوار وجرأته في النقاش‬ ‫وبراعته في التعامل مع مناقشيه‪.‬‬ ‫ويتخ ّلل الفيلم كلمات له و لزوجته‬ ‫(الدكتورة إبتهال) ولتلميذه أو ابنه‬ ‫توفي قبل‬ ‫الروحي محمد حاكم ا ّلذي‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫أستاذه في فترة تصوير الوثائقي‪ .‬لم‬ ‫تنقطع ضحكات اجلمهور أمام عفوية‬ ‫وإنسانية أبو زيد على طول عرض‬ ‫الفيلم‪ ...‬في إنتظارك يا نصر!‬

‫عقاب صقر ‪ ..‬إن حكى‬

‫عامر الص ّريع‬ ‫كاتب صحفي‬ ‫في ‪ 20/10/2010‬أقام نادي‬ ‫الشباب في اجلامعة األميركية في‬ ‫بيروت محاضرة بعنوان “عقاب صقر‬ ‫‪ ..‬إن حكى” في قاعة عصام فارس‪.‬‬ ‫كان من املقرر أن تبدأ احملاضرة في متام‬ ‫الساعة الثانية عشرة‪ ،‬لكن حفاظا ً‬ ‫على تقاليدنا العربية لم تبدأ احملاضرة‬ ‫حتى الثانية عشرة والنصف‪ .‬ما كان‬ ‫ملفتا ً للنظر‪ ،‬هو وجود طالب من كافة‬ ‫اإلجتاهات السياسية والطوائف‪ ،‬ال بل‬ ‫وكان معارضوه أكثر من محازبيه‪.‬‬ ‫وهذا إن دل على شيء‪ ،‬فهو يدل على‬ ‫مدى انفتاح شبابنا العربي وغياب‬ ‫التعصب األعمى‪.‬‬ ‫كانت ال بد من البداية بكلمة‬ ‫ترحيبية سبقها النشيد الوطني‬ ‫اللبناني‪ ،‬فتولى الطالب وسام عطوي‬ ‫مهمة إلقاء كلمة نادي الشباب‪،‬‬ ‫والذي أشار إلى أهمية اجلامعة‬ ‫واحلياة الطالبية‪ ،‬فيجب علينا‬ ‫االعتزاز باإلنتماء للجامعة‪ ،‬جامعة‬ ‫الدميوقراطية والتعدد الطائفي‬ ‫واملذهبي والسياسي‪ .‬كما يجب‬ ‫علينا حتقيق اإلستقالل الذي كانت‬ ‫ضريبته ضريبة الدم‪ ،‬فالوطن أمانة‬ ‫في أعناقنا‪ ،‬فلنكن النموذج الذي‬ ‫يحتذي به شباب الوطن‪ .‬ومن ثم‬ ‫وعد الطالب بالعديد من اللقاءات‬

‫دفاعا ً عن اجلامعة وعن لبنان أوالً‪،‬‬ ‫بحد تعبيره‪ .‬وبعدها انتقل إلى‬ ‫الترحيب بالضيف الكرمي الذي وصفه‬ ‫بأنه لبناني بامتياز‪ ،‬نائب عن البقاع‪،‬‬ ‫مشاكس‪ ،‬يجيد درس ملفاته‪ ،‬يزعج‬ ‫اخلصوم‪ ،‬ويقطع زيف ادعاءات جميل‬ ‫السيد‪.‬‬ ‫ومن ثم بدأ صقر بحديث الذكريات‬ ‫واصفا ً كيف كان يتسلل من جامعته‬ ‫اجلامعة اللبنانية‪ ،‬إلى جامعتنا‬ ‫ليتنفس‪ ،‬كما وكان من مناصري حزب‬ ‫اهلل في اإلنتخابات اجلامعية رغم أنه‬ ‫لم يتفق معه‪ ،‬ولكنه كان خصما ً‬ ‫محترما ً‪.‬‬ ‫ثم أشار إلى عدم قلقه من الفتنة‬ ‫الداخلية أو اإلنقالب‪ ،‬على عكس‬ ‫العديد من الناس‪ ،‬وعلى الرغم من‬ ‫حمالت التسليح الواسعة التي‬ ‫تطال معظم األحزاب السياسية‪،‬‬ ‫لكن اخلطر احلقيقي يكمن في أننا‬ ‫أمام خطة تهويل‪ ،‬وهي جزء مهم‬ ‫من الفتنة‪ .‬فالفتنة لن حتدث لثالثة‬ ‫أسباب‪:‬‬ ‫ألن الفتنة وبكل بساطة‬ ‫‪ .1‬‬ ‫حتتاج طرفني مسلحني‪ ،‬فقوى الرابع‬ ‫عشر من آذار ليس لديها اإلمكانية‬ ‫“لتعمل قتلة” حلزب اهلل الذي هزم‬ ‫إسرائيل‪ ،‬فمن لديه القدرة للحرب‬

‫ال يريدها‪ ،‬ومن يريد احلرب ليس لديه‬ ‫القدرة خلوضها‪.‬‬ ‫ليس من مصلحة حزب‬ ‫‪ .2‬‬ ‫اهلل أن ينقلب على السلطة‪ ،‬ألن‬ ‫السلطة ممثلة بسعد احلريري الذي‬ ‫لديه عالقاته الدولية‪ ،‬ومهمته‬ ‫أن ميثل لبنان واملقاومة‪ ،‬فإن لم‬ ‫يوضح احلريري حقوق حزب اهلل‬ ‫للمجتمع الدولي‪ ،‬سيؤثر ذلك سلبا ً‬ ‫على احلليفة إيران مما سيزيد احلصار‬ ‫والعدوان عليها‪.‬‬ ‫إن حزب اهلل يحاول أن‬ ‫‪ .3‬‬ ‫يُخزج نفسه من احلرب األهلية‪ ،‬وال‬ ‫يريدها‪ ،‬فإسرائيل في حال (خطان‬ ‫عريضان حتت في حال) كان القرار‬ ‫الظني حلزب اهلل‪ .‬وهذه تعتبر خدمة‬ ‫إلسرائيل‪ ،‬فهل من املمكن أن يقدم‬ ‫احلزب لها خدمة أخرى بتورطه في‬ ‫فتن ٍة داخلية؟‬ ‫أما على صعيد العالقة مع سوريا‪،‬‬ ‫فسوريا ليست عدواً‪ ،‬كانت احتالال ً‬ ‫واألن‪..‬دعونا أن ال نسميه كذلك‪.‬‬ ‫يجب على سوريا أن حتترم سيادة‬ ‫لبنان وتفتح عالفة دبلوماسية مع‬ ‫لبنان‪ ،‬كدولتني مستقلتني‪ .‬ال كعدو‬ ‫وال كتابع كما سياسة جورج بوش‪.‬‬ ‫أما القضاء السوري فيمكننا القول‬ ‫أنه مبذكراته الثالثة والثالثون قام‬

‫آلنائب عقاب صقر يخاطب جمهوره في قاعة عصام فارس‬ ‫بقرصنة على القضاء اللبناني‪.‬‬ ‫فرغم االستقاللية التي يتمتع‬ ‫فيها القضاء السوري‪ ،‬إال أن ليس‬ ‫له حق مبقاضاة القضاء اللبناني‬ ‫عن تقصيره‪ .‬ثم أضاف صقر‪ ،‬نحن‬ ‫مع سوريا بالنسبة لدور املؤسسات‪،‬‬ ‫لكننا ضد اإلدارة في هذه املؤسسات‪،‬‬ ‫وليس معنا انفصام في الشخصية‪.‬‬ ‫أما القصة الشاغلة للرأي العام‬ ‫اللبناني‪ ،‬أال وهي شهود الزور‪ ،‬فكان‬ ‫صقر يثق بكل ما يقوله السيد إلى‬ ‫أن اكتشف خطأ ً في بعض التواريخ‪،‬‬ ‫فبحث وتفحص واكتشف أن ‪90%‬‬ ‫من كالم السيد غير دقيق‪ .‬فيجب‬ ‫علينا أن نتحقق ونبحث عن احلقيقة‪.‬‬ ‫ليس من املفروض أن نصدق أحدا ً‪.‬‬ ‫أما حني احلوار والنقاش‪ ،‬فيشير صقر‬

‫إلى أنه يفتح الدستور‪ ،‬واخلصوم‬ ‫تفتح كليلة ودِمنة‪ .‬فإذا قلنا شهود‬ ‫زور بيقولوا “قبوط ‪ ..‬محكمة‬ ‫دولية ‪ ..‬سعدان ‪ ..‬أوراق رسمية ‪...‬‬ ‫عميل”‪.‬‬ ‫ثم أضاف متعجباً‪ ،‬فقال إن املؤامرة ال‬ ‫تـعيش إال بالرأس الفارغ‪ ،‬فخصومنا‬ ‫السياسية على حق‪ ،‬ونحن على حق‬ ‫وعندنا الدالئل‪ ،‬إذن يجب على اإلنسان‬ ‫أن يفكر‪ ،‬فهل من املعقول أن يقتل‬ ‫سعد احلريري أباه ألجل املال‪ ،‬أو أن‬ ‫يفجر نفسه بأبو عدس‪.‬‬ ‫فمن يتهم حزب اهلل‪ ،‬قال صقر‪ ،‬حتى‬ ‫صدور القرار الظني‪ ،‬هو مجرم‪ .‬فإذا‬ ‫فتح ملف شهود الزور‪( ،‬متمنيا ً أال‬ ‫يفتح) ستظهر أشياء خطيرة جدا ً‬ ‫وستدان أطراف كبيرة جدا ً‪.‬‬

‫‪Oct 26 , 2010‬‬

‫‪Outlook‬‬

‫‪arabic news‬‬

‫*أخبرني حنظلة‬

‫ذنبنا ع جنبنا‬

‫خضر أبو دية‬ ‫كاتب صحفي‬

‫ما ذنبنا إن خُ لقنا في بل ٍد ال‬ ‫يستطيع املرء فيه أن ينمو‪.‬‬ ‫وتبقى احلال فيه كما هي ال‬ ‫متغ ّيرات وال مفاجآت‪ .‬صحيح‬ ‫أ ّن الوضع متق ّلب لكن هذه‬

‫املتق ّلبات ك ّلها ذات طابع واحد‪.‬‬ ‫مذاقها هو نفسه‪ .‬أثرها على‬ ‫النفس هو نفسه‪ .‬لم ال زلنا‬ ‫نعيش في نفس الدوامة منذ‬ ‫عقود من الزمن؟‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫لكل الصحف‬ ‫إ ّن مراجعة‬ ‫واملقابالت السياسية على‬ ‫األقل منذ عشرين سنة إلى‬ ‫اآلن ‪ ،‬تظهر أننا ال زلنا نعيش‬ ‫في نفس الدوامة‪ .‬سؤالي هو‪:‬‬ ‫من املسؤول؟ مجمعون على‬ ‫فلم لم نستنهض‬ ‫حب لبنان‪َ .‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫لم ال نرى في الهوية إال‬ ‫الهمم؟ َ‬ ‫اسم العائلة ومكان السكن ؟‬ ‫حس‬ ‫ما هذا املرض الذي يأكل من ّ‬ ‫االنتماء للوطن‪ ,‬ويدفعنا نحو‬ ‫الهجرة؟ نحن نخاف من االقتتال‬ ‫ومنظر الدماء يرعب وجداننا‪،‬‬ ‫نكره الغربة ووحشة الفراق‪.‬‬ ‫كيف نستمر في بل ٍد ال نستطيع‬ ‫أن نتنفس فيه الصعداء؟‬ ‫شبابنا جثث هامدة على تراب‬ ‫صلصالي أحمر إنمّ ا غير خصب؛‬ ‫نباته يختنق مبلح دموع األمهات‬

‫وسيل دماء الشهداء‪.‬‬ ‫أين غيث غمام اإلميان والعمل‪،‬‬ ‫احلب واألمل؟‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫لعلها متطر لكن كلما ننظر‬ ‫إلى فوق ونفتح أيدينا للدعاء‬ ‫شدة شعاع‬ ‫تنطفئ األعني من ّ‬ ‫إلى‬ ‫تذهب‬ ‫شمس احلقيقة‪.‬‬ ‫مرمي العلي‬ ‫فطريق‬ ‫والدجل‪،‬‬ ‫ظالم الكذب‬ ‫احمل ّررة‬ ‫الظالم أوله سهل وآخره هاوية‬ ‫وطريق النور مجهد وآخره‬ ‫فلم ال زلنا هنا كتب حنظلة ألوتلوك وأخبرني‪:‬‬ ‫صعود وترفع‪.‬‬ ‫َ‬ ‫نسأل واجلواب هو ألننا نبتعد كنت في اخلليل عصر اخلميس‪.‬‬ ‫ويدي خلف ظهري‪ .‬لم‬ ‫عن احلقيقة ونغرق في وحل أراقب‪،‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫الظلمات‪ .‬نسأل من املسؤول؟ أكن بحاجة لاللتفاف إلى خلف‬ ‫نحن املسؤلوون عن تباعدنا جدار‪ .‬ليس ألنّي ال أخاف‪ ،‬فأنا‬ ‫وتناحرنا‪ .‬نحن ك ّلنا مح ّبون لست بطالً خرافيا ً‪ .‬أوجل أحيانا ً‬ ‫للبنان لكننا نقع في هامش من صوت الرصاص‪ .‬لكنّي كنت‬ ‫خطأ هواجسنا ومخاوفنا‪ .‬ال بال لون‪ .‬أقف كعادتي‪ ،‬باألبيض‬ ‫نتقدم ألننا مع كل خطوة إلى واألسود‪ ،‬خلف زيتونة داخل‬ ‫األمام نخطو مئة إلى الوراء‪ .‬سور قدمي‪ .‬لم يكن أحد ليالحظ‬ ‫بعيني فتية خمسة‪.‬‬ ‫ذنبنا أنّنا ال نرى ما يقبع على وجودي‪.‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫أصغرهم محمود بالقميص‬ ‫أنفنا‪.‬‬ ‫األزرق‪ ،‬الذي لم يستعر بعد من‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫يع‬ ‫الرجال أساليب‬ ‫التخفي ولم ِ‬ ‫أسباب ّ‬ ‫بالقمصان‬ ‫لف الوجوه‬ ‫السميكة لدى النزول إلى نزال‬ ‫جمعهم‬ ‫الشارع‪ ،‬لم يكن ممن ّ‬ ‫إبراهيم‪ ،‬أكبرهم‪ ،‬حوله‪،‬‬ ‫ل ُيشرف بنفسه على إحكام‬ ‫ربط القميص على وجه ّ‬ ‫كل‬ ‫منهم على حدة‪ .‬كان ينظر في‬ ‫عيونهم ّ‬ ‫كل على حدة أيضا ً‪ .‬أنا‬ ‫وحولوها إلى حبوب وحقن‪ ،‬تباع رأيتهم‪ ،‬قبل أن ينفروا من طريق‬ ‫اليوم في الصيدليات باسم فرعي إلى الطريق العام‪ .‬ذاك‬ ‫(جانوفيا – ‪ .) januvia‬يوسف باألبيض‪ ،‬وهذا موسى‬ ‫وهذا الدواء يعطى للمريض ومعه عبد اهلل باألخضر الداكن‪،‬‬ ‫ومحمد‪.‬‬ ‫املقدمة إبراهيم‬ ‫ليساعده على تنظيم مستوى وفي‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫السكري وأنه لم يعد يعاني أعرف أسماءهم‪ ،‬وأحفظ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫كل مالمح‬ ‫من مرض السكري متاما ً‪ .‬وذلك مالمحهم‪ ،‬كما‬ ‫ألن الدواء ال يعالج السكري اخلليل‪ -‬املدينة التي أنسبها‬ ‫وحسب‪ ،‬كباقي العالجات‪ ،‬بل بالالشعور إلى ّ‬ ‫كل من يحمل‬ ‫إنه يعالج البنكرياس ويجدد اسم إبراهيم‪ .‬كما إبراهيم هذا‪.‬‬ ‫خالياه املصابة‪ ،‬ا ّلتي س ّببت هذا حسناً‪ ،‬أنّبني ضميري عندما‬ ‫اإلختالل في مستوى األنسولني انتصبوا بقاماتهم القصيرة‪،‬‬ ‫مق ّلدين وقفة عسكرية تأهبية‬ ‫في جسم املريض‪.‬‬ ‫ما أكثر ما يرونها‪ .‬أحسست‬ ‫بعجزي عن احلركة‪ ،‬وأنا أنظر‬ ‫إلى تفاصيل حركات أقدامهم‬ ‫وأيديهم‪ ،‬وما ترسله إشاراتهم‬ ‫اخلف ّية‪ ،‬بال كالم وبال صوت‪ .‬كنت‬ ‫أنظر بكبرياء إلى شجاعتهم‬ ‫لكني كنت أمعن‬ ‫العمياء‪.‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫النظر في صدورهم السمراء‬ ‫العارية‪ .‬كانت أنحف ممّا‬ ‫ينبغي‪ ،‬يتنفسون بغضب كمن‬ ‫ينتزع الهواء غصباً‪ ،‬فتنهض‬ ‫عظامهم املتطاولة من حتت‬ ‫جلودهم سريعا ً‪ .‬تناقض في‬ ‫داخلي اخلوف والعزم‪ ،‬واألمل‬ ‫واليأس‪ ،‬والسطوة والضعف‪.‬‬ ‫واحلجارة في أيديهم‪ ،‬اتخذوا‬ ‫“باجلينز” وضع ّيات القنص‬ ‫احلجري ّ‬ ‫مستحقا ً‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫عدوه‬ ‫لكل من ّ‬ ‫لها‪ .‬وأبو أحمد بقميصه األصفر‬

‫وداعا ً ملرض السكري‬ ‫على وجه األرض(أكان إنسانا ً أو‬ ‫حيوانا ً) ال بد أن يكون في دمه‬ ‫نسبة من السكر‪ ،‬سواءا ً أكانت‬ ‫هذه النّسبة نسبة طبيعية أم‬ ‫مرضية‪ .‬إال حيوان واحد فقط‬ ‫ال يوجد في جسمه أي أثر ملادة‬ ‫اجللوكوز‪ .‬وهذا احليوان هو الورل‬ ‫(‪ )gila lizard‬وهذا احليوان‬ ‫هو من فصيلة الزواحف السامة‬ ‫ا ّلتي تأكل اللحوم و احلشرات‪.‬‬ ‫وبعد تشريح الورل‪ ،‬إكتشف‬ ‫العلماء أن لعابه يحتوي على‬ ‫مادة كيميائية تزيل أي أثر‬ ‫للكسر في جسمه‪ .‬وبعد‬ ‫حتليالت كيميائية عديدة‪،‬‬ ‫استطاعوا استخراج املادة‬ ‫سارة الديراني‬ ‫كاتب صحفي‬

‫السكري واحدا ً‬ ‫يعتبر مرض‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫من أكثر األمراض انتشارا ً في‬ ‫العالم‪ .‬فإن عدد املصابني به قد‬ ‫جتاوز ‪ % 26‬من سكان األرض‪ .‬و‬ ‫إن هذا اإلنتشار الواسع للمرض‬ ‫دفع العلماء للبحث عن عالج‬ ‫نهائي له‪.‬‬ ‫وقد توصل العلماء إلى إكتشاف‬ ‫أمر هام‪ ،‬أال وهو أن ّ‬ ‫كل مخلوق‬

‫‪12‬‬

‫واقف أمام مح ّله للبالستيك‬ ‫واألدوات املنزلية الذي يخرق سور‬ ‫الطريق القدمي بطريقة عجيبة‪.‬‬ ‫كأنّه ولد فيه‪ .‬ربمّ ا جلجلت‬ ‫في ذاته املتناقضات ذاتها‪.‬‬ ‫فالسيارة التي ال أعرف نوعها‪،‬‬ ‫وال اسم سائقها وال وجهه ومن‬ ‫معه فيها كانت قد اقتربت إلى‬ ‫حد االلتصاق بالرصيف الذي‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫يشرف عليه ّ‬ ‫احملل‪ ،‬والفتية في‬ ‫الطريق‪ .‬إبراهيم ّ‬ ‫تلقى الس ّيارة‬ ‫دائريا ً بجسده فقط‪ .‬احلجر كان‬ ‫لكن إبراهيم تعالى‬ ‫سقط‪.‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫في الهواء في حلظة االصطدام‬ ‫ومحمد عن يساره‬ ‫القصوى‪،‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ال يجد غير اليدين ليبعد عنه‬ ‫سيارة تريد أن متشي عليه‪.‬‬ ‫ويوسف وموسى وعبد اهلل‬ ‫ومحمود يحاصرون السيارة‬ ‫بأذرع ممدودة بانتظار الضربة‬ ‫القادمة‪ ،‬وإبراهيم في الهواء‪.‬‬ ‫كان أبو أحمد هناك‪ ،‬ينظر‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ويفكر‪ ،‬وإبراهيم ال يزال في‬ ‫الهواء‪ .‬لم تصبه دهشة‪ .‬أل ّن‬ ‫من يسكن في اخلليل عليه أن‬ ‫يع ّود عينه على مشهد الد ّم‬ ‫اجملبول بعظام مكسورة وبوجوه‬ ‫مغب ّرة وبحجارة يتوارثها الفتية‬ ‫ويكدسونها‪ .‬املشهد عادي‪،‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ويتك ّرر‪ .‬لكن أبو أحمد كالعادة‬ ‫أحس بحنجرته تكاد‬ ‫أيضاً‪،‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫يجف‬ ‫تخترق رقبته‪ ،‬وبريقه‬ ‫في فمه‪ .‬وإبراهيم في الهواء‪.‬‬ ‫السيارة متشي‪ .‬ووراءها سقط‬ ‫إبراهيم‪ .‬ومعه حت ّرك ّ‬ ‫كل من كان‬ ‫ساكنا ً‪ .‬ركض أبو أحمد‪ .‬وركض‬ ‫الفتية ّ‬ ‫وكل من كان شاهدا ً على‬ ‫ذلك املنعطف اخلليلي‪ .‬السيارة‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫وأكف كثيرة‬ ‫خرجت من املكان‪.‬‬ ‫حملت إبراهيم ومن تأ ّذى إلى‬ ‫أقرب مستشفى‪ .‬ذهب اجلميع‪.‬‬ ‫بقيت أنا‪ ،‬وحدي‪ .‬وحدي مع‬ ‫يضم‬ ‫السور احلجري القدمي الذي‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫أشجار زيتون قدمية‪ ،‬والطريق‪.‬‬ ‫عندها حت ّركت‪ .‬مشيت حافيا ً‪.‬‬ ‫ح ّررني الد ّم األحمر الذي كان‬ ‫قد اختلط باإلسفلت األسود‪.‬‬ ‫خرجت إلى النور بال لثام أو‬ ‫قميص‪ .‬بوجهي‪ .‬وجه حنظلة‪.‬‬ ‫فأنا لم أكن ألخرج والغرباء‬ ‫ميلؤون املكان‪ .‬فمنذ أن رسمني‬ ‫لكن‬ ‫ناجي وهم يريدون قتلي‪.‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫الفتية أورثوني املكان والصوت‬ ‫واللون األحمر‪ .‬انحنيت‪ ،‬وحنّيت‬ ‫به ّ‬ ‫كفي‪ .‬وعلى صدري طبعت‬ ‫األثر‪ ،‬مألت رئتي من هواء‬ ‫تشمست في‬ ‫نقي‪،‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫فلسطيني ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ظل الزيتون الوارف على أطراف‬ ‫الطريق العام‪ ،‬املكشوف‪،‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫يجف الد ّم‪،‬‬ ‫وركضت قبل أن‬ ‫غبت في زقاق عميق‪...‬بحثا ً عن‬ ‫إبراهيمي اجلديد‪.‬‬ ‫*إذا كان هناك من تشابه بني‬ ‫ما رواه حنظلة وبني الواقع‪ ،‬فهو‬ ‫ومتعمد‪.‬‬ ‫مقصود‬ ‫ّ‬

Oct 26 , 2010

opinion

Op-Ed

Sex-Ed

Nothing to do with Sex

Condom The Modern Glass Slipper

Sherif Maktabi Staff Writer

N

13

Outlook

ow that I have your attention, I would like to share an idea with you, an idea that has itched the back of my mind for a while now. Ever since I, like you, matured from a toddler to a child and realized that life is fragile and precious and that one day, like you, I will die. As the years passed, I also realized that some of us will live forever in the heavens and some of us will not because they don’t believe in all that in the first place. As the minutes pass, our lives are ending second by second and word by word.

This is your life and the odds aren’t always good.

Some seconds are better than others, like the ones you spend stuck in traffic compared to the seconds you spent learning how to speak.

Some words are better than others too, like love, happi-

ness, success, brown bread, and sugar free compared to corruption, acne, death, depression, and Botox. But I never knew if it had been this way since the human identity also matured from hunter/gatherer communities, to trade identities, to industrial identities, to national identities, and finally to religious identities.

Everyone knows that there is no such thing as The Republic of Lebanon. It was once Phoenicia and before that it was something else and before that it was nothing.

These are things that those other people (who matured from toddlers to children and realized that life is precious and fragile) created to feel better about each other.

They created a place that you can pour your empathy into -a place to call home. A place where you can say: I live here and say I am an American or a Lebanese, a country where you can love and be loved and get divorced. These are the most significant creations since the wheel--the ability to say these three words, not “I love you,” no not that, but to say “I live here,” “I am here,” “I am something.”

Humans are empathetic creatures. Look at us, we build statues of people who died in explosions. We even make Facebook groups for the ones we love and if we have enough money, we start an Nongovernmental Organization (NGO) or an Insti-

tute in their name so that the world will change, even if it’s for as long as the money lasts. It reminds other people of their names even if we can’t say it anymore because we died in an explosion too.

Not an external explosion like a car bomb. An explosion that is closer to your heart, an explosion that you planted right after you matured and found out that life is precious and fragile and that you will die, like me. This explosion is manifested in the cancers and heart attacks and strokes that the human race somehow allowed to become the biggest threat to its life. These threats now, are more dangerous and effective than tigers when we were hunter/gatherers with no trade, no industry, no countries and no Weapons of Mass Destruction. We have become the largest threat to our own lives. This did not happen because we live in a world that is divided by borders and ideas, not because corporate monsters control our economies and manipulate everything, not because I get paid more than you although we are equal and not because we are poor, hungry, or ugly. We have became the biggest threat to our lives because the way we live our lives right now, is not in harmony with what our lives really are, precious, fragile, and finite.

Sherif Maktabi Staff Writer

E

verything grows.

Things evolve and become better at what they do. The condom is no exception. The same way TVs were discovered and became coloured then thinner and thinner, condoms have done the same, almost. Its purpose? To stop STDs, sperm, and the “forces of evil”.

Once upon a condom, lube and latex didn’t exist and people used to use a multitude of interesting measures to protect themselves from the “evil sperm”. Some women used the wax from a donkey’s ears, whereas other women ingested weird concoctions as contraceptive measures. Condoms before the 19th century were made of animal intestines or bladders, oil dipped silk, or even horns. But fortunately in 1839, Charles Goodyear discovered how to make elastic, durable and waterproof condoms (he is linked to the tire company if you are wondering). Since then, the condom

has become more and more efficient at keeping the evil sperm where it should be: swimming with the fish.

Love is not enough. Usually, sperm causes pregnancy and sexual activities may cause STDs. Wearing one condom at a time is a good way to decrease your chances of getting an STD or getting someone pregnant. Wearing two condoms does not mean your chances are lower. When you do so, it becomes more likely that the condoms will fail. In Lebanon, buying or owning condoms is not illegal, but a married man from a certain sect can forbid his wife from using contraceptives.

You have the choice. There is a condom for every man: the big, the small, the audacious, the safe, the fast and the sophisticated. Mainly, Durex is the market leading brand which offers such variety. To know more about their products, you can be daring and visit your local pharmacy, or you can visit their website.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

--Steve Jobs (February 24, 1955 - Present)

14

Outlook

Oct 26 , 2010

editorial & opinion Editorial

Op-Ed

Life at AUB: Beyond Being a Number

Road to the Reaper Rami Diab Editor-in-Chief Ironically enough, life is a constant struggle for existence, with the sure certainty of losing it at long last. Consequently, our lives are not to so much a question of whether or not we will die, but rather, of how we will live. Death tolls in the West are notorious for their manifestation by pursuit of transgression and crime, be them robberies, mob clashes, or purely bloody murder. Our beloved country, Lebanon, on the other hand is infamous (perhaps most infamous in the Arab world) for its ever popular deaths on the road. Shocking? We’ll let the figures speak for themselves.

The Youth Association for Social Awareness Organization (YASA), an NGO charted since 1996 and aimed at the promotion of social safety, has accumulated unofficial reports laying testimony to this ghastly predicament our country faces each and every day, with some sources stating that YASA estimates some 700 people who have lost their lives to “traffic accidents,” and some 10,000 others who have been left injured since 2009. Oh and did I forget to mention that this trend is believed only to amplify in intensity?

Lara Traboulsi and Giovanni Raidy Staff Writers On 19 October a 17-year-old IC student, Talal Kassem, was struck and killed by a car while walking from his home in Raouche to school. He died instantly. Sadly, this tragedy brings to mind a similar scenario that occurred only one week prior to Kassem’s untimely death. In that instance, Anthony Menhem, an 18-year-old NDU and former Saint Joseph School Cornet Chehwan student, was killed

Dear colleagues, we are now university students. With reference to several countries around the world we are granted the privilege to vote, the experience of a legal marriage, and even the so called “right” to a weapon. So far as the law is concerned, we are from here on out, full-fledged adults! I urge us therefore to explore this idea, paying particular attention to our demeanor behind the wheel, for is it not such a shame for our lives to perish before they have even begun? There is but one way by which we enter this world and yet too many ways by which we leave it. Would it kill us really to be a little more self-conscious about our finite nature?

Friends, who are we to play with people’s lives? Surely, there is no frolicking around when it comes to matters of life and death; and yet as time unravels, death on the road seems to be more recurrent than our daily cup of tea.

I urge us all therefore to consider the dire and life-threatening scenarios that come our way - quite particularly when driving - before that fork in the road irrevocably manifests itself into a fork in our hearts.

Samer Bu Jawdeh Contributing Writer

T

o seek one’s identity can be a very complicated task, but to realize how we AUBites are viewed by our university is no hard task at all. Simply put, you and I and every one of us are but a number through the eyes of our university. For AUB, we are an ID number and nothing more. As long as we carry this ID number around, as long as we pay our tuition fees, and as long as we write it down on quizzes, exams, and documents, we have the right

to speak, express ourselves, get our grades, and checkout books. In short, all our rights as students hinge upon that plastic card! It is not only an issue of rights; what is more evident and terrifying is that our identity is not based on our character, morality, skills, or talents, but on that ridiculous number.

This “number culture” might have emerged to organize us - the student body - but has unfortunately developed into an awful way of treating us.

For instance, every year AUB shows concern for our claim that we cannot get our alternate pin without getting advice from our advisor but at the end of the day we all panic and rush to get our alternate pin from the bulletin boards.

Many professors will never call our names, memorize our faces or the amount of work we put into our courses and consequently will identify us as number. At the registrar, we get a number to take us on a long journey from counter to counter to submit one document requiring one second.

Yes, sadly, we are treated as numbers in many ways. This

treatment is not only limited to us individuals but to the student body as a whole. The student’s complaints regarding the registration process are unattended as well. Lately, Clubs lost the right to own a club room... Why is that? If we had a conscious student body with one united Student Representative Council things would have been different, wouldn’t they? So, unfortunately, AUB spawns us as numbers, yet, surely, we have the chance to prove ourselves otherwise. To face the “number culture’s” effect on us as one student body is difficult as it is, but it is a good start and very possible to confront the individual “identity number.” No, let us not boycott our own IDs, but more importantly, let us not lose our willpower and courage to prove to AUB that we are more than just numbers. For the old AUBites, I hope you have all succeeded in doing so, and as for our newcomers, I hope you refuse to be treated as numbers by building your identities at AUB based on your own unique personalities.

In Memory of Talal Kassem when the car he was riding in was rammed by another vehicle, causing his car to spin out of control. The driver responsible for the accident was 19. hese two distressing events highlight the apparent rise of reckless driving behaviours in Lebanon, from driving while intoxicated to blatant disregard for traffic laws. Indeed, in Beirut it seems that many drivers view traffic lights as

mere suggestions and regard traffic lanes as all but nonexistent.

The consequences of such heedless actions are simply too grave to ignore.

What is to be done? The authorities seem far more focused on legal minutiae than on actual prevention of accidents and enforcement of traffic laws. As for Lebanese citizens and ex-pats, apparently beating the system

rather than following the law is the preferred method.

People that do care, however, must try and make their voices heard in order to foster change—not just in the application of the laws, but, most importantly, in attitude.

Unfortunately, Kassem and Menhem will not be the last victims of negligent driving.

In fact, by the time this article is published more families will be shaken to the core

by horrific tragedies like the ones we have written about.

For the moment, though, we can look twice before crossing Bliss Street or the Corniche. We can let pedestrians pass and wait for them to be safely on the other side. We can focus on the road first, our iPods, Blackberries, and radios second. We can all try to avoid being the creators of such tragedies, or the victims….

Oct 26 , 2010

15

Outlook

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

Member at Large

Giovanny Reaidi

News Executives

Heather Jaber Lojine Kamel Mostafa Fadlallah

Web Master

Mohamad Al Medawar

Business Managers

Sally Khalifeh Lara Traboulsi

Staff Writers

Fouad Badaoui Elie El Khoury Edrees Elrachidi Yasmin Fansa Maryam Hoballah Lynn Itani Tala Kardas Wajiha Jurdhi-Kheir Sherif Maktabi Rita Obeid Yasmine Saab Joseph Saba Amer Sare Ilijia Trojanovic’ Emile Fares Zankoul

Contributing Wrtiers

Nader Al Ahmadieh Samer Bu Jawdeh Ilija Trojanovic’

Photographers

Mohamad Alameh Tariq Buhilaigah Dima Hajj

Contributing Photographers

Nadi Nassar Wael Salem Antoine Salloum

Cartoonist

Deedee El Jilani

Psyched Out

Rita Obeid Body Dysmorphic Disorder

In a culture like our own, one that is obsessed with perfection and beauty, it is hard not to discuss the issue of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). BDD is a chronic disorder related to one’s physical looks, where one is constantly preoccupied with thoughts about flaws with one’s appearance; such a flaw is usually either minor or imagined.

However, these imagined or minor flaws seem shameful and distressing to the person experiencing this disorder.

People with BDD intensely obsess over their appearance and body image, and this often takes up many hours of one’s day. Such people try to seek many ways to “fix” such perceived flaws whether through cosmetics or plastic surgery but are never satisfied.

Some symptoms of Body Dysmorphic Disorder include: Preoccupation with one’s physical appearance Strong belief that one has an abnormality or defect in appearance that makes one ugly Frequently examining oneself in the mirror or, conversely, avoiding mirrors altogether Believing that others take special notice of one’s appearance in a negative way Frequent cosmetic procedures with little satisfaction Excessive grooming, such as hair plucking Feeling extremely self-conscious Common body features that people with BDD might obsess about include: nose, hair, skin, breast size, muscle size, and genitalia. Important to note is that the body feature one obsesses about may change over time. Such obsessions about one’s perceived flaw may lead the person to become delusional no matter how much other people try to convince that person otherwise.

It is not specifically known what causes BDD, however, researchers believe that it may result from a combination of biochemical (such as the serotonin neurotransmitters), genetic and environmental influences (such as the media, and culture).

Treatments for BDD are often a combination of psychotherapy and medication. The most effective forms of therapy that are empirically validated include behavioral therapy (BT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Food for Thought

Lynn Itani

Food-enhanced Headaches Many people find that eating is a fun and enjoyable activity that can sometimes cure headaches. Yet it has been reported that some foods and beverages could trigger or enhance migraines. A migraine headache is usually classified as an intense, throbbing pain on one or sometimes both sides of the head. Besides pain, it could lead to nausea,vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound. So what food should be avoided in order to keep our heads healthy? A significant nutritional enhancer of such pain is tyramine, a substance that is created from the breakdown of proteins in some food. Cheese is especially rich in this substance, as well as red wine, olives, pickles, processed meatand canned soups. Studies show that tyramine content usually increases with the age of food. In addition, food additives, such as food coloring, have been shown to increase blood flow to the brain thus possibly causing headaches as well. For instance, monosodium glutamate, commonly known as MSG, is a flavor enhancer commonly found in fast food and spices that worsens migraines. As in the common term “brain-freeze,” cold food like ice cream and also cold beverages could have a harsh and long-lasting effect on migraine sufferers.

Moreover, excess or little caffeine, alcohol and aspartame also mean a more powerful “ouch.”

What about food with a curative effect? It is essential to have a balanced diet consisting of fresh and non-processed food. This means eating lots of grains, fruits, and vegetables. The following are usually included within diet headache-migraine cures: peppermint, cayenne pepper, ginger, fish and fish oil, food rich in calcium such as spinach, broccoli and kale, food rich in magnesium such as spinach (maybe Popeye was right!), oatmeal, wheat, and garlic. If you are suspicious that a certain type of food is triggering a headache, experts recommend creating a ‘food and headache’ diary in order to track down patterns. Of course, there are also other migraineenhancers that should be taken into consideration such as too much sleep,stress and anxiety, strong sensations, weather changes, and hormonal changes during menstrual cycles.