Addressing Muslims, Obama Pushes Mideast Peace

CAIRO — In opening a bold overture to the Islamic world on Thursday, President Obama confronted frictions between Muslims and the West, but he reserved some of his bluntest words for Israel, as he expressed sympathy for the Palestinians and what he called the “daily humiliations, large and small, that come with occupation.”

While Mr. Obama emphasized that America’s bond with Israel was “unbreakable,” he spoke in equally powerful terms of the Palestinian people, describing their plight as “intolerable” after 60 years of statelessness, and twice referring to “Palestine” in a way that put Palestinians on parallel footing with Israelis.

Mr. Obama’s speech in Cairo, which he called a “timeless city,” was perhaps the riskiest of his presidency, as he used unusually direct language to call for a fresh look at deep divisions, both those between Israel and its neighbors and between the Islamic world and the West. Among his messages was a call for Americans and Muslims to abandon their mutual suspicions and do more to confront violent extremism.

But it was Mr. Obama’s empathetic tone toward the Palestinians that attracted the most attention in the region and around the world. His words left many Palestinians and their Arab supporters jubilant but infuriated some Israelis and American backers of Israel because they saw the speech as elevating the Palestinians to equal status.

Mr. Obama said the bond between the United States and Israel was “based upon cultural and historical ties, and the recognition that the aspiration for a Jewish homeland is rooted in a tragic history that cannot be denied.”

“On the other hand,” Mr. Obama added, “it is also undeniable that the Palestinian people — Muslims and Christians — have suffered in pursuit of a homeland. For more than 60 years, they’ve endured the pain of dislocation.” He said Americans “will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity and a state of their own.”

Mr. Obama seemed to connect with his audience in his 55-minute speech from Cairo University as he quoted repeatedly from the Koran and occasionally sprinkled his remarks with Arabic, even beginning his address with the traditional Arabic greeting “salaam aleikum,” or “peace be upon you.”

In the speech, which was broadcast and translated around the world, Mr. Obama sounded forceful, even scolding at times, as he promoted democracy in Egypt and women’s rights and acknowledged that the United States had fallen short of its ideals, particularly in the Iraq war.

He divided his speech into seven sections, standing at the podium like the university professor he was before beginning his political career. Mr. Obama sharply criticized what he called the “disturbing tendency” among some Muslims, both Sunnis and Shiites, to “measure one’s own faith by the rejection of somebody else’s faith.”

But while he spoke uncompromisingly of the American fight against Al Qaeda, Mr. Obama never mentioned the words “terrorism” or “terrorist.” That was a departure from the language used by the Bush administration, but one that some Middle East experts suggested reflected a belief by the new administration that overuse had made the words inflammatory.

Still, Paul D. Wolfowitz, a former top Bush administration official who was an architect of the war in Iraq and is a strong supporter of Israel, offered general praise for Mr. Obama’s address.

“I could have used less moral equivalence, but he had to get through to his audience, and it’s in America’s interest for him to get through,” Mr. Wolfowitz said.

Mr. Obama’s remarks will be parsed by Israelis and Palestinians, in part because when previous American presidents have used the word “Palestine,” they have usually done so only in reference to a future Palestinian state, as President George W. Bush did in March 2002.

“Now Obama is saying ‘Palestine’ is a present reality,” said Robert Malley, director of the Middle East program at the International Crisis Group, and a Middle East negotiator in the Clinton administration.

Mr. Obama’s stark statement that “the United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements” is also likely to be seen as a sharp challenge to Israeli assumptions that existing West Bank settlements will always be allowed to remain.

It was noteworthy that the only Palestinian political group that Mr. Obama specifically mentioned was Hamas, the militant Islamic organization that won Palestinian legislative elections in 2006. Hamas governs Gaza, but is loathed by Israel. Mr. Obama called on Hamas to forswear violence and recognize Israel’s right to exist, but Middle East experts said that his mention was an acknowledgment that Hamas might have become a more important actor than the Fatah Party, controlled by Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president.

Mr. Obama said, “Hamas does have support among some Palestinians, but they also have to recognize they have responsibilities.”

The president offered few details on how to solve problems around the globe. But he offered up his own biography as a credible connection to his various audiences. His message touched on a lengthy list of challenges, but his appearance here could simply be boiled down to this: Barack Hussein Obama was standing on the podium in this Muslim capital as the American president.

“I consider it part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear,” Mr. Obama said. “But that same principle must apply to Muslim perceptions of America. Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire.”

Some Muslims were delighted.

“I feel that he spoke to my emotions, and showed a sense of recognition of the dignity of Palestinians,” said Ghaith al-Omari, advocacy director of the American Task Force on Palestine.

Although Mr. Obama strongly condemned those who would deny the Holocaust, many American supporters of Israel said they resented what they viewed as comparing it to the plight of the Palestinians.

“I understand Palestinian suffering, it is terrible,” said Abraham Foxman, the national director of the Anti-Defamation League. “But it is not on the other hand to the Holocaust.”

(Jeff Zeleny reported from Cairo, and Helene Cooper from Washington.)

3ª Mostra Mundo Árabe de Cinema

3ª Mostra Mundo Árabe de Cinema
de 8 a 14 de setembro de 2008

O cinema árabe em destaque

A idéia de apresentar filmes e produções árabes e debatê-los está presente desde o início do Instituto da Cultura Árabe (ICArabe), que em outubro deste ano completará quatro anos de existência e de intensas atividades. Logo em nosso primeiro ano de atividades, em 2005, deparamo-nos com uma pergunta importante: onde estavam as produções árabes? Inexistentes ou simplesmente ausentes do público brasileiro? Demorou pouco para percebermos que se tratava da segunda alternativa. Em uma pesquisa preliminar, constatamos que havia diversos filmes, uma intensa produção cinematográfica, cujos direitos deveriam ser adquiridos pelo ICArabe, e começamos a trabalhar nisso. Ainda naquele momento, traçamos uma meta bastante modesta, porém de boa expressão intelectual. Reunindo alguns filmes inéditos e outros já conhecidos do público, realizamos a primeira mostra “Cinema árabe em debate”, no Centro Cultural São Paulo, em junho de 2005. Foram diversos dias de filmes e debates com expressivos intelectuais, vários deles fundadores do recém-criado ICArabe. Para a estréia, reservamos o filme “Selves and Others”, inédito no Brasil, sobre o intelectual Edward Said. Foi uma enorme surpresa constatarmos que havia uma demanda reprimida e muita curiosidade por parte do público em geral – o qual passou a reconhecer a qualidade cinematográfica que, com exceção de alguns filmes ocasionais, era muito pouco mostrada no Brasil.

No ano seguinte, o ICArabe visitou o Institut du Monde Arabe (Instituto do Mundo Árabe de Paris), o reconhecido e atuante IMA, e estabeleceu uma colaboração que floresceu inicialmente junto ao Departamento de Cinema. Assim, em 2006, para começarmos os trabalhos conjuntos, realizamos a mostra “Mundo árabe”, no Museu da Imagem e do Som, e, em seguida, no Centro Cultural São Paulo, onde o foco era mostrar filmes premiados nas sete versões anteriores da prestigiosa Bienal de Cinema do IMA. Também nessas ocasiões realizamos debates, o que passou a ser uma marca desses encontros.

Em 2007, o ICArabe deu um passo maior e inaugurou a mostra “Imagens do Oriente”, na qual foram exibidos também filmes de regiões correlatas e sobre temas afins e comuns ao mundo árabe. Essa mostra foi realizada em sua segunda versão em 2008.

Em todas as ocasiões, salas cheias, forte aceitação e excelente repercussão de mídia. Além disso, vários dos filmes foram exibidos em outros locais, como mostras itinerantes, e continuamos recebendo solicitações de diversos locais do país. Assim, o ICArabe vem realizando uma maior divulgação da cultura árabe, em um processo educativo e de conteúdo rico e abrangente.

Por isso, não poderíamos encerrar o ano de 2008 sem fazermos a “III Mostra Mundo árabe”.

http://www.icarabe.org/3mostradecinema/

Concurso de monografias - prêmio R$4.000,00

Olá,

A Câmara de Comércio Líbano Brasileira de Minas Gerais está promovendo um concurso de monografias!!!

O primeiro lugar receberá um prêmio no valor de R$4.000,00 (quatro mil reais)

Mais informações, visite o site www.cclbmg.com.br

Participe!!



O concurso tbm foi liberado para os alunos e graduados do curso de letras português árabe.

Aí vai a cópia do e-mail que eu recebí do presidente da Câmara de Comércio


Prezado Nelson Costa,

Recebemos o seu e-mail ao qual demos a maior importância. Considerando os
termos e sustentabilidade da sua tese, estamos estendendo, nesta
oportunidade, a abertura do Concurso Prêmio Charles Lotfi Cooperação
Brasil-Líbano aos alunos do curso de letras português-árabe, mantendo as
demais cláusulas do regulamento do mesmo.

Atenciosamente,

Jamil Habib Curi
Presidente da CCLBMG

Baalbek

Baalbek (ancient Heliopolis), town, eastern Lebanon, between the Lîþânî and Asi rivers. The name, which means "City of Baal," is derived from the early association of the town with the worship of Baal, a local sun deity whom the ancient Greeks identified with their sun god, Helios; the Greeks and Romans called the town Heliopolis, "City of the Sun." Once a splendid city, it is famous now for the imposing ruins of ancient temples..

Baalbeck (antiga Heliópolis), cidade no leste do Líbano, entre os rios Lípânî e Asi. O nome, que significa "Cidade de Baal ", deriva de uma antiga associação da cidade com o culto de Baal, uma divindade solar local, que os antigos gregos identificavam com o seu deus do sol, Hélios; os gregos e os romanos chamavam a cidade de Heliópolis, "Cidade do Sol ". Antes uma cidade esplêndida, agora é famosa por suas imponentes ruínas de templos antigos.

Bacchus

Jupiter

another view

Baalbeck-vídeo

Mahmoud Darwish, the poet of resistance ///////////////////////o poeta da resistência

Mahmoud Darwish…

in the presence of Absence/

na presença da ausência

Mahmoud Darwish has quietly left us on Saturday 9 August 2008 after 67 years of a life jumping from one peak to another, rising higher every time, transcending his own successes. He was a beautiful human being, able to see what no one else can see: in life, politics, and even people, expressing his visions in a language that seems to be made only for him to write with. When he decided to take on this difficult surgery we thought that he can beat death, like he did several times before… but he, it seems, with his prophetic insight, could clearly see his “ghost coming from afar”.
He wanted to surprise death rather than wait for the “time bomb” that was his artery to explode unannounced… he went prepared, as he always is, leaving us behind to “nurture hope”.

____________________________________________________________________

Mahmoud darwish nos deixou tranquilamente, sábado, dia 9 de agosto de 2008, após 68 anos de uma vida, saltando de um pico a outro, subindo cada vez mais, transcendendo os seus próprios sucessos. ele foi um ser humano bonito, capaz de ver o que ninguém mais podia ver: na vida, política e até nas pessoas, expressando as suas visões numa linguagem que parecia ter sido feita, para ser escrita somente por ele. Quando ele decidiu fazer a sua difícil cirurgia, nós pensamos que ele poderia vencer a morte, como havia feito várias vezes anteriormente... mas ele, parece, com a sua sensibilidade profética, pode ver o seu "fantasma vindo de longe".

Ele quis supreender a morte, ao invés de esperar que a "bomba relógio" que era a sua artéria, explodisse inadvertidamente... ele foi preparado, como sempre estava, nos deixando para trás para "cultivarmos a esperança".

Shlomit Levi, uma voz privilegiada ///////////////a gifted voice.

Shlomit Levi is an extremely gifted & powerful voiced 'up and coming' singer, blessed with a joyful spirit and dynamic personality.

Born in the small town of Keryat Ekron in Israel, Shlomit grew up listening to the traditional folk music of Yemen which is one of her main influences.

In recent years, Shlomit has toured in Europe with the band Orphaned-Land and received great reactions along the way.

At present, Shlomit is working on her debut album and performing across Israel, delivering her intimate songs with powerful melodies & soaring voice.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shlomit Levi é uma cantora que surge, dotada de uma voz extremamente privilegiada, alegre e com uma personalidade muito dinâmica.

Nascida na pequena cidade de Keryat Ekron em Israel, Shlomit cresceu ouvindo música folclórica tradicional iemenita, que é uma de suas principais influências.

Nos últimos anos, Shlomit viajou pela Europa com a banda Orphaned Land e recebeu um resultado bastante positivo.

No momento, Shlomit está trabalhando no seu primeiro álbum e se apresentando em Israel, com suas canções intimistas com grandes melodias e sua altíssima voz.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alongside Shlomit on stage are three great musicians/
Juntamente com Shlomit no palco estão três excelentes músicos:

Tomer Koren-Bass/baixo
Yatziv Caspi-percussions & Tabla/percussão
Saar Gez-Guitars /violão


The Songs/
As canções:

Tzur menati-Sahbazi,Aharon Amram
A'salk-Shabazi, Aharon Amram
Ayelet Hen-Shabazi, Rami danoch
Sapari tama-Saadia Ben Amram, Traditional
Ahavat Hadasa-Shabazi, Traditional by Aharon Amram

Contact/Contato: Shlolev@gmail.com


http://www.myspace.com/shlomitlevi

Com músicas dela/
with her songs

Pacifistas/Pacifists

É muito bom saber que há palestinos e judeus fazendo a sua parte no processo de paz.


________________________________________________________________________

It is very good to know there are palestinians and jews doing their part in the peace process.

_______________________________

Noa, cantora judia israelense, filha de pais yemenitas e Mira Awad, cantora palestina, filha de pai palestino e mãe búlgara, cantado "We can work it out".

Noa, a jewish israeli singer of yemenite background and Mira Awad, a palestinian singer, daughter of a bulgarian mother and a palestinian father, singing "We can work it out".



_____________________________________________________________________