Nour Merheb

A name and a human that touched me so much. I went to his facebook page and he had written this statement on the day of his suicide "I die, as I have lived, a free spirit, an Anarchist, owing no allegiance to rulers, heavenly or earthly."
This is his blog. And he writes on the very headline of the page that he writes (Arabic) in feminine because he refuses to use the masculine: one male replaces a thousand females, and he won't be part of it.
Nour probably planned this suicide to shed light on his situation and the extreme injustice of the military court. But, it still is a huge loss, Nour.

Zionist crimes against humanity week of Sept 8-14

IOF continued to attack Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip.

- Two fishermen were wounded.

- IOF arrested and interrogated 8 fishermen, including two children, but released later.



· IOF continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank.

- Dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.



· IOF conducted 51 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

- IOF arrested 23 Palestinians, including 10 children.

- IOF arrested and interrogated 3 Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip, but released them later.



· Israel has continued to impose a total siege on the OPT and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.

- IOF arrested at least 3 Palestinian civilians at military checkpoints and border crossings in the West Bank.



· IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.

- IOF demolished an under-construction house and shop of car parts in Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron.

- IOF handed notices to 8 Palestinian families ordering them to evacuate their farms in Hebron.

- Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian civilian vehicles traveling on the main roads, and a Palestinian civilian was injured.

- Israeli settlers uprooted 222 trees.

- Israeli settlers attempted to burn two cars in Burqa village, east of Ramallah.

Source: PCHR, week of Sept. 8-14, 2011

Another black day for activists who fight or social justice

A young Lebanese activist of 25 years old, Nour Merheb, committed suicide in a Chalet in the North. He was dedicated to fighting for social justice and freedom of expression. It is a huge loss. I will post more on the matter once there is more information.

About the Hezbollah interview in the Time

"This is not the first time that coverage of the Middle East has been associated with scandals and propaganda. Western media have served as government tools since the US war on Iraq in 1990. It only got worse over time, especially since Sep. 11."

Lebanese nationalism between romanticism and liberalism

A review on the works of Michael Johnson about Lebanon, it's classes, civil war and nationalism.

the faceless numbers

"The cumulative effect of sparsely reported carnages immunised us against sympathy with their many faceless and speechless victims in the wider world. We were hardly aware, let alone troubled, when entire cities and ways of lives were destroyed. More than 30,000 people, nearly 10 times the number of those killed on 9/11, have died, and many centres of folk Islam destroyed, in Pakistan" (read from a facebook post)

Feminist theory website

This is an extensive website on feminist theory, and it contains the major fields within the discipline. A great resource on books and activism for those interested.

The Syrian Social Nationalists divided

"Members of these executive bodies are divided today. Some have protested in support of the regime and some have protested demanding its overthrow. Still others, fearful for the ‘nation’, remain silent. There are also those who prepare themselves to split away from the party or to establish a new party. But most prefer that Bashar al-Assad embarks on reforming his regime before it is too late."

Ali Farzat

" Farzat has always reminded me of Michel Foucault: Both study power not in its centralization or as a formal structure but in its diffusion and emanations. Farzat studies and mocks power in all aspects of our lives. People who think that Farzat attacks only the state or government have not seen his work. One of his most memorable works is a sketch of a man behind bars. But the bars are broken and the man does not leap to freedom."

Zygmunt Bauman on Ghettoization in Palestine

""Israeli politicians are terrified of peace, they tremble with fear from the possibility of peace, because without war and without general mobilization they don't know how to live," he said."