In what is believed to be the action of Hamas gunmen, the popular “Crazy Water” park in Gaza was burned down by 25 assailants who beat the security guards before torching the popular entertainment site.
The Hamas government in Gaza shutdown the park on permit issues, but had previously cracked down on the site for allowing men and women to mix during the “break the fast” meals of Ramadan.
The government had already shutdown the park for three weeks and summoned the owner for questioning about events where men and women were allowed to sit together. Hamas officials were also reportedly upset that women were seen smoking the “nargila” in public places.
Source: JPost
“Just reporting on the random acts of violence in the region without any context condemns the readership to ignorance.”
FFN,
Among the greatest misapprehensions one can become involved with in their sympathy for those they deem oppressed is to overlook, or rationalize the fact that oppression does not breed good behavior, nor justify bad behavior. I learned this from some wise members of the Civil Rights Movement in the 60’s. To assume “nobility” in those oppressed, or repressed, is stereotyping.
The isssue here is not Israel v. Palestinians, but some bad behavior on the part of some Palestinians with power. The maintenance of oppresion of women and the separation of the sexes is in and of itself a bad thing. It is not justified by oppressive conditions and should be condemned on its’ own. Your insertion of your perceived inequity of press coverage, if you examine it yourself, does provide a justification for this behavior. As such it turns the discussion away from the original subject and in that process diminishes the bad behavior.
I am not stating this to pick a fight with you, because I suspect we share many viewpoints, but because in one’s advocacy
there is a capability of losing sight of the reality of the situation. An analogy in the US would be that the high rate of crime in poor communities is to be overlooked because we live in a feudal Corporate State, which in fact we do. While this State breeds high crime rates among the poor, that fact does not justify the behavior of the individual criminal, or crime.
Mike Spindell
1, September 20, 2010 at 11:41 am
Is it me, or does anyone else here feel that Islamic fundamentalists must be lousy in bed and know it. Come to think of it that would go for fundamentalists of all stripes who think women subservient to men.
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You are a most dangerous man! 🙄
FormerFederalNothing
1, September 20, 2010 at 10:48 am
Blouise,
Anyone who might want to leave finds it rather difficult since there’s this tiny little blockade going on…
Yep … but any of them who can get out are welcome as my neighbors.
dennis miller is sort of a dick but he does make two good points in this
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNvB-235qzU&fs=1&hl=en_US]
This just goes to show why Israel has deal with them the way they do. Palestinians (at least the ruling class) are out of their fricking minds. I think it just goes to show the contrastinng civilities between the two that Israel hasn’t systematically killed them all off. They complain nonstop, yet they have waterparks?????
Swarthmore mom,
See the quotation in BIL’s post. That sentiment is consistent with what I have seen in polls for years.
I agree that rising anti-Muslim sentiment is a big problem and should be dealt with. But I don’t think it has that much of an impact on America’s I/P policy, for a couple of reasons. First, the kinds of people that go and burn down mosques out of a hatred for Islam aren’t usually aware of events outside of their neighborhood. Second, I think it would be hard for many in America’s political and intellectual elite to have any less concern for Palestinian life as it is, so it’s hard to see how growing anti-Muslim sentiment would make the problem worse.
BIL,
Thanks.
FFN or Jill I am not sure I agree with you that the majority of Americans currently want an even-handed policy. The anti-muslim sentiment is rising with the power of the tea party. Remember the majority of the tea party consider Obama to be a Muslim.
FFN,
http://jonathanturley.org/2010/09/20/poll-americans-more-supportive-of-torture-though-still-a-minority/
“A poll commissioned by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs found that Americans are accepting torture in greater numbers. The study also shows a decrease in support for Israel in any military conflict and two-thirds saying that they would like the U.S. to be neutral in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
BIL,
Which thread are you referring to? Link, please?
I think the propaganda is quite effective — every time I/P comes up (with coworkers, on the Internet, whatever) the first few objections that get fired at me are the same claims repeated over and over by the US and Israeli government (and therefore by the American media): Hamas is a terrorist group! Israel has a right to exist! Israel deserves to protect itself! Criticism of Israel is anti-semitic! Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, surrounded by bloodthirsty enemies that only respect military might! And so on.
I guess it depends what you mean by “effective.” True, the majority of America has, and still does, want America to deal even-handedly with states in the Middle East. However, America’s actual policy is anything but even-handed. If Americans were aware of this, they might object (as I am, and I do).
Violence begets violence. And around it goes.
Is it me, or does anyone else here feel that Islamic fundamentalists must be lousy in bed and know it. Come to think of it that would go for fundamentalists of all stripes who think women subservient to men.
FFN,
Check out what the Prof relayed in the Torture thread in re neutrality in an Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
It kind of indicates that the framing style propaganda which you point to is not nearly as effective as the Neocons would like.
Oh, kind of forgot the punchline in my last post:
The whole reason I brought up the difference in reporting on Hamas transgressions and Israeli transgressions is to note how it frames the American public discourse. Reading stories about the terrible things Hamas does (and only stories about the terrible things Hamas does) leaves out the most relevant fact about the whole Israel/Palestine conflict: that Palestine is under an illegal occupation by Israel. Just reporting on the random acts of violence in the region without any context condemns the readership to ignorance.
There’s a good documentary on this disparity in reporting: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6604775898578139565#
Blouise,
Anyone who might want to leave finds it rather difficult since there’s this tiny little blockade going on…
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What Hamas did here was shameful, but it’s nowhere near the depravity that Israel is constantly inflicting on the Palestinians via occupation. Unfortunately, stories about Palestinian suffering at the hands of Israelis rarely make the headlines, and when they do the story is framed as a matter of law and order, not a transgression of the occupiers. The same Jerusalem Post that is cited in this blog post was guilty of this recently: http://mondoweiss.net/2010/09/idf-finally-admits-its-three-victims-were-civilians.html
All those who wish to leave Gaza and come here please raise your hands …
nargila…..now thats some name….did the liquor lobby call and complain…..Imagine Men and Women together …..nothing good can come out of it….I am almost certain….but does anyone know the way to San Jose…..