Iran, and World Powers Talk

World powers agree to talks over Tehran's nuclear program.

The six nation meeting consisting of Britain, France, the US, Russia, Germany, and China made up the negotiators of the past P5+1 meeting. The head negotiator for Iran has said that the other six countries remain committed to a diplomatic resolution for dealing with Iran's nuclear program. The two sides, Iran and the rest of the other six nations, seem to be coming closer to an agreement on the issue. Even still, Iran faces sanctions for violating a UN resolution that stopped Iran from enriching uranium. The economy and supplies in Iran have slowly diminished due to these sanctions. The US and Europe have put further sanctions on Iran's ability to trade gold and other metals. Even in the face of this tension, other world powers have been trying to work with Iran, not against it. By trying to move closer to Iran's view points, maybe this is a sign that these other countries really don't want a fight with Iran, but want to defuse the situation before it gets out of hand.



http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/27/world/meast/kazakhstan-iran-talks/index.html?hpt=hp_inthenews

Michael E

World Powers have been holding talks with Iran over its controversial nuclear program

World  Powers have been holding talks with Iran over its controversial nuclear program

Negotiators from Iran are meeting counterparts from the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany. There is suspition that Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons, however Iran strongly denies these accusations. Iran says that its purposes are purely civilian, and it needs enriched uranium to make medical isotopes. Iran has been enriching uranium to a level of 20% since 2010, which is important technological step toward being able to produce enriches weapons-grade material.

Iran has rejected Western calls to stop enriching uranium because they say it is an inalienable right. This meeting is to come to some sort of a compromise where proposals are being put forward which EU hopes will allow Iran to be more flexible. However, there has been little sign of change. Iran said it has found major new uranium deposits and was planning to expand its nuclear power program this month. 

Qatari poet appeals over life in prision

This article is somewhat old but I found it to be quite interesting.  Mohammed al-Ajami wrote a poem back in November of 2012 that insulted the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and his son, the crown prince.  In the Arab world, poets are supposed to praise those in power and not talk down about them.  Mohammed al-Ajami was sentenced to life in prison for this poem he wrote.  It seems very odd for a country to be able to sentence to someone life in prison for a poem he wrote.


Here is a link to the full article
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20550160 


As of yesterday, Mohammed al-Ajami had his sentenced reduced to only 15 years in prison instead of life.  Human rights activist have condemned his conviction by saying that his trial was done with secret court trials that he did not know about. I found these two articles to be quite interesting because I had no clue it was possible to sentence someone to years in prison for writing a poem.

Article from yesterday
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21572072

Iran nuclear crisis: 'Useful' talks in Kazakhstan

What happens when a state is developing nuclear arms when everyone has asked them not to? Well, aside from the general freaking out and "Why aren't they listening to us?", they hold meetings to talk turkey. Or, in this case, Kazakhstan. This Tuesday, various Western officials met with Iranian negotiators in Kazakh City of Almaty to talk about this.

These are the first meetings to discuss this since July of 2012 ended with little success. International powers suspect Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a claim that Iranian officials deny. The signs are there in that since 2012, Iran has been enriching uranium up to a level of 20%, which they claim is for making medical isotopes. Iran has been ordered to stop this process but has constantly rejected the Western call, claiming it an inalienable right.

At the meeting, the various Western parties have offered to loosen their sanctions on Iran in return for their cooperation. The other option is that Israeli will stop Iran militarily if nothing else works. The table for discussion is open for now, and they are going to meet again on Wednesday, but there's only so much time left before someone does something rash.





http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21572075

Vice on Iranian Cinema

Vice has a cool section called The Vice Guide to Film.  Fitting to our class they reviewed Iranian Cinema recently.  Here are the three sections its broken into...

http://www.vice.com/en_uk/the-vice-guide-to-film/inside-iranian-cinema-part-1-of-3

http://www.vice.com/en_uk/the-vice-guide-to-film/inside-iranian-cinema-part-2-of-3

http://www.vice.com/en_uk/the-vice-guide-to-film/inside-iranian-cinema-part-3-of-3

I know we've moved onto Israeli Palestinian cinema but this is still interesting.

Josh Bing - Private Review

The film we recently viewed in class, “Private”, is a great film that pertains to the Arab Israeli conflict. The film’s use of the single camera technique, in which filmmakers use only one camera during filming, results in long shots which make the viewers feel like they are part of the conversations taking place. Furthermore, there are many point of view shots which makes the viewer feel like they are viewing the events taking place firsthand. These film techniques combined make the film seem incredibly realistic to the viewers and, thus, makes the film easy to relate to. The story deals with the Israeli army occupying a house owned by an Arab family. In a way, the film sends the message that the Arab Israeli conflict may be able to end peacefully. This can be seen towards the end, when the leader of the occupiers says “Shalom” to the father of the family, rather than “hello”. The movie could be sending a message that Arabs should rise up against the Israelis. This can be seen when one of the family’s children sets up a trap with a live grenade in their greenhouse. All in all, “Private” gives an intriguing, almost first person view of a very long conflict.

Is a third Intifada approaching in the near future?

Is there a possibility of another Palestinian uprising against Israel?

Last Saturday, Feb. 23, a Palestinian prisoner being held in an Israeli jail passed away. The death of Arafat Jaradat has created a high tension level in the region with Israeli troops preparing for what they fear could be another uprising. 

The first two Intifadas occurred in part because of a high level of deaths that occurred from protests and attacks between Israel and Palestine and Israel believes this situation might pave way for a third intifada. There are numerous hunger strikes happening with Palestinian prisoners being held in Israel's jails. If any more deaths occur in the near future it might spark widespread violence from the Palestinian protestors. 

A third intifada could have serious consequences for both Israel and Palestine. Any attacks against Israel would serve very little purpose for the peace process between the two groups, not to mention the unnecessary amount of deaths and injuries that would most likely occur. In my opinion, the last thing this region needs is more conflict that shifts focus away from important goals and portrays Israel as the sole victim in this situation. Maybe a non-violent uprising would render much better results rather than violent protests and attacks that leave both sides unsuccessful. 

Source: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Feb-26/207914-israel-fears-new-palestinian-uprising-could-erupt.ashx#axzz2M1RaYbSv

Interesting video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxyfTP7bCrA

Where is Egypt Headed?

With the upcoming parliamentary elections fear arises due to the instability of the state. ElBaradei a major figurehead in Egyptian Politics has urged Morsi to not go through with elections saying that it’ll bring chaos and military intervention back to Egypt. There is good reason for this though, in the past few weeks protestors have been gaining traction – the youth want instant change, but Egypt has been driven to the ground over the last 30 years. Everything that happens in Egypt is blamed on Morsi like a train crashing or the loss of profit in taxi drivers. Morsi has taken a job that is in such a bad state it makes Obamas job look easy.

Then there are movements like the black bloc which have gained a lot of traction in Egypt who take an aggressive approach. The problem is circular like stated above the damage has been done over 30 years, but the youth can’t wait that long. This is further exacerbated by the fact that over 30% of people under the age of 30 are unemployed, so you have over a million angry Egyptians that have nothing better to do then to protest. The Egyptian Government I think has responded in the worst kind of way in the past year with Military Curfew in certain provinces, and the blocking of YouTube for over a month. Anything that ties the new regime with the old arises fear, so these actions create a lot of disturbance.



It will be interesting to see what happens in the upcoming months because as they say in the Al Jazeera Blog, Egypt is a train that is headed for a cliff and they’re arguing who the conductor is. The youth may have gotten rid of Mubarak, but the problem is time, and Morsi is running out of it. 



ElBaradei warning of parliamentary elections: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21566270


Al Jazeria (Did the Egypt’s youth movement backfire?) – Interesting watch http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/201302062301-0022531

Syria 'Ready" for Talks with Rebels

Syria's almost two year civil war may finally begin to reach the end of the tunnel. Syria's foreign minister stated that the government was ready to hold talks with all parties, armed rebels included, who would like to discuss an end to the conflict. "We are ready for dialogue with all who want dialogue, including those who are carrying arms," said Walid al-Muallem. "We still believe in a peaceful solution to the Syrian problem." There are some that are skeptical to the advances. John Kerry, the new United States Secretary of State, questioned how the country could extend an invitation for the talks while there are still innocent civilians being killed. With the added recent flip flopping of the rebels, it will be quite the achievement to have hold peaceful talks. 

ChapmanR_Prompt 3_artillery image

An image or video that connects to our course. Provide information on where you found the image/clip and how it evokes ideas or questions relevant to our course.

            This is an image of everyday life, still, for many American and Afghan soldiers. This was taken in beginning of the month. This is a shot of the 2-14 Infantry Mountain Division Artillery unit in Paktika, Afghanistan. I think people forget that things like this are still going on. This picture is so important for people to see because it is still happening. Many people now call this place their home, including my ex boyfriend. For the next 12 months this is his front and back yard.

            Like I said before Steve sent me this picture only two weeks ago. Two of his men died here. It is hard for us to see pictures like this because they are too real. The media censors a lot of things and it think it is important for people to see real pictures like this. This relates to our class because I feel like we have such a limited understanding of what is going on in the Middle East. This shows the reality of what is happening right this second in many parts, specifically Afghanistan. The west has many perspectives on the Middle East, good and bad, and this is just one of the perspectives we see.

Private, the most recent movie we watched in class, had some interesting themes throughout. It focuses on a Palestinian family with five children, living between a Palestinian village and an Israeli settlement. In the middle of the night their home is raided by Israeli soldiers, and the family is forced into their living room. The Israeli commander explains that their house is now going to be under their control, the family must spent the night in their living room, while during the day they can roam around their first floor, but the second is entirely off limits. Throughout the story the soldiers were portrayed as these harsh characters, while the family was humanized. You saw a concerned father, a scared mother, heavily affected children and a rebellious older daughter. We were able to see their reactions to what was going on, and saw how the father tried to defend his family, the older son try to get back at the soldiers by planting a grenade, and the children just be children. But the end has a surprising twist, after the oldest daughter goes upstairs she ends up spying on the soldiers, and they too become human. She sees them interact with one another, and explains to her little brother how they're people too, they tease one another, they fight, and one of them even ends up protecting her as she was almost caught. Interestingly enough, the movie was made by an Italian director, so it's not as though there is an inherently biased side. I think one of the results of (if not aims of) the movie is showing that there are real people on both sides of this conflict. Governments can make resolutions and claims, but if we forget about the real people affected by these actions we cannot be successful.

"A Palestinian clearing a tunnel of sewage in Rafah, between Egypt and the southern Gaza Strip."

Published: February 20, 2013

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/21/world/middleeast/egypts-floods-smuggling-tunnels-to-gaza-with-sewage.html?ref=egypt

Egyptian Military is trying out a new tactic in hopes to shut down the smuggling coming from within the tunnels that's connecting Sina and Gaza. Resulting

In flooding the tunnels with sewage, "they are determined to shut the tunnels, to block the destabilizing flow of weapons and militants into Sina from Gazass," said by Mr.

Morris, the leader of the Muslim Brotherhoos political army five months ago before they resulted in flooding the tunnels. Egypt has a right to protect their boarders don't get me wrong, I just 

Don't agree with flooding them with sewage, that is plain disgusting and unsanitary. After the tunnel spike last August resulting in 16 deaths of Egyptian soldiers. This is believed to be the reasoning 

For the truce between Hamas and Isreal, ending the week long fight. This caused as ease of restrictions on imports over the boarder.

By loosening the restrictions this lead to crack down on the tunnels resulting in gassing and eventually flooding the tunnels with 

waste water, over two dozen of them were flooded compared to the overall 200-odd tunnels. The Palestines are saying the flooding

Is hurting individual livelihoods, but not the transportation of goods underground. It comes to show when the Egyptains are trying to 

Protect their boarders and their people they are actually hurting others and not stopping the root to the problem.

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Jon Stewart Interview with Afghanistan's First Female Parliament Speaker

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-february-13-2013/fawzia-koofi

Extended:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/extended-interviews/423839/playlist_tds_extended_fawzia_koofi/423822

Since I wrote my paper on the subject of women's rights in Afghanistan, I found this interesting when I saw it on the T.V. the other day. Fawzia Koofi is the first female to be in the parliament in Afghanistan, and she's also planning to run for president in the next election. She talks briefly about her hardships, and how she got out of that to get to where she is today. She also talks about her hopes for Afghanistan. It's amazing how fast the rights for women have grown after the Taliban fell from power. Even after Hamid Karzai's remarks on how woman should act by ethics a year ago in March that could have set back women's rights by many years if enforced, they grew right past it like nothing happened to get this far.

-Mitchel Hamilton

Innovation in Israel

After our interesting discussion last class, the Pan-Arab movement has been on my mind. I have yet to be convinced that it is a feasible resolution to unify the Middle East, which is so segmented and complex. An article titled, “Israel’s Innovation Formula” published today caught my eye. It contains a few comments that were stated during an interview with Nava Swersky Sofer, the founder and co-chair of NanoIsrael, about Israeli innovation and their military.

            Nava explains that, “We have a cultural heritage of academic excellence. We also are a small country with not many friends around us, and we managed to find the only corner of the Middle East with no natural resources.” in response to Israel’s recipe for success.

The first part about academic excellence seems to be true, as well as the statement about not having many friendly neighbors. The portion about natural resources refers to oil, I am assuming. I mention this because it paints a picture that similarly reflects the perception of an ignorant Westerner, which I found astonishing.

Nava continues to state that, “That leaves you with brainpower and brainpower alone—and the determination to make things work.” This is very interesting as it excluded to note the massive military and financial aid the United States provides.

The second question Nava fielded was, “On how the military helps business culture.” Nava states, “The military takes people at the age they would normally go to university or college in the U.S., and they spend time in compulsory military service. You find yourself doing things at a very tender age that you wouldn't normally do at that age in other countries. People grow up. People develop skill sets that they might never develop.”

This is a fresh perspective. Using the military as a means to facilitate personal growth and foster development before attending higher education.

            Nava concludes her comment saying, “These are people who have learned problem-solving skills, to think quickly on their feet, to work together as teams. Typically, that takes time to learn in life.”

All of these skills are important in being successful in business. It is a very positive way of looking at the role of serving a mandatory term in the military prior to college. Overall, I found this article to be highlight how Israel does not consider themselves to be a part of the Middle East, they are independent, solidifying that the Pan-Arab movement would not successful.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323384604578325923254882416.html

No need for special effects, just the need of meaning.

While discussing the in class film "Private" we briefly went over what type of special effects were used along with what items held a specific meaning. We discussed what the closet that Mariam was hiding in, was representative of a place to hid things, to keep them out of sight. That the closet can be compared to how the family is feeling, being locked away in their own home with out being able to fully stand up for themselves. Also the type of camera work was discussed; such as when the scene didn't cut out, instead the situation was panned throughout, which means that it was a continuous shot. Thus showing the importance of each situation. Also if you notice there were not actual "special effects" used, no explosions, no graphics, no green screen; just all set in one location using what was available in the area. Throughout most films these days there is a great rely on special effects, something to catch the viewers attention; though "Private" was able to do just that just by intensifying the situations with the voice of the characters, and the situations at hand.
The fact of special effects can make or break a movie, whether or not it is used or how it is used throughout the film. "Private" was a film that used no special effects but instead used the characters and the items to tell the story. Each item and situation represented something bigger, each character represented a different viewpoint of the the ongoing horror throughout the time.

Egypt: Amend Draft Demonstrations Law

http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/02/25/egypt-amend-draft-demonstrations-law

Egypt: Amend Draft Demonstrations Law

This article describes a draft law that has gone through the cabinet and been submitted to the Shura council. What this draft would do is effectively limit Egyptians rights in terms of peaceful protest and demonstration. There are several articles in this draft that are especially worrisome that give the police the ability to use excessive force, digression of when to use it, and etc..


"The law also fails to place clear limitations on how the police use force in dispersing protests, in terms of methods used and conditions of escalation, Human Rights Watch said.  Instead of creating a clear obligation on the police in line with international standards to use force only if non-violent means are ineffective and to "exercise restraint in such use and act in proportion to the seriousness of the offence,”article 15 merely suggests that the police “should to the extent possible” take measures starting with warnings and then progressing to water canon or tear gas. Article 16 further states that the police may use additional force as stipulated in the penal code and police law, which give the police excessive discretion in the use of live ammunition to disperse protests, Human Rights Watch said. "

This bill would make it almost impossible for citizens to have their voices heard. Hopefully they can slow things down until the election of the house of representatives. 

The Importance of Graphic Design in the Middle East

Could Good Type Design Promote Literacy In The Middle East?

This article discusses how the industries of graphic design and type design have a huge impact on the way Arabic is read. In this particular article, the writer discusses how one type designer has used her skills to try and improve literacy rates in the Middle East. Nadine Chahine is a Lebanese type designer who used an eye-tracking machine to follow the eye movements of people reading Arabic. She had the different people reading three different “styles” of Arabic: Naskh, Traditional and Simplified. Each one is slightly different in the way that the letters can be represented and whether vowels are used or not. Her study found that what was important was the message and it’s context. For instance a traffic sign that needed to be read quickly should use the simplified version so people can read faster. Overall, in the article Chahine says that it is important for a designer to understand the audience and purpose of a piece of literature. The usage of design and understanding literacy in the Middle East seemed to be interconnected issues. Both topics can have a large impact on the other. Chahine highlights this point in the article: “What we need to do is collect design, education, and literacy and look at them as one subject… We need to present material in a way that is visually enticing and encourage people to read to their kids before they go to school and transition into literary Arabic.”  Both parts of this quote show the importance of designing, education and literacy in a country where the literacy rate is very low. It is important for designers, not just in the Middle East, to realize that their job is far bigger than designing. Chahine illustrates this by saying: “We need to acknowledge how designers influence culture and environment…It’s not enough to design logos and books. This is a talent, to be able to communicate to the masses.”
As a graphic design major, I found this article to be interesting because it is sometimes easy to get wrapped up in the way we design. It is important for designers to understand how the audience will read the piece we are designing. If the reader cannot understand or read what we are trying to portray to them, then our design is not effective. This article is a prime example of why designing is so influential.

Afghan Street Kid heads to the Oscars

Here is an image of Fawad Mohammadi who is 14 years old. He spends his days selling maps in Afghanistan. Now he is headed to the Oscars this Sunday because he was found by a director and acted in a film, that ended up being nominated. This reminded me of the class because we are always looking at films either based in the Middle East or that involves a Middle Eastern actor/actress.This movie is also shot all in Afghanistan which make it even more interesting! 

"French cast Mohammadi as one of the main characters in “Buzkashi Boys”, a movie shot entirely in Afghanistan and nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the Academy Awards on February 24.

The film is about two youngsters growing up in Kabul who dream of becoming Buzkashi horseback riders in Afghanistan’s dramatic national sport, which uses a headless goat in place of a ball in a wild version of polo."

The Increasing role of Women in Arabs Film Production

The growing participation of women’s role in Middle Eastern Film cinema signal a progress of movement away from a contemporary Middle Eastern Society where women had less role in the society to more of a Democratic society where everyone have a freedom to do things they enjoy.  This article listed Arab women from Egypt, Tunisia, Palestine, and Lebanon, who are a key producer of Film on their country. The article mention that even though production of film in the Middle East has been in existence for a long period of time, the increasing growth and rise of women role within the film industry started around the same time of the Arab Spring in 2010.   It got me thinking that despite the fact that there’s hasn't been a definite answer as to whether the Democracy is the right thing for Middle Eastern countries, the struggles towards democracy do have some positive result: like addressing the issues of gender roles within society and giving people a voice.  

Link to  Article

Yet Another "Private" Review

After watching "Private" in class we briefly discussed our initial impressions and later got into a much more in-depth analysis. A number of great points were raised, but in an attempt to avoid simply reiterating them I'll supply what I perceived as the most resonating aspects of the film, as well as some unmentioned points not brought up in class.

"Private," while not the most astounding of films, nevertheless had an intriguing plot and ultimately was a testament to how one does not need a large budget or grandiose special effects to make a good movie. The simple cinematography, use of lighting, and the overall tense feeling in each scene are arguably the most successful elements of the piece. They all worked together to instill a very real sense of danger in a believably life-like scenario. The costumes were plain, indicative of a normal family. The set was basic, merely their run-down home and yard. All of which made it seem like someone had literally just happened to record the actual events of a captive wartime family. This was especially achieved through the shaky quality of the camera. One could truly feel as though they were there experiencing the story firsthand.

What struck me most was the role of conflict and its multiple forms present throughout. At first thought one would assume the clash between the family and soldiers to be the crucial one in focus. Yet, after watching the entire feature there seemed to be more contention amidst individual family members than that of the strife with their intruders. Even the soldiers fought amongst themselves! Each character had a very unique mindset concerning the ongoing situation and each desired to handle it differently. This created an intense atmosphere that certainly got this viewer caught up in the drama.

Review of Private

We just finished watching Private on Thursday and we have talked about it in class, but I am limited on what I can say about it in the time we have. So I am going to write a more in depth review of the film and what I think about it.

Private is a film depicting a Palestinian family having their home invaded by Israeli soldiers, and being forced to live out of their living room. The film shows their ordeal, and their conflict, not just with the soldiers, but with each other. It also does a great job of showing the human side of both the Palestinians and the Israelis, even though the "political" view point is in support of the Palestinians. The way it was filmed, with a camcorder, gave it a much more documentary "as it is happening" feel to it. This is reinforced by the fact that you never see the soldiers without the family, almost as if it is an unrecognized family member watching all this unfold.

The use of lighting and sound was also very important for generate feelings of terror and mystery. For instance, when the youngest daughter was locked out of the room at night, pitch black, with gunfire and explosions in the background while the entire family is screaming. This provokes the viewer and makes them feel what the characters are feeling, and helps them to empathize.

The fact that the entire film took place in one location helped to distort time. Even though it was only a few days time, it seemed much longer than that, I expect that is very much how the characters feel.

As a whole I feel it is a good piece and does its job well of portraying the events and the people involved, even if it is a bit biased.

A brief review and observations of Private

The film we watched in class called Private was a gripping thriller that left us with many questions as well as a slew of topics to discuss in class. There is an extreme tension throughout the whole movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat, especially in some of the more intense scenes, such as when the young daughter gets locked out of the room during a gunfight. You can feel the intense emotion of the father as he huddles next to the door trying to be as close to his daughter as possible. Later, we discover that the older son has a lock pick and can get the door open, which he could have done during this scene but with all the chaos and the extreme darkness you can understand why he may have held back, or not even remembered that he had it all together. The older son becomes somewhat of a martyr later in the film with his trap that he sets in the greenhouse. This is a bit of a contradiction in his character when he was clearly fearing for his life during the gunfight but on the other hand has the guts to plant a live grenade.

Palestinian hunger striker to seek bail

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/02/2013219105925521388.html

This article and video clip discuss the current issue surrounding the detaining of Palestinian men in the West Bank.  The article focuses on one man, Samer Issawi who for the past 200 days has refused all food brought to him, surviving on water and supplement pills.  His refusal is in response to Israeli's policy of "administrative detention" which allows for Palestinians to be arrested with no charge and held indefinitely.  In the last few days Issawi has even refused the water and supplements.  His protest has sparked others held unlawfully to follow in his footsteps, an 800 person hunger strike happened on Tuesday between 3 jails in the area, prisoners showing their support for Issawi.  Issawi has been denied bail twice already but hopes are high for this third try because the Israeli government, from looking at other recent revolts, can see that if Issawi dies they could have Tunisian fruit cart vendor situation on their hands.  All three of Issawi's brothers have been harassed and arrested by the Israeli police and his sister had her house destroyed.  Hopefully Issawi will be granted bail and hopefully the Israeli police stop their unwarranted arresting of Palestinians.  

Twitter Bomb

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20339546

Apparently, the Israel Defense Forces and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas have been using social media to fight. In what is being called a war of propaganda both groups have been arguing over Twitter. After uploading a video of a bombing that killed a high Hamas official with the tag line "eliminated", The two groups have been escalating things and causing even more concern.

Kenneth Peterkin

Private Review

This entire film was harrowing. There was an incredible level of tension from the start of the film. Right off the bat I was tense as a result of the family's interactions. The stress between the husband, wife, and daughter was palpable, and immediately I did not feel good about the husband and his choices.

However, the film soon brought my judgment into serious question. As it progressed, and the tension remained, I soon understood the father's goal. In his refusal to leave, the father was setting an example not only for his children, but for the Israelis. What he wanted above all else was to show both parties that everyone involved was just another person. Should the family leave, the children would never see the Israeli soldiers as anything other than faceless monsters. Should the family never interact with the Israelis, the soldiers would only see them as blanket terrorists. This point was made when the young Israeli soldier spotted the daughter in the closet, and later greeted the husband that night.

The film also presents an interesting commentary on how different people react to aggression, tension, and the need for resistance. In the daughter, we see curiosity. In one son we see the need to escape, and in the other, we see the birth of the dream of martyrdom. I believe this film goes a long way towards humanizing everyone involved in conflict, including those who might react violently. This is a big step forward compared to other modern films, focused merely on painting one side good and the other bad.

John W

President Obama to be awarded Presidential Medal of Distinction

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/israel-to-award-president-obama-prestigious-presidential-medal-of-distinction-during-visit/2013/02/18/6df1f104-79de-11e2-9c27-fdd594ea6286_story.html

   This article reports that next month, when President Obama makes his first trip to Israel, he will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Distinction for making "a unique and significant contribution to strengthening the State of Israel and the security of its citizens."  He will be the first sitting United States president to receive this recognition, which will take place during a dinner at Israeli President Shimon Peres' private residence.
   The medal is given to individuals and organizations that have made "outstanding contributions to bettering the world."  Last year, Obama awarded Peres with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation's highest civilian honor.
   Previous winners of the Presidential Medal of Distinction include former Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger, the Music Director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Attorney Uri Slonim, and Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz.
   The article noted Obama's historically tense relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, especially regarding Israel's policies on West Bank settlement and the lack of peace process with the Palestinians.  Despite this, he has continues to back the Jewish state, and remains friendly overall toward its leadership.
This may help pave the road toward greater understanding in future talks.

Film Review - Private

The movie Private, released in 2004, was a riveting and unique tale of a Palestinian family residing within Israel, seemingly under Israeli command. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie from the very beginning, where it captured the Palestinian family going through with normal day-to-day events much like you or I do. However, from the start you could tell something drastic was about to change this family’s life. This showed up in the form of Israeli soldiers, who ransacked and took over the family’s house in the middle of the night, using it as a military outpost on Palestinian land. From that point on the film brings you to “the edge of your seat” to be cliché, and has you yelling at the screen. Private is very far from being one of my favorite foreign films, but it is definitely exhilarating and gives life to a conflict that many people do not know much about.

There was some difficulty relating to the actions the characters took in the film and you were constantly questioning, “Why are they doing that?” This minimizes character relatability and weakens the overall plot. I was disappointed in how the movie ended and in how they did not expand on the Israeli soldier’s story, as well as the father’s. I expected more information and the tying up of ends before the movie was over, but it did not happen. Overall, I enjoyed Private and I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but it’s not one of my favorites. 

Mike Vautour - Private review

The movie Private was the second film we saw in class, and this film primarily took place inside the family’s house. When it was taken over by Jewish soldiers the family is forced to stay on the first floor of their house. This movie does a great job of building up tension. There are multiple parts where the family is put to the limits, and they are forced t act out. For example; the eldest daughter decided to go upstairs (which they weren’t allowed to do under any circumstance) and upon reaching the quarters of the soldiers she is forced to hide in a closet to not be found. She does this several times throughout the movie, and each time she does it the tension builds more. The film doesn’t do the viewer justice; I feel like there is no climax to this aspect of the film. The last time she was up there a guard saw her, and didn’t say anything. Also the eldest son acted out. The father and he were building a greenhouse, and the soldiers would constantly destroy it. Naturally they kept rebuilding it, but the son found a grenade that the soldiers left. He would set up a booby trap in the greenhouse for when the soldiers would hopefully come by. This was also a very tense moment in the film, because he somehow managed to put the pin back in the grenade multiple times when he had to take down the booby trap, the father almost went down to the greenhouse, and at the very end of the film the soldiers are finally leaving the family and they are walking by the greenhouse. It is set up like the grenade is going to go off, and the film just cuts to black. This was another moment in this film that I felt like the tension wasn’t released properly. I thought this movie was well done, I just really wish that there was a more climactic release of tension. I genuinely enjoyed this movie.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19331551

"Syria: The Story of the Conflict"

This timeline of the atrocities in Syria helps one to understand how conflicts in the Islamic world are most often about imbalances of power. The events portrayed in the videos--such as children wrapped in sheets, gunned down for no reason--on the timeline are so shocking that it is hard to fathom their reality. It is another instance of the greed of the rich using force to undermine an almost powerless populous and seems not to be in line with the original teachings of Islam that preached kindness to orphans and simple living. Yet, the conflict is also directly related to the schism in Islam between the Sunni and the Shia.
Such a conflict within a country feels like looking back in time and further perpetuates the Western perception that Islamic countries are backwards comparatively.

Kevin Wheaton Blog Post

As a Game Design major, it is really important to me to incorporate the history in games and make it as historically accurate as it needs to be.  I feel that Assassins Creed did this very well during the Crusades.  It paints a picture of what life was like during the Crusades in many cities like Jerusalem and Damascus.  They incorporated real historical figures in the game and had them do things that they did in real life.  They included the Knights Templar in the game as the main enemies.  To many people they were enemies and to many they were allies.  Having the main enemy as a historical group that people can recognize is brilliant.  The Templars had many secrets and rituals that made people think that they were secretly a bad group that spit on the cross.  This provided the designers the perfect cover for their alternate reality world.  Though there is a little game fakery like the Apple of Eden and all it has done in the world, but they incorporated that very well.  This connects to our course because it was a window into what the Middle East looked back then.  The media this was shown in was a video game.  I feel this is even better to experience because unlike a film, which shows you what the director wants to show you, the video game allows you to explore and wander in any direction that is reachable to the player.  They can see everything that the designers wanted the player to see.  So in this way it is similar but it is usually more than a film can show.  This game shows a little bit of how the hatred between Christians and Muslims started.  It doesn't do it entirely but it was set in the era of the Crusades so it is also implied.  This hatred has developed more into fear nowadays and was never forgotten.    

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mYlPTYkvGw    

Palestine and Priorities

Palestine has been forced to follow the rules and laws of Israel for a long time. This includes military occupations, segregation, blockades and other violations of, what some may consider, basic human rights. An upcoming player in Palestinian politics is Husam Zomlot, of the Fatah Movement, who is trying to generate support in creating a place where the human rights violations will not stand. He hopes to accomplish this with some aid internationally, but hopes to use the people of Palestine to stand up.

In the past one of the biggest issues have been conflicts with international parties, such as the United States, trying to mediate the process. By creating a safe place for citizens, free of military occupation and other violations, a democracy can begin to be developed with the backing of the international parties. One of the key factors Zomlot hopes to help people understand is the need to push ahead with democracy and state recognition regardless of international support.

This is an interesting development, one that if it gets enough backing, that could turn into a large push for Palestine state recognition.

Full Article Here

Secrets in the Middle East and Prisoner X

How often do you hear someone be labeled "Prisoner X"? Well that's exactly what's in the news as information on the imprisonment of a man identified as Ben Zygier in Israel unravels. Ben, an Australian born man, committed suicide while imprisoned in 2010.

What makes this case interesting is that not only was Zygier given a false identity, but his charges were never made public (though it's speculated that he was accused of security offences). Not to mention Zygier, an immigrant to Mossad, had simply "disappeared" one day and wound up dead another.

But the real mystery in this is how Israel dealt with the situation. When the story began to make its rounds, a media gagging order was sent out, something very rare and only issued in special cases concerning national security. It was only after the intervention of multiple parties that possess parliamentary immunity to bring up the issue and allow the media to cover it.

Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr demands that Israel provide information on Prisoner X to find out how Ben Zygier ended up like this. One can only hope this is an isolated incident, and if not, expose more.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21495073

Post #2 Argo film review

This film is a fictionalized version of the Iranian hostage crisis that took place in 1979. Specifically the plot focuses on the six Americans that managed to escape from the US embassy after it was taken over and also the US governments role in their extraction. The US government authorized an order in council which then allowed them to issue Canadian passports to US citizens.

With these passports the US government smuggled the six US citizens out of Iran, posing as film crew for a fake Canadian movie. While the film followed the historically accurate outline, the bulk of the movie and dialog was fictionalized, which brought an interesting spin to a previously historical story. Overall this movie was captivating and entertaining while telling some pieces of US history. Its large budget led to a solid picture but it may have lacked in historical accuracy.

Post #2- Middle Eastern Film

A Middle Eastern film that I have recently seen on campus was "A Separation."

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1832382/


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2Sswx_vrWk

This film is about two families who come from different worlds and how their two worlds end up colliding.  Many aspects of the movie are ones that we have touched upon in class ultimately allowing for this film to have or be a connection to our class/course.  For example, we have touched upon women and their veil and how in some Middle Eastern countries women do not wear their veil in side while others do.  We also talked about how the overall view of the veil has changed over time.  In the film it shows the women wearing their veils at all points of the day/night; whether they were inside or outside.  An topic that we have talked about in class and I saw in the movie was the use of the Qur'an.  We have talked about how the Qur'an is a very important to some while not as important to others.  In the film the rather poorer family lives their daily lives by the Qur'an while the wealthier family does not and this is a huge difference seen in the movie.  Lastly, the movie shows families of the Middle East in different lights such as women working or not and we have touched upon the topic of women in the Middle East and what their proper roles are in class as well.  This movie gave some great insight to what life is like for different classes of families and that was important to see as we start to dive into the many countries, cultures, and family traditions etc. of the Middle East.     

Anthony Morello Post #2

The violence continues in Iraq  recently as many car bombs have been reported to have killed 21 people and injured many more. These bombs have been reported to have been targeted at Shia areas of the city and no one group has come forward for the attacks. Because of this, Sunni links to Al-Queda have been blamed for these. This occurred Sunday on the suburbs of al-Amin, al-Husseiniya, and Kamaliya with a total of nine car bombs. The car bombs erupted near outdoor markets sending many to a nearby hospital. One main question people are concerned with is how these people and attacks are able to get past security. One man who talked to reporters said it took him two hours to get into the city so how could a bomb get past this?  Along with the nine bombs reported to have went off, Baghdad security says it had diffused six more bombs.

One possible explanation for these attacks are the upcoming elections in March. This has been raising tensions recently and attacks have also been made against officials such as Ali Aouni, the head of Iraq's Intelligence Academy, and Gen Aouni, the second most prominent Iraq figure to be murdered this year. Sunnis have also been rioting and protesting accusing the Shia government's Nouri Maliki, Prime Minister, of monopolizing power. This tension between Sunni and Shia continues to lead to violence and is causing much harm to their country.

Here is the link to the article on BBC News:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21489777

Matt Upshall Post 2

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2013/jan/10/will-saudi-arabia-ever-change/?pagination=false

Interesting article that focuses on the culture, economy, downfalls and a need for change in Saudi Arabian society. This focuses on the majority of the youth in Saudi Arabia who feel that their futures are being stolen from them.

The Times review gives good reference to two books by Thomas Lippman and Karen House, who have interesting views on the issue.

The role that oil money plays in maintaining the gap between the rich and poor, unemployment.

How much longer can Saudi Arabia withstand this type of rule?

Nato Afghanistan Kunar air strike 'kills 10'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21439830

          This article covers a recent NATO (North American Treaty Organization, ironically) air strike that killed 10 people. Normally, this wouldn't be headline news but unfortunately a majority of those  killed in this particular attack were women and children. There is a silver lining that 3 Taliban commanders were also killed, but do the ends justify the means? I would say no; in order to change the hearts and minds of the people you are trying to liberate you have to rise above the the means of their oppressors. If anything, this event is likely to further propagate the spread of violence by causing others to seek vengeance against the United States and maybe even join the Taliban to achieve this.The president of Afganistan Hamid Karzai condemned the United States and the air strike saying that the "war against terrorism was not to be fought in Afghan villages." If the United States continues to use methods such as this we can never hope to achieve a better tomorrow for these people, let alone peace between nations. 


Keith MacLeod
Post #2

It appears more and more ridiculous news is coming out of Saudi Arabia these days. A week or so back a Sheikh from Saudi Arabia stated that he wanted all newborn females to wear a full face veil. Now he states that this is to prevent female sexual assault and keep them safe. even the people in Saudi Arabia think this is ridiculous. The fact that this man is basically preventing and child to family interaction is bad enough but the fact that it is just another thing to add to the regulations women must follow. It seems that even though there are many in Saudi Arabia who are trying to open doors for women, many are trying to keep shutting them. Although this may have initially been of good intentions, it has now just added onto the issues with women in Saudi Arabia that already exist. Like adding lighter fuild to a fire, targetting children may have been the worst possible thing they could have done.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/saudiarabia/9848469/Saudi-Arabian-cleric-declares-babies-should-wear-burkas.html

Irans-laughable-fighter-jet-caught-out-in-a-photoshop-blunder

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/irans-laughable-fighter-jet-caught-out-in-photoshop-blunder-20130213-2ebwb.html

In an Article that was posted online today, it was announced that Iran had created a new fighter jet that was capable of avoiding radar detection and president  Ahmadinejad said it was the most sophisticated and advanced fighter jet of its kind.  Images were released of the the jet and experts quickly discovered that the jet is not even adaptable of flight.  Aviation experts say the cockpit is too small to fit a pilot and the wiring is too simple and not capable of taking off.  Iran released an image of the fighter jet in flight and it is identical to another picture of the same jet in a show room.  This is not the first blunder that Iran has faced.  In recent years Iran announced they sent a monkey to space and they showed clearly two different animals in the pictures the released.  They also announced that they engineered a new drone that were actually doctored images of something that Japan had created.  It is obvious that Iran is trying to appear stronger than they appear.  Iran has been heavily impacted by sanctions that are taking their toll on the Iranian economy, and it appears that Iran is trying to portray an image of being stronger than they actually are.  I would say that this is a normal reaction for Iran to have because they have to appear strong, even though they are faced with incredible opposition for their ulnar program.  Even though there is nothing backing Iran's claims of superior technological strength, it will be interesting to see what will happen in the upcoming months.  With president Barack Obama's state of the union address tonight I wonder how much emphasis he will place on issues in the Middle East as well as North Korea.