Israel reveals its true face

By Ahdaf Soueif

This will count. A flotilla of relief boats attacked in international waters. Armed commandos boarding a vessel carrying supplies for a besieged civilian population. More than 10 peace activists reported killed. This has to be made to count.

The dead have joined Rachel Corrie, Tom Hurndall, James Miller and Brian Avery in giving up their lives for the Palestinians. None of these young men and women went out to die or wanted to die or was accepting of death. Each and every one of them ultimately believed that they were safe; that there was a boundary – call it a boundary of legality, a boundary of civilisation – that Israel would not cross. They were wrong. And in proving them wrong, Israel has revealed, once again, its true face to the world.

This face, of course, the Palestinians know well. They see it every day in the teenage soldiers of the occupation chewing gum as they dish out humiliations, in the settlers shooting young Palestinians with impunity, in the soldiers firing gas canisters at the heads of demonstrators. The world saw that face in January last year when Israel unleashed the might of its air force on Gaza – the only time in modern warfare that a civilian population was sealed in as it was being bombed and shelled. Now Israel is out on the high seas killing internationals.

So never mind the multimillion- dollar public relations campaign – actions speak louder than words, and the murder of these peace activists is Israel's message to the world. It does not matter what Mark Regev or any other Israel spokesperson says. It does not matter what spin the Israeli government tries to put on this; the only link between Israeli words and Israeli deeds is this: Israel uses words as a decoy and an obfuscation and a cover for its deeds. It has done so for 62 years. These internationals, dead now, murdered, have ensured that anyone who does not see this is wilfully blind.

Western governments are fond of holding up Israel as the "only democracy in the Middle East". So should we assume that the Israeli people are behind their government? That they approve these killings? Last month I was at al-Quds University in Abu Dis. Israel's wall shaved the edge off the campus. On it, in tall blue letters, a Palestinian student had written: "My Israeli sisters: this is not the answer."

A few days ago, young Jewish Israeli activists told me they saw that the only hope for their country lies with the international community. Israel is on a path to self-destruction, they said, and it will take the region with it. It will not stop, they said, until the price it pays for its actions becomes too heavy. This price has to be a moral and economic price imposed by the world.

My anger and my sadness are so great that I have to deliberately draw a deep breath from time to time to ease the bands I feel around my chest. It doesn't matter. What does matter is that millions of people in the world are feeling the same. People everywhere see and understand what is happening. Many of us feel that Palestine is nearing its South Africa moment. This latest outrage must push it closer. And it will.

Donations will, I'm sure, flood in to the other relief boats waiting in harbour. More and more people will take the boycott to heart. More civil bodies will insist on divestment from companies that do business with Israel. The time has come for the governments that represent us to stop engaging with Israeli lies and excuses. The price of Israel's action today has to be to put the issue of sanctions squarely on the table.

This article appeared in the UK Newspaper - The Guardian dated 31st May 2010 (here)


PS. Please make doa and do solat hajat for our friends captured on board the ship Mavi Marmara, 12 of whom are Malaysians, 2 of whom are our dear old friends – Dr. Selamat Aliman (JIM) and Ustaz Hasanuddin Mohd. Yunus (Aqsa Syarif). The fate of all those on board the ship involved in the Life Line 4 Gaza (LL4G) mission, up to the point of this entry, is still not known. A few has fallen shahid. Subhanallah! Allahu Akbar!

Nothing surpasses Allah…

My tight schedule has driven me up the wall. This blog has not been updated for weeks. However, it all seem worthwhile. The time spent, the energy driven, the efforts put into seem meaningful when success awaits you at the end of the tunnel. Even though we only managed to garner a Silver Medal at ITEX 2010 for our invention, it has cast enough happiness in our hearts as a research team.

The most important thing was that we were able to showcase our work to the public, a system that may be of use in a vast number of applications. Numerous parties have expressed their interest in developing and enhancing the basic platform. For example the Department of Irrigation and Drainage in managing the illegal sand digging at their rivers.

Today, in the STAR, there is news coverage for the press conference which was held yesterday at the main campus lake in Minden, Penang. (Read here)

Our invention is named Drosobot (Drosophila Robot). They may be deployed as a group (or swarms - in technical terms) to enable contour mapping of lakebeds, rivers and dams. The cost incurred is substantially reduced, extra manpower is not necessary while the results of the mappings may be looked at there and then (in real time). Compare this to the available equipment system in the market, (originating from where else but the West?) which is so exorbitant (costs RM 200,000 to buy, if rented then the charges would be RM8,000 per kilometer; it also needs to have at least 4 people to man the equipment)and most importantly, the results of the mappings are not instant - only made available 2 weeks later.

The most interesting fact that we discover is that, lake contour mappings are not available as yet. (We did not know this when we first embarked on the project). Only land and the sea (for seafarers). Considering the vast number of lakes available in Malaysia, we are glad that we are able to contribute in making contour mappings of lakes to be easily done. Amongst our interested visitors (in charge of maintenance of one of the dams) during ITEX 2010 expressed his gratitude and appreciation because he knew and understood the problems. He has been doing the job manually.

We were inspired by the foraging and searching movements of the fruit fly (scientific name being Drosophila Melanogaster) to be adopted as the intelligent algorithm integrated in the school of autonomous water surface vehicles. Adopting the algorithm means that the movements of the group of robots become faster and optimized in the contour mappings as they glide across the surface of waters.

Did not Allah give us mankind the power to think? Nature and its happenings may be used as a source of inspiration for creative inventions. Creatures - be them large or as small as the ants, bees, all have their specialties. If only we take the time to contemplate and use our minds to focus. Thinking has been advocated by our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in a Hadith:

“Purposive thinking (tafakkur) for an hour is better than a year’s worship.”

The humble fly which we would not even look with one eye has a lot to offer – only if we stop, think and observe. The tiny creatures go about their ways according to the ordained paths set by its Creator. However, that is all they can do. It is only us – mankind who has the ability to explore, formulate and venture further than the other creatures. For we are bestowed with powerful brains by our Creator to think and relate. However, there is only one thing that we as mankind should do and never forget i.e. we must remember that no matter how great and high we soar, we can never surpass His powers.

".. of knowledge it is only a little that is communicated to you, (O men!)" Al Isra’: 85

Unto Allah belongeth All Praises…

Reader Review - Seungu Lavendar

Nothing pleases a writer more than having his or her book reviewed by readers. Whether the review is good or bad – it does not matter.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of bumping into a piece of review at www.goodreads.com written by one named Aina Dayana Hilmi from Melaka. Not only has she bought my book and then read it. She also graciously went an extra mile to produce some feedback after feasting her eyes on it. (For Malay Language readers, the review can be found here).

The book Seungu Lavendar is a true story based on my childhood days, written straight from my heart; growing up in an ordinary family (father being a police constable), coping with everyday dealings in the era of 1960’s and the 1970’s. The little girl Ummu Hanis (or Hanis) is my character in the book, her experiences and her innocent outlook towards life written from the eyes of a child of her age. I wrote this book under the direct guidance and constant online correspondence with Madam Ainon Mohd (Sifu PTS) and it was completed in a span of 3 months. Writers for her publishing company at that time were encouraged to write their own life experiences or Jibunsyi (‘lifes of ordinary people’ in Japanese). In tandem with her request, all the names of characters needed to be changed (but in this book, I had to maintain my father’s name, for reasons stated in the book storyline).

I would like to reproduce some points from my book "Jadi, Anda Mahu Menulis?"

According to Mdm Ainon, "Actually every person's life is a unique tale that may be made into a book; it is a storyline."

The reason why jibunshis are written is because so that ordinary people may relate to the stories and then be inspired and motivated. It may be that reader is facing some form of situations, similar to the writer. Then, he or she will say, "I am facing the same difficult situation. And I am not alone. So, this is how I can weave my way out of the same predicament. And the attitudes that I should churn in myself."

One of the Jibunsyi' that was successfully adapted into an effective film was Oshin (a well loved TV series by women all over the world)- the story of the iron willed lady who did not give up hope even though the tides turned against her.

Thanks a million, Ms. Aina Dayana Hilmi! Appreciate your efforts. Really do!

Apr 01, 2010
Aina Dayana Hilmi rated it: 3/5

bookshelves: family, read-2010

Read in April, 2010

(Malay readers may read the review here.)

Tears of regret…

My eyes were transfixed to the rectangular shaped talking machine at the far corner of our lounge. TV9 station was airing a talk show with Dr. Danial Zainal Abidin and writer Muhammad Alexander (MA) as guests. The issue was on signs of Doomsday and the emergence of Yakjuj and Makjuj. Coincidentally, I had just finished reading the two books written by MA. His first book – I borrowed from someone, then bought a copy together with his second book – Alexander the Great was Zulqarnain at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair, the week before. I managed to meet up with the writer to have the two books autographed by MA. Happiness!

“Amongst the signs of Doomsday that is fast approaching is the fact that numerous numbers of babies are being born from unmarried mothers,” said Dr. Danial. His statement made my heart stop for a moment. It set me thinking.

Just last weekend, I fulfilled the request from Raudhatus Sakinah (RS)- The Shelter for unmarried mothers, to conduct a writing workshop for inhabitants of the shelter of the Penang branch.

The air was tense and still at the beginning of the workshop. The RS girls needed some coaxing and provoking before their words could pour out. After 2 games, their minds then started melting. By mid afternoon, their fingers holding tightly onto their pen, were moving fast across the sheets of papers. Their heads down and intense, brimming with ideas. That was my intention. And those were the purpose of the series of games, specifically formulated during the workshop.

Later in the afternoon, their eyes were pregnant with tears, glistening waters streaming over like little brooks down their cheeks, when I asked them to remember and ponder upon the faces of our parents, their never ending love and care, ever since we first started to learn how to breathe. They read aloud their pieces, written straight from their hearts, in between sobs of great regret. It was intended to be so, to build up the atmosphere for them to realize the consequences of their past deeds.

While the girls were deep in their writing, I decided to have a chat with the organizers.

“Newcomers?” said I to Madam I, the manager of the shelter. My eyes roamed across the seminar room, registering the fresh faces in my mind. It has been quite a while since my last visit. My busy schedule has interrupted the once regular visits earlier on.

“Yes! The previous batch has gone back to where they belong,” said she, a queer smile curving her lips.

Puzzled with the odd smile, I asked, “How are they doing?”

I held out my hand and taking a chair, I sat very close to her and the wardens of RS. N who is now a happily married wife and mother of a little baby boy was there too. She was the former warden and had travelled all the way from Tanjung Malim, with her little baby by train, departing at midnight the night before and reaching Nibong Tebal at 4 a.m. that very morning. Such sacrifice! May Allah bless her…

“Some of them who returned home have constantly called us back, expressing their desire to be back at RS,” said one of the wardens.

“Why?” I frowned.

“Because they felt so lost and are also very vulnerable to fall back to their old habits. They were afraid. The values that we have instilled in them while they were with us here at RS, will slowly dwindle away amid hostile surroundings, uncooperative family members," said another one of the wardens.

“Influence from their old friends. We have always tried very hard to remind them to stay away and of the pitfalls of going back to their old habits,” said Madam I.

“But still, there are others who have moved on, continuing with their studies, at school and also at colleges,” said N.

“You still remember M?” said Madam I.

“Of course I do,” I quipped.

“She is now in her first year, studying psychology at a college up north, sponsored by her mum,” said one of the wardens rather proudly.

“How wonderful! Praises be to Allah,” said I, so overjoyed.

That is the situation with the RS girls who had to return to where they once belonged. Some are trying their best to maintain their dignity while others have moved on. We should do more to guide these young girls who have gone astray and to pull their hands back onto the straight road again.

This is the second time around. A similar writing workshop was held sometime last year. We intend to publish the collection of the girls’ writings. Writings of their experiences, the underlying factors that made them end up in situations most unbecoming and which we wish and should avoid. We hope that when the book gets to be published, it will act as eye openers for others, especially for the young girls and boys of our society, and for parents too. Things that they need to be aware of. To be forewarned against.

“Be Smart! Avoid Zina!”

May Allah grant us mercy and accept all intentions and our deeds...Amin

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A quick look at some of the responses that I could gather from the feedback forms right after the workshop:-

“Alhamdulillah, I have the opportunity to improve my writing skills.”

“I have acquired new knowledge.”

“This has made me become aware of the importance of being a person of good, here now and in the hereafter.”

“I got some good advise.”

“I have got ideas what to write in the future.”

“I can make use of writing to get rid of my stress.”

To read more on past and previous related entries in this blog on RS - The Shelter, please click here and here .

Brunei..captivating..sustaining...

“Have you tried this?” said Haji Z, the representative from Brunei Government, sitting across our dinner table. In his hand, was a small piece of bamboo pried open but not quite till the end; his fingers deftly and skillfully twisting the bamboo stick; at the end of which was a gooish, whitish substance, resembling our home made glue.

“No, we haven’t,” said Dr. Y my colleague from Universiti Utara Malaysia.

‘But we will surely try,” said I, laughing, poking my fork at the varieties of kerabu (vegetable and seafood delicacy) in my plate.

“Yes, I hope you will. This used to be the staple food for our older generations, when food was scarce. It is called Ambuyat, to be eaten with the sauce," pointing to the small bowl of sidedish near his plate.

“It is very filling. And the sauce is the most important. Because the ambuyat itself is tasteless as it is made from sago flour and hot water. You have to be really skilled to be able to make it to the right consistency,” said J smilingly, the officer from AITI Brunei.

Haji Z went on, “Our country has started to implement self-sustaining projects. For a start, to produce our own rice. And the tender, roasted lamb that is in your plate is our own born and bred. And also the beef. But of course, the original herd were imported from New Zealand.” His eyes were twinkling as he looked at the difficulty I was having in twisting my own ambuyat. I had to use both my hands.

“Laila – that is the name of the rice genus. Harvested three times a year. We just had the first harvest not long ago,” added J, grinning with pride.

“Very impressive,” said Dr. Y, “unlike our country. My state which is Kedah, is supposedly to be known as the Rice Bowl of Malaysia. Most of the plots of padi fields no longer exist as they are slowly turning into housing estates.”

My trip to Brunei was a very fulfilling one. I was representing Universiti Sains Malaysia - USM (alone), while the other proponent was Universiti Utara Malaysia - UUM (Dr. Y and her research officer). We were the only two other proponents from Malaysia, besides a big telco company, which did not send any representative as their proposal has always been accepted for the third year running. For UUM, it was their second time (still needing some modifications to their proposal) while for USM, this is our first time and I have a lot of things to pick and gather.

Apart from learning the basic techniques on how to prepare appropriate proposals in order to secure research grants from outside Malaysia (i.e. for this meeting at ASEAN level), I also learnt a lot of other things. Mainly, I have never set foot on this captivating country.

As a start, I was already impressed with the doa at the beginning of the journey on Brunei Royal Airlines. It was a heartrending doa (before a Muslim undertakes a journey, he or she is recommended to make doa or prayers for safe journey) recited on the screen of the aircraft before take-off. I said Amin..Amin..and Amin with all my heart.

The moment my feet touched the airport, I was again mesmerized by the Jawi letterings on the welcoming guide posts greeting me. Then at the hotel in the middle of the city of Bandar Seri Begawan, I noticed the same letterings on every store, even on the one and only McD, KFC as well as others. How this country has been able to elevate the standard of Jawi as it is now. (I sigh, when I think of this lost opportunity back home).

Then, at night, tired from the meeting the whole day, we, the delegates, were brought to an exclusive restaurant owned by a dignitary of Brunei, just across the Kampung Air (The Water Village).

Spectacular views – the lights coming from the heritage houses were playing in the shadows, on the surface of the undulating waves of the sea under the moonlight. As though dancing to the harmonious traditional music from young lads, clad in their traditional attire. We were really entertained. It was so beautiful…

On the way back to the hotel, I was taken in by the beauty of the quietness and serenity of the surroundings. I did not see youths philandering, (lepak-lepak). No improper dressing. Funky clad and punks; there was none. I guess most of the youngsters are at home, safe with their family.

And the drivers? We Malaysians could and should learn from them about road ethics. Here, if you are a pedestrian, you are the king of the road, the cars will stop in their tracks to let you cross the road, no matter how busy. (It reminds me of Canada.) Try doing that back home? (You risk being called, “You crazy? Lived long enough?” or the worst – you get yourself killed!)

Another plus point - the TV programmes, very Islamically inclined and knowledge enriching. Not so much of the worship of hedonistic culture that is rampant with ours back home…

How can we learn and implement these things to our beloved country? Please share with me….

Slowly drying…

I was chairing a postgraduate viva session at one of the departments in the campus. Everyone was diligently paying attention when suddenly there was a knock on the door.

Dr. B, one of the panel members of the meeting and a programme chairman of the department, rose to answer and he then disappeared behind the door.

I continued the session which was nearly at the finishing line.

Dr. B returned to his seat, his face suddenly looking very drawn. There were traces of sadness in his eyes. All of a sudden, he said, “Excuse me. I am very sorry, I just cannot concentrate anymore.”

I cast him an annoyed look. So did the others.

“There has been a terrible accident. One of our department’s postgraduate students. At the main gate to our campus here. And she is dead. I have to be excused. I need to attend to her matters. Please go ahead with the meeting,” said he, as he rose up to go.

We listened and watched, electrified.

I came to my senses and summoned myself to say, “It is all right. We are nearing the end anyway, aren’t we?” I looked around at the other faces. Nods everywhere.

By the time I was back at my own department, the news had spread. Apparently, the hardworking student who was on her motorbike, was a victim of a reckless driver of a car, which sped across the red light right in front of the campus. It was such disheartening news…

I wonder what were in the minds of her housemates. Most probably she was with them, all day long the day before, talking, eating, laughing and the next day, she was gone…

I wonder too how her mum would cope with this news. So sudden…

I remembered something my son told me. A friend of his had been called back home. He was doing his housemanship training at a hospital back in the UK. During his undergraduate studies as a medical student at the University of Sheffield (both my husband and I studied there more than 30 years ago), he was diagnosed with lymphoma, a kind of blood cancer. He had undergone chemotherapy many times before and the cancer had come back. The doctors had done all that they could do. His parents has asked him to come back. Watching his message (here), I could not help holding back my tears….

That afternoon, as I was driving back home, I stopped the car momentarily at the junction of the campus main gate, waiting for the green light. As I turned my face towards the left, I could see the remnants of what used to be a helmet, the pieces scattered all over the side walk. I was in tears again…

As a Muslim, we are constantly reminded to ponder over a Hadith. In this hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to a man while he was advising him:

"Take advantage of five matters before five other matters: your youth, before you become old; and your health, before you fall sick; and your richness, before you become poor; and your free time before you become busy; and your life, before your death." ~Al Hakim and Al Baihaqi~

I am reminding myself. I do hope you are reminded too….

KPI...

It has been raining KPI’s for the past few months. Seems like the three letter item has become the buzz word. On the TV, in the papers, from our country’s VIP lips. At my department…

Ever since last year and being called in to be one of the the department’s KPI committee, I have been running around, bogged down with paper work (which explains why this space of mine has not been updated). Plus the fact that I have to put up with some members of staff who are lackadaisical in their attitudes and worst still – those who spit out unbecoming words, not befitting the academic titles that they have in front of their names. Am already up to my nose…the mere mention of the three letter word, gave me the jitters...

Last weekend, while attending a get together with other writers of a publishing company, the editors explained their new and upcoming projects. Then, it came…”Each of us as an editor, we need to fulfill our KPIs..” I felt like throwing up…

Too much emphasis, too much paper work, efforts. So much time and energy…

This weekend (Yes! On Sunday, while others are happily relaxing with their families) all the four of us will have to brace ourselves in preparation to face the highest authority of the university. For, the task of defending our school KPI lies upon the shoulders of the four of us (Prof. L, Dr. W, Mr. M and I). I do hope some of my dear colleagues will help too in offering some doas…

These set me thinking..how about the other KPI? The one we need to look seriously into? Our KPI with our own Creator? I shudder…

How about you?