09-01-09 Gilad Shalit in the Arab media

Gilad Shalit in the Arab media
By Ali Younes – Every time I read and watch how Arab media outlets cover the story of prisoner’s exchange of the Israeli solider Gilad Shalit and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, I come to think how Arab media have fallen victims to Israeli PR machine (propaganda). There are several issues at play here when covering this story. Note that Gilad Shalit is always mentioned by name, I know his name, you do, and maybe my grandmother knows his name too!

07-17-09 Israel denies the undeniable: War crimes in Gaza

Click to visit the Shades of Gray Blog and view more Comics
Shades of Gray: Ray Hanania’s World Comic Strip, July 17, 2009
Dozens of Israeli soldiers, risking retribution, violence and persecution, have stepped up to confess that they were ordered to shoot innocent men, women and children during the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. Israelis who claim to support peace have shut their eyes to the war crimes, pretending that only Hamas has engaged in terrorism. But reports by the top human rights organizations in the world have pointed a finger at Israel saying they engaged in outrageous examples of war crimes including soldiers using civilians and children as human shields as they rampaged through the civilian neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip allegedly pursuing terrorists but instead seeking to destroy the region’s infra-structure and impose greater hardships on the citizens. Shame on Israel’s government, its military but shame even more on the silence of the Israeli people.

07-17-09 Aljazeera kicked out of West Bank exposes issues

Aljazeera Arabic under siege in West Bank and in its editorial offices
By Ray Hanania — Aljazeera Arabic became the first television station to broadcast balanced news about the Middle East, but over the years its editorial staff has expanded to include several people who are less about journalism and more about partisan political activism, mainly supporting Hamas and the growing Islamic extremist movement. The biggest complaint has been about its coverage, which critics have called biased and supporters have said does not advocate pro-Palestinian and Islamic views enough.

06-23-09 Don’t give Ahmadinejad what he craves or wants

Don’t give Ahmadinejad what he wants
By Ray Hanania – As long as Western politicians, especially those in the United States, view Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other tyrants as opportunities for local political gain, the dictators will continue to oppress. Here in the United States, the news media is leading the charge, clawing itself past even the traditional conservative Republican land sharks, to push President Obama to declare war on Iran. It’s not going to happen and the conservative neocons who helped undermine this country’s security for the past eight years and the news-hungry media know it. But, the drama they hope to stir on the backs of the suffering of many people in Iran seems to far outweigh the cautioned and reasoned approach that Obama insists on taking.

06-08-09 Obama’s speech has first victory in Lebanon

Lebanon’s elections could be Obama’s first post-speech victory
By Ray Hanania – As the smoke clears in Lebanon’s sectarian elections, and the two major factions appear to be where they began, the real winner may in fact be President Barack Obama. Did his speech last week to the Arab World impact Lebanon’s election results? In fact, only one seat changed hands between the Hezbollah-Aoun coalition and the Western-back coalition of Saad Hariri, the son of the assasinated former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. Hariri’s coalition called March 14 won 71 seats, one more than it had, and Hezbollah’s coalition called March 8 won 57 in the 128-seat Lebanese legislature, one less.

06-06-09 Obama’s New beginnings for everyone-Comic Strip

06-06-09 Obama Offers new beginnings, for everyone Comic Strip

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click HERE to view larger image
Shades of Gray: Ray Hanania’s World Comic Strip June 6, 2009, on Middle East (me) and also American politics (dom). President Barack Obama promised the Arab and Muslim World a new beginning, much to the chagrin of the extremists in Israel and some in his administration. Permission granted to republish with attribution.
www.professivecomicstrips.blogspot.com 

06-05-09 Analysis of President Obama’s Powerful speech

Observations on President Obama’s Speech in Cairo
By Ray Hanania – Much was made of President Barack Obama’s speech Thursday morning (CST) to the “Muslim World.” The speech was inspiring. I listened to Obama as his speech was broadcast by an Arab television station and also to the reaction of Arabs throughout the Middle East. I subscribe to the Arab World TV systems using a neat little cable package called “Talfazat” through NeuLion Media that requires no satellite dish and uses an Internet box that connects to my TV and Internet. (Check it out at Talfazat.com. It’s under $30 a month and you can watch Al-Jazeera English while trying to learn Arabic.)

05-10-09 No pre-conditions … on us

Netanyahu says there should be no pre-conditions for peace ...e xcept those that he imposes

Click HERE to view larger image

Ray Hanania’s World Comic Strip May 10, 2009

Israel’s fanatic leader Benjamin Netanyahu says there should be “no pre-conditions” for peace. But what he means is no pre-conditions on Israel, which can continue to violate human rights, expropriate lands, expel Christian and Muslim civilians and allow Jews all over the world and in Israel to pretend that Israel is pursuing peace.

05-10-09 May in Taybeh Palestine

May in the Holy Land
Maria C. Khoury, Ed. D. – In this month of May, it was suppose to be my husband’s last month finishing his four year term as Mayor of Taybeh. And, it was suppose to be my last month of serving coffee and tea to everyone I know. Although the service sometimes is to high profile visitors like the Ambassador of Sri Lanka yesterday. However, Hamas and Fatah do not seem to be anywhere nears a unity government so the national elections in Palestine have been postponed. All local government positions have been extended until December 2009 hoping these political parties can agree to something. I hate to be a person who lacks optimism since I place all my hope in Christ but sometimes, I feel, it will take a miracle to bring change to our extra depressed conditions. And, forgiveness and reconciliation do not seem to be in the vocabulary of any political party in Israel and/or Palestine.

Palestine Not Remembered

Palestine not Remembered
By Saffiya Shillo — On the anniversary of the siege of Palestine, Palestinians worldwide forget to remember what is most important when marking this and every other past and future commemoration. They forget to fight for Palestine! They forget to fight the “right” fight.” They forget to raise their voices in unison advocating the noble cause for freedom through justice. They forget what it means to be One Palestinian People.