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"Syria is No Longer Cuba," by Ibrahim Hamidi
Posted by Joshua on Thursday, October 25th, 2007
Ibrahim Hamidi, al-Hayat's bureau chief in Damascus, has just returned from Turkey where he covered the Assad visit. He writes: "Hello, I just came back from Turkey. It was a really good experience." I attach an article published in Sam Moubayed's magazine, Forward. Cheers, Ibrahim
The Beirutization of Damascus
The Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon in 2005 accelerated the reform process in Syria. Everything that could be found in Beirut is now readily available in Damascus. This social revolution in the Syrian capital has yet to spread to the rest of Syria. Ibrahim Hamidi
Syria is changing. Not all of Syria, however, is included in this change. The speed of change varies. It is quick for those living inside Syria, although they may not feel it on a daily basis. Things are different for an expatriate, who sees the change process as slow, incapable of coping with the rapid spread of globalization. The expatriate, however, acknowledges how deep and symbolic this change actually is. The one who feels the change most, however, is the Syrian who has been away from his country for many years. He feels the change the minute he walks into Damascus International Airport.
Syria no longer looks like Cuba or North Korea. True, some security personnel still do not greet visitors in a proper manner. Routine is still paramount at border crossings. Advertising billboards, however, are everywhere to be found. There are duty free shops at all border entrances, just like in any other country in the world. No sooner does a visitor finish with all official formalities at passport control and the customs department, than he finds a completely different setting awaiting him. It is the private sector. Private transport companies, private GSM providers, and private banks all 'welcoming' visitors to Syria.
Within the city, the situation is different yet similar; full of contradictions. Buildings dating back to the Soviet legacy, copied from the Eastern bloc. Huge buildings, constructed from grey cement, with neither life nor taste. These are mostly government and residential buildings, all constructed by the public sector, aimed at accommodating the largest number of 'proletariats' in the smallest amount of space. These buildings are not new.
What's new is the change that has overcome the architectural philosophy of Damascus. New beautiful buildings are sprouting all over town. The Damascenes were stingy when it came to spending on exteriors, as opposed to the interiors of their homes, unlike the people of Aleppo, who spent lavishly on both. Today, new touches have started to appear on Damascene architecture. Good examples of this architectural renaisance and concern for beauty are the Four Seasons Hotel and the Cham Islamic Bank, which have sprouted up like spring flowers amidst 'boring' monuments of the previous era.
In Syria today one can open private schools, universities, and banks. It is possible to spend thousands of US dollars on international brands like Prada, Dior, and Gucci. Even Gap, which is banned in several Arab countries, has found its way to Damascus, which hosts the General Secretariat of Boycotting Israeli Products. KFC—the symbol of Americanization—can now also be found in one of the most elegant streets of Damascus.
Some residents of the Syrian capital live a life that does not resemble that of other Syrians. They wake up at will to drink Nescafe or head to one of the numerous coffeehouses that are scattered all over town. There is an In-House Coffee chain in the Syrian capital, along with a chain for Gemini restaurants. Newly opened is the Costa coffeehouse near the Four Seasons.
The few Syrians who can afford this luxury can now chose from a mixture of coffee blends and flavors. Supermarket shelves are now filled with the finest products. A few years ago, availability of sugar or cooking fat was an event in itself in Damascus. There was a scarcity of products in Syria but not anymore. The opening of a mini-market was a big event. It is now natural to hear that the Cham City Center, a huge mall, has opened in the Kafarsouseh neighborhood. It is no longer surprising to see that it contains international brand names, automobiles, food stuff, and designer clothes.
There is also a newfound interest in healthy products—ironically, in a country that invented greasy Arabic cooking and Oriental sweets. Transportation is simple. Public buses are still available. They are colored in white, and come from Iran. Mini buses are also available, and so are yellow taxi cabs.
What is new is the large number of luxury cars speeding through the Syrian capital. Some of them cannot even be found in the countries of their origin. Maserati. Hummer. Lamborghini. Bentley. And of course, Jaguar, Mercedes Benz, and BMW. All of them can now be found in Damascus.
After drinking blended coffee, and chatting through a wireless connection on one's laptop, these privileged few Syrians can kill some more time with telephone business deals, made through one's own mobile. It is no longer needed to go to Lebanon to deposit revenue from these 'business deals.' One can make us of the seven private banks that have started operation in Syria, with a total deposit that has reached $3 billion USD.
For lunch—or dinner—there is a wide variety of restaurants to chose from; Turkish, Indian, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, French, and Italian. All of them are located in the posh neighborhoods of Damascus. Oriental restaurants can still be found in the Old City. It must be noted that a 4-person meal at any of the se restaurants is equivalent to the monthly salary of a senior official in the government service.
Those with correct fitness and age can now also flex their muscles at the numerous health clubs that have sprouted all over town. Those with abundant time can get a massage or healthy herbal prescriptions at the doctor's clinic. After caring for the body, one can then turn attention to what he or she is wearing. The 'openness' of these last few months have created a wide variety to chose from. Taboos of the previous era—foreign label clothes—are now within reach. Almost instantly, international brand names mushroomed all over Damascus. It is no longer surprising to find boutiques in the posh districts of the Syrian capital. The surprise lies in finding them in the old commercial districts of the city.
The finest examples are Villa Moda, a fashion outlet in the Midhat Pasha Street near the ancient Hamidyya Bazaar, and L'Avenue, an old Damascene palace that has been transformed into a modern fashion boutique. It contains expensive items of clothing, where a woman's jacket can cost up to $2000 USD—after a 50% discount.
Contradictions are ripe over here as well since these boutiques are located amidst a multitude of small shops that have been selling cheese and salty refreshments for centuries. Ever since the Ottoman Era, they have been offering products to average Syrians for no more than a few Syrian piasters. Also located in the vicinity of these new fashion shops are small ones selling school stationary, adorned with photos of Hizbullah chief Hasan Nasrallah and his yellow party flag. Suddenly, in the heart of all of this, one finds a large exquisite wooden door—the entrance of a cave carrying all of Ali Baba's secrets. Customers need to be 'armed' before entering, with a chauffeur driven automobile, a Visa Card, or thousands of US dollars in order to purchase in cash from Ali Baba's cave.
On the western boulevard of the Four Seasons Hotel, one finds Rotana Café, with its expensive prices and breathtaking waitresses. A few meters from this 'globalized' scene is a public station for small warn-out buses. They carry thousands of workers per day to and from their jobs, for a fee of 5 SP per passenger. These are two different worlds indeed. Nothing unites them except geographic proximity. Morning coffee. Online chatting. Cosmopolitan lunch, French perfumes, and foreign clothes with international brand names imprinted on them.
Everything seems set for a wild night out in the city. More options are now available than ever before, from the Marmar Nightclub in the Old City to the Amigos Club on the northern entrance of Damascus. There are many such venues both in the old and new city and one can easily spot them by the valet parking and security guards—bouncers—stationed at their doors, all hired from the private sector. What happens within them is similar to what happens in similar places around the world; drinking, dancing, romanticizing, and rising ecstasy from a particular scent in a particular corner of the club. Those who still enjoy an Oriental final to their evening—after clubbing all night long—wrap up with foul or hummos, obtained from the Midan district of Old Damascus.
Some of the few—or their children—can now also go to university in Syria. Private universities have opened after all, and are teaching in English for a tuition that is payable in US dollars. That also applies to private schools. In addition to the American, French, and Pakistani schools, which have been around for decades, private schools emerged in recent years, based on foreign curriculums and a high annual tuition that reaches up to thousands of US dollars.
All of this means that Beirut is no longer important. The need for Beirut is over. What Beirut used to provide for some Syrians can now generously be found in Damascus. The Syrians were accustomed to spending their weekends in Beirut; coffee at Verdun, lunch at the downtown district of the Lebanese capital, and shopping with thousands of US dollars. Lebanese banks used to perform transactions for their Syrian customers and other services that could not be found in state-run banks in Syria. One well informed source commented saying: "Instead of spending these dollars in Lebanon, they are now being spent in Syria. It is the same segment of society—all that has changed is the market."
There is no disagreement that the Syrian troop withdrawal from Lebanon in April 2005 accelerated the Lebanonization of Syria, and the Beirutization of Damascus. This was in appearance, scent, food, and spending. One can now see how the 'few Syrians' look—and where they socialize—in a variety of Syrian publications that cover social events in Damascus and Aleppo, like Layalina Magazine, Star, and What's On. Those interested in reading about politics and cultural affairs can browse through Syria Today and FORWARD, two famous English-speaking Syrian magazines.
They were founded by a team of graduates from the American University of Beirut (AUB) and other Western universities. Online, one can find further reading in Syrian websites like Syria News and Cham Press. One can enjoy light readings in the daily newspaper Baladna or through the cultural/political daily, al-Watan. Syrians no longer need to tune onto Lebanese radio channels to follow the latest Arabic and Western music. Commercial, non-political radio stations have also started operating in Damascus.
Official news sources however, in TV, radio, and the printed media, are still there, just like the case with public sector banks, universities, and schools. No sooner than one leaves this limited new and modernized circle than he finds himself back to a bygone era—as if nothing has changed. Thousands still embark to their schools every morning, paying measly tuition. At dawn, millions still go to their factories, crops, and mosques. Change has not reached all parts of Syria. It only affected some districts and neighborhoods.
There is a bigger world out there—very different from the one that is experienced by the wealthy few. According to official statistics, 11% of Syria's 18 million people live below the poverty line. There is a 9% unemployment rate; approximately 1 million of Syria's work force. Most of the unemployed are young people. One needs only to talk a walk through rural Syria to confront how different things actually are.
On Thursday and Friday evenings, thousands of families go out on picnics, bundled in their Pick-Up trucks or small three-wheel automobiles. They settle in the numerous public parks and spaces of Damascus for a family gathering that costs them nothing. The situation is different from that of the 'few' in Syria's urban interior. The pace of change is slow. The repercussions of 'openness' have not reached these districts. People commute with simple public transportation. When they return they eat at home. The only pleasure is watching Arab satellite TV. Those interested in politics watch debate shows. Those looking for entertainment watch the abundant number of drama series that are broadcasted around the year. Those who are still in their adolescent years wait until late after midnight to watch de-coded Western channels. But life doesn't change as fast as it does in the virtual world.
Dreams that are beamed into living rooms from satellite TV are must faster than society's ability to change and cope with them. Some find salvation in depression and isolation. Others find it at religious lessons or the local mosque. They look for the second life. Some still search for victory. That's why Hasan Nasrallah is so popular in these districts. People raise his photo and the Flag of Hizbullah over trees, village posts, and the rooftops of their humble homes.
The Syrian scene is becoming increasingly complicated and contradictory. One segment increases in wealth. It gains education and 'globalizes' rapidly. Gradual economic reform, along with Gulf investment money pouring into real estate and tourism. The appearance of indicators signaling extravagance and luxury. On the other hand, other indictors point to more needs among the general population.
There are is talk of a drawback in oil revenue. People are becoming increasingly unable to meet their basic needs. These are early warnings for great poverty. They are topped with religious and nationalistic radicalization in a region that is becoming increasingly sectarian. It is not easy to envision the future in Syria. This needs analysis, study, observation—and a early warning vision with caution.
Ibrahim Hamidi is bureau chief for the London-based al-Hayat newspaper in Syria.
Categories: Economics, Lebanon, Society & Culture
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Hamidi's article is a classic example of a technique that I have often seen used by Arab writers. They devote a huge part of their article to praise and portray things as great as a prelude for the bad news they want to convey.
The important part of the article starts with: "There is a bigger world out there—very different from the one that is experienced by the wealthy few."
And the real news to which Hamidi is building all along is in the very last paragraph:
I don't know if Hamidi is right or wrong, but his article is a dire warning that Syria has to change course since what is happening is that Syrians on average are getting poorer and more radicalized.
October 26th, 2007, 1:25 am
Wassim said:
I have to agree with the previous comment made. Those things Hamidi seems to be in love with are glittery and superficial, the first thing to be swept away should the hungry decide they've had enough.
Dear Wassim,
I think that Hamidi is not "in love" with those glittery things at all. He almost cynically describes how the "upper 1,000" can now lead a Beiruti lifestyle in Damascus, which he despises.
And he points out that none of this is affordable by the vast majority of Syrians.
Bashmann said:
This article is a testimony to the ill advised policies of a government that has lost touch with its people.
October 26th, 2007, 2:36 pm
Bashmann,
Is it lost touch with its people or doesn't care about its people? The latter implies that Bahsar knows the situation well but chooses to continue with his current policies because they preserve the regime. The main reason I think Bashar is in touch is because of the compulsive military draft. The Syrian army surely knows the education and economic level of its recruits.
Hamidi is very concerned about the income gap that is yawning ever wider in Syria – as are most Syrians. It is the big story that will be covered in a hundred ways over the next decade.
As all the commentators note, the government is well aware of the dangers. That is why the effort to reduce government subsidies, which has been draining state coffers, has been stalled. Dardari insists that Syria must go fast and deep in restructuring. Others have put their foot on the brake – and, for the time being, seem to have the support of the president.
Everyone agrees that Syria must join the world of market economies – the dispute is whether such a thing as "social" market economies really exist or do any good. SC's very own Ehsani2 has been trying to argue that there is no such thing as a social market.
Can the Syrian government manage the transition to a market economy in Syria? The Egyptian government stood firm throughout the very painful infitah, despite bread riots and growing fundamentalism.
Syria is a more divided country. but in some ways, the divisions make it easier for the government to kick the legs out from under the opposition. The opposition is as divided as everyone else.
Heydemann's article on the "Upgrading of Authoritarian Regimes" speaks to this process.
Nour said:
Syria needs a long way to go to become a modern, advanced, efficient state. What Mr. Hamidi is describing is true in all third world countries, where the gap between rich and poor, between the wealthy and the deprived, is starking. This is a dangerous trend in Syria as it can only lead to further instability. There is a need to focus on serious economic reform. Bringing in investments in the tourism and services sector will get you nowhere. The economy needs to be organized on a productivity basis. The bottom line is that Syria needs to produce. It needs to industrialize, but with serious, effective industries that can bring in revenue from exports, create jobs, and raise the standard of living of the average Syrian.
Unfortunately, the Baath has repeatedly failed to implement any serious, effective economic policy, as it has always been guided by a misguided ideology, and the need to consolidate its power, rather than by practical measures aimed at improving the lives of Syrians. While certain recent reforms have certainly improved some things, they cannot constitute a sufficient means of improving Syria's economy as a whole. Syria needs a complete overhaul of its political and economic systems, and their replacement with a functional, effective system that can lead the country to ultimate prosperity.
The sprouting of superficial structures can only disguise the underlying problem. The Lebanonization of Syria and Beirutization of Damascus are bad ideas and cannot possibly provide a solution to Syria's ailments. Things will only get worse if reforms are not implemented and implemented now.
AIG, Wassim
You are both right in reading the serious warnings that Ibrahim hinted to. Moving from a socialist system towards a moderately capitalist system can easily affect many people's standard of living. Egypt went through that transition in the late 70'sand in the 80's.
And AIG's observation regarding the way Arab writers have to hide the criticism part in the last few paragraphs is also accurate. My favorite is Jihad elKhazen in Alhayat … he is very smooth. You won't even notice it when he criticizes you.
But … Ibrahim is also enjoying living in Damascus…. not only the superficial rich 1000 are enjoying their life in Damascus.
It is a mistake to simplify it to "Annie is saying good things because she is afraid to criticize from Syria" …
Here is the Washington Post on the new Damascus … again.
But .. the pollution .. and the smoking … and the traffic …
One last thing … Hafez disappointed "the elite" for decades with his almost total lack of interest in superficial development… Damascus was VERY different from Beirut. Bashar needs the elite to invest in Syria, to stay in Syria, and to feel that he is not another socialist like his father… I don't mind the past two years' superficiality … an acceptable break from 30 years of socialism. BUT … it is time for the tough decision … subsidies.
This is an incredible exaggeration!….. i want to know what Damascus he is living in..??? Cause i don't see all this. French, Italian, chinese, Japanese, and Mexican restaurants. I thnk there are two Chinese restaurants in the whole city. One in Cham Palace with no people in it and one in Messeh. but the rest? they have restaurants with NAMES from these other ethnic foods….but have you tried the food? It is pathetic.
All these new buildings going up that are beautiful? way out in the Terraces of Dummar….ok, maybe. Hidden somewhere in the suburbs, maybe.. but in Damascus? all i see are old crap. And one Four Seasons, and a boutique hotel or coffee shop does not a new city scape make.
Have you tasted the new coffees? are they even Starbucks? (and mind you…i despise starbucks…) but really….are they. NO NO THEY ARE NOT. they all still taste like Necafe. Nescafe with different flavors. Desert drinks of all kinds of variety flavors….that are once again a really sad imitation…of the western trends in coffee. Wait till they try imitating the icecream. It is going to be a disaster.
aahhhh and he boast of sipping this deliciously titled, and repulsive coffee..while using your wireless…
but Hamidi should stop telling people about the wireless. The connections are horrible. This country is an internet nightmare.
but you won't know that…yes…if you are staying in the four seasons…. or pay the five hundred dollars a months… for that excellent fast DSL type service. If you are one of probably 100 people in the city. the rest of us just suffer.
and ok Cham city Center…… yes i have been there. but again….who would buy these 'designer' things….they look like nothing…normal i have ever seen. Except for sports wear stores. For men. This…syria has mastered. Sports wear for guys….. forget the girls though.
Mens wear is not bad here. maybe because it is men who are the purchasers owning the stores. But womens clothing is disgusting.
and i haven't been to the three fancy boutiques.
see……. there is really only ONE of these things he talks about. ONE supermarket in Cham Center…thats it.
all those….supermarkets……??? where are they?
and all those great restaurants. ok, i admit I come from San Francisco… the land of great restaurants…my standards are high. but give me a break….. the FAKE western food here…is truely truely pathetic. It is the worst. And the SERVICE is the worst…i ever experienced anywhere. ten people standing around….no…hovering around…. acting like they are paying attention. but really….they tell you how many tables you are not allowed to sit at……and which two in the corner…you could maybe sit at….with Shishe blowing in your face.
I can't believe this man…claims that Syrian's care about health!…. There is absolutely no health food whatsoever. Everything….is ultra fattening and full of sugar. The fast food is all over the place….. in your face. Pizza….is the main street food in the country now.
And frankly, the famous Barada Health Club is like a fourth rate health club in the United States. the Cham has an empty club… And I walked all over the place looking for and at health clubs. Most of them are for MEN ONLY. And the ones that are co-ed…are still pathetic, run down, dirty, or just not very good.
Please, if I am missing the fantastic club in Rawda….tell me about it….cause I can't find it!
no, i am sorry….THIS IS CUBA. IT IS WAY MORE CUBA THAN BEIRUT. I cross the border in Lebanon… land in Beirut….and you feel you entered the civilized world. That is a place with real restaurants. and a real Starbucks. Not withstanding the bombs and the soldiers everywhere and the non-functioning government…. I will take Beirut daily fare any day.
Thank you Zenobia for putting some sense into people's reading this article. The truth is with all the superficial wealth that is concentrated in the hands of the few, the situation in Syria is beyond disastrous when it comes to widening the income gab between the rich and poor.
You ask the right questions, but I beg to disagree with you on your comparison with Egypt. Syria is isolated regionally and internationally and no matter what the government can muster and argue over the road to the promised infitah it will not save Syria from becoming the boiling keg for the next disaster in the Middle-East. Unlike Syria when Egypt made the turn, it had the help of the US and the West to float its economy and safeguard its government from an all out popular uprising.
If we think Iraq was a disaster, wait 'till the situation gets worst in Syria, as Bashar keeps missing the signals for major reversals in his policies and staunchly insist on sacrificing the nation for the sake of his seat.
Here is a perfect article to illustrate all this;
The Damascus Conference versus the Conference of the Fall Grandstanding at the Expense of the Palestinians
Raghida Dergham Al-Hayat – 26/10/07//
NEW YORK – The secretary general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, presented an important report to the Security Council this week. The report returns to the forefront the issue of disarming Hizbullah as a cornerstone to enabling the Lebanese state to recover full sovereignty over its territory. Ki-moon called for implementing the commitment to dismantle all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias and disarm the Palestinian militias operating in Lebanon. He asked Syria and Iran to cooperate in this effort and halt all military supplies and support for these militias. He spoke at length about Palestinian organizations headquartered in Damascus and other groups like Fatah-Islam exploiting Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and using their camps.
The secretary general said that Fatah and Hamas sometimes fight in Lebanon, as they do in Gaza; he added that he had received information about Damascus' facilitating the flow of weapons and fighters across the Syrian border into Lebanon, and about Hizbullah's training of other militias and rebuilding its military capacities, in violation of Security Council Resolution 1559, which calls for dismantling and disarming militias. Ki-moon added that he had received information about preparations carried out by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, headquartered in Damascus, for "operations" in Lebanon, and that this organization "has a close relationship with Syria and Hizbullah, and receives material support and training from Iran." This information appears at a time when Damascus is preparing for a conference from the 7th to the 9th of next month to confront the "conference of the fall" being prepared by the White House to treat the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and launch the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The Damascus Conference considers the fall conference an attempt to eliminate Palestinian national rights, "which requires wide-scale national and popular movement through historical mechanisms and tasks, led by escalating resistance against Zionist occupation, calling on Arab countries to shoulder their responsibilities, and rejecting normalization with the enemy," according to the working paper that has been published by the conference. This paper rejects all of the agreements that have been signed with Israel, considering them "invalid and non-binding."
Damascus' sponsorship of Lebanese militias and Palestinian factions isn't new, but today it is more violent and "generous" in Iranian terms, which means these groups can be offered military supplies and equipment and fighters in order to challenge the Lebanese state, the Palestinian Authority and international resolutions.
Syrian President Bashar al-Asad found no "Arabist" objection to his support for Turkey's invasion of Iraq, on the grounds that this would be an invasion against a Kurdish terrorist party in Iraq, as if Iraq is suddenly no longer classified as a state, or Arab land. Such positions do not necessarily represent short-sightedness or caprice; more likely, they are a direct investment in self-protection. The Syrian leadership found in the vehement national anger in Turkey an opportunity to save itself from international pressures and a quasi-gift that allows it to avoid difficult matters, regardless of whether or not Turkey is correct in its stances. The announcement by the president of an Arab state that he understood the decision to invade the territory of another Arab state, by a neighbor, is an indication of how distant Syria is from the Arab state system.
Thus, if we understand the Syrian leadership's exit from the Arab fold and move toward the Iranian one, its blackmail of the Palestinian cause and exploitation of militias in Lebanon should be put a halt to, one way or another.
As a start, if Damascus wants to stir up the mechanisms of escalating resistance against Israel, then it should do so on the Syrian-Israeli border. This front is available for resistance and nothing can hold things up here except a Syrian decision and the Syrian regime. Anything less is merely another act of deceit toward the Palestinians. If the Damascus Conference wants to cancel the conference of the fall, all that Syria should do is open the Syrian-Israeli front for the resistance that it is promoting. Syrian territory is occupied, and Syria has enough weapons, men, Arab and Persian volunteers, and other Muslims, and "pure" money from Iran to liberate Palestine. So let Syria, Iran, the Palestinian factions and Lebanese militias step up and launch resistance from Syrian territory this time.
The fall conference won't be about miracles, and won't lead to an immediate Palestinian-Israeli peace. However, it won't be about rhetoric and grandstanding, which have begun to distinguish the Damascus conference.
For its part, Israel appears to be a partner, indirectly, in making the fall conference a success. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni are doing quite well in peddling honeyed talk about peace and stalling when it comes to the actual requirements of this goal. They are a living example of Israel's lack of readiness for peace. In this, Israel is a partner of the leaders of the Damascus Conference, and particularly the regime that is hosting the event, since they all see peace as a vital threat to their existence.
Another common denominator among all of these sides is the inability to settle things military, through resistance or invasion. Israel believes that it can have a military victory, but it is consumed by fear and unable to carry this out. The others believe that they have the tools to inflict defeat on Israel, but they are truly ill-prepared for resistance. It is a game of death that is being played by all, at the expense of Palestinians, Lebanese, Iraqis, Israelis and Americans as well.
Thus, if US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is serious about making the fall conference a success, she must be strict when she sends messages to the host of the Damascus Conference as well as the Israeli guest in Annapolis, Maryland.
For the Israeli leadership, the message must be as follows: the US is asking the state of Israel for a deadline on a serious political process that leads to a Palestinian-Israeli agreement on the structure of peace between them, and the establishment of a Palestinian state living in peace and security next to Israel.
In other words, if it is impossible for the fall conference, scheduled to take place during the last week of November, to produce clear tracks for a permanent solution and the permanent status of the Palestinian territories, the White House should produce a serious negotiation process, with time-tables and a final deadline. If this is impossible, there is no need to hold a conference at this time. It would be better to postpone it until Israel is ready to be serious about working for peace, or cancel it altogether.
At the least, the fall conference should involve negotiation on the final status arrangements, based on certain fundamentals, and should be a conference of negotiations in light of the inability to turn the gathering into a conference of implementing commitments, visions, and the road map to the establishment of a Palestinian state. Today it's being said that Olmert is weak and unable to make deals. The same is said about the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, in Israeli circles.
The goal can be summed up as providing justifications for Israeli stalling when it comes to the requirements and deals that need to be made for a permanent peace. The current stalling can be observed in the lack of readiness to make any reference to the 1967 borders: the borders of defeat and victory, the borders of peace, the borders of coexistence, the borders that have entered the mind of every international negotiator of the road map to an Arab-Israeli peace.
oday, the Israeli leadership isn't ready to talk about borders. In fact it wants to erase them and ignore them, and by this it seeks to erase the vision of the establishment of a Palestinian state and erase the idea of ending Israeli occupation; it wants a new dictionary for negotiations.
The duty of US President George W Bush and Secretary of State Rice is for them to say to Olmert and Livni that negotiating with the Palestinians must be the basis. The recognized basis for this are the 1967 borders, UN Security Council Resolution 242 and the principle of exchanging land for peace. Perhaps these borders could be modified based on land exchange, but the agreement must involve putting a certain ceiling on the exchange of land in the West Bank based on the 1967 borders.
In this way, the conference of the fall can be turned into a serious process with a deadline for active negotiations that lead to a solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. In the next ten days, Rice must understand that Arab states are truly unable to accept their invitations to the conference if it lacks these goals as a minimum. Bush and Rice should stop believing that the Arabs are coming to the conference, no matter what it comprises, and under any condition. This act of political suicide is unlikely to happen and the US and Israeli leaderships should understand this. If Israel insists that now isn't the time for negotiations, then the Arabs will not attend the conference of the fall, no matter how much Bush shouts, and no matter how much Rice stares with determination.
Of course, there is a benefit for Palestinians, supported by the ranks of Arab moderates, in attending an international conference dedicated to the Palestinian issue, after spending seven years experiencing the US' boycott of the Palestinian Authority and the international boycott of the Palestinians. Since there is awareness about this benefit, Arab moderates will be satisfied by a modest conference, as long as it is useful.
They know that there is the possibility of saving the fall conference from collapse, and they believe that the Palestinian interest dictates that this opportunity not be lost; they insist on not giving in to Israeli intransigence so easily. This is an opportunity, not only to see an effective and serious US role, but also to see the international community get involved in the Palestinian-Israeli issue.
Here, we can see the importance of the European and Russian roles at this historical juncture. The European Union countries, led by France and the UK, should play a leading role at this time, in the countdown to the fall conference. We can learn whether Russia is truly serious about its interest in the Palestinian issue and ready to take steps on this front, and not just issue pretty statements.
These states must be clear in their messages on three fundamental topics: Israel, Syria and Iran, and the US. The content of the messages should involve an insistence on implementing the Security Council resolution that adopted the Road Map to establishing a Palestinian state – this insistence should be clear and serious. The time has come for seriousness when it comes to international resolutions on Palestine.
The failure to push seriously for a successful conference in the fall will mean a devastating failure for the conference. This in turn will result in destroying the two-state solution and threatening the Palestinian Authority, headed by Abbas and the government of Salam Fayad. The two represent the most moderate of all Arab leaderships. Their collapse means, practically speaking, the collapse of movement toward Arab moderation. This is because there is no room for grandstanding against them when it comes to moderation or patriotism, or defending the Palestinian interest. If Israel and the US administration believe that Arab moderates are merely a herd that can be led in any direction and exploited, they should be warned once again: Arab moderation won't serve as a safety valve and a line of protection for Israel from Arab and Islamic extremism. This is not the task of these moderates. The task of Arab moderation is to adhere to a peaceful solution, coexistence and normalization, if Israel is serious about ending the occupation, establishing a Palestinian state, and halting the practice of avoiding the requirements of peace. Otherwise, Israel can confront extremism by itself – let it be responsible for wasting the negotiation option, so that it is isolated in confronting the option of armed resistance against it. Israel can opt for this path if the option of peace and negotiation fails. If this is Israel's choice, let it be, since Arab moderates won't act as an excuse for stalling when it comes to peace and negotiations, or resistance and conflict.
The powers-that-be in Israel appear convinced that the Syrian leadership constitutes the best protection for the Jewish state when it comes to the march of armed Arab-Muslim resistance to it across the long Syrian-Israel border. The Israelis believe that messages of "an understanding" between them and the Syrians are clear, whether this involves a truce or a military confrontation. Within Israel and in American circles, there are those who are preparing for a qualitative jump in Israeli-Syrian relations, because of developments in the Syrian-Iranian relationship, to the extent of crossing the red lines in developing rockets and banned weapons, arming Hizbullah, and allowing it to train and arm other militias in Lebanon.
The report by Ban Ki-moon discusses Hizbullah's capabilities, the Syrian and Iranian role in strengthening this capability and the Palestinian and other multi-national militias, while Lebanon has once again noted that it is being prepared to become an arena for proxy wars with Israel, so that wars are kept distant from Syrian and Iranian cities.
However, this time the wager will fail, despite all of the attempts. The failure will be helped by the Damascus Conference and the fall conference, while the greater failure will come at the hands of the Security Council, international resolutions and the report by Ki-moon, who clarified that he supported the state, sovereignty and independence, and not militias and their sponsors, who set up a state-within-a-state. He has shown patience and diplomacy in his discussions with Iran and Syria regarding Lebanon. He is telling anyone concerned, with the utmost diplomacy, determination and insistence, that the situation he faces is clear – supporting the state against militias and defending Palestinian refugees from being exploited by Palestinian militias and their sponsors, whoever they are.
AIG,
I'm interested to hear your opinion about the article also as it indicts Israel of protecting the Syrian regime.
Great piece. I was thinking along these lines for some time now. I disagree with those who called these changes Superficial. This is globalization and consumerism in the making and this is the real drive for western-like economies. The fact that people want more and better goods will change the entire country very soon. I think Syria is lucky in that the same people who lead Socialism are the ones destroyings it it much peacful that way. I continue to wonder what will happen with those communities that used to support socialism will feel/think!!
In the 50s/60s peasants looked with envy/anger at the wealth in the interior and revolted (Baath) but what will they do now that the Baath itself is revitalizing the old system?
Bashamann,
Raghida Dergham is the last person to take her opinion about Syria.
It is like asking an antisemitic person if he wants to convert to Judaism.
You know why she is sad latrelyh? .. she attended the New York luncheon of the Centiry Foundation on Syria … the Jews at the conference advocated making deals with Bahsar and spoke nicely of him.
She kept raising her hand and interrupting "I object! … as a Lebanese Ia m deeply offended".
She is the one who was jumping up and down like a teenager when she read live to LBC viewers the news that Mehlis accused Maher Assad of taking a part in the Hariri murder.
Youssef Hanna said:
They were left for a few hours, for everyone to see, and shiver in fear and horror.
Dangling puppets, with the Aleppo court judgements wrapped around the body.
They were five, aging between 18 and 23.
They were hanged.
Brother Syrians, do not, please do not accept.
Arab dictatorships must be stopped.
The matter is urgent.
There is point of view in Israel that says that a weak and ineffective Asad is better than the Muslim brotherhood. I think this is short term thinking and too realist for my liking. Israel should give democracy a chance in Syria.
My point exactly, isn't a contradiction in your opinion?
Many in Israel, including yourself, are advocating a democratic change in Syria as the price for the Golan, yet the government of Israel seem to be content on keeping the regime in place and at its status quo as to avoid a direct clash with extremists settlers movements and the radical right.
We seem to be in a catch 22. Don't you think?
Israel I think is in a reactive stance here. Israelis are not willing to fight in order to instill democracy in Syria. It is just not a goal we are willing to die for and in any case, it won't happen unless the Syrians are behind it. Therefore, Israel will wait until the regime crumbles or is changed by the Syrians and then make peace. I don't think it is a catch-22 but let's discuss.
Dear Bashmann,
Let me try to shed some light on how many Israeli citizens see this issue – and yep, they do have some contradicting thoughts.
Their romantic / human side, wishes the Syrians to have a free and open democracy – just like in any normal democratic country (like in Europe).
That line of thought sees Syria as a potential peace partner and a potential friendly neighbor.
On the other hand, their practical / cynical way of thinking, wishes that nothing will change in Syria and everything will remain the same as it is now.
They wish the country will remain a weak isolated dictatorship that can't threaten their security strategically.
These contradicting thoughts are often being held by the same people, believe it or not.
It's like a fight between your heart and your mind, if you understand what I mean.
These were five dummies, aging between 18 and 23.
Their bodies were wrapped with rolls of paper, for every citizen to read, and shiver in horror, and fear.
Dangling for hours, in the middle of Aleppo, in the Middle of Ages.
Is there for liberties in Syria a hope? any other means for the regime to face misery and despair than the rope?
Enid Houston said:
Flying out of Beirut after the beginnings of the Bristol group's Reform slate, I remarked to a social anthropologist that if this election did not work then the Swiss Federal Cantonal system was the only way out…she agreed…. This model, vision, for Lebanon is different in the Levant for Syria because of the many small (and large) civil wars fought in Syria since 1918. The US had the horrible Civil War to forge its semi-flexible unity. Lebanon does not want to have to rebuild Beirut and the rest of the country again. Syria has had order if not total internal peace…but the order has survived. Secular and cultural matters should be handled with comity and respect for all people. Why is it that Christians can live in a Sunni or Shia village and "brother Muslims in Lebanon cannot? All this Shia crescent paranoia about Nashralla and the Alawies subverting the Sunni majority is hogwash…for that matter the whole Syria Kurdish population problem can solved be granting those within your borders citizenship. Remember it was they whose statue commemorates the liberation of the Damascus citadel. Civility and order is possible among a cultured civilization as Damascenes, and Damascus owes rural Syria the help it needs from sewage to power…laptops to Wi-max….
THEY HANG PEOPLE, DON'T THEY?
My friend Zenobia … move to Aleppo : )
Ancient Aleppo cuisine tastes of conquest and trade
Wed Oct 24, 2007 11:04am EDT
By Khaled Yacoub Oweis | Reuters
ALEPPO, Syria (Reuters Life!) – Chef Yann Ghazal minces onion, bulgur, lamb and sun-dried chili paste according to an ancient recipe for quince kubbeh, a sweet and sour delicacy influenced by Aleppo's trade with China.
The blend is shaped into an oval and filled with meat, nuts and onions. A sauce of quince pieces, garlic, pomegranate molasses and mint distinguishes the dish from 40 kubbeh varieties still made in homes across one of the oldest inhabited cities on the planet.
"If you mince the raw kubbeh too much you lose the crunchy taste. The meat is young lamb that is grazed on nothing but wild pastures," Ghazal said, while mincing by hand and adding water to the mixture in a clay bowl.
"All ingredients are organic and most are grown around Aleppo. There is good appreciation of taste here," said the 25-year-old chef who trained at the Pourcel Brothers in France before returning to his home city.
With silk road fame and cosmopolitan prosperity, today's Syrian city of Aleppo was the culinary capital of the Middle East before cultural and commercial decline took its toll.
Syria is opening up its economy in the last few years after decades of nationalization and state control and reviving interest in the city's cuisine.
A recipe for quince kubbeh was found documented in an 800-year-old book on Aleppan cooking. The cuisine traces its origins to various invaders who coveted the great city, from Seljuks, Mamluks, Ottomans as well as Armenian and Circassian refugees. Recipes have even come from Africa through Yemen.
Aleppo shares with the Iraqi city of Mosul a specialty for rice kubbeh, which does without the traditional bulgur, a crushed and partially boiled cereal mix. The two cities have ancient family and trading links.
Thousands of Iraqis refugees fled to Aleppo after the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq and a lot of Iraqi dishes are being incorporated into menus at food stalls which dot the streets.
But Abu Nabhan, an Aleppo institution in the Khan al-Wazeer district, still does brisk business only selling grilled or fried liver, called melak mutajan, the same phrase used to describe an overbearing person. A street in Bab Jenin district is dominated by shops selling zatar, a thyme mix.
Unlike a number of Aleppo restaurants, Ghazal does not use copious amounts of fat and has built upon his French training to develop dishes he first learnt from his mother.
Now Ghazal serves ice-cream with mamounieh, the simpler of usually sophisticated Aleppan desserts. Mamounieh is made from water, sugar, ghee butter and semolina. Ghazal has also created a dish of humus mousse cake wrapped in a layer of dried meat as part of a buffet he oversees at Aleppo's Mirage Hotel.
"Chefs in France have started mixing Aleppan and European food and customers like it," Ghazal said.
The young chef was lured back to Syria by Nauman Wannes, a founding member of the Syrian Academy of Gastronomy, which started a few years ago in Aleppo to preserve and develop the city's culinary tradition.
The international Academy of Gastronomy in Paris has awarded Aleppo a cultural gastronomy prize and a delegation from the Istanbul branch lately visited Aleppo, which has dishes similar to ones known in Turkey.
"Aleppo's location has been key. There are also dishes that are not found even just outside city limits," said Wannes, whose upbringing reflects the turbulence, tolerance and cultures that crossed Aleppo and influenced its cuisine.
Wannes' father Najdat studied pharmacy during the Ottoman Empire in Istanbul, where he met his Austrian wife. He returned to Syria and became a leading opponent of the 1920-1946 French occupation but still sent his son to study medicine in France.
Academy member Aida Gorani said Turkey's influence could be mostly seen in Aleppan pastries and vegetarian dishes.
"It's still common to find Aleppans who speak Turkish or have a Turkish aunt or grandparent," said Gorani while sampling an aubergine filled with chickpeas and bulgur.
A lunch organized by the academy showcased salads, appetizers and main courses from daily Aleppan home cuisines that take hours to prepare.
Thyme leafs decorate olive salad, another salad combines pickles and vegetables, parsley omelettes have no milk and served cold, yogurt sauce covers a zucchini (courgette) dish and green peppers are stuffed with frikeh, or roasted green wheat.
"I live between France, Egypt and Lebanon, but this food is unavailable anywhere," said Abboud Ghantous, a Syrian who runs a steel trading conglomerate.
Majd Hinedi, another expatriate businessman who is planning to settle back in the city, said they were still families in Aleppo who guard famous dishes they have been exclusively making for centuries.
"Get a few Aleppans together and the conversation naturally turns toward food," Hinedi said. "In Aleppo, cuisine is the equivalent of art."
Cuba » Blog Archives » "Syria is No Longer Cuba," by Ibrahim Hamidi said:
[…] Advertising billboards, however, are everywhere to be found. … Posted in Cuba | Trackback | del.icio.us | Top OfPage […]
Besides kebbé, thyme leafs, olive salad, parsley omelettes, frikeh, which r indeed five very interesting subjects, do Aleppinos talk of the five corpses that the authorities maintained yesterday on a public place, dangling for a few hours, covered with the text of the Aleppo court judgement?
That's what capitalism is about. The concentration of wealth in the hands of the few. I think you guys are mixing it up with socialism by assuming that capitalism distributes wealth amongst the majority of the population.
IG and AIG,
Thanks for the frank and open thoughts on this. It's a pleasure to discuss politics without hypocrisy.
I totally see where you are coming from, however it does not serve the interests of many Free Syrians or Israelis who believe in those ideals of democracy and freedom.
The government of Syria or the current regime considers the State of Israel its #1 enemy. This gives the regime the perfect excuse to keep in effect the emergency law which was instituted over thirty five years ago and have since been used as we say in Syria like "Othman Shirt", a metaphor for an Islamic historical reference to first major schism in Islam which led to endless wars and divisions amongst Muslims for over 1400 years.
It is understandable that an Israeli citizen feels torn between these contradicting positions on Syria and Golan, however what makes this particularly troubling is the animosity it produces towards Israel from ordinary Syrians who feels to be dealt double jeopardy in their quest for political reforms and a representative government, first by the regime then by its enemy.
In the Middle-East as you mentioned cynicism is second nature to anyone who lived in that part of the world, therefore my argument about catch 22 apply to both sides.
Syria's main problem is the lack of economic growth. Whether its economic system is called socialism, capitalism or social market is not really the issue. The country does not have a growth-oriented platform. Its population is young and growing significantly. The current and expected growth numbers will not be sufficient to absorb such numbers. Relative to our regional neighbors and beyond,
the country has a poor infrastructure and a differential disadvantage when it comes to attracting capital. When capital did decide to come, it has done so because some of the assets were either too cheap or way underdeveloped. The capital investments thus far have been supported by a local sponsor who has guaranteed such investments a monopoly-type profit opportunity. Syrians in the Diaspora have close to $80 billion. The vast majority of them are yet to feel confident enough to start to invest some of their wealth back at home. Some have of course but the numbers have remained paltry. Syria's leadership is yet to make a single major speech on the economy. One day, Bashar says subsidies will never be lifted. Soon thereafter, his chief economic policy maker hints that subsidies are likely to be phased out. Once the reaction turns negative from the public, the idea is quickly dropped.
Maintaining the status quo is Syria's main strategy. Were changes or reforms to be implemented, they are likely to be of the baby steps variety. If one uses a spreadsheet to chart the country's future growth, unemployment and income statistics the news is dire. In another country, a quick surgery will be ordered. In Syria's case, a couple of Advils are likely to be advised in the hope that the pain will somehow disappear and that the inevitable day of will somehow be avoided.
Now to the Ibrahim Hamidi's article:
During my trip to Syria this summer, I did fly from my base in Aleppo to Damascus for an overnight stay. I flew on Syrian Airlines, which was heading to Abu Dhabi with a stopover in Damascus (most internal flights work this way). The fare was Syp 1,100. Given that first class is syp 500 more ($US 10), I decided to indulge myself. There was only one other person in the first class cabin with me (turned out to be an old friend from Aleppo). We shared a taxi together to the Four Seasons hotel where I was staying. Given the fact that I made the reservation the night before, I was told that I would have to pay full fare without discount. My room had a view, which took me back $290 (without breakfast). I will not bore the readers with my trip. The highlight was a trip to the bar of the terrace on top of the Umayyad hotel (Dr. Landis's suggestion). The glass of Vodka was for $8 each. My friend and I ordered a bottle. The cost of my day-trip to Damascus had by then quickly surpassed $500 (thankfully my wife decided not to join me on the trip).
This was the monthly salary of my cousin who was a rising star at one of the local private banks.
If Beirut were the benchmark, my answer would be not at all. From the hotels, to the service, to the restaurants to the nightlife, Beirut is no match to Damascus. Sadly, my dear Aleppo does not even come close. Those who are interested in my thoughts on this city need to wait for a dedicated post.
Ya Ehsani2,
You say "From the hotels, to the service, to the restaurants to the nightlife, Beirut is no match to Damascus." – Didn't you mean it the other way around?
Another thought on Hamidi's article: Beirut/Lebanon is, I think, the wrong yardstick for comparing today's Damascus/Syria with a neighbor. A better one would be Egypt, or even Jordan. A very small elite gets insanely rich while the masses stagnate.
Beirut/Lebanon differs in that it has quite a sizable middle class and thus the distribution of wealth and opportunities is more spread out. Even a poor Lebanese youth can realistically plan to achieve a low-to-middle class career & life. Some even make it higher, but exceptions exist everywhere.
The question for Syria is now, whether it manages to re-create the strong middle class it had until the 1960s or whether it will go down the Egypt/Jordan path.
Dear MSK,
I did mean it the other way around. I do share your thought about the Syrian middle class. Sadly, it is fast dissapearing
Alex.000 said:
You asked an interesting question. In turn I want to ask a related question to Ehsani (who just got a beautiful new exotic car, by the way)
How can a country like Syria choose between the two options? … what would you do to try to recreate the strong middle class?
Is it doable? I am worried that Lebanon's substantial middle class had a cost associated with it … 4 million Lebanese accumulating close to $50 billions of debt.
Were they all living well through borrowing? … if Lebanon did not have that debt … how would you describe their economic condition?
And please forgive me if my question is stupid, you now I got a C+ in economics : )
It is not a stupid question at all. Lebanon has one of the highest per capita inward transfer rates in the world. Lebanese citizens abroad send a significant money home in other words. It is true that Lebanon has a high debt level. So does the U.S. High debt is acceptable if the interest paid on the debt is below the expected return on the investments that this debt in financing.
Syria will do just that with the new t.bills. Government debt will rise. The increased debt may finance increased infrastructure. This may in turn attract new investments that would create jobs. This simple example highlights how increased debt need not be a negative for an emerging economy.
Middle class gets created or destroyed when the economy grows above or below potential. In Syria's case, I would guess that the country has not seen such dynamic since socialism was introduced (yes, i am at it again). With low productivity and a weak income growth relative to inflation, purchasing power and standards of living keep sliding lower.
Syria needs a major export policy. Its infrastructure is not sufficient to attract capital. Its domestic demand is too weak. It must however rely on global demand to fill the void. Labor intensive industries need to be given special tax exempt status to help them compete on exports. The Syrian pound needs to stay competitive. This is the only way forward. Investments in real estate do not create enough jobs. Syria faces a daunting unemployment problem. Only a massive emphasis on exports can help.
Sadly, this is not easy. the labor force is not trained. It has no technological expertise. The education system needs an overhaul. The foreign language skills are shockingly inadequate. Jordan, Egypt and Turkey are years ahead of us in this race. Time is not on our side. We must get into the global economic system. The current road we are on is unsustainable. The health system is crumbling. The education system is antiquated. The corruption is endemic. The public sector is too dominant and unproductive. The subsidies are too expensive and unsustainable. With such a backdrop, it is not surprising to see the collapse of the middle class.
I am aware that most will think that I am being too negative and somewhat of an alarmist. The facts however argue otherwise. By 2030, Syria's population will double. Just think of the consequences.


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text:
Inside the NHL's Finnish invasion, and what comes next
By Emily Kaplan
The NHL held two regular-season games in Helsinki in October as part of its Global Series initiative. Though the NHL has been keen on cultivating its European audience for some time, the timing in Finland could not be better. Finnish interest in the NHL has never been higher. And Finnish players have never been competing at a higher level in the NHL.
"It's a pretty exciting time for Finland, for sure," says 19-year-old Henri Jokiharju, who is logging big minutes with Duncan Keith on the Chicago Blackhawks' top defensive pairing.
"It's always been big back home," says Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, who spent the Finnish leg of the Global Series as one of the main ambassadors, alongside good friend Patrik Laine of the Winnipeg Jets. "But it's getting bigger and bigger. I think just because of the success you are seeing from Finnish players."
Those players that Barkov is referring to? Almost all of them are young and ascending, including Barkov himself, who many NHL players consider the most underrated star player in the league. There were hints of the Finnish renaissance over the past few seasons, but only now is it truly pronounced.
Colorado Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen, 22, is leading the league in points, with 26 in 17 games. Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho, 21, is not far behind with 20 points in 17 games leading into today's game against the Blackhawks (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+). While Laine is off to a slow start, by his standards, the 20-year-old chased Alex Ovechkin for the Rocket Richard Trophy until last season's final days. Kasperi Kapanen (who once was on a Finnish postage stamp after scoring the 2016 World Junior Championship-winning goal) has plugged in well on Toronto's second line in William Nylander's absence. He's just 22. Jokiharu and fellow 19-year-old defenseman Miro Heiskanen of the Dallas Stars (skating 22-plus minutes per game) are deserving of Calder Trophy nominations, though the award for rookie of the year is typically given to a forward.
"We've had a lot of good NHL players, maybe the quality is becoming a little larger now with so many good young players at the same time," says Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen, who skated in 55 NHL games and is now the first European-born general manager in the NHL.
There are a record 43 Finns who have made NHL rosters this season, quite impressive considering it's a country of only 5.5 million. In fact, last season marked the first time there were more Finns in the league than Russians (a country of 144.5 million). Of course, the steady Russian decline is partly because the Russian-based KHL is an attractive alternative for homegrown talent. The Finns would probably prefer to be compared to their natural geographical rival Sweden. With double the population of Finland, Sweden has 77 players in the NHL this season (last season there were a record 98 Swedish players).
"It's a small country, so it's not going to be a genetic advantage [to be] from Finland," Kekalainen says. "There's only so many people, 5.5 million people in the whole country. I think the best athletes do play hockey a lot of time because hockey is the most popular sport, but credit must go to coaching at the youth level, as well as the federation."
More interesting, though, is the type of Finns we're seeing skating in the NHL. Outside of Teemu Selanne and Jari Kurri, there have been few Finnish superstars besides goaltenders, as well as a handful of defensemen. The next most notable Finns are the Koivu brothers (Mikko, the current captain of the Minnesota Wild, and Saku, who last played in 2013-14) though they are known for playing a responsible two-way game.
"Most of the Finns you used to see in the NHL were grinders, or third-line guys," says Sami Hoffren, a Finnish journalist who is based in Toronto and reports on the NHL for the Finnish newspaper, Ilta-Sanomat. "Ten years ago, we had a lot of good players, but they were over 25 years old, close to 30. This is by far the most impressive group yet. And when you look at the kind of players they are, they are young star players that are just coming up."
The impetus for this change, Hoffren explains, was a 2009 summit held by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association. (Sweden held a similar summit in 2002.) The governing body of Finland noticed a stunt in development, so it convened scouts, coaches, former national team players and general managers for a think tank.
Kekalainen, who attended the summit, says nearly every aspect of hockey development was discussed. "We had a good example in Sweden. They had a lot of first-round picks and a lot of top players develop through their system and go into the NHL. We were falling behind, and that was one reason to get concerned. The junior national teams were not having success as they had before, the national team was not getting players from the youth system."
As Barkov explains, the Finns have always had an identity. "Sweden has really good skaters, Russia is known for skill, Finland is known for the team game," Barkov says. "They teach a team game, how to play as a team. They don't teach you to be a superstar. Somebody is really good at passing the puck, somebody is really good at shooting, but they are treated the same."
What came out of the summit? A commitment to identify and nurture individual talent. Or, in other words, they began teaching superstars to flourish. "One of the perks for a small country is that you can make big maneuvers in a small time," Hoffren says. "Players who were born between 1985 and 1992, it was like a black hole of Finnish hockey. We're out of that now."
Explains Kekalainen: "You don't really have to sacrifice the team concept that always made the national team very successful. We always had great goaltending, and we played very hard, disciplined as a team. That basically kept us in every game when we were lacking with a game-breaker type individual. Obviously we had Kurri, Selanne and Koivu, and [Jere] Lehtinen and that type of player, and good defensemen too, like Kimmo Timonen and [Jyrki] Lumme. There's a lot of good players in the history of Finnish hockey in general, but you're probably right, the national team and the under-18 and under-20 level, a lot of times looked like 20 grinding players that were all playing for team success. What we were lacking was that game-breaking type player like Patrik Laine or Barkov or Aho are nowadays."
As for the influx of Finns in the NHL, Hoffren attributes a few factors. Participation has never been higher. The IHF reports 76,000 registered hockey players in Finland for 2017-18, up about 10,000 from six years ago. "Also, the Finnish League isn't really good right now," Hoffren says. "There are young guys and older guys there, but the guys that are playing the best hockey of their career, they are either in the NHL, if they're good enough, or the KHL or playing in Switzerland."
It helps that the perception of European-born players has changed as well. "European players were labeled as soft because the North American style was different," Kekalainen says. "It was maybe a little more aggressive in the old days, intimidation was more part of the game than it is now. I think those things are over now. The European players, as far as the courage and willing to play the physical style is well documented in a lot of players that had great careers. You think of guys like Peter Forsberg; he wasn't only a skill player, he was tough as nails, too."
Finland was always known as the goalie factory, because goalie coaching was ahead of its time. Other countries, including Canada and Russia, have since caught up. However there's still a steady stream of talent in the NHL: The reigning Vezina Trophy winner, Pekka Rinne, is Finnish. But there are young netminders -- such as Nashville Predators teammate, 23-year-old Juuse Saros, and 24-year-old Joonas Korpisalo of the Columbus Blue Jackets -- who many believe are on the verge of breaking out, once given the full-time opportunity.
As for back home in Finland, it's easier than ever to consume the NHL. Barkov remembers growing up that he'd never really watch full games, just highlight shows after school. Now there are channels and streaming options than ever, and the possibility has been floated for more afternoon NHL games to entice European audiences.
"I hope that we don't just have one summit in 2009, and I hope we don't think we should just have it every 20 years," Kekalainen says. "I hope we approach it as a constant process of how can we always get better. I think we need to, as a small nation, always be on the top of the curve as far as being trailblazers and taking advantage of all the new technology and new trends to be ahead of the curve. I don't think we can afford to think, 'things are going great, let's just keep doing what we're doing.' We need to have the frame of mind that we need to keep improving every day."
"I think this is only the beginning," Jokiharju says.
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text:
Heyday's chatbot: Improving CX with conversational AI
What an AI-powered chatbot can bring to the conversation about today's multi-channel customer journey.
Irene Serrano, September 23 2020
Illustration by Marcia Diaz.
Everyone who's shopped online recently has experienced the chatbot pop-up: much like an in-store salesperson, the chatbot opens with a friendly "What can I help you with?" Many customers ignore it and keep browsing, others answer the question – sometimes they even receive the right answer. The similarities between a really great salesperson and a great chatbot come down to knowledge and demeanour. Until recently, the salesperson blew the chatbot out of the water on both counts.
Today the chatbot is not only catching up but rubbing virtual shoulders with sales and service agents to drive customer interaction, sales and satisfaction. In a COVID world shifting away from in-store experiences, new conversational AI technologies such as chatbots and voice assistants can be anywhere at any time, programmed to engage in more natural conversation, and capable of quickly connecting customers to the right service or sales people before they even contemplate dropping out of the chat.
Montreal-based AI company Heyday puts conversational AI into action in the rapidly changing retail sphere, where the customer journey has taken more than a few twists and turns lately. Heyday co-founder and CEO Steve Desjarlais recently outlined how the COVID pandemic has disrupted shopping habits, yet it hasn't changed what customers want in a retail experience, whether it's online or in-store: they want to have their questions answered, get the products or services they actually want, and along the way be treated as an individual.
"Shopping online isn't just about convenience anymore. It's evolved into something much bigger," writes Desjarlais. In this case, something bigger really can be better, with more personalization throughout the customer journey, from customized search results to chatbots with the right answers and the ability to know when to transfer a customer to a human agent. The new normal has seen some brands rocket their digital strategies, cramming 10 years of evolution into a few months. It's serendipitous that a boom in AI technology is happening at the same time, allowing companies who integrate AI tools into their CX to rapidly adapt to trends and grow.
Changing channels and the conversation
As a conversational AI platform, Heyday lets people communicate with websites, apps and devices simply by writing or talking as they naturally would. The difference with Heyday is its focus on not only recognizing human language and automating common interactions with ease, but definitively understanding what customers want, wherever they are in the CX journey.
"Heyday's AI layer is on the front end of a brand's website, there to discern the customer's intent," says Brad Wing, VP Strategy and Partnerships at Heyday. "That's a really important position because 50-70% of questions can be the same, whether they sell bolts or watches or energy drinks: where's my order, what's going on with my refund, is the store open."
The chatbot can meet customers where they are or where they prefer to be, physically or digitally, and can help serve them what they want or need based on past experiences, comparative audiences or the mining of deep data.
"Looking at common customer chat data, that boils down to about 150 individual questions, each of them having thousands of variations in multiple languages. A Heyday chatbot is able to handle up to 80% of FAQs coming in for customer service, and the remaining 20%, we escalate to the right team," says Wing. "The chatbot can meet customers where they are or where they prefer to be, physically or digitally, and can help serve them what they want or need based on past experiences, comparative audiences or the mining of deep data. In terms of CX, that means customers can decide how they want to talk to the brand – whether over messaging, email, SMS on their phone, it's up to them."
For brands who want to more personally engage with customers, Heyday's ecommerce and CRM integrations with Shopify, Lightspeed, Magento and Salesforce make it an attractive solution for both engagement at scale and monetization of customer service. The added bonus of Heyday's AI layer is data captured from chats that can be brought into a company's data strategy for understanding customer behaviour, boosting sales and maintaining meaningful customer relationships.
Coming from heavyweights in ecommerce (Lightspeed) and the video game industry (Ubisoft), the founders of Montreal-based AI company Heyday decided to build a better chatbot: they combined the sticky experience of a best-selling game with the latest in personalized CX. Heyday's early pivot from the banking sphere to retail tapped into forward-thinking technological and consumer trends, solidifying the company's vision for elevated, customized CX at scale.
"On the technology side, we saw more APIs become available and companies like Google released AI libraries that could be built on by other companies. At the same time, we saw a rise in consumers moving their conversations to communications tools like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, WeChat and other messaging channels," says Wing.
"Heyday is the bridge between the ecommerce technology and the customer's voice," he explains. The channel from Heyday's perspective could be Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Apple Business Chat, Google's Business Messages or any text conversation channel that connects a company with its customers, helping brands have a conversation with their customers in the way that their customers want to communicate, rather than directing them into a phone call or an email.
AI for the people
Available as a self-serve app from the Shopify marketplace, the "mini version" of Heyday takes just 60 seconds to set up. Suddenly an artisan can have an AI chatbot on their storefront. What was almost unimaginable a year ago – a generic consumer-level AI chat tool – is now being used by hundreds of small businesses across the globe.
Recently, Heyday has leapt headfirst into democratization of its AI platform. While many companies want to take advantage of the platform's power for customization and CRM integration, small companies and solo entrepreneurs now have access to Heyday through Shopify. Available as a self-serve app from the Shopify marketplace, the "mini version" of Heyday takes just 60 seconds to set up. Suddenly an artisan can have an AI chatbot on their storefront. What was almost unimaginable a year ago – a generic consumer-level AI chat tool – is now being used by hundreds of small businesses across the globe.
Meanwhile, the decidedly bespoke side of Heyday is giving medium to large companies like sporting goods retailer Decathlon and Make Up For Ever more flexibility in CX. These brands can integrate the AI chat technology to engage with customers across the channels they use most, from Facebook Messenger to Google Maps messages to WhatsApp.
"Our conversational platform sits in the middle of all this, collecting the information from those channels," says Christine Dupuis, VP Product and Growth at Heyday. "The AI recognizes patterns and intents across each channel. For instance, users from certain demographics prefer Facebook, while Google Maps and Search inquiries are more often about store location or hours. Whatever they are about, whatever customers need, wherever they are, a brand can be there and be ready to answer." With its attention to accurate automation, the AI conversational platform can answer up to 80% of support questions and direct the remaining 20% to a human agent.
"Because we have AI, we can provide open text Q&A for customers, letting people write whatever they want in the chat box," says Dupuis. "Through a customer's own words, we can see what their issue is, what they're looking for and follow their journey. Brands don't have to watch customers go down a predetermined path and wonder why they don't want to follow it and drop out. We know that the customer journey is not as linear as it once was, so leaving it open – saying 'You be you' to customers and assuring them that the chatbot will figure out what they need – gives brands the opportunity to capture truly useful data that can be used to create a better customer journey."
From conversation to increased sales
The line between customer service and sales blurs when an AI chatbot enters the CX space. Usually the employees managing a brand's website and chat are support personnel rather than an expert in products or services. Conversational AI can be both. "Heyday's platform makes that expertise available through a chat. It's not meant to feel like a ticketing system of support, it's meant to feel like talking to a person in the store," says Dupuis.
Today every connection, every touchpoint is so important that you can't let your customer service person only handle customer service problems.
High-growth ecommerce companies are harnessing this advantage and seeing close to a 50-50 split between customer service questions and sales questions in their customer-focused chat platforms. "Today every connection, every touchpoint is so important that you can't let your customer service person only handle customer service problems," remarks Wing. "For retail especially, it's becoming a hybrid touchpoint: the agent can talk about sending a shipping label with a customer but also delve into why they need to return an item, for instance. Find the answer to that, you can save a sale."
With a brand's catalogue integrated into the backend of the AI platform and a conversational design team crafting a chat experience that feels authentic and engaging, more customers than ever are also using the chatbot as a search tool to find the products they want – and more beyond that.
"Though the way people shop has changed, especially with COVID, we're still focusing on creating a pleasant, natural, positive experience," says Dupuis. "Some of our retail clients now offer appointments to customers who prefer to shop in-store, so Heyday is adding appointment scheduling to the chat. In response to increased demand in the luxury market and from other big-ticket brands, we've started to add video calls to the chat, letting sales people and stylists easily show items to their customers before buying. In the future, as brands continue their journey to hyper-personalized experiences, our platform will increase its ability to push personalized product recommendations based both on the users intent and increasingly their context and history."
One of Heyday's newest features is also one of AI technology's strengths when it comes to deriving actionable insights from massive amounts of data: the chatbot can detect sentiment in customers' written text. "Most retailers see the advantage of still having a conversation, of having empathy with a customer in that space," says Wing. "An AI conversation platform gives brands another avenue to get that message across and say 'we hear you, we're going to make every effort to listen to you and give you options you need'."
"In a website chat box, we're reproducing the experience that customers would have if they went into a store and spoke with somebody there," says Dupuis, clarifying that though chat can't be a complete duplicate of the in-person experience, of course, Heyday's chat solution gets customers the answers they actually need, then and there, wherever in the digital world customers may be.
– written with files from Keatext contributor Robyn Fadden
Ready to improve your CX with AI?
Irene Serrano
Keatext Director of Marketing and Communications, Irene believes AI technologies are the only possible solution to the current internet mess. Listening to its users, the first stepping stone.
Related Topics: AI, chatbots
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Cynthia Richie case; The next date will decide the case, the court – Express Urdu
<img src="https://c.express.pk/2020/09/2079743-cynthiadritchie-1599888749-639-640×480.jpg" alt="
The case is to be determined in three weeks as per the instructions of the High Court. Court: Photo: File "width =" 533 "height =" 400 "/>
The case is to be determined in three weeks as per the instructions of the High Court. Court: Photo: File
Islamabad: In the case of American blogger Cynthia Richie, the courtroom remarked that there might be remaining arguments at a later date and can determine the case.
Additional Sessions Judge Ata Rabbani heard American blogger Cynthia Richie's request to file a rape case towards Rehman Malik. During the listening to, Assistant Advocate Rehman Malik stated that he has approached the Supreme Court towards the order of the High Court. He has additionally requested the High Court to remain the courtroom proceedings. The order of the courts needs to be awaited on each the petitions.
The courtroom remarked that as per the instructions of the High Court, the case must be determined inside three weeks, there might be remaining arguments on the following date and the case might be determined. Approving Rehman Malik's request for adjournment of the Assistant Counsel, the listening to was adjourned until September 21.
Additional Sessions Judge Faizan Haider Gilani, then again, heard Cynthia Richie's accusation of adultery. Even as we speak, there have been no arguments on the plea of acquittal from the case. Complainant's counsel granted a plea for arguments towards the acquittal, whereas Rehman Malik's counsel was directed to current arguments on the acquittal on the subsequent listening to.
The Sessions Court had on August 5 rejected the petition to file a case towards Rehman Malik, whereas the Islamabad High Court had quashed the judgment and ordered a call on the petition inside three weeks.
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text:
Q: grant all privileges to an user in Oracle 12c In Ora11g I used to grant all privileges to a user as follows.
create user xx identified by psw;
grant create session, grant any privilege to xx;
grant all privileges to xx;

But in Ora 12c when I execute grant privileges, I'm getting the below ERROR.

Error starting at line : 2 in command - grant create session, grant
  any privilege to xx Error report - ORA-00604: error occurred at
  recursive SQL level 1 ORA-20997: "GRANT ANY PRIVILEGE" grants not
  allowed ORA-06512: at "RDSADMIN.RDSADMIN", line 79 ORA-06512: at line
  2
  00604. 00000 -  "error occurred at recursive SQL level %s"
  *Cause:    An error occurred while processing a recursive SQL statement
             (a statement applying to internal dictionary tables).
  *Action:   If the situation described in the next error on the stack
             can be corrected, do so; otherwise contact Oracle Support.

I have tried the answer suggested in 1 and it does not seems work.
1. Regarding Users in Oracle 12c
It is getting the below ERROR.

GRANT All PRIVILEGE TO name Error report - ORA-00922: missing or
  invalid option
  00922. 00000 -  "missing or invalid option"
  *Cause:
  *Action

Your help on "grant all privileges to a user in ora12c this is much appreciated.
Thanks!

A: Yes. I was able to grant privileges with a namespace.
Create user xx identified by psw account unlock;
grant connect to xx;
grant create session, create table, create sequence, create trigger to
xx;
alter user xx quota 5M on USERS;
commit;

if you need to give unlimited quota, you use this.
ALTER USER xx quota unlimited on USERS;
commit;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Congratulations to Dunmow Club's Stuart Turner who knocked in a superb 106 break in the Three Player Division against Stansted Social Club on Monday 29 January 2018. This now sets the new benchmark, with 10 playing weeks left can it be beaten?
In the Four Player Division, the high break is currently Rob Spackman's 48.
The group is to be used for SWDSL snooker matters only. Also please do not use offensive language or use it as a tool to antagonise other members otherwise you will be removed from it. Too many messages over a short time frame tends to cause members to exit the group so please keep any conversations to a minimum or take them off the group.
We also have a regular email which is sent out to all those on our email distribution list on a Sunday at midday. The email is automatically generated from our website as and when new posts and information are added. If you would like your email address to be included then please click here to sign up. If you think that you have already signed up and should be receiving our regular emails but they don't come through to your Inbox please check your Junk/Spam folder. You may also need to add our email address, swdsl@live.co.uk to your Safe Senders or Contacts. Any issues with this please contact Peter Saville.
We also have a SWDSL Facebook Group and are on Twitter @swdsl. All information is shared between the various forms of social media to help everyone keep in touch with the latest news, events and results. With all these various forms of social media it is frustrating for the Committee to still hear some league members say 'I didn't know about that tournament' or 'I didn't know when the AGM was'…..sign up, follow, like, add and stay in touch with what is happening in your snooker league.
The drawsheets for the Last 32 Round of the Handicap Singles and the Handicap Doubles are now on the league website. Please note that all matches are to be arranged by 14 November 2017 and played by 28 November 2017.
Tournament Entry Fees – Handicap Singles / Scratch Singles / Scratch Plus Singles : £2.00 per player / Handicap Doubles : £4.00 per pair. These fees will be added to your team's league fees invoice.
Deadline for receipt of entries is Sunday 24 September 2017.
On the night of the match, the Home Team Captain is responsible for notifying the league of the match result. We request that a clear and legible photo of the Match Card be posted to the SWDSL League Results/Info WhatsApp Group. If a Captain doesn't use WhatsApp then anyone involved in the match can post the result on the Captain's behalf. Any league member can join the group and if you are not currently a member please contact Trevor Parsons or request via email to swdsl@live.co.uk and we will add you to it. We request that all conversations are kept to the posting of results and general league information etc. and that all language is kept appropriate otherwise you will be removed from the group.
If no-one present at the match uses WhatsApp then we request that the Match Card is scanned and emailed to swdsl@live.co.uk.
We no longer require Match Cards to be put in the post but request that all Clubs and Captains retain the Match Cards safely until the end of the season in case of any queries.
Should you have any queries regarding the above then please do not hesitate to contact the Fixtures / Results Secretary Trevor Parsons.


DESCRIPTION: The topic for this photo contest is COSTUME / COSPLAY. October is the time where we all hunt for the perfect costume to wear, so it's the perfect time to have this type of contest. Submit your photo of anyone in a costume/cosplay (including yourself) and may the best photo win!
I love the good mood of this lady in costume in Savoie !!!


The work described in this report is part of PPC-VM project (Portable Parallel Computing based on Virtual Machines). The PPC-VM project aims to build an environment to support the development and execution of parallel applications that efficiently execute on a wide range of computing platforms, based on virtual machines. This work contributes to PPC-VM project with a parallel computing environment, which aims to simplify the implementation of parallel applications and to test the paradigms/methodologies developed within the PPC-VM project. The parallel computing environment uses the Java programming language and it provides two components: a skeleton catalog implemented as an abstract class library and an au- tomatic object distribution platform, based on source code generation. The former helps programmers creating parallel applications, while the latter transparently distributes objects in a parallel distributed environment.


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Israeli attacks News Report Palestine
Palestinian internal clashes claim seven lives; Presidential compound burned by arson
Following the visit of the Palestinian President to the United States
in which he was pressured to prevent a unity government, national unity
talks between Palestinian parties have broken down, and the tension has
turned into violence on the streets in both Gaza and Ramallah.
The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahranoth quoted a senior Palestinian source as saying "pressure applied by the United States on (President) Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) is preventing the establishment of a unity government in the Palestinian Authority."
And Sunday evening in an interview with Al-Jazeera television, Abbas said, "I am the President, I have the right to dissolve the government and call for new elections right now, if I chose to. But I would prefer that we find another solution".
Abbas' uncompromising position on the national unity government, buttressed by his visits to the U.S. and talks with the Israeli Prime Minister, have increased tension between his party, Fatah, and the rival Hamas party, which was put in charge of the Palestinian government in January after winning the legislative elections.
Hamas has been prevented from forming their government, however, due to an Israeli/U.S. economic blockade, the detention of one-third of their government officials by Israel, and the ongoing violence of the Israeli military which occupies and rules over all of Palestine.
The Hamas government recently formed an 'Executive Force' of security patrols in Gaza, and it is apparently this force that has clashed with the Security Forces loyal to Abbas and the Fatah party Sunday, resulting in seven deaths and at least fifty injured.
And in Ramallah, large protests broke out in the city center Sunday afternoon, and a group of youth apparently set fire to the Presidential compound, angered by Abbas' uncompromising stance toward the peoples' democratic choice of the Hamas party.
Hamas is known as a 'terrorist' group by Israel and the U.S. for their participation in attacks on Israeli civilians. Since February 2005, however, Hamas has adhered to a ceasefire with Israel, despite hundreds of Israeli violations of the ceasefire that have resulted in more than 500 Palestinians killed since last year (in the same time period, one Israeli has been killed by Hamas-connected resistance fighters).
Things Go Better With Rights
Hamas and Fatah agree to end clashes in West Bank and Gaza
Israeli attacks News Report Ramallah West Bank
Israeli Soldiers Shoot A Palestinian Near Ramallah
Israeli attacks Jenin News Report West Bank
Soldiers Abduct A Palestinian, Detain Four, Near Jenin