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Mind the gap...
'Point of return' will be taking a break. Posting will resume in September.
Posted by bataween at Monday, August 14, 2006 1 comment:
Most Iranian youth disapprove of regime
With the conflict between Iranian-backed Hezbollah and Israel, a local Californian newspaper asks some of the 50,000 Iranian Jews now settled in the state their views on the Iranian regime. (With thanks: Albert)
"I am not torn," said Farzaneh, a 44-year-old Encino mother of three who asked that her last name not be used because she fears retribution against her family in Iran.
"There is a definite distinction between Israel and Iran. I feel connected to Iran culturally. That is where I was born and picked up good, rich, ancient culture. But what Iran's regime has been doing for the last 20 years, I have nothing to identify with."
For half of the 20th century, Iran was a hospitable place for Jews. They had been there for 2,700 years, longer than Jews had remained in any one country.
After Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi came to power in 1941, Jews began to prosper. He gave them their best treatment since the 5th century B.C., when ruler Cyrus the Great freed Jews from captivity in Babylon and allowed them to return to Israel.
But then came the Islamic revolution. The shah was deposed in 1979, and an estimated 70,000 Jews left.
Still, almost 30 years after the revolution, Iranian-American Jews temper what they say about Iran, lest more caustic words cause retaliation against the 20,000 Jews remaining in Iran.
And in the past year tensions have escalated even further as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for Israel to be "wiped off the map." He claimed the Holocaust did not occur. And he said the road to peace begins with the obliteration of Israel.
However, scholars see a cause for optimism in Iran.
"The overwhelming majority of youths disapprove of this regime," said Eliz Sanasarian, a University of Southern California political science professor and author of "Religious Minorities in Iran."
"You cannot have this kind of a regime going for another 10 years with this group of young people growing up."
'A good Muslim must be a Zionist ' - The Koran
David Yeagley's piece about the Koran's Zionism was prompted by what he felt was an ignorant and naive interview of Iranian President Ahmadinejad by Mike Wallace of the US TV programme Sixty minutes. (With thanks: Albert)
"The Qur'an doesn't condemn the state of Israel. Why do Muslims become hysterically murderous over it? Yes, the Qur'an sanctions and encourages aversion towards Jews and Christians, but there is no specific injunction of hate toward a nation of Israel. Did the prophet's vision fail to reach modern times? "
"Mike Wallace recently procured with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Wallace gave opportunity for Ahmadinejad to profess a fair and equitable disposition toward the Jews. Why, Iran has no problem with Jews. Look at the large and ancient Jewish population of Iran. Look at the number of Iranian parliamentary seats held by Jews (one, actually - ed).
"It is only the state of Israel that Ahmadinejad condemns. He asks why the Jews insist on a state in the midst of "our Arab homeland." Why can't the Jews have their state in Europe, in Germany, or in the United States?
"Ahmadinejad doesn't want to destroy Jews. He simply doesn't want a state of Jews in the middle of the "Arab homeland."
"This is error on all sides. First of all, the Wallace interview offers a pretentiously naïve view of Iran, Islam, and Ahmadinejad. It intentionally presents a fabricated "good" side, and Wallace insisted on the wonderful humanness of Ahmadinejad. The Iranian madman was cordial, warm, and very rational.
"Secondly, if Wallace is so ignorant of Iranians not to know they are the most charming, magical people in the world, then he shouldn't have gone to Tehran for an interview. He was a dupe from the outset.
"Thirdly, Wallace is so historically ignorant as to accept the false notion that Palestine is Arab homeland, or not to notice that Ahmadinejad identified himself with the Arabs when he is the Persian president of modern Persia (Iran), then Wallace should never have undertaken a conversation.
"Finally, if Wallace is uninformed of the actual teaching of the Qur'an, and the fact that it does not condemn any state of Israel, then he should have consulted with someone before prostrating so pretentiously before the great and mighty Oz of Iran.
"All the Qur'an does say about Jews in Palestine is simply a recount of their original entry into Canaan. "O my people! Enter the holy land which God has assigned unto you" (5:22). "We settled the Children of Israel in a beautiful dwelling place, and provided for them sustenance of the best" (10:93), and "Dwell securely in the land of promise" (17:104). (...)
If the prophet did not condemn Israel for being in Palestine the first time, why do the mullahs get hysterical about the Jews there now?
In 1999, when I visited Astan Quds Razavi University (a Shi'ite theological seminary in Masshad), Professor Khazee Ali pushed the same line. "We have no objection to Jews in Palestine. It is the ruling state of Israel that is unjust and immoral." Fine. Just don't say that's what the Qur'an teaches.
Islamic Professor Abdul Hadi Palazzi is quoted in the July 2, 2001, Washington Times: "A good Muslims must be a Zionist." "Classical Islamic sources do not support the so-called 'Islamic anti-Zionism' preached by radical groups." "The idea of making Islam a factor that prevents Arabs from recognizing any sovereign right of Jews over Palestine is an artificial apparatus that has no precedent in Islamic classical sources." Sheik Palazzi is director of the Cultural Institute of the Italian Islamic Community.
So, Muslims have a choice about what to believe, after all.
On the other hand, the Qur'an leaves the door wide open for the most base anti-Semitism—and hatred of anyone who isn't a Muslim. But that's another column.
Posted by bataween at Monday, August 14, 2006 No comments:
Iranian Jews feel dutybound to support Israel
An emotional evening (featuring an address by Karnit Goldwasser, wife of one of the kidnapped Israeli soldiers) capped weeks of urgent fundraising on behalf of Israel by the 30,000 strong Iranian Jews living in Southern California and 15,000 Iranian Jews living in New York, the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles reports. (With thanks: Albert)
"The giving has special meaning for Jews who not long ago enjoyed the umbrella of protection Israel offered them while living in Iran. Now, they feel a sense of duty to support Israel at a time when it is being threatened by Iran.
"We are the children of parents who were born and raised in Iran's ghettos during the Holocaust and the subsequent birth of the state of Israel," said Sam Kermanian, secretary general of the IAJF, which is based in Los Angeles. "I think we have a keen understanding of the fact that when the chips fall, the only guarantee against another Holocaust is a strong state of Israel."
"Kermanian said Iranian Jews in Southern California and New York have been quick to stand behind Israel as many frequently do business in Israel and also have family ties with the 200,000 Jews of Iranian decent living there.
"Besides the donations pledged for Israel Monday night, younger Iranian Jews collaborating with the IAJF also raised roughly $170,000."
Posted by bataween at Saturday, August 12, 2006
Labels: Iranian Jews in US
Charismatic rabbi who fought Iranian antisemitism
Persianrabbi profiles the late Rabbi Uriel Davidi of Tehran, who died in Israel last December. Throughout his youth in the village of Consair, the decades he served as rabbi in Tehran, and even during his final years in Jerusalem, Rabbi Uriel Davidi devoted his every moment and considerable talents to furthering the physical and spiritual well-being of his fellow Iranian Jews. (With thanks: Albert)
"Until the fall of the last Shah of Iran, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, the Jews of Iran lived like citizens of any Western country. But beginning on the winter day in 1979 when the Shah ran for his life, and the Ayatollah Khomeini returned from France to take over the reins of the country, life changed for the Jews.
"The new government expropriated many industries and properties. Extreme fundamentalist practices of Islam became law in all areas of religion and culture; all opposition was squelched. The Jews of Iran, who had grown accustomed to a westernized lifestyle, realized that while Khomeini might allow them freedom of religion, their lives were now bound by strict limits. Their footsteps were dogged; they were forbidden from emigrating, not to mention moving to Israel. Those who applied to the immigration authorities for passports were turned down outright, or instructed to fill out mountains of paperwork. For all intents and purposes, the Jews were hostages in their own country, held against their will, and all had to pledge their loyalty to the new establishment.
"Very quickly, the tzaddik Rabbi Uriel Davidi comprehended the new and confusing reality. The relatively good times under the Shah had come to an end. Now they had to submit to the whims of the fundamentalist government. Bar-Osher is sure that Rabbi Davidi was able to sense the oncoming revolution, but he didn't think of himself. Instead, he expended all his efforts on getting Jews out of the country. It was Rabbi Davidi who enabled the Iranian Jews to deal with the new reality and with the new government. (...)
Life in Tehran presented Rabbi Davidi with endless dilemmas of this sort: what to do, what to say, when to say it, when to remain silent. As local rabbi, he had to deliver the community's birthday wishes and New Year's wishes to Khomeini. "At those two events we used to watch how he entered the lions' den," Rabbi Kahanian recounts. "He had an amazing ability to say suitable words of Torah which would find a listening ear in our enemy. He also appeared on Iranian television, alongside the Iranian ruler. Of course, the television's mainstay was fundamentalist-religious propaganda. He often visited the Majlis, the Parliament, and delivered Torah-based lectures that entranced all the Parliament members and ministers." Rachamim Yaakovian remembers the profundity of Rabbi Davidi's words. "The Muslims would be openmouthed. How was it that the Jewish chacham was so learned and well versed in their own issues? We often heard them praising our chacham."
"Menashe Amir, an Israel Radio commentator and expert on Iranian Jewry, feels that Rabbi Davidi's effectiveness in this area stemmed from his familiarity with Islam, which enabled him to present Jewish ideals in terms familiar to Muslims, and allow them to gain an understanding of the essence of Judaism. "In this way, he made a tremendous contribution to the battle against anti-Semitism and against the negative image of Judaism that the extremist Iranian clerics presented. His lectures in the synagogues were formulated with Muslim listeners in mind, as well, because top government officials would visit the synagogue on Jewish festivals to bless the community."
"Amir relates that when the Tehran community tried to open a kosher slaughterhouse, extremist Muslims opposed the idea. "There were some Muslims who viewed Jews as 'impure' and opposed the establishment of such a slaughterhouse near their own slaughterhouse," he explains. "Rabbi Davidi discussed the matter with the authorities, and delivered a typically charismatic speech. Once again, he facilitated an understanding between the Jewish organization and the establishment, and the slaughterhouse was approved."
(...) "Rabbi Davidi did everything he could on behalf of his flock, helping those who were entangled in difficulties with the government to "escape the hangman's noose," as his students repeatedly phrased it. He expended every effort to help Jews who were caught attempting to escape. These activities required a very fine balance and great diplomacy, in order to avoid conflicts between the government, with whom he maintained warm ties, and his flock, some of whom hoped to leave the country."
Posted by bataween at Saturday, August 12, 2006 1 comment:
Jews were sheltered by Shi'a in 1920s
Relations between Jews in Palestine and the Shi'as of south Lebanon were excellent, so much so that Jews fleeing Arab attacks in the 1920s were even given shelter by them. Fascinating article from Haaretz.
. "In February, 1920, one week before the attack on Tel Hai in which early Zionist activist Joseph Trumpeldor and his comrades were killed, 120 farmers and their families left the moshava agricultural community in Metula to seek shelter in neighboring villages. The Galilee panhandle was delivered to the French Mandate (which controlled all of Lebanon and Syria) at the end of World War I. Arabs and Druze fought the French regime, and Jews were sometimes suspected of collaboration with the French. Only three years later, the panhandle became part of the British Mandate.
Meir Ben Dov, 70, an archaeologist and third-generation resident of Metula, is piecing together a book about the moshava and writing down the legendary tales of the evacuation of the farming community. His grandfather and grandmother, members of the celebrated Lishansky family, with other farm families, found a safe haven in the khan (caravansary) in Nabatiya, which then, as now, was the capital of mountainous South Lebanon and mainly inhabited by Lebanese Shi'ites (called mtewleh at the time).
Kfar Giladi residents also left their settlement during those volatile days and found shelter with Shi'ite leader Sheikh Kamal Assad Bek in the village of Taybeh.
Why did escaping Jews choose to seek asylum in these particular settlements? Ben Dov says that Jewish farmers enjoyed far better relations with their Shi'ite neighbors than with any other ethnic group in the region.
The ethno-religious mosaic on the slopes of the Hermon and surrounding mountains was highly varied in those days. There were Druze, left behind when most of their brethren abandoned the region for the East following bloody battles between Druze and Christians in 1860; Bedouin who sold dairy products to families in Metula; Maronite Christians, Catholics, and Greek Orthodox. One of them, a doctor in Marjayoun, treated Ben Dov's grandmother with leeches.
There were Alawites, like Bashar Assad, who became the military elite that controls Syria. Still living in the village of Ghajar, east of Metula, the Alawites were considered unsophisticated rubes because, in addition to other practices, they banged on pots during eclipses of the moon to repel the demon attempting to devour it. The clamor was heard all the way to Metula.
There were Circassian, Kurd, Moughrabi, and Turkmen villages in the Golan and, of course, Sunni Muslims in the eastern town of Rashaya al-Foukhar. Residents of "Rashaya" made ceramic utensils and sold them throughout the region. Nawar, Muslim gypsies, forged iron, sharpened knives, made horseshoes and lined bronze cooking pots with zinc to prevent poisoning.
Ben Dov says that, in many cases, central regimes intentionally settled minority groups in the area because of its strategic location as a point of passage between the coastal plain and interior regions and because minority groups are typically loyal to the government. They tend to fight among themselves but often turn to reigning governments to settle scores between them. This may be why, during the latter years of the Ottoman Empire, rulers allowed Jews, including the farmers in Metula, to settle in the region. There were so many minorities in the area, there might as well be another.
When the Metula farmers returned from exile to the moshava in 1920, they discovered that their Arab neighbors did not loot the farms and did nearly no damage to them. Relations with the neighboring Shi'ite village of Kila were especially warm.
Posted by bataween at Thursday, August 10, 2006 2 comments:
Labels: Jews of Lebanon
Anti-Jewish laws and practices in Arab countries
Justice for Jews from Arab Countries, which is leading the November international campaign to raise awareness of the Jewish refugees from Arab countries across 40 countries, has produced a useful chart showing anti-Jewish laws and practices in Arab countries after 1948. The chart covers the following countries: Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen/Aden.
Stripping Jews of citizenship: this happened in all countries except Lebanon and Tunisia.
Arrests and detentions: all countries except Lebanon and Tunisia.
Riots/pogroms: all countries without exception.
Islamic religious restrictions: these were in force in Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Yemen.
Zionism a crime: laws were introduced branding Zionism a crime in Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco and Syria.
Freedom of movement curtailed: Jews were restricted in Iraq, Libya, Morocco, Syria and Yemen.
Loss of work and employment discrimination: Jews were dismissed and/or banned from certain careers (eg government service) in Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria and Yemen.
Freezing of assets: all countries except Morocco.
Confiscation of property: all countries except Morocco.
Posted by bataween at Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Iranian Jews in US still love Iran
There is no doubt that Iranian Jews in the US overwhelmingly support Israel's fight against Hezbollah, but they still have affection for the country of Iran. (With thanks: Albert)
"The first Iranian Jews in Great Neck arrived several decades ago, community leaders said, but the influx grew dramatically after the 1979 Iranian revolution brought to power an Islamic regime. Except for the occasional Persian-language store sign, though, there are few signs of the Iranian Jewish presence in Great Neck.
"The Iranian Jews in town are very affluent and tight-knit - some say insular - with their own synagogues and organizations.
"Parents try to transmit their ethnic as well as religious traditions to children, even if it is just through Persian cooking or music. It is not unusual to see Iranian Jews in a rally supporting Israel, which is home to some 200,000 Jews of Iranian descent. At the same time, they may root for Iran in the World Cup.
"We're Jews, but we're Iranian," said Houman Sarshar, a scholar who has written extensively about the community. "Everybody wants their children to speak Persian. Everybody's always reminding each other that they're Iranian. They want their children to marry Iranian Jews."
"Iranian American Jews often note that before 1979, Jews lived relatively freely in Iran and the country had good relations with Israel. They point to 2,700 years of Jewish presence in the Persian land, predating Islam. They also note that at least 25,000 Jews still live in Iran, and that as a religious group, they are technically protected by the country's constitution.
"The position we take is that we support what the majority of the Iranian people want for that country, which in essence translates into the ability of the majority to speak their mind - a democracy," said Sam Kermanian, secretary general of the Los Angeles-based Iranian American Jewish Federation, which also has a New York counterpart.
"Raymond Iryami, a lawyer from Great Neck who serves on the board of the New York federation, said that although Iranian Jews keep both Israel and Iran at the forefront of their identities, the younger generation in particular considers itself very much American, taking an active role in professional and political circles.
"Iranian Jews in the U.S. tend to approach the pro-Israeli cause more quietly than other groups, keeping in mind the safety of the Jews in Iran. The money raised goes to Israel for humanitarian purposes, community leaders said. In the past, when Iran has suffered from earthquakes, the community also raised money to help people there.
"Nahid Rahimian, 36, left Iran almost four years ago and is now in Great Neck. She said the Jewish community in Iran is allowed to worship freely, "but you could only go so far."
"She dreams constantly about Iran but is getting used to life in America. For her, that includes helping Omidvar prepare Payam for his 1,000-plus subscribers. And it means wondering when the latest Middle East crisis will end.
"At the end of the day, everyone just wants peace, she said.
"What if the battle escalates, transforming itself from Israel versus Hezbollah to Israel versus Iran?
"Some Iranian Jews refuse to entertain the hypothetical, saying it is too far-fetched. Others, apparently having heard this question before, pose one in return: "How can one choose between their mother and their father?"
Posted by bataween at Tuesday, August 08, 2006 No comments:
'The Jews are our dogs' makes a comeback
Joseph Abdel Wahed argues that as long as Arabs are taught to despise and dehumanise Jews, there is no hope for them - or for us.
A man brazenly shoots his way into the Jewish Federation of Seattle, kills a woman and wounds four others, three critically. As he opens fire, the alleged assailant shouts: "I am a Muslim and I'm angry at Israel", as if to indicate that his religious affiliation gives him permission to kill Jews.
In a second incident, Mel Gibson, a Hollywood director and actor, is arrested in Malibu, on suspicion of drunk driving. He allegedly, screams at the officer: "The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world", not realizing that nearly all to-day's wars are Islamic wars. He also tells his arresting officer: "Are you Jewish?"
In the third incident, Palestinians, in the streets of San Francisco, chanted proudly in Arabic and without fear of being detected: "The Jews are our dogs".
The common denominator in all three incidents is hate, racism, intolerance and bigotry. While Jew hating is not a new phenomena, it has recently become the insult de rigueur in many parts of our society. As a human being, I deplore all forms of hate, the third incident has a special meaning to me as the following paragraphs will clearly show.
The incident happened when I was at the anti-Israel demonstration in front of the Israeli consulate in San Francisco on Thursday, July 12 organized by a Palestinian group called Al Awda. The demonstration was loud, boisterous and passionate. Suddenly, shockingly, demonstrators began chanting in Arabic, Al Yahud Kelabna, the Jews are our dogs.
My first reaction to the Palestinian chanting was one of disbelief, then I felt a mixture of fear, anger and heavy-heartedness. Terrible memories cascaded before me taking me back to when I was a young boy, growing up in Egypt. These memories included Egyptian mobs descending upon the Jewish quarter of Cairo chanting Al Yahud Kelabna, followed by violence that left some Jews dead and injured, and the community dazed.
Egyptian Muslim mobs no longer do this, because there is no longer an Egyptian Jewish community to speak of. We once were over 80,000. Today there are fewer than 50 Jews remaining in Egypt. Indeed, once thriving Jewish communities in ten Arab countries were likewise cleansed. Today, virtually no Jews remain in the Arab or Muslim world.
Arab spokesmen blame the creation of Israel, but, in reality, the situation of Middle Eastern Jewry began to deteriorate years before Israel was established.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Egypt was a much more cosmopolitan place than it is today. While not an apology for colonialism, nevertheless Egypt under the British was a place where Muslims, Jews and Christians got along fairly harmoniously. But all this began to change as the Muslim Brotherhood, a radical Islamic group whose Palestinian branch is Hamas, began agitating against both the British and the Jews. Along with the rise of Arab nationalism and Arab independence, life for Jews in Egypt and other Arab countries became intolerable. All this happened decades before Israel was established.
In the end, within a 20 year period starting in 1945, nearly one million Jews were forced out of Arab countries. In the Egypt of the late 1940s, being Jewish was criminalized. In other Arab states, such as Iraq, Libya, Syria, etc. similar laws were passed. Jews began facing iron walls of discrimination and harassment by the authorities. Most of us were dispossessed. Our schools, homes, synagogues, businesses, farms, hospitals, were all confiscated by Arab governments. Our rich, 2,000 year old culture and heritage was decimated. No trial, no jury, no justice.
Also heard at the anti Israel demonstration were chants such as "Black, red, brown, white! We support Hezbollah's fight! Black, red, green, blue! We support Hamas too!" Personally, I found it rather ironic when demonstrators were screaming at me to "go back to Europe." These demonstrators' ignorance is profound: the majority of Israel's Jewish population is like me, Jews of color from Arab and other Muslim countries.
The demonstrators in San Francisco last week attacked Jews, not Israel. They did it in Arabic thinking perhaps only they would be in on the "joke." They didn't count on a group of indigenous Middle Eastern Jewish "dogs" being present at the counter rally across the street.
They clearly felt certain that we are "their" dogs. In Arab culture, dogs are considered filthy, dirty beasts, and negotiating with "dogs" is not an option. Historically Jews were often identified this way because for centuries, we were living as a subjected people under the dominant culture of Islam.
We were a "protected" minority living under a religious caste system where we had to wear identifiable clothes, pay a special tax, were not allowed to ride horses, forced to live in ghettoes, and were submitted to other indignities. Our fortunes fluctuated with the benevolence of whoever was ruling at the time. When he was fair and just, Jews prospered. Otherwise, watch out! Massacres of Jews by Arab Muslims were not unknown. While most people know how European Jews suffered, little is known of the Jews of the Arab world.
Today, the Arab and Muslim worlds are the most anti Semitic of any region. Much of their media - TV programs, cartoons, editorials - promote the kind of anti-Semitism not seen or heard since the time when Hitler walked this earth. In many mosques, too, throughout the region, religious leaders who are quick to take offense over such matters as cartoons regularly teach the vilest anti Jewish defamation.
The effects of this "education" are seen and felt even here in San Francisco, where a crowd of young Arab men and women feel perfectly free to chant "Al Yahud Kelabna"!
As long as Palestinian and other Arab children are taught such dehumanizing hatred of Jews, there is no hope for them, and there is no hope for us. Peace in the Middle East will not come with the next ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, but only when tolerance, compassion, understanding and respect for religious freedom become the dominant value in Arab society. When Arab young people honestly feel too ashamed to chant about Jews being "our dogs," then there will be real hope.
Joseph Abdel Wahed is a member of http://www.jimena.org/
Beware fraudulent Lebanese website...
Found on a propaganda website called 'Uruknet: From occupied Iraq' (with thanks: Albert):
"From the Jews of Lebanon website:
Condemnation of the War in Lebanon
"We once again renew our appeal for people to differentiate between Zionism and Judaism and ultimately between our mission and the current crisis in our beloved Lebanon. Hundreds have been killed in the latest violence between Israel and Lebanon and we pray that this will open the door to a final and comprehensive peace agreement. Though we believe in the universal principal of the right to self-defense we condemn the indiscriminate and disproportionate response from the State of Israel. Ultimately, we condemn the violence wholeheartedly.
Our heartfelt condolences to the innocent lives that are lost in this conflict- whether Lebanese and Israeli."
There's only one problem with this statement: the Jews of Lebanon website is a hoax.* It purports to speak on behalf of Lebanese Jews, but no Lebanese Jews are known to be associated with it. The website exists to drive a wedge between 'Jews' and 'Zionists', but no such distinction exists: the vast majority of Jews from Arab countries support Israel.
Uruknet fabricates a tale of collaboration between Lebanese Jews and the PLO during the Lebanese civil war, and capitalises on statements extracted under duress from the Jews of Iran, or made by self-loathing communists in Morocco, to back its argument that most Middle Eastern Jews condemn Israel's actions in the current war with Hezbollah.
*Update: the webmaster, a Lebanese Shi'a, has since identified himself and made clear his honourable intentions of documenting the story of the Jews of Lebanon.
Posted by bataween at Sunday, August 06, 2006 8 comments:
Ades synagogue preserves Syrian traditions
Gavriel Fiske of the Jerusalem Post profiles the Ades synagogue, built in 1901 in Jerusalem by Jews fleeing blood libels and economic decline in Aleppo, Syria. (With thanks: Albert)
"One of Nahlaot's oldest synagogues is one of its best-known and one of its most active - the Ades Synagogue (pronounced like Addis Ababa), housed in a old-style stone building on the corner of Beersheba and Shilo streets, just off Bezalel.
"Renowned as a center for Mizrahi hazanut (Middle Eastern-style Jewish liturgical singing), Ades is one of only two synagogues in Jerusalem that maintain the ancient tradition of bakashot, a set cycle of kabbalistic poetry sung in the wee hours of Shabbat morning during the winter months.
"All the hazanim [cantors] you know of learned here," promises Shmuel Abdan, the shamash (caretaker). A friendly and to-the-point man in his 50s, he escorts In Jerusalem around the ornate interior of Ades while straightening up after evening prayers.
"During the densely packed bakashot sessions (which start at 3 a.m.) he can be found dispensing endless cups of steaming tea or coffee, making sure seniors have a seat - and generally making sure everything is okay.
"Ades was built 105 years ago by a community of Jews from Aleppo, Syria. The outside of the building famously declares, "The Great Synagogue Ades of the Glorious Aleppo Community, Est. 1901."
"At that time much of the Jewish community had fled Syria due to a combination of blood libels and economic downturn relating to the decline of the Ottoman Empire. While many settled in the greener pastures of England, the United States and South America, some families decided to try their luck in the Holy Land. Most were laborers, shopkeepers or merchants."
Posted by bataween at Sunday, August 06, 2006 No comments:
Labels: Jews of Syria
Have the Jews of Iran really been persecuted?
An interesting exchange on the Guardian's Comment Is Free about the Jews of Iran:
GIJoeSixPack (referring to a comment that Jews were 'forced out' of Iran): When I read this, I immediately called my dentist to see what he thought of this statement. He is an Iranian Jew currently living in California but goes back to Iran on a regular basis to see his parents. He says you are full of it. No Jews were ever forced out of Iran. According to him, they (Iranian Jews) even have a member of Parliment in Iran. They are guaranteed a seat in the parliament. Go figure!
Mclefty: Erm, the Jews of Iran were immediately put in a position of second-class citizenry upon the ascension of the Ayatollah. They were stripped of their assets, their women were forced to wear headscarves and they were immediately earmarked as potential Zionist spies. Their decreasing community is under constant suspicion and every few years, a show trial is arranged that involves accusing Iranian Jews of spying for Israel. Most are desperate to get out and live in the UK, US or Israel. They were barred from starting or joining political parties or voting (Muslims only) and their lone representative is nothing more than a stooge - a scared one at that, who is forced to condemn Israel and pay lipservice to the authorities. Even worse than the Jews was the treatment meted out to the peaceful and benign Baha'i people (considered Apostates by hardline Shia Muslims.) Left alone under the Shah (a despot in his own right) - these people have been systematically and brutally eliminated.
GIJoe: A long standing girlfriend of mine fled Iran and I know many, many Persian Jews - they all fled a vibrant life in Iran because their rights and freedoms were curtailed by the Revolution. Why is your 'doctor' in the US if life was so wonderful in Iran?
Richardisrael: (...) I live in Israel and three of my best friends are Jews of Persian descent, and I know many others. They tell a bit of a different story. How their families were threatened after the Islamic revolution, how that had to flee and leave their belongings. Of course there is still a community of about 40,000 Jews in Iran (estimates usually range between 20,000 and 25,000 - ed), the largest outside of Israel in the Middle East, but they aren't allowed any contact with Jews outside of Iran, unless these Jews are vocally against Israel.
Don't believe me? It would seem that you are the one that is misinformed. Maybe you should read about Persian jewry in wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Jews
Why don't you scroll down to the section where they talk about discrimination.
I have to say that giving them a seat in the Iranian parliment is a nice gesture, it might even make them almost feel they aren't persecuted.
Of course we know that anybody, particulary non-Muslims, that live in Iran and speak up about the government are persecuted. It goes without saying that if the Jews would open their mouths they'd be in trouble.
If it interests you so much, why don't you conduct a poll of Persian Jews that live outside of Iran, and see what they really think. I'm sure your dentist is an honest guy, and I know that many Jews that remain in Iran still live decent lives, but it doesn't meant the 120,000 that have fled since the revolution weren't persecuted.
Or the other million or two (one million will do -ed) that were forced out of other Muslim countries over the years weren't persecuted either.
Posted by bataween at Friday, August 04, 2006 2 comments:
Peretz accused of 'war crimes' by Moroccan Jews
Haaretz reports: three Jewish Moroccans have submitted Rabat's high court with a petition against Defense Minister Amir Peretz, accusing the Moroccan-born Israeli of war crimes.
Leftist activist Abraham Tsarfati, author Amran al-Malich and human rights group official Zion Asidon claim Peretz may be tried in their country due to his Moroccan citizenship.
"The criminal terrorist, Zionist Amir Peretz, has retained his Moroccan citizenship and is still registered in Morocco's census," the three told reporters during a press conference. "Moroccan law allows the trial of any Moroccan national who has committed war crimes in or out of the country."
Posted by bataween at Thursday, August 03, 2006 No comments:
Labels: Jews of Morocco
Why don't the Jews in Muslim lands leave?
Shelomo Alfassa says that Jews are under pressure in Iran, Turkey and Morocco - and urges them to leave before it's too late: (with thanks: Albert)
"A complex and bizarre situation exists in Turkey, Morocco and Iran, where Jews are essentially living as dhimmis-subjugated non-Muslims that are now are facing the dual-loyalty issue. They are living in a fish tank, being watched by those that dislike them, their people, and their historic homeland. One would think that we as Jews would have developed a very strong and accurate early warning system after what happened to us only six decades ago. One would think that when we sense danger, we would take measures to mitigate hazards. One would think that when those around us shout for the destruction of our homeland, we would believe them. One would think that in this post 9/11 world when radical Islam's hatred of Jews and Israel is becoming mainstream, Jews living in Muslim countries would plan to leave -but that's not the case.
"There is an American expression that says, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink." This says that you can give someone the opportunity to do something, but you cannot force them to do it if they do not want to. Jews in Turkey, Morocco and Iran all have the availability and support system available to relocate to Israel, but they don't take advantage of it in any substantial manner. Yet, some good can come from the evil spouted by the lips of Iran's Ahmadinejad, if in fact it rouses more of the Jews from Turkey, Morocco or Iran to consider emigrating to Israel -before he inspires radical elements to act on his words against the Jews in those Muslim countries."
Posted by bataween at Wednesday, August 02, 2006 5 comments:
Labels: Dhimmitude
Iranian Jews condemn Qana deaths
The Jews in Iran have been compelled once more publically to condemn Israel's actions. The reference to the 'Prophet Moses (peace be on him)' is a Muslim turn of phrase, suggesting that the statement was written on behalf of the Jews, and political demands are being made in their name. (With thanks: Albert)
TEHRAN, Aug. 1 (MNA) -- The Jewish Association of Tehran (JAT) issued a statement on Tuesday condemning the Zionist forces' massacre of innocent women and children in Qana. Rabbi Yusef Hamedani Kohan, MP Morris Motamed, who represents Iranians Jews in the Majlis, and chairman of the JAT directorate Harun Yashayaii announced in the statement that by slaughtering women and children in Qana and killing civilians in Lebanon and Palestine, the Zionist military forces have actually violated human rights as well as the natural law promoting peaceful coexistence among different nations and ethnic groups.
"The Israeli army's reckless attacks on Qana as well as other regions in Palestine do not comply with the religious doctrines of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him). Free, God-fearing, and devout Jews all over the world denounce these crimes and call for an immediate halt to aggression against civilians, women, and children.
"We want a ceasefire to be declared between the two warring parties and peaceful living conditions to be provided for the war-stricken people. We call on all international organizations, including the United Nations and the UN Human Rights Council, as well as all other noble people, and particularly the Jewish world, to condemn the atrocities of the Zionist regime, take measures to terminate this aggression, and help those injured in the war," the statement continued.
Jews in hostile states pray for Israeli soldiers
Jews living precariously in the world's most violently anti-Israel states in the Middle East have apparently signed their names and countries of origin on an Internet site that is coordinating a world-wide prayer rally slated for Tuesday for IDF soldiers, the Jerusalem Post reports (with thanks: Albert).
Twenty-eight from Iran, 12 from Syria, and five from both Lebanon and Iraq ( funny, there are only six Jews left in that country - Ed) have signed up so far, according to Eran Gefen, CEO of Y&R Interactive, a PR firm that established the site with the aid of Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Yona Metzger. Others involved with the effort include the Jewish Agency, the Foreign Ministry and numerous media, including The Jerusalem Post.
Gefen admitted that he could not know for sure whether those who signed up were actually Jews. "We can't check their family tree, but they are joining the prayer for the IDF," he said. He added that he would keep the names of these signatories secret to protect their safety.
"Iranian Jews normally do not have access to Israeli Internet content," said Gefen. "But it seems that some managed to bypass the block and it is very exciting to hear their virtual voices."
Posted by bataween at Tuesday, August 01, 2006 2 comments:


After four long years of legal wranglings, the family of young cyclist Darren Coombs have finally won their insurance claim against Provident Insurance PLC and the car driver who knocked him down.
It was back in 1997 when Darren, then eight years old, was hit by a VW Golf on the Isle of Wight while cycling to a friend's house and left brain-damaged. Four years on and at thirteen, Darren has a mental age of nine.
The case was brought by Mr and Mrs Coombs after the police refused to prosecute and despite Provident's threat to counter-sue the Coombs and Valerie Cole, the childminder looking after Darren that day. Provident claimed that Darren should have been wearing a helmet and should not have been allowed out unsupervised. The company was forced to withdraw its action under a deluge of angry protests from CTC and hundreds of cyclists.
Yesterday's liability case hinged on two conflicting eye witness statements. One, by a pedestrian, suggested that the Golf struck Darren after drifting into a bus lay-by next to a junction from which Darren cycled. The second stated that Darren had cycled onto the main carriageway into the path of the car.
Solicitors for the family will now seek medical reports and their compensation submission is likely to be heard next year. The amount they claim will depend on two things: the severity of Darren's injuries as assessed by neurologists and other medical experts; and the consequences of the crash – what would have happened had the collision not taken place.
Congratulations to the CTC and all the cyclists who wrote and mailed in to support them in their legal fight on behalf of Darren Coombs, and to all those who mailed Provident to express their disgust.
For more information about the CTC, joining, donating to the Cyclists' Defence Fund and legal representation, head for www.ctc.org.uk.


text:
special feature: | Indigenization
Indigenization is Indigenous
Indigenous students, faculty and staff at Memorial share what is, and isn't, Indigenization
special feature: Indigenization
Part of a special feature chronicling the transformation of the academy through the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge, voices, critiques, scholars, students and materials at Memorial.
A lot of people are talking about Indigenization.
We've noticed that it has taken on several meanings, some of which contradict one another.
Indigenization means change led by Indigenous people to bring Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing into spaces that are not designed for those ways.
Indigenous way of doing
There is a place for settlers in this.
Some examples of what that might look like can be found here at Memorial, such as the School of Music's new project in partnership with First Light to host (and pay!) Indigenous musicians and artists to create a new course that will be taught exclusively by (paid!) Indigenous teachers.
Indigenization happens through targeted hires for Indigenous faculty and staff — especially when those positions are not always "Indigenous studies" or "Aboriginal student support" and recognize our world-class engineers, entrepreneurs and editorial managers.
These types of initiatives have a sincere chance of improving experiences of Indigenous students at the university.
Memorial's Indigenization Strategy, co-ordinated by an Indigenous person in the Office of Aboriginal Affairs, has been in its consultation stage for over a year because that is how long it takes to talk to 26 Indigenous communities in the province so that the strategy can be firmly and wholly based on diverse Indigenous priorities, ideas and ways of being.
It is an Indigenous way of doing things, baked into the genesis of the university's Indigenization Strategy.
Truth and reconciliation ≠ Indigenization
There are also many things that aren't Indigenization.
When settlers teach Indigenous content in classrooms, especially when it wasn't there before, it is good and ethical. It is a response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action. But it is not Indigenization. It is truth and reconciliation.
When settler scholars organize panels on Indigenous topics, and even Indigenization itself, they often (we hope!) come into our inboxes and ask for us to show up and teach. Sometimes they have troubles getting us to respond.
Our silences are a way of teaching — crafting an idea and then inviting us into it after it is formed is not Indigenization.
"We've noticed that sometimes, colonialism is being called Indigenization."
It's yet another service we provide for settler education. We would rather be Indigenizing.
When settler researchers head north, or west, or into our urban communities to do research when they haven't been invited by us, it is not Indigenization.
Colonialism is a way to name the assumption that settlers and colonizers are entitled to Indigenous land, social networks, knowledge, students, language, and culture for their own goals, even if those goals are benevolent or well-intentioned. We've noticed that sometimes, colonialism is being called Indigenization.
These are not our ideas.
These ideas already exist in a rich discourse that Indigenous people are having around the world. Our diversity is part of what makes these conversations so rich, but there are a few things we all agree on, including that Indigenization is Indigenous.
Here are some entries into that discourse beyond what we've already provided here, including writing by settler writers who do the work of teaching and being accountable within their own settler academic communities while showing the way to Indigenous writers and thinkers on the topic:
Malinda Smith, Shanne McCaffrey, Kiera Ladner, Dwayne Donald, D'Arcy Vermette, Andrea Bear Nicholas, "Indigenous Knowledge and Indigenizing the Academy," Needs No Introduction podcast, rabble.ca.
Tuck, E., & Yang, K. W. (2012). Decolonization is not a metaphor. Decolonization: Indigeneity, education & society, 1(1).
Hill, E. (2012). A critique of the call to "Always Indigenize!". Peninsula: A journal of relational politics, 2(1).
These ideas are not ours, but these are our ideas.
There is a reason that the many people who wrote this op-ed are anonymous.
At this university, we are called on to provide Indigenous "voice" and when we give voice, we are mistaken for an individual offering a particular opinion.
We are called opinionated. We are called disruptive. We are called troublemakers.
We are invited in and dismissed as two parts of the same action.
"We are anonymous here so that you can't quite tell who is writing this, which is also how you should understand voice."
But one way to understand "voice" is as the translation of the many other people, lands, Elders, teachings, future ancestors, historical events, spiritual knowledge and ways of being and doing that have been gifted to us throughout our lives and the lives that came before us and will come after us.
Not all people with Indigenous blood have the gift and responsibility of voice. And for those of us who do, we are not perfect repositories for these things, but we're pretty damn good.
A group of my Indigenous colleagues and I put voice to a feeling we've all experienced at multiple points in our journeys, and I wanted to get it down before I lost it. It may have already been defined elsewhere, and it's going to evolve as I explore it – but this is a start. pic.twitter.com/DtbKpZtqXi
— Dr. Twyla Baker (@Indigenia) January 22, 2019
We are anonymous here so that you can't quite tell who is writing this, which is also how you should understand voice, how you should understand Indigenization.
We are trying to teach you that to individualize us is to attempt to gain access in ways it has not been granted, a sign of the colonial impulse. Our voice comes from a rooted place, but it is not individual.
Indigenization, like voice, is not based on good intentions and Indigenous topics.
It comes from Indigenous collectives being Indigenous collectives in spaces where that doesn't usually happen anymore.
It is our resurgence.
We are all students
Indigenous education group explores common themes at Memorial
Nelson White
Q&A with artist and illustrator Nelson White
Equal partners
'Possibilities are endless': Nunavut Arctic College collaboration
Rich history: Connecting the past and the present in Rigolet
Connecting to Labrador roots while helping lead critical marine research
Op-ed: Dr. Daryl Pullman
Bringing home the Beothuk: The ethics of repatriation

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Laparkan Group of Companies is selling the William Fogarty building on Water Street and will use the money from the sale to clear off some debts and inject the remainder in the expansion of its cargo and financial services, a senior company official said Thursday.
"We would be able to liquidate a number of high-cost debt that continues to be challenging for us as you have high-cost debt," Chairman of the Laparkan Group, Glen Khan told reporters.
He said William Fogarty's (Limited) would in turn lease part of the existing building and would operate the office services, financial services, garment section and food.. He said the new owner would occupy part of the building which is to be remodelled. "I think we would be because we would only take areas that we want to focus our energies on," he said.
He said the sale and lease of the same property was a financial re-engineering model that has been used worldwide to release capital without losing the fixed assets.
Khan bluntly rejected a recent Stabroek News newspaper report that had stated that the Trinidad-based American Stores was purchasing the building. He said Laparkan was currently only renting that entity bond space with the permission of the new owners.
However, he refused to divulge who the new owner would be and what was the sale-price until the transport and other paperwork were finalized in another four months. "I am not at liberty to discuss arrangements that we have got with a buyer," he said. Officials said that it was a Guyanese group which has undergone the required due-diligence.
Khan also declined to say how much of Laparkan's debts would be serviced from the sale of the property.
Group Vice Chairman, Hussein Haniff explained that some of the monies would be ploughed into the expansion of its freight service to the smaller Caribbean islands by using existing cargo carriers.
The group also plans to provide consumer procurement services mainly for food items as well introduce a refrigeration service for perishables. "We have got a full agenda for the coming several years," said Khan who controls more than 90 percent of the company's shares.
Asked why Fogarty's seemed to have fallen on hard times that even led to poorly stocked departments and reduced customer flow, he said the company had to make choices on how to spend its money. "We, as an organisation, have always had to allocate whatever limited resources we have," he said. Khan said Fogarty's has been always making profits but not always to the desired level.
Fogarty's currently employs 135 persons and, according to the Group's Chairman, there are no plans to layoff workers or cease employing persons to replace those who have resigned, retired or have been fired. "What I want to assure you is that in the future the place would be extremely vibrant and in that extreme vibrant environment what you would more than likely see is additional employees by our group," he said.


text:
Q: Jetpack plugin - 'posts_per_page' not overriding 'Blog pages show at most' option, also different values for different post types? I have Jetpack installed and I have got Infinite Scroll working on my theme but posts_per_page is having no effect, the number of posts initially shown and loaded is my "Blogs show at most" number in Settings → Reading which is 5.
function mytheme_render_infinite_scroll() {
    while ( have_posts() ) : the_post();
            if ('mytheme_custom_post_type' == get_post_type()) :
                get_template_part( 'content', 'archive-custom' );
            else :
                get_template_part( 'content', get_post_format() );
            endif;
    endwhile;
}

function mytheme_jetpack_setup() {
    add_theme_support( 'infinite-scroll', array(
        'container'      => 'content',
        'footer_widgets' => 'footer-widgets',
        'type'           => 'click',
        'render'         => 'mytheme_render_infinite_scroll',
        'wrapper'        => true,
        'posts_per_page' => '15'
    ) );
}

I am also rendering a different content template depending on what the current post type is using the mytheme_render_infinite_scroll function above. It would be great if I could set the posts_per_page value to be different depending on post type too, eg. have 5 posts per page show on a Blog archive but have 15 posts per page show on an archive page of mytheme_custom_post_type. I am not sure how to do this, my attempt would be:
function mytheme_render_infinite_scroll() {
    while ( have_posts() ) : the_post();
            if ('mytheme_custom_post_type' == get_post_type()) :
                get_template_part( 'content', 'archive-custom' );
            else :
                get_template_part( 'content', get_post_format() );
            endif;
    endwhile;
}

function mytheme_infinite_scroll_posts_per_page()
    while ( have_posts() ) : the_post();
        if ('mytheme_custom_post_type' == get_post_type()) :
            return 15;
        else :
            return 5;
        endif;
endwhile;

function mytheme_jetpack_setup() {
    add_theme_support( 'infinite-scroll', array(
        'container'      => 'content',
        'footer_widgets' => 'footer-widgets',
        'type'           => 'click',
        'render'         => 'mytheme_render_infinite_scroll',
        'wrapper'        => true,
        'posts_per_page' => 'mytheme_infinite_scroll_posts_per_page'
    ) );
}
add_action( 'after_setup_theme', 'mytheme_jetpack_setup' );

... but I have no idea if this would work, Jetpack is probably not set up to handle this! Can't test it either because as I said above the posts_per_page argument isn't having any effect.
The Jetpack support doc is here: http://jetpack.me/support/infinite-scroll/
EDIT: I've done some testing and the conclusion I've come to is Jetpack is built so that the posts_per_page argument only has an effect if the type is not set as click. I can't find this specifically stated in any documentation so I may be wrong but I've got posts_per_page working with 'type' => 'scroll' but not with 'type' => 'click'

A: The plugin author has confirmed on the Wordpress Support Forums that posts_per_page only works if the type is set to scroll and not click, see http://wordpress.org/support/topic/posts_per_page-not-having-any-effect?replies=5#post-5058675

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


As one of the select few Australian importers of Mardeco Architectural Hardware, Finer Fittings provide a large range of Mardeco Architectural Hardware and Mardeco Kitchen Handles & Knobs.
Mardeco door handles are renound for their high quality and beautiful design and finishes, which they have been providing for over 15 years. A popular choice for Architects and Designers, where they have been featured in many designer homes throughout Australia and New Zealand.


text:
Other Repository Surveys
Chicago's Art Related Archival Materials
Chicago Survey: Participating Repositories
Edgar Miller papers
Link to Resource in Original Repository
Miller, Edgar, 1899-1993
Survey Repository:
This record forms part of the Chicago's Art-Related Archival Materials: A Terra Foundation Resource project funded by the Terra Foundation for American Art. For this project, the Archives surveyed archival repositories throughout the Chicago region to identify art-related materials contained in their holdings. While the Archives of American Art does not own any of the materials described herein, information about those materials and links to the original repositories have been included when available.
Descriptive Summary
Biographical Historical Note
30 linear feet of materials consisting of sketchbooks, reference material, press clippings, correspondence, exhibit programs, and other papers of Edgar Miller, a Chicago artist, architect, and interior designer. A majority of the sketchbooks contain pencil or black ink drawings, many of which are abstract forms or faces. Reference material includes published books and loose images annotated with Miller's comments and sketches of geometric lines, circles, and arcs to explore artists' use of space. Also present are Miller's manuscripts on art appreciation and personal memoirs and a few art reference books from the 19th century that Miller owned but did not annotate.
Edgar Miller was a Chicago artist, architect, and interior designer. Miller attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and worked in various mediums including drawing, sculpture, mural, mosaic, fresco, watercolor, mixed-media, ceramics, woodcuts, and stained glass. Miller was best known for his work in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood, particularly the Carl Street Studios he co-designed and established with fellow artist Sol Kogen. Much of his commissioned work was created during the 1920s-1940s.
Chicago's Art-Related Archival Materials: A Terra Foundation Resource Architects Artists--Illinois--Chicago Designers Carl Street Studios Kogen, Sol, 1904-1989
Visit a Research Center
Original material can be consulted by appointment in our Washington, D.C. Headquarters.
Select holdings are available on microfilm at the Archives' offices in Washington, D.C. and at our New York Office.
Copies of unrestricted microfilm materials can be obtained through one of our affiliated research centers.
The Archives of American Art collects primary source materials—original letters, writings, preliminary sketches, scrapbooks, photographs, financial records and the like—that have significant research value for the study of art in America.
Find out how to give your papers, records, recordings, or other primary source material to the Archives of American Art.
Terra Foundation Center for Digital Collections
A virtual repository of a substantial cross-section of the Archives' most significant collections.
Visit the Terra Foundation Center for Digital Collections


Meet on the 1st, 3rd and 5th (when occurring) Thursdays of every month from 9.30am until 12.30pm. Permanent club house at 42, Dunster Street, Northampton, NN1 3JY where we are currently building a modular HO DCC switching layout. Prospective members welcome, contact Nobby Clarke on 01604 415020 or nobbyclarke@btopenworld.com. Additional running sessions to be advised.


It's easy to whisper sweet nothings into your guests' ears when you present them with these LOVE-sentiment-inspired heart shaped coaster favours.
Each 3.75" x 4.25" coaster is made of durable tempered glass in the classic heart shape with love-related words and phrases elegantly frosted in white in a variety of cheerful type styles.
Sure to be a cherished and useful addition to your guests' homes, each coaster set comes with two coasters in a clear box tied with a white organza bow and attached Vineyard Collection heart shaped thank you tag.


The last couples of days have been rather raining but it is more than welcomed after the dry spell we have had! It is turning to fall rapidly and I need to be in the mountains! I went to school in the mountains and there is nothing like Fall in Western NC. The colors are absolutely amazing and I saw a picture on Facebook earlier this morning about how peak color will be coming up pretty quick! It takes it a little longer down here in the foothills but still there is nothing like it! If you can ever get on the Parkway at the beginning of October ever it is just beautiful and breath-taking!
Speaking of colors the recipe I have today is almost as colorful as the fall leaves in Boone, NC! The paleo breakfast quiche I have made are loaded with vegetables and of course bacon! You can't beat that right? What I like most about these small breakfast quiches is that they can be froze or refrigerated for the week and be warmed up throughout the week for a great and healthy breakfast! No wondering what you will have in the morning and their are super yummy with some salsa on top or a little dad of hot sauce.
Crack your eggs and put them into a bowl and scramble.
Chop up your tomatoes and cooked bacon and put them into your eggs. Stir those in. When your mushrooms are done cooking (soft but not too over cooked) add them into your egg mixture. Spray your muffin tin very well and add your egg mixture into the wells about 2/3 full. It will make 10-12 mini quiches.
Bake for 15 minutes. place a toothpick into the center to make sure they are done. they will puff up in the oven but will fall when they come out. Take a spatula and go around the edges of the quiches then go under neath and lift them out of the wells. Serve hot with some salsa and hot sauce! If you aren't on a paleo diet like me you can sprinkle some cheese on like I did!
Bake for 15 minutes. place a toothpick into the center to make sure they are done. they will puff up in the oven but will fall when they come out. Take a spatula and go around the edges of the quiches then go under neath and lift them out of the wells. Serve hot with some salsa and hot sauce! If you aren't on a paleo diet like me you can sprimkle some cheese on like I did!
Perfect for the winter weather coming up because you don't want to get up and make anything! Easy to pop into the microwave for 30 seconds and enjoy a quick and healthy breakfast that has plenty of protein! Adding spinach in them gives the breakfast quiche so much more power for your day too! You can also mask those vegetables from those picky eaters so that they can't taste what is truly good for them!
What I love about this recipe is that it is so versatile. If you're a vegetarian you can simply ditch the bacon and put some peppers, onions, or spinach (or all the above…) into them and they will be just as yummy! For me the hot sauce was just the icing on the cake too! I love adding a mozzarella cheese to the tops to give them just a little more taste to them and they are perfect to have for a brunch get together or even a get together in general! The breakfast quiches can be completely jazzed up to your tasting and trust me everyone will love them!
Make sure to follow me on Instagram (@notshabbygabby), Twitter (@not2shabbygabby), Pinterest (@not2shabbygabby) and Facebook to stay up to date with all the posts!
Congrats on the Hickory paper! I'm always looking for clean eating recipes.
These are such a great easy breakfast! I love things I can make, freeze, and take out when I need them. Thanks for sharing with us at Dream. Create. Inspire. Link.
Thank you Jenny! I love your link up!
I love this! We can make them ahead and tailor it to each of our diets. I need gluten free, my daughter is vegetarian, and the hubby just doesn't like mushrooms! This is great, especially for my daughter before school, and it would be great for me to warm up for lunch, sometimes I don't eat lunch while I'm working cause I don't want to stop and cook, this is perfect! Thanks for the recipe!


I would like to define some terms. Stress is a vague term. I think that one of the most important principles that I have learned is the stress is not the problem. It is your reaction to it that causes unpleasantness and an energy drain. I am going to define the situation, which causes a reaction, as the stressor. Although in this chapter I am referring mostly to negative emotions, keep in mind that positive events such as weddings, buying a new house, new career changes, etc. are also stressors.
I want to emphasize that the reaction (your thoughts) to the stressor is the most important part of the picture. People, though, often identify with their thoughts. It has been claimed by many over many centuries that you are not your thoughts. The nervous system is extraordinarily complex. A certain percentage of your thoughts will be random, bizarre, and even unacceptable. I want to you to look at your thoughts in reaction to the stressor as separate from who you are.
Let's take an example of your child coming home late again well after his or her curfew. As you confront your child, he or she might let you know in a very efficient manner what kind of human being you are. Predictably, and understandably so, you react with anger.
The stressor was your child coming in late with his or her aggressive, defensive response. In and of itself, the situation is not an energy drain. You were not physically harmed. It is your reaction of anger that is a significant energy drain. As you have not separated your reaction from the stressor, it all ends up feeling like one ugly event. Then as most people do, you identify with your thoughts. So now you are the angry parent. By developing an awareness of the various parts of the interaction, you can more effectively deal with it. Conversely, the fallout from a situation handled poorly can carry over into other aspects of your relationship for days, weeks, or even months.
When you drive, there will be certain interactions with other drivers that will be less than ideal. You cannot control that. Why are you going to give an inconsiderate person the power to ruin your day? That being said, I have a difficult time myself when I am behind a driver who won't make a legal right at a red light. It is my opportunity to practice what I am writing about.
An important step in dealing with stressful situations is to create an awareness of the components of the circumstances. It is important to: 1) separate your reaction (thoughts) from a given stressor and 2) separate you from your thoughts. You are not your thoughts. The end result is the stressor, and you are on the "opposite side of the room." The reaction (your thoughts) to the stressor is in the "middle of the room." By separating your thoughts from the stressor and your thoughts from who you are, you can clearly see your reaction to the stressor as a separate entity. You then have a choice in figuring out how to more effectively deal with your reaction to the stressful event.
Anxiety and Anger are not who you are. They are thoughts and resultant emotions that exist in you separately from your value system and how you choose to live your life. Until you can separate these emotions from your core identity, the drain in the tub will be wide open. It is the goal of the stress management section to put a permanent plug in that drain.


Last week, a group of journalists were invited to the sprawling London set of Justice League. Yes, it was a strategic PR move from Warner Bros., which certainly wants to combat any negative misconceptions in the wake of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. But it worked; based on reports, Justice League seems like a much-needed lighter counterpart to Dawn of Justice -- and we have one man to thank: Miller's Barry Allen.
Miller is talented for sure. But most importantly, he's funny -- oddly charming, even! (Very oddly charming.) Barry Allen is one of DC Comics' most optimistic, hardworking heroes. He's a bit quirkier than most, and from what we've read, Miller plays him to perfection, adding some sorely needed comic relief to the JL dynamic.
"There's a quality to what Ezra does that is young and fun and full of life, that's excited about what they're doing, that's so in contrast to who Batman is," Ben Affleck told Vulture and a group of reporters on set. "What does Batman do around a guy who's really excited and positive all the time? It's not his natural state of being."
Initially, not every fan was keen on the casting of Miller as the scarlet speedster, especially with charmer Grant Gustin lighting up the silver screen as the Flash on The CW. For some fans, the argument was that Miller simply didn't look the part of Barry Allen — that he was far too scraggly to play the Justice Leaguer. However, that was before Miller debuted his buff new superhero body and got his shiny new Flash suit.
Uproxx describes the speedster's new crimson suit as "a sleek Iron Man suit, with individual crimson red metallic parts (148 of them, to be accurate) form-fitting to the body. From the side, the top of the cowl kind of looks like a bicycle helmet." Barry's new duds also feature electrical coils to trap the electricity he produces through the Speed Force. Of course, this might be Barry's own prototype, so there's no telling what kind of upgrades Bruce Wayne will make in the future.
Either way, we'll have to wait until November 2017 to see the speedster's interesting new look for ourselves. But one thing is abundantly clear: Snyder heard your complaints, and he's trying.


…and get ready to Hack-n-Slash your way to your laptop for D&A's Slash Saturdays! There are a lot of samurai anime titles out there; from the critically acclaimed to the lesser known, and we wanna bring those sword-swingin' titles to you! Starting at 10pm tonight we begin with Samurai Anime of the Week; reviewing titles that you know, and titles that you don't. Then we bust out our Slash Saturday's Most Wanted where we give you our Top 5 samurai, shinmeiryu, and ronin warriors. Before you hit the flat screen at midnight for some good ol' Toonami action, check out the samurai action goin' on right here on D&A's Slash Saturdays!
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The Petrified Forest protectorate is located about 30 km away from Cairo near Maadi. It is at least 35 million years old and was declared to be a protectorate in 1989. The reserve is an ideal exam ple of the physical history of earth. The six-km area is covered with the remains of trees from the ancient era which were brought here due to the floods on the Red Sea hills. The period during which such floods occurred was referred to as the Oligocene, when the temperature of the earth dropped massively. The uniqueness of this period is that the drop in temperature led to the creation of an atmosphere which supported creation of many new species like elephants and horses.
The Petrified Forest protectorate is located about 30 km away from Cairo near Maadi. It is at least 35 million years old and was declared to be a protectorate in 1989. Tge protectorate is located on the North Katameya- Ein el Sokhna road. Its geological history makes it very important. The natural treasures present at the place has given it a strong reputation as a cultural, touristic and scientific destination. There are a large variety of stones, sands, petrified trees, and trunks present here which can help in finding out more about the ancient geological period of the earth. The Petrified Forest is a relatively small geological protectorate compared to others in Egypt and covers a land area of only 7 square kilometers. It is also classified as a natural heritage site.
The reserve is densely covered by acacia trees, various pastoral plants, and bushes. These help in maintaining the health of the Mediterranean coast which was otherwise damaged by various developmental projects that disturbed the natural environment of the region.
The high density of acacia trees helps in increasing the level of soil water and preserves the natural qualities of the subterranean water. The Petrified Forest protectorate is one of the best natural sites in Egypt and the government has created it in order to conserve and protect the importance and richness of the wildlife flora and fauna seen here. It's also a popular tourist destination.
The Petrified Forest is also known as Gabal el-Khashab, or Wood Hill. A visit is best for someone who is a nature lover, because if not there is nothing much to see in the reserve accept the stones, sands, and rocks. The biggest threat to the reserve now comes from the constant construction work around the area. The many construction jobs nearby have led to most of the animals and wildlife disappearing from this area over the past ten to 15 years.
Overall the small size of the Petrified Forest reserve does not detract from what an important pearl it is in the natural heritage of Egypt.


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Underprivileged Girl Jumps & Hugs Father In Excitement After He Bought Her A Toy Watch
Here's a List of Passport-Issuing Immigration Offices That Will Be Operating 7 Days a Week
PDRM Arrests Woman In Melaka For Allegedly Stealing RM520k Of Her Husband's Business Money
Source: VIRAL PERAK | Facebook
While many kids these days are unhappy as their parents did not get them the latest smartphone or gaming console, there are others out there who are ecstatic to receive even the smallest gift.
One little girl showed us the importance of feeling grateful for what we have.
The VIRAL PERAK Facebook page took to their profile to share how the underprivileged girl was overjoyed to receive a toy watch from her father, who had purchased it at a sundry shop.
They wrote, "I'm not sure who these two are, but this happened before my eyes. Before this, the father would come to check out the place where vendors sell kuih everyday. He would sit on his bicycle and then he would cross the road to go the sundry shop."
"Today, he came with his daughter, passing by in front the people selling kuih. He didn't buy anything and went to the sundry shop. When they were about to leave, I saw his daughter taking something from her father's bicycle."
It turns out that the father had bought his daughter a small gift, which made her very happy.
"I saw she was very excited, I was excited too, wanting to know what it was that the father had bought. It turned out to be a toy watch,"
"The fun the child was having, even though the watch wasn't a real watch. She jumped and hugged her father, and noticed that I was watching. She felt shy and pulled up her face mask over her face," they added.
And we bet that the father was just as happy to see his daughter filled with such joy over his gift.
Seeing how the little girl felt so happy over her new toy makes us wish we were more grateful to our parents for all that we've been given in life. But, it's not too late to learn to be more appreciative.
What do you think about this? Let us know in the comment section.
Also read: These PDRM Officers Couldn't Help But Fulfill Adorable Little Boy's Wish To Sit On A Patrol Motorcycle
Source: VIRAL PERAK
Related Topics:appreciatedaughterecstaticexcitedfathergiftgirlgratefulhugjumpkuihoverjoyedsellshopsmallsundrytoyunderprivilegedvendorswatch


Zero presents this bath towel made from soft material with attractive colors. This towel is suitable for both boys and girls and can be used since the time of birth. Its perfect for your little one's bath time.


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Paige Alms Interview: The Wave I Ride
Big Wave Surfer, Feminist, Record Breaker And General Badass- Meet The Woman Taking On The World Of Surfing
"It literally takes just one wave where you decide you're going to do it. Just that one wave to be like – I did that, and I can do it again"
This is big wave surfer Paige Alms' advice – at the screening of her documentary The Wave I Ride – to anyone who wants to surf bigger waves.
Paige is the main woman at the forefront of a new era in surfing, one where women are taking on bigger and gnarlier swell than they ever thought possible. She wants to see more women giving it a go.
"It's kind of a new thing" says Paige. "There are a small number of big wave surfers in the world. The female population is even smaller."
"I could name 50 big wave surfers that are at the top of our sport right now. Yet there's only about a dozen women."
"It's a lot harder to convince sponsors that it's something worth supporting. We're at the forefront of that change now. I'm really proud to be within the top five women in the world."
The Wave I Ride
That change that Paige is talking about can be felt in the air at the London Surf Film Festival screening of The Wave I Ride, directed by Devyn Bisson.
If women's big wave surfing is a niche sport, it won't be called that for much longer. As I arrive at the venue I pass a queue, fifty people deep that didn't get tickets, waiting in hope of getting some on the door.
Inside people wait for the screen to open, stealing glances at Paige who is looking incredibly glamorous, greeting people in a sheer floor length dress.
This is not your usual big wave documentary screening.
While it's easy to get caught up in the excitement of what Paige means to the surf industry, she is first and foremost an incredible surfer. The Wave I Ride showcases her talent in an amazing light.
"There's something just drawing me towards bigger surf," says Paige. "My mentor who is mentioned in the film was a huge inspiration to me – to push myself and believe that I could go bigger."
"It was just something that I always felt comfortable in. That's not to say that when I paddle out to Jaws I feel super comfortable, but it's something that you work through with your fear."
"There's the connection with the ocean in big surf, you just feel really connected."
The Wave I Ride is a film of so many different parts.
It's a love letter to charging big waves, a tale of a surfer recovering from a nasty injury, a commentary on the unequal set up of competitive surfing, an expose of the life of a jobbing surfer and a lesson in knowing your goals and achieving them in the way that's specifically right for you.
Paige dislocates and fractures her shoulder badly within the first twenty minutes and this gives the documentary a unique frame with which to explore so much more than just the waves she's chasing.
The film is rooted firmly in the message to do what you love, just because you love it and Paige emulates this passion.
You can see it in her surfing and in how grateful she is to have surfing in her life. In a world of commercial surfing and competitions, it's both bold and touching to watch.
One of the best things about a surf documentary both starring and directed by a female surfer is the lack of sexual imagery. Paige is portrayed as only the person and the athlete.
It's a long stretch from the view most people get of top female surfers in adverts and on billboards…
Show who these women are as people, not just who they are from their looks
In regards to women in surf advertising, Paige is aware of the balance between business and sport.
"It's hard because I know that sex sells and women being beautiful sells a product for companies."
"They all show these straight up butt shots and I have a hard time relating to it. They're not posting photos in Surfer Mag of Mick Fanning stood there topless like 'check out my awesome body'."
"It would just be nice to see them show who these women are as people, not just who they are from their looks. But things are changing."
While addressing the difference between male and female surfing is a prevalent theme throughout the entire film, the disparity between prize money and sponsorship is mentioned only once.
Instead it becomes apparent through the story of the usual battles of a big wave surfer, teamed with the difficulties of earning a living without a major sponsor.
"I get that there's not as many women doing it [big wave surfing], but that's no excuse," Paige says about the lack of prize money in the female divisions to the audience.
"I always bring up the female tennis tour in conversation. The prize money was obviously a lot less for many years and the Williams sisters fought for it."
"Yes, the men hit it harder. Does that matter? No. They openly spoke about it in interviews. They fought for years and now the prize money is equal."
If the Williams sisters were the voice for female tennis players, it looks like female big wave surfers have now found a voice of their own.
Even a person unfamiliar with the surfing could not have left this screening without feeling inspired.
There is a change in the surf industry. People like Paige Alms are leading it.
Big Wave Surfing freestyle female. electric youth Jaws
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Monday Briefing: US and Turkey face S-400 confrontation
Shale oil and the illusion of US energy independence
Elijah Zarwan
Elijah Zarwan is a Cairo-based writer and analyst. He has worked as a senior policy fellow covering North Africa at the European Council on Foreign Relations, as a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, as Egypt researcher for Human Rights Watch, and as a consultant to the Eurasia Group, Harvard Law School, and the Carter Center, among others. He previously worked as the senior Arab world correspondent for Deutsche Presse-Agentur, as managing editor of Cairo magazine, as an editor at World Press Review, and elsewhere. His recent journalism has appeared in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, the Cairo Review of Global Affairs, and the Los Angeles Times. He studied history at McGill University, and speaks Arabic and French.
This individual is a guest contributor but is not an MEI-affiliated expert. We are not able to assist with requests.
Egypt Adrift
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