Challenges facing Arab-Christians gain international recognition

I read two articles this morning that examined the challenges facing Arab-Christians. Both pieces highlighted the fact that the affairs of Christians in the Middle East are finally gaining some international recognition. The first was The Economist article "Hail to the King," which detailed a meeting His Majesty King Abdullah had with Christian evangelicals in Washington, D.C.:

King Abdullah The king did his best to accentuate the positive in relations between Abraham’s quarrelsome children. After deploring the destruction of Christian churches in Iraq — "breaking with a 1,400-year-old tradition of Christian-Muslim friendship," as he put it, a tad optimistically — he briefed luminaries of the religious right on his efforts to develop Christian pilgrimage sites and look after Jordanian Christians.

It went down well. "We are saying to King Abdullah, we support you, we pray for you, we can learn a lot from you," says Richard Cizik, a vice-president of the National Association of Evangelicals

The second was an editorial in today’s Washington Post by Robert Novak. The commentary examines the plight of Palestinian Christians living in the West Bank village of Aboud:

Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Roman Catholic archbishop of Washington, D.C., is taking an increased interest in the desperate plight of Christians in the Holy Land — to the point of politely and privately asking for help from George W. Bush. Immediately at stake is the West Bank village of Aboud, whose Christian roots go back two millennia, and which now is threatened by Israel’s security barrier.

"I am afraid that what is happening in the Holy Land is that we’re losing the presence of the Christian community," Cardinal McCarrick told me. As leader of his faith in the nation’s capital, he seeks friends on both sides of any political divide. Accordingly, the Cardinal told me the West Bank’s Christians are endangered by Palestinians (particularly since Hamas’ election victory). But there is no question for the Holy Land Christian Society, seeking to save their co-religionists, that water-hungry Jewish settlers benefit from the security wall.

While we are currently facing — at least according to some analysts — a cultural war between Islam and the West, I’m glad to see that despite being in the midst of this mayhem, the challenges currently facing Eastern Christians are not being neglected. Jordanian blogger Rami has an interesting commentary on the subject. Make sure to read his post.

Former Saddam regime official appeals for Jill’s release

Here is a quick Jill update from the Christian Science Monitor:

Sattam Hameed Farhan al-Gaood, a former senior official in Saddam Hussein’s regime, made an appeal in Jordan today for the release of journalist Jill Carroll. Mr. Gaood, who was released in December after an extended period in US detention, stated that he is profoundly opposed to the US occupation of Iraq. But he called for Jill’s release "to prove that the resistance does not kill innocents." "Upon the request of Jill Carroll’s family who called on us to contribute to release their daughter, I have already taken serious steps and am doing the best I can in this respect," Mr. Gaood said.

"I find myself in a position that can’t be ignored, because the appeal came from a mother and a father and not from a bunch of occupiers … I call upon you in the name of Islam and the honor that is characteristic of Muslims and Arabs, and remind you that forgiveness is a duty … I as your brother have been asked to help, and if you think that I am worthy, then please respond to my appeal."

Hope is what is keeping me going these days. In spite of the latest deadline set by the kidnappers, I have not lost hope. I still wholeheartedly believe that I will see Jill … and soon, real soon.

UPDATE: Here is another update from the Monitor:

Advertisement for Jill's release from Iraqi TV On Tuesday, Al Iraqiya, one of Iraq’s most watched TV stations, began carrying a public service video calling for the release of Jill Carroll. The spot reminds viewers of Jill’s love for Iraq and includes interviews with Iraqis who talk about their concern for Jill, saying they’ve come to feel as if she’s one of their daughters. The televised announcement is part of an ongoing campaign by the Iraqi media to support efforts to free Jill.

There are two versions of the public service video. The shorter version portrays Iraqis and Jill’s mother Mary Beth Carroll appealing for her release. The longer one incorporates an emotional appeal from Adnan al-Dulaimi, the influential Sunni Arab politician Jill had been hoping to interview on the morning of her abduction, speaking of how deeply distressed he’s been left by Jill’s abduction. Several other major Iraqi TV stations have indicated they intend to run the public service announcement in the coming days.

Source: [CSM]

UPDATE 2: Veteran Aljazeera anchor Mohmamad Kreishan asked for Jill’s release in an editorial (in Arabic) published in the pan-Arab daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi. The gist of his commentary is that kidnapping journalists is wrong generally and that, in partciular, Jill is known for her love of her profession, her dedication to her job, and as someone who sought to convey the daily sufferings of Iraqis. He also commended her work, saying she is not like those "hotel journalists" that stay in their hotels and rarely venture outside to get the story. He ended his editorial by appealing to the kidnappers to release Jill, saying otherwise "her blood will turn into a curse on you and on the whole country, which is something we do not want to happen, neither to you nor to the country."

Survey: Amman is the most expensive Arab city

Jordanian writer and blogger Batir Wardam’s is discussing a recent global survey conducted by the highly respected Economist Intelligence Unit which revealed that Amman is the most expensive city in the Arab world. EIU’s survey was based upon living expenses in 128 countries across the world compared with citizen incomes. Wardam also makes note that the pan-Arab daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat revealed the findings of this report in a recent article (in Arabic). Amman — globally — occupies position number 70, just beating out Dubai at 71. The third most expensive Arab city was Casablanca at 80 followed by Abu Dhabi at 82 and Manama 82.

We’vd been hearing the rumor that Amman was a terribly expensive city and even the "most expensive Arab city" for a while. But now it is confirmed! Of course I’m not surprised. The money I made from the last job I had in Jordan, which was over three years ago, was barely enough to pay my mobile phone bill. What mystifies me to this day, though, is how Western Ammanites continue to enjoy such a high standard of living despite all the economic hardships engulfing the region! Anyway, what do I know!

Movie chatter

A scene from Match Point When I feel like the world is going down the drain — something that I have been sensing quite often lately — I turn to the movies. For me, films provide an especially needed escapism. My movie obsession began at an early age, from that point driving many around me crazy, particularly my mother. My addiction was emboldened after I tied the knot with another proud movie buff. Watching films is our favorite past time. We rent, buy and discuss movies constantly. Those following Mental Mayhem may have noticed that cinematic discussions are an integral part of this blog. Well, enough rambling. Let’s talk movies. We have seen a number of good films lately, thanks laregly to Netflix. Here is my take on a few of them:

  1. Match Point: This Woodey Allen movie is simply brilliant. I fully enjoyed both the acting and the story, which uses tennis to explore the irony that is life! Two thumbs way up!
  2. La Communidad: A Spanish black comedy that takes place primarily in an apartment complex in Madrid. As one movie critic said, La Communidad is a mesh between the works of Hitchock and Almodovar.
  3. Kinsey: A film following the life story of an entomologist who decides to study the sexual habits of humans, the scientist, Kinsey, undertakes unorthodox research methods, which prove shocking at times. This is not exactly a family flick and might not be a good choice for conservative viewers.
  4. Me, you and everyone we know: This independent flick is not your usual viewing, proving entertaining but shocking at times. If you are like me and currently traumatized by the events in the Middle East, then this movie is a wonderful distraction from the madness around you.
  5. Lord of War: Nicholas Cage is fanstastic in this intese drama about the corrupt world of international arms sales. I would definitely watch this movie again.

Good news from Jordan, bad news elsewhere

Editors of two local weekly tabloids were released on bail on Sunday, one week after being arrested for republishing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad. Jihad Momani, former editor-in-chief of Shihan and Hashem Khalidi, editor of Al Mihwar weekly, were released from custody after their lawyer requested bail for the third time, said Nidal Mansour, head of the Center for Defending the Freedom of Journalists (CDFJ). The CDFJ issued a statement in which it described the decision as "a positive step to contain the crisis affecting media freedom in Jordan."

Source: [The Jordan Times]

Meanwhile, Algeria and Yemen arrested journalists working for newspapers that reprinted the caricatures of Prophet Muhammad. In addition, Moorish Girl reveals that Abdelhakim Badie — editor of the Moroccan publication Annahar Al-Maghribiya, which reprinted one cartoons — was asked to come to police headquarters to answer questions. He expressed surprise, considering that he had previously published two of the cartoons, without a hitch, on 20 October. Ah, the life of Arab journalists!