 |
According to Jordan’s national news service, Petra, Jordanian policewoman are currently being trained to ride motorcycles. Is not that just too cool? It seems we are soon going to see Jordanian policewomen zipping about on motorbikes on the streets of the Kingdom. Neat! Hat tip: [Salam] |
Last night we drove down Wisconsin Ave. into northwest DC to watch the Tunisian film Khochkhach (Fleur d’oubli) accompanied by Leilouta, her husband and blogger Freedom for Egyptians. The movie was running as part of the Arabian Sights Film Festival, now in full swing.
I enjoyed Khochkhach a great deal for a number of reasons: the engaging script, the powerful acting and the beautiful Tunisian scenery. The movie’s major theme revolves around the misery of a woman trapped in a sexless marriage to a secretly homosexual husband. To alleviate her pain, the protagonist Zakia seeks pleasure in Khochkhach tea, primarily used in Tunis in the early 1940’s to ease the pain of women after child birth and to put newborns to sleep. Since Khochkhach tea is derived from poppy plants, it was quite effective. As Zakiah’s desperation grows so does an addiction. She reaches rock bottom and ends up in an asylum.
Based on a true story, the movie boldly crosses red lines in the Arab world by discussing taboo issues such as a woman’s need for sexual fulfillment and homosexuality.
According to director Salam Baccar, who was present for a Q&A after the movie, the issue of homosexuality was not taken lightly by the Arabic press. She explained that many reviewers could not fathom the concept of an aristocratic, virile Tunisian man who is homosexual. Another interesting point Baccar brought up during the discussion was the fact that there is a very limited market for Tunisian movies, as the Arab market is dominated by Egyptian movies. As a result the market for this movie is first and foremost Tunisia and then Europe, especially France. But Baccar said she is still struggling to find a distributor and hoping to market her movie to the rest of the west.
Finally, it is also worth noting that Badiaa Abdallah, who played Zakia, did a fantastic job in conveying a woman’s journey of sorrow and then, ultimate peace. If you ever get the chance to see this movie, do not hesitate. It is so beautifully done and conveys a very potent message.
My previous post about Muna Njiem’s bid for ITU Secretary General has generated a little bit of a debate about her role in the sale of Jordanian mobile operator Umniah. As a result of some of that discussion, her election team left a comment on this blog today linking to an official response from her about her role in the sale. For those interested, here is the link to the official response. Her closing comment is here as one quick highlight:
Can’t comment on the "resale"; as it took place after my tenure with TRC, as I left to concentrate on my campaign for ITU SecGen.
To read more about the controversy unleashed last July over the sale, make sure to check out Khalaf’s detailed post .
Khalaf, who left a note on Njiem’s site about Umniah, has also just posted regarding her response. Although he regards the reply as "really the official line, which states that the opening of the communications market is better for the consumer," he does close out by wishing her luck and thanking her for "the professional response to the voices of the blogosphere." Khalaf’s full post is available here.
UPDATE: Muna Nejem left a follow-up comment on Khalaf’s post, saying: "I want to thank all of you for taking the time to visit my site and for the show of support. The Umniah licensing is exactly what I stated; clean, pure and simple. It was done by transparent "due process" and with the approval of Council of ministers at every step. I am at your disposal, at a later stage, to hold a meeting w/all who are interested from you to explain things in the minutest details. I thank you again, and promise all of you that I never compromise on honesty and honor, and I set extremely high standards for honesty and honor for myself. God, the Almighty, is always watching every small deed we do.
You are the future, and I believe in you. I lead by example and pray to God, and with your support that together we will do our utmost to serve humanity at large, to the best of our capabilities."
Jordanian IT expert Muna Nijem is currently in the running for the position of Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Unit (ITU). According to ITU’s official website, the unit is an international organization headquartered in Geneva that operates within the United Nations System, where governments and the private sector coordinate global telecom networks and services.
Muna Nijem was chairman and CEO of Jordan’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC). Before that she worked with the UN and other international organizations. Here is a link to her biography. On her website, Nijem explains her plans for the ITU, saying:
If elected, I will not lose sight of key elements of the ITU’s mission. In particular, I will focus on how the ITU can help Members to employ ICT as an engine for building a better future for all nations, rich and poor, developed and developing, technologically advanced or emerging. While I know that no one can predict the future, I can commit to providing the leadership that the ITU needs to fulfill its mission.
It is worth noting that Nijem is the the first woman candidate for this position and the only candidate from Asia. I wish her the best of luck. Her appointment would sure put Jordan on the global IT map.
In what is becoming a rapidly evolving tradition each anniversary, we left town last weekend to celebrate our third wedding anniversary. Our first anniversary was celebrated in Dubai, while the second was in New York. This year, our destination of choice was Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia is pretty neat, feeling somehow like a young town with a number of quaint streets laden with European-style pubs and off-beat shops. It also has tremendous significance in American history, as the city is home to Independence Hall, where the American constitution was signed, the Liberty Bell, the first US Post Office, and the home of Betsy Ross, who is said to have sewn the first US flag, among other things.
Touring on a bus that converted into a boat was an exciting way to see the city and the Delaware River. While on the tour, our guide showed us Will Smith’s house, right on the river. According to our guide, the residents of Philly know Smith is in town when they see flags mounted outside the house. Smith’s dad, who lives in the house year-round, puts out the flags whenever his son comes home. I guess this makes life for Smith’s stalkers much easier. Anyway, I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.
