tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-152115482012-01-16T11:18:38.574-05:00Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.comBlogger3771100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-89011266597351740072011-08-31T14:12:00.001-04:002011-08-31T18:19:30.909-04:00

This time, the so-called “infidels” won the hearts and minds of many Iraqis who are relentlessly sharing a YouTube video of the Australian version of Britain’s Got Talent, The X Factor, in which Iraqi war survivor Emanuel Kelly performs. Emanuel, who doesn’t know his actual age because he was raised in an orphanage for disabled Iraqi children, was rescued and adopted by Children First

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-4323868820962900612011-03-05T12:40:00.002-05:002011-03-05T13:00:27.146-05:00

A lot of news organizations already know what “crowdsourcing” is. Some have already started using it. However, a new real-time crowdsourcing project is making news gathering take a new turn. “Alive.in” knows how! “Alive.in” is a project launched by international news startup Small World News. The startup’s team is using a group of Arabic translators to crowdsource the translation of the

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-49527477563228654462011-02-12T11:49:00.000-05:002011-02-12T11:49:05.690-05:00

The sounds and images of the Jubilations in Cairo’s Tahrir Square filled my heart with joy. I still cannot believe it is happening in my lifetime. Finally, Arab dictators are no longer in power and Arab peoples are more defiant than ever. I’ve always been a proud Arab, even though my Arabism was flushed down the toilet throughout the last 30 years of my life due to the series of failure that

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-37210404987802628402011-01-15T14:03:00.002-05:002011-01-15T14:07:16.933-05:00

America was founded upon the principle of liberty and freedom, but guess who was covering the quest for freedom in Tunisia extensively yesterday? Al Jazeera, not the American news TV Networks! I am utterly disgusted by how American TV channels have abandoned an important historic event of our time. Tunisian people took to the streets and toppled a Saddam-like totalitarian regime, but their

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-27361045821365412762010-12-26T11:40:00.001-05:002010-12-26T11:41:52.092-05:00

The team of “Only for Iraqis” has again surprised us with a new online comedy animation video with a powerful message: Do it yourself and do not wait for others to do it for you! Their new video starts with the narrator saying that on Christmas Eve the world was celebrating, except Baghdad because it was coated with lack-of-electricity darkness. In the dark, an Iraqi child was waiting for

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-27811716169455754532010-12-07T23:10:00.000-05:002010-12-07T23:10:39.546-05:00

<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-343427803235931912010-12-07T21:40:00.000-05:002010-12-07T21:40:55.430-05:00

<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-54606928240930014922010-11-03T21:57:00.002-04:002010-11-03T22:35:12.554-04:00

Photo Credit: Hadi Mizban, Associated Press, via The New York Times I was with my mother in the back seat of a taxi cab, heading back home from the market, when the driver said something that still rings in my ears. I was eleven years-old then and it was 1991, right after the U.S.-led coalition forces ended their Desert Storm operation. The streets were alive with people going back to work,

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-6433756628261129742010-10-26T22:13:00.043-04:002010-10-26T23:53:44.678-04:00

As I was checking the latest tweets on Iraq on my iPhone this morning, I came across a BBC World tweet that read “Tariq Aziz is a victim, says his son http://bbc.in/9uCfME.” I shook my head in disbelief as I read what the son said. I retweeted and commented, “No, he isn't, said the Iraqi people!” A few hours ago I listened to a recorded interview with him again, repeating his same statement on

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-90724812948715965152010-10-23T12:42:00.002-04:002010-10-26T23:54:50.218-04:00

We all knew it. We all experienced it. We all weren’t surprised by it. And by ‘We’ I mean Iraqis who went through the successive years of mayhem since the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003.  The information in the 391,832 U.S. military documents that were released yesterday by the Whistle-blower website WikiLeaks did not come as a surprise to me. You shouldn’t be surprised either. Iraqis have been

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-29929195589073419992010-10-18T22:44:00.004-04:002010-10-26T23:55:29.690-04:00

A new online satirical cartoon,  depicting Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki and his competitor Ayad Allawi arguing about who rules Iraq as a Prime Minister has emerged on the Web recently. The cartoon, entitled “Demodictatoriyah,” is made by a recently-launched Facebook group, called “Only for Iraqis.” It is posted on the group’s YouTube channel which has more than 100 subscribers already

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-87681867408525231852010-10-17T00:58:00.003-04:002010-10-26T23:57:27.920-04:00

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2010 One of the things I often love to do on my iPad is checking out a photo app, called “TheGuardian Eyewitness.” Today, I came across one of the photos that kind of struck me and encouraged me to share it on my Facebook profile. The photo was of a group of shirtless, masked Palestinian teenagers being run over by an Israeli car driver in the

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-36602443027241934422010-10-05T23:09:00.003-04:002010-10-27T00:01:18.168-04:00

The last time I attended Babylon International Festival was in 2000. Then, it was a celebration of the world’s arts and culture and a revival of a civilization’s history. There performed various Arab, Asian, European, American and African artists, dancing and playing traditional and contemporary music, leaving Iraqis enjoy precious times as they endured the hardships of the Iran-Iraq war and the

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-71601463960343119582010-09-21T01:46:00.005-04:002010-10-27T07:34:35.612-04:00

I was lying in my bed, getting ready to sleep while holding my iPad which I bought two days ago. I responded to emails, tweeted, and checked my Facebook homepage after I brushed my teeth, a ritual I have been doing before going to bed since my life became completely digitalized when I bought my iPhone nine months ago. One last thing I remembered to do: check if there are any interesting apps to

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-11085306158217265122010-09-19T20:05:00.002-04:002010-10-27T20:37:45.897-04:00

A serious journalism ethical question was recently raised in the Middle East after Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram published a doctored photograph, falsely depicting President Hosni Mubarak leading the Middle East peace talks. The photograph was first spotted by Egyptian blogger Wael Khalil who posted the doctored photo, showing Mubarak in the front and the original one that shows he was in fact

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-11798810084617431022010-09-14T22:05:00.007-04:002010-10-27T20:07:53.043-04:00

Celebrating Eid Al-Fitr in Baghdad this year came with the reopening of the Kadhimiya shrine domes! The domes, that had been already coated with pure gold hundreds of years ago, were re-coated with new shining, pure gold tiles. I first heard about the news today when a coworker of mine shared the photos with me. I was literally shocked and disturbed at the same time. I sighed and thought about

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-9941520768181325452010-09-12T11:33:00.008-04:002010-10-27T20:08:35.585-04:00

When Saddam Hussein used his tyrannical methods to control Iraqis, he left an entire population traumatized. I mean really traumatized, not my-cat-don’t-speak-with-me traumatized! This is a fact, but what surprised me today as I was reading the news is finding out that there are Americans who claim they are traumatized by him! Jane Arraf of the Christian Science Monitor reported yesterday that

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-44994135414507299432010-09-07T21:05:00.006-04:002010-10-27T20:09:42.670-04:00

It’s going to be really bad! I mean REALLY bad! This was all I could think of as I read the MSNBC article about the Florida pastor who is organizing the “International Burn the Quran Day” in Florida on the 9th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. I had a sinking feeling right away. It awakened memories of the Muslims’ protests against the satirical cartoons that lampooned the Prophet

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-55486411281060240432010-09-02T20:57:00.004-04:002010-10-27T20:10:18.384-04:00

“Are you Muslim?” uttered the man who asked me about the time first. I wasn’t sure what to respond at first. I thought of the taxi cab driver who was attacked in New York City after he was asked the same question. It was about 9 a.m. when I was standing outside the Greyhound bus station, trying to breathe some fresh air before my bus to Philadelphia arrives. There was no one there other than the

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-44051647411785370952010-03-28T10:52:00.000-04:002010-08-31T21:17:40.981-04:00

Now I know what this fuss was all about and why “The Hurt Locker” won all these Oscars. Simply, the movie is stunning from the very beginning to the very end. There are two strong themes in the movie: courage and war addiction. The protagonist of this film, Staff Sgt. William James appears to be enjoying the horrors that accompany his bomb-defusing job in war-torn Iraq. He is courageous and seems

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-40584853956435006832010-03-18T23:08:00.000-04:002010-08-31T21:17:41.001-04:00

Keeping privacy is something I learned to control instinctively, thanks to years of wars and the former police state where I lived that forced me to understand how to protect myself from interferers. Our digital age has become a little bit difficult to control with the dozens of social networks available nowadays, which I’m kind of obsessed with. However, I’m reconsidering all of that. I have no

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-32366047383789784002010-03-07T19:39:00.000-05:002010-08-31T21:17:41.015-04:00

In two successive days I had great things to witness. Yesterday, I voted in my country's major parliamentary elections, and today my friends and I had the chance to take a tour at the White House!What great experiences, vote for my country on one day and visit the house that supports democracy the next day!For more pictures, visit my flickr page here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bassamsebti/.

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-83296985530201263672010-03-06T22:21:00.000-05:002010-08-31T21:17:41.028-04:00

Today, I fulfilled an important task: I voted in my country’s parliamentary elections. As an Iraqi citizen who adores his country, I couldn’t be happier and proud after I cast my ballot.at the polling center in Arlington, Virginia in the United States. A sense of relief and optimism rushed into me after I did that. There is nothing in this world that can make me happy than seeing my beloved

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-81453344728528416452010-03-03T23:32:00.000-05:002010-08-31T21:17:41.043-04:00

Irish satirist Jonathan Swift once said, “War! that mad game the world so loves to play.” This quote is summarized by a new photo essay published by Foreign Policy magazine. In it, powerful photos of the world’s conflicts describe what words sometimes fail to express.Entitled “Planet War,” the photo essay mentions that from the bloody civil wars in Africa to the rag-tag insurgencies in Southeast

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-66492538763342331772010-02-27T19:23:00.000-05:002010-08-31T21:17:41.055-04:00

Iraq is still in a transformational form. The post-Saddam era is just at its beginning and the struggle for power in the war-torn country is moulding how the Land of Two Rivers is shaped.Among the things that are yet to be solved in Iraq nowadays is Kirkuk. The oil-rich northern Iraqi city has been fought for by Kurds, Arabs and Turkomans, each claiming it is theirs.Josh Rushing of Al Jazeera

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-36023029286453470982010-02-25T01:18:00.000-05:002010-08-31T21:17:41.066-04:00

It feels like 2006 all over again. Déjà vu. A flashback. Call it whatever you like, but the way violence has made its way back to Iraq is making me extremely worried, enraged and sad.Because of the election and the unbelievable dirty politics being played behind it, innocent people are losing their lives and the sectarian war is not far from happening again. Many of the parties and candidates are

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-51506848813094640852010-02-20T10:22:00.000-05:002010-08-31T21:17:41.082-04:00

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine and I had a very long debate on the subject of capital punishment. We have opposite stance on it as she thinks it’s brutal and should end and I think it shouldn’t.I was extremely happy to read that the Iraqi government yesterday rejected calls urged by some 20 countries to abolish or suspend capital punishment.What the opponents of the death penalty do not

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-34409210780818809622010-02-18T20:13:00.000-05:002010-08-31T21:17:41.095-04:00

While I was checking the latest news on my iPhone on my way back home from work, I came across a very interesting video report about the latest propaganda war appearing on some Iraqi TV channels.According to CNN, Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s satellite channel “Afaq” is broadcasting images of Saddam’s regime’s horrific torture methods that were used against many innocent Iraqis and political

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-62982621050287332462010-02-17T16:28:00.000-05:002010-08-31T21:17:41.109-04:00

My mouth fell open in shock when I heard the tax preparer telling me that I will have to pay around $6,000 total taxes. The shock left me speechless and almost paralyzed for two days, as if I was literally hit by a bus.Paying taxes is not something new to me. I have been doing that ever since I set my feet in America. This time I was just not expecting to pay as much.I calculated how much money I

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-63232074721378522862010-02-12T12:48:00.000-05:002010-08-31T21:17:41.125-04:00

I took this picture yesterday while going to H&R Block to file my taxes. I found it really interesting and ironic at the same time.The snow has accumulated on the sidewalks in Washington DC after two blizzards hit the city, paralyzing it for an entire week. Despite these crazy blizzards, I still believe Global Warming is happening, because it's something based on facts.

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-48423032796825876512010-02-07T00:06:00.000-05:002010-08-31T21:17:41.142-04:00

The recent news reports pouring from Iraq states that the Iraqi government wants to impose new restrictions on the media, battling what it says are broadcasts that incite sectarian violence.According to Reuters, the new regulations states that all media and journalists seek permission to operate in Iraq from the Communications and Media Commission (CMC), submit lists of all staff and equipment,

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-46359562502315047032010-02-01T20:53:00.000-05:002010-08-31T21:17:41.156-04:00

Ever since I came to the United States in 2006 I have been hearing about the whole ‘going green’ thing. TV, radio, internet, grad school and even my landlord back in the Philly house where I once lived have been constantly obsessed with recycling and going green.At first, I thought what's all this fuss about? The country is rich enough to produce whatever it wants. Naively, I was comparing it to

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-91543743021576730342010-01-21T22:36:00.000-05:002010-08-31T21:17:41.174-04:00

There is no doubt what is happening in Iran these days is a turning point in the theocracy-run republic. So many strong voices have appeared to challenge the Islamic regime since the 2009 election revealed Ahmadinajad a president, again.So many reports conducted by mainstream media and citizen journalists covered the Iranian regime’s abusive means to suffocate those voices. Among them are

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-87926072013766133492010-01-19T17:46:00.000-05:002010-08-31T21:17:41.206-04:00

Ever since the Haiti disaster happened, I have been following the unfolding events non-stop through TV news networks, newspapers’ Web sites, citizen journalism platforms and Twitter. The coverage, I have noticed, has crossed the line of professional journalism with reporters expressing their emotions and news networks exploiting the misery of the victims to raise ratings.I agree with many people

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-33078565166523498072010-01-14T22:08:00.000-05:002010-08-31T21:17:41.219-04:00

Apparently, teaching hatred and ignorance is not limited to Muslims’ mosques only; it’s happening in Christian churches as well. After hearing the insensitive remarks of Pat Robertson on the Haiti earthquake disaster last night, I encountered something similar today, in one way or another.A friend of mine sent me a message on Facebook, trying to understand something that no sane man can accept.

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-61056903243946030372010-01-13T16:20:00.000-05:002010-08-31T21:17:41.246-04:00

CNN's International Desk has just quoted Haiti’s Prime Minister on the network's twitter page, saying that yesterday’s earthquake has killed hundreds of thousands of people. However, this havoc seems of no sympathy of Pat Robertson who thinks that Haitians are suffering because “they made a pact with Devil” some hundreds of years ago in order to get rid of the French.I watched the below video

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-45590832789128390262010-01-12T23:14:00.000-05:002010-08-31T21:17:41.260-04:00

There is no way one cannot relate what ‘Avatar’ is really about except with the Iraq war. I have seen that movie twice so far and I do not exaggerate if I say I can see it a third, fourth and maybe fifth time. There was just so much resemblance in the storyline that resembles the havoc that war caused upon me and my country.This article puts it in better words. The film director, James Cameron

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-49962083509788264642010-01-12T22:18:00.000-05:002010-08-31T21:17:41.276-04:00

There are no more excuses, I told myself. It’s been too long since I last wrote a blog post. So here it is, my new year’s resolution is blogging or to be more specific reblogging.Nearly five years ago I learned about this beautiful way of expressing one’s self. I know it is no longer something popular and definitely not as popular as it was when I blogged about Iraq from inside the hot zone.

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-79434283541033420802009-08-07T11:15:00.003-04:002009-08-07T11:21:09.758-04:00

Haider Hamza is an Iraqi who goes around the US, with a small wooden booth titled “Talk to an Iraqi”, and he just sits there and lets people come and talk to him.

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-1960420142039294252009-07-07T14:26:00.004-04:002009-07-07T14:34:42.617-04:00

Breathtaking! Philadelphia is the most beautiful city I've ever seen in my life.Photo by G. Widman for GPTMC (http://twitpic.com/9lpls)

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-19342182449010587352009-07-03T11:04:00.004-04:002009-07-03T11:13:18.812-04:00

I’ve long been a huge opponent of the Arabic version of the Qatar-based Aljazeera, a channel I call “Fox News of the Arabs” whose propaganda and hatred-filled sentiments are widely obvious. AJ incites the Arabs/Muslims against the West and Fox does the same with the Americans against the Arabs/Muslims.However, when Al Jazeera English was launched in November 2006 I started following it to see if

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-34041669734228925202009-06-26T14:45:00.002-04:002009-06-26T14:46:09.668-04:00

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-13528922138346312682009-06-24T21:33:00.006-04:002009-06-24T21:49:02.122-04:00

Jon Stewart puts things in perspective and sends his colleague Jason Jones to Iran! The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10cJason Jones: Behind the Veil - Ayatollah You Sowww.thedailyshow.comDaily ShowFull EpisodesPolitical HumorJason Jones in Iran

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-83447815347926574102009-06-24T10:44:00.008-04:002009-06-25T09:23:30.440-04:00

Nothing in this world is better than seeing my beautiful Baghdad comes back to life after years of horrific occupation and terrorism. The bad news is still flowing everyday from Baghdad but some good news is flowing as well.Lately, I have been fond of reading a blog by a fellow Iraqi blogger called "Sami" whose blog posts prove that his love to Baghdad and all of Iraq is bigger than anyone can

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-71023286505996099962009-06-15T17:23:00.003-04:002009-06-15T17:26:50.112-04:00

It's such a disaster Ahmadinajd 'won' in the elections... Here are some great photos of the demonstrations in Tehran.http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/irans_disputed_election.html

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-50133168301341283172009-06-09T22:06:00.008-04:002009-06-09T22:44:40.455-04:00

Last weekend I saw a new print Ad displayed on the bus stop at the corner of my street. It shows George W. Bush looking out a window of Air Force One at the devastation and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans with a close up photo of a person’s pair of hands holding tightly onto a piece of a cardboard with the phrase, “AIDS is DC’s Katrina” scribbled in red across the cardboard.The

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-19621526843318781152009-06-07T23:49:00.004-04:002009-06-08T00:08:38.110-04:00

Israeli newspaper Haaretz published an op-ed about the shocking footage of the reaction by some Israelis and American Jews in Jerusalem to Obama's speech to the Muslim world.Read full op-ed here and see the video below.Unbelievable...

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-52939458296426164342009-06-04T15:43:00.005-04:002009-06-04T15:48:36.714-04:00

Nothing better illustrates the change Obama is trying to do with the U.S. policy towards the Muslim world than his speech today in Cairo.By addressing the Muslims in Egypt, Obama opened a door that was closed for eight years due to the Bush administration’s horrible approach with the Arab and Muslim countries. Walking through that door, Obama was greeted respectably and lovingly by those who once

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-91046676971512474132009-06-03T23:00:00.002-04:002009-06-03T23:05:29.098-04:00

From the White House YouTube page:The United States government reflects the rich diversity of the American population. Meet three Muslim Americans who freely retain and express their own faith identities while serving their nation.

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-61073778048721008032009-06-02T18:35:00.002-04:002009-06-02T18:38:48.482-04:00

What is it with all those Bush administration officials? As if it’s a game! Every time their terms end they show up and speak out loud about how they were mistaken regarding certain things. Wait, those things are not just things; they are decisions that created mayhem and horror.After Bush’s first lying mate Collin Powell admitted on Meet the Press that Iraq did not have WMD, the ruthless former

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-19959676311296560782009-05-20T09:53:00.003-04:002009-05-20T10:15:15.434-04:00

Before heading to work every morning, I turn on the TV to watch CNN's American Morning to get the latest news. This morning, I heard the most interesting news ever! The "Missing Link" is found!!!A discovery of a 47 million-year-old fossil primate that is said to be a human ancestor was announced and unveiled Tuesday at a press conference in New York City. Known as "Ida," the nearly complete

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-5940306239304959012009-05-18T16:12:00.003-04:002009-05-18T17:08:33.620-04:00

Anti two-state demonstration in front of the White House, originally uploaded by baghdadtreasure.As I was heading out to get some lunch with my coworkers, I came across this anti two-state solution demonstration in front of the White House.Click on the picture to see more.

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-9135736330477296172009-05-06T17:11:00.006-04:002009-05-06T17:22:18.159-04:00

I'm following Iraqi deputy prime minister Barham Salih (@BarhamSalih) on Twitter and just read his latest tweet. A lot of people are talking about the improvements in Iraq, but there is a little coverage of the latest surge in violence. Apparently, Salih doesn't agree with the Majority now! Here is what he tweeted:blog.bassamsebti@gmail.com

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-87123301279119629092009-03-15T20:43:00.007-04:002009-03-23T12:38:15.916-04:00

This is a really interesting and chilling short documentary made by two New York Times reporters in the Swat Valley in Pakistan.The documentary profiles an 11-year-old Pakistani girl on the last day before the Taliban close down her school. It is a shocking reminder to all of us that the Taliban need to be crushed by all means. Their barbarian actions are far from over.Warning: this video

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-73313400227515720672009-03-03T22:22:00.005-05:002009-03-07T08:44:10.493-05:00

Last night, I attended a concert performed by Iraq’s Maqam singer, Farida. The concert was part of Arabesque Festival: Arts of the Arab World which is organized by the John F. Kennedy Center from February 23 to March 15, 2009.The below video was taken by my friend Omar.blog.bassamsebti@gmail.com

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-83591528566440668742009-03-01T19:24:00.003-05:002009-03-01T19:34:06.897-05:00

After it was handed over to the Iraqi government, the notorious Abu Ghraib prison has been renovated and opened in a new shape. Its ill-remembered name has been changed as well. It is called Baghdad Central Prison now.On this occasion, The New York Times’ Baghdad Bureau Blog featured its reporters and photographers narrating what they had seen as they covered stories inside that hellish jail from

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-39262359172218163932009-02-11T11:06:00.003-05:002009-02-11T11:16:01.797-05:00

I watched this episode of Saturday Night Live last night with a friend of mine and couldn't resist posting it here.blog.bassamsebti@gmail.com

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-80121810846551314102009-02-10T17:04:00.003-05:002009-02-10T17:10:30.408-05:00

The extreme right-wing and go-to-hell-non-Jesus-worshipers-Fox-News-host Bill O'Reilly called White House reporter Helen Thomas the "wicked witch of the east” just because she is old.*Thinking here* Isn’t he on the verge of being 60 years-old? Does he think he is young? I can’t believe human beings actually watch his show and listen to his nonsense.

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-32560485738007254742009-02-09T13:28:00.003-05:002009-02-09T13:32:28.820-05:00

CNN: Push to put porn star in Senate race is no racy gimmickNEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) – Fans of porn star Stormy Daniels are drafting her to run for the U.S. Senate seat in Louisiana now held by Republican David Vitter. And it's no racy gimmick, they say."2010 presents the Pelican State with the opportunity to start with a clean slate — to elect a representative that we can be proud of, who

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-6885671456173565332009-01-29T21:38:00.005-05:002009-01-29T22:04:29.293-05:00

On Saturday, Iraqi people are going to the polling centers to cast their ballots in the country’s provincial elections. I’ve been following the elections news and thought I should share some information I have gathered in that regard.For those interested in understanding what the ABCs of the elections are, read this MSNBC Q&A report.As you may all know, violence in Iraq has decreased due to

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-8759529217156587352009-01-20T15:05:00.005-05:002009-01-20T18:18:52.240-05:00

Today is a great day in the history of the world. The dark ages of Bush are gone and 'hope' is making its way towards our hearts, filling it with the joy of having Obama leading us -Iraqis and Americans- to the path of change.Here is what I wrote for the Institute for War and Peace Reporting.blog.bassamsebti@gmail.com

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-20792653943261709082009-01-19T23:15:00.007-05:002009-01-20T11:05:08.713-05:00

From The Huffington Post:President Bush was given an Iraqi-journalist-style sendoff on his last full day in office Monday, as tourists and demonstrators lobbed shoes, pumps, boots, sandals and Crocs from Pennsylvania Avenue onto the White House lawn.Before launching the operation live, the shoe-chuckers took target practice in Dupont Circle on a 20-foot-tall blow up doll of the outgoing president

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com242tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-44667140400604197902009-01-15T12:44:00.001-05:002009-01-15T12:52:00.049-05:00

CNN's Campell Brown takes on Bush over Bin Laden. In a recent interview with CNN's Larry King, the soon-to-leave president said he didn't know whether the U.S. had ever come close to capturing bin Laden. Watch here:Embedded video from CNN Video

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-30508194757119406772009-01-15T01:44:00.004-05:002009-01-15T11:32:45.781-05:00

Simply because they are children...Watch this video that was made by Saudi blogger, Raed, author of Falsafat.Reaction on this topic can be found here.blog.bassamsebti@gmail.com

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-34481287750982192312009-01-13T10:49:00.006-05:002009-01-14T20:45:40.965-05:00

It was the same scene playing in my mind as it was on the stage. A young man called Adnan standing between mutilated dead bodies at the Baghdad morgue, looking for his friend’s body. As I was watching, I recalled how I stood in the real morgue back in 2006. The smell of the decaying bodies and the horror of being identified by the militias who were controlling the morgue flashed back into my eyes

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-44017379678020951562009-01-11T11:09:00.004-05:002009-01-11T11:24:19.511-05:00

As I was going to have lunch last Friday Jan. 9, I came across this anti-war-on-Gaza demonstration at the Lafayette Square, across the street from the front of the White House. blog.bassamsebti@gmail.com

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-12459784815968915962009-01-09T00:51:00.004-05:002009-01-09T16:56:33.915-05:00

I have long been following Barak Obama's news, having had the hope he would become the president of United States. Even though I’m a non-American I believe studying Obama means studying how the world’s superpower is going to be led. I have been reading dozens of articles about him since I have gotten to be familiar with his name when I first came to the States in 2006. I even remember writing a

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-34057517215113714322009-01-07T15:47:00.011-05:002009-01-07T20:01:42.509-05:00

My colleague at work thought I was reading an article in the Onion. She was shocked when she discovered that the article was actually published on the Web site of a local NBC station.The article was about Joe the Plumper announcing his new career as a war correspondent. Joe who is not even a licensed plumper, is going to Israel to report on the Israeli war on Gaza for an Ohio-based conservative

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-70171255214828948102009-01-05T10:45:00.005-05:002009-01-05T11:01:27.082-05:00

Foreign correspondent and editor Magda Abu-Fadil wrote a very interesting blog post that was published in today’s edition of the Huffington Post.In her post, Abu Fadil detailed how the Bush shoe incident left an impact on the worldwide fury against the recent Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.It was bound to continue. The shoe has been transformed into a weapon of protest and fury at Israel's

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-51451045159115854452009-01-02T16:37:00.003-05:002009-01-02T16:46:51.398-05:00

With Pulitzer Prize-winner Anthony Shadid going back to the war-torn Iraq and the great work photographer Andrea Bruce is doing there, the real picture of Iraq has finally emerged, after two years of regular, non-powerful articles that did not reflect much of the country’s turmoil. Shadid who won the Pulitzer for International Reporting in 2004 has recently returned to the segregated,

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-64224227530732338712008-12-29T10:10:00.002-05:002008-12-29T10:23:22.530-05:00

It feels like the same war Israel carried out against Lebanon in 2006 again. Doesn’t it? Bombardments, slaughter, complete destruction and civilian killings—all under the banner of “fighting the terrorists.”So what is Israel trying to say in this war? Gaining its reputation it lost back in 2006 after Hezbullah triumphed, became more powerful and now became part of the Lebanese government? Or is

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com107tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-12215234653790219132008-12-21T21:19:00.002-05:002008-12-21T21:22:25.443-05:00

Amazing!

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-42179499481392616222008-12-15T16:55:00.003-05:002008-12-15T17:05:35.616-05:00

I’m sure you all have seen what happened yesterday when the Iraqi reporter threw his shoes at the soon-to-leave American president. I have to say I was surprised. I had mixed feelings and didn’t know if I should laugh or not.Professionally as a journalist myself, I found what the reporter did was extremely wrong. Journalists have their voices and pens (and now the internet) to express whatever

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-58581604721100136842008-11-14T09:38:00.002-05:002008-11-14T09:41:50.861-05:00

When I called my mother last week, she said everybody is worried because of the increase of ‘al-lasiqa,’ a term I have not heard of before I left Baghdad in July 2006. I asked what that is and she said it’s a sticky bomb usually put under the car. For those who do not know what the sticky bomb is, read this New York Times article about it and how insurgents are using it in Iraq. blog.bassamsebti@

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-39624531890873640532008-11-13T13:08:00.007-05:002008-11-14T09:46:40.152-05:00

Last night my employer the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) held its annual Awards Dinner. Several awards were granted to some outstanding journalists who covered wars, disasters, and government abuse all over the world.The International Center for Journalists is a non-profit, professional organization that promotes quality journalism worldwide in the belief that independent, vigorous

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-52369389161564735872008-11-13T11:37:00.003-05:002008-11-13T12:05:37.719-05:00

On November 10, 2008, Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari approved the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Ordinance 2008, a new law to combat cyber terrorism in his country.The text law reads:"Whoever commits the offence of cyber terrorism and causes death of any person shall be punishable with death or imprisonment for life and with fine and in any other case he shall be punishable with

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-6427239404480980272008-11-05T15:33:00.003-05:002008-11-05T15:40:04.206-05:00

Like millions across the world, I was glued to the TV last night. CNN did an incredible job in covering the elections night. When Obama was announced the elect president I jumped off the couch and the first words I uttered were, “I have a huge respect for this country.”Indeed, Obama’s victory was a victory to the entire world that has become fed up and tired of Bush’s policies. Looking at Obama

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-59631994128836821342008-10-23T11:07:00.004-04:002008-10-31T16:01:32.480-04:00

American society has often been described as a melting pot. It has become a great nation by its people's will and desire to live, work and build as they work hard to achieve their American dream. But what is happening now by some conservative Americans as they support McCain is extremely hurting this great image of the American dream, which is the essence of what America is all about. Expressing

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-8557131174350322972008-10-07T10:50:00.003-04:002008-10-23T23:21:05.904-04:00

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-74343927188856452722008-10-03T16:43:00.005-04:002008-10-03T16:57:30.094-04:00

From today's Washington Post: The Defense Department will pay private U.S. contractors in Iraq up to $300 million over the next three years to produce news stories, entertainment programs and public service advertisements for the Iraqi media in an effort to "engage and inspire" the local population to support U.S. objectives and the Iraqi government. All I want to say here is that Iraqis do not

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-15232223632030720892008-09-30T14:50:00.004-04:002008-10-09T11:21:17.886-04:00

I usually write my reviews about books after I finish reading them, but this time I wanted to share my opinion with you before finishing it.This time the book is about conflict all over the world: In the Hot Zone: One Man, One Year, Twenty Wars by solo journalist, Kevin Sites. Which one of us doesn't remember the U.S. soldier's image shooting an unarmed insurgent in a mosque in Fallujah during

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-59508498394006274502008-09-29T23:48:00.003-04:002008-09-30T17:03:31.246-04:00

Muslim Massacre is a website dedicated to a new electronic hate game that promotes killing the Muslims, their prophet and even God wherever they are. It can be downloaded for free online. The website tells surfers that it's a game of "modern religious genocide." They are urged "not be a liberal pussy, download this now". Reaction against that hate game was first published in the Lebanese

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-25456520217319622472008-09-14T12:33:00.004-04:002008-09-15T10:24:22.734-04:00

It seems it was not enough what the Wahabis did since they hijacked Islam and Saudi Arabia, but also they continue to be the source of most of the mayhem across the Middle East. They just don't stop spreading hatred and murder for any reason they find right before their eyes. On September 12, Saudi Arabia's Wahabi Sheikh Salih Ibn al-Luhaydan issued a fatwa live on radio permitting the killing of

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-60448030583702910002008-09-13T11:30:00.002-04:002008-09-13T11:38:29.155-04:00

Video courtesy of http://hmatkin.blogspot.com/

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-8805293748422540452008-09-05T00:30:00.003-04:002008-09-05T11:43:24.002-04:00

A few days ago, I finished reading a very interesting book about the Middle East and more specifically about the Shiite Muslims. The Shia Revival by Vali Nasr is a must-read for all those who have no idea what the terms 'Shiite' and 'Sunni' mean. I actually recommend it more for those who are interested in knowing why there is a difference in the two terms and why was all this fuss called '

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-3990744562548609912008-08-20T23:16:00.008-04:002008-08-24T10:51:40.604-04:00

My friend and fellow blogger, Brian Conley, has been arrested by the Chinese government in Beijing, the Committee to Protect Bloggers said on its website. Brian, the founder of Alive in Baghdad, was arrested while documenting the activities of New York artist James Powderly, who seems was planning a Tibet-themed event at the Olympics.From this forum, I call on the free people in the word to raise

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-70123574755358941572008-07-23T00:37:00.001-04:002008-09-30T15:22:38.661-04:00

I have just finished reading some interesting articles by David Enders and Richard Rowley. The two are journalists reporting from Iraq for the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, a non-profit online journalism organization that intends to be "a leader in sponsoring the independent reporting that media organizations are increasingly less willing to undertake on their own."The two Iraq journalists

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-6351908578290022982008-07-15T12:05:00.004-04:002008-07-16T15:59:37.039-04:00

Freedom has limits. It definitely should not disrespect other cultures. Is it that hard to respect other people's culture? I guess not.Well, I have been following the news of arresting western tourists in the United Arab Emirates for breaking the law by disrespecting the Muslim country's traditions. Earlier this month a British businesswoman was caught having sex in public on Jumeirah Beach in

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com93tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-20709871088487115882008-07-12T12:19:00.002-04:002008-07-12T12:44:59.099-04:00

It is really sad to see an American think of an Iraqi refugee as an enemy. This is either ignorance or simple hatred or maybe both. Iraqis who had suffered under Saddam had suffered even more when the U.S. invaded and occupied their country. Hundreds of thousands were kidnapped, tortured, beheaded, displaced and even buried alive in mass graves since the war started five years ago. And for what?

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-74783356194630769062008-07-08T22:26:00.003-04:002008-07-08T22:35:51.023-04:00

They were used like cigarettes and when they were in no use any more, they were thrown in the streets to be crushed by the bystanders. Those are the Iraqi army veterans who once threw their lives in the frontlines, defending their country and fighting the fiercest terrorists of our world. Instead of being rewarded for their bravery, they were ignored and forgotten.The New York Times published a

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-77963152613877431082008-07-06T23:54:00.005-04:002008-07-08T17:52:42.517-04:00

When Saddam said he would fight the Americans fiercely if attacked he was just bluffing. He didn’t have anything to fight them with. Iran’s officials are saying the same if attacked by the U.S. and Israel. However, the equation is not similar. Iran is not Saddam’s Iraq. It’s much stronger. Last Saturday, The Independent reported that Iran would attack back if attacked. The paper quoted the head

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-75171586260133737432008-06-22T20:10:00.005-04:002008-07-06T21:19:14.453-04:00

Yesterday (June 21st) I was invited to speak at the first-of-its-kind conference in the City of Brotherly Love. The Philadelphia-held conference was an open-borders event between the newly arrived Iraqi refugees to the Philadelphia area and their new American friends and neighbors. The conference coincided with the June 20th World Refugee Day and was held by one of Philadelphia’s oldest

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-37338876335183053442008-06-17T13:34:00.013-04:002008-07-06T21:19:52.858-04:00

My Saudi friend Ali has forwarded me a very interesting essay that I thought of sharing with you. As we all know, feminism in Saudi Arabia is locked behind the iron prison bars of the extremist Wahabi clerics and the male-dominant culture that crippled the other half of humanity component.Nadine al-Bdair, a Saudi author and essayist, wrote an extremely rebellious essay against her country’s

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-34368037624932474832008-06-12T11:09:00.010-04:002008-07-07T01:58:10.020-04:00

More and more frequently since I have started reading books about the Middle East and Iraq I have begun to see how Iraq has been shaped and changed. For the last five years, I read several books. Before those five years, I poured most of my attention on literature, avoiding anything that has to do with politics, especially Saddam’s in order to survive. The books I read were mostly written by

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-23934721388085117362008-06-10T14:28:00.003-04:002008-06-29T15:45:08.953-04:00

Nearly seven years ago, the world stood still. Two towers were making their way down, collapsing metal, glass, and most importantly innocent people. Two hijackers made that happen, destroying not only the lives of three thousand people, but also hundreds of thousands across the Atlantic Ocean. Since then, the map of the world changed, not geographically but politically. The United States

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-21290014804193766682008-05-18T03:52:00.005-04:002008-05-18T04:15:30.926-04:00

Such an incredibly sad story. The Iraqi blogsphere has lost one of its members, BlogIraq. I can't offer anything here except my sorrow and anger at what life has turned to be.May those who killed him never feel peace.Find details here: http://www.blogiraq.info/2008/05/16/blogiraq-is-dead/baghdadtreasure@gmail.com

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-34211487720381074802008-05-15T13:10:00.001-04:002008-05-15T13:10:49.620-04:00

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-75219858736773419472008-05-05T12:58:00.004-04:002008-05-05T14:02:14.958-04:00

This morning while I was making some tea for breakfast, my landlord’s copy of Time magazine drew my attention. The issue was a special edition that presented the world’s 100 most influential figures. As I was leafing through the magazine, I saw that an Iraqi woman was considered one of those influential figures. Seeing this made my day. It left me with a sense of optimism that despite all the

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-28382401745698362622008-05-02T10:54:00.004-04:002008-05-02T11:26:08.833-04:00

As I was flipping through the TV channels last night, I saw a 6abc report about Iraq. The report was not about Iraqi people; it was about Iraqi stray dogs. The anchors of the five-minute report called its subject "an extraordinary story." Stray dogs are being flown from Iraq by airplanes to the U.S. to be adopted by U.S. military servicemen and women, and sometimes by the private security

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15211548.post-62057565740838035312008-05-01T18:56:00.006-04:002008-05-02T10:02:31.366-04:00

Aljazeera’s Sami Alhajj is finally released. It’s the second good news I heard this month. The first one was the release of Bilal Hussein, the Associated Press cameraman. Alhajj and Hussein were detained by the U.S. government for six and two years of ordeal, respectively without any charges.I can’t even imagine the amount of degrading these journalists and many others had to go though in the U.S

Bassam Sebtihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782175662290272238noreply@blogger.com4