Shisa

From Chris : these are the important things in life !

After some months of delay and procrastination, I have finally purchased my very own shisha. And its not one of the small ones, oh no. It is a monster, with swivel action for those in a sharing mood. After going back and forth around Khan el Khalili this weekend, haggling/arguing with the vendors I feel some feeling of victory. I paid just over 100 LE for the big one, with some of the places starting at 150 for the small ones. I'm not exactly sure if I was any good at negotiating. I've heard people have bought one of the small ones for around 70 LE, but I don't know how. Anyway, although I still love the atmosphere of the ahwas more than just sitting at home, being able to have mango or apple shisha whenever you please is cool.Now I just have to figure out how to get this monstrosity home. In one piece.

And in not so good news ...

Thousands of Palestinians have staged protests over the alleged abuse of the Quran at the US detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Aljazeera has reported.

The protests follow mass demonstrations across Afghanistan in the past few days that have left more than 10 people dead and dozens injured after clashes with the police.

Demonstrations have also been held in Pakistan and Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation.

The spreading anger comes after a report published by Newsweek magazine said that US interrogators at Guantanamo desecrated copies of the Quran by leaving them in toilet cubicles and stuffing one down a lavatory.

Friday prayers protest

In Palestine, Aljazeera reported that about 2000 demonstrators from the Jabaliya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip held aloft copies of the Quran and Hamas flags as they marched through the streets after Friday prayers.

Afghans have demonstrated against the US An American and an Israeli flag were burned during the demonstration. Nizar Rayan, a Hamas political leader, said the demonstrators were outraged by "the profanation of the Quran by the enemies of God at Guantanamo and by the Zionist enemies in the prison of occupation". In the city of Hebron in the southern West Bank, about 400 Muslims protested against the alleged incident in the US camp after attending prayers at the Tomb of the Patriarchs, a site also holy to Jews.

Meanwhile, several people were killed and more than 20 wounded in protests in Afghanistan on Friday, as anger spread over the report, police and residents said.

Across Afghanistan

The deaths occurred in Faizabad, capital of Badakshan province, when more than 1000 people demonstrated against the alleged abuses, deputy provincial governor Shams-ul Rehman told reporters.

"Three people were killed and 21 others including three policemen were injured in demonstrations today," he said.

Angry protesters torched the office of Focus Canada, an aid agency mainly funded by the Aga Khan, the billionaire spiritual leader of the world's 15 million Shia Ismaili Muslims. "Protesters had been shouting anti-American slogans and marching through the streets of the city but it was now more under control," the deputy governor said.

Police and security forces were on high alert across Afghanistan since clashes erupted between protesters and government forces on Tuesday.

Police clashes

They are the worst anti-US demonstrations since the fall of the Taliban in late 2001. Two protesters were killed on Thursday when gunfire broke out as police stopped them marching into the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad from a district to the northwest.

On Wednesday four people were killed in Jalalabad when police opened fire to control a mob that torched the buildings of several aid agencies, the Pakistani consulate and the governor's house. One person died and four were wounded when rioters attacked a police station in Wardak province, which borders Kabul, on Thursday.

Four police officers and national army soldiers were killed in a clash with protesters in Ghazni province, to the southwest of the capital, residents there said. Promised US inquiry
Aljazeera's correspondent in Islamabad, Pakistan, reported that mass demonstrations were held after the noon prayer in major Pakistani cities.Protesters have set some government buildings ablaze and called for the departure of US forces from Afghanistan.

The treatment of Guantanamo prisoners has caused outrage The US has responded by promising an inquiry over the alleged abuses.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice used an appearance before a Senate committee on Thursday to make a special statement "directly to Muslims in America and throughout the world" on the reported incidents. "
Disrespect for the holy Koran is not now, nor has it ever been, nor will it ever be, tolerated by the United States," she said.

New trainees !!!

Who are the new interns coming to the USA ?

Welcome ...

Mohammed Salama - Egypt : working for the YMCA, MADISON.
Hind Cherkaoui - Morocco : working for the YMCA, MADISON.
Gannet Akef - Egypt : working for IBI, SAN JOSE.
Meryem Anajar - Morocco : working for IBI, SAN JOSE.
Latfia Skouri - Morocco : working for IBI, SAN JOSE.
Sarah Hamza - Egypt : working for AMIDEAST, D.C.

Way to go AIESEC in the Bay Area, Madison and D.C ! This summer is going to be amazing. We have plenty of more students being matched right now.

I have a blog!!

Finally and after a long long time I decided to do my blog!!!Many people tried to Convince, but only one made me do it! It was not a personal decision to do that...But it was a direct order from a powerful Australian girl, her name is Jennifer Harwood which is a copy of an other Egyptian girl i know back home which is known as LULY (both girls are best friends!!!).

Welcome SHADY !! (Shady B as opposed to Shady T who is still to get a blog.)

MEI

Interesting web site for all - Middle East Institute. A lot of information to educate people around Middle East policy.

Salaam trainee Shady - letter to the Department of State.

As a participant in the AIESEC Salaam Program, I work as a System Administrator/IT manger for an Insurance company in San Francisco California.

I have heard of the fear and anger towards Arabs and Muslims as a result of the events of September 11th, and I am eager to challenge the stereotypes. I am telling them about my culture and myself to discover how I differ from the often-negative stereotypes they have heard of Arabs and Muslims. I am setting up a good example of Arab Muslim youth.

I am also eager to challenge the stereotypes Arabs and Muslims are having against American. I will deliver all that when I go back to my country. I will clarify the true picture of American other then the one they watch in the media. I will show them how nice and helpful Americans are, regardless of what they hear and see. I had the experience and will be able to powerfully reflect it back on my society.

I guess that’s the power of the Salaam Program, it builds a bridge between the United States and Arabs. It is directed towards more understanding between the two parties. I assure you that Salaam program is important in such a time like this. We are all geared towards a world peace and the program really helps.

I also encourage the United States to send much more participants to my beloved Egypt. I assure you they will have a wonderful experience.

I personally invite you to come and enjoy the wonderful land of Egypt. Come and see how we treat our visitors and you will know how much we care and respect others and ourselves.

Thanks you for providing us with this opportunity to discover the beautiful America and Americans. Keep it going.

Love and Peace
Shady Taha,
Salaam trainee
San Francisco, CA,