Through Abu Aadvark, I discovered that one of my favorite Arab columnists, Mona Eltahawy, has been banned from writing for the Saudi-owned Al-Sharq Al-Alawsat daily. The reason is unclear, says Abu Aaadvark, who also wondered if it could be Egyptian pressure. "Perhaps she offended the wrong Saudi? She wasn’t officially told she was banned nor given any reason, but there you go. She’s just gone," he said.
I’m assuming she was banned simply because of her enlightening, yet unorthodox opinions. It is too bad, really. Until when are we going to be stuck with writers babbling the same old rhetoric that we grew up listening to? It really is sad and very frustrating. Her writing renewed my hope in Arab media.
I feel lucky that this past March I had a chance to meet her when we both took part in a panel discussion on reporting in the Middle East that was organized by the University of Wisconsin. In person she is just as impressive as she is in print. She is very smart, very articulate and extremely passionate. I will reiterate now what I said back then: The Arab world definitely needs more Mona’s.
The good news, though, is that she is still writing for a number of international publications. You can also read her articles on her website. She’s also writing for Jordanbased Maktoob. She will never be silenced. Al-Sharq Al-Awsat really made a very poor decision.
abu fatoush
Why don’t you eat fatoush, it may make you smarter. If you ready my messages from the beging to end of this blog you’ll understand, other wise I can’t help you. However, a friend told me that in your america they have some reading classes so that can help you.
And by the way tabouleh is way better than fatoush
anon: what on earth are you talking about? please provide a short list of those journalists you feel understand “the Palestinian” problem. lemme guess, robert fisk is on the top, huh?
My point is that Ms. Tahawi speaks out of no understanding to the Palestinian problem. She is not even Palestinian so she can do us a favor and go comment about other issues.
Walak,
You are generalizing Americans far too much. Yes, people did vote for Bush, but there are also plenty of Americans who did not vote for him, don’t agree with him, and who protest against him — just as Skye already pointed out.
That being said, since you generalize Americans, does that mean that I am able to generalize all Muslims and Arabs as psychotic terrorists? How do you feel when someone says that obviously you like to kidnap innocent people such as civilians and journalists and behead them, and you enjoy flying planes into buildings and killing thousands of innocent people? That is ridiculous to say, isn’t it? It’s just as ridiculous as you saying that all Americans do whatever the hell it is you claim that we do as a whole! Yes, there are Americans out there who fit into the category you lumped us all into…as well as Arabs, Canadians, Europeans, Asians, etc. I am aware that there are many good Arabs out there and that the terrorists are a small group among them, so why can’t you realize that not all Americans are whom you claim us to be? There’s good and bad in every group no matter how you cut it. You are so blinded by hate that you can’t see this!
Point is, you are so full of hatred for the Americans (and obviously Israel as well) that nothing anyone says will change your mind, and that’s so incredibly sad. I really am sad for you. It must be awful to live with such hatred in your heart.
Oh for Pete’s sake. First,get it through your thick skull that there are many American’s who DID NOT vote for Bush and who DON’T like or agree with his policies. In fact there has always been debate here if Bush even really won the election.
My guess, the way you’re talking is that you’re going to keep on hating and blaming all Americans no matter what anyone says. You’re always going to assume that all Americans don’t care about Muslims or Arabs. So keep on hating.
And so it goes…
“I’m so tired of people judging Americans solely based on the actions of our crazy and corupt administration.”
this president came to power by the will of the majority of americans, even after his lies were exposed. that says plenty about the majority of americans. Your feelings of your feelings of exauhstion are nothing close to the feeling of an M16 bullet piercing the body of a Palestinian or Iraqi. what i am saying is that i could care less about your feelings because you could care less about my life. and when the camera is not around to record your ations, yo uare capable of far more hedious crimes than Jack the ripper.
Basboos and Skye,
THANK YOU!!! I couldn’t have said any of that better myself. Very well said.
Walak, Great job lumping all Americans togther. Your hate for the US is based what? Do even you live in the US? Do you know many Americans? Becaue you seem to know how all of us think and feel.
I’m so tired of people judging Americans solely based on the actions of our crazy and corupt administration.. That’s as stupid and ignorant as people in the US judging all Arabs/Muslims by the actions of Al Qaiada.
Contrary to what you might believe, there are many of us in the US who don’t like George Bush , did not vote for him, did not support the Iraq invasion, don’t approve of some US foreign policy etc…
Walak…No one is trying to divert the attention from Israel’s brutality!!! What is wrong with you?? And for the Palestinians it was never a religous issue, it was an issue of stolen land and being…The world sadly has put it in the religous category. When f*cking osama bin laden comes out after 9/11 saying that the suffering of the Palestinians is one of the reasons al qaeda committed this terrorist act, who has diverted the attention from Israel’s brutatlity now???? No one screwed the Palestinians more than groups like Qaeda and other Arabs that used this cause to achieve personal interests…
“show some solidarity and condemning the silencing of free voices”
I am sorry, we have low standards for what is considered “silencing free voices” and that includes jailing people (did not happen to mona), physically abusing the victim (did not happen to mona) and using various form of intimidations and threats (did not happen to mona), or firing her from her bread-winning job (did not happen to mona). I guess when you live in a place like Jordan and in between palestine and iraq, “silencing” tends to mean many things including but not limted to murder, none of which happened to mona.