A Sinister New Middle East Export, Iranian Mullahs' Tedious Auld Lang Syne, Arctic Madrassas in the Norwegian Woods
Arab media (alquds alarabi, alarabiya, etc) report on a study by a
Cairo-based human rights group (Cairo Center for Human Rights) that has warned of the dangerous role being
played by Arab regimes in 'exporting oppression' to the rest of the world. The report notes that
Arab countries have huge surpluses of 'oppression', they have more than
they need. Apparently it does not take much oppression to 'oppress' the Arab peoples and keep them subdued: no pitchforks are allowed in the capital cities, and the people seem happy with that. So the ruling oligarchies have been exporting the surplus oppression through such venerable organizations as the United Nations, the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, and others that have been under pressure to muzzle non-government human rights groups. The Arab League is accused of facilitating this export of oppression, and helping reduce international pressures for reform. In the process they are making oppression and corruption in the Arab states acceptable on the international level. It has become almost respectable in some Western circles, this oppression of Arabs by their rulers.
The report does not mention corruption, which they have also been exporting- they even converted Tony (yo) Blair into a supporter of corruption on a huge scale, to the extent that he squashed British SFO investigations of royal bribes in arms deals.
Hey, at least they are finally exporting something besides oil, terrorism, and political/economic exiles. Oh, I forgot the mosques and the madrassas of technology (see third paragraph below).
Iranian officials have announced that they will resume their old extra-curricular activities during the Hajj pilgrimage to mecca this week. In the old days of the 1980s, Iranians used to gather in ceremonies that ended with silly shouts of "Death to Israel", and "Death to America", which are sort of like Auld Lang Syne to the ruling mullahs. The Saudis have announced that they will not tolerate any such activities, which remind them of the disruptions of the 1987 season when many pilgrims died in confrontations with the security forces.
Arab media report that a Saudi businessman is putting up about US$ 3 million to build a large mosque in the "polar arctic region" in the northernmost part of hospitable Norway. The mosque will be large, in a region that reindeer probably outnumber Muslims, Christians and Jews combined.
No reports so far if any businessman in secular Norway has offered to finance a church or a synagogue in Riyadh. The equivalent of the arctic north would be the Empty Quarter, where hardly any Christians or Jews live.
An important technical dilemma in the land of the "midnight sun" is how to determine when to perform which prayer, given that they are set for certain times of the day, in terms of the solar movement.
No report yet if the Saudi businessman is writing his own haikus.
"One silver lining is that the collapse of oil prices has weakened the power of Arab rulers vs their peoples. It has reduced the ability of Arab rulers to push around their peoples. Reduced oil revenues has reduced the ability of the oligarchs to purchase politicians and tribes, and to dominate the Arab media and purchase many of its personalities." alquds alarabi.
This guy is too optimistic. They will still purchase those they need to purchase, but now the price will have to come down because of the forces of demand and supply. The supply and demand curves will intersect at a lower price level, just like the price of any other commodity.
Cheers
mhg
m.h.ghuloum@gmail.com
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