The reality behind barbie!

Who didn't love Barbie? Who doesn't miss her?

When I was a kid, Barbie was a dream; everything related to her was so beautiful and well designed. I needed years to discover what lies behind her.

Barbie, this beautiful girl we used to be in love with, was a bad ideal or to be more fair an unrealistic one. 

Barbie does not only promote a false body image for girls who unwillingly try to copy her and end up anorexic, she is also very obsessed with her clothing and accessories; she hates math , finds it very tough and likes to do shopping.

However, what I really hate the most about Barbie is that she wears make up!

Finally, a sketch of Barbie without make up was created and for the first time she looks a bit realistic.

I do not want my daughter to look, wear or think like Barbie. I prefer smart beautiful girls who know how to dress, manage their looks and stay natural.

So next time you think about buying a Barbie (and I know how attractive she looks) remember that behind this divine face a dangerous message is hiding.

Why the Lebanese University is a chance...

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Every year, a lot of serious issues are raised regarding the Lebanese University. Most of them – if not all – are related to political interferences. In fact, it has been like forever since politicians took the prerogatives of the university board. Since then, no nomination has been possible without politicians meddling in. The failure of the government to upgrade 574 contract professors into permanent ones has urged the head of the university, Dr Adnan Sayyed Hussein, to call for a strike in an attempt to regain the academic prerogatives and protect the Lebanese University against any political interference. The problem regarding the appointment of full professors proves that there is a clash of interests between politics and academics.

I am not going to investigate if the 574 contract professors are worth being upgraded or not. Much was said (especially in Assafir newspaper which reported many “fishy” situations regarding the “academic” list and the “political” list). I am going to remind each one of us about the importance of the institution that has been the victim of many administrative and political abuses. The Lebanese University, sole public institution for higher education, counts around 75 000 students in its 6 sections. Most of them cannot afford the extravagant tuition fees of the private universities that are estimated by hundreds in Lebanon, and aren't monitored by the government – which eventually leads to huge raises every year (For a recent matter, check AUB and LAU’s tuition fees raises that led to students’ strikes). So for 75 000 students coming from everywhere, the Lebanese University is a chance: if the Lebanese University didn't exist, they wouldn't be able to get a chance to be admitted in a higher education institution. Or, they would spend their lives paying off extravagant mortgages cumulated through years since their first class at any private university.

I am not against private universities. But I am against the sabotage and abolition of the only chance of education for 75 000 students.

Oh, and for the record, I am a Lebanese University graduate. I couldn't be prouder of that. The Lebanese University was a chance for me. It is a chance for many of us. Public and free education is a right and it is our duty to protect it against “private educational corporations” that want to rip you off and against politicians who are contributing to this conspiracy. A proud and developed state is the one that has confidence in its public institutions, mostly in its public university.

Pascale Asmar

France bans Hijab in Football games!

“Reflect your respect”, a campaign launched by Qatar, urges people to dress “modestly” in public by covering themselves from shoulders to knees, and forbidding women from wearing leggings.

The campaign uses Twitter and Instagram to spread its message all over the world. It will start officially on June 20, 2014.

Nasser Al Maliki, the centre’s public relations chief, proclaimed that this campaign would help preserving Qatar’s traditions and protecting its children from the foreigner's immodest behaviour.

Mr Nasser’s statement gives you the impression that their children do not watch TV and do not use the internet. Seriously, what kind of danger exposed knees or shoulders may form?

It is not the first time gulf countries use the Sharia law as the main source of their legislations. Even in Dubai, one of the most visited cities in the world, leaflets forbidding people form dressing immodestly are handed out in some places.

Qatar will be hosting the world cup in 2022; it will witness a huge mixture of cultures and I am wondering how they are planning to enforce this “modest” dress code on the huge number of tourists attending the event. Imagine if France decided in 1998 to preserve its culture by imposing an outfit on its visitors! 

Would any Qatari woman accept to put down her Hijab so she can blend in with French people? Would any Qatari man accept to wear shorts in order to protect the French culture?

In addition, I cannot see how Qatar is planning to forbid people from wearing light clothes when the temperature reaches 40 degrees. Are they also planning to forbid football fans from celebrating in the streets?

I am not against Qatar’s intention to preserve its culture but that does not mean that the country can force its culture on others. No one should forbid men or women from wearing the Shayla and the Abayha and no one should forbid them from wearing shorts.

 “If you are in Qatar, you are one of us. Help us preserve Qatar’s culture and values, please dress modestly in public places.”

Dear Qatar, we do respect your culture, but how about respecting ours?

Rihab 

My Story With Paris

Did you ever experience  hostility toward something without having a reason? If yes, you will understand exactly my complicated relation with Paris.

Last year, I visited Paris for the first time and I had a great time with my friends. Everything about this city was stunning and striking. Walking down its streets gave me the feeling of travelling in time, every building has a story and every corner is a part of history.

The Eiffel Tower with its lighting and 2.5 million bolts did not fascinate me. I cannot deny its beauty when lighted at night or its perfection in the daylight with the surrounding fountains and lakes. Regardless the inimitability of this Tower, I cannot see how it defines Paris.

Paris, is the city of history. The huge buildings with their captivated architecture stand there witnessing the flow of time, reflecting the greatness of France through ages and creating a poetic atmosphere that leaves you feeling out of space.  It comes a moment when you cannot but wonder: “Is that real?”

Photo credits: ACE shooting

The tour on the Seine is one of my best souvenirs there. On its banks, Paris looks so natural and pumps with life. Bridges over the Seine create a wider horizon and the sunlight reflection over the water charms you and leaves you out of words.

This city is beyond beautiful, it looks like it came out of dream. Despite that, I could not love it. Despite all my effort to throw away my prejudgments, to forget that I do not like France or the French language, to enjoy to the maximum this mixture of history and modernity, the bitter taste of eeriness never left me.

When I came back from Paris, I tried to understand what I really did not like about this city and I ended up discovering the truth. I do not hate Paris. I am just jealous of it.

I am jealous because I wish Beirut were not that crowded with cars so I could walk freely in the streets….

I am jealous because I wish Beirut did not have power outages so I could always enjoy its beauty….

I am jealous because I wish Lebanese people were calmer so I won’t have to hear people shouting for the stupidest things.

I am jealous because I wish Lebanese people took care of the environment so we would save the green Lebanon.

 I am jealous because I wish Lebanon respected human rights so anyone of us could enjoy his freedom…

I am jealous because my friends went to Paris in order to finish their degrees instead of staying here… I am scared that this city would put them under its spell and they will never come back.

Yes, I despise Paris for all the reasons that make it a better city than Beirut… I despise Paris because every time I remember it I understand how much we are ruining our country… I despise Paris because it reminds me that change comes from revolution, a revolution we are failing to start… I despise Paris for all the reasons that makes it more adorable than Beirut! 

Italy invades the Souks!

Every once in a while, a new Italian restaurant opens in Beirut; it’s as if Lebanon is competing Italy in the number of pizzeria’s available.

Regardless of that, trying new restaurants is one of the things I like most; the new experience each one promises (whatever the outcome might be) is worth the try.

So it is shortly after Pizza & Co.  opened in Beirut Souks ( Downtown), that I decided it’s time to give it a try.

The place was a bit crowded, which is supposed to be a good sign.

As we stepped in we were greeted by a hospitable waiter who asked us to wait a second as he checked for a place for us to sit. Meanwhile, I took in the surrounding.

The place was so simple, yet as simple as it was, it was pretty elegant. Where the nearly eight chefs (all dressed in white) cooked was within sight of the customers, and the oven (or if you want to call it a fire place here) was so artistically designed; it was a pleasure to look at.

Small mosaic tiles, red in color, decorated the entrance to the oven; the small tiles went up towards the ceiling, getting lighter in color as they went up; such that if you looked from a distance it gave a nice view of a mix of orange, red, yellow, beige and brown; I loved the architecture of this, so warm and relaxing. A flame-like glass decorated oven!

Photo Credit: Blog Baladi

The walls were covered by classic black and white tiles, which reminded me of old kitchens;  despite that, I thought that the change from colorful to black and white was so sudden and should have been made in a smarter way.

Back to our waiter, who comes back and leads us to a small table, flanked by two other tables with a few centimeters between them. Literally a few centimeters, leaving no space for private conversations where your voice and the voices of the people surrounding you all mingle to create a musical atmosphere of letters and words floating in the air. (I even forgot if there was actual music played in the background)

“Are we supposed to be this close to one another?”

The waiter smiled as he replied: “Well, that’s the whole idea of our restaurant”.

Then I got it and I even enjoyed the idea more; Italy’s a place where family is a holy issue, especially among gangs. Mario Puzo in his bestseller classic, The Godfather, says that a man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man. That’s why everything was so crowded; to resemble a huge family gathering and probably to bond people more.

On your table sits a paper (written on it: Watch out, this is going to be messy) on top of which is a clean white plate with a napkin, on which “Sauce Remover” is scribbled.

Then comes the moment we are all waiting for: The Food.

The menu doesn't have that much of options; a limited types of pizzas, pastas and appetizers. Some were the usual ones you may find in any restaurant, others were house-specific.

I chose a weird pizza plate and another weird pasta one and the wait begins.

Meanwhile- and as all Italian restaurants- during the wait, you entertain yourself with freshly baked bread and delicious olive oil (comes in a spicy version or the classic one).

The serving was pretty fast; our plates arrived quickly and they were such a pleasure to look at.

The pizza had asparagus, broccoli and zucchini in it covered with melting cheese. The dough was so delicious and mildly chewy. One of the best I have tasted in the region.

All what you had to do is to sprinkle some olive oil on top and take your first bite.

With each bite, you experience a new flavor, for not all three ingredients are present at the same time in one bite. I fell in love with it, everything was so perfect in it (maybe because I love broccoli and asparagus I fell for it, the zucchini was a bit risky to include but it was delicious none-the-less).

One of the best mouth-watering vegetarian pizzas I ever tasted.

Then comes the Pasta.

The pasta wasn’t that ripe, as Italians claim that good pasta is a half cooked one. It was drenched in white creamy sauce, covered by thin stalks of asparagus and on top, a sprinkle of herb which I forgot its name. The pasta was so good; the combined taste of asparagus mixed with light cream and the herb was so unique and new.

However, I have tasted better pastas in another place; it misses something, can’t tell what it is, but it needed something intense to balance the mild taste that dominated the plate.

Regarding the prices (As we Lebanese say, now we are talking business), it isn’t that cheap; the price range is between 25000 L.L to 50000 L.L. depending on what you choose (our pizza was for 24000 and the pasta for 30000) which is slightly similar to the other new –born Villagio. The pizza, I believe, was worth every penny.

Lastly, I can’t judge a restaurant by just tasting two of its plates, but all what I can say is that Pizza & Co. was a nice experience; it’s worth a try to Italian food lovers and well worth a second visit to try out the rest of the menu.

Moustafa Moustafa

The Iranian Sinful Kiss

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It is that simple “you kiss someone on the cheek and the next day you face a call to be publicly flogged.”

That is what happened with Iranian actress Leila Hatami when she gave Giles Jacob, Cannes festival president, a perk on the cheek.  Leila Hatami is the star of the Oscar-winning movie “A Separation” directed by Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi.

Leila Hatami was condemned for “representing a bad image of Iranian women”. In addition to that, Hizbullah’s students (a group related to Iran’s revolutionary guards) called Ms. Hatami to be sued and to be flogged for kissing a strange man.

 “We, the undersigned, who are a group of student Muslim brothers and sisters, ask the cultural and media branch of the judiciary to prosecute Leyla Hatami for her sinful act of kissing a strange man in public, which according to article 638 of Islamic Criminal Justice carries a prison sentence. Furthermore, the action of this film star has hurt the religious sentiments of the proud and martyrs breeding nation of Iran and as such we also demand the punishment of flogging for her as stipulated in the law", reported The Telegraph.

According to the Iranian Sharia, women are not supposed to have physical contact with an unrelated man and they are supposed to wear Hijab and to hide their hair.  During the Cannes festival, Ms. Hatami did violate both rules!

I am not defending Ms. Hatami because she is a woman; I just want to tell you that things like this still happen in the world: a woman may be flogged for kissing a man or for showing her hair. What is happening in Iran is unacceptable, and it is an unjustified violation for human’s rights. I consider Ms. Hatami lucky because her position as a movie star will give her case a wider media attention. These same acts of iniquity are targeting a huge number of Iranian citizens. A serious intervention is required; Ms. Hatami’s case may be a great opportunity to get the world’s true attention of what is happening in Iran.

Rihab

Faith lost in humanity

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"Life is a comedy for the rich and a tragedy for the poor"

Sholom Aleichem

Yesterday, I was walking down the Street when a man fell down suddenly and began to cough. He tried to cry asking for help but he was so weak and so sick. It was hard to figure out what he was saying.

People passed him and no one tried to help. And you know why?

He was a beggar! 

Would it be the same reaction if the falling man was wearing clean cloths? maybe a suit and a tie?

Please watch this video and see how unfair life is!

يا هبة كلّ ما في الفنّ جادا!

من عمق حاجتنا الى الفنّ الأصيل، اتى ألبوم هبة طوجي الجديد كشعاع نورٍ يتحدّى الفنّ الرديء ويقاوم مع قلائل المقاومين جحافل المغنّين المتعدّين، ليعيد الإعتبار للمستمع المشتاق للموسيقى الراقية، والأمل بالفنّ ،الفنّ الهادف الّذي يفيض عشقاً وشغفاً وإيماناً.

"يا حبيبي" يأخذكك إلى مساكن الحبّ والشّغف وأبعاد الوطن والقضيّة، فتتضارب بك المشاعر وتتصارع داخلك الأحاسيس . أتطرب لصوتٍ استثنائي ؟ أتفرح لحبٍّ جديد ؟ أتضحك على واقعٍ مرٍّ أم تتوجّع لحبٍّ انتهى ووطنٍ ضاع؟

يتضمّن الألبوم 16 أغنية تختلف في المواضيع وطريقة المقاربة في الّلحن والغناء، ما ساهم في خلق جوٍّ متنوّع محبّب إلى القلب. 

فلقد استطاع كلّ من هبة طوجي وأسامة الرّحباني مرّةً جديدةً أن يقدّما عملاً متكاملاً يلامس المثاليّة. فأتت كلّ نوتة بمكانها غناءً ولحناً، مكمّلةً الشعر والكلمات وخادمةً للفكرة المبتغاة. هبة بصوتها الرائع وأدائها القويّ وتقنيّتها السّلسة الغير مدّعية أبدعت، وأسامة بغزارة فكره وامتداد ثقافته أبدع أيضاً وأيضاً. أمّا الكبير منصور الرحباني فهو  الحاضر الدائم الذّي يعطي بشعره وروحه الثّقل الأهم لهذا العمل الذي استمعت له حتى الآن اكثر من خمسين مرة ولم أملّ. وكيف أملّ من كرم الفنّ اذا أكرم.

عبير 

Bravo Coca cola!

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عندما تشاهدون هذه الدعاية، قد تدمع عيونكم حزناً على هؤلاء العمال، قد تحزنوا على قدرهم وحياتهم، لكن المؤكد هو انكم ستعجبون ببادرة الكوكاكولا الإنسانية وبلفتتها الجميلة بأفراح هؤلاء العمال ،وقد يذهبوا بعضكم أبعد بتقديره للكوكاكولا فيقرر أنه منذ اليوم سوف تصبح مشروبه المفضل....

هنيئاً لك كوكاكولا فقد خلقت بمبادرتك "الإنسانية " تلك سوقاً استهلاكياً جديداً، لكنك هذه المرة لم تكتف بإغراء الجمهور ،هذه المرة أستغليت فقرهم ، ضعفهم، حاجتهم لبصيص أمل....

انتزعت من جيوبهم 1$ سعر دقيقة وعلبة كوكاكولا، اقنعتهم أنك تهدينهم صوت احبائهم ولم تخبريهم أنهم بهذه الطريقة يدفعون ثمناً أكبر مقابل ما لا يحتاجونه، لم تخبريهم أنه غداً يوم يتوقف عرضك الكريم هذا ستكسبين مستهلكين جدد ما كانوا ليحتاجوا كوكاكولا لولا ذكاء موظفيك....

هنيئاً لك بال-1$ !

Rihab

Do you wear your Hijab?

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A huge number of women all around the world are the victims of injustice, of social and moral constraints and of religious systems. They are either living in a jail or used in marketing!

In Iran, it is illegal for a woman to be in public without wearing the Hijab. This rule in clothing is not only forced by "the morality police but also out of consideration for family, and the fear of being questioning by others". 

Masih Alinejad, an Iranian Journalist who left Iran in 2009 to pursue her studies in UK started a campaign "Stealthy Freedoms of Iranian women" by posting her photo driving a car without wearing The Hijab.

The Facebook page owned by MS. Alinejab shares the photos of Iranian women without wearing Hijab in public places "I was sure that most Iranian women who don’t believe in the forced Hijab have enjoyed freedom in secret, so I asked them if they wished to share this moment of stealth freedom."

The Photos shared on facebook were captioned by expressions that show a great need for freedom and reflect the deep sufferings of these women.

"Blowing of the wind through their hair is my nation's girls dream"

"After a few years of being away from my nation, I stepped on its vast plains again; not stealthily though. Hoping for the day when all my nation’s women can taste freedom with their whole bodies and souls"

"It is not easy at all to be called a whore just because you do not wear Hijab! and then even get beaten and be given a detention!
It is not easy to have to experience all the good feelings stealthily."

Being with or against Hijab is not the question!

Everyone should have the right to decide what to wear, nothing should be legislated or enforced on women. The freedom of choice is a sacred right and it should not be questioned. 

The Lebanese General Security MA BIO2TA3!

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Lebanese director and actor Lucien Bou Rjeily was denied his right as a Lebanese citizen to get his passport. According to Bou Rjeily (repost from Stop Cultural Terrorism page on FB):  “The Lebanese General Security today (May 21, 2014) confiscated my passport and refused to renew it, which means I’m no longer allowed to leave Lebanon to perform in the festival: the reason? - They categorically refused to give me a reason... I pleaded for an answer but they kept refusing to give the reason... they said that we will revert back to you in the coming month or month and a half and they hinted "you should know why... something that happened in 2013". 

So it seems it is payback time for fighting against censorship and corruption in his banned play “Bto2ta3 aw ma bto2ta3”.

The Lebanese law is very clear about the rights of all citizens but it seems that the General Security forces have their own way of following and respecting them.

I am not going to start cursing the country. We did it to ourselves. We allowed such wrong behaviors to occur, again and again, gave on our basic rights since ever. Didn’t we shut up after Lebanese deputes extended their own mandate illegally (except for an uprising from courageous young people who got beaten up for demanding to abide by the law)? Don’t we act as if it’s none of our business when we see their corruption since “b3ide 3n dahre bassita” and “what can we do, Hol henne?” Don’t we get carried away by the Zaim or the religious figure’s demands instead of seeing clearly what is rightful and correct?

An uprising against corruption, censorship and dictatorship is a must. The current system with all its elements ma bio2ta3!

Pascale Asmar

This is why we need to bring back our girls…

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The kidnapping of 276 Nigerian girls from their school by Boko Haram movement has raised voices around the globe demanding governments and presidents to react. Actresses and actors that were gathered in Cannes waved banners requesting to “Bring Back Our Girls”.

As we express our solidarity, we also need to point out that this isn’t the matter of 276 girls only: it’s about millions of women and girls getting the worst treatments on daily basis: domestic violence, kidnapping, rape, underage and forced marriage, etc. The latest case in Soudan is about a pregnant Christian woman sentenced to death for “apostasy”.

The freedom of choice, the right to be educated and the liberty of faith are fundamental rights that are being denied to many human beings, mostly women. Why? Because smart, educated, free girls are scary, check this: 

What’s So Scary About Smart Girls?

Pascale Asmar

Husband and Husband

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"On May 3rd, Georges Massaad, a Lebanese guy from Zahleh, got married to his partner, Renek Jorgenson, in San Francisco. George’s parents attended the wedding to give him their blessings, while his dad carried him on his shoulders to dance (Lebanese style). Congrats w 3a 2bel el 3ayzeen!" 

Source Beirut gay blog.

Two days ago when I first heard about this marriage, I didn't really believe it!  Who would?

Who can believe that a Lebanese man got married to another man and his parents attended the marriage and gave their blessings?

George, you are very lucky to have such a family. They loved you and accepted you without conditions. Now they will be facing this society and treated as contagious. Now they will be asked to feel ashamed for having such a son and accepting such a marriage. The war just began!
George Massaad and Renek Jorgenson are now Husband and Husband by the name of law, by the name of love and by the name of freedom.
George didn't commit any crime by marrying his lover, we do a crime when we deny someone's right to marry, or to have a decent life. This marriage didn't affect anyone of us and it brought happiness to these two men.
To all those who think that this marriage is disgusting, that gay people should seek and hide,and  that "these creatures" who are "against nature" should live in the shadow, I want to say "Nobody can force you to accept gays but please let them live!"

Grace of Monaco: a huge return or a disappointment?

Grace of Monaco was the hope of Nicole Kidman’s return to the box office after a series of unsuccessful movies; some went as far as hoping a movie as enthralling as  ‘Moulin Rouge”,” Cold Mountain”, “The Others”, “Rabbit Hole” and others of her well known movies.

However, the movie falls beyond all expectations.

If you are expecting to watch a princess/actress biography, spare your money and go try the new pizzeria in town instead.

The movie has no mention of Grace Kelly’s childhood, growing up or death which would have been smart to include as it would have made an interesting scene (She died on September 14, 1982, after suffering a stroke the previous day while driving, which caused her to lose control of her automobile and crash (I wonder what’s the relation between car accidents and princesses)). Her daughter, Princess Stéphanie, was in the car with her and survived the accident.)

The movie starts with about two-minute introduction to Grace’s Hollywood life and news of her affair with the Prince of Monaco “Rainier III” during Cannes festival, then abruptly, and in an awkward suddenness, the scene moves to several years later with director Alfred Hitchcock (Roger Ashton-Griffiths) proposing Grace Kelly- a depressed princess - a return to her Hollywood life; a role in his new movie.

What happened before that dilemma? Was it really a love story (as one may wonder)? How did the prince fall in love with the Hollywood actress? What was the nature of love that bonded them? These are gaps that leave a huge impact on the movie to an extent that the viewer doesn’t get involved with the characters or the human emotions due to the lack of any visible evidence of how the relationship evolved.

Regardless of that, the director clearly shows that the princess, and after having two children and living several years as a princess, knew nothing of her royal manners (she stoops down in front of an audience to bring something she dropped) and showed no interest in learning her country’s language, which kind of doesn’t make sense or it shows to which degree Grace was not interested in her new life.

The Princess of Monaco sees the proposal to be an actress again as a window of hope to return to her old life and enjoy her previous career. The prince agrees on one condition: complete secrecy; as this would affect her image as a princess.

Rumors spread throughout the country and threatens Monaco’s relationship with the French President, Charles De Gaulle, which was already on stake. This ends by Kelly’s choice of refusing her return to Hollywood after an argument with her husband.

The conversation here takes an aggressive tone between the prince and sharp-tongued princess, and Kidman shows her acting powers, which is the one of the things you enjoy in the movie.  

These events mentioned above occupy a major part of the movie’s duration, which leaves us pretty bored and demanding a change, something which could flare up the scenes a bit; a turning point.

The part I mostly enjoyed is how the character evolves to being more mature, that is when the Princess decides to actually become a princess, learning how to walk like one, talk in French and become closer to her people. Not to mention Grace’s smartness in how to resolve the issue between France and Monaco.

It seems that the best thing about the movie is the customs and jewelry; the dresses, sun glasses, the hats, the diamonds and the precious stones.

The movie ends by a deep speech uttered by Kidman, emotional and full of sensations, and weirdly this is the only moment you realize how much the prince and she love each other, you don’t feel it however.

To wrap it up, this was a great disappointment, especially after the long wait and anticipation. In fact, were it not for Nicole Kidman as a leading actress, I don’t think this movie would have been able to make the fuss all around it; for Kidman acts a character full of emotions and inner battles; obviously felt by the viewer. 

Rating: 2.5/5

Moustafa Moustafa