Did you notice… the Spring has arrived!

Did you notice… Spring has arrived!
I saw needle like leaves with white line in the middle sprouting first along our driveway, then in the patch in the middle of the front yard. Umm. i haven’t seen this kind of weed before. Next or the day after what do I see? Beautiful white yellow purple…. purple flowers. I am reminded of Iqbal’s:

phool hain sahra main ya paryan Qatar under Qatar
neeley neeley ooday ooday peelay peelay pairahan.

Finally it dawns on me that these early welcome guests are crocuses. Did I plant them? Was it last year or the year before? I know for sure no crocuses bloomed last year.
Next came blue/purple hyacinths, what happened to the pink/red ones? Daffodils with all varying shades and combinations of while, yellow and orange are making their appearance. I can’t wait for tulips to start blooming, oh what a sight it would be, bright pink, red, yellow deep purple almost black, in other words all the colors of the rainbow.

Coreopsis, a burst of yellow all along the drive way and the sidewalk, I think irises bloom before coreopsis. While glorious flowers in all their splendor of hues and colors come and go roses continue to grace my yard for most of the spring, summer and the fall months. Last year I also had rose of Sharon made its maiden appearance. Sylvia, a neighbor, and I had kinda stolen samplings from the roadside the year before and planted in our yards. And then there are so many native plants that bloom in most delightful colors. I think I have enough flowers in my front yard that it would not be an exaggeration to call it a garden

In my neighbor’s yard a stick of a tree does not have a single leaf but is laden with white blossoms, She also has the most gorgeous while camellias in addition to other flowering and non- plants including rose bushes and rose of Sharon.


When all the cruelty, the injustices, the destruction and all the man made misery gets me down I take a walk - splendor of nature lifts my spirits like nothing else!

History repeating itself in Iraq, Afghanistan

My letter that appeared in Peoria Journal Star is reproduced here along with readers comments

History repeating itself in Iraq, Afghanistan
Monday, January 29, 2007
"People of the governorate of Baghdad, we come here not as conquerors but as liberators to free you from generations of tyranny." Those weren't the words of an
American general, but of Gen. Angus Maude, when the British invaded Iraq in 1917.
When the "insurgency" started, the British intelligence sent a telegram from Baghdad to London: "Terrorists are crossing the Iraqi border from Syria."
Due to large British casualties, war became unpopular. Prime Minister Lloyd George addressed the House of Commons: "If British troops leave Iraq, there will be chaos, civil war."
History is being repeated not only in Iraq, but also in Afghanistan. For more than a century during their rule on the Indian subcontinent, the British could not subdue the Afghans. Can Americans?
In December 2001, I visited Pakistan. Being neighbors and a Muslim country, Pakistanis were quite upset.
The news of traumatic effects of relentless bombing on children and civilians across the border added fuel to fire. The majority of Pakistanis were convinced that it was a crusade on Islam all over again. They did not believe that Muslims were responsible for 9-11. They believe it is part of a greater, anti-Islamic movement in the West.
Who can blame them, especially when U.S. President George W. Bush used the word crusade? The worst was yet to come. What's next, Iran?

Comments:

john: If you people want to play big brother to the world ...... and thats what were going to haft to do because terriost are all over the world not just in afganisatn and Iraq .There everywhere arnt they? THese people have been at each other for a thousand years and we will never WIN as you put it. Whats there to win ? How do you define WIN? What exactly did MISSION ACCOMPLISHED mean? We were LIED to. It was a HUGE cover up FACE IT.

chris: I would like to commend Mr. Ahmed on a thought provoking letter. However, he should be very careful about quoting historical facts. I am not a historian, but a quick Google search showed that the General�s name and quote are not correct.

My guess is that Mr. Ahmed repeating an improperly quoted text from an interview with Robert Fisk. www.cfr.org

The correct name of the general is Frederick Stanley Maude en.wikipedia.org and the quotation should be,

��our armies do not come into your cities and lands as conquerors or enemies, but as liberators.� www.harpers.org


cgiselle 12
Great letter, Ms. Ahmed. Excellent historical analysis. If only Americans today could understand it! Iraq had and still has nothing to do with 9/11. I can only pray Big Al and those likeminded will wake up and realize attacking Iran would be an unmitigated disaster. Time for foreign policy to rear it's cooler and smarter head, and we shoot down all these hawks among us.

Big Al
This comparison is a non sequitur. The peace loving people there are having elections, not being colonized. Iraq, Iran, Syria, Saudi, wherever terrorists are training and being supported made 9-11 possible, and as such are necessarily in the crosshairs. Taking out Iran would be a disaster- for Ahmadinejad. Just ask Saddam. Oh, yea- he's dead!

The White House says there has been growing evidence over the last several months that Iran is supporting terrorists inside Iraq and is a major supplier of bombs and other weapons used to target U.S. forces. In recent weeks, U.S. forces have detained a number of Iranian agents in Iraq.


www.foxnews.com

BTW How do their women feel about that whole 72 virgins deal?
If they (Iran's leaders) continue in their dangerous, provocative course, the answer is obviously yes. By your tone and from your name, I presume you are a Muslim. Unless you are also in denial about the facts of 9-11, you could serve the cause of peace by speaking out for tolerance and co-existence rather than fueling the Islamic extremist rhetoric.

The people being "subdued" are the terrorists. Perhaps you've heard that elections have been held in Afghanistan and Iraq. They weren't until we removed their despots. Too many extremists in Pakistan already threaten that elected government.

You are fortunate to be able to choose to be a voice of reason or to encourage the enemies of the United States. Choose wisely.

http://www.pjstar.com/stories/012907/FOR_BC6SPNCJ.059.php#list

Sami Al-Arian

Dr Sami Al-Arian, at the urging of his family, has suspended hunger strike. however, his imprisonment continues even though the jury did not find him guilty of a single charge. on friday a federal appeals court affirmed an earlier dicision that sentenced him for 18 months for refusing to testify before a virginia grand jury.

Background details can be found at: http://www.counterpunch.org/cockburn03032007.html

Coming to a city near you?

Produced by the US magazine The Nation.

No one knows for sure, but it's believed that as much as 40% of the military budget goes to private contractors including private armies.

There are thousands of private mercenaries operating on behalf of the US in Iraq and elsewhere around the world. Nearly 1,000 have been killed in Iraq alone, but their casualties are not counted. Nor has Congress been able to discover exactly how many mercenaries the US employs there.

One of these firms, Blackwater USA, a big supporter of George Bush, is now deploying in the US. They were present in New Orleans after the levee collapses.
http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/93.html

Abundant eye witness evidence

Now, for the first time ever, DOZENS of live video references to the multiple internal explosions that brought down the Twin Tower and World Trade Center 7.

What's amazing is not that it happened, but that it happened in broad daylight, thousands experienced it first hand, millions saw and heard the overwhelming evidence on TV and in spite of that, a government-created myth has become the official version of events.
http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/91.html

The Video Google Censored

Google took this video down after three days and then when I attempted to post it to YouTube it was rejected.

This video is an important companion piece to the video that I call "Inside Job" (see the Brasscheck TV archive.)

"Inside Job" shows that thousands of eye witnesses and millions of live TV viewers heard and heard about MULTIPLE explosions in the Twin Towers that preceded their sudden and inexplicable collapse.

"The 9/11 Solution" shows that even as the World Trade Center was burning and immediately after the collapses, a stream of disinformation laying down the key official 9/11 myths was being actively being put in place via the US mass media (i.e. the impact of the planes weakened the structures, the "intense" fires caused the collapses, Bin Laden was the only possible suspect.)
http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/92.html

Dr. Sami Al-Arian and Ali Al-Marri

last day of protest

Today was full of surprises. For the first time it was drizzling, but no worries, my posters were waterproof. Nancy wasn't could not come today i was all psyched to do it alone all day. Who do i see across the street? None other than matt. i thought he must be doing some business but he crossed the street and came over to stand with me. i found out quite a few things about matt that i didn't know before.

about 10 minutes later a young man, 20 some thing, came over and asked me why should al-marri be freed. according to him when bush said he is enemy combatant, he is. he can be held for as long as the government wanted. then he started the whole spiel about the us giving the world democracy, women the right to vote, etc.

at times the discussion got quite heated, matt and i took turns debating with him. i gave him my card, he reluctantly took it and put in his pocket. then i tried to give him a loose change dvd, which he refused to take it saying he is an american he has a right not to take it. i wanted to say yes as an american you have a right to stay ignorant but he didn't give me a chance.

shortly after he left, a car stopped near us and the man leaned over a woman passenger and said some thing. it turns out he had seen the sign earlier in the week and looked up on the internet about al-arian. he was very appreciated of our effort. he belonged to peace and justice organization of rockford. he also signed our petition.

matt left at ~1:15. soon afterwards bob came over to say hello and sign the petition. he also signed for harriet who stayed in the van. several women asked what was going on, one woman read both sides of the info paper i had given her.
by now the drizzle had stopped and the sun almost peeped.

the judge was supposed to rule on the al-arian case. i could find out what the ruling was. it is not reflected in his web site. his weight loss has been updated to 55 lbs in 60 days of hunger strike. i even sent him an email but have received no response. it does not seem promising.

elaine Hopkins has written a blog, which can be accessed at : http://peoriastory.typepad.com/ .

mike miller's column will appear in tomorrow's journal star.

Dr. Sami Al-Arian and Ali Al-Marri

tuesday night at 10 o'clock i was panicking because the wearher forcast was rain, rain and more rain every day rest of the week. paint i used to make posters was water soluble. it is odd enough to see a woman crazy enough to stand on the corner of a street holding two posters. but to see words of the posters bleeding into each other would be funny indeed.

i have made a commitment for the whole week. what do i do? i call nancy! she is not home. i leave a rambling message. she calls back around 10:30. no sweat, she'll put the clear plastic - bring the posters in the morning. a sigh of relief.

it rains off and on all night. i am some where in a public place out of nowhere bush appears grabs my upper right arm and kinda pushes me to go somewhere, he's gone, instead 3 or 4 plain clothes people surround to take me away.... i wake up. it has been a long time since i remembered a dream so vivedly.

nancy excuses herself from a meeting at work and comes with me to protest for an ~ an hr.

generally, people look but are afraid or indifferent to ask any questions.one woman honks the horn vigorously and givs a thumbs up sign.do i know her? a man honks his horn and gives a thumbs down. i don't know him that's for sure. one man riding bike yells he/they should be hanged. who? al-arian, al-marri or both? why?
mike miller of peoria journal star stops by to ask a few questions. he's going to write a cloumn to appear on saturday in journal star.
no rain!!

thursday, march 22
as usual nancy comes shortly after i arrive. it had rained earlier but the weather is quite warm and pleasant for the duration. look who joined us? none other than doug! he holds one sign nancy holds the other. few minutes later harry comes by riding his bicycle

to answer his question i sit next to the man on the bench waiting for the bus. he understands the sitauation very well. he himself had been wrongly arrested and imprisoned for two months. he's looking for a lawyer. nancy talks to him. next thing i see she is taking him to the doctor or hospital, he is limping i help him get in her car.

what is going on in the land of the free and home of the plenty?

Dr. Sami Al-Arian and Ali Al-Marri

march 18, 07

dear friends

starting tomorrow I plan to protest every day of this week from 12 noon - 2 pm in front of the federal building (corner of monroe and main). I have two signs: one for dr. al-arian and another for al-marri - the peorian. please join me if u can. thank u.

thank u mark for helping me with the posters.

ill have a petition for people to sign.

for more info check out these sites

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/03/16/1410255

http://www.freesamialarian.com/home.htm

http://collegefreedom.org/marri.htm

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/02/1533231

http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAMR511822006?open&of=ENG-2M4

March 19, 07
day 1
never having taken an initiative like this before, i was a little apprehensive at first, but once i situated myself in front of the federal building at the corner of main and monroe it was just like the papn protest i have participated so many times on saturdays from noon - 1 pm at the corner of university and main.

the first person who talked to me may have been a peoria journal star worker. he knew a lot about al-marri: he is from qatar and his wife and children are in saudi arabia. that was good to know, i have been unsuccessfully have been trying to find their whereabouts.

there was quite a bit of traffic and most people seemed curious. one women while waiting for the light to turn green asked me where he was now. i don't don't who she was referring to, al-marri or al-arian. my response: virginia, where i believe both of them are being held.

several pedestrians stopped by, one man was really angry, nancy had joined me shortly before he came. i could identify with his frustration: how could this all be happening? i gave him loose change dvd and 11 remarkable facts about 9/11. he said he was going to make copies and pass them around, he may even join big papn protest tomorrow evening at 5 pm at the same place.

other reactions from pple in cars: one woman started laughing, one man gave thumbs down, one gave thums up, one honked horn, most others gave just curious looks.

tomorrow ill have a petition for the release of al-marri and al-arian for pple to sign, copies of which i'll send to members of congress and white house. if u can't make it during the day, please remember to sign the petition in the evening.

thank you nancy for taking time from your lunch hr to join me.

yesterday was quite a busy day, protest for dr al-arian and al-marri earlier in the day, more protest at 5pm against the war followed by the peoria disposal company and ending with monthly meeting of peoria area peace network. i started writing the journal but didn't send it. today i found out WMBD did air our interviews.
i met some more wonderful people in the evening protest. lot of people really do care! razia

Dear friends, thank you for writing, its heart warming to receive messages of encouragement.

March 20, 07
Day 2
Today as i pulled in to park by the side of library on Main Street, the car in front had a jimmy Dennis bumper sticker. I thought of Tonya but it was Nancy already there to join me in the protest.

i came to know of jimmy Dennis thru Jim and Tonya who have taken up his cause: to save him from death row, they along with hundreds of others believe he was wrongly convicted of murder. they have build a web site for him: http://www.jimmydennis.org/

as i was saying I got so excited to see Nancy that i almost forgot to put money in the meter, again Nancy came to the rescue. later on i saw at least two may be more city parking enforcement vehicles pass by every few minute.

As we were crossing Monroe Street we saw WMBD-local CBS TV- car parked in front of the library. We had hardly put down the extraneous stuff we were carrying, than the young woman was there with her camera and microphone. She interviewed both of us. I don't know if it made it to the air or not, still it was nice to be noticed and that is the whole point, to make public aware of the wrongful imprisonment of people on mere suspicion in this land of the free.

Soon afterwards Mike, a Vietnam veteran, came on his bike. Nancy and I were delighted to see him. He stayed for a while and like the rest of us vented his frustration at the absurdity of the whole state of affairs.

Nancy left a few minutes before 1 pm and Mike stayed for a few minutes holding the poster on his bike.

Most people as usual were curious, some stopped by to ask who these men were and if I am related to them in some way, what I hope to accomplish, etc.

One guy driving a big SUV made a point to show me his thumbs down, and at the end while I was walking to my car holding posters hanging down with backs facing each other, another man pulling out of an alley in a big truck yelled "yeah let those terrorists be free to kill more people” he wasn't interested in my pronouncement that these men have not killed any one nor they have anything to do with any other killing. They are the victims of a witch-hunt.

One woman signed our petition. In the evening all the people who were at the PAPN protest also signed the petition.