This is the first time in my whole life that I feel completely numb.
Nailed down by some Turkish nationalists, I only can cry. The hate and nasty remarks by them, shows that some parts of the Turkish society (a minority but a powerful one) attacks those who don't have an opinion like them.
Raised up in a family culture, where respect for other religions means: practice the words but also the deeds.
Raised up in a country where respect for other race still is in our constitution and our hearts, it's sad to say that some people in Turkey think otherwise: Read the comments here.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
A Romantic Evening in Istanbul (by a fellow Dutch)
Michael P.F. van der Galiën
A Romantic Evening in Istanbul
Aug 8th, 2007 by Michael P.F. van der Galien
Imagine the following: you are greatly in love with a young woman who is 20 years old (you are 23). You love each other to death and know that the only thing you want to do with the rest of your life… is to spend it together. Imagine that you both believe that the two of you were made for each other.
Imagine that the girl is Turkish and you are Dutch. Imagine that the love you feel for each other makes it possible to have a relationship while the two of you live thousands kilometers away from each other - and you can only visit each other a couple of times, a couple of weeks, per year. Imagine that, although it is difficult, extremely difficult and that, although your heart is broken every time you say goodbye to each other, you can overcome all the pain in the world because your love for each other is so big.
Imagine that.
Now imagine that, one night, on Tuesday August 7, 2007, the two of you go to a place in İstanbul called Ortaköy (also see image above to see what it looks like by daylight). You are the Dutch young man. You have something in your pocket: a small, very small, box. The two of you go to Ortaköy walking hand in hand. You kiss the girl you love on her forehead and on her cheek. You look her in her eyes and tell her how much you love her and how happy she makes you.
Then the two of you sit down, looking out over the Bosphorus. A magnificent picture: the light on the other sides, the Bosphorus itself, the Mosque in front of it (with lights) and, of course, the Bosphorus bridge with all of its lights: now the color of the light is blue, a little later it is red, again later it is yellow… it changes constantly.
Imagine sitting there.
Imagine telling the girl - that beautiful Turkish girl - that even death cannot destroy the love you feel for her. Imagine telling her that you never thought you could feel this for anyone. Imagine her looking into your eyes when you talk to her, sitting next to her: her big brown, loving eyes and that beautiful sweet smile warming your heart.
Imagine falling on your knees - even though there are many other people sitting at the coast as well. Imagine taking that box out of your pocket and imagine you asking her, “benimle evlenir misin?”
“Will you marry me?”
And then - imagine the girl saying, softly but very happy, “yes.”
Now imagine that the boy was me and the girl my Turkish girlfriend. Do that, and you know what we did yesterday...
Live from Iraq, by Mohammed in Bagdad
"I have received this email from a friend of mine who lives in Syria, I'm not sure of its credibility but this is the third time I hear about such things, so I thought to share it." (Mohammed)
Large groups of Al-Mahdi army has infiltrated Syria for the prosecution and the killing of the Sunni Iraqis who had fled from the militias and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in Iraq to save their lives. He said, "We have received reliable information from Damascus that militias are roaming in alleys, parks and gardens, especially in November park and Al-Zohoor Park ... trying to capture images via mobile phone to whom they want to eliminate in order to be sure of the victims prior to pounce upon them after they check it with their leaders, Riding a white GMC car licenced 5083-Wasit"….etc.
The Maliki and The US withdrawal
In the context of the debate on the possibility of reducing American forces, Al-Maliki said the Iraqi government is able to take the responsibility in the event of a "reduction or sudden withdrawal of the international forces." Maliki also talked about the escape of Al-Qaida members to the neighboring countries due to the success of the security plan!!!!! I don't know how does this man think! Where did he feel the success, in the increasing number of the unknown dead bodies thrown in the streets, or maybe he felt it in the almost non-stop explosions and bullets, I think I have lost my senses, I can't feel it, I don't know why. Nuri al-Maliki said, "We are able to take over full responsibility in the security file at any time that the international forces withdraws," but re-affirmed that his country's troops are still needed further rehabilitation and weaponry, My advice for him that before you think about rehabilitation and weaponry why don't you think about how sectarian your forces are? Why don't they have the loyalty to Iraq why are they loyal to Iran, why don't you teach them how to follow the law not the Mullah and Imam?.
At the same time the American Secretary of Defense Robert Gates pointed at the elements of the Iraqi police as sectarian in nature, as the American army launched a raid yesterday left 13 people dead, including six police members (working as militants also) east of Baghdad, here I can see how his forces are ready to take control. Gates said that "the training and capabilities and credibility of the Iraqi security forces is uneven and in some areas a source of great concern." The commander of the American forces in northern Iraq Benjamin Mixon said that Washington might begin to withdraw its troops from the northern region in nest January. Mixon pointed out that he had about five or six brigades under his leadership and that the number might be reduced to half in 18 months, on the condition that the security situations improve and the Iraq forces are ready.
Another dead photo-journalist
Security and medical sources announced the killing and wounding of dozens of Iraqis in a series of attacks yesterday in parts of Iraq, there have been violent clashes between the American army and members of Al-Mahdi Army in Al-ameen neighborhood in south-east Baghdad following the fall of a number of mortar shells.Nearby hospitals received the dead bodies of at least 13 people from the area of clashes, in addition to about twenty injured. US troops called for Air Force support during the fighting, among the dead is Reuters photographer and a driver, there was conflicting reports on the circumstances of the death of the photographer Namir Noor Al-Deen (22 years) and the driver Said Shmag (40 years). Eyewitnesses and the initial report of the police said that they were killed in the indiscriminate bombing by the American with nine other civilians by a rocket or a missile on a minibus carrying the wounded in the confrontations. Noor Al-Deen was taking pictures in almost the same time as American helicopter fired a shot at the bus. The American army announced the opening of an investigation and confirmed that both of them died during clashes with the militants. Read here.
Large groups of Al-Mahdi army has infiltrated Syria for the prosecution and the killing of the Sunni Iraqis who had fled from the militias and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in Iraq to save their lives. He said, "We have received reliable information from Damascus that militias are roaming in alleys, parks and gardens, especially in November park and Al-Zohoor Park ... trying to capture images via mobile phone to whom they want to eliminate in order to be sure of the victims prior to pounce upon them after they check it with their leaders, Riding a white GMC car licenced 5083-Wasit"….etc.
The Maliki and The US withdrawal
In the context of the debate on the possibility of reducing American forces, Al-Maliki said the Iraqi government is able to take the responsibility in the event of a "reduction or sudden withdrawal of the international forces." Maliki also talked about the escape of Al-Qaida members to the neighboring countries due to the success of the security plan!!!!! I don't know how does this man think! Where did he feel the success, in the increasing number of the unknown dead bodies thrown in the streets, or maybe he felt it in the almost non-stop explosions and bullets, I think I have lost my senses, I can't feel it, I don't know why. Nuri al-Maliki said, "We are able to take over full responsibility in the security file at any time that the international forces withdraws," but re-affirmed that his country's troops are still needed further rehabilitation and weaponry, My advice for him that before you think about rehabilitation and weaponry why don't you think about how sectarian your forces are? Why don't they have the loyalty to Iraq why are they loyal to Iran, why don't you teach them how to follow the law not the Mullah and Imam?.
At the same time the American Secretary of Defense Robert Gates pointed at the elements of the Iraqi police as sectarian in nature, as the American army launched a raid yesterday left 13 people dead, including six police members (working as militants also) east of Baghdad, here I can see how his forces are ready to take control. Gates said that "the training and capabilities and credibility of the Iraqi security forces is uneven and in some areas a source of great concern." The commander of the American forces in northern Iraq Benjamin Mixon said that Washington might begin to withdraw its troops from the northern region in nest January. Mixon pointed out that he had about five or six brigades under his leadership and that the number might be reduced to half in 18 months, on the condition that the security situations improve and the Iraq forces are ready.
Another dead photo-journalist
Security and medical sources announced the killing and wounding of dozens of Iraqis in a series of attacks yesterday in parts of Iraq, there have been violent clashes between the American army and members of Al-Mahdi Army in Al-ameen neighborhood in south-east Baghdad following the fall of a number of mortar shells.Nearby hospitals received the dead bodies of at least 13 people from the area of clashes, in addition to about twenty injured. US troops called for Air Force support during the fighting, among the dead is Reuters photographer and a driver, there was conflicting reports on the circumstances of the death of the photographer Namir Noor Al-Deen (22 years) and the driver Said Shmag (40 years). Eyewitnesses and the initial report of the police said that they were killed in the indiscriminate bombing by the American with nine other civilians by a rocket or a missile on a minibus carrying the wounded in the confrontations. Noor Al-Deen was taking pictures in almost the same time as American helicopter fired a shot at the bus. The American army announced the opening of an investigation and confirmed that both of them died during clashes with the militants. Read here.
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