The Fox Blog

After a long time of blogging abstention, I bring you this short movie called “It’s About Time” (Sar El Waet) about the Lebanese war. An original perspective of what Lebanon has become today and what some people just don’t want us not to talk about.
This movie was directed by Pierre Dawaliby, a Lebanese movie director, I never heard of before. Still, this short movie, by the subject it deals with, will certainly increase his popularity among Lebanese people.
This short documentary is in Arabic but its subtitled in English, so you won’t have trouble understanding what it’s all about.

Red Bull (the energy drink) is organizing a world wide paper plane competition in about 48 countries (including Lebanon). When I saw the poster ad for the first time, I though it was a joke too, but no… It’s all real. Flying paper planes is a passion shared by many, Paper planes associations even exist and that’s no joke either. Back to the competition: each country holds national qualifiers, opened to university students, and winners fly to Salzburg, Austria on the 5th and 6th of May 2006 to compete in the world wide Red Bull Paperwings event.

Three categories to compete for:
- Largest distance: awarded to plane that flies the largest distance between lift-off and landing point. World record is currently 58.82 m and held by American Toni Fletch.
- Longest airtime: awarded to plane that manages to stay in the air the longest. World record is currently 27.6 sec and held by American Ken Blackburn.
- Aerobatics: awarded to plane that achieves the most creative flight performance. A jury is responsible of grading the performance.

Taking part in the Lebanese qualifiers was fun: 50 participants, 3 hours of non-stop flying planes, 3 lucky winners (one in each category) and a certainly a good mood. Red Bull does indeed Give You Wings…

Nice Paper Planes Sites:
Worksman Fliers Club
Ken Blackburn’s Paper Airplanes

This game has created a controversy in Lebanon ever since it was released a couple of months ago. You play the role of American Soldiers deployed in Beirut and combating enemy troops’ (Terrorists, Syrian Army…) occupation of the city during the Lebanese Civil War.

There’s nothing new about the gameplay which already exists on previous Close Combat releases and other several FPS games. The theme however is new: Beirut has been almost modeled exactly as a lot like and the game required the expertise of military personnel. Site’s description:

First to Fight is a tactical first-person shooter in which you lead a four-man fire team in close-quarters urban combat in the streets and buildings of Beirut. It was created with the help of more than 40 active-duty U.S. Marines fresh from firefights in the Middle East and will be used by the United States Marine Corps for training.

Nice screenshots and trailers, as a well as a very-complete fan kit are available to download on the Official First Fight Web Site. Too bad there’s no free demo to have a preview of the game, the only way to test it is to buy it.

Arabic Title: حياة المرأة السرية

Dealing with a women’s sexuality, this play in Arabic is some piece of work. Extraordinary by both its uniqueness and its full exposure of a subject for a long time considered taboo in Lebanon. Produced and directed by local theater figure and A.U.B. academic scholar Sherif Abdennour, the play features as actors and production none but high school and university students.

Five actresses actually, all women, who discuss 75 min long the secret sexual life they lead, with a humoristic tone, assessing a society governed by myths and religious prohibitions; where a woman’s decency is measured by silicon, botox and XXL bras and man’s virility by Armani clothing. Men, classified by stereotype models, have a big part of humiliation in the piece.

According to some information circulating around the theatre, the producer had to cancel a major part of the script, which included a scene featuring a woman masturbating – a word that turns out not to have an equivalent in the Arabic language - on stage, following censorship by the ministry of information. Still, women who started well dressed at first end up half naked just a moment later.

Against any predictions, the piece was very well welcomed by the public, the theatre showed full three successive nights. An issue that caused the production to add two additional representations in order to satisfy the people demand. The play obviously seems to be inspired by well-know French play “Les Monologues du Vagin” which faced a tremendous success in France and Europe in the past years.

A Women’s Secret Life marks the rise of Lebanese acting to a new level, a level where limits are pushed an inch forward in the face of censorship and taboo subjects, and a level where small productions with bright ideas can prove successful…

Lebanon is commemorating today the 1st anniversary of P.M. Rafic Hariri, targeted and killed with 22 others in a massive explosion in Beirut on Valentine’s Day of 2005. Lebanon’s political situation has lived several changes ever since.

One year later, half a million people – according to security forces – commemorate the assassination of the Lebanese self-made billionaire. Crowds from all over the country gathered on the Freedom Square in downtown Beirut, near the mosque where he was buried. Several political groups took part in the manifestation, what is known as the coalition of March 14th, an alliance regrouping the Future Movement (headed by Hariri’s son, Saad Hariri), the Social Party (headed by Walid Jumblat), the Lebanese Forces (headed by Samir Geagea)…

A major political faction missing was the Free Patriotic Movement (headed by Michel Aoun), who refused to participate, describing the commemoration as being “politicized”. Note that the FPM had participated in the March 14th 2005 Cedar Revolution.

Protesters demanded the demission of Lebanese President, Emile Lahoud, whose public appearances has particularly decreased in the last year. One of the posters stated in reference to President Lahoud and the four former Lebanese officials, accused to be involved in the assassination and currently imprisoned: “Four Down, One to Go”.

U.S. secretary general, Condoleezza Rice, stated earlier today that the United States stands united with the Lebanese people in finding the responsible of Hariri’s murder and bringing them to justice.

Photos (by AFP):

Sunday 5th of February, thousands of angry Muslims launch a violent attack against the Danish Consulate in Beirut armed with wielding sticks and stones. What originally started as a “protest” – according to the organizers - rapidly “got out of hands”: the building holding the consulate was completely burnt down.

Object of the protest: the recent publication by a Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten of ironical cartoons illustrating Mohammed - a matter forbidden the religion of Islam. Earlier this week, the Danish government resolved not to prosecute the publishers of the newspaper invoking the freedom of the press.

Back to Beirut: the location of the consulate in Achrafieh, an almost exclusive Christian suburb of the Lebanese capital, seems to be at the origin of even more trouble: civilian property measured in Millions of dollars was destroyed. Cars including ambulances and police vehicles, shops, administration building and even a church were hit. Most importantly, the inhabitants remembered the days of the Lebanese civil war which opposed Muslim and Christian militias for nearly 20 years.

The security forces didn’t seem to be in control of the situation at first. However, after the deployment of hundred of Army personnel, the situation progressively got back in order. Several Lebanese politicians condemned the act – as they usually do – and appealed to a return of order. Others mentioned that this act was “dangerous” and that the responsible should be prosecuted. Prime Minister Fouad Siniora stated that “We do not accept any act that affects the security of others”.

Danish citizens residing in Lebanon were advised to leave the country as soon as possible since the situation got out of control. This was not the first time the Danish Foreign Ministry issues such a decision. Ever since the publication of the cartoons, numerous violent attacks were launched on Danish consulates and embassies worldwide: Damascus, Islamabad, Baghdad, Khartoum, Jakarta…

Photos (by AP)

Update 06/02/2006
- Interior Minister resigned.
- More than 200 suspects were arrested. More than 2/3 are not Lebanese nationals; foreign nationalities include Syrians, Palestinians and Bedouins.

December 12 2005, a bomb blast was heard in Mkalles, a suburb of Beirut. The target was Lebanese Journalist, Gebran Tueni. Police says 40 kg of explosives caused the blast which caused the death of Tueni, a friend and his driver. Several foreign workers were also injured.

Gebran Tueni was an international known journalist, issued from a family of prominent Lebanese journalists, founders of daily newspaper An-Nahar, leading arabic newspaper in Lebanon for the last 71 years. Tueni also was a member of the Lebanese Opposition during the Syrian occupation of the country. He was elected, earlier this year - May 2005 - member of Parliament of Lebanon, following the “Cedar’s Revolution”.

More information can be found on Gebran Tueni’s Official Web Site

Finally, 9 month after the assassination of P.M. Rafic Hariri (on 14th of February 2005) and numerous political and social events in Lebanon, the truth was finally revealed today by Judge Detlev Mehlis.

Mehlis, heading the U.N. investigation team in this matter, delivered today the report about the assassination to Secretary General Cofi Anan.. A 60 page report that covers everything (not only what you should know) about the situation, the assassination, the investigation during several month in Lebanon and most important the conclusions reached.
The report implicates high officials of the Lebanese and Syrian government in the assassination. Emile Lahoud, current president of Lebanon, is said to have received a phone call minutes before the blast occurred killing P.M. Hariri and twenty others.

Also appears on the list of accused Gen. Rustom Ghazali, head of the Syrian military intelligence service in Lebanon and Brig. Gen. Jamil al-Sayyed, head of a Lebanese security force (who was arrested by the investigation team earlier) and Gen. Mustapha Hamdan, head of the presidential guard. Relatives of Syrian President Bachar Al Assad are also believed to be part of the assassination plot, an issue that was planned “between Beirut and Damascus” as mentioned by a senior security official. Gen. Ghazi Kanaan, who “officially” committed suicide last week, was not mentioned in the report.

Read the official version of the Mehlis Report

Photos by Reuters

The Syrian news agency SANA announced earlier today that the Syrian Interior Minister, General Ghazi Kanaan, committed suicide. It was not specified whether he shot himself or took poisonous pills. He was questioned three weeks earlier by the U.N. investigation team on Lebanese Prime Minister – Rafic Hariri - assassination. The final report of the investigation is to be released next week.

Kanaan was the head of the Syrian military intelligence in Lebanon from 1982 to 2002. He was believed to be the first responsible for the security regime in the country during the presence of Syrian Troops. Four pro-Syrian generals were arrested earlier this year, in the process of the U.N. investigation, and many Lebanese people say that the Syrian government is involved, an accusation fiercely rejected by Damascus.

A plausible explanation of the event: Syria plotted and executed the assassination operation against P.M. Rafic Hariri. Feeling they would be uncovered and held responsible by the international community, they decided to liquidate Ghazi Kanaan, or worse he decided to kill himself – not too far from the terrorist act - so that Syria doesn’t have to be involved directly. The whole thing would become a huge scandal inside the Syrian government instead of evolving into an international affair against Syria.

Photo by Reuters

Saturday the 1st October of 2005, Tiësto played at the “Forum de Beyrouth” in Lebanon. 14 000 clubbers (I was there!) came from all over the Middle East to watch the event. Tiësto has been ranked the #1 DJ in the world for three years in a row by DJ Mag. He also is the only DJ to ever have played at the Olympic Games opening ceremony, Athens 2004, in front of a crowd of 70 000 people and nearly 4 billions viewers worldwide.

The stage was warmed up by DJ Mad Jam followed by DJ Amadeus for nearly 4 hours before the man himself, Tiësto, entered the stage at 1:00 am. He mixed “Adagio for Strings”, “Just be”, “Traffic” as well as other hits and on-the-moment mixes. He was really good, for once I was really surprised by how good this DJ could mix, good thing he didn’t cancel his trip because of the recent events in the country. Some fireworks and 14 dancers - too bad no belly dancers!! - were also part of the show; well nothing too exceptional but it was ok though.

I found a nice place just facing the stage, not TOO crowded thank god. Nice thought of going to the concert – I really enjoyed it – and Tiësto will not probably be back in Lebanon for a decade or so.

Concert notes:
- Tickets were priced $35 for regular (facing the stage), $70 for VIP (you get a chair to sit your ass on it) and $125 for VVIP (some extra drinks). Lots of people had fake tickets, so they got stuck at the entrance.
- The “Forum de Beyrouth”, faithful to its reputation of disgusting location, became a huge garbage dump minutes after everyone started getting drinks, there wasn’t a single dust bin in the whole area – not a good image of the organization. On top of it all, the heat reached 50º C.
- DJ Mad Jam really performed well, he should have his own world tour. Quoted: “My washing machine is not working, someone fucked my washing machine”.

You should check Tiësto’s Official Web Site for a schedule of his upcoming worldwide concerts.