Free Figs in the Marketplace, or: Wake Up and Smell the Coffee
Warning: this post is CHOCK FULL O' LINKS. (You can have some coffee with that.)
I really don't think the world knows what it's dealing with regarding the Arab mindset.
The world does not understand their mentality. When you think about it, it really is an interesting, maybe even unique one.
It perhaps is a Middle Eastern, Levantine, tribal way of conducting the business of life; I wouldn't trust most Arabs as far as I could throw them, and this is why: the Arab mindset allows for weaving a tale, for embellishing facts, for obfuscating the truth.
Samuel Katz, (who just passed away in May, 2008) in his wonderful little book "Battleground: Fact & Fantasy in Palestine" relates a very funny (sad, but funny) story illustrating this mindset, paraphrased here :
Even CNN reporters surprisingly wrote about this phenomenon in 2006, as published in Camera (scroll down for this portion):
With all this, the West continues to think that with logic and rational thinking, they can persuade the Arabs to be reasonable, to compromise, to seek peace with Israel. This is not currently possible, because this is not what they want (although I am seeing some tiny chinks in the culture and mindset; I just heard about a Hamas leader's son who converted to Christianity, and perhaps women have 'had it' with their oppression and second-class status, with the abusive treatment by their husbands which is sanctioned in the Quran). But so far, what they want is (capitalized) World Domination, and to 'push Israel into the sea.'
That doesn't sound like peace to me. How about you?
I was going to show you a video of how the Arabs raise their children to be suicide bombers and "martyrs." But then I came across this. Remember Sesame Street?
There is your Palestinian future generation--you know the one--the one that's going to create and build a viable Palestinian state and make 'peace' with Israel and the West.
Take that with your coffee (I'll take a few links with that, too).
I really don't think the world knows what it's dealing with regarding the Arab mindset.
The world does not understand their mentality. When you think about it, it really is an interesting, maybe even unique one.
It perhaps is a Middle Eastern, Levantine, tribal way of conducting the business of life; I wouldn't trust most Arabs as far as I could throw them, and this is why: the Arab mindset allows for weaving a tale, for embellishing facts, for obfuscating the truth.
Samuel Katz, (who just passed away in May, 2008) in his wonderful little book "Battleground: Fact & Fantasy in Palestine" relates a very funny (sad, but funny) story illustrating this mindset, paraphrased here :
An Arab was trying to take a nap in his upstairs bedroom, but he couldn't, because the children were playing and shouting in the courtyard underneath his veranda. So he got up, went out on the veranda and shouted down to them, "what are you doing playing in the courtyard? Don't you know that they are giving away free figs in the marketplace?" The children looked up, stopped playing, and all ran to the marketplace to get their 'free figs.' The Arab chuckled to himself at his clever trick, and went back to his nap. He was just about to doze off when he sat up in shock and thought: "Are you crazy? They are giving away free figs in the marketplace, and you are taking a nap?!"The Arab mindset is the reason we see things like this: Fakestinian Fauxtography (thank you, Atlas Shrugs--I love it. The phrase, that is. Not the tactic). From Snapshots, A Camera Blog, which Atlas Shrugs cites, we see that there is a tendancy among the Arabs--Hamas, Hezbollah, Fatah--doesn't make any difference who is it--to fake and falsify information, photos, and videos. Read Brian C. Ledbetter's great story on it, here:
CAMERA has also spotted a non-injured man being paraded around as a victim. Or at least, he surely looks non-injured (as do many of the other "victims" being paraded into al-Shifa Hospital). I'll only add to this by pointing out that faithful Muslims the world over appear to be quite adept at parading around bodies. Or, to be more accurate, reasonable approximations thereof.And it's all fine with them. They do not care whether or not the information is "true." Truth, as such, plays no part in their weltenschaung. They can, and do, everything in their power to sway public opinion in their favor, even if the information is false.
Is it therefore beyond the depth of imagination, armed with this knowledge, to suppose that Palestinians are also "dressing up" their victimhood just a touch?
Oh, and finally: ISLAM IS PEACE. And nothing says "peace" quite like dressing your children as killers. (At a peace rally, no less!)
Even CNN reporters surprisingly wrote about this phenomenon in 2006, as published in Camera (scroll down for this portion):
Still skeptical? Don't believe me? How about believing this, by Arab journalist Abdullah Bajubeer in an Arab News article from June, 2005:In an exceptional exposé aired on July 24, CNN’s Anderson Cooper discussed not only Hezbollah control of journalists’ access to subjects in southern Lebanon, but also the staging of scenes for the international press to record. He chronicled a Hezbollah-guided tour for foreign reporters where interview and photographic opportunities were strictly managed by Hezbollah minders who followed the participants’ every movement. Describing Hezbollah’s orchestration of events, Cooper recounted:
...After letting us take pictures of a few damaged buildings, they take us to another location, where there are ambulances waiting. This is a heavily orchestrated Hezbollah media event. When we got here, all the ambulances were lined up. We were allowed a few minutes to talk to the ambulance drivers. Then one by one, they've been told to turn on their sirens and zoom off so that all the photographers here can get shots of ambulances rushing off to treat civilians. That's the story — that's the story that Hezbollah wants people to know about. These ambulances aren't responding to any new bombings. The sirens are strictly for effect... (Anderson Cooper 360º, July 24, 2006)
The popular reaction to the newspaper report about an Iraqi farmer shooting down an Apache helicopter some time ago prompted me to look more carefully into the Arab way of thinking, particularly the influence of superstition on the Arab mindset. I was shocked to find that instead of finding logical solutions to the challenges posed by sophisticated technological advancement in many areas, the Arab mind seeks refuge in solutions based on legends and superstitions. A resistance to the pressures of the modern world controlled by reason and logic still lurks in our deepest recesses; it prefers to wallow in intellectual lethargy and self-indulgence, being content with imported technology without the least effort to develop the technology as non-Arab countries are doing and have done.The West just does not understand how the Arab mindset can be different--and by different, I mean superstitious, backward, illogical, irrational, in short, primitive--than theirs. That is why until now, democracy has not taken a hold in Arab countries. Their religion is, by our terms, backward, authoritarian, barbaric, and yes, primitive. They are stuck somewhere back there in the 7th century, not in our 21st. And they are trying to bring us all down, back to their century, where they can rule with their barbaric 'religion of peace.'
With all this, the West continues to think that with logic and rational thinking, they can persuade the Arabs to be reasonable, to compromise, to seek peace with Israel. This is not currently possible, because this is not what they want (although I am seeing some tiny chinks in the culture and mindset; I just heard about a Hamas leader's son who converted to Christianity, and perhaps women have 'had it' with their oppression and second-class status, with the abusive treatment by their husbands which is sanctioned in the Quran). But so far, what they want is (capitalized) World Domination, and to 'push Israel into the sea.'
That doesn't sound like peace to me. How about you?
I was going to show you a video of how the Arabs raise their children to be suicide bombers and "martyrs." But then I came across this. Remember Sesame Street?
There is your Palestinian future generation--you know the one--the one that's going to create and build a viable Palestinian state and make 'peace' with Israel and the West.
Take that with your coffee (I'll take a few links with that, too).
Comments
In response to a previous blog…
First, please know there are Gentiles who love you and the Jewish People. There are many of us who are trying to make our voice heard. I clashed with Anti-Israel demonstrators in Taos, NM last week.
As a Gentile, my outrage is first, their hatred of G-d's Chosen People. Could it be because I seek the true and only G-d, I can feel His love and purpose for His people, the Jews and Eretz Israel. You know something, what G-d loves I love. No other way will work out in the end.
And then how dare they cry foul when I've watched them abuse 'Believers'. They seem unaware that the 'Christian' population of Bethlehem has gone from estimates of 80% to less than 20% of the population in just a few years because they were fed up with being used as human shields by their Mohammedan neighbors. (We can discuss later the difference between a Believer and a Christian.)
On Wednesday night a group of Believers are meeting to pray for Israel's victory and peace. We will be praying in accordance with Psalms 122:6-9 for the peace of Jerusalem. But we will also be praying and have been praying for the strength of the IDF; its army, navy, and air force. We will pray for the total destruction of Hamas and all it represents. We will pray for total victory for Israel. And we will be praying for the Arabs to come to know G-d.
You, the Jewish People, will prevail because G-d says so and told it through the prophets. I just finished listening to Elie Wiesel's, Night. The atrocities are still heavy in my heart and clogging my throat. But since Elie was liberated, he won the Noble Prize for Peace and Israel has the most mighty army on earth. Now if the L-rd's nefesh, spirit, could just claim all the people it would be complete.
While Believers pray BeShem Yeshua HaMishiach, we are praying to only one G-d, the Creator, the Almighty. We believe Yeshua, a hated Jew, was G-d incarnate completing His plan, not creating a new religion. We as Gentiles are only a branch drafted into the mighty tree that is the Jewish Nation. How can we not stand with you. If you are destroyed (G-d promised that can't happen) we are destroyed. And if we stick with you, we are promised blessings.
I pray to HaShem that our prayers will be a sweet offering to Him Wednesday night and every day. That they will lead to a more perfect relationship with Him. AMEN.
Nu, enough for now. I will be praying for your daughter’s safety and G-d’s guidance in her assignments.
My love and thoughts are with you, the IDF, and the Jewish People. Your blog is great (motivating).
I'm waiting for pics to load from my packing for soldiers. Keep checking Shiloh Musings.
You are absolutely right about Bethlehem: the Christian population has severely diminished from what it was years ago; they were persecuted and intimidated by their Muslim neighbors. Would you want to live near a 'neighbor' like that?
Batya: Thank you. I am being overloaded with information (TMI - "too much information!"); no wonder they call this era 'the information age.' I will try to check Shiloh Musings for new pics.
Btw, I heard of a terrible 'friendly fire' accident in the IDF...is that true?