HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: elie@hdtv.njit.edu (Elie I. Mourad)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon
Subject: Farid Al-Khazen: a Lebanese first.
Date: 30 Jul 92 23:33:44 GMT
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J.


From CLAO

Farid al-Khazen, professor of political science at the American University
in Beirut, wrote that the argument going on in Lebanon about whether ot not
to hold elections marks the first time in Lebanese and perhaps world 
history that a regime supports elections and the people oppose them.
He added that the people's opposition is due not only to the timing
of the elections but also to the perception that the Constitution was 
violated in the preparation of the electoral law.

Al-Khazen continued by saying: It is true that the present 
parliament in unrepresentative, but it is so because it was imposed
on the Lebanese. What the Hrawi regime is trying to do now is to 
deliberately and willfully have an unrepresentative parliament elected.
In this, it is guided by a foreign party whose primary objective is to 
block the emergence of a parliament that truly represents the people
and expresses their wishes.

Khazen concluded: elections are "a matter of principle: they are either 
free of unfree. There can be no half-way measures in this. If the 
first elections of the 'second Lebanese republic' cannot be fairer that the
(1972) elections of the 'first Lebanese republic' (then) why hold them 
at all?"

(al-hayat July 29)


PS: Last paragraph is a special for Hani & Ayman.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon
From: ali@babar.inria.fr (Ali Atie)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon
Subject: About vain words and music (was Re: MORE HUMOUR)
Date: 21 Jul 92 10:07:54 GMT
Organization: Koala Project, Bull Research France

ElieW writes
>Then they tried to indicate to me that we should not sing in my friend's house.
                                          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>At first I thought that he was grieving, and asked about the matter, but this
>was not the case. No one in his family had died.
>But I was told that "Muslims" are continually grieving due to the ills that are
>upon the Muslims.
>THis was new for me. Is this something special for this family, a certain group
>or something general in Islam?

What is general in islam is that muslims should not listen to vain word 
(lahu al-hadith). Allah(SWT) said what could be translated to:
 
    "They shall not hear therein any vain words nor lying." (78:35)
          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

vain words is translated from the arabic words "lahu al-hadith".

*************************************
Anwar Saleh writes:
> Umm Kulthoom career was singing and did go to Hajj (Mecca) in 
> Saudia Arabia (the very strict country). 

Nobody has the right to forbid a muslim (man or woman) to
go to Hajj, even if this muslim is a singer.

> If singing is not
> allowed, probably she would not be allowed in.
 
Since when the kings in Saudia Arabia cared about what is allowed
and what is not ???

>Even in Iran,
>singing was allowed by Khomeini (but just for the revolution).
>I heard women sing for the revolution.

a song for the islamic cause is not vain words, so it is allowed 
(see verse above).

***************************************
H. Harmanani writes:
>I heard that songs and music are not allowed in Islam except for
>classical music.  The reason I was given was that it wastes people
>time.  Could that be the case here? 

Listening to vain words (lahu al-hadith) is not allowed. Must of songs 
(Umm Kulthum, Abdel haleem, Ragheb Alameh, Mickel Jackson, ...) are
vain words, so they are forbidden.
In addition, anything that takes you away from the right path and
leads you to lose your conscience (even for a little time) is an evil 
work, so you should avoid it. This is the case of music that challenge you to
dance. Instead, the classical music is allowed and it could be indeed 
a remedy for nervousness. However, the best thing is to listen to 
Allah(SWT)'s words, the Quran:

    "Those who listen to the word, then follow the best of 
     it; those are they whom Allah has guided, and those it is 
     who are the men of understanding." (39:18)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon
From: fahs@ecf.toronto.edu (FAHS Samir Mahmoud)
Subject: Re: Analysis of What Fouad Ajami says
Organization: University of Toronto, Engineering Computing Facility
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1992 03:56:50 GMT

In article <3607@keele.keele.ac.uk> phd21@seq1.kl.ac.uk (A. Jaber) writes:
>>From: analyst@netcom.com (David Sternlight)
>>
>>Jaber refers to the New Republic of "May June July 1991" as support for
>>his assertion that Fuad Ajami is both Persian and pro-Khomeini.
>>
>>There is no such thing. The New Republic comes out bi-weekly, not
>>every three months.
>>
>>I assume Jaber simply is referring to either his vague memory or
>>something someone else told him. Neither is reliable in a discussion
>>of such a high temperature.

Much Deleted ...

>
>	connection of Ajami he forgot to mention that the Syrian
>	President who is an Alawi ( a radical Shia Sect that conisder
>	Imam Ali  as God) and his Alawi sect control Syria and its
>	Pan-Arabist policy. This is the indication of Ajami's Khomeinist
>	Connection,
>

I am sure that you are aware that who takes a god other than God (Allah) 
he would not be considered a muslim.  Then how would they be a sect 
of shiite????..unless you do not consider the shia to be muslims.
I am sure you did not mean that!!....But if you consider the shia
to be muslims and the Alawites as a radical branch of it then they 
can not believe that Ali is God.  So, which will it be?????

And I am sorry, I fail to see how that can be an indication of his
khomeinist connection.  OOOOOH, it is a shiite-Alawite conspiracy.
I am sorry, it escaped me there for a second.

I never thought of Ajami as much of a khomeinist.  I mean did u ever
listen to the guy and his analysis on the gulf war ( before and
after desert storm)???..or his Analysis of the Amal, Hizbollah
conflict???...did u ever read any of his books?.  Did u get the
chance to galnce thru his "The Vanished Imam" Book???...
I doubt it, otherwise you would not be making such claims.  
Ajami is hardly is a supporter of Iran or its policies.

By the way, not that I am a supporter of either Iran or Ajami.
This was intended as a correction of some of the facts. 

>A. Jaber
>
>
> 

Samir M. Fahs
-- 


============================================================================
                    |
From: elie@hdtv.njit.edu (Elie I. Mourad)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon
Subject: CLAO
Date: 30 Jul 92 23:26:45 GMT
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J.


From CLAO:

Jim Muir reported from Beirut that criticism of the proposed elections
is by no means confined to the Christian camp. Many Muslims have expressed
unease and some clearly believe it is a mistake.
He quoted Walid Joumblatt as saying: "I think it is not the right 
moment for having elections. The timing is bad, we have much more 
important issues to deal with... the economic situation, the government
and the Lebanese administration which is in total shambels and is totally
corrupt."

Mr. Tamam Salam, a Muslim personality, also said: "I would say in the 
Muslim community, or in general in the Lebanese community, I don't see
much enthusiasm towards these elections."

Christian Science Monitor quoted Ghassan as saying that the Taef agreement
has been turned over to those against whom Taef was devised, namely
the Syrians. Mr. Tueini added that Taef was a compact to help the 
Lebanese be liberated from a Syrian takeover. Ultimately, Taef has been
underwritten to the Syrians, and now they implement Taef the way they want to
see it.
From: elie@sensors.njit.edu (Elie I. Mourad)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon
Subject: Re: Joke :-)
Date: 26 Jul 92 12:09:30 GMT
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J.

In article <BrxDLD.H7H@ecf.toronto.edu> fahs@ecf.toronto.edu (FAHS Samir Mahmoud) writes:
>In article <1992Jul24.035209.10413@njitgw.njit.edu> elie@sensors.njit.edu (...NADINE...) writes:
>>
>>Imam Moussa Sadr's sister calls Libya to inquire about her brother.
>>
>>Sadr: "Alou"
>>Libyan: "Laa', shawou"
>>
>>--
>
>This joke is of a very low taste and too insensitive.  It transgresses the
>boundaries of acceptable jokes.  Had it been funny, it would have been easier
>to overlook its rudeness.

Apologies!!.
I heard it a few days ago, so I thought I'd post it.

>Then again, what would I expect from ElieM?!!!.

Expect only the best :-)

>Frankly, I do not think it was posted as a joke, more like a defiance. Just
>another one in his series of antagonizing articles.

No defiance at all. Actually, this joke is probably symbolic
of how people "disappear" in our area.

>Not much of a disappointment there since expectations were never that 
>high, we have always known the caliber of person he is.

What kind of person is that ? 
Speaking of which, I do not know much about Imam Moussa Sadr, maybe
you can feed us in, and that's probably why I did not realize this 
would be offending. All I know is he was a Shiite leader who mysteriously
dissapeared in an unnamed country.

Regards, Elie.

--

                                 ________
________________________________/--------\______________________________________
From: elie@sensors.njit.edu (...NADINE...)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon
Subject: Lebanese Forces (was Re: jokes)
Date: 23 Jul 92 05:40:26 GMT
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J.

In article <1992Jul22.040744.9424@dmpe.csiro.au> zughbi@dmpe.csiro.au (another phoenics person) writes:
>ElieM
>
>Thanks for posting Habib Malik article. He (the son of Charles Malik) was my school 
>mate back at the I.C.  and by the way Elie (and Christine, Madelaine and Boudi) there 
>has been regular meetings between the Lebanese Forces and pro-Aoun representatives in 
>Lebanon. Geagea said that the frost between the two camps has melted.  Is that heat 
>transfer getting as far as NJ? (Jokingly).
>
>Habib

Personally if you ask me, the Lebanese Forces agreed to Taef and
have accepted Hrawi as legitimate president. They can direct their
dissatisfaction there. Nothing Geagea does now can undo his faulty
decisions.

When Geagea says "the frost between the two camps has melted" does that
mean Geagea agrees that Aoun is the only legitimate representative
of Lebanon ? Would he reverse his decision concerning Hrawi ? I'd like
to see that.
Personally I would never trust Geagea or others like him who are only 
implementing other countries foreign policies.

But to keep the record straight:

Al-Hayat (July 20):
Samir Geagea dismissed a suggestion that he was "courting" Aoun's 
supporters, saying that the opposite was true because he is the one
on the ground.

Al-Hayat (July 22):
General Aoun answered when asked about Geagea's statement: Did 
anyone go and ask for his favors ? The problem in Lebanon is that 
there are many parties that played the role of a divider between 
the supporters of the cause and its ennemies. And when they were bombing
us, I called on them to step aside and let me finish the liberation
movement. These parties continuously try to take advantage of every
situation to promote themselves, thinking that they are waging an
election campaign... 
Unfortunately, they are nothing but a mask of an international plan
(against Lebanon).

Concerning NJ, a leading member of the AUSL(pro-Aoun here) was 
approached by the reps. of the LF. And to tell you the truth she was
quite surprised.

Regards, Elie.

--

                                 ________
________________________________/--------\______________________________________
From: elie@sensors.njit.edu (...NADINE...)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon
Subject: Re: grandliban.gif:  INFO
Date: 23 Jul 92 05:57:20 GMT
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J.

In article <1992Jul22.151307.3510@news.clarkson.edu> saleham@cauchy.mcs.clarkson.edu.clarkson.edu writes:
>
>elie@hdtv.njit.edu (...NADINE...):
>> Photo caption:
>>
>> "Great Lebanon is Publicly Proclaimed a Separate State"
>>
>> On September 1, 1920, General Gouraud, the French High Commissioner for
>> Syria, publicly proclaimed in Beirut that Lebanon was in the future to be
>> a separate state independent of Syria and under the protection of the
>> French government. He is shown here with the Maronite Patriarch
>> and the head of the Moslem population.
>
>  So it was France in 1920. And under the protection of the French
>  government!! and you blame Syria? 
>
>  Q: who said that Lebanon is independent from Syria?
>  A: France
>
>  That is right.
>   
>  Now if Genaral Gouraud included Lathqiyyeh to Lebanon, Some on the scl
>  will fight for the withdrawal of Syrian troops from lathqiyyeh.
> 
>  Anwar Saleh

Q: How many Lebanese want to be part of Syria
A: A definite minority 

Anwar, read more about how Syria treats its own citizens.
(You can start with the latest reports I posted)

And I think the Alawites wanted to be included as part of Lebanon instead
of becoming part of the Syrian federation. But the Lebanese refused :-)

And the frame of mind of the Lebanese of Mt. Lebanon was surely 
pro-independence especially after the abuse they took from the Ottomans.
Technically speaking, France was the catalyst that allowed the formation
of an independent Lebanese state.. An independent Lebanese state was in the 
works long before that. Just scan the late 1800s local newspapers if you ever
get a chance. (maybe you should read less neo-Arab propaganda)

Regards, Elie.

--

                                 ________
________________________________/--------\______________________________________
From: elie@hdtv.njit.edu (Elie I. Mourad)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon
Subject: Khaddam on Lebanon
Date: 28 Jul 92 15:48:00 GMT
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J.


Khaddam said that Syria will not withdraw its troops before or after
September.  And due to his heroic brotherly deeds towards Lebanon, he was
given a medal by Hrawi.

Regards, Elie.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon
From: elie@hdtv.njit.edu (Elie I. Mourad)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon
Subject: Against the Constitution
Date: 30 Jul 92 23:47:11 GMT
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J.

Al-Hayat quoted Farouq Abillamaa as accusing the Hrawi regime of 
"violating the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression
and belief," by continuing to detain more than 20 supporters of 
General Michel Aoun without due process. He said that some have been
in detention for over a week after they were arbitrarily arrested.
From: elie@hdtv.njit.edu (Elie I. Mourad)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon
Subject: Al-Watan Al-Arabi article
Date: 30 Jul 92 23:12:16 GMT
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J.


Al-Watan Al-Arabi magazine held a long interview with General
Michel Aoun. If you wish to receive a copy, please send a 
self-addressed stamped envelope (2x29cents), to:

CLAO
2077 National Press Bldg.
Washington, DC 20045

or call

(202) 686-4844
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon
From: alami@McRCIM.McGill.EDU (Wassim Alami)
Subject: test
Originator: alami@aragorn.mcrcim.mcgill.edu
Organization: McGill Research Centre for  Intelligent Machines
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 92 22:18:20 GMT


This just a test. Please ignore.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon
From: saleham@right.clarkson.edu (Anwar M. Saleh)
Subject: Re: Lebanon and Syria: once and for all
Reply-To: saleham@right.clarkson.edu
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 06:48:42 GMT


nmouawad@waterloo.edu (Naji Mouawad) writes:
>
> Let it be said once and for all: no historical facts, no engraved
> writing, no orders from the heavens of Time, no thunder from the
> rulers will force us to accept what we refuse.
>
> Syria is today a country ruled by a blood-thirsty regime. This regime
                           *****
  This is OK. Talk about rulers and you got my support. What we saw 
  was not about Asad but Syrians. Jokes were rewritten against  
  Syrians (the victims of the blood-thirsty regime as you said).
   
> has times and times again subdued, diminished, humiliated, tortured
> and killed all those who opposes it. This regime had done nothing than
> destroying once a flourishing country, a stable economy and a
> promising land. I am refering to Syria.
>
> Any one, any one who stand up today, for a reunification with Syria is
   
  Calling upon Lebanese or Syrians to topple the Asad's regime is            
  totaly different from making a big difference between Lebanon and
  Syria. In your earlier postings Naji, you blamed the Syrians for 
  what Asad is doing in Lebanon but you did not blame the Lebanese  
  for what many Lebanese *Asads* did to Lebanon.
   
  Those talking about unity were talking about culture. When the subject 
  is Asad and his regime then peopel will agree with you or simply  
  do not talk. Start the subject "Asad and his crimes" and that is fine.
  But Syrians?  
 
> implicitly or explicitly in support of the government of Damascus. If
> he is ignorant, let him think twice, it not, let the blood of the
> victims of this government be on his hand as it is on the hands of
> Assad.
>
> Once and for all: unity is brought in peace and joy. Not in bombs and
> violence. Any Lebanese who loves Lebanon, any Syrian who loves Syria
> would postpone the unity issue until Syria has recovered its dignity
> and its freedom. 
>
> If you don't feel like respecting the living, bear some respect for
> the dead.
>
> naji.
> --  

  Anwar Saleh

Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon
From: nmouawad@waterloo.edu (Naji Mouawad)
Subject: Re: jokes
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 16:22:05 GMT

In article <37314@imag.imag.fr> oueichek@ngulu (Ibaa Oueichek) writes:

   eliedw@hedda.uio.no (Elie Dib Wardini) writes:
   : In article <37221@imag.imag.fr> oueichek@ngulu (Ibaa Oueichek) writes:
   : 
   : 
   : >  Mr Elie, spare us your flames, we are all brothers, even if "feel"
   :                                   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
   : 
   : who are you?
   : 
     And that's all what you have to say ?. Didn't you understand that i was
   Syrian ?.
   : 



With all due respect, I would like to suggest to Mr Ibaa Oueicheck a
little more restraints in his writing on this group. The Syrian
presence in Lebanon is an extreemly sensitive issue to many readers of
this group. 

While we all understand that the Syrian people as a whole are
suffering under the regime of Hafez el assad, one is reminded of the
40,000 or so Syrian soldiers who are serving in Lebanon and who are
enforcing the Syrian's law onto the Lebanese.

Under circumstances such as these, I doubt that the use of the word
"brothers" is in any way constructive. 

When the Israeli forces, the Syrian forces, the Iranian forces, the
Palestinian forces and every other foreign force would have left
Lebanon, we might consider talking about brotherhood.

Until then, let us try and build friendship.

Naji.



--
     -------------------------------------------------------------------
    | Naji Mouawad  |          nmouawad@watmath.waterloo.edu            |
    |  University   |---------------------------------------------------|
    | Of Waterloo   |   "The Stranger in us is our most familiar Self"  |
     -------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon
From: csc_alex@uhdvx3.dt.uh.edu (Alex Khalil)
Subject: Re: European Parliament and the Lebanese legislative elections
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41A   
Organization: University of Houston-Downtown
X-Lunar-Date: 4 days, 1 hour, 58 minutes since the last quarter of the moon
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 05:14:00 GMT

In article <1992Jul28.015151.7817@prism.poly.edu>, medawar@prism.poly.edu
(Bassem Medawar) writes...
>The following has come to my attention from a reliable source.
>I agree with the content of the resolution below and further
>add that the election to start in August is but about one issue
>only: the ratification of the Syria/Lebanon unification
>treaty, which is likely to be presented to the new parliament sometime
>during its term.  The first act of the new parliament though shall 
>be to renew the Syrian Army's mendate over Lebanon.
> 
>Do you want union with present day Syria?  Do you want to renew the
>Syrian Army's mendate over Lebanon?  If your answer is no to either,
>the you must actively oppose dishonest elections.
> 

Thank you Bassem for this posting.

I regret that being away from Lebanon, I will not be able to participate in
the polls.

Is there an address [ e-mail or other ], we/I could answer this resolution.

How about a common message?

I expect a feedback from you, fellow Netters: Hani, ElieM, ElieW, Anwar, Bassil,
Christine, Boudi, AliA, AliJ, Naji, Bassem, Wassim, and each and everyone of 
you who feel concerned.

Scl or e-mail, your answers are welcome. I will post back e-mail if need be.

>Bassem
>

Alex Khalil
csc_alex@uhdvx3.dt.uh.edu
U. of Houston-Downtown
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon
From: eliedw@ulrik.uio.no (Elie Dib Wardini)
Subject: Re: The Syrian security point of view
Organization: Univerity of Oslo, Semitics dep.
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 19:06:01 GMT

In article <Bs9JFr.4ty@ecf.toronto.edu> fahs@ecf.toronto.edu (FAHS Samir
Mahmoud) writes:


>
>It is strategically correct that syria would have to have a military presence
>in lebanon to protect its own cities. After all, Damascus is only a few miles
>away from the lebanese border.  So its presence is not to prevent the
>bombardment of the lebanese cities and villages, it is for its own security. 
>That has almost always been the case when a weak country borders two enemies.
>
>In conclusion, from the point view of a syrian,  Lebanon is strategically 
>important to their security.

Samir you are completely right! If I were a Syrian I would want to take
Lebanon. If I were an Israeli I would want to do the same.

I am not speaking ironically.

Samir is pointing to something very true.

It is the job of us LEbanese to get our act together.

Assad has got his, and Israel has its act together.

when will we?

>
>Samir M. Fahs


elie wardini
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon
From: haidar@ces.cwru.edu (H. Harmanani)
Subject: Re: The Syrian security point of view
Organization: Computer Engineering and Science/CWRU
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 92 16:03:28 GMT

In article <1992Jul30.142219.8983@prism.poly.edu> medawar@prism.poly.edu (Bassem Medawar) writes:

>1. I grew up in Syria in the 70s, I lived about 15 km from the the so called 
>lebanese border (Tripoli). Almost every night Isreali Jets would come over the 
>area I lived in through Lebanon and Bomb the Hell out of Syrian positions.
>
>2. Lebanon have always lacked a strong position against isreali attacks on 
>Syria through the Lebanese territory, and had no defense what so ever.

Still with the Syrian military presence in Lebanon, Israeli jets still
bombard areas and villages.  Syrian army has never done a thing about
it.  I don't see that as a good reason for "a strong syrian" presence
in Lebanon. 



-- 
H. Harmanani (haidar@alpha.ces.cwru.edu)
Dept. of Computer Engineering
Crawford Hall 215C
Case Western Reserve U
From: elie@hdtv.njit.edu (...NADINE...)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon
Subject: slaves.gif: INFO
Date: 23 Jul 92 00:02:41 GMT
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J.


Caption:

"Negroes of Hejaz Outside their Miserable Home Built of Dirty Rags and 
 Ropes"

There are many negroes in Arabia, some of whom are actuially slaves. Most
of them are the descendants of slaves brought in the past from the near-by
African coast. When we compare this negro home, so untidy, so dark and
airless within, with the lofty substantial Arab houses beyond, which
appear rather modern, we understand how low is the degree of culture
to which these people have attained. It is in the shape of the beehive
huts so common in Africa, and its walls are formed of odd fragments
of sacking and rags and felt held together by ropes.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon