The future is Greeeeeeen

GENEVA - General Motors Corp has set a target for production of an all-electric car in 2010, GM’s product chief and Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said on Tuesday.

Lutz said the major uncertainty facing the Chevrolet Volt, a concept vehicle GM unveiled in January, was whether lithium-ion batteries can be developed to power it economically and safely.

A running Volt prototype is expected by the end of 2007, he said, adding that GM would take the unusual step of opening much of its development process to the media.

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Politics and Religions

Religion in this analysis is not what you think. It s not few traditions glued together to form a worship. Religion is the truth, why we are here and where we come from and what we have to do.
Politics has a strange link to religion. It is mistaken many times over with this concept. Right now, most of our religions are nothing but basic political movements.
Real religion is very difficult to find. Gandhi himself was mistaken to be a great spiritual leader in the east. He is not. He is a good hearted Politician.

      Politics deals with the law of popularity. It is a popularity contest. What you need to have to be a leader or politician , is charisma, the smarts, and the will to gather people around you and form a force. Religion doesn't care about people, gathering, or even enhancing your charismatic character. Buddha, was given a choice of joining his father's kingdom, he refused and went on for the search of the truth. He found it and told his people weather they like it or not, he wouldn't change anything. Same thing with Moses, Jesus, Mohammad and others. None of them was seeking a popularity contest. They were seeking the truth, not the told truth but the experienced truth. The real religion is that which shows you how to experience the truth and not the one promising you of a price after death. It is what you need to experience now, right now while you are alive, while the seconds are ticking and with each ticking your death bed is opening its arms wide open more and more...

The Secret To You

It is possible that you become happy
It is possible to look forward for another day
It is possible that we care about each other
It is possible that god is forgiving and great
It is possible that you fall in love over and over again
It is possible...
If you just believe...

"Imagine" sang by Arabic and Jewish Children

One favorite song of all time, appropriately sang by 40 Arabic and 40 Jewish Children...for brighter future, for peaceful future, for beautiful future.. Imagine

The mixed law of the universe

Yin and Yang is an ancient Chinese Taoist symbol that symbolizes the inter-dynamic of the universe. This law has a tremendous power if we really and truly understand it.

The 2 half interweaving circles resemble the duality of all things. In simple fashion, all things have their opposites, Hot/Cold, Pain/Pleasure, Morning/Night, Dark/Light, Male/Female..ect
In fact, the object will fail to exist if it didn't have its duality created somewhere in the universe.

Now, if we take this a little further, and if all living objects have this duality into them, so does we the living beings. In terms of negativity and positivity, we are all a mixed of the two. We all have the positive side and the negative side. But we do have the choice to choose. So our decision to be more positive will make us more part of the positive half and vise versa. Having said that, even when we choose and strive to be all positive and good, there will always be this little negative dot there. It's the law.

It also means that when you meet someone who seems to have acquired all negative choices in life, he/she will still have the little good hearted dot. It maybe hidden but it will be there. Look for that dot and learn from it, it maybe all you need to learn for your next understanding. Same goes with all educations, jobs, relationships, always look for the positivity, it exists.

On the other hand when you do some stupid things :) remember that you will always have this bad dot, so don't beat yourself over it, it will get you no where. Instead appreciate it for the experience it has shown you and decide on another choice in the future.

Screw Technology

Man... 3 days completely dissolved in a computer monitor trying to run a Web Service created by a DLL with SOAP Tool Kit 3.0. I followed all the freaking directions, still wouldn't work. So on the third day last night, at 1 clock in the morning, found it. Solution put there by a geek, and what is it? the Microsoft IIS has a bug and you need to manually fix it. A bug in their flagship IIS from XP? It was more like a cockroach with stupid legs all over me!!! Man...I wish sometimes I was just a farmer!!
One thing made me just be patient enough not to throw the computer out of my window were few songs I was playing over and over and over again like a psycho.... like this song by George Wasouf..7lif el amar

$25 million climate prize offered by Branson

British tycoon Sir Richard Branson on Friday announced a $25 million prize for a way to extract a billion tons or more of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year

The winner will have to come up with a way of removing one billion tons of carbon gases a year from the atmosphere for 10 years — with $5 million of the prize being paid at the start and the remaining $20 million at the end.

If a Lion can show his love and appreciation like that...maybe we all can...

Check this out, a lion kissing his saviors.... As you probably have heard this story, The Lion "Jupiter" was saved from a long life of suffering in traveling circus.. Anna have saved him and nurtured him back to well being and good health... Jupiter as you can see is showing his appreciations...

Promise yourself...

Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet. To make all our friends feel that there is something in them. To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best to work, only for the best and expect only the best. To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile. To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble."

Christian D Larson

Christian D. Larson was an outstanding and highly influential New Thought leader and teacher as well as a prolific writer of New Thought books who believed that people have tremendous latent powers, which could be harnessed for success with the proper attitude

What if everyone was as happy as this kid

True happiness doesn't really require much, not much at all, sometimes maybe some silliness will do.. (inspired by Dareen's post )

Peace...a video by Palestinians and Israelis

Ordinary young Palestinian and Israeli citizens were given an unprecedented opportunity last week to present an impassioned video expressing their views to world leaders at the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni listened as leaders of the youth movement, OneVoice, told them, "Enough!"

Your Morality is not real....

Oh well, let Osho do the talking, I m not saying anything :) just one and half minute of different views....

Seeking the truth

Pentel 0.5mm

Do you want to know what love is?

One of my favourite songs

I gotta take a little time
A little time to think things over
I better read between the lines
In case I need it when Im older

Now this mountain I must climb
Feels like a world upon my shoulders
I through the clouds I see love shine
It keeps me warm as life grows colder

In my life theres been heartache and pain
I dont know if I can face it again
Cant stop now, Ive traveled so far
To change this lonely life

I wanna know what love is
I want you to show me
I wanna feel what love is
I know you can show me

Im gonna take a little time
A little time to look around me
Ive got nowhere left to hide
It looks like love has finally found me

In my life theres been heartache and pain
I dont know if I can face it again
I cant stop now, Ive traveled so far
To change this lonely life

I wanna know what love is
I want you to show me
I wanna feel what love is
I know you can show me

I wanna know what love is
I want you to show me
And I wanna feel, I want to feel what love is
And I know, I know you can show me

Lets talk about love
I wanna know what love is, the love that you feel inside
I want you to show me, and Im feeling so much love
I wanna feel what love is, no, you just cannot hide
I know you can show me, yeah

I wanna know what love is, lets talk about love
I want you to show me, I wanna feel it too
I wanna feel what love is, I want to feel it too
And I know and I know, I know you can show me
Show me love is real, yeah
I wanna know what love is..

Vow...at least for now :)

This just hit me last week while discussing a religious issue with a friend.
I was on the firm believe that all religious figures are nothing but normal human beings and that they sometimes make as stupid mistakes as anyone of us would, so I was trying to convey that message to my friend by unleashing an issue which he firmly believes in.

But it has been my lifestyle in general, I wanted to unleash and tell everyone what is wrong with their beliefs, as this was my mission :|, take for example; The high importance of Christ being crucified doesn't give you any added benefit and may not have happened all together, the wrong concept they have about Heaven and Hell, Mohammad marriage to 13 wives although in Koran the book he preaches the maximum was 4 under specific scenarios, the fact that their prayer should be done as meditation not as duty, Buddha's way of stressing that the only thing that matters is to be mindful which leaves little for imagination playfulness and the enjoyment of just sometimes be silly, the followers emphasis on "no God" and still they pray to Buddha's figure as he is a Super Duper Being..The Jews with them being the "Chosen ones" and much more about so many other beliefs that I looked at such as Osho, Sahaja Yoga, and other types of Yoga.

So my interest was to go to the Muslims and tell them they are wasting their times, go to the Buddhist and tell them they are living an artificial live style and so on...just take a look at my review of Life Of Buddha on my other blog and see what I mean http://maswad.blogspot.com/2007/02/life-of-buddha.html

Then I found that I am really not changing anyone's mind and people are not interested at all in listening to anything out of the box in terms of their beliefs.
I also realized that I am wasting so much energy on focusing on this exposing these wrong beliefs and the negative part associated with them...

This concept goes not only to religion studies but to everything in live.
I realized that we as society concentrate on negative things in life. Look at the news..Even for environmentalists and other groups, the concentration has been on fighting the negative side more than stressing on the positive side.

So my vow on this blog, on my other blog and perhaps in life in general is not to expose anyone anymore, but instead focus on the positive side of everything I study, read or participate in. I will make an attempt to see only the positive, the beauty, the humorous perhaps , joyful and ecstasy side of things. No more arguments, no more persuasions... This will perhaps will be a life time mission by itself :)

GO AL-GORE...

Al Gore was nominated for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his wide-reaching efforts to draw the world’s attention to the dangers of global warming, a Norwegian lawmaker said Thursday.

During eight years as Bill Clinton’s vice president, Gore pushed for climate measures, including the Kyoto Treaty. Since leaving office in 2001 he has campaigned worldwide, including with his Oscar-nominated documentary on climate change called “An Inconvenient Truth. Read More Here.

Also...Scientists world wide are saying Warming 'very likely' due to man, tie bigger storms to warming...

Small Prayer for peace..in memory of a war that will not be forgotten

Sad story fallen
The wall of sadness won't brake
In front of us
Another father looses his son
Mother cries, where is the end
.
I dance to your sad tune tonight
With closed eyes
And I feel your sadness
I feel your sadness
.
Let us hope
For the millionth time
This will be the end
I pray
.
What price are we asked to pay
How can a bullet shatter our dreamy bay
What right do they have
To take it all away
.
I Pray

Golan Heights

A look into Golan's heights which was occupied in 1967 by Israel. UN already made a resolution asking Israel to withdraw (Resolution 242) but still today haven't done so and still today gives its middle finger to the whole world.

This is just a look into Golan's beauty, mountains, water falls and not an aim to boost any kind of rhetoric for war but for peace. The people of this beautiful land are split in two, half in Syria and half in Israel, you can see them talking to each other thru speakers.

Not sure if peace will ever truly come to earth
Especially to the Middle East,
Not sure if people will go back to their homes one day,
Not sure if the aggression and greed for lands and money will ever stop one day,
But one thing for sure, we can dream about all that...today

Iraq before and After

Before and After pictures are bad, but which is worse I wonder?

The story of 3+3+1 bloggers after returned back to their home lands

The story below is the story of few bloggers where they returned and lived in the Middle East, it will be obvious where each one comes from by reading the playful scenario below; This was posted on Mirvat's blog before as comment, but I just decided to post it here after Lirun attempted to post yet another comment on my other blog with his usual Israeli propaganda...This is for you Lirun...just in case you get bored I don't want you to loose this post...

Let s start with positions:
----------------------------
Mone President of Syria,Basically I m just watching what is going on, picking my nose, and hoping I don't get any of this

Mirvat President of Lebanon, very optimistic about bringing her country up after years of war

Rhiannon is a refugee on the borders somewhere, She is continuously folding her tint and on the move..She has 3 chickens she loves

Zee is a UN soldier, from US but born in Switzerland, basically he is on the borders watching rockets go both ways while reading his Playboy Magazine

Snurdly is the Prime Minister of Israel, He was war criminal back many years, but that is OK, it s been many years and now he has smartened up and is very professional.

Andrey is a war general on the ground, he immigrated years back to Israel now he is enrolled in the army and kicking serious ass

Lirun is the Minister of Propaganda and a speaker of the government, he has read many books on psychology and Human behaviors.

In few years
---------------
Snurdly is really annoyed by the rocks of the Palestinians, they just don't seem to stop..bloody kids, so he decided to attack Lebanon...relieving the pressure from his government to do something..It happens so that Lebanon started doing great Tourism wise, in fact has taken the light out of Israel..why not? Oh He needed an excuse, so he went to Rhiannon and stole her tint and killed her 3 chickens in response and predictably Rhiannon looked around, took 2 tires, set them on fires and threw them over the borders, they in turn, miraculously landed on a house and burned it down..

But, Before Andery finally gets his orders, he has to wait for Lirun who starts a verbal attack on Mone, the nose picking is environmentally not friendly and does cause security threats for Israel, For sure he has helped Rhiannon with the Tire issue too, Zee is annoyed of Mone, this s really disgusting and files a complain to the head office, soon the whole world is annoyed of this fact and want to do something about it.

In few days Andrey pushes his airplanes and bombs the socks out of Lebanon, they need to get the terrorist Rhiannon out and kill Mone's incentives at same time..

After few weeks,

Mone, promised will never pick his nose again

Mirvat, still vowing to rebuild her country..oh after she finds her office's candles, since Andrey's army destroyed some serious infrastructure.

Rhiannon was not caught and she is still very upset about her 3 chickens, and waiting for Arabic Help Fund to give her cloth and a new tint.

Snurdly is busy with the phone being congratulated with this great mission which reduced world terrorism by at least a half.

Andrey has been promoted and may run to take Snurdly's job in few years.

Lirun, started a new peace initiative with neighbor countries and a fund to help rebuild the Burnt house that Rhiannon has destroyed.

Zee is settled in his new post on the border, the rocks still go by, but at least no more Nose Picking, he decided to help the US economy so he subscribed to both Playboy and Penthouse.. :)

Have A Cute Panda Day

This is so cute, have a good relaxing day...without the sneeze :)

Another proof Global Warming is happening

2007 to be 'warmest on record'

It was 2005 that was the warmest year on record (NASA) , then it was 2006 (MSNBC)
Now the prediction is that 2007 will likely be the warmest year on record (BBC).

Off course still lazy and benefited lobbies of US asses and the conservatives alike of Canada still trying to decide what to do about it.

But to be fair, we need to look at their view point; So what? few Polar Bears die or maybe most, water will cover some lands due to ice melting, a lot in US and Europe, so what? People will probably experience strange diseases and more cancer cases... even better, good for Medical Economy and pharmaceuticals..Ahh at least most people making these decisions are old anyways and may not see the worst to come, as for their children, they have enough money to hide in their castles...

So having said that, from more environmental point of view, I drink to you, you ignorant bastards, do what you like, you are not the only selfish assholes and you will never be the last... Cheers!

Canada kicks U.S Ass Bad

I know this s really rough sport. For some reason, I always liked martial arts. Being injured few times I stopped it few years back but still like it. Perhaps it s my testosterone level, I don't know... Anyhow, not for the weak hearted, enjoy the biggest fight of the year...The arrogant, Heavy but slow: Matt_Hughes , VS the nice guy of Montreal Canada George St.Pierre..

Don't Listen to Your Doctor!

I am sure you all heard the big findings: Breast Cancer Drop Tied to Hormones
What they found in summary is that the female population showed a drop in breast cancer once they stopped taking the Estrogen Hormones.

Many people are changing their minds regarding conventional medicine and considering natural alternatives, such as Chiropractic care, Naturopathic, Homeopathic and others. These are the services that actually treat the problem. Current medicine treat the symptoms not the problem. Cancer can be cut in half if proper diet, and exercise are followed. So is Cholesterol and blood pressure and others. But pharmaceutical companies would get no money from that, thus they will always concentrate their efforts on introducing the magic pill (with 100 magic side effects)...

9/11 Videos And Documentaries

THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED, IF YOU FIND AN INTERESTING VIDEO LINK POST A COMMENT PLEASE AND I WILL UPDATE IT


Turning of the Tide





ZEITGEIST, The Movie - Official Release - Full Film

This is very interesting, the first half about Christianity or religions in general and the other half about how the elite (bankers) are the main cause of whatever happens in the world and finally the only way to stop it is the knowing that we are all one and that whatever happens in one country affects others and off course to spread the knowledge



Loose Change, Currently watched by nearly 5 million people on Google Video..




9-11 Mysteries
This is one of the latest sources of information about the intentional demolitions on September 11, 2001

Designers of the towers speak that the buildings were built in a way to withstand planes hitting it. The skyscrapers are built like a screen mesh where a plane going in would act as pencil puncturing a small piece never dangering the whole mesh. The fire would never bring down a building. The steel itself will not rupture or melt due to fire.

Mr. Silverstein had 99 years lease on the towers, the year before 9/11 Silverstein changed his insurance policy to include terror attacks and his rights to re-build in case of Towers collapse. After the tragedy he demanded double his insurance limit since two scrapers went down instead of one thus doubling his insurance limit. He won, rewarded 7 Billion dollars...
The director who provided electronic security to the towers, Bush's younger brother "Marvin Bush" from 1993-2000, under the company name Securacom where they installed new security system from 1996-2000 for 8.0 M$. Walker II, the CEO of Securacom, cousin of Bush brothers from 1999-2002, was it that security system that was added during those years already have the demolition hardware built in?

The story gives you the official story of how they explain how the towers went down compared to Engineering explanation of why it is not correct. The sample of steels collected show the high grades of steel used that were not affected or "melted down" as the official story tells and how ridiculuos the official story is.





Expert analysis by Professor Steven E. Jones, Professor David Ray Griffin, MIT Engineer Jeffrey King, and Professor James H. Fetzer





Interview w/ former Boston Center Air Traffic Controller regarding 9/11




Professor of Physics on 9/11 and Collapse of the towers





TERROR STORM .. (2006)




Martial Law 9/11: Rise of the Police State





INSIDE BOHEMIAN GROVE .. A Secret Cult of the Elite in the U.S



OPERATION P2OG.. A Context to let countries or cultures such as Muslims attack the U.S by attacking them first



Alex Jones Predicts 911

So, You Wanna See a God?

GO JIMI....COME BACK TO LIFE!

Ask for Experience Not Knowledge

When it comes to current religious understanding, all of them trumpet the things that you can't see, feel or experience. Believe in God, Heaven and Hell. Not one can be proven to exist. Even in the east, the belief of Karma, is a pure belief unless it becomes experiential. What I did in the past life doesn't concern me now, nor do I know for fact it is true. I am declaring I don't believe in anything except for what I experience

You spend your whole life believing, your only hope is to die and you had chosen wisely, it is a very risky maneuver.

Instead, Ask to experience god, to experience the divine. Do they have a way? Follow only what helps you to experience.

I am not an atheist either... the atheists also believe They believe there is no god..So what makes them so different I don't know. Both systems are exactly the same, they don't want to put any efforts in finding the truth of their existence but rather will settle for believing in something and relax..

Women's Hejab in Islam and emergence of contemporary sites

Most Muslims believe that Hejab (Hair cover for women) is an important element in Islam. Except some groups such as the Ismailis, most Sunnis and Shiaat's believe that women need to wear Hejab. Women grow confused, if they don't like it they feel guilty, and if they wear it, either they look down on others who don't wear it or they simply hate, take it out and forget about all of the Hadiths Or Koranic verses that asked her to wear it.

Around 10 years ago, Dr. Shahrour from Damascus wrote a great book called "The Book and the Koran". In it he opposed Hijab as an Islamic element. Instead his research indicated that it is more of an historical element, cultural element. His book was best seller and many countries welcomed it except off course few countries that banned it such as Saudi Arabia. But in Syria, ,where he is from, it was a big hit.

Today, I found another site that falls into the same new thinking about Islam.
I support such studies and I feel it is about time to wake up from our nightmares and get rid of these dead ideologies that has stung for over a thousand of years.

This site explains how the Hijab is nothing but a cultural element http://www.submission.org/dress.html
But it seems to be a generally good site. A good step toward freedom. Freedom of dead Ideology and perhaps a return to a real submission to the divine.. Check it out http://www.submission.org/

Other contemporary sites are:
Progressive Muslims
Feminist Muslims
Dr. Shahrour

Why Microsoft will never beat Google..at least for now

Microsoft Bussiness Module used to excite me a lot. Their business module is based on low price Large volume, similar to Wal Mart. In fact I did write about that at one point here.

Microsoft was able to beat Apple in this area using same concept. Apple was always more expensive, Microsoft concentrated instead its effort on building software at cheap prices and let others do the hardware. More and more companies came abroad and more and more people liked to buy it for its price tag. Soon every desk had a computer with Microsoft Logo stamped on it.

Other areas Microsoft lacked such as Databases, customized software and others. The reason is they couldn't apply their business module that fast because the volume is not there, IE; they can't reach everyone as in windows. But even then, SQL Server came a big contender, and Visual Studio stole many developers from Java ground, I personally know many Java developers that left Java without saying good bye, my company is leaning toward Microsoft again for the same reason. Microsoft again is playing the same tune..but cheaper.

Now came Google... A company that charges nothing on its product which is available to all on the internet for free... They are using the same business module but in much extreme extents. The money comes from advertisements companies buy because of their traffic but they never (yet) force you to buy anything.

Microsoft' search engine still lacks a lot of simplicity but that is not the reason they will always be second or third best at this game but it is a strong reason. Microsoft likes to really complicate things. Things get really ugly before they get better for some reason. What people need is simply to type a search criteria and come up with an answer as soon as possible. No complicated customization and no need for settings. Go to live.com and check it out. Try searching for images or do one of their customizations and compare them to Google.

But the big reason that Microsoft will not be able to side Google is that Google will not hold on improving its software for any reason other than giving you simple and great software. Microsoft's business module needs to market something, build something, offer it for low price then take away some features and sell them separate or increase their prices. This was carried unfortunately on the web. What they did on hotmail.com for example, they gave you calendar and other features, then they stopped and asked for yearly fee. Also they gave you 2MB and charge yearly fee for 25MB. At one time, hotmail.com was offering 2MB while Google was offering 2GB. Microsoft's group on msn is still sitting at 3MB while everywhere the disk space is offered for free in GigaBytes.

Unless Microsoft really changes its business on the Web from the roots up, and I don't see it happening anytime soon. With the introduction of live.com it is apparent that they will not be able to compete with Google easily. What will Google do next beside keep creating more innovative and great software? Can they compete with Windows? can they offer a thin client so people don't need to have Windows anymore? I bet you there are already plans for some similar ideas.

Ellisa my favourite Lebanese

Global Centre for Pluralism

Government of Canada

And

Aga Khan Sign Funding Agreement for Global Centre for Pluralism

I am not Ismaili , However I support this kind of work for diversity which by nature spreads peace and understanding among religions. For more information Click Here

World best pictures 2006

Above is this image of a peppercorn and a grain of salt taken by David McCarthy is the overall winner (and close-up category winner) in this year's Visions of Science Photographic Awards



An eye studies a self-contained ecosystem in which every organism feeds on another, or its waste products. All this sealed globe needs to sustain it is light, so that the plant can produce oxygen. It is like a mini-earth

Breast Cancer Risk Linked To Red Meat, Study Finds

Younger women who regularly eat red meat appear to face an increased risk for a common form of breast cancer, according to a large, well-known Harvard study of women's health.

The study of more than 90,000 women found that the more red meat the women consumed in their 20s, 30s and 40s, the greater their risk for developing breast cancer fueled by hormones in the next 12 years. Those who consumed the most red meat had nearly twice the risk of those who ate red meat infrequently.

More...here

Ambrose shifting gears, but will she walk the talk?

Politics is politics. The only thing that can change it is pressure from own nation or others.

The conservatives in Canada have blamed the liberals since they got into office about not making any progress in Kyoto to a degree that they wanted to back off from this accord.

Canada, a country that the world expects a lot from regarding environment has been siding with the policies of the U.S. That was such a shame. Now in the U.N, and under a lot of pressure, Ambrose seem to change her tone. Is it only politics at it dirtiest? I hope not...
More

You shoot Bullet, Bullet goes up, Bullet comes down...

A Palestinian gunman shoots on the air next to a crowd on and around the house of Mohammedweil Baroud , leader of the Popular Resistance Committees, in Beit Layiha, northern Gaza Strip, Sunday. (AP /Hatem Moussa)..

All things aside, and all the tragedies that the area has been hit with, , a normal way in the Middle East to show victory is to shoot straight up in the air... After a day of such festivities, you hear all the tragedies the next day. One guy sitting on a chair in his balcony gets hit with fallen bullet, a car gets bullet in the windshield, a kid gets one while crossing the street... Why no one is paying attention to this issue? Until when innocent people will keep on dying for such stupidity? When will happy-events-bullet be exchanged with rice or flowers or whatever thing that doesn't kill?

Rape victim subjected to lashes in Saudi

AL-AWWAMIYA, Saudi Arabia - When the teenager went to the police a few months ago to report she was gang-raped by seven men, she never imagined the judge would punish her — and that she would be sentenced to more lashes than one of her alleged rapists received...
“The big shock came when the judge sentenced me and the man to 90 lashes each,” said the woman. The sentence was handed down as part of the rape trial. Lashes are usually spread over several days, dealt around 50 at a time...More

The 70+ Virgins Of Heaven - A Preview

Metallica..You will always have a big part of my heart

Unforgiven I and II ..Enjoy

Syria's flags

Before 1918

by Antonio Martins

Syria was part of the Ottoman Empire and used the Ottoman flag.

---

1918-1920

by Filip Van Laenen, 03-NOV-1996

In 1918 the British forces established an Arab military administration in Damascus and inner Syria under Faysal (son of Hussein ibn Ali, Grand Sharif of Mecca and King of Hejaz), using the Aarb Revolution flag.

Britain turned effective control of nowadays Syria and Lebanon to France on September 1919.

The 2nd Syrian National Congress held in Damascus on March 8th, 1920 crowned Faysal I King of Syria, who was not recognized by Britain or France and claimed a Great Syria (with Palestine and Lebanon). A similar flag was adopted but with a seven-pointed white star in the red triangle. Faysal adopted a standard that was the same flag with a star and a royal golden crown in the central green strip.

---

1920-1922

The Allied Supreme Council gave the mandate of nowadays Syria and Lebanon to France on April 25th, 1920 (confirmed July 23rd, 1922). General Gouraud occupied Damascus, Faysal was defeated in Maisselum July 24th, 1920, dethroned and forced into exile in Iraq. The French organized Syria into 5 states under the mandate:

• Sanjak of Damascus (Summer 1920) (Damascus or Syria proper): A green/white/green (or green/white/black?) horizontal tricolor with a canton of the French flag. According to Jaume Ollé however, the flag of Damascus (adopted 1922) was blue with a white circle.

  
  by Santiago Dotor, 13-JAN-1999

• Sanjak of Aleppo (Summer 1920)

..........

• Alawite State (September 29th, 1923, including Alexandretta), later renamed Sanjak of Latakia (after its chief town, September 22nd 1930): White, French flag in the canton, triangles in other corners of red, gold sunburst in center. Separate existence as a French mandate in 1920-30 and as a republic in 1930-6.

  
  by Santiago Dotor, 13-JAN-1999

• State of Souaida (March 4th, 1922), later Jebel Druze State (1927) with the addition of Damascus' Hawran (Jabal ad-Duruz or Druze Mountains): White, French flag in the canton, to right of canton equal horizontal stripes of green, red, yellow, blue and white (reading down).

  
  by Santiago Dotor, 13-JAN-1999

• Greater Lebanon (May 1920): French flag with a cedar centered on the white stripe.

...........

---

1922-1932

by Santiago Dotor, 13-JAN-1999

In June 1922 France established a loose federation between the four Syrian puppet states (Damascus, Latakia, Aleppo, and Jebel Druze); Lebanon was considered a separate entity thereafter. According to Jaume Ollé, the federal flag is created, horizontal green-white-green with French flag in canton.

The partially Turkish populated Alexandretta was turned into a sixth division within the French mandate on March 4th, 1923.

France reunited Aleppo and Damascus on December 1st, 1924, adopting the federal flag (green-white-green with French canton) as the Syrian flag. This encouraged the nationalists who formed the People's Party. The Druze Revolt started and lasted till 1927.

A constituent assembly summoned by France and enjoying nationalist majority drafted a Constitution not recognising the French mandate and was thus rejected. The French introduced a Constitution which was approved May 14th 1930, establishing Damascus and Aleppo as the 'Syrian Republic'.

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1932 (Autonomy) - 1946

Green-white-black horizontal tricolor with three red five-pointed stars pointing downwards, ratio 2:3. According to National Geographic [geo32], the stars should be upward and the ratio 5:8, but maybe they got the flag from Syrians already preparing/wishing for independence. Maybe the autonomous republic was proclaimed in 1934. The flag adopted had a ratio 1:2 (see Flagsmaster, last issue, flag of 1936). It was first hoisted in Aleppo on January 1st, 1932 and in Damascus on June 11th. The three stars stood for the districts that formed the Republic (Aleppo, Damascus and Deir es Zor).

Elections were held in 1932 and a Treaty acceptable to both parties was concluded in 1936, adding Latakia (including Alexandretta) and Jebel Druze to the 'Republic'. The stars then stood for Aleppo with Damascus and Deir es Zor (one), Jebel Druze (one) and Latakia (one).

On September 2nd 1938 the French turned the Alexandretta district into the autonomous Republic of Hatay. It was thereafter handed to Turkey (June 23rd, 1939).

During the Second World War, after invading Vichy-governed Syria, General Catroux proclaimed the independence of Syria in September 1941. The French troops evacuated Syria in May 1945.

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1946 (Independence) - 1958

by Vincent Morley, 12-APR-1997

Green-white-black horizontal tricolour with three red five-pointed stars pointing upwards, ratio 1:2. Source: National Geographic, February 1951.

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1958-1961

by Zeljko Heimer, 07-FEB-1996

Syria and Egypt united on 22nd February 1958 to form the United Arab Republic. Red-white-black horizontal tricolor with two green stars.

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1961-1963

by Vincent Morley, 12-APR-1997

Syria left the union with Egypt (UAR) on 28th September 1961 and reverted to the 1946-58 flag.

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1963-1972

The Ba'ath party made a coup d'état in 1963. Red-white-black horizontal tricolor with three green stars.

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1972-1980

by Zeljko Heimer, 29-JUL-1996
modified by Santiago Dotor, 07-MAY-1999

Syria joined Egypt and Libya on 1st January 1972 to form the Federation of Arab Republics. They adopted the same flag, with minor variations, for the three countries: red-white-black horizontal tricolour with the hawk of Quraish (the tribe of Mohammad) looking to the hoist (at the right side) [?] on the white band with a small inscription of the name of the federation below. Unlike Egypt or Lybia, the name of the country did not appear below the scroll.

The Federation of Arab Republics ended March 1977, but Syria retained its flag.

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Since 1980

Reintroduction of the United Arab Republic flag of 1958-61, ratio 2:3.