The word "Cartoon" will never mean the same to me!! I now hate the word and it makes me sick.

Cartoon was a word that referred to something nice; something that was bound and guaranteed to make us laugh, or at least see the humor part of it that reflects the point of view of the cartoon maker … sometimes we were able to recognize it and sometimes not … but it was always a creative tool to express a point of view or a criticism of some kind.

In our Arab world; we are more used to light comic; those who criticize with the faintest hints that you will comprehend with some intelligence. Only recently; we have started witnessing more creative cartoonists and looking for their work in the daily newspaper was a must for the majority of us.

Who can forget Naji Al Ali and his political caricatures that stand witness to a whole era of our lives? Who doesn't follow the work of Hajjaj in the newspapers and on the official website? Such creative people have become a part of our lives and cultures, and they document history minute by minute.

I believe that each nation has its own Naji or Hajjaj, and they follow their work like we do with ours.

We have been going on an on about the effect that the latest Danish Cartoons are having on the whole world, but we never stopped to ask ourselves why they were drawn in the first place? What was the message they were trying to deliver? Was it worth it?

The effect and turn that things took over the notorious cartoons only proved one thing to me; our emotions lead us and we become angry for the sake of becoming angry. We totally forgot that great leaders like Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) spread Islam with the power of his personality first; his forgiveness and wisdom overcame any dispute or situation he or his followers ever came across.

I include myself despite that I am against the reaction that the majorities are taking, but I am also a Muslim and cannot and will not isolate myself from my brothers and sisters, but I will not be lead into rage and angry reactions without using my brain, my education and my religion.

What should we have learned from our prophet?

We should have learned that Islam came to wash our hearts from the hatred of tribalism and ignorance. We should have learned that when someone does not know, we teach them.

The early followers of Prophet Mohammed learned from him; they observed, they watched, they asked and he lead them by example. Do you remember Omar Bin Al Khattab? Didn't we all read about his bravery and animosity towards Islam before he became a Muslim himslef? Didn't we read the story of his sister when she hid the fact that she became a Muslim because she feared him? Didn't we all follow his history as he became one of the most devoted Muslims of all ages? Didn't we read about the era when he was a caliph? We all read how Islam turned this powerful man into one of the most just and honest people in history, and how he was named Al Farouq because of this.

How many Omars do we have among us? None!

Why didn't Islam turn us into Omars? Because Islam is not to blame; we are.

Why don’t we learn from Omar and try to be more like him? Because we chose to retreat to the roots of ignorance before Islam lightened our way for us. We chose to walk in darkness and we chose to react and lead our lives so very far away from what our dear Prophet had taught us.

All Prophets have been insulted, they all suffered for the sake of their Godly message, they all showed leadership, forgiveness, wisdom and grace. They never hit those who hit them, they never insulted those who insulted them, they never threatened those who defamed them, yet; they were the ones who prevailed in the end.

If we don’t learn from the history of our own Prophet and religion; I don’t know what will make us see the light. 

It is no wonder with all this buzz about freedom of speech that we stop for a minute to ask ourselves: what exactly is freedom of speech? Who gets to practice is? What are the restrictions to the rule if any? What governs it and who judges what's ok and what's not?

We have been ranting for some time now about this issue, but no one stopped to ask these questions or answer the unasked questions for that matter.

Many bloggers from the entire world have been busy posting many a time about what resulted of the alleged freedom of speech or expression, but who gets to say what goes and what doesn't? Do we even know?

Some questions come to my mind at this point; is there an international standard that governs freedom of expression? Do all countries recognize it and apply it internally and externally? What happens when freedoms conflict or in this case clash? What is a proper reaction or response and who makes it?

Searching over the net; I came across some interesting definitions of the phrase. Dictionary.com defines it as: "The right to express information, ideas, and opinions free of government restrictions based on content and subject only to reasonable limitations (as the power of the government to avoid a clear and present danger) esp. as guaranteed by the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution."

Derechos Human Rights define it as: "Freedom of expression is one of the most fundamental rights that individuals enjoy. It is fundamental to the existence of democracy and the respect of human dignity. It is also one of the most dangerous rights, because freedom of expression means the freedom to express one's discontent with the status quo and the desire to change it. As such, it is one of the most threatened rights, with governments - and even human rights groups - all over the world constantly trying to curtail it."

My favorite Wikipedia defines it as: "Freedom of speech is often regarded as an integral concept in modern liberal democracies, where it is understood to outlaw censorship. Free speech is also supported by international human rights proclamations, notably under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, although implementation remains lacking in many countries. The right to freedom of expression is not considered unlimited; governments may still prohibit certain damaging types of expressions. Under international law, restrictions on free speech are required to comport with a strict three part test: they must be provided by law; pursue an aim recognized as legitimate; and they must be necessary (i.e., proportionate) for the accomplishment of that aim. Amongst the aims considered legitimate are protection of the rights and reputations of others (prevention of defamation), and the protection of national security and public order, health and morals. Opinions vary widely among people different nations and cultures as to when restriction of free speech meets these criteria."

Going through the different definitions; it is very clear that Freedom of Speech:

1-       Is a human right and it is protected.

2-       Is perceived differently across the world.

3-       Is not unlimited; there are restrictions.

4-       Must not defame anyone.

5-       Must respect the laws

6-       Will be restricted should they aim at destroying anyone's reputation.

The question here is why don’t they take these rules into consideration when they want to practice their right to speak or express their minds? If you mock or ridicule anyone in the west, they can sue you for defamation and harming their image and reputation, and they will win.

How come it is not ok to mock anyone and it becomes ok to make fun of a prophet? Why do courts accept cases when people sue for defamation and it becomes immature when a whole lot of people find it outrageous to ridicule their prophet; the very symbol of their deep faith?

I previously posted that I am against boycotting and I still am, because I believe that this is not the right way to respond to what happened. A lot are arguing that to each action there must be a reaction, but I say that we should respond in a civilized manner and not be taken by rage or anger.

Sure, we all got offended by the cartoons; they were an insult to all religions and to freedom of speech concept itself, and since they are defending their freedom of speech, then they should accept and respect our right to respond.
 

It is really sad how it is spreading and moving from one country to another and it is even more tragic that more people are increasing the amount of insults and ridicule only to prove a point that freedom of speech is a sacred right. Well, protecting our reputation and our prophet's image is also a sacred right and those two rights should not conflict. It all can be solved by each respecting the other and understanding that your freedom range stops the minute you trespass another freedom range; only common sense!!

Don't boycott them, teach them why it is wrong in the first place ... Isn't that what we are supposed to do as Muslims? To increase awareness about our religion and our prophet? Did we do that?

There is a big difference between acts of kindness and complete ignorance, and when we are blinded by our emotions, logic and common sense usually take a back seat and as a result; sad and tragic consequences are in order.

As I was browsing through the famous Arabic magazine; Zahrat Al Khaleej, I came across an article reporting two tragedies that took place in Jordan; specifically in Al Koorah.

The two separate incidents are about two families that were shattered by someone finally speaking and telling the truth.

After 24 years of marriage that resulted in 9 sons and daughters; Mohammed discovered that his wife is banned to him because he was breast fed by his grandfather's wife, and in a complicated chain of relations, he discovered that he married the granddaughter of his brother, and when the case was tried by the court, the ruling came horrifying to the whole family and they got a divorce right away.

In less than 60 days and in the same area; another case emerges and Ibrahim discovered that the breast feeding syndrome turned him into his wife's uncle, and again the court ruled that this marriage cannot continue.

Is it ignorance or stupidity? What is the fate of the sons and daughters who discovered after all these years that they were living a lie? How can this happen? And the more important question; is this still happening? If a new mother is sick and cannot breastfeed her child, are people still seeking other nursing mothers to compensate for the lack of breast milk?

I understand that in ancient times, when there was no powder milk or liquid milk on the shelves of any pharmacy or supermarket, that the need might arise for a substitute mother to step in and save the newborn, but when we have all the facilities and products to compensate and provide the child with a healthy beginning; why do we still go to extreme measures and risk future incidents like these to take place and wreck calm lives?

Let me go with the idea, and assume that this already happened; shouldn't there be witnesses to declare that this marriage is not allowed before it takes place?

I can't believe that we still have such tragedies. Whose responsibility is this? I suggest that with each blood test people take to check if they are compatible for marriage, they should check their histories as well to double check that the guy is not marrying his sister, aunt, niece, etc.

It sounds like an Indian movie, but it is tragically true and some people are suffering from the consequences!!

When and where does this charade stop?

What does it take to make us think before we act? Why do we always tend to drag ourselves into the most stupid situations? And then we start whining how the west is marking us for stupid and primitive.

Despite all the effort that we do to build our personalities, despite all the education that we get, despite all the reading and knowledge, despite all the travel and exposure to the world, we still let ourselves slip and go with the flow of the masses.

Every time something or anything happens, make sure that we are going to boycott something because that’s what we are perfect at, boycotting.

I am telling you, we are so good at it; no we even mastered the art. Let me tell you, we start campaigns, we bombard people with emails, we announce the brands that will be included in the boycott, and we keep insisting and persisting till we get what we want and you better be careful mister as we are boycotting these days!!!

When does this stop for God's sake? When do we stop acting like a clan of anger and pure grudges? When do we start thinking and proving to the whole world that we are indeed civilized?

Instead; we continue to mark ourselves as the 3^rd world people who will never ever reach global standards.

For God's sake; stop all this nonsense about boycotting whatever brand, as this is not the way to make your voice heard, and please stop spamming us over and over with the brands that we should stop consuming. Did I say should? Well, says who? And what is the benefit? How are we affecting anyone by boycotting? Think again or better yet start thinking.

Boycotting shmoycotting; well enough already with the dark ages techniques!!!!!!

This obsession that has well known brands to continuously introduce new products and race to be the first to get it out in the markets before others.

The first evidence of using makeup goes all the way back in history to ancient Egyptians around 4000 BC, and there are also some records of Greeks and Romans using it. In 1800's, Queen Victoria publicly declared makeup as impolite. In the World War II era, though makeup was used casually in the west; it was still banned in Germany.

Geishas in Japan were very innovative when it became to the ingredients they used to mix their own makeup. For instance; they used crushed safflower petals to make lipstick, and they used wax for the makeup base and then added paste and powder to get the peculiar white color that characterized geishas.

Nowadays; the market is dominated by a few big names including but not limited to L'Oreal, Revlon, Christian Dior, Lancôme, Max Factor, Estee Lauder, Elizabeth Arden, Helena Rubinstein and many others.

The main purpose for wearing makeup is to make the wearer look more attractive, but when does it become too much?

There is a very fine line between attractive and quite the opposite, and what we are witnessing these days is the opposite. Some women turned wearing makeup into a task that takes more than it should from their daily routine, so they wear it in the morning adding a bit too much of everything, and then many times during the day, they have to fix it or powder their noses, add lipstick as if there is a need to do that and work a bit on the eye shadow, eye liner, mascara, blusher, etc.

I used to wear makeup on daily basis some years ago, and then I lost the passion for it, and it became normal that I start my day au naturel, without a touch of a brush here or a color there; it just makes me feel more free and at ease as I go through my tough long day.

Don’t get me wrong; I like a touch of makeup every now and then, or even light makeup everyday, but when it becomes an obsession on its own, to the extent that a woman literally cannot step out of the house without wearing makeup. Some take it to a more extreme level by wearing lenses to change the color of their eyes, and with dying the hair and the revolution of botox and collagen; I have to wonder if what we are seeing is true! I mean; who are these ladies and what do they really look like? Sometimes I feel that they themselves do not recognize themselves without makeup, and it had become their permanent loyal companion.

To me, makeup is a total yea until it becomes an obsession that turns people into unrecognizable creatures; then it becomes a complete nay all the way!

Well, I do!!

I was just listening to this song by the great one and only; Cher.

It is true that we fall in love and probably out of love all the time, but what happens when you get your heart broken in the process?

Would you go like: Unbreak my heart? Or where do broken hearts go? Or would you go I am strong enough to live without you!!

Going through the experience myself; I went through the three phases. It started out with unbreak my heart, and progressed with where do broken hearts go, until I reached the point where I built my strength again and it was time for I am strong enough to live without you and I quit trying long enough … great song and so expressive; I just love Cher!!

I do believe that inside each of us there is a strong person that helps us bounce back and start all over again, and they used to say: no body dies of love.

It really takes a lot of courage to be in love and show it, and it takes even more strength to face everyone after breakup or a lost love, so if you went through this experience or are going through one now; dig up your internal hero and let him help you get over this phase; it's time to move on.

We all know what the word means, don’t we?

But are we all aware of the consequences? Do we know exactly what effect gossip has over people's lives and futures? And even if we knew; does that stop us?

Experienced gossipers know their business quite well; all they have to do is say: I heard such and such and a rumor is on the spread, like fire in straw and it is seldom stopped or contained; in fact it only gets bigger and much worse.

Gossip has become a profession, especially for tabloid news hunters and paparazzi, who spend all their waking hours chasing celebrities to get some dirt as they call it, and sell it to the highest bidder or several of them; to them, this has become a way of living.

We all condemn such acts, yet we somehow enjoy reading about scandals and celebrities news.

In regular newspapers; we have pages for such news talking about anonymous people getting into accidents or killing each other over a conversation or any other piece of news that interests the public, and I say that because if no one was interested in these kinds of things, they would not be there in the first place.

You might be thinking to yourself now, that this is so normal and why is she blogging about this?

Well, my friends, the reason is very simple!

I am blogging about this because we have a new type of gossip that is emerging and strongly I might add. I am going to call it "E-Gossip" and this stands for Electronic Gossip.

What is E-Gossip?

With the new freedom discovered in blogging, and the power of blogospheres and blog communities; some would find this a suitable soil to start spreading some false information or unsupported news that might have all sorts of consequences on the readers, especially that you have the power of commenting and maybe adding to these news.

A blogger has a responsibility towards his/her readers, and fellow bloggers to have enough integrity and honesty in presenting his/her opinions, especially when addressing social issues that are highly subjective to public opinions. Personal accountability in this specific field plays a major role in reflecting both the blogger's and commenter's credibility.

In my attempt to search for good content blogs on the web; I come across a lot of blogs that are based on such gossip. Some bloggers pick issues that have impact in the society and are faced with a lot of contradiction, and this is not bad if it was channeled and directed properly, because I believe that conflict is good and gives opportunity for more brains to be scratched, and more pencils to be sharpened, which benefits all involved parties.

It is good to have discussions about different matters as long as they are based on a strong solid foundation of true credible information and not on something we heard or read about.

Last but not least; I would like to add that I am proud to be a part of a credible blogosphere and honest community like Jordan Planet; it makes all the difference to me to know in my heart that what I read in blogs of my fellow citizens is honest and credible and of very high value, and I consider all the time I spend in reading and commenting on their entries to be time very well spent.

Keep on blogging mates; we have a responsibility to make this world a better place to live in starting with our small community.  

Inspired by my colleague Omar's post about True Love, I am asking this question  to all those who supposedly succeeded in finding love, or were lucky enough to have been found by love … what is love?

I realize and admit that I am a total failure when it comes to love, the strange obsession that changes everything in your life and without you even noticing.

Of course there were times in my life that I was in love, or at least I thought I was. The common denominator in all these experiences is that I was never appreciated until I was no longer available; as long as I was in the relationship, I was pretty much taken for granted, but once I rebel for my poor dignity and withdraw myself from the unhealthy situation, they come back seeking forgiveness and saying they were sorry they had hurt me or let me go, or they were stupid … blah blah blah

I had more than my fair share of love or illusion of it that I stopped believing in it altogether. If love exists for real, how does it feel like? How do you know that you are in love? How do you know that this is the one?

I know that some of you will say that it is my fault and that I am the one who is incapable of love and that might be true. I really don’t know and have no way in finding out; I just feel empty from the inside, is this longing for love?

Let's hear what you think …