December 2007 favourites from the blogosphere Updated

Kaboobfest

" I was fourteen years old when I first began to study Hebrew. The only Palestinian in a class full of American Jews, I spoke of how I believed in peace, in tolerance, and in coexistence. But deep down lay another reason I was not so candid about. To learn the language of the oppressor was crucial, I knew. You taught me this lesson at a very young age.[..]Palestine is where we learn how love is painful, justice is an abstraction, and nationalism is a crime."

Libyano's comeback post

One of my best friends came back from Greece to stay here forever so everyone is bothering him with WHY DID YOU COME BACK HERE??!! like him I faced this question so many times before, I can never think of leaving Libya forever, there are things here you wouldn't find anywhere else like not getting a speed ticket no matter how fast you drive :P and a very long list of things you find here that makes us live outside this world

Lebeeya on PH's post Iran's Nuclear Program

America is always on a lookout to identify ‘a free pass’ to enter any developing country. They don’t really care about the authenticity of the pass. If they don’t find any plausible pass, they create one.

Healing Iraq

The sheikh has the choice of accepting insurgents, or worse Al-Qaeda, to operate in his territory, risking that Americans come after him and his family, destroy his property, or kill them all in a strike against "suspected insurgents." Or, he could join forces with Americans to form an "awakening" group, and then risk that insurgents come after him for collaboration. Or, he could simply pack up and flee the country, like millions of Iraqis facing this dilemma decided to do rather than choose one or the other. The Iraqi government or Iraqi security forces are clearly not an option in this equation for well-known reasons.

Keyword Analysis August 2007


I'm sure you missed that aspect of my monthly posts especially as it shows interesting searches of how people end up here :P

10.34% al-libiya satellite web site
10.34% highlander blog
10.34% ly domain dispute
6.90% libyan women
6.90% why foreign men think lebanese women are beautiful?
6.90% libyan women dress
3.45% listen to album mbc new hits last prime
3.45% second life avatar french maid ( => he he he some people are obsessed)
3.45% pastor hagee idiot
3.45% the best of arab girls 2007
3.45% alone white rock arabic deodorant
3.45% watch grendizer free
3.45% pre-marital blood checkup
3.45% catchy sermon titles
3.45% life in syria
3.45% libyan blogs
3.45% syrian girls
3.45% farse control ait delete
3.45% lybia alyoum site
3.45% common roberto iza ( => who is this guy ?)

PS can someone tell me is it Lebanese, Syrian or Libyan girls ? Basically this to me means that Arab girls in general are the prettiest LOL

The best comment for July 2007

My blog - my rules :P so I'm making an exception and posting the best comment for this month early!

"For so long I have been waiting for God to come into my life, but I think
I have realized that God's arm's have been open all along, its just that I have
been keeping away. Why? I dont know.... Because letting go is so hard, letting
go of the hate, letting go of the anger, to break down the walls I have set
around my heart, to get rid of my pride, to get rid of my racism, to get rid of
my biases and prejudice's, it's a struggle, its a jihad, the greatest kind. "

Lost Libyano

That was the most beautiful paragraph I have read for a while, here is the whole comment if you are interested.

The Best of the Libyan Blogosphere: March 2007

I'm sure you are all waiting impatiently for this monthly post LOL ..ok ok I know I'm exagerating, but here we go...

Beacon from Tripoli Nights has made me tearful with his reminder about the Prophet's last sermon, part of which I've been proudly displaying in my blog header for years now. This is more special as this week we celebrated the Mawled of Prophet Mohamed.

"In the year 632 (After christ), 9th day of Dhul al Hijjah, 10 Hijiri in the
'Uranah valley of Mount Arafat, Prophet Mohamed (PBUH), spoke one of the most
important words ever to be spoken by any human, he gave his last Sermon, and I
believe its a Universal charter of Humanity, suitable for all time."

[more].


Mani from Sands of Time has not blogged since November, however his prolific comments on the Libyan blogs are stand alone posts and we are all mighty pleased when he makes an appearance as we value his opinion. I suggest he should go right now and collect them and post them again on his blog with the link to the original. That is why I am going to highlight one such post/comment that caught my eye and which I think deserves to be featured into the best of the Libyan blogs section .

"Reconciling this disconnect between perverted institutions and societies at
large is an issue of governance. Not 'good governance' as the neo-liberal term
implies (a set of policies designed to promote greater private control over
natural resources and human capital, and the complete 'marketisation' of state
economies, that they are connected fully to international markets) but GOOD
governance, one that reflects the principles of democratic societies and one
that ensures accountability at all levels of institutional development."

I think Hafed agrees with me very much as he dedicated a post to this comment :)



If you wondered why Safia was silent for the last few weeks you can now understand what happened as she explains it on her post "Breaking the silence" guaranteed cliffhanger ...

"Finally I am able to break the imposed silence on my blog. I am supposed to
keep blog-silence until Wednesday, but hell if I am going to accept anyone
silencing me into submission.Last year I joined people in Denmark defending the
rights of artists to draw what they want, but said I did not like what they did
while drawing our Prophet (saas).The same courtesy has not been extended to me."

[more].

Sereeb our romantic Libyan writer is happy and our heart is beating cheerfully for her happiness too .

"Well, the reason I’m up this early is, hmm, I’m so excited, I’m so happy. No,
no, I haven’t won the Lottery. Neither got a book deal (which I think it will be
imminent). Hmm, so what do you think is the reason of my excitement! Can you
guess! No! Hmm. Well, the reason is I just got my first invitation to do my
first ever reading. Hooray! Yup, the Bedouin Soadina is invited to do her first
reading and please don’t ask me where as I’m not going to tell, hee-hee."

[more]

Mabrouk ya Sousou , you go girl warihum :)

Besheshentra has made a hilarious post about Libyans and Meat - in Arabic , and oh boy her message is so true. One thing ya Bashush , in Morocco they are even crazier than us with meat so don't lament :)

The following post is one of the best I have read for a long time. First of all Happy Birthday to Hannu and to the rest of the Libyan bloggers who's birthdays coincidently enough fell on March. Secondly, no I am not born in March, but there is no need for you guys to know when I was born :P. Now most importanly the post I want to feature is a touching tribute from Suliman to Hannu.

"I wouldn't say it's been an easy ride, but it has been a good ride. I generally
like to see the process of learning and personal growth around me, that's why I
like teaching. But seeing growth in the ones you love is a whole 'nother' thing
all together. I never had a shred of doubt. Hannu is an A student in a ranked,
fiercely competitive program. She has been active in and out of the classroom,
awarded one competitive scholarship, currently in the running for a Pace Setter
Award, and the Fisher School's magazine wants to run a piece on her. If you
think I'm proud, you're damn right I am, but not at all surprised! I knew from
day one, :-) and I know there is a lot more to come."

[more]

This is the stuff of love and reminded me so much of my own dad and mom , maybe that's why I have been still holding out for Mr. Highlander ? ( more news on that soon :P ) as my criteria are quite rigorous it seems ! So Mabrouk Sol and Hannu - great job !

Many bloggers wrote about Mother's Day and Children's Day in Libya which take place annually on March 21 , but Trabilsia's post is the most heart warming one . She is reporting to us on the special day we spoke about here for the terminally ill children in Tripoli Medical Center. Thank you Trabilsia!

"I asked a teenager ( Basma) the oldest of the children on the ward what
she had, to which she replied Leukemia . Such a big word for a child , I hugged
her and felt her pain and she knew it . I had tears in my eyes as I desperately
tried to comfort her to which she said it was the wish of Allah . She introduced
us to the other suffering children as she was the oldest and knew what everybody
had."

[more]

Dima Ghariba Shwayia is not as unconventional as she likes to think :P , many of us are in your boat habibti even though we don't live abroad . I could not make up my mind which of her posts for March would go on this post but I decided to judge by my favourite bête noire, the so called search for a Libyan/Arab Muslim hubby , and then it was easy to decide . Ladies and gents here is an excerpt from her post Unhushed Whispers...

"You would think that as big as the U.S. is, there really would be no trouble
meeting someone nice who shares many of the same qualities as you. I am here to
tell you that it is absolutely impossible for an Arab American girl to find
someone like that [..] Did you know that between 60-80% of the Arab Americans
who live in the U.S. are Christian? Most Americans are completely ignorant of
this fact, but female Arab American Muslims are not. Right away, the odds are
stacked against them, at least in terms of finding a potential mate. So then you
look at what’s left. There are three types of Arabic Muslim men in the US. "

AngloLibyan's post ' can we coexist' touched a raw nerve for yours truly it simply illustrated the sheer ignorant arrogance of some people .

"I saw my Scottish friend again, he told me what had happened after I left
him and his friend that day, his friend asked him if I was a Muslim to which he
replied yes, the other guy then said that he was surprised because he thought I
was nice (i.e. not a nasty Muslim terrorist), my friend asked him why he said
that to which the other guy replied that he does not trust Muslims, my friend
asked him how many Muslims he knows, the reply was non, he never even met a
Muslim before "

Finally Lebeeya had a comic post about the reason for the attempted ban of Libyan women under 40 to travel on their own. Going back to her blog to feature it in this post, I found that it had been unfortunately removed and we shall be deprived of the good laugh she usually gives us.
I'm wondering what prompted this action and whether it was the direction the comment section regarding of that particualr post took that led to its ban. I will take this opportunity to say that although I did not get the chance to read all the comments re. that particular post, I did however manage to follow on some regretfully hurtful accusations hurtled back and forth. With all humble experience as the first Libyan blogger I have seen this negativity only once before on a different topic and I would like to urge all the big Libyan blogger family to be courteous to each other regardless of differences of opinion. There is no need to name people in order to maintain each person's privacy and 7urma. I am so sorry about the very dear person who was innocently hurt there. Hopefully this incident would remind us that words are sometimes deadlier than a sword. Leebeeya you did well in removing the offensive stuff, however there is a tool which allows you to leave a particular post but not show its comments.

Keyword analysis - March 2007


14.29% grendizer free cartoon

14.29% faisal abu khadra

14.29% anglolibyan

7.14% arabic fashil

7.14%
diamonds are forever,007

7.14% mawled of prophet mohamad birthday '07

7.14% milud un nabi

7.14% laptop prices dubai

7.14% space adventures grendizer

7.14% will i be charged a roaming fee for cingular, if i'm in kuwait?

7.14% she shall not be moved analysis by shereen

Best comment for March 2007

Actually there are two this time :P



Mani said

"Thanks for the link -- great story. I only ask the question because it is a puzzle. I'm very much of a secular person and believe that people have to be allowed to make their own mistakes -- this is how people learn, but such a way can be very dangerous, as life can be, not sure what can be done about that. I just don't see enough concern about morality from secular sources and I just wonder what that will mean for the future of secular society."


Perkunas.. thank you very much.. you know, my english friends and I were reflecting on the same issue yesterday. I was telling them about the Laws of Allah swt(huddod)in the Quran and how the punishments for the major sins and their underlying conditions were described in the Quran. You see, its common sense to know that people should learn from their mistakes but its also common sense that transgressions that are not (mistakes) be dealt with approporiately because if they are not, then moral and social decay will incur. This is because man's knowledge is imperfect and between his uncertainty and limited reason man copies others. Th emajority of the people in the world follow a simple 'baa baa mentality' that makes them succeptible to being herded around like sheep. So moral decay is eating up the planet because fake role models and heros of modernity (celebrities, fashion people, fake stars, lewd people etc) are being paraded infront of us daily in the media as role model citizens that we should emulate, follow, dress like, sing to and about bllablabla. This, i think is your point.youd expect any reasonable system of governance to make room for both mistakes and correction. So the punishments that are prescribed in the quran for examble are protected by a combination of severe warnings , punishments for misuse of witness authority and all sorts of other measures designed specifically to guarentee room for privacy and personal learning. Not only that, but Islam is not just a system of governance or (law) as in other societies.. its a sytem of teaching. We muslims are encouraged to approach ourselves or other sinners in compassion and advice and the same Quran discourages revenge and scandalising while encouraging advice and respect for other's privacy. Believers who take this message of Islam should take it wholly, and under those circumstances I can see that the system Allah swt lay out for us is only for our own benefit at the end of the day.Islam is common sense .. thats why we have reason to identify it with.. not irrational attiudes of irresponsbile emotion..Id love to stay longer and write a bit more im not usually in these moods of reflection and writing flow too.. but I hope that I may have given you something to reflect on with me too.
Thu Mar 15, 12:11:00 AM 2007


Braveheart said

Highlander:i think u didn't understand the Libyan decision, the decision is to pan women to travl alone , not to pan women to blog in her blog.u understand me, long time we didn't see ur respected issues.come on, we're waiting
Thu Mar 29, 09:47:00 PM 2007

The best of the Libyan blogosphere -February 2007

I've been too busy lately and missed out on posting these monthly items on time, but as the saying goes better late than never !

AngloLibyan made two outstanding post about Libya's AIDS children, if you still have not read them they deserve your attention :
(1) who is Michael Shields

"One of the strangest name calling I found which was repeated many times, was calling Libyans, gypsies! as far as I know Bulgaria has many gypsies yet they seem to use this word as an insult, I do not find calling me a gypsy an insult, Libyans are not gypsies but perhaps this shows how some so called civilised nations are racists against their own people, shame.' "
"
(2) Unite for children , unite against AIDS
"I keep leaving university then come back because I feel there is no point in studying, I am dead.
Psychologically I am destroyed from the inside, I will not keep quiet about my case ever, my life was stolen from me "


Ema from Ema's world , brought up the topic of the strange Gulf fashion sweeping Libyan females, the modern hijabi look. We Libyans add a twist to everything . I'll make a post about that soon, in the meantime enjoy modern fe3enak !
"I was never convinced that this newly imported style is something good, and I guess it's been imported from the Gulf countries cause the 3baya is originally from there, and after the opening in relations and economy boosting, traveling became easier to there especially Dubai where the trends came from I guess."


Abughilan posted about an Italian soldier who deserted his company joined Omar Mukhtar , became a Muslim and married a Libyan woman, until his capture and execution.

"Carmine Iorio became one of the soldiers in the Italian garrison of Derna. It seems that Carmine was very inquisitive of his new environment and wished to learn Arabic language and to understand the Quran" [more]

A.Adam' s we are toghether for children, a beautiful post to thank his Hungarian friend Nora for her hard work in helping Libyan sick children. !

"Nora is a Hungarian girl, she has did something to help Libyan children who has (HIV), she participate in a society projects to help those children,We are one Libyan group thanking Nora from the bottom of our hearts for standing with us.Who ever you are, wherever you are, together we can bring the light to the world and give children hope to live peace. And to all people, if there are some people like Nora who think others, we will live in peace. So thank you Nora" [more]

Libyano posted about donating blood which is badly needed in Libya :

"I donated before and I noticed something really different in the donation room from all the other areas in the hospital , you don't know how staff would be so pleased to see you and to serve you the minute they know you are here for donation , go to Alkhadra hospital on emergency entrance ask for the blood donation room and they will show you and help you out , and the same as in TMC ( Tripoli Medical Center ) go to the emergency entrance and ask in the reception where you can donate blood , they will take a blood sample from you first for viral screening HIV , hepatitis B and C , and to measure your hemoglobin level , the results will come the next day then when you come inshallah everything will be good and they measure your blood pressure and then you can give the liquid of life , you don't know how happy you will feel after that ." [more]

The Lost Libyano blogging from the US made a stricking post which brought so many lovely memories I am a 90s kid !

"If you grew up in the 90's, you gotta read this!!!!!Anybody under the age of 13 should not read this, and if you do, you should not repost this.Just because you were born in '97 doesn't mean you're a 90's kid.It's not like you could remember the original Simpsons. I am sorry but three conscious years of the 90's just wont cut it." [more]

Keyword Analysis - February 2007


15.38% highlander blog

15.38% watch all arabic candid camera

15.38% arabic comics books grendizer

7.69% the wanderer poem

7.69% sexy arabic women => I know who this is :P

7.69% total solar eclipse affect mood 2006

7.69% hijab and modesty

7.69% marriage medical exam france

7.69% almawled

7.69% teacher name fatima benghazi libya

pretty tame by the usual standards no ? on another note coming soon ...the best of the Libyan blogosphere for February !

Best comment for February 2007

Ghazi Gheblawi said

"As much you made laugh as much you made me feel so lonely and missing all these intimit moments, thank you Highlander, hope that one day I come back to Libya forever... hopeGhazi
Fri Feb 16, 11:39:00 PM 2007 [sic]"

Top 3 Highlander fans for February 2007

(1) Programmer_Craig
(2) Nomad
(3) Chris in Manitoba

and runner up is Lebeeya :P


compare with last month

Best Comment for January 2007


Libyan NBA
The month is nearly over, you better have some new posts ready?
Thu Jan 25, 04:50:00 AM 2007


so cute ............:P

Keyword Analysis -January 2007

6 15.79% hai alandalus tripoli
4 10.53% elhmidi
2 5.26% crepe tunis
2 5.26% libyan girls
1 2.63% female hemaphrodite in arab
1 2.63% u tube 7mada
12.63% المثل الشع
12.63% constananople
1 2.63% national vangaurd
1 2.63% grendizer silver works
1 2.63% lady oscar arabic cartoon
1 2.63% matthew 10:33 explanation
1 2.63% bad libyan girl
1 2.63% how do foreign manpower companies work in libya
1 2.63% whiten armpits
1 2.63% how to arange a decent farewell
1 2.63% escort girls tripoli
1 2.63% stare between man and woman-means
1 2.63% alchoal in tripoli
1 2.63% life in syria
1 2.63% wanderer poem
1 2.63% omar khayam in arabic
1 2.63% italian landmines
1 2.63% get well whishes
1 2.63% alien abductions stories
1 2.63% grand prix no taka dvd
1 2.63% love vs marriage. one day plato
1 2.63% libya traficking

OK so there is a pervert, a romantic and a potential criminal smuggler :P on this site ......

The Best of the Libyan Blogosphere -January 2007 ( Updated with Ashura )

I am happy to see how active the Libyan blogs have become, it's a whole rich wonderful community of various talents. Well, like every month you will now have to bear my personal pick of the the top posts- it was a difficult choice honestly.While I was away several new bloggers entered the scene and I've highlighted some of them below mixed in with the older bloggers.


Abughilan : "THE OLD, THE NEW AND A NAME IN HISTORY" , explore a little bit more of the rich Libyan history . "Durghut was born to a Moslem family in Anatolia, he was recruited at the age of twelve and trained to be a sailor and a gunner in Egypt and then Alger. He became excellent in both and for his bravery he was rewarded by his master then the famous Khair Eddin Barbarossa to become the commander of his own boat."

AngloLibyan : "This Really Happened!! " , debating the issue of school neglect " In this country, primary schools do not let any child out unless a parent or a guardian is there to take them home, what was the Headteacher of this school thinking??"

Ema : "They stole my laptop", Ema's brother forgot the laptop in a halway at the University , of course by the time he was back it had long since gone- مكانه سخون . "But we have hope that this person might return it tomorrow,see… we still have faith in people…"

Rose buds : "Kinedness" [sic], about over romanticising Libya .... "Being here and not arround my family and friends has made me forget a lot. Missing them, I would think of all the little small daily things that I miss. I forgot ALL about the biggest problem that we all have there. Gossip and joy at other's misfortune."

Keepsmile 5 : 'The husband store' , this is my favourite post on his blog , it is a joke but I really like it too much :) " A store that sells husbands has just opened in Tripoli, where a woman may go to choose a husband. Among the instructions at the entrance is a description of how the store operates. You may visit the store ONLY ONCE !"

A.Adam : 'New resolution' , "our head boss just decided today to make new one, I would like to call it "Law of Coffee"; Says No coffee will be serving during 08:30 until 10:30, and 11:00 till the end of work." Hilarious decision he he he

Hamza : "Libyan guy thinking" , typical us :P it's a cartoon, so click on it here.

Lebeeya : " The Libyan bloggers part I & II " is the only one to get the hounour of TWO best posts for this month for her analysis of the Libyan blogs ( ps and yes you have my permission to write about me as well so come on we need part III . ) .

Piccolina : is showcasing Ghadames and her amazing trip there .

Maysoon : " Dentist ? says who ? " , check her adventures to restore that smile :) "Ok, that is it, no more dentists for me, I was in bed for 5 days!!!!! that was as a result of my trips to the dentist, I am a person who loves to EAT and ENJOY FOOD, which I dearly MISS right NOW!".

Misratia : " جزىء المشكلة وتغلب عليها ", she blogs in Arabic and that is fantastic ( hattip Libyan NBA). Libyan Arabic blogs should be more visible . We already have Ghazi and A.Adam writing in Arabic sometimes. "كثيراً ما يجري تذكيرنا بأن الهدف الواضح والخفي لأعدائنا يتمثل في شعار :"فرّق تسد ".

Update 28-1-07 Last week was the Muslim New Year [19-21 January depending on where you are gerograpically ] we are now in the year 1428 and today is the Ashura , I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone and especially the Libyan bloggers a Happy New Belated Hejiri New Year and a Happy Ashura .

Highlander links for Ashura

Highlander links for Hejiri New Year

Update 28-1-07 @ 8:00 PM

What I like about feasts is the spirit of generosity. So far the neighbours have sent us , freshly slaughtered lamb, boiled fava beans and chickpeans and a couscous bil bosla dish - all yummy and that is really so sweet of them to remember us like this .

Top 3 Highlander fans- January 2007

January is almost over, and although I have not blogged much, I still have some hardcore fans to which I'm grateful for reading my ramblings.

This month's top 3 are ...

( 1) Programmer_Craig => still in the lead since December 2006 .
(2) New commer Libyan NBA who is seriously competing for no. 1 spot.
( 3) NBA


Thanks guys, you're wonderful....