One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad

This author is passionate about the plight of Palestinians in Gaza. He does a great job in sharing that passion. Rather than jumping right into it, he starts with his background growing up in Egypt and eventually making it to North America. The Middle East is filled with dictators and many abuses of human rights. The west claims to be better and generally does so at home. However, it treats others differently. Euphemisms such as "collateral damage" are used to minimize the deaths of others. He criticizes those that support Israel as well as the inaction of political parties. The Democrats get the most condemnation. They seem to focus on "not being Republicans", but then do very little to actual benefit those in need. This sounds very familiar and is similar to what I recently read about Native American Advocacy.

The Israel/Palestinian situation is a textbook case of the futility of revenge. Gaza's attacks on Israeli civilians immediately pivoted sympathy towards the Israelis.  The Israeli counterattacks have then lead to greater sympathy towards those in Gaza. So perhaps attacks do work if you know your enemy will just attack back. I wonder how much of this all would be resolved if the rest of the world would just back away. Other Arab countries started attacking Israel from the start. Western support Israel (especially after holocaust guilt.)  Now many aid workers and international organizations supporting Palestinians. Each external party has their own goals and they are not necessarily in sync with those living there.

The author is careful not to present extremist advocacy. There is no "Palestinians should expel all Jews". Instead, it is just Israel should not kill Palestinians and should treat them like normal people. This is an easy sell. However, is it a long term solution? How do we get "good government" in areas that have not previously had it?

Palestine: A Four Thousand Year History

This history of Palestine focuses on providing historical references to the name "Palestine" and the various cities as a counter to Israeli Zionism. There are bits and pieces of actual history that show up in the process, but they get lost in the anti-Zionism. This book fails as both a history and an anti-Zionism work.

The first part of the book spends an undue amount of time focusing on history of the name "Palestine". There are various sources quoted that record the name Palestine. There are some variants of the name and geography, but it generally refers to the same area. I suppose the author must feel this is important for his argument. Alas, with the different languages and the way languages change over millennia, this seems somewhat irrelevant.

There is discussion of the history of the land. The author sees the Old Testament as a book of legends. He feels much more confident of the mentions in Herodotus. (Alas, his reliability is also questioned.)  Palestine has had a rich history including with various populations and religious traditions through its history. Christians, Muslims and Jews had lived there, with the area under Islamic rule for much of the last Millennium. 

The author criticises many of the Zionist as being Europeans that had no claim to the land. They created a new language (Modern Hebrew) and adopted new names. They pushed out the resident population and changed the names of cities. (The book contains a long catalogue of changed names.) The author sees them all as colonizers that pushed out the mostly rural peasants to create their new kingdom. I just wish the book could have spent more time on history and less on modern counter-arguments. 

A Master of Djinn: A Novel

An early 20th century version Egypt has magic as part of its society. A murder occurs, and a woman detective is put on the case. She is also given a partner to work with her on the case, much to her chagrin. (However, she reluctantly agrees to work with her, realizing there are not many females that get the opportunity.) 

The society seems similar to our modern society. Concerns of westernization, gender equity and LGBTIA rights are all issues that come in to play in this "magical society". The big difference is the magic (and "fake magic") that are part of this society.

There are a number of topics of colonialism, slavery, and magic involved as the Djinn have their magical powers, yet are somewhat subservient. The British people in Egypt end up being troublemakers among a society that has come at peace with the magical presence.

Underneath all this magic and political commentary, there is a detective story. They do manage to uncover the source of the murder. There are plenty of twists and turns in the case (many involving the supernatural.)

Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms: Journeys into the Disappearing Religions of the Middle East

The Middle East is one of the birthplaces of civilization. Religions have existed for a millenia in the region. Even after Islam came to dominate, minority religions were often still tolerated. Some maintain themselves by mandating marriage within the sect. (Though this is countered in some with a lack of allowing further converts.)

Gerard Russell had worked as a diplomat in the Middle East. In this book he explores the religions from a personal basis. He attempts to meet up with the remaining members of various sects to find out about their believes, history and culture. Some of the religions are very small, with members persecuted and seeking asylum in other locations. Practitioners may be in war zones or other areas of major conflict. 

The Zoroastrian religion was once a major religion nearly 3 millennia ago as part of the Persian empire. They have been persecuted in Iran since Islam came to dominate. They are often accused as "fire worshippers". A more significant population continues to exist in India.  

The Druze are scattered in various middle eastern countries, including Israel. Their religion is very similar to Islam, yet they often do not consider themselves Muslim. This has lead to persecution as infidels. Only the clerics study the religious works, leaving many others as "ignorants". 

Mandaeans believe Adam to be the founder of their religion, with John the Baptist as one of the most important prophets. They are baptized at multiple key times in their lives. They had a key population in Iraq which has disappeared since the invasion.

Ezidis (or Yazidis) are most common in the Kurdish regions. Copts are primarily in Egypt.

While there are plenty of details about each of these religions, most was obtained by personal conversation rather than scholarship. This provides additional insight into how the people really live as well as their future.

The Forty Rules of Love: A Novel of Rumi

A Jewish housewife is facing a midlife crisis. She loves to cook for her family, but wants more in life. Her husband helps arrange for job for her at a literary agency. She is upset that her daughter plans to get married and fights to stop it. The strong response leads her upset. She takes solace in the book she is reading for work. She eventually strikes up a conversation with the author. This leads to her leaving her husband and her appreciation for Sufi Mysticism. The novel intertwines the "modern story" with a story from a millenia ago. The ancient story deals with some Sufi Muslims that make sacrifices to gain enlightenment. There are parallels between the modern life and the ancient story. However, the ending feels a "cop out".

The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt

Egypt has a long history. It existed as a continuous political entity for millennia before being absorbed by Rome a little over two thousand years ago. The kingdom generally confined itself to the Nile region. The "upper" and "lower" parts of Egypt would occasionally be separated, but would often be together. The Greeks came in and started ruling near the "end". However, they would adopt many of the Egyptian customs and continue ruling Egypt as Egypt. It was not until time time of Caesar that Rome eventually took over Egpyt and ended the period of self-rule.
Toby Wilkinson presents the history of Egypt as a chronological narrative. The focus is on Egypt and the leaders. Those that we know more about are covered in greater detail. Otherwise, the narrative may skip a few hundred years of history we know little about. The narrative does a good job of bringing in the key events that connect to the outside world. I liked the way the Rosetta stone popped out. The results of a minor campaign just happened to be inscribed in multiple languages, giving us a translation key. For the biblical Exodus, there was no specific Egyptian record. However, the author posits that a period of heavy imported labor may have been when it occurred.
The leaders of Egypt engaged in one-upmanship, building different large tombs and monuments. They were sometimes viewed as gods, while other times they were anointed by gods. Lines were generally hereditary, until they were not. Leaders were mostly men, except when they were women. There was a strong cult of the afterlife, leading to elaborate funeral practices (including mummies and pyramids.) However, it was also common for rulers to dismantle previous structures for their own monuments.
Egypt was a fascinating place. We know very little about the long history. Yet, we probably know more than we know of many other places so long ago.

Reset: Iran, Turkey, and America's Future

Turkey and Iran both have rich histories that separate them from other countries in the Islamic world. They have both been the head of large-scale global empires. They have also been open to the western world and have experimented with democracy. The Turkish democracy was helped along by the US, who saw the Turks as a bulwark against Russian communism. Iranian democracy was quashed because it was viewed to go against the interests of big oil companies. This led to a reign of an ostentatious Shah and the eventual rise of clerical power. The type of Islam dominant in each country also has helped contribute to the current conditions, with Turkey more accepting of rule by secular powers. The author proposes that Europe and the west should be more willing to engage the two countries. Turkey is one of the few countries with relations with all the players in the middle east (including Israel). They are eager to be peace brokers. Having them as an active member of the EU could provide huge benefits to Europe. They have have managed to increase religious freedom and democracy at the same time. Iran also has reached out to the US to increase partnership in the fight against common enemies (such as the Taliban), only to be rebuffed by the US.
America currently partners primarily with Saudi Arabia and Israel in the Middle East. The Israeli relationship is a long-standing sympathy play due in a significant part to the horrors of the holocaust. Saudi Arabia is an odd bedfellow that is really only there because of the oil. The country has a very corrupt, conservative monarchy that seems to go against many of the western values. However, they sit atop one of the largest deposits of fossil fuels in the world.
Peace in the middle east will require some give and take. Palestinians and Israelis will each need to give and take somewhat to achieve their peace. The western world must also better understand everything that is in play. Turkey and Iran are both willing to help. Will we continue to fight against them, or are we willing to let them help us understand the region?

The Much Too Promised Land

[November 2009] The author has been very involved in the Arab-Israeli peace process through the administration of various US presidents. He is able to tell a fairly non-partisan tale of the good and the bad of presidents from Nixon to Bush Jr. This detailed personal knowledge of the peace process players is also the book's downfall. There is too much information about the people, personal relationships and negotiating conditions. At times it drifts in to minutia of the author's experience that would be more appropriate in a personal memoir than in the general history it purports to be.

The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Middle East

[August 2009] The book continually berates the "politically correct" establishment that produces falsehoods on the middle east. But it turns out the "PC establishment" is nothing more than Michael Moore. It also attacks the middle eastern policy of nearly every US president other than Gerald Ford. (Carter and Bush the younger are given the most scathing treatment, apparently showing that the anti-PC venom is no respecter of parties.)

Once you get past the tone of attacks and victimhood, the book actually has a well defended argument in favor of a "forceful" middle east policy. From the American policy perspective, having a friendly despot (as in Saudi Arabia) is much preferable to having democracy. The author argues that the Muslim Middle East is governable only by force. The Saudi Arabian response to al qaeda is given as the ideal way to squash terrorists with force. For the US, it would be great to see the rest of the middle east ruled like Saudi Arabia.

He briefly discuss the importance of oil to the current situation in the middle east. Unfortunately, his argument here begins to unravel. The need for fertilizer is given as one of the main reasons that we will always need Arabian oil. (Thus, it follows from his argument that organic agriculture would be a great way to wipe out Islamic terrorism.) Saudi Arabia's restriction of rights and quick disposal of al qaeda is presented as a preferable response - however, the consequences of responding like this in western countries could be even worse than the threat of terrorism they attempt to fight. In the end, the policy of subjugating the people under an oppressive state in order to maximize oil extraction is about as sustainable is a large SUV.
An alternative viewpoint can be found in Sleeping with the Devil: How Washington Sold Our Soul for Saudi Crude.

Sleeping with the Devil: How Washington Sold Our Soul for Saudi Crude

[July 2009] With a title like this, how can you expect anything unbiased? Alas, this is also its downfall.

One theme throughout this book is that the government has been blind to the many issues in the middle east that are readily evident to the author. While there may be a lot of truth to the arguments, the tone and one-sidedness make it difficult to trust.

The key argument he presents is that there are a number of mutual addictions that promulgate a dangerous situation in the middle east. The US is addicted to oil. Saudi royals are addicted to their money and playboy culture. Saudi citizens are addicted to the extreme welfare state (and thus have more time to be susceptible to extremists. In a brief aside he mentions that the Saudi Royals may have learned how to act by the American petrobusinesses that 'taught' them. And based on the accounts in this book, Saudi Arabia does seem to be run very similarly to a big business (with little in common with a country.)

The insights and accounts are quite appealing. The book itself, would benefit from a more balanced tone.

Jerusalem

[July 2009]By focusing on the city of Jerusalem, the author manages to present the history of three religions and thousand of years of human development in a relatively brief narrative. The focus on the events on the city helps to present a clear understanding of the actions of the people, without distracting with too many distracting external details.

The narrative starts with the pre-Jewish occupants, and acknowledges that Jerusalem has always been somewhat off the beaten path. However, ever since it became a holy city to the Jews, it has had a degree of sacredness that made it attractive to Jews, Muslims and Christians.
For the past 1500 years, the western Christians are presented as the outside force most harmful to the peace in Jerusalem, with the Eastern Christians and Jews being most often victimized. The Muslims were often the rulers of the city, generally being the most peaceable of the overloads, though often even neglecting the city.

Between the Rivers: History of Ancient Mesopotamia Part 3

Between the Rivers covers some of the more "modern" periods in Mesopotamian history. We start around the time "famous" Babylonians (the guys who appear in the Bible) and we continue all the way up until the 2003 US capture of Baghdad. Its nearly 3000 years in 6 hours. However, the be fare, the last 1500 years are given a rather cursory coverage. At that time, Mesopotamia was not all that important. However, prior to them, we ha the Assyrians and Babylonians duking it out for supremacy. We had leaders that were clinging towards using the "hard-to-write" cuneiform, even though their scribes wanted to adopt an easier to use Aramaic. (The fact that the leader couldn't read or write didn't seem to make a difference.) Leaders would explore different methods of subjugating the conquered people. They may choose to install their own leader, use the existing leaders, or just exile everybody. If the vanquished crossed the victors, they could see their "nice" subjugation turn bad fast (see Jerusalem, fall of).

Babylon had some magnificently strong walls. Urbanization seemed to be going strong in the land between the rivers for millennia before they caught on in places like northern Europe. (What would have happened if the Vikings were transported back in time to Assyria or Babylonia?
Alexander the Great made his middle east appearance. He promptly got in trouble by seeing too Mesopotamian to the Greeks (and likely too Greek to the Mesopotamian) That was perhaps the beginning of the end of the unique culture. The later Muslim invasion pretty much finished it off. Now it became just a small part of the Ottoman empire until World War I. Then Iraq was formed, and archaeological history was stored in the national museum for a century. Then the US army came in and protected the oil ministry while the museum was looted.

Between the Rivers: History of Ancient Mesopotamia Part 2

The history of ancient Mesopotamia is really old. Thus, we don't have many contemporary records as we do for more modern history. This can make the study of the area more of an enumeration of facts than a pure narrative. However, there have been plenty of tablets found shedding some light on to the culture (including some poetry.)

Both the delivery and content of these lectures leave much to be desired. The delivery comes across as a recitation with very little emotion. The content focuses on presenting facts. There are sections on food, laws and science, as well as kings and empires. Even areas that lend themselves to narrative (such as the rise and fall of kings), end up as dry collection of facts. It is also easy to lose track of the timing of events (in spite of the vast time period covered.) And of that were not enough, the lecturer has an obsession with the role of women in the ancient society, and brings up every minute detail that she can find. (Even while admitting that it is likely not an accurate picture of the general role of women in society.)

Some interesting bits from the lectures were concerning medicine and lending. There was a fairly established "savings and lone" mechanism in ancient Babylon. The medical profession also appeared to be well established, though with fairly severe malpractice penalties.