A legal (and comical) defense for Hezbollah’s “tourist wing”

Casbahites, meet As-Salibi. He is our brand spankin’ new nom de guerre who is based out of Bethlehem, Palestine and is an emerging expert on Palestinian news and media. Keep and eye out for this Cat, he's one of the best reporters/analysts covering The Territories these days.

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Throughout history of this blog, many of you have heard me chime my two cents on the term “terrorist.” In short, I have argued--and quite convincingly if I may add--that it has been redefined in the post 9/11 world as an all encompassing tool to round up various dissidence the U.S. doesn’t like. The term has moved beyond its traditional definition and has evolved into a brand to simplify a complex world.

So what about a "terrorist" organization like Hezbollah? Here is what Augustus Richard Norton, author of Hezbollah, has to say:

Can all of Hezbollah's military activity be classified as terrorism? U.S. and Israeli policy makers certainly think so, and they have defined Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. Anyone supporting Hezbollah is supporting a terrorist group. By definition, any act of violence that it commits or seeks to commit is an act of terrorism, and so there are no gray areas of justifiable behavior in which terrorist may lurk. Whether for law enforcement officials, spies, or soldiers, the issue is assumed to be settled.

Before we go crazy listing Hezbollah's historical acts that would surely deem it to be a traditional terrorist organization, lets take a breath because I'm bringing this up for one simple, slightly cute and certainly ridicules reason: I am going down to Tyre, Lebanon next week and I want to buy a Hezbollah T-shirt

Laugh away Casbahites, I understand how funny this must seem. But really, by buying a Hezbollah T-shirt from a card-carrying member in Tyre, I will technically turn myself into a supporter of a terrorist organization. As Augustus Norton says, "there are no gray areas."

The truth is that I will reluctantly make my $5 tourist contribution for a Hezbollah T-shirt next week and ship it safely back to California, where I will keep it neatly folded in a shoebox in my closet. But what if American custom agents rip through my DHL box and find it? What if they drag me into interrogation upon my return to the U.S? What will I say?

As someone who cringes at the idea of going to Law school, here is a legal satire my friends and I came up with at a famous bar in Beirut last night (The Duke of Wellington):

Well, Sir ... See, Hezbollah has "wings." I mean, ever since the British (earlier this year) decided to legitimize this concept and establish ties to Hezbollah's "political wing" ... I mean Sir.... As far as I know... (pausing for impact).... I don't think the little old ladies who sell knickknacks for Hezbollah's "tourist wing" shoot rockets at Israel. So... Umm... Can I keep my Hezbollah T?

Think the U.S. guard will buy it?

Good Luck: West Bank Israelis Seek UN 'Human Settlement' Award

A group of Israeli settlers has launched a campaign for the United Nations' Habitat Prize in "human settlement," according to an Israeli news agency considered the voice of the religious settler movement.

The West Bank-based and frighteningly legitimate-seeming Israeli Channel Seven reported on Wednesday that the prize, the Habitat Scroll of Honor, is handed out annually to acknowledge "outstanding contributions in developing and improving settlements and the quality of urban life."

Of course that quote was entirely fabricated by Channel Seven, so the Casbah did a little research and found out that the award is actually for "outstanding contributions in various fields such as shelter provision, highlighting the plight of the homeless, leadership in post conflict reconstruction," and finally improving human settlements, also known as cities or towns to anyone who isn't a complete, stark-raving lunatic.

But on to statements that are at least probably accurate, Channel Seven quoted "Shomron Liaison Office" director David Ha'Ivri as saying that by voting, "Now you can show your appreciation for the dedicated pioneers of the Jewish communities in the Shomron," a word used only by settlers which means the northern West Bank in English.

But Ha'Ivri and his ilk may run into a number of problems in the application process, which according to the UN includes requirements that projects have a "positive impact." Applicants are asked to list "types of beneficiaries (e.g. women, children, poor, war victims)," and to describe "how long the positive impact has been sustained so far." So I guess strike one there, although the "impact" has been "sustained" for quite some time now, so maybe that's a plus.

However we're thinking the judges may also be concerned by information obtained from the applicants' background submissions, which are required, and include "substantive information about the organization or individual being nominated including their mission, goals, history, size," etc., which of course if undertaken honestly would include admissions of political radicalism, bigoted extremism and religious fanaticism.

But it's the eighth award criterium that would most likely derail the whole application in its entirety, as it requires "a list of references, articles, publications, media reports about the initiative starting with the most recent ones and where possible, send copies of the actual articles as an annex." Finding something positive about West Bank settlers in just about any media - foreign, Israeli, Palestinian, Martian - well, they've got their work cut out for them there.

Anyway, if the settlers are successful they will win a plaque engraved with the name of the winner and their achievement will be presented during the Global Observance of World Habitat Day on 5 October 2009, according to the award's website. Five initiatives will be selected, and winners will be announced in October.

The most recent winners of the prestigious award, which has been presented annually since 1989, have included efforts to improve shelter and urban services, not typically for land-grabbing, modern-day colonialism. But hey, there's a first time for everything, and at this point we aren't going to be surprised by anything coming from the West Bank.

Wait, what? You can surf in the Middle East?

"You can't just surf the Middle East. There are crazies, radicals and rockets. You can't just show up to a place and expect people to welcome you. They won't even know what a surfboard is! Geez."

Yeah, so, this person has proved to be so wrong I cant even find the words to type it. And in fact, Hezbollah controlled Lebanon isn't the only Islamist turf can surf on this side of the Med.

Click here to watch Charles Gibson on surfing--something he clearly knows nothing about. Very amusing.


Update: Quote of the day: "Steal a little and they'll throw you in jail, steal a lot and they'll make you king!" -- Bob Dylan

Update II: This is exactly how I'd describe Lebanese politics. Comments?

The Lebanon Mountain Trail

And The Rooster crowed. Thanks Roost, that was an epic post that really puts into perspective what we are doing and why we started this dusty old Casbah to began with.

So what is it really that we do on this blog? Well, one of the things we do is allow for Abu G, myself, to vent spontaneous travel plans/potential cool ideas. And if anyone is thinking about doing a little walking, I've got just the plan.

See, you buy a plane ticket to Beirut, Lebanon and show up with a backpackers backpack. Upon landing, hop in a service taxi and head to the north of the country and into the hills where this epic journey begins...

The Lebanese Mountain Trail is a 275-mile path through the canyons, creeks and villages of rural Lebanon. The idea of this month-long journey is that you can manageably take in the natural beauty of the hills of ancient Phoenicia, while at the same time getting to know the locals while staying at their hospitable guesthouses. Remember, the people you meet on this trek are not going to be the flashy nose-jobers you see in a Beirut nightclub. Duh.

(This picture was taken near the winter ski slops of Tripoli, Lebanon.)

(Part of The Lebanese Mountain Trail wonders through this valley. The difference between these two pictures shows the diversity of the trail.)

So. After that. Interested? Yeah, me too. But don't take my word, look at this promo video and their website. By "their" I mean The Lebanon Mountain Trail Association, who has taken the initiative to organize everything from guesthouses to trail maintenance. Wow, hats off guys! Truly impressive and a gift to humanity.

See you on the trail.


Update: Just saw the new Johnny Depp flick here in Beirut and I can't seem to get that twangy banjo of Otis Taylor out of my head!! Ah... What are Ten Million Slaves?

The New Post Graduation Grand Tour

Recently, and much to our delight, Blogging The Casbah has been visited by a multitude of new readers! As more and more guerrillas stumble across this ancient city and stay to read a post or two, I think it's necessary to revisit some of the basic premises of late. This Casbah was started by Abu Guerrilla while studying at a prestigous and private college in San Diego, CA. As out of place as Abu G was in this college, so too was this websites perspective compared to others on many of the issues surrounding the Middle East and Central Asia. Both of these truths are in fact why this project is so unique.

As fate would have it, Abu G and myself, The Rooster, would cross paths while attending this University(albeit, we officially meet in Washington DC on an intersession adventure). Nonetheless, we quickly became friends as we both were out of place intellectuals swimming amongst the standardized BMW driving/iPhone wielding/too big for your face sunglasses wearing/ disinterested and apathetic students that surrounded us. Before we knew it, Abu G and I were sharing a flat and spending late nights together slamming down arabic coffee and cramming for finals. We both had a passion for journalism, and worked on articles together. As I began working on my first book, Abu G was building a reputation around town as a rogue journalist and expert on all things Middle East. It was then that Blogging The Casbah was born.

Now here we are, less than a year later, and The Cabsah has grown from a way to publish a few articles digitally, to a full blown brigade of loyal Guerrillas from all over the world that patroll these digital streets. For that I must say thank you loyal Guerrillas.

Now to the good stuff: Since graduation, Abu G and myself have each gone our own ways, but we stay connected through our friendship and committment to this project. I am currently studying for Law School and finishing my book (Which is why I have been quiet lately). Abu G on the other hand has traveled halfway across the world to Lebanon where he is currently working on his Surfing the Middle East project (radio show and all) and occassionally getting gassed while on report in Palestine. And this is where I want to begin my thought for the week:

"Once upon a time, there was a magical land, far across the ocean, where Americans—especially young Americans—could go to get lost. When you traveled to this place, you had to pack everything you might need—especially such niceties as antiperspirant. You would carry all your money in the form of things called traveler’s checks. Phoning home was expensive; mail would take weeks. Knowing how to read a map was essential to navigation. This place was called Europe, and it wasn’t that long ago that to be there was to be dangerously, thrillingly abroad. It’s hard to think of another bourgeois rite of passage more valuable and unimpeachable than the modern American student’s grand tour." -Brett Martin

I read this story by Brett Martin this morning after a short skype with Abu G and immediatly thought it was perfect for our website. Although Martin is trying to make the case for travel to Europe by modern American post graduation students again, I must disagree with his conclusion that Europe is the dangerously, thrilling post-grad grand tour. Europe is boring, too connected, too safe. Yes, like all countries, it has sketchy parts, but I ask you where is the adventure, where is the story to be told? Who is looking for these European adventure stories? Europe has already been conquered and domesticated. One of our friends, Angus Bell, has even conquered the former Soviet regime territories in his book Batting On The Bosphorus.

So, in response to Brett Martin's article asserting that Europe is the modern American students post-grad adventure destination, I say no. The bulk of the adventures have been lived and told in print already. No longer is Europe the post graduation life altering adventure, the kind that makes great movies and books. Europe is now only a fun vacation. The modern American students post-graduation grand tour adventure is now the Middle East, and our very own Abu Guerrilla is on it right now! Luckily for all us readers, he blogs about it almost everyday. So sit back and enjoy the dangerously thrilling adventure of the new American students post-grad grand tour, make some comments in the comment section, and of course, visit often.

“Don’t worry” proclaimed the proud Sayyed Hassan, they’re just pointed at Israel

I just finished this darned Arabic program in Beirut and am now juggling at least five ideas of what to do with my life. But until then, I thought I would try and find the most interesting things possible, so I can continue my job as Middle East entertainer/educator for all of you cats who blog this casbah.

So let's learn an Arabic word: muqawama.

If you have ever watched Hassan Nasrallah give a fiery Friday sermon on al-Maner TV, the Hezbollah news outlet, then you would likely have heard him utter the word. Simply, it means “the society of resistance.”

But it’s more than that. Unlike many of the "terrorist" organizations of the world, Hezbollah’s Secretary General isn't just preaching about armed resistance; he is articulating a much broader society that distributes goods, rebuilds homes and ensures that all who have been left by the bourgeoisie in Beirut can visit a hospital. This is how Hassan Nasrallah defines al-muqawama.

But let's real: Hezbollah may be "more" than your average a terrorist organization, but, they are also a terrorist organization that understands the need to convince their followers that the Israeli flattening of South Lebanon was justified. Moreover, Hezbollah knows as well as anyone that this "society of resistance" must be rooted at the community level, as to show the people that they are the sole defenders of Lebanon.

What am I talking about? Look:

(click to enlarge)

Let us take a moment to soak in the fact that Hezbollah erects fake rockets in the middle of crowded streets to remind all who pass that they are ready to fight Israel. In fact, Nasrallah calls them "muqawama weapons," as to try and fortify the fact that they would never use them against the Lebanese state. Hmm… Sound off in the comments section on this one.

(click to enlarge)

This is a mock set up of a unit of 122mm katyusha rockets. Over 4,000 of these Cold War era beasts were heaved into Israel during the 2006 War. In fact, a few months ago, I was casualty standing on a lawn with my surfboard in Haifa, Israel when a friend pointed out that the very spot I was relaxing on was hit by one of these “muqawama weapons.” Yikes.


(Let me stress that these rockets are display pieces only. They are not real and are meant as museum items; both for domestic and international consumption.)