On Stupidity - 2004-05-14 11:56 a.m. Just when people are starting to recognize America's mistakes in Iraq, a bunch of morons slaughtered a harmless business man, claiming that it is an act of revenge for the Abu Ghraib prison tortures. Why can't the morons just let the guy live. Islam is not about killing innocent people. These people just don't get it. I saw a picture of a dead Palestinian baby about a month ago. I also saw a picture of dead Israeli baby some time ago. It’s sad when most people don’t realize that their blood was both red. Don't get me wrong. I've never been a supporter for the terrorist government of Israel, but, I also don't support the killings of innocents.

On Iraq and a little about last weekend. - 2004-05-07 11:59 a.m. Lots of things happened the last three weeks or so. The mathematical Iraq equation is now officially “Saddam Hussein = US of A”. They all jail and abuse innocent people. They say that Saddam killed innocent victims and yet the Yanks kill innocent victims in Fallujah themselves. Two sides of the same coin, actually. Liberation, my *ss. In fact, it’s more terrible than when they were under Saddam. At least Saddam was a Muslim. The Americans are humiliating the Iraqis and their religion. Some innocent people were jailed for months and months without knowing their charges. This is clearly an illegal occupation. The Iraqis did not welcome this illegal occupation. They did not throw flowers to these people who claim to “liberate” them, rightfully so. The unemployment rate is at an astounding 65-70% and it doesn’t look like it is going to deteriorate. Now both the Sunnis and the Shiahs are against this illegal occupation. The Yanks think they just can go there, get Saddam, and everything will be restored. They thought that the people of Iraq will forget that it was the Americans who first helped Saddam to maintain and increase his military prowess during the Iran-Iraq wars. They thought that the Iraqis will forget that the U.S. of A was the one who imposed a 10 year sanction on food and medicine on Iraq, indirectly killing thousands if not, tens of thousands of people especially sick children and old people. The U.S. of A created the dictator Saddam Hussein. The U.S. of A killed sick and malnourished Iraqis. Then, the U.S. of A came to “liberate” the Iraqis from tyranny that is Saddam Hussein. The only real tyrant I see here is the U.S. of A. After years of indirectly killing and torturing the Iraqis, they have decided that they shall now have direct participation in it. According to their allies, the British army, the U.S. of A disregards the lives of Iraqis, killing and beating them as if they are worthless. Oh, it’s not like the British army are saints either. Don’t get me started on our “beloved” ex-occupiers. Or don’t get me started on that Iraq flag debacle. They changed a flag which they just found out precedes Saddam Hussein. The flag contest was won by a nephew of the one of the committee created to decide on the winner of the flag-creating contest. It was created by an Iraqi living in London (which means that the flag was created by a dude who has no direct influence from his original country, culture and religion) and it resembles the hated Israeli flag. Big time blunder. Big time… Talking about flags, our Malaysian flag resembles that Star-Spangled Banner a bit doesn’t it? I’m thinking of a new design contest. I know! Why don’t we put the crescent and star in between light blue horizontal lines put near the top and below the flag. Also, don’t forget to make the background color white. Oh, don’t forget to make sure that the winner of the contest is a 32 year-old Malaysian who has been living in Birmingham, UK for the last 28 years. Now, how do you feel when that happens to the symbol that is supposed to represent everything about you, your children and your fathers? I still do think that our flag resembles that star-Spangled Banner a bit (probably more than a bit) and that makes me feel rather uneasy… Oh, and another thing. You know Dubya Bushit made a mistake when even the pro-Bushit, Israel-loving Ann “the B***h” Coulter didn’t write an editorial supporting the abuses and tortures in the Al-Ghraib prison. Link to the Iraqi situation updates. This sickens me to my bones. I feel like beating a Mat Salleh. On another note, totally unrelated to the one above and to calm me down, I went back to my grandmother’s house in Kampar last weekend. Pak Andak and his family was there. So was Mak Nong, Che’ Chu, Che’ Loih, Pak Cho and Mak Nyah. It was really fun to be with relatives that I missed. We had home cooked ikan bakar that Che’ Loih fished from a nearby bekas lombong. On the way back, I stopped by Tapah Road for a friend’s wedding. Met up with Haris Beruk, his girlfriend and Rosli Lotong at the Tapah toll plaza before heading to Salamuddin Salamander’s house where we saw a bunch of old school friends including Wira Ungka, JJ and Eiran Faris “Engkudung”, and their respective spouses. While passing through Slim River, I thought about my late Opah Slim, my mother's mother, who passed away exactly 3 weeks ago. I used to visit her when I’m nearby. Her house is empty now. I pray for god to give her paradise. One day, we will all return to where we rightfully belong.Al-fatihah