It is there, in the cold of winter where I find your warmth

We sit in a small room, me on a sofa, and you on another one
with two cups of coffee stuck in our hands
as if they have their own love story
and their own history, and future
both, moving in harmony to the dynamics of
our hypontized bodies

At the same time where
our eyes have a different story
communicating in a native language
and taking memoriable pictures of the holy atmosphere

At the same time where
Our lips are moving
in a race
trying to cope up with the huge amount of words
flooding from our hearts
words, moving in waves
and bouncing from side to side of
the boundaries of our holy bubble
bouncing in precise sequence
and forming colorful rivers
that penetrate our ears

It is the picture of eternity
that is summarized in a single moment
a moment that is larger than world
where no sanity is needed
a moment where real appreciation of existance arouse
a moment of ultimate satisfaction
and pure happiness

Shouldn’t love be a prayer?
for no connection with God without it

I have never imagined that I would be touched this deeply with human love by watching a film about robots! Wall-E is the most romantic movie I have ever seen! Human emotions is reflected on those robots so deeply where sex, race and religion is left out of the equation leaving pure human emotions that accompanies love reflected through the expressions and gestures of those robots.

There is support, there is sickness, there is fear of losing, there is infatuation, there is pursue, there is hand touches, there is eye contact, there music, their dancing and there is love

Watching the movie does make me wonder of how easily we let go our chance of happiness because of our fear to stand up for our love. Whether it is people of different religion, a gap in age, or class, or even race, or distance, or sex, it DOESNT matter. It is the HOLINESS OF LOVE that matters. The HOLINESS OF LOVE!

Love is above all

Mr. Amre Husseni, the general manager of Publicis in Jordan commented on my post about Publicis and the Jordan Festival on his first attempt of giving an official statement clearing out Publicis’s stand about all the fuzz and rumors generated around the festival.

Because older posts are rarely checked up, I though of copying his comment here so that you all can read it. Here is what he said:

Hi all, came across this blog following a google search of a different topic and caught on…I am Amre Husseini, the general manager of Publicis Graphics in Jordan.

I want to start off by saying that I am Jordanian of Palestinian origin, from Jerusalem actually I am very proud of my Jordanian nationality and of my Palestinian origin. Over the last few weeks the company I represent in Jordan has been attacked by persons who have a very different objective and are only using Publicis as a scapegoat to express their true feelings.

To start, I build on the words of His Majesty King Abdullah the Second, who came out last Wednesday and gave an example of Intel. A company that contributes amounts to Israel every year…what are we supposed to do, stop using computers that have intel inside them? Their relationship to israel is very clear and has no fabrication (as the case of Jordan Festival) so all those in favor of boycott should use the same principle and turn off their desktops or laptops and find another way of communicating because 85% of PC’s around the world are intel based…As his Majesty stated, such actions would give a technological advancement to Israel, imagine the advancement of Jordan and the Arab world without computers.

As Publicis Graphics Jordan we are a proud Jordanian entity that employees over 130 persons between all our companies, each of us is proud of our nationality and each of us is proud of the fact that we belong to a Global network that is French in origin.

Anyway maybe this is too drawn out, but this is the first official comment I make about the case, so I will summarize:

A. Publicis DID NOT manage the 60th anniversary of Israel.

B. Maurice Levy’s statement was mis-quoted and a large portion of it was left out “I am a friend of Israel…” the part that says “and Palestine, was lost in translation”

C. Publicis is not managing the Jordan Festival

D. During the last WEF held in Jordan Maurice Levy introduced a campaign titled IMAGINE that was a joint effort between an equal number of Palestinian and Israeli creative talents, working together to create a campaign that DEMANDED peace.

E. Maurice Levy does not own Publicis, it is a company listed on the French stock exchange

F. the list of lies that media claimed in Jordan goes on and on…this list of lies was insulting and the fact that some people were willing to accept these lies was even more insulting.

I leave you with a a few questions…

1. Did any of you try and buy tickets to opening night of the Jordan Festival…it was difficult wasn’t it, Why? Because it was sold out and the people saw through the agenda of Nakabet al Faneen and realized the truth in the words of MALEK AL BILAD.

2. Why did nakabet al faneen do this whole thing? What is the agenda? Is it personal gain for people in the Nakabeh? Or is it a true admiration for the Jerash Festival? Jerash is one destination in a great country, Jerash is a component of Jordan and hence the Jordan Festival.

Please guys, lets all realize the importance of this issue and the importance of the fact that Jordan is going places and we have to depend on each other and our future vision for this country to succeed, backward thinking will bring us down, we dont have oil, we dont have gas, we only have a small access to the sea, we are limited, our strength is everyone of us. Each realizing his true potential and working towards it, not each trying to bring the other down.

In closing sorry it is such a long post, but it comes from the heart and it questions the intentions of Nakabet al Fananeen and it hails the efforts of HMK.

If any of you would like to reach me my direct email is ahusseini@publicisgraphics.com.jo

I add my voice to Mr. Amre and beg everyone to realize the importance of us working with each other in building this country without pointing fingers and fighting each other over some silly rumors.

For a long time, polygamy has been one of the things that I disliked about Islam. The idea of having more than a woman sharing the same man used to be repulsive to me. I used to believe that it is kind of unfair for women to be put in such situation. When they used to challenge me with the argument that it is their choice to make, I used to ignore the idea, dismissing that any woman would really chose to share her husband and be happy in that.

The polygamy right that is given only for men in Islam rather that to women as well does also make it look worse, but that is understandable where this right were given at a time DNA wasn’t discovered and thus hard to figure out the biological father of a baby.

In the other hand, Christianity does prohibit polygamy, and while it does sound fair for people prefer monygamy relationships, in truth, it does eat from the right of a person to choose foe those who would prefer polygamous relationship. Unfortunatly, in some western countries where they claim to have the optimum social freedoms, you would still find laws that deny the right of how many partners one would choose for a long time relationship – aka marriage.

While some social situations may neccitate polygamous relationship, like at the times of wars, where a lot of men end up dead and the ratio of single women gets drastically up where they find themselve unhappily consenting for such relationship for the lack of a better option, and which is rarely the case in our modern world. Sometimes there are other elements such as personal sexuality where there are in fact many bi-sexual people who would really desire to have long term partners with both sexes.

I know that opening the door for polygamous relationships for both sexs would be kind of threat to the family structure that we know it today, and I do understand how such relationships would be even harder to maintan for a two people relationships hardly sustains these days, but if we are to talk about human rights, then chosing how many partners one would like to live with should definatly be listed.

For a country like Jordan, this polygamy privilage is restricted on Muslim men, which is fair for people believing in a certain religion, but if we are to allow such polygamous marriages while maintaining equality for all people regardless of their religion and in which the Jordanian constitution guarantees, then we ought to offer the same right for non-Muslim people whether they are men or women and who desire to have a polygamous relationship under a civil marriage law (Is un-religious marriages legal in Jordan? – civil marriages).

Hal Ta3lam – Do you know that in Jordan (and Jordan only?) you have the ability to sue anyone around the world according to our local penal code or Press and Publication Law?

So while some *smart* men find it as a chance to get to journalists and editors involved in the republication of offensive caricatures depicting the Prophet Mohammad.

Others would just be creative and pursue whom ever they wish to prosecute around the world

I bet there is someone out there who is dreaming of bringing George Bush to justice? No?

and I am sure that there are many who are ready to sue Madonna for her indecent performances?

What about that couple in Rome who were kissing shamelessly in a public area? Can’t I sue them according to my local law? Hell I can! I am a Jordanian citizen, right?

Our law is so cool guys!

But there is a catch!

I think that the international law may conflict with our local law, and while we can win a case against a citizen of another country in Jordan, that would leave the government in a an awkward situation where it has to apply the local verdicts on citizens of other countries and risking diplomatic and political crisis

Do we really care?

“Excessive pride is a familiar sin, but a man may just as easily frustrate the will of God through excessive humilty”

It does amaze me that eventhough I do consider myself to be a non believer, such phrases do strike me at the heart of my perception of life and the exact motivation one may need to wake up and fullfil his role in life.

This is the second line that quote my attention in ‘The Pillars of the Earth’ . Like the first one I discussed earlier about the trouble God takes in the formation of a man to take on a certain duty. This line talks as well about the same man – same character – and in a way the writer’s attempt of building up his character.

Sometimes a person has to read the signs around him in order to tell what future is planned for him. It may sound like a laughable argument for non believers, and it may as well not be more than a self deception illusion that connect lines and build drama for something that isn’t really out there, but it may be as well real signs that one can read to tell the fortune of a certain character. It may very well be a clear steps for one’s destiny and role in life.

And it is true in way where someone with an excessive self pride may end up attracting the hate of people around him, someone with much humility that has no self confidence may not have the strength to fullfil his true potentials, and thus truly frustrate the will of God and his plan for him.

Moderation is the key and self confidence is essential to take over your role in life.

The Ambassador of Denmark in Jordan started his own blog to address the Jordanian-Danish issues. He states that his stay in Amman has been positive so far and that he is amazed of the friendliness and openness of the Jordanians. On his blog he is trying to communicate his country policies, and internal political and social reactions towards it.

As an Ambassador that is exactly his job, to really convey the message of his people. I, personally, think that it is a brilliant idea for him to turn to blogging in order to communicate his mission.

Hope his words help easing up the tension between the people in both countries.

Way to go Ambassador!

Check out his blog here:
http://tholun.wordpress.com/

It is beautiful the new exceptional experience one would feel at the Rainbow street on Fridays afternoon. Now with the renovation of the area, and the fame of Jara flee market, it is becoming more of a fashionable trend for people of Amman to come to the area on Fridays. The crowd starts to appear in the afternoon after the heat of the day cools down, and the street becomes so busy as traffic is still allowed where we end up with stuffed cars along with many people walking at each side of the pavements.

What is really beautiful in the crowd scenary here and set it aside as an exceptional new experience to the Ammani people is the type of crowd. Unlike the busy Abdouni Thursday nights where many young people fill the streets partying end ing up with a young male bored crowd which makes the area unfriendly to families. The crowd of the Friday Rainbow street is mainly formed of families. Full families walk togather, the mother, father, sister, brother-in-law, tata, grand-pa, little children. It is like that for the first time in Jordan, families are moving out the traditional Friday house gathering and go togather for a walk in a scenary that reminds me of the Eid days (holidays). It does really feel like a holiday, and it does really feel safe and happiness all over the place.

I stand behind my ice cream display in Licky Licious and watch the shop suddenly filled up when an entire family barges in. Little children take the highest priority for being served. It does make me feel like a Santa when I hand the ice cream cone to them as see the excitment on their faces, ofcourse most end up messing their faces, their mother clothes, and all are the floor of LL.

Friday nights are long in Rainbow street, it doesn’t calm till mid night, that is where I realize how a beautiful long day it was. It leaves me with little time for myself to have a drink with at the beautiful terrace of the Books@cafe.

It is really a wonderful experience.