May 22 2011

President Obama does a U turn on his Middle East policy at AIPAC


Minutes ago at AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee), President Obama gave a warm and fuzzy speech to a crowd that was impatiently waiting to get clarification on what the President meant when he said that Israel had to draw its lines based on the 1967 boarders with Palestine.

The President didn’t disappoint by doing a U turn on his Middle East policy speech that was delivered only two days prior where he advocated for the resumption of Middle East peace talks and for the creation of a two state solution based on the 1967 boarders.

Addressing the Washington based pro Israeli lobby the president outlined America’s unwavering support for Israel by outlining the nations ongoing and steadfast military and diplomatic support for Israel thus making it clear that Israel remains a strategic interest of the United States in the Middle East and that the relationship between the two countries was “Ironclad”.

While reaffirming his commitment to Israel he also gently reminding the audience that the world had indeed changed and that through technological advancements of the 21st century protecting Israel and guaranteeing its security from a far had become a more challenging proposition, not to mention a costly one to the American tax payer.

Nevertheless to clear any ambiguity on what he meant during his Middle East policy speech two days prior, President Obama elaborated on “the 1967 boarders and mutually agreed land swap” as the basis for the resumption of peace talks between the Israeli’s and the Palestinians. The President made reference that any land deal to be made will have to be done between the parties, meaning between hard right Netanyahu on the Israeli side and a joint Hamas and Fatah on the Palestinian side.

Is this the American position for brokering a Middle East deal based on the “new realities” on the ground, seriously?

In my view we are back to square on the Israeli / Palestinian conflict and while on the surface the Presidents talk sounded rosy, beneath the surface rough waters are ahead but with one difference, today the people of the Middle East are of a new generation that are not only pushing for stability in the region but more importantly are demanding a more balanced leadership on the part of the United States.  Todays generation of young Arabs expect the United States, this beacon of freedom and democracy and symbol of tolerance and advocate of universal human rights  to be a genuine peace maker.

Furthermore, it must be said that with the sweeping changes taking place in the Middle East, America can no longer afford to support dictatorships in the region as a means to guarantee security for Israel.  With the fall of the Mubarak regime in Egypt, the geo-politics of the region has significantly changed making Israel’s position even harder to sustain if it is unwilling to make peace.

Therefore, to bring about long-lasting peace and stability in the region, America must play a balanced role between the two sides and before the international community. The alternative to this position will be a Middle East backlash against America and its ally, Israel with global implications and America can not afford to lose face in these challenging times ahead.

Mar 5 2011

we are in times of a moral dilemma, yet again …


There are moments in our lives, and they are few, where our humanity comes face to face with a moral dilemma that challenges our soul, as individuals and as a people.

In 1940 during World War II humanity was challenged in Auschwitz. In Africa we faced a dilemma with the genocide in Sierra Leone, in Asia the massacre in Burma tested us, and today we face a new dilemma, the radicalization of the Middle East with an ideology that if left unaccounted could very well lead to the spread of a political system and a way of life that is at odds with the very nature of what it means to be born free.

And as we face this new dilemma we have one of two choices. Either we can be indifferent and stay silent in fear of persecution, ridicule or involvement beyond our comfort zone, or alternatively, we can stand on principles, show moral indignation and become engaged.

Having said that, taking on such a challenge often comes at a price but it is only in such circumstances that we realize who we are as individuals and what we value as a people.

And so it is needless to say that the natural state of (wo)man is to live in freedom from tyranny and oppression and with all the legal and moral rights on our side it is our duty to face such a challenge head on before it is too late.

Feb 26 2011

Dubai Tennis Open Semi-finals 2011


When you are a huge tennis fan like I am watching two great semi-finals at the Dubai Tennis open is a treat, especially when Roger Federer was playing in one of them.  Like most years the open was filled with excitement and the crowed participation in every point was electric. 

Top seed, Roger Federer, of Switzerland and second seed, Novak Djokovic, of Serbia will meet in the final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship on Saturday. In the semi-finals, Federer defeated Richard Gasquet of France 6-2, 7-5. While, Djokovic’s opponent, Czech, Tomas Berdych, was forced to retire due to an injury in the third set with the Serb leading the match 6-7(5), 6-2, 4-2.

I have to say I had a great time as my commentary of both semi’s will tell you.

Feb 20 2011

A revolution should not be the end goal unto itself


The difference between successful revolutions and those that fail often comes down to how well an end game is planned and how clear the objectives are set, right from the start.

History has shown us that failed revolutions often set their sights short on merely starting an uprising without seriously contemplating on what manifestation and outcomes emerge, while those that are successful such as the American Revolution, have a relatively clear set of goals for the day after, once the dust has settled.

In 1979 the single common goal of the Iranian revolution was to oust the Shah and we all saw what transpired after, a series of events that set the country on a horrific path to a brutal theocratic regime that lived up to no Iranians expectations.

Under a politically charged and ideologically divided atmosphere Iranians of my previous generation rushed to replace one form of dictatorship with another and with such an understanding of politics the religious establishment wasted no time in eliminating the opposition.

31 years later, I hope we can draw lessons from modern societies to realize that politics is not a zero sum game where in order to win all other voices must be silenced.

Politics by nature is an exercise in persuasion and often than not no political party has all of the answers and hence there are elections to measure a political parties performance and there are systems of checks and balances put in place to protect the rights of the individual against tyranny of the state.

I hope and pray that in the new uprising the Iranian people consider the importance of starting a revolution with the aim of “institutionalizing” the pillars of civil society, first of which is respect for human rights, second, the right to form political parties that operate within the framework of a parliamentary democracy where every Iranians rights are protected. And third, the right to free speech as the basic conditions for moving Iran back into the community of nations with pride and dignity.

In the solitude of my home office I write this note first and foremost to myself as a reminder of why I should look to history and learn from it and second for anyone who is interested in what I have to say and if you have reached this far, thanks for taking the time to read my scrambled thoughts.

Feb 16 2011

NASA man hopes to inspire entrepreneurs


Shahriar Shahabi, CEO of PAN Emirates and Dr. Firouz Naderi of NASA's JPL

DUBAI // Dr Firouz Naderi may have managed five missions to Mars but when it comes to inspiring young people towards innovation he turns to the more down-to-earth example of his mobile phone.

Although most people can name Alexander Graham Bell as the inventor of the traditional telephone, there is no easy way to explain how the device has evolved over the decades.

“There is no single answer,” the Iranian-American engineer said. “It came about through a complex osmosis of many layers of specialised expertise.”

It is that sentiment that the associate director for project formulation and strategy at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California will echo this morning as he addresses 1,200 dignitaries, students and faculty members at Dubai Women’s College.

Among the invited guests expected to attend are Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Higher Education and Research.

Dr Naderi was invited to Dubai by Shahriar Shahabi, the chief executive officer of the furniture company Pan Emirates, to help launch an initiative called Think It Big.

The idea is to use today’s lecture as a springboard of inspiration for young people in the UAE and encourage them to be entrepreneurs.

In an effort to back this goal up, Mr Shahabi plans to lobby for changes to the country’s education system as well as launch a new arm of Pan Emirates and hire a bright young chief executive to run it.

“We’re not cultivating opportunities in the UAE,” he said. “Risk takers and innovators are a dying breed in this region. We’ve become phenomenal consumers but we make no contribution. In order to move to the next paradigm shift we need human resources and role models.”

Entrepreneurship has been a buzzword in the country for a decade now, he said, “but we have nothing to show for it. I think it is about time for action”.

During his hour-long lecture, Dr Naderi, 65, will discuss his work as a systems engineer at Nasa, where he spearheaded the mission to land two rovers on opposite sides of Mars in January 2004. Although he no longer works on the Mars exploration project, his current position involves the search for life in other parts of the universe. He wants those in the audience to understand that most achievements are realised through collaborative effort.

“The great undertakings of today require a diversity of expertise which then become possible when the disciplines are brought together,” he said.

“Of course we can be successful individuals and leave a thumbprint on the world like Einstein, Darwin or Dali, but Einsteins don’t come by busloads.

“My point is that people should know they can be extremely influential and part of something that could alter history if they are part of a team.”

He will also draw on the history of the region and its people – the Egyptians and Babylonians – to encourage the audience to think about what they would like to be remembered for.

“This is not a call to arms for everyone in the Middle East to become involved in space exploration or one specific field, it is more to indicate that if something as seemingly impossible as that is possible, then other, less lofty, things are.”

Dr Naderi will be talking at Dubai Women’s College Auditorium in Al Qusais today at 11.30am. Entry is free.

http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/science/nasa-man-hopes-to-inspire-entrepreneurs