"In search for the excellence" Duzdar

"If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill

In fact, I was pessimistic that after the intellectual products that brought out by outstanding Arab intellectuals of the 20th century during the intellectual awakening movement, there hasn't been new distinctive intellectualism despite the fact that the Arab World is a fertile environment for intellectual creativity except certain attempts shattered apart across the Arab World. 
The libraries are packed with manuscripts and books show a stunning creativity in the Arabic literature over the early centuries until the colonization era in the Arab World. Therefore, after the end of the second half of the 20th century, the intellectual movement that's driven by like-minded authors has significantly declined. Consequently, the remaining thinkers are struggling to keep the Arabic intellectualism vivid inasmuch as they find stimulative realms to invest in.
Recently, I've been amazed to come over some interesting materials touch upon the reality of the Arab societies, intellectually designed by prolific thinkers whose products could be considered as praised attempts to revive the almost stagnant Arab intellectual movement in order to be the voice of the masses and identity. I, thus, found it interesting to highlight one of these voices.
Sa'ed Duzdar's book "The mind is an ornament: The 
Crisis of modernity in the Arab World."

Sa'ed Duzdar is a growing thinker originally from Palestine, a presenter, and producer of the series of "The Mind is an Ornament." He has been catching my attention due to the interestingly captured topics he is trying to get across to people in the Arab World. These topics mainly focus on the mind and the contemporary philosophy. Through that, he calls for waking up and reconciling with the world. This call is for everyone has turned his back on the life and progression to get back to his human propensity and ally with the universe and block the road off anyone is trying to nurture the conflict between the human being and his humanity. He authored a book titled "The mind is an ornament: The crisis of modernity in the Arab World." 
In this book Sa'ed points out, "I came to search for the other face of the planet, life and human beings with you all. I came to search for the fact with you all. I came to build up an intellectual limitless bridge stretches out to the future with you all."
It's worth mentioning, Duzdar's niece is Muna Duzdar is a high-profile politician who serves as a State Secretary at the Austrian Parliament.
In this episode "The mind is an ornament: The Genie inside you," Duzdar says;

"If the theory didn't fit into practice, it's certainly wrong. Whatever great your hypothesis is as long as was formed by a  great person for you. If we don't examine how we make mistakes, we'll keep making them year-by-year, and will last for decades and generations. Our problem isn't that we don't  respect the mind, thinking, and logic. But, our problem is we fear thinking. Our rational provisions on things are supposedly controlled by the available information. But, if this available information is changeable, mustn't our provisions on things be changed?

You are not supposed to believe in any thing you are told, we are in the age of cognitive flux nowadays, and there are a real knowledge and fake also.

It's possible to create cohesive and potent stories in our minds. However, it's not necessarily that these stories constitute a fact that you are not supposed to believe what I'm telling you now. So, it's a chance to verify and examine it. 

In my opinion, it's the optimum way to bring up useful information and facts. Thus, our lack of sound provisions is resulted by our inability to explore the obvious facts and reject superstitions and obvious contradictions that have been the reason of inflicting us a brain fever which made us talk a language full of ghosts and legends, a language of houses of condolence. It wants to embed ignorance and fear in which it's unable to adapt to the fact and with what's natural and natural creatures. We are the most valuable device on this planet, it's the rationality device. But, there are who refuse to use it and there are who don't want to set it on the sound wave like the old radio appliance in his hands. He's insistent on listening to disruptions and he got used to listening to this voice. And, there who on the wave now and would like to get out of this mental disruption to look for real motives and stimuli to explore the life and its core.
Because he became a believer that there are many things could be discovered just if he has decided to get into the deeper level of this world. Many youths are wondering about the kinds of these motives. The first thing presumably is searching for things that don't stimulate us and there are many of them, it's a conditional remuneration like if you have done so, you'll receive that. If you put this condition on yourself in most often you're destroying the substantial self-motivation. Because, if any wrong has occurred to thing that you're doing and you haven't succeeded in, it would affect you psychologically because you failed in firstly and, moreover, you didn't get the remuneration that you had been waiting for. Consequently, you killed your intrinsic motivation.
The second is, the effect of media when we flip TV's channels, we don't change them because we are bored of, but because we're grumpy at there isn't a person whom you don't trust is trying to make you anxious and confused, not because of mistakes but because of movies. For instance, the movie's protagonist keeps making wrong decisions over the episodes which lead to your frustration. Because he is a reflection to your subjectivity and you like to see your subjectivity through his behaviors and decisions or through the advertisements that make you feel and remind you of that you lack in something; your hair falls out, your stomach hurts you, your teeth aren't white enough as needed. Your flipping to channels isn't a boredom, it's an anger that might keep away from motives. You're not supposed to turn all media off in your life, but you must be careful and attentive to the psychological and negative consequences that could reach you out by this appliance.
The good motives that could help you to excel and improve your performance are the attempt of changing and turning the practices into action, by adding an entertainment element to practice it and remember it.
If I have to memorize a presentation, why shouldn't I sing or perform it theatrically? The idea is to bring it in your area where you feel comfortable and have fun in. Always remind yourself of reaching ingenuity phase or mastership which require things like a mentality incrementally develops which is conceived that "you don't have what's endless, and your talent or the work you're doing could always be improved if you put in the further effort," as well as, thinking of some suffering to reach ingenuity and perfection. Because you should get out of your convenience area and later your body and mind begin controlling and adapting themselves to create a new level of equilibrium in the area where you are.
This is exactly what happens when doing weight-lifting exercises at Jem center if you want to augment your muscles, you need to lift up stuff heavier than you could bear in order to start observing the difference. The same thing is applied to your mentality and practices in the things that you're trying to be masterful at to get to an ingenuity phase. In addition, you have to be totally convinced that despite everything, you won't reach the end line, you'll reach a line close to it or where you're about to reach it. However, you won't touch it. This is the way that helps you expand. 
Furthermore, one of the important things of motivation is the reason that supposedly you're linked with things bigger than you, this is the core of the reason. The thing is not only related to your personal success, but also there are a participation and an addition to the world that surrounds you at least. So, link this core reason in addition to what you are doing to develop yourself, and ask yourself every day; "Have I developed a little bit to reach this goal and core reason?" Remind yourself every day at dusk and ask yourself, "Is there a little improvement today more than tomorrow?"
It's time to write down your story by your pen and in your notebook in order to not read it a distorted story in others' stories!"

The end
The whole text above is an audiovisual episode available in Arabic.

Translator: Nasser Al-Qadi

It's conspicuous that two ethnicities can't co-exist in the Old Quarter of Hebron

   Another trip to Hebron aimed at providing a legal support to a known non-violent activist has been leading campaigns to back up the Palestinian residents' resilience in their struggle against the systematic policy of evacuation.

This episode came to add a new experience on previous ones had been garnered in the same city to delve more into the applied Israeli legal system in the Occupied Territories. The organizer, as usual, is an Isreali leftist NGO devoted to defending Palestinian rights which prompt many people within my society to wonder whether there are really impeccable Jewish groups with institutionalized efforts stand up against the Israeli policies?                         Legal session with Essa (Nasser)           

My intuition stirs up this inquiry about what do people think on our side, too. I haven't had the chance to sit down with a lot of people to ask them what do they think about the idea that there are Jewish groups calling for removing the occupation and illegal outposts. For instance, B'Tselem has been outspoken in this field. 

Anyhow, this trip to Hebron took place in the Old Quarter where a holy site the "Ibrahimi Mosque" which considered the core of conflict there. This quarter has passed through many phases of fluctuations. The most notorious event occurred in 1994 when an Israeli ultra-orthodox settler broke into the Mosque and opened fire gunning down 29 Palestinian worshippers.

Shortly aftermath, the International Community especially those who had patronized Oslo Peace Accords decided to find an immediate solution to the city by sending an international group of observers called (TIPH).
TIPH's car where the staff on their duty.(Nasser)

Consequently, the entire Mosque was divided up into two parts, one for the Israelis and the other one for the Palestinians. However, the fighting over the entire area hasn't ended up until then. Israelis still claim historical and religious rights which push them to wipe out what's non-Jewish. As a result, many Palestinian residents have moved out seeking safer resort in other parts of the city.

The general situation inside the old quarter doesn't indicate to a stable status of human coexistence among two ethnicities as long as the atmosphere requires military personnel to stand up in every corner. 
The entire historical site is enclaved by a long series of Israeli modern-styled dwellings called (Qaryat Arva) settlement, a well-known of its ultra-orthodox residents and right-wing proponents. 
Although I have been residing in Hebron for almost three decades, I have never been to this settlement. The access to it is available and, moreover, it's not walled off so we can't access from the direction of the holy site where it's allowed for us green ID bearers to get into without required permits. There are fenced checkpoints to check pedestrians out.
I have been to only the holy site for several times accompanying my foreign friends in recreational and exploratory trips.
Therefore, my work for this human rights organization has illuminated me about new things I would have never explored in my city, otherwise. 
We headed into the settlement after a short stop at the checkpoint installed at the main entrance, we got off to head up to a hill called (Tal Romeda) where a nonviolent activist resides. The first impression I came up with in the mixed neighborhood is the scene of Aleppo in Syria though the situation here is different in terms of no military confrontation with another armed side or guerrilla fighting.
Soldiers are stationed in every corner watching out pedestrians 24 hours, the sensation of hostility is visible, watching towers, metal detectors or other electronic censorship appliances, revolving gates installed at every passageway inside that tiny stifling area featured by tension and precariousness which undoubtedly make the image of the other as a potential assailant at any moment. Thus, the military protection is out-of necessity, because there is no trust in the neighbors who are from the other ethnicity and won't ever be such trust.
Discussing Essa's suit (Nasser)

Essa Amro hosted us, the session was kicked off highlighting his lawsuit at the military court, he is charged with different issues like incitement against the Jewish community there, surpassing the rules, disobedience, and so on and so forth. Our lawyer gave him some legal tips warning him of the compromise had been offered to him by the prosecutor to leave abroad to pursue his master's degree for two years, then all the charges will be nullified. "No doubt, you will be arrested when you come back after finishing your degree," said the lawyer.
It's the shrewdness of the military prosecutors who apply a military law in the (Opt) that we keep speculating about its repercussions. Not because most of us aren't well-educated enough to figure the whole process out. But, I assure that we are still ignorant because we aren't willing to learn the Hebrew language intellectually. How much percentage of Palestinians in the (Opt) understand it from the intellectual perspective? I'm concerned to say that it doesn't overstep 2%, most of them are workers speak only the street language or slang to handle their businesses with their Israeli employers. Furthermore, I have never seen a Palestinian worker carrying a Hebrew written flyer or Haaretz newspaper trying to learn strong Hebrew words. I don't know why there is no initiative to do so. What are they doing in the free time? How do they deal with innumerable legal issues they are exposed to in Israel where everything is in Hebrew? It seems to me the situation is lucrative for the Hebrew-Arabic translators.
My father, for instance, has been a worker there for almost four decades, he only speaks the language street, he can't read and can't write either. 
I recall his legal case with some other workers who found themselves stuck with the legal system after they had been tricked by a greedy permit broker who extorted workers to get them working permits in return for a big amount of money covertly which the Israeli Labor Authority didn't have reports about. Those workers ended up being charged with fraudulence issue of fake permits are registered at the customs office that supposedly the Israeli broker had already paid the required taxes. 
I had to struggle to find a fluent in Hebrew to explain to us the complicated court's protocol because the whole case was questionable. To overcome this complication, the Palestinian Authority must design curriculums to teach the Hebrew Language at our schools.
A soldier watching out the place around.

At the end of the session, we finished off heading back home. I was a bit surprised to see that settlers on the way back raising cattle in a barn installed within a Western-styled neighborhood. I wondered, did our Palestinian rural lifestyle or peasantry invade those Western inhabitants to raise cattle within inhabited civil area? We Palestinians raise different kinds of cattle and even poultry within residential neighborhoods where the demographic irregularities are remarkable. Thus, questions began hovering over because we have some stereotypes towards Jewish settlers who live in settlements are westernized, if they have livestock business, they set it up at places away from inhabitable areas. I really felt that my curiosity prompts me to come up to that Jewish lady and her son were watering their cattle to ask for their permission to take a picture for them inside the barn. But, I wasn't brave enough, the facial expressions of the soldier who was watching out inside the kiosk installed in front of, made me terrified. The situation has been precarious over the past years we Palestinians are conceived as a potential risk at any moment.
Indeed, the reality in the Old Quarter of Hebron isn't promising at the moment as long as the conflict there can be described as a matter of ethnic existentialism of one group over the other. 

The mysteries behind Singapore's successes 

   Ahmed Al-Shuqairi, a Saudi Arabian activist and media figure, has been well-known for his series of Khawatir programs, meaning "reflections" in English. He performed in this media project between 2005-2015. The kickstart of this project was to tackle the dilemmas that young people in the Islamic Arab world suffer from by showing the successful experiences of other communities overseas. It was a vibrant cultural exchange tool that prompted those youth to interpret their images in the mirror of others. Therefore, it highlighted political, social, and economic issues that were notably brought out, including intellectualism. 

In this episode, "The mysteries behind Singapore's success," in Arabic, Ahmed visited this country to show us the stunning progression in different fields that it has accomplished since its independence in the 1960s. I found it interesting to translate into English.

Ahmad starts narrating from 2:00 on, saying, 

"One of the standards of the country's success in providing a dignified life for its people is the economy. 

Individuals' income expresses it. How much is the gross of this income? Lists cover individuals' incomes in every country to compare them. The final goal that we'll display in this episode is to get some ideas across the Arab world to reach a high degree of dignified life and provide the highest degrees in the world to make the Arab-Muslim individuals' income the highest. It means that justice is applied and corruption is eliminated, then. 

When we see Singapore today in 2013 -at the top of prosperity and sophistication- we, the current generation, expect that those people have been as such since they were born and genetically developed to be as such. Look at the left side, where the public gardens and streets are clean. However, it's not true; we are in an area right now; look how it was in 1960. The roads were dirt with garbage to the degree that children took showers in the street. Poverty is high, and the highest level of civilizational and moral backwardness featured it. 

Lee Kuan Yew, the Singaporean Prime Minister, complained when he took over the office about people's morality and behavior, saying, "I'm mystified by how the Singaporean taxi drivers open their cars' windows to spit through on the street."

So, morality was violated, no money, poverty, and ignorance. It is how Singapore was. 

This is another area. Take a look at this building. Here it is in 1960. Singapore was well-known for its unorganized slums because of poverty, stacked stores, and unorganized dwellings. As far as I know, this problem exists in many cities in the Arab World today. It was in Singapore in 1960, but they tackled it. Look at the area around me now, skyscrapers. Look how it became well-organized and clean.

When Singapore gained independence from Malaysia, Malaysia was a vast country with resources and an economy but a small country. Consequently, Singapore's separation from Malaysia was a big shock and a slap on the face of Singaporeans to the degree that Prime Minister Lee Kuan himself showed up on TV crying in front of people. Imagine a PM who had nothing to say. 

Lee Kuan's statement—a speech he gave after independence—"I believe in the integration of Malaysia and the unity of both lands altogether. Those people are linked with economics, geographic location, and kinship among them." He nodded, saying, " Would you mind stopping for a while?" Then he continued weeping. 

Ahmad continues, "Look at Lee Kuan in 1965 crying, and the British newspapers wrote, "Singapore is out." So, it is out of the game and has no hope. The separation occurred between Malaysia and Singapore. Why was Lee Kuan crying? Because there was a big difference between Singapore's qualifications and capabilities and Malaysia's.

In short, Malaysia is in front of you now; it is 480 times double the distance of Singapore. Singapore is considered a massive drop in distance, which is Malaysia. 

Regarding resources, Malaysia comprises rubber, wood, and other materials. Singapore needs more resources and water. All of these were frustrating factors for a country that has no resources. But, with persistence and insistence, look at what they made; one of the basics is "unifying the country towards one goal," which is very important. We see that in Singapore, there were different ethnic groups: Chinese, Malawines, Indians, and Euro-Asians, four ethnicities living in this country. Each ethnicity has its religion, tradition, and language. They were fighting in the 1960s; there were protests and vandalizing cars among different groups. It wasn't easy, though. Thus, one of Lee Kuan's PM priorities was to make everyone understand that Singapore is number one. "We all work for Singapore, the Malawi, the Chinese ... etc. All of you set aside your ethnicity to put the country and its interests first," said Lee. He put this issue into schools.

The formal language in Singapore is English because it aims to unify people without discriminating against ethnicities. 

When he came to power, despite being from the Chinese ethnicity, which is the majority in Singapore, he stripped himself of his ethnicity for the country's interest. He said, "We won't impose a language on other languages; we have the Chinese, Malawi, ...etc. Even though I belong to the biggest ethnicity, I won't favor it over other groups' languages. So, choose a language that isn't ethnically based; choose Chinese, for instance."

The second thing is that it's a country of laws. Lee Kuan realized that we have people who need ethics to be promoted in Singapore but have no sophisticated background or the culture that he wants there to put the country at the top. This will only happen by reinforcing strict laws to be applied to all people equally to upgrade the city and people in Singapore to high morality and become a role model for other countries. 

Singapore is a country of fines. Fines are imposed on everything. Imagine somebody getting into the store to buy a shirt, and the fines are labeled on it. Souvenirs show people about these fines. 

For example, this shirt's slogan refers to "pushing and flushing." If you don't press on to keep the restroom clean for whoever comes in after you, the fine is $300$. Don't spite; if you spit on the street, the fine is $300$. Vandalism, vandalizing public properties, and the penalties are jail and lashes.

The laws must be applied to all: the PM, the ministers, the people, and even foreigners from great countries. While in some countries, foreigners cannot be jailed like the Americans have that powerful position. However, in Singapore, you're like others. In the 1990s, for instance, something happened in this regard when an American guy, an 18-year-old, sprayed graffiti on some cars and vandalized other things, which are punishable by Singaporean law by jailing and lashing because people own public properties must be maintained. In the aftermath, he was sentenced to 4 months, 2300 $ OK, and lashed six times. 

At the time, President Clinton intervened because he was an American citizen, but Singaporeans refused his intervention and said, "He is like others." Laws in Singapore apply to all people, whether they are American or not. These laws are labeled on almost everything, even on the mug when you want to drink a coffee or pinned on the wall. 

This comes to keep reminding citizens about the importance of these laws. More about laws: Imagine that in Singapore, chewing gum is forbidden. Ahmad asks around about this matter, "When was the last time you ate chewing gum in Singapore?"

The person says, "It was seven years ago when I was ten, and I got it from Malaysia."

Another citizen said, "Two years ago, I got it from Malaysia."

A third one, "On Sunday."

Ahmad, "In Singapore?"

She said, "Yeah."

Ahmad, "Where did you get it from?"

She, "Overseas."

Ahmad, "Why?"

They, "because it's a contraband here."

Ahmad enters a grocery asking, "Hello, do you have chewing gum?"

The seller said, "No, no, no."

Ahmad, "she felt scared. So, there is no gum, and they feel scared when somebody asks them for gum. She thought that I was asking for drugs."

Why gum is prohibited?

There are two reasons. First, after it's eaten, the consumer throws it away on the street, which costs the country very much to clean it off, and this money comes from people. Eventually, the states' money is people's. Please don't say the state will spend on it; this is your money. Thus, the Singaporean government stated, "Why should we spend millions of dollars cleaning gum in the streets? We have an example in London where anybody can recognize the spots on the sidewalk, with millions of them there. It's tough to clean them off; this requires unusual cleaning. In London, they have special devices to clean gum off. To do this, the cleaners must put up a plastic fence around the area of cleaning where 3.5 billion gums are thrown on London's streets. The cost of cleaning gum in Britain is 10 million pounds annually. The Singaporean government stated, "We deserve this money instead of spending it on cleaning off the gum." As a result, gum was prohibited for 14 years. Then Bush -the U.S. president- came to negotiate to export gum to Singapore because the U.S. gum companies sell it out, making millions of revenue.

The Singaporean government allowed gum to be sold only at pharmacies. We couldn't record it because it's a sensitive matter. Of course, there is no gum in the pharmacy; this kind is medical gum, and it helps you give up smoking or cleaning your teeth. So, it's the only gum they have, and there is no gum in the supermarket either. They live without it; nothing happened to them, though. 

They changed from people spitting on the street and taking showers to being one of the cleanest people in the world. Who expected so? This transformation happened over a few years. The answer is the laws. 

Here, we compare individuals' incomes in Malaysia and Singapore; we start from 1965, and this income is almost close to $300 annually. Malaysia is red, and Singapore is blue, about $350 annually. 

The race starts after separation to see how each government managed its country; look at how Singapore and Malaysia trended up from the 1960s to 1970s, but its improvement differs from Singapore. In the 1990s, Singapore continued trending up. It attracted foreign investments by showing the spirit of coexistence among different groups. While Malaysia suffered a little bit, it kept developing. We ended in 2010, and the big difference is moving on to reach 31.000 $ per capita in Singapore and Malaysia only 12.000 $. 

This happened through willpower, persistence, well-planning, eliminating corruption, and planning the economy well, which improved Singapore by 80 times (x80) compared to the time of separation. Malaysia performed well, but less than Singapore; it reached half of the percentage of Singaporean improvement. 

Also, one of the mysteries behind Singaporean development is clearing up corruption; it was the first priority. It was a corrupt country in terms of bribes and nepotism. But they stood up and said, "We as a country must get rid of corruption so that laws will be applied to all people who encounter it."

The first thing Lee Kuan did when he took over the office was say, "This ministry is white." All should wear white clothes to express the purity of their hands—it's a symbolic matter to show impeccability when the country at all levels shows attention and doesn't allow corruption. 

Until now, there have been corruption issues shown in the media. Look at the civil defense minister before people were driven to the court to be sued for bribery in France, though not in Singapore. Politicians, thus, aren't protected in case of corruption there. The head of the church was tried after having been convicted of corruption. The religious denomination isn't impeccable, though.

If we want to eliminate corruption, all social denominations shall be under legal accountability and not protected for any reason. Singapore has reached development, civilization, and coexistence because of Lee Kuan, who studied at this school between 1930 and 1934. After graduating, he embarked on a long journey of presiding over Singapore. He was elected eight times because of his accomplishments. Moreover, his people were very thrilled under his rule. 

In the 1990s, he stepped down voluntarily as the PM of Singapore. This step was to leave this position to the new generation despite all his successes. This is a lesson, wisdom, and thinking.

A further reason for economic development in Singapore is commercial facilitation for citizens; it has a fundamental and direct role in economic growth. Singapore is one of the easiest countries in which to set up a business. Here, I'm hosted by Mr. Kinny in his house. We did an experiment to establish a company. I said to Kenny, "What company should we establish? Let's establish a media production company."

Then, he began surfing the internet and inserted his data. We named the company "Sahel Production," which was straightforward. Through the internet, he made sure whether another company already used the name, and in a few seconds, the result popped up. In some other countries, to make sure whether this name is used, you must go to the Ministry of Commerce and apply; then, you'll be given papers to look up by yourself, and the next step you may receive the response the next day. It's a long story to know if the name is already used. We knew this in only one second here. After completing the data, he applied. 

Kenny said, "Congratulations on successfully registering a new business." He received an email informing him that he'd receive a confirmation after 72 hours. The next day, he called us to tell us everything had been successfully done, and the "Sahel Company" was now available.

We went back to him. Over 28 hours, he received an email stating that his company was formally open.

Ahmad said, "You're the owner of the Sahel Production Co?"

Kenny, "Yes, I'm the boss."

He then printed the certificate out. It's a simple paper, different from that highly considered one. It's undersigned and sealed, including the owner's name and registration number—like a bill.

He said, "It's unimportant, and there's no need for it."

Ahmad, "We don't need to keep this paper."

Kenny, "No, we can hang it on the office's wall."

Ahmad, tearing the paper up, says, "This paper is just to show it when you go to a company. So, you don't need it formally. His company is on the list; he only needs this registration number."

This is Mr. Kinny, the executive director "CEO."

Kenny, "Yes."

Finally, this message of Singapore's story in this episode gives hope that whatever difficult things are and whatever backwardness in the streets, there is always hope for reformation and becoming like this. Even better, if there is wise leadership, people want to be developed, and a country working for all of this—government and people."

The end 

The text above is an audiovisual episode available in Arabic here. 

Translated by Nasser Al-Qadi

On the Gulf diplomatic crisis scene

    Abed Al-Bari Atwan is a political analyst and editor-in-chief of Al-Quds Al-Arabi Newspaper based in the UK. He recently set up a political campaign in Arabic to back up Qatar in this diplomatic strife. 

Abd Al-Bari Atwan

In this episode, he said, "In the name of God the merciful. Ladies and gentlemen welcome to this weekly meeting. At first, there is a Tunisian proverb says, "When you come to understand, you get fainted." 

In fact, I'm dizzy and I don't want to make you all dizzy with me. In any case, if we take a look at the region and what's going on in is absolutely unconscionable. To assert this irrationality, there are many things to show, overnight the Egyptian People Council suddenly held the parliament and decided that Tiran and Sanafir are Saudi islands. But, how come! where the court's decisions? How did it come about? Egypt is supposedly earning because it's joined up in the alliance against the great Qatari State. It, therefore, supposed to take not give. It's the first point anyway.

The second point, Monther Makhos -spokesperson of the High Negotiating Commission, of course, for the Syrian negotiation, said,"In Syria, there is neither a political solution nor a military one. For the issue, it is being resolved in the field." What's the field? I don't know.

The third thing, at the Palestinian sphere, after talks about the electricity crisis and all other problems, including deducting salaries, a meeting was held in Cairo between two grave foes, the representative Mohammed Dahlan and Yahya Al-Sinwar -The head of Hamas movement in Gaza- They agreed on opening up the  checkpoint, financial aids, financing electrical power plant in Gaza by fuel, increasing the Egyptian share of the electricity to Gaza, and opening up Rafah crossing point for longer hours. 

What's going on? I've never seen Gulf States' leaders more active as nowadays like Adel Jubair left for Washington and then to Moscow. The Qatari foreign minister Mohammed Ibn Abed Al-Rahman to Washington, Moscow, Berlin, London, and Paris. And then Shiekh Abdullah Ibn Zayed the foreign minister headed to the same capitals. It's an unnatural movement. What's going on in the region? What's the problem exactly? 

This is the basic story we hear about food-loaded airplanes taking off from Ankara, Tehran, and Al-Dar Al-Bayda -the White House, the Morrocan capital- to Qatar in order to break the siege down. What's the siege are we talking about? The annual income is 100.000 $ per capita in Qatar. Thank God! The graces are much.

And more than 100 billion annual income in the Qatari Treasury and the national fund has 320 billion $. What's going on? Why this food? 

Of course, it's nice to sympathize with people? I'm against blocking Qatar neither Gaza nor Yemen as well.

But, in Yemen, if we have that nobility, there about 17 millions of Yemenis at the brink of famine. We have more than 1000 have died because of cholera. So, siege, hunger, fasting, cholera, and airstrikes to send out food to Qatar!"

Atwan astonishingly continued, "Where is the nation heading to? It's really a big disaster! Donald Trump came to Riyad. Then, tweeting began that Qatar supports terrorism. So, isolating Qatar is the beginning of the end to eliminate terrorism. Qatar committed a big mistake when backed up terror. It must be sued and sanctioned. It's a green light to set off on a confrontation. Al-Eded base -U.S. military base in Qatar- won't take part in protecting Qatar in case it has exposed to invasion or occupation. Turkey sent out 5 thousand soldiers to the base there and says is stands up for Qatar. 

Suddenly, everything has changed after the Qatari defense minister traveled to Washington and undersigned a 32 F15s deal valued 12 billions $. Afterward, Trump stopped tweeting that Qatar supports terrorism. More than that, the U.S.A. has sent out two warships to Doha to participate in a military maneuver with the Qatari fleet that I suppose has two or three warships in the south of Doha. 

Consequently, there is no talk about changing the regime, replacing the prince at all. But, of course, media campaigns are still running. Searching for old files has begun now as we say when the government fails, it goes back to the old files -reckoning-

We, therefore, unexpectedly hear about recordings about assassination attempts and Qadhaffi, Shiekh Hamad Ibn Khalifa and about what they agreed on destroying Saudi Arabia internally, as well as, the attempt of assassinating the Saudi King Abdullah. Why these decisions suddenly resurfaced? Isn't there Gulf's brotherhood? Isn't there Gulf Cooperation Council that we have been saying it's the most important regional council in the region?

The whole plan is well-cooked in Washington, London, and in Paris. They laugh at us as Arabs and Muslims. In short, there are Arab national funds come out of oil revenues, when the cost of one barrel has reached 140$. The West must take them by any means, the warplanes deal, for instance.
When Trump went to Saudi Arabia, he left with 460 billion $ of such deals. There was a national fund valued more than 800 billion $, it decreased to more than 400 billion $. So, there are deficiencies in the budget that will lead to eroding the rest. As a result, Saudi Arabia will end up lending from international markets. 
The same thing with Emirati (UAE) national fund valued 900 billion $. It'll be eroded. It must go out to those who deserve it according to the Western expressions, to the West, to Washington specifically, to Trump who once stated that "they must pay for the protection, there is nothing free of charge."
All this uproar because Qatar has a treasury of 320 billion $. It said that "we don't want to pay any tribute," they replied, "you must forcefully pay."
Qatar is incrementally paying now. Today paid 12 billion $, tomorrow will be increased to 21 billion $ and next will be reached 50 billion and so on and so forth. It's apparently forbidden to own money, these amounts of money should go out to the West. Recycling the assets and national funds back and forth to end up in the U.S.A.
This is the truth, there is no sovereignty, they create wars and enemies for us. Today our enemy is Iran, tomorrow we'll wake up to see that Trump is negotiating with Tehran and their leaders Khamenei, Hasan Ruhani, Mohammed Dharif in the closed rooms. We are the victim, not Iran, they use us against each other, they used three Gulf States against other three, and tomorrow they'll use us against Iran so that we should have to buy weapons and stock up weapons. 
At the end, the USA will tell us "checkmate!"
The required thing is our wealth, this is the fact we have become tools are used and employed against one another. We should sit down together. Why are the Gulf foreign ministers roaming here and there? Why don't they sit down together to negotiate and resolve the problems? What's the problem? Where is the problem? Is it Al-Jazeera channel? But, you have dozens of channels. Is it Muslim Brotherhood? But, you cooperate with Muslim Brotherhood.
The Yemeni Reformatory Party is in Riyad, it's the political wing of Yemeni Brotherhood Movement. Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar was vice president in Yemen, he is a Muslim Brotherhood member. 
Where is the problem? Hamas will be put on the terror list because it fights the Israeli enemy, and Hezbollah does so on the other hand, it liberated its homeland in 2000 and in 2006 and withstood in front of the Israeli enemy. Is it terrorism?
I don't know where are we going? Let's sit down and understand each other. Why should we starve? Why should Yemeni people starve? And our people in Gaza and Sudan, including other areas. Why Libya has to be divided? They had told us that Seif Al-Islam is a terrorist and his hands are blood-stained. He has been released afterward. He might return to the trial again. What have we done? What has Qatar done? What has Saudi Arabia done in backing up militias? Yesterday they were revolutionaries, today have become terrorists. And who supports them should be sued and punished.
We are the victim, we are used as tools against each other. The goal is our wealth and billions. 
In the past we were talking about millions, now the millions are pennies. Today we are talking about billions. Because talking about 20, 50 million is nothing, they are very small. It's the truth.
Will we wake up of this weakness? I really doubt! They laugh at us. We have become laughable.
I wish you the best and see you next time."

The whole text above is available audiovisual on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOwNPkMZGOM   

Translator Nasser Al-Qadi