I promised not to use this blog for political rants anymore, and I am sticking to my words.. I just feel like I have to let some things out.
In Concordia University (where I'm currently studying.. again), all engineering students have to go through a University Writing test for engineers.. A test to make sure that you know how to write in English.. which is funny because we never write any papers in Engineering, where this is all we do in Arts (cos I am doing a double major in Fine Arts and Computer Science).

Anyway, one of the questions in the test is writing a summary of an article that they provide us with.. And the article is called: Women rights and Democracy in the Arab World (or something like that) - Article taken from the Christian Monitor periodical magazine in the US..

I know.. Arab issues are taking precedence in all news agencies and media outlets these days.. and regardless of the intentions behind such attention.. I find it really strange how a selective display of facts can change your perception of what is actually happening in the other side of the real world..
And what’s even more interesting is how this sudden interest in Arab affairs is mediated and presented in a big-brother’s-watching-eye attitude: look at these poor creatures.. you see why we need to help them?

the results: on my last post in Bridge the Gap blog (http://bridgethegapinblogspace.blogspot.com/2006/02/liberalism-is-solution-arab-voice.html#links) I get a comment from Jim suggesting that I need History lessons about my own country's past (check the 6th comment).. and goes on listing a series of events that has nothing in common, spread over a 100 years, to prove to me that Extremism has been the characteristic of the Arab world since longtime ago. . and it hasn’t increased since the Gulf war only.. he left me speechless (well.. I wrote a one page reply, then I was speechless ;)

do I blame this man? he was trying to be informed with some historical facts (a la CNN), only he had his facts a bit mixed up, and he had himself convinced that he knows well enough about the local history of the middle east to teach a native Syrian about the history of religions and sects….

Result: Dear world, Thank you for the attention we got in the past few weeks.. and thank you for showing interest in our current affairs.. but if this is the exposure we are going to get from you, then no.. thank you.. Please keep us in the shade again.. I always liked the shade better than standing naked in a mutant reality bright light..

Next on my reading list: Manufacturing Consent by Noam Chomsky