8 Short Stories by Arab Women for International Women’s Day

Your gift for International Women’s Day is eight great short stories by Arab women, in translation, available free online:

By artist Helen Zughaib, in an exhibition “Arab Spring/Unfinished Journeys: Humanizing Politics Through Art.” A detail image of her piece Generations Lost, 2014. Photographer: Stephanie Mitchell.

Many short stories I’ve recently enjoyed — Hanan al-Shaykh’s “The Angel” in Arab Women Voice New Realities; Najwa Binshatwan’s “Return Ticket,” tr. Sawad Hussain, in Banthology — have been written by women. Yet relatively few are available online. A translation of Samira Azzam’s “Man and His Alarm Clock” has been paywalled for $42.50.

Here is a handful of pearls, stitched to a branch:

1. “Pearls on a Branch,” from the collection of folktales Pearls on a Branch, ed. Najlaa Khoury, tr. Inea Bushnaq.

This gorgeous, subversive, beautifully translated collection — subtitled “Tales from the Arab World Told by Women” — is a must-have for all ages. This story, published on Tin Houseopens:

There was or there was not
In olden days that time has lost…
O you who like stories and talk
No story can be pleasing and beautiful,
Without invoking the Almighty, the Merciful.

THERE WAS A KING – there is no sovereign but God – and this king had a daughter. She was his only child and he liked to please her. So when the month for the pilgrimage to Mecca drew near, the king asked his daughter:

Tell me what do you want me to bring you from the Hajj?

2. Rachida el-Charni, “The Way to Poppy Street,” tr Piers Amodia.

This story — by Tunisian writer Rachida el-Charni — was also selected for the Granta Book of the African Short Story, ed. Helon Habila.

She saw him coming towards her, whistling and humming. He stopped in front of her to ask politely if she knew the way to Poppy Street. Not for a moment did she imagine that he would use the second she took to think to snatch her gold necklace and take to his heels.

3. Lena Merhej, “I Think We Will Be Calmer in the Next War,” tr. Merhej.

This story, by talented Lebanese artist, cartoonist, and graphic novelist Lena Merhej, opens:

You can read both the Arabic and the English of these graphic short stories — or comix — at grandpapier.org.

4. Malika Moustadraf’s “Just Different,” tr. Alice Guthrie. 

This story, by the maverick Moroccan short-story writer Malika Moustadraf (1962-2006), opens:

Avenue Mohammed V is silent and desolate this late at night, empty apart from a few stray cats meowing like newborn babies; it’s a creepy sound.

5. Basma al-Nsour’s “Disappointments (and a Few Clarifications),”tr. Andrew Leber

This story, by acclaimed Jordanian short-story writer and attorney Basma al-Nsour, opens:

My life would have been a lot easier if only my grandmother had not been a liar. Or, to put it more nicely, if she hadn’t been so imaginative on that winter night when she convinced me that she would never leave me.

You can also read al-Nsour’s “That Pathetic Woman,” tr. Thoraya El-Rayyes, on ArabLit.

6. Adania Shibli’s “Out of Time,” translator not named.

This story, by Palestinian writer Adania Shibli, is built on the work of classic Palestinian short-story writer Samira Azzam, best-known for her collection, The Clock and the Man. Unfortunately a translation of Azzam’s “Man and His Alarm Clock” is no longer online.

My little watch is the first to sense the change going in to and out of Palestine.

7. Rasha Abbas, “The Gist of It,” tr. Alice Guthrie

There are also a number of other Rasha Abbas stories online, such as “Statement of Absolute Hatred,” “Falling Down Politely, or How to Use Up All Six Bullets Instead of Playing Russian Roulette,” and “Statement of Absolute Hatred,” all tr. Guthrie.

8. “The Sea Cloak,” by Nayrouz Qarmout, tr. Charis Bredon

A collection for Qarmout’s stories, titled The Sea Cloak and tr. Perween Richards, is forthcoming from Comma Press this May. The story isn’t printed online, but you can listen to it performed by Grazyna Monvid:

لا للتقاعد التعسفي للمعلمين

لا للتقاعد التعسفي للمعلمين

 

نستقبل آذار استقبالنا البهيج بانتهاء فصل الشتاء. يوم المرأة ويوم الأم ويوم الأرض، وهناك يوم للمعلم في بعض الدول .

في فلسطين تغلبت وزارتنا على الجميع وأحالت معلما في سن الثلاثين للتقاعد المبكر. هل يعتبر الأمر سابقة، أم مجرد إجراء تعسفي طبيعي في ظل فساد حكم مستفحل في كل مكان؟

وقبل تناول الموضوع أكثر، يجب التوقف عند سبب إحالة المعلم الشاب الى التقاعد . السبب موقفه من الاحتجاجات التي قادها المعلمون قبل سنتين. أي ان ما جرى كان اجراء انتقاميا ضد المعلم كان قد بيت من قبل صانع القرار في الوزارةمنذ سنتين.

هل لنا ان نتخيل ماذا يعني هذا الاجراء؟

أي نوع من القمع يتم ممارسته من اجل المطالبة في حقوق تعتبر مبدئية لمعلمي المدارس؟

نحن نتكلم هنا عن المعلمين. بناة المستقبل، ناقلي التعليم وحاملي شعلة الامل لأبنائنا.

كيف نروج لنظام تعليم غير تقليدي، منفتح، ريادي، قيادي، والمعلم هذا يعرف انه عندما عبر عن نفسه قضي على مستقبله؟

لا أعرف ما الذي يجب ان نسكت عنه او نحارب من اجله في ظل هذه التراكمات من الانتهاكات الانسانية.

لماذا تصبح مرة اخرى الطامة أكبر عندما نرى تجاوزات وانتهاكات وزارة التربية والتعليم؟

بكل بساطة ، لأنه المكان الذي نعد للمستقبل من خلاله … أهذا هو مستقبل الاجيال؟ حاضر مبني على القمع والعقاب عند التعبير عن الحق؟

المشكلة لا تنتهي عند وزارة التربية والتعليم ، التي تحولت ممارساتها الى إجراءات عجيبة منذ عرض “انجاز” الى نوع المسابقات التي تبدأ باسم الوزير رتنتهي بصورته على العملة النقدية.

المشلة في تعاطينا لهكذا ممارسات انتهاكية والتعامل معها على انها خاصة لمكان بعينه أو شخص بذاته .

ضحية اليوم من ممارسات القمع والترهيب كان معلما. ولكن هذا لا يعني ان ما جرى لهذا المعلم يؤثر علينا كمجتمع من كل الاتجاهات . لا استطيع الا ان اتساءل ، اذا ما كانت نتيجة وقوف معلم بالاضرابات قد أدى الى فصله او احالته الى التقاعد المبكر. تخيلوا ان هذا الشاب يتقاعد في هذا العمر؟ كم من المعلمين بانتظار إحالتهم الى الاستقالة او التقاعد ؟ ما الذي نتوقعه من الدوائر التعليمية > من المعلمين الاخرين ، من الطلاب ، من الاهل ؟

في بلاد العالم الطبيعي ، أعرف مبدئيا ، انه لن تكون هكذا حوادث لأنه من المستحيل التفكير زن هناك وزارة تقوم بهكذا فعل لمدرس ، ولكن ، هذا لا يأتي فقط لأن النقابات فاعلة. لا اعرف ما الذي يقال في هذه الاثناء عن نقاباتنا المختلفة . اين دور النقابة ؟ حالة تطويع النقابات ليس ايضا فرضيا او غريبا ، لأن المشكلة ليست مصادفة. فحالة التطويع هذه تبدو جماعية. لقد تحولنا الى مجتمع متكامل في حالة تقويضه وتطويعه.

غدا يصادف يوم المرأة … كم حالة تشبه حالة قمع هذا المعلم الشاب عند النساء؟ من الواجب ان تكرس النساء يومها غدا من اجل قضية معلم المدرسة. لأن الموضوع لم يعد يقتصر على تمييز وتنكيل بجنس محدد . ولكن التنكيل صار مؤسساتيا يطال كل من يخالف رغبات الامر او صاحب السلطة.

قضيانا تتضاعف وتتشابك ، ولا زلنا نردد نفس الشعارات والمطالبات من اجل قضية على حساب اي قضية اخرى . فتحولت قضاياتا الى ايام احتفال ، نقف فيها على المنصات ونندد ونطالب ونتذمر.

يجب ان يكون يوم المرأة هذا العام يوم نصرة للمعلمين المهددين بانهاء مسيراتهم التعليمية قبل ان تبدأ بالتشكل. يوم المرأة هذا العام ، يجب ان تكون صرخاته ونداءاته ضد الاضطهاد والقمع الممنهج من قبل السلطات المختلفة ، وفي هذه الحالة وزارة التربية والتعليم ، التي تكسر كل قواعد الريادة في كل مرة ، وتؤكد ان التعليم اذا ما استمر في هكذا مسار كمؤسسة ، فلا عتب على الاجيال القادمة .

(1) Pussy Riot & Dave Sitek – Bad Apples – YouTube

you thought that i just made this for the club / no way i got this microphone to wake you up / and say that i can do just what i want right here / today and i don’t hear those sirens anyway / ok damn fools drunk on power dirty thieves, tiny cowards you wouldn’t act like this in front of your kids / NO ! you wouldn’t act like this in front of your kids / NO ! you say that you don’t like my attitude / it’s true i made its just for me and not for you / boo hoo you can cry until your face turns blue / you knew that i would be the one to watch you lose / woo hoo your back’s against the wall what will you do? doo doo i would join our gang if i were you / oo oo we always stick together like a glue / it’s true there are many more of us than you damn fools drunk on power dirty thieves, tiny cowards you wouldn’t act like this in front of your kids / NO ! you wouldn’t act like this in front of your kids / NO ! bad apples are good for something when’re 6 feet underground x2 killer cops – lock em up the death machine – just lock it up all this violence – lock it up the rest of us have had enough hatred – lock it up populism – lock it up fuck corruption – lock it up enough bad apples are good for something when’re 6 feet underground x2 no! don’t need no bad apples no! won’t eat those bad apples

Pussy Riot & Dave Sitek – Bad Apples

you thought that i just made this for the club / no way
i got this microphone to wake you up / and say
that i can do just what i want right here / today
and i don’t hear those sirens anyway / ok

damn fools
drunk on power
dirty thieves, tiny cowards
you wouldn’t act like this in front of your kids / NO !
you wouldn’t act like this in front of your kids / NO !

you say that you don’t like my attitude / it’s true
i made its just for me and not for you / boo hoo
you can cry until your face turns blue / you knew
that i would be the one to watch you lose / woo hoo

your back’s against the wall what will you do? doo doo
i would join our gang if i were you / oo oo
we always stick together like a glue / it’s true
there are many more of us than you

damn fools
drunk on power
dirty thieves, tiny cowards
you wouldn’t act like this in front of your kids / NO !
you wouldn’t act like this in front of your kids / NO !

bad apples are good for something
when’re 6 feet underground x2

killer cops – lock em up
the death machine – just lock it up
all this violence – lock it up
the rest of us have had enough
hatred – lock it up
populism – lock it up
fuck corruption – lock it up
enough

bad apples are good for something
when’re 6 feet underground x2

no! don’t need no bad apples
no! won’t eat those bad apples

via Blogger http://ift.tt/2oTv8Eu

Email Shows Texas DA Had Phone Records Showing Alfred Brown Was Innocent, But Prosecuted Him Anyway

According to newly disclosed records, the Harris County assistant district attorney who prosecuted Texas death-row exoneree Alfred DeWayne Brown was aware of phone records that corroborated Brown’s assertion of innocence long before the case went to trial, but withheld the records from the defense and intimidated a witness who original testimony was supported by the records into falsely testifying against Brown. Brown was convicted and sentenced to death in 2005 for the murders of a Houston police officer and a store clerk during a 2003 robbery. No physical evidence linked him to the murders and he consistently maintained that he had been at his girlfriend’s apartment when the murders occurred. Brown won a new trial in 2014 after police investigator Breck McDaniel discovered copies of the phone records in his garage. At the time, prosecutors said that the records had been inadvertently misplaced. However, an email that was released by the Harris County district attorney’s office on March 2 in response to a civil suit filed by Brown shows that McDaniel alerted former Harris County prosecutor Dan Rizzo to the existence of the records on April 22, 2003, the day after his girlfriend, Erica Dockery, had told the grand jury that Brown had called her from her apartment. McDaniel told Rizzo in the email that he had obtained Dockery’s phone records “hoping that it would clearly refute Erica’s claim that she received a call at work” from Brown. Instead, McDaniel said, “the call detail records from the apartment shows that the home phone dialed Erica’s place of employment” twice on the morning of the killing and that Dockery had called Brown back from work. A Pulitzer-Prize-winning Houston Chronicle investigation revealed in July 2014 that, after her testimony, a police officer who served as the grand jury foreman in the case threatened Dockery with perjury for supporting Brown’s alibi. Then—after Rizzo had received the email confirming the truthfulness of Dockery’s testimony—prosecutors jailed Dockery for seven weeks until she changed her testimony to implicate Brown. After Brown was exonerated, he applied for approximately $1.9 million in cash and annuity payments under Texas’ exoneration compensation law. Prosecutors claimed that the court proceedings leading to Brown’s release did not constitute a determination that he was “actually innocent,” and his application was rejected in April 2016. Cate Edwards, Brown’s lawyer in the civil case, called the email revelations “horrifying.” Brian Stolarz, who represented Brown in the appeals leading to his exoneration, called the disclosures “[v]indication.” He said he was “sickened and disheartened” that “[o]nly now, after a civil lawsuit, does the whole truth finally come out.’ But he said he he was “encouraged that Dewayne is vindicated and his long journey to justice is near the end.” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, who took office in November 2016 on a platform of criminal justice reform, issued a statement saying that “The Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct require that ‘the appropriate disciplinary authority’ shall be informed when a lawyer becomes aware that another lawyer has committed a violation of applicable rules of professional conduct that raises a substantial question as to the lawyer’s honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as a lawyer in all other respects.” The statement said “the Harris County District Attorney’s Office will notify the State Bar of Texas of the newly discovered evidence so that it may investigate the prosecutor’s professional conduct while handling the Brown case.”

(Margaret Downing, DA Ogg Finds Email Evidence That Prosecutor Did Know About Phone Records in Alfred Brown Case, Houston Press, March 2, 2018; St. John Barned-Smith and Keri Blakinger, DA: Former prosecutor withheld key email in death row case, Houston Chronicle, March 3, 2018.) Read the email here. See Innocence, Prosecutorial Misconduct, and Texas.

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Interior E-mails Reveal Interior Shrinking of Bears Ears was for Oil, Uranium and Sports Hunters

Screenshot%2B2018-03-07%2Bat%2B5.31.53%2

Interior e-mails reveal Interior Sec. Zinke planned a private dinner with the head of the Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife. The connection came from the head of the sportsmen group, who went on hunts with Donald Trump Jr Photo from Interior e-mail: Bison range free north of Lake Powell near Bear Ears, a target of sports hunters. 

Article by Brenda Norrell
Censored News
The New York Times

Atlanta Fed chief: Trade wars not easy

raphaelbosticpressportraithires*100xx150Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic warned Wednesday that erecting trade barriers is unlikely to help the U.S. economy, the Wall Street Journal reported, and that the threat of these restrictions is adding uncertainty to the central bank’s interest-rate-rise outlook.

Asked if a trade war with other nations would be easy and winnable, as President Donald Trump has said, Bostic answered, “No.”

Protectionism “is often not helpful for the broader economy,” and while trade…

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