<p>I regret to hear that there are Lebanese who feel this way to other Arab people. I, for one, don't feel the same way as you do! </p>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Ziad</div><br><br>
<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 7/24/06, <b class="gmail_sendername"><a title="mailto:rmekary@aol.com" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:rmekary@aol.com" target="_blank">rmekary@aol.com
</a></b> &lt;<a title="mailto:rmekary@aol.com" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:rmekary@aol.com" target="_blank">rmekary@aol.com</a>&gt; wrote:</span> 
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">
<div>
<div>
<div>&nbsp;Thanks Bassam, I could not have expressed this any better. And I feel the same way as you do.<br>Rania Mekary.<br>&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>&nbsp;<br>-----Original Message-----<br>From: <a title="mailto:bmekari@aol.com (mailto:bmekari@aol.com)" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:bmekari@aol.com" target="_blank">bmekari@aol.com
</a><br>To: <a title="mailto:rmekary@aol.com (mailto:rmekary@aol.com)" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:rmekary@aol.com" target="_blank">rmekary@aol.com</a>; <a title="mailto:rabih@mit.edu (mailto:rabih@mit.edu)" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:rabih@mit.edu" target="_blank">
rabih@mit.edu</a>; <a title="mailto:philippesaad@gmail.com (mailto:philippesaad@gmail.com)" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:philippesaad@gmail.com" target="_blank">philippesaad@gmail.com
</a><br>Sent: Mon, 24 Jul 2006 7:18 PM<br>Subject: Re: [LCM Articles] We love you Robert Fisk!<br><br>
<div>
<div>I sort of agree with rmekary.....I am not sure why&nbsp;some of you did&nbsp;not give this guy Robert Fisk a credit <span>because</span> all what&nbsp;he was trying to do is to tell a good story about the Lebanese people and guess what,&nbsp;some of you took it in a negative tone and wanted to shoot him down....This is sad......&nbsp; From my perspective, hats off&nbsp;to him.....My advise to you all is to get this monkey off your back, stop 
<span>bickering</span> about the Arabs and&nbsp;wanting to prove that&nbsp;Lebanese&nbsp;are <span>Arabs</span> etc.&nbsp; From my <span>perspective</span>&nbsp;friend, I can care less however, I saw&nbsp;nothing but <span>destruction</span>, corruption, backstabbing and pain&nbsp;from the so called Arab&nbsp;neighbors so, why should&nbsp;I fight&nbsp;and say ...Hey I am 
<span>Arabic; </span>while I am truly&nbsp;so proud of myself but so ashamed of&nbsp;most <span>Arabs</span> and their mentality and way of thinking. &nbsp;Have&nbsp;you checked your genes and see&nbsp;how many of the good <span>Arabic</span> genes you have??????&nbsp;You will be surprised.......All &amp;&nbsp;all, I think most of the Lebanese wish that never spoke 
<span>Arabic</span>&nbsp;nor ever <span>existed</span> in such close proximity to them......I&nbsp;do not like how&nbsp;I feel but&nbsp;I cannot help&nbsp;it.....Sometimes you can ask <span>yourself</span> and think Hum....why&nbsp;<span>Bassam</span>
 feels like this towards the Arabs?&nbsp; and, would he felt different towards them if they were different and good&nbsp;neighbors etc....After all, who said (Arab Jarab)?????</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>If&nbsp;they not change how&nbsp;they think and try to look at life from a positive aspect and not&nbsp;be brainwashed by some silly leaders, they are going no where......&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>You be the judge.</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Love you all.......&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div style="CLEAR: both"><span>Bassam</span> Rossi <span>Mekari</span>, MS, <span>PE</span><br>Managing Partner<br><br>Three Fold Consultants, <span>LLC</span><br>1515 <span>Poydras</span> St., Suite 1875<br>New Orleans, Louisiana 70112 
<br>Off: 504-799-3653<br>Direct: 504-799-3656<br><span>Cel1</span>: 225-205-3490</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>&nbsp;<br>-----Original Message-----<br>From: <a title="mailto:rmekary@aol.com (mailto:rmekary@aol.com)" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:rmekary@aol.com" target="_blank">rmekary@aol.com
</a><br>To: <a title="mailto:rabih@mit.edu (mailto:rabih@mit.edu)" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:rabih@mit.edu" target="_blank">rabih@mit.edu</a>; <a title="mailto:philippesaad@gmail.com (mailto:philippesaad@gmail.com)" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:philippesaad@gmail.com" target="_blank">
philippesaad@gmail.com</a><br>Sent: Sat, 22 <span>Jul </span>2006 5:49 PM<br>Subject: Re: [<span>LCM</span> Articles] We love you Robert Fisk!<br><br>
<div>
<div>&nbsp;Hi Philippe and Rabih,<br><br>Before you both criticize Robert Fisk, I respect your opinion and I respect all Arabs.&nbsp; But if you really study the history of Lebanon, you will realize that we are not Arabs but we are 
<span><span>Phoeneciens</span></span>.&nbsp; This is the pure truth and I am sure you studied this in the history and you remember your teacher telling you that there was a debate among historians about whether they write about Lebanon that is is a 
<span><span>phenecian</span></span> country with and Arabic facet or an Arabic country... Do not forget that our true language is not Arabic and our true alphabet is not the Arabic alphabet and our true numbers are the 1; 2; 3 ; that we abandoned... 
<span><span>bc</span></span> of the Islamic invasion and the <span><span>Coran</span></span> was written in Arabic and we had to learn it and speak it.<br><br>You may dislike what I am saying if you were Muslim, but I really don't care 
<span><span>bc</span></span> I am only saying the facts and I respect all religions... but come on, do not deny facts and yes I agree with <span>Robert</span> Fisk: Lebanese people are different from the surrounding countries. 
<br><br>I <span><span>dont</span></span> want to say more.<br><br>Thank you.<br><br><span><span>Rania</span></span>.<br>&nbsp;</div></div>
<div><span>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div style="CLEAR: both">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br><span><span>Rania</span></span> <span><span>Mekary</span></span>, Ph.D.<br>Harvard School of Public Health<br>Nutrition Department<br>655 Huntington Avenue, Building 2 
<br>Boston, Ma 02115<br>Voice mail: 617-432-6343 <br>Fax: 617-432-2435<br><a title="http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/researchers/rmekary.html (http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/researchers/rmekary.html)" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/researchers/rmekary.html" target="_blank">
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/researchers/rmekary.html</a><br>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>&nbsp;<br>-----Original Message-----<br></span></div>
<div><span>From: <a title="mailto:rabih@mit.edu (mailto:rabih@mit.edu)" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:rabih@mit.edu" target="_blank">rabih@mit.edu</a><br>To: <a title="mailto:philippesaad@gmail.com (mailto:philippesaad@gmail.com)" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:philippesaad@gmail.com" target="_blank">
philippesaad@gmail.com</a><br><span><span>Cc</span></span>: <a title="mailto:lebanon-articles@mit.edu (mailto:lebanon-articles@mit.edu)" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:lebanon-articles@mit.edu" target="_blank">
lebanon-articles@mit.edu </a><br></span></div>
<div><span>Sent: Fri, 21 <span>Jul</span> 2006 12:00 AM<br>Subject: Re: [<span>LCM</span> Articles] We love you Robert Fisk!<br><br>
<div>Philip,<br><br>I was being sarcastic.<br><br>The point of my email was to show how much racism is part of the big picture in how the West deals with the middle east, and who present it is (whether consciously or unconsciously) in the discourse of the West, to the point where even someone like Robert Fisk, whom we consider a champion of the Arab cause, can utter such idiocies. 
<br><br>-rabih<br><br>&nbsp;<br><br><br>
<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 7/20/06, <b class="gmail_sendername">Philippe Charles <span><span>Saad</span></span></b> &lt;<a>philippesaad@gmail.com</a>&gt; wrote:</span> 
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid">
<div>This a shame!<br>What does this &quot;they don't look like the Arab world&quot; mean? Are Arabs Animals? 2nd degree human being? <br>what is this <span><span>racizm</span></span>?<br>What's wrong with the Arab world? 
<br>If we are sophisticated, educated, cosmopolitan... how does this tie to the fact that &quot;we don't look like the Arab world&quot;<br>Aren't we tired of those <span><span>cliches</span></span>?<br><span><span>Ohh</span>
 </span>yeah Lebanese are not Arabs... what is all is nonsense! I won't even mention the whole stupid discourse of <span><span>phoenicians</span></span>!!<br>Who cares who we are Arabs, <span><span>Phoenicians</span></span>
 , <span><span>meditteraneans</span></span>, Greeks, maybe we have Romans,&nbsp; crusaders, <span><span>kurdish</span></span> or Indian blood! <br>Guys who cares, trade was all over the place and people were mixing all through 
<span><span>teh</span></span> ages<br><br>If Robert <span><span>Fiske</span></span> did a good job reporting about the situation all a long the years of war, this does not mean that all what he says is sacred!! come on guys a little critical sense, a little pride. 
<br>Stop escaping what you are and&nbsp; mirror yourself to what you are not because Europeans or Americans have <span><span>engrained</span></span> in you the fact that they are a better race than Arabs, than <span><span>chinese 
</span></span>, than <span><span>indians</span></span>. No one is better than any other one.<br><br>And now instead of all standing together and seeing our differences as a richness to stop Israel from bombing, we are abiding by the argument that Lebanese are not like the Arabs. 
<br>What a shame, <br>I am disgusted....<br><br>
<div></div>
<div><span><span class="gmail_quote">On 7/20/06, <b class="gmail_sendername">Rabih <span><span>Zbib</span></span></b> &lt;<a title="mailto:rabih@mit.edu"> rabih@mit.edu</a>&gt; wrote:</span></span></div>
<div>
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<div><span>
<div>We are infinitely <span><span>greatful</span></span> for our dearest friend Robert Fisk for the <span><span>privilige</span></span> of elevating us to the rank of full human beings, much different than those other Arabs! 
<br><br><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">It amazes me -- I mean, living here in Beirut, as I have for 30 years. Here are the Lebanese people, sophisticated, educated, cosmopolitan, people who don't look like the Arab world, they look like us; I mean, people who could be quite at home on the streets of Paris or New York and London, and some of them are; people who read, who are very well educated; people who speak English fluently, French beautifully, and fluent Arabic, as well, of course; and who, when they die in such large numbers, the best we can produce is a call for restraint by the State Department and a claim by the British, our own dear 
<span><span>Tony</span></span> Blair, that the Israelis are using disproportionate force. </span><br style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-STYLE: italic"><a title="http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/07/19/1345257 (http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/07/19/1345257) (http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/07/19/1345257) (http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/07/19/1345257)" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/07/19/1345257" target="_blank">
http://www.democracynow.org/article.<span><span>pl</span></span>?<span><span>sid</span></span>=06/07/19/1345257</a></span><br><br><br>&nbsp;</div><br></span></div>
<div>_______________________________________________<br>Lebanon-Articles mailing list<br><a title="mailto:Lebanon-Articles@mit.edu">Lebanon-Articles@mit.edu</a><br><a title="http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/lebanon-articles (http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/lebanon-articles) (http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/lebanon-articles)" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/lebanon-articles" target="_blank">
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/lebanon-articles </a><br><br><br>&nbsp;</div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Philippe Charles <span><span>Saad</span></span><br>473 Adams Street, Apt 1<br>Dorchester, MA 02122<br>+1 617 230 6670 
<br><a title="mailto:psaad@alum.mit.edu">psaad@alum.mit.edu</a> </div></blockquote></div><br>&nbsp;</div>
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