Swimming in a sea of frequencies: electromagnetic fields and us

by Alex Quinn, source

*view tables in original source*

Particularly now that wireless communications are so closely integrated into our daily lives, electromagnetic fields (EMFs) are all around us. Our cities, especially the larger ones, are perpetually shrouded in an invisible electrosmog, a ‘sea’ of EMFs through which we swim every day. But does this momentous development in civilisation come with health effects – and if so, can we do anything to reduce them?

What is ELF-EMF and what are its sources?

It’s important to realise that there are two main forms of EMF: radiofrequency (RF)-EMF and extremely low-frequency (ELF)-EMFs. The frequency range of ELF-EMF is 1–300 Hz, and the Earth’s natural geomagnetic field strength varies from around 60 μT (microtesla) at the magnetic poles to around 30 μT at the equator.

Many man-made sources of ELF-EMF exist. Prime among these artificial sources are power lines and electronic appliances, with vacuum cleaners, electric can-openers, microwave ovens, shavers and hair dryers among the most powerful. These appliances emit ELF-EMF at field intensities ranging from 17.44 to 164.75 μT, measured from 5 cm away. Since the intensity of magnetic fields decreases dramatically with increased distance from the source, the corresponding range of magnetic field intensities at 50 cm is 0.12–1.66 μT.

The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (INCIRP) has set limits of 1 mT (millitesla) for occupational exposure to ELF-EMF, and 200 μT for general public exposure. While these limits are not breached by individual man-made sources, additive effects must also be considered, as we shall see.

What is RF-EMF and what are its sources?

The frequencies of RF-EMFs are considerably higher than ELF-EMFs, ranging from 100 kHz to 300 GHz. As its name suggests, the main uses of RF-EMF are in broadcasting information. In today’s data-driven world, this means that RF-EMF is constantly around us: it is produced by things such as mobile phone base stations, cordless phones, utility ‘smart’ meters, remote control toys, wireless networks, radar and baby monitors. In addition, there are various natural sources of RF-EMF, including the Earth, the Sun and other black body radiators.

Here’s a shocking statistic: did you know that having a cordless phone base station in your house can expose you to the same level of RF-EMFs as having a mobile phone mast in your back garden?

Do EMFs pose health problems?

The mainstream view is that the only potential danger from EMFs stems from their heating effects on tissue, in the case of RF-EMF, or of electrical currents induced in the body for ELF-EMF. However, there is strong evidence to suggest that the athermal effects of ELF- and RF-EMFs also contribute to various health problems.

Childhood leukaemia

According to the BioInitiative report, evidence indicates that risk of childhood leukaemia in young boys doubles when they are exposed to ELF-EMF levels of 1.4 mG (milligauss), while other studies indicate that leukaemia risks begin at 2, 3 and 4 mG. This occurs in the context of an ICNIRP limit of 1000 mG.
The BioInitiative report also found that ELF-EMFs interfered with recovery from childhood leukaemia: if a child was exposed to levels of ≥2 mG during recovery, their risk of death increased by 300%, while at levels of ≥4 mG that risk increased to 450%.

Alzheimer’s disease

ELF-EMF has also been found to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by increasing levels of a protein called amyloid beta, a leading risk factor for Alzheimer’s.

Melatonin

EMFs have also been found to decrease the levels of melatonin in the body. Melatonin is produced in the pineal gland of the brain, which produces melatonin when it directly or indirectly detects low light levels. EMFs may interfere with this mechanism because the brain confuses them with light waves, thus suppressing the pineal gland’s melatonin production. Melatonin is an absolutely vital hormone. It acts as a powerful antioxidant, and has been found to aid in the prevention of Alzheimer’s, depression, cardiovascular diseases, insomnia, mood disorders, tinnitus and various cancers.
Brain and auditory nerve cancers

RF-EMFs have been given a 2B classification – possibly carcinogenic – by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). They have been found to be possible causes of acoustic neuromas and brain tumours called gliomas. Studies have shown that using cordless phones, which produce RF-EMFs, can increase the risk of brain tumours by up to 470% after ≥10 years of use when habitually used on one side of the head. Mobile phones, in the same scenario, can increase the risk by up to 200%. Both mobiles and cordless phones can trigger reactions in people who suffer from electrohypersensitivity.

What about interactions between EMFs and other factors?

Of course, EMFs don’t affect us in isolation: everyone living in a city, for example, is bombarded by numerous chemical toxins and other environmental pollutants, and many of them take multiple pharmaceutical drugs – in addition to constant EMF exposure. We are at an early stage of investigating and defining these complex interactions, but existing research indicates that these combinations can have both beneficial and adverse effects. For example, in vitro DNA damage was caused by a 7 mT magnetic field in combination with ferrous chloride, but not with either agent alone. Other combinations of EMFs and agents enhanced analgesia and neural performance.

Call to action: Reduce your EMF exposure!

Thus, you should take as many steps as possible to reduce your exposure to EMFs. Suggested strategies include:

Using fibre-optic cables for your broadband
Using wired connections whenever possible
Keeping mobile and cordless phones away from your body
Using wired baby monitors: children are more effected by EMFs than adults
Keeping wireless routers or cordless phones out of regularly used bedrooms or children’s bedrooms
Reducing time spent in calls when using mobile or cordless phones
Reducing children’s exposure to wireless devices as much as possible
Avoiding using microwave oven
Avoiding placing wireless computers on your lap
Avoiding allowing your children to use remote-control toys for long periods of time, if at all

Rethinking Industrial Agriculture

by Dr.Stuart Jeanne Bramhall, source

According to Michael Ableman, author of Fields of Plenty, 25% of Americans make the conscious choice to eat organic food. Those who make the switch from corporate, industrially produced food do so for a variety of reasons. The main ones are cost, health and ethical concerns. Cost is a big consideration for low income families. In an economic depression accompanied by spiking food prices, growing your own fruits and vegetables or purchasing them from a grower at a farmers’ market can save families literally thousands of dollars a year.

Ironically the economic crisis has one silver lining in inner cities, as neighborhoods organize to create urban orchards and gardens on vacant, foreclosed land. An example is Chicago Lights Urban Farm, which supplies fresh produce for the once notorious Cabrini Green subsidized housing complex. This is the first access to fresh produce in decades for many inner city residents – thanks to the mass exodus of supermarket chains in the eighties and nineties.

Health issues linked to industrial agriculture are the second biggest reason people choose locally grown organic food over the standard corporate options. The growing list includes a number of debilitating and fatal illnesses linked with endocrine disruptors (estrogen-like molecules) in chemical herbicides and pesticides; contamination with infectious organisms; severe allergies, immune problems and cancers associated with GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and nanoparticles; type II diabetes related to growth hormones fed to US cattle and the proliferation of superbugs like MRSA (methcillin resistant staphylococcus aureus) linked to antibiotics routinely fed to factory farmed animals.

Endocrine Disruptors and Food Borne Pathogens

At the moment the biggest concern for health advocates is the epidemic of breast cancer and infertility linked to the growing presence of endocrine disruptors in our water supply and food chain. Breast cancer currently affects one out of eight women, and sperm counts in American men are among the lowest in the industrialized world. However the infectious organisms arising from factory farming methods and lax regulation of slaughter facilities are also responsible for a growing number of health problems. Infectious organisms linked with severe illness and death include the prion carried by cattle that causes Creuzfield Jakob disorder (aka Mad Cow Disease); campylobacter, salmonella and pathogenic E coli from the fecal contamination associated with overcrowded livestock pens and inadequate regulation of slaughterhouse hygiene; and Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP), an increasingly common organism linked to a big spike in Crohn’s disease. Lax US food regulation and inspection regimes are worrying enough. Adding to all these concerns is the vast amount of supermarket food imported from third world countries where food production is totally unregulated.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

GMO-related health issues are another reason more and more consumers are going organic. Unlike New Zealand and most of Europe, which ban GMOs, in the US 88% of corn, 93% of soy, 90% of canola (used in cooking oil), 90% of sugar beets (the source of half of US sugar) are genetically modified. Moreover thanks to the millions Monsanto spends lobbying to block product labeling laws, the majority of US shoppers have no way of knowing whether supermarket foods contain GMOs. Knowledgeable consumers are especially angry about the so-called “Monsanto Protection Bill”. This was a clause inserted in a recent continuing budget resolution that virtually guarantees Monsanto immunity against lawsuits for GMO-related health problems and environmental damage.

Nanoparticles

The latest food controversy involves the presence of untested nanoparticles in processed foods. Nanoparticles are submicroscopic particles the food industry adds to foods and packaging to lengthen shelf life, to act as thickening agents and to seal in flavor. As You Sow, NRDC and Friends of the Earth, first raised the alarm about five years ago regarding the nanoparticles used in cosmetics. They were mainly concerned about studies which showed that inhaled nanoparticles cause the same kind of lung damage as asbestos and can lead to cancer. More recently the American Society of Safety Engineers has issued a warning about research showing that nanoparticles in food pass into the blood stream, accumulate in organs and interfere with metabolic process and immune function.

Environmental and Psychological Benefits

Aside from cost and health concerns, an increasing number of consumers eat locally produced organic food for ethical and environmental reasons. In doing so, they are consciously opting out of an insane corporate agriculture system in which food is transported halfway around the world to satisfy an artificially created demand for strawberries in the winter. They are joining food localization initiatives springing up in thousands of neighborhoods and communities to increase options for locally produced organic food. As they reconnect with local growers to start farmers’ markets (the number in the US is 3,200 and growing) and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) initiatives*, they find they are simultaneously rebuilding fundamental community ties their grandparents enjoyed.

Applying Design Technology to Farming

These food localization initiatives have been accompanied by radical technological advances that apply design principles to the way food is grown. The design technology employed in the rapidly growing fields of permaculture and biointensive farming is based on a radically different approach to water and soil management, modeled on nature’s ecosystem design principles. Anyone who studies natural ecosystems can’t help but notice there are no neat rows or bare soil in natural forests and prairies. Nature crams as many living organisms as possible, all with complex symbiotic relationships, into every square inch.

Ironically this “revolutionary” technology happens to be 4,000 years old. Chinese farmers discovered around 2,000 B.C. that designing their fields to replicate natural ecosystems produced the highest yields. This approach is well-described in F.H. King’s 1911 book Farmers of Forty Centuries. The US Department of Agriculture sent King to China in the early 1900s to investigate why Chinese farms were so amazingly productive. What he discovered was a highly sophisticated system of water and soil management that emphasized species diversity and rational utilization of ecological relationships among plants and between plants and animals.

The Watershed Model of Water Management

Despite King’s innovative work, it has taken English-speaking countries a full century for the lessons to sink in. Applying capitalist slash and burn mentality to farming clearly hasn’t worked. Agricultural yields in Britain and its former colonies, which all employ similar “modern” methods of water management, have destroyed tons of topsoil and essentially reduced agricultural yields by a third. In a desperate attempt to ramp up yields, chemical insecticides and herbicides were introduced after World War II. These, in turn, systematically killed off microscopic soil organisms essential to plant health.

Britain, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other former British colonies all adopted the “drainage” system of water management. In this approach, trees are systematically cleared (usually by burning) and wetlands and springs are drained. Typically land managed in this way is subject to alternating flooding and drought, creating an unending cycle of economic hardship for farmers and farming communities. Besides destroying existing crops, repeated flooding also washes away topsoil and essential plant nutrients.

In contrast traditional farmers in non-English speaking countries are more likely to use the centuries’ old “water catchment model” of water management, sometimes referred to as terraquaculture. Because they deliberately design their farms to catch and hold water, they aren’t subject to flooding, soil erosion and draught. Chinese farmers wouldn’t dream of draining their wetlands, which are always the most productive areas for high energy food crops, such as rice and other grains.

Plowing “Kills” Soil

Soil technology has also greatly advanced in the last five decades, with the discovery of complex micro-ecosystems that support optimal plant growth. These eocosystems include a myriad of soil yeasts, bacteria and other organisms that live in symbiosis with host plants. Not only do they provide nutrients to the root systems of larger plants, but they also produce a myriad of natural insecticides and herbicides to protect them against pests. Mechanically disrupting the soil through plowing kills these organisms. They can potentially recover if the soil is left undisturbed – unless the grower totally wipes them out with pesticides, herbicides or bacteriocidal GMOs.

Studies show that plant diversity is also essential to a healthy plant ecosystem. Planting a single crop in neat rows surrounded by bare soil is also perfect invitation for weeds and insects to come and attack them.

Permaculture, in contrast, discourages noxious weeds and insect pests by creating “food forests” made up of compatible food-producing trees, shrubs and ground cover crops. Unlike veggie gardens limited to annuals that have to be replanted every year, the food forest is self-sustaining with minimal input. For people worried about the economy collapsing and their gardens being invaded by barbarians from the big city, it’s also virtually indestructible.

*In a CSA (community supported agriculture) scheme, local consumers help farmers with upfront costs by pre-purchasing a share of their crops. In return, members receive a regular delivery of fresh fruits and veggies as various crops are harvested.

GMO agriculture and chemical pesticides are killing the bees

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Slapped with Lawsuit

by Dr Joseph Mercola, source

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has failed to protect bees from neonicotinoid pesticides, according to a lawsuit against the agency, filed by beekeepers and environmental groups. Said Paul Towers, spokesperson for the Pesticide Action Network (PAN), one of the groups involved in the lawsuit:
“Despite our best efforts to warn the agency about the problems posed by neonicotinoids, the EPA continued to ignore the clear warning signs of an ag system in trouble.”

Lawsuit Maintains the Link Between Neonicotinoids and Bee Die Off Is ‘Crystal Clear’

Neonicotinoid pesticides are a newer class of chemicals that are applied to seeds before planting. This allows the pesticide to be taken up through the plant’s vascular system as it grows, where it is expressed in the pollen and nectar.

These insecticides are highly toxic to bees because they are systemic, water soluble, and pervasive. They get into the soil and groundwater where they can accumulate and remain for many years and present long-term toxicity to the hive as well as to other species, such as songbirds.

Neonicotinoids affect insects’ central nervous systems in ways that are cumulative and irreversible. Even minute amounts can have profound effects over time.

The disappearance of bee colonies began accelerating in the United States shortly after the EPA allowed these new insecticides on the market in the mid-2000s. The lawsuit alleges that the EPA allowed the neonicotinoids to remain on the market despite clear warning signs of a problem.

It also alleges the EPA acted outside of the law by allowing conditional registration of the pesticides, a measure that allows a product to enter the market despite the absence of certain data.

European Food Safety Authority Ruled Neonicotinoids ‘Unacceptable’

The EPA’s continued allowance of neonicotinoids becomes all the more irresponsible in light of recent findings by other government organizations. Earlier this year, for instance, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) released a report that ruled neonicotinoid insecticides are essentially “unacceptable” for many crops.1 The European Commission asked EFSA to assess the risks associated with the use of three common neonicotinoids – clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam – with particular focus on:

-Their acute and chronic effects on bee colony survival and development
-Their effects on bee larvae and bee behavior
-The risks posed by sub-lethal doses of the three chemicals

One of the glaring issues that EFSA came across was a widespread lack of information, with scientists noting that in some cases gaps in data made it impossible to conduct an accurate risk assessment. Still, what they did find was “a number of risks posed to bees” by the three neonicotinoid insecticides. The Authority found that when it comes to neonicotinoid exposure from residues in nectar and pollen in the flowers of treated plants:2

“…only uses on crops not attractive to honeybees were considered acceptable.”

As for exposure from dust produced during the sowing of treated seeds, the Authority ruled “a risk to honeybees was indicated or could not be excluded…” Unfortunately, neonicotinoids have become the fastest growing insecticides in the world. In the US, virtually all genetically engineered Bt corn crops are treated with neonicotinoids.

Serious Risks to Bees Already Established

One of the observed effects of these insecticides is weakening of the bee’s immune system. Forager bees bring pesticide-laden pollen back to the hive, where it’s consumed by all of the bees.

Six months later, their immune systems fail, and they fall prey to secondary, seemingly “natural” bee infections, such as parasites, mites, viruses, fungi and bacteria. Pathogens such as Varroa mites, Nosema, fungal and bacterial infections, and Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV) are found in large amounts in honeybee hives on the verge of collapse.

Serious honeybee die-offs have been occurring around the world for the past decade but no one knows exactly why the bees are disappearing.

The phenomenon, dubbed Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), is thought to be caused by a variety of imbalances in the environment, although agricultural practices such as the use of neonicotinoid pesticides are receiving growing attention as more research comes in. As written in the journal Nature:3

“Social bee colonies depend on the collective performance of many individual workers. Thus, although field-level pesticide concentrations can have subtle or sublethal effects at the individual level, it is not known whether bee societies can buffer such effects or whether it results in a severe cumulative effect at the colony level. Furthermore, widespread agricultural intensification means that bees are exposed to numerous pesticides when foraging, yet the possible combinatorial effects of pesticide exposure have rarely been investigated.”

This is what the Nature study set out to determine, and it was revealed that bees given access to neonicotinoid and pyrethroid pesticides were adversely affected in numerous ways, including:

-Fewer adult worker bees emerged from larvae
-A higher proportion of foragers failed to return to the nest
-A higher death rate among worker bees
-An increased likelihood of colony failure

The researchers said:

“Here we show that chronic exposure of bumble bees to two pesticides (neonicotinoid and pyrethroid) at concentrations that could approximate field-level exposure impairs natural foraging behavior and increases worker mortality leading to significant reductions in brood development and colony success.

We found that worker foraging performance, particularly pollen collecting efficiency, was significantly reduced with observed knock-on effects for forager recruitment, worker losses and overall worker productivity. Moreover, we provide evidence that combinatorial exposure to pesticides increases the propensity of colonies to fail.”

Why the Food Supply Could Be Dependent on Urgent Action by the EPA

The EPA acknowledges that “pesticide poisoning” may be one factor leading to colony collapse disorder,4 yet they have been slow to act to protect bees from this threat. The current lawsuit may help spur them toward more urgent action, which is desperately needed as the food supply hangs in the balance.

There are about 100 crop species that provide 90 percent of food globally. Of these, 71 are pollinated by bees.5 In the US alone, a full one-third of the food supply depends on pollination from bees. Apple orchards, for instance, require one colony of bees per acre to be adequately pollinated. So if bee colonies continue to be devastated, major food shortages could result.

There is also concern that the pesticides could be impacting other pollinators as well, including bumblebees, hoverflies, butterflies, moths and others, which could further impact the environment.

Four Steps to Help Protect the Bees

If you would like to learn more about the economic, political and ecological implications of the worldwide disappearance of the honeybee, check out the documentary film Vanishing of the Bees. If you’d like to get involved, here are four actions you can take to help preserve and protect our honeybees:

-Support organic farmers and shop at local farmer’s markets as often as possible. You can “vote with your fork” three times a day. (When you buy organic, you are making a statement by saying “no” to GMOs and toxic pesticides!)
-Cut the use of toxic chemicals in your house and on your lawn, and use only organic, all-natural forms of pest control.
-Better yet, get rid of your lawn altogether and plant a garden or other natural habitat. Lawns offer very little benefit for the environment. Both flower and vegetable gardens provide excellent natural honeybee habitats.
-Become an amateur beekeeper. Having a hive in your garden requires only about an hour of your time per week, benefits your local ecosystem, and you can enjoy your own honey!

May the year 2013…

lead to the beginning of the end of many of the issues in the world today so I’ll only post jolly news Many things are in our hands, do what you can to bring a little peace to the world whether it is peace of your own mind, your house, family, friends, neighborhood, etc.

Happy New Year all!

Blog of the Year 2012 award

Thanks to PIAZZA DELLA CARINA with presenting Silver Lining blog with the “Blog of the Year 2012″  Award.  Thank you again I really appreciate it.

The “Blog of the Year” award is a little different from some other awards, because you accumulate stars.

Here are the ‘rules’ for this award:

1 Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award

2 Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there’s no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ them with their award.

3 Please include a link back to this page‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award – http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/our-awards/blog-of-the-year-2012-award/ and include these ‘rules’ in your post (please don’t alter the rules or the badges!)

4 Let the blog(s) you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the ‘rules’ with them.

5 You can now also join our Facebook group – click ‘like’ on this page‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award Facebook group and then you can share your blog with an even wider audience.

6 As a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award – and then proudly display the award on your blog and sidebar … and start collecting stars…

Yes – that’s right – there are stars to collect!

Unlike other awards which you can only add to your blog once – this award is different!

When you begin you will receive the ‘1 star’ award – and every time you are given the award by another blog – you can add another star!

There are a total of 6 stars to collect.

Which means that you can check out your favourite blogs, and even if they have already been given the award by someone else, then you can still bestow it on them again and help them to reach the maximum 6 stars!

For more information check the FAQ on The Thought Palette.

——————————————————————————————–

Here are my nominees even though it was really hard to choose there are really many great blogs! (I decided to include different types of blogs some political, photography, food, etc.):

PIAZZA DELLA CARINA

Le Superkikke

Aletho News

MISS MARZIPAN

RD REVILO

CANADIAN HIKING PHOTOGRAPHY

The Truth Warrior

Palestine Rose

Bucket list publications

Keelan Foley

Mothers Make Glory of Nations

Interviewed and written by Batoul Wehbe, Al Manar

Blessed is your face
Blessed is your name
Blessed is your heart and your hand that makes glories.

You’ve always been the embodiment of affection and sacrifice. You are the most beautiful word ever. Happy Mother’s Day.

A special tribute to the mothers of martyrs and detainees, and the mothers who gave their lives for the sake of their children, husband or homeland.

Happy Mother’s Day for all revolutionary mothers in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Libya, Yemen, Palestine, Lebanon, and all other countries seeking freedom and reforms.

When a mother also plays the role of a father

300 Kilometers, 18 years and three children were enough to make Suhaila an extraordinary mother and wife. With the absence of her husband, who was a political prisoner from 1991 till 2008 for being a member of the Tunisian Nahda Movement – an Islamic movement banned by Zein Al Abedein Ben Ali’s regime – she raised three children and walked 300 km, every week, towards her husband’s prison.

In addition to being a mother of three, Suhaila had to fill the absence of the father. She had to work in a children’s association in Sousa, where she lived, to educate and provide for her family.

Not only did this mother, who is probably one amongst millions others in our Arab and Muslim worlds, support her husband and what he stood for, but she was also adamant to raise her children as good Muslims.

“I am a veiled woman adopting a cause, I taught my children not to be afraid of saying ‘No’ in the face of oppression. My husband’s detention gave us momentum to continue his path despite all the pressure we have countered,” Suhaila told Al-Manar English Website.

“My dearest mom” written in a greeting card was a simple yet precious gift from Maath (now 25), Maryam (23) and Sara (21) who were trying to make their mother happy at the most critical conditions.

Mothers make triumphs, real men

Suhaila’s message to the mothers of martyrs and detainees on Mother’s Day was: “One day you were the mother and the father, so keep up this struggle and don’t be weak. Your role shouldn’t stop with your sons or husbands’ martyrdom or detention, but you should continue to raise small combatants to carry on this path and Inshallah (god willing) we’ll be triumphant.”

The Arab Revolutions’ Spark

What young men and women achieved in Tunis and Egypt, and will achieve in Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, and elsewhere was historic and the sacrifices were large. The mothers of all the Arab martyrs had played their part in raising their children on sacrificing for the sake of justice and freedom.

Mohamad El-Bouazizi, the young Tunisian man who torched himself in protest at unbearable oppression of Bin Ali’s regime, had sparked the uprisings. Mohamad also had a mother. He used to care for her along with his four sisters. His father passed away when Mohamad was three.

“When he used to return home at night he wouldn’t sleep before seeing me, and if I had been sleeping he would just come close to me and give me a kiss. He wouldn’t leave home before asking me to bless him,” Mohamad’s mother, Manoubiyeh, tells Al-Manar during an interview in a village near Sidi Bouzeid.

That Friday, 17 December 2010, Manoubiyeh did not know that her son was saying his last goodbye; perhaps Mohamad didn’t know it as well. That day, Mohamad drenched himself with petrol and set himself on fire in front of a local government building after he was banned of selling fruits and vegetables, slapped by a policewoman who cursed his late father.

Eighteen days later, Muhammad died. His death liberated Tunis and Egypt…Other Arab countries are following path by strength of the brave young men and women, raised by their mothers on self-esteem, courage, and readiness to sacrifice.

“Poor Management” Triggers Oil Spill: US Presidential Commission

Al Manar

06/01/2011 The White House oil spill commission released an assessment on Wednesday, saying policies taken by oil firm British Petroleum (BP) and its partners in order to save time and money triggered the April explosion that led to the huge oil spill in Gulf of Mexico.

In a 48-page report, the presidential commission wrote that the failures were “systemic” and likely to recur without industry and government reform.

But it said BP did not have adequate controls in place to ensure safety.

According to Wednesday’s assessment, which was released a week before its final report was due, the panel said BP and its collaborators on the Macondo well had lacked a system to ensure their actions were safe.

“Whether purposeful or not, many of the decisions that BP, Halliburton, and Transocean made that increased the risk of the Macondo blowout clearly saved those companies significant time (and money),” the commission said , a week before its final report was due.

An explosion at the Deepwater Horizon offshore rig in April killed 11 people.

The Macondo well, about a mile under the sea’s surface, eventually leaked millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, damaging hundreds of miles of coastline before it was capped in July.

The commission concluded the spill was not an isolated incident caused by “rogue industry or government officials”.
“The root causes are systemic and, absent of significant reform in both industry practises and government policies, might well recur,” the report said.

But ultimately, the commission blamed poor management for the explosion at the rig, saying that when decisions were made, no one was considering the risk they were taking.

The panel underscores this conclusion with a quote from an email written by Brett Cocales, a BP engineer, just days before the disaster.

“But, who cares, it’s done, end of story, will probably be fine and we’ll get a good cement job,” Cocales wrote, after he disagreed with BP’s decision to use fewer centralizers than recommended.

Centralizers are used to center the pipe to ensure a good cement job.

The cement failed at the bottom of the Macondo well, allowing oil and gas to enter it, according to investigations.

BP’S COMMENT

BP said on Wednesday that the report, like its own investigation, found the accident was the result of multiple causes, involving multiple companies, but the company was working with regulators “to ensure the lessons learned from Macondo lead to improvements in operations and contractor services in deepwater drilling.”

Kendra Barkoff, the interior department spokeswoman, said the report focused on areas in which the agency in charge of offshore drilling has already made improvements.

“The agency has taken unprecedented steps and will continue to make the changes necessary to restore the American people’s confidence in the safety and environmental soundness of oil and gas drilling and production on the Outer Continental Shelf, while balancing our nation’s important energy needs,” she said in a statement.

sources: BBC, Jazeera

Season’s greetings

by Khalil Bendib

Peace and goodwill on this day, the blessed birth of Jesus Christ son of Mary, peace be upon them.

Please remember in your prayers all the oppressed people on this Earth. Thank you.

Kosovo organ donor ring: the Israeli connection

by Paul Lewis, Guardian

Most international trafficking rings have involved wealthy Israeli patients on ‘transplant tours’

It is fitting that the man described as the “fixer” in Kosovo’s alleged organ ring was an Israeli of Turkish descent. Moshe Harel, a fugitive wanted by Interpol in connection with the case, is accused of matching potential donors recruited in Turkey with recipients, many if not all of whom had connections with Israel.

The Israeli market for donor livers has been well-documented, and most international trafficking rings have involved wealthy Israeli patients on so-called “transplant tours”. Organ donation in Israel is low due to concerns in the Orthodox community about the body after death.

Until recently, experts said, Israeli citizens were able to claim partial subsidies from health providers when receiving transplants abroad. The loophole is said to have been recently closed after international pressure.

Only 10% of Israeli adults hold donor cards, compared with more than 30% in most western countries. Israel has launched a scheme in an attempt to increase donor rates, meaning card carriers have the right to priority treatment should they require a transplant.

Last month the recipients of organs illegally transplanted in a private hospital in South Africa were described as Israelis. The donors – said to have included children – were Brazilians and Romanians paid $6,000 (£3,869) for a kidney. Netcare of South Africa, which also runs hospitals in Britain, admitted in court to receiving R3.8m (£342,000) from an illegal organ trafficking syndicate.

Will we see an end to Zionist plots in Lebanon?

Beirut,

As usual in Lebanese politics an issue is chosen and then the politicians run amuck with it. This doesn’t mean it is not important most of the time it is but there is so much back and forth discussions between the numerous political parties (their number quite remarkable for a small country) for months and years sometimes it is hard to keep up with all the details. Yet, when foreign parties start to be part of these discussions one has to pay more attention (Lebanon’s history has always been marred with foreign interventions).

One has to ask witnessing this are these parties interested in the well-being of the Lebanese more than the people of the country itself? Are these parties real supporters of justice? Are they role-models in applying the rule of law? Can’t they sleep until they find the ones responsible for assisinating former PM Rafiq al Hariri?

Yes, from the events regarding the court and investigation of this assassination (STL) it seems these parties care very much about the Lebanese to the degree that nothing would stop them from reaching as they claim truth and justice. Shall we take a look at those “just” bearers?   

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

The US secretary of state also pointed out that “intimidation or threats” from Hezbollah should not be tolerated.

Egyptian FM Ahmed Abul Gheit

“No one can reject the Special tribunal for Lebanon” investigating in the 2005 assassination of former Premier Rafiq Hariri, threatening the international community “will confront those seeking to use the STL in order to destabilize Lebanon.”…

“Egypt does not aim to increase its interests in Lebanon, but we see it as an important country in the Middle East and our leaders have called for leaving it alone, this is still Egypt’s motto and we are committed to it,”

Foreign Secretary William Hague

Foreign Secretary William Hague urged other nations to support the court, saying justice “is the only way to ensure long term stability” in Lebanon.

If you haven’t laughed yet at the irony of ever having the word just in relation to any of the countries these people represent then please do now.

The Lebanese are so lucky that they have such “friends” to share “donations” to keep the STL going because it seems the Lebanese are moving towards not paying for it. “Justice” comes only from the US which supplies the Israelis with weapons to kill the Lebanese, Britain which passes them on to the Israelis (like in 2006), and  Egypt who at any opportunity stands with the Israelis and their crimes.

Another funny tidbit, I was watching on the news the other day the STL has reporters in Hague parading the grandiose facilities there. Yesterday, they toured the prisons where they will put the accused people. Hey, those places look so nice with computers, tvs and a good hospital who could refuse?! Maybe they will be able to convince some members of Hezbollah to stay there for there is continuous electricity (which is mostly cut off in the southern suburbs of Beirut) because that is the only way they might get one over there.

 The mockery is too much to bear sometimes, believe me all the Lebanese ask is to be left alone but I doubt that will happen any time soon.

Would a Date Save our Planet? (10-10-2010)

by Batoul Wehbe, Al Manar

09/10/2010 With a shovel in hand, Secretary General of Hezbollah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah appeared on television screens planting and watering a small tree outside his home in the southern suburbs of Beirut. His message to the whole world was save the environment; go green.
 
Hezbollah’s Jihad al Binaa foundation has led a campaign to plant one million trees in Lebanon where Sayyed Nasrallah’s tree was the millionth.
 
These actions come in line with other campaigns throughout the world. Tomorrow environmental activists around the world move to take from the date 10-10-2010 a day of action with more than 7,000 community organizations partnering to dedicate this date to environmental work.
 
To a certain extent, any day would be appropriate for a global environmental work. But this day, which is full of occasions, is an easy-to-remember date.
 
“Circle 10/10/10 on your calendar,” read an invitation from environmentalist Bill McKibben that’s posted on climate crisis website 350.org. “That’s the date. The place is wherever you live. And the point is to do something that will help deal with global warming in your city or community.”
 
Also in Lebanon, a series of activities are organized in more than one area. Musician Habib Alberto is organizing a concert where donations will be collected to buy a solar heater. The heater will be provided to the Ministry of Environment, to be installed on the roof of its headquarters in a building in Azarieh.
 
Fashion designer Jean Fares chose to celebrate this day by planting olive trees in his atelier garden near Jdeideh road, Beirut.
 
Climate change, polluted air, acid rain, depletion of the ozone layer, global warming all are the reasons for our global crisis that nobody knows when our world would revolutionize against us.
 
Imagine you are coming out from your home and all you see is black smoke with no trees, hear cars uproar not birds, smell gasoline rather than flowers. So come out from your houses now before it’s too late and answer Sayyed Nasrallah’s call: Go green.

After Floods, Deaths Feared in Pakistan from Disease and Hunger

Al Manar

29/08/2010 A month after torrential monsoon rains triggered Pakistan’s worst natural disaster on record, flood waters are starting to recede — but leaving countless survivors at risk of death from hunger and disease.
 
The disaster has killed at least 1,643 people, forced more than six million from their homes, inflicted billions of dollars of damage to infrastructure and the vital agriculture sector and stirred anger against the U.S.-backed government which has struggled to cope.
 
The floods began in late July after torrential monsoon downpours over the upper Indus basin in northwest Pakistan.
 
Weather officials said water levels were receding on most rivers and they expected no rain in the coming few days.
 
“We believe that it will take another 10 to 12 days for rivers in Sindh to come to normal flow. Therefore, we still need to be watchful,” said Qamar-uz-Zaman Chaudhry, the government’s top weather official.
 
The death toll was expected to rise significantly as the bodies of the many missing people are found.
 
The United Nations said aid workers were increasingly worried about disease and hunger — especially among children — in areas where even before the disaster acute malnutrition was high.
 
U.N. officials say an estimated 72,000 children, affected by severe malnutrition in flood-affected areas, are at high risk of death.
 
Even before the floods, Pakistan’s economy was fragile. Growth, forecast at 4.5 percent this fiscal year, is now predicted at anything between zero and 3 percent.
 
The floods have damaged at least 3.2 million hectares (7.9 million acres) — about 14 percent of Pakistan’s cultivated land — according to the United Nation food agency.
 
The total cost in crop damages is believed to be about 245 billion rupees ($2.86 billion).

(Reuters)

Italian Hotels Shocked by Israeli Tourists’ Behavior

Al Manar

27/08/2010 Israeli travel agents have been receiving a slew of complaints in recent weeks from hotel and villa managers in Italy about the Israeli tourist’s behavior.
 
At the Expo Hotel in the northern Italian city of Verona, Israeli guests have been receiving instructions in Hebrew ordering them not enter the breakfast room with bags. The letter was issued after the hotel found out that many guests, not just Israelis, empty the fruit basket and open a “sandwich factory” at the breakfast room, preparing food that would last them the whole day.
 
In addition, hotel managers have sent the Israeli agents pictures testifying to the mess left behind by guests from Israel in their rooms, while other hotels have issued explicit rules in Hebrew, warning the Israeli guests that they would be charged for any dishes and cutlery taken to them rooms and for the room’s cleaning.
 
The Tryp Hotel in Verona has issued a list of instructions in Hebrew, stating that the hotel expects the guests to leave their rooms in good condition and that they would be charged for any damage.
 
In addition, any request for service beyond the regular service included in the room’s price will be charged. The hotel adds in its letter that if the room is found to be in “inappropriate condition” for regular cleaning, it will not be cleaned. It also forbids guests to put their own food in the mini-bar.
 
According to one of the complaints sent by the managers of a villa in Tuscany, the place was trashed by an Israeli family which rented the house for two nights. The complaint included pictures illustrating the filth left behind.
 
The complaint states that the Israelis threw all the towels on the bathroom and bedroom floors, left dirty diapers under the sink, stained the sofa cover and sheets, and put leftover food on the kitchen table, which immediately attracted ants.
 
In another villa, guests were charged more than €500 ($640) for damages and the managers refuse to take in Israelis anymore.
 
Yair di Castro, general manager of the Solo Italia tour company, says that only several days ago he wanted to take an organized group of Israelis to the La Greca restaurant near Verona, but its manager refused to let Israelis in.
 
“He said the Israelis walk in and start moving tables around in order to be able to sit together and order all kinds of stuff from the menu without understanding what it is, and then when the food comes they say it wasn’t what they wanted and refuse to pay for it, so it all has to be thrown out.”

A “life-changing” invention from the West Bank: video

A Thousand Carnations for Palestinian Mothers

by Reham Alhelsi, source

March 21, 2010

A thousand carnations for the Palestinian mother steadfast in Jerusalem; you who grew up in the heart of Palestine, know every house, every alley and every corner and cherish every stone of Jerusalem. You refuse to leave despite the daily terror and harassments from Zionist colonists. You cling to your small home where your children were born and where their children will be born. You protect your home, your mosques and churches with your heart and your body and refuse to be kicked out by Zionist colonists coming from far away who claim they have a right to your home. You defy the daily terror of the Zionist occupiers, you defy the siege that is strangling your city, you defy the ethnic cleansing that is targeting the heart of Palestine. When you are kicked out of your home, you move into a tent, and when your tent is taken away from you, you cling to the earth that is yours and refuse to move an inch. You are steadfast in your home, in the Old City, in Shu’fat, in Silwan, in Wadi Il-Jouz, in Rasi Il-Amoud, in Beit Hanina and in every suburb and street in the holy city.

A thousand carnations for you: because you are the guardian of Jerusalem.

A thousand carnations for the mother of the martyr; you who raised your child with love, to be snatched away from you by Zionist terrorists. You taught your child the love of Palestine, the love of freedom, that every human is born free and deserves a life in dignity. And when your child is brought back to you carried on the shoulders of fellow comrades, you hold her/his hand and kiss her/his cheek and whisper of the love, of the pride and of the pain. You are often given only a few minutes to say goodbye to the child you carried nine months in your womb, the child you gave birth to and watched grow up, day after day. You don’t want to let go, and cling to your child, wishing the Zionist bullet had hit your heart instead of that of your child. Your tears wash your face, wash the houses and the alleys, the fields and the hilltops, and the sky cries with you, the olive tree cries with you, Palestine cries with you. You visit the graveyard and pray for every son and daughter whose life was snatched away. You keep the picture of your child in the heart of the house and talk to her/him every day about the daughter who is graduating, the son who is getting married, the father who has planted some more olive trees. You cherish the shirt your child wore the week he/she was murdered and keep it beneath your pillow and kiss it every morning and every night. You keep your child’s notebooks, and when no one is noticing you, you touch his words, read them and cherish every scribble she/he had made. Your child is never gone, nor forgotten, for every Palestinian is your child.

A thousand carnations for you: because you are the mother of a hero.

A thousand carnations for the mother of the prisoner; you who taught you child the love of Palestine, the love of the land and the love of freedom. You fear for the life of your child, pray for her/his safety, but when your child sits near you, hugs you, tells you of a life in freedom and asks for you approval, you say the words every Palestinian wants to hear: “Allah Yirda ‘alek Yamma” and approves the path she/he had taken. You stand between your child and the armed soldiers who had come to take her/him from you. You know exactly since how many minutes your child had been taken away from you, snatched away from your arms and thrown into a dark cell. You wake up in the early hours of the day joyous as a child, happy as a bride for you are to see the face of your beloved child, touch her/his hand and hear her/his voice. You endure the long journey, the checkpoints and the humiliation on the hands of Israeli jailors for the sake of a smile from your child, a whisper. You count the mornings and the dawns waiting for the day to see your child’s face, praying time after time that you only live long enough to just see her/his face again, kiss her/his cheek and give her/him a last hug.

A thousand carnations for you: because you are the mother of a freedom fighter.

A thousand carnations for the Palestinian mother steadfast on her land; you who planted the trees as a child, watched them grow. You know every tree, every leave and every fruit. You touch them with your hand as softly as touching a baby. As a child you accompanied your father to the fields, you sat by his side as he told you the story of every single tree. You carried him his lunch when you were older and sat by his side and shared his meal beneath the olive tree as he told you of the usurpers that are threatening the land. You saw his tears and held his hand and promised him to be loyal to the land and to the olive trees, to every stone, to every single earth particle, and swore to protect them so they be handed over to your children and their children after them. You accompany your husband to these fields and work side by side with him, caring for the trees, and protecting them. You bring your children to the land, teach them to love it, to work it, and to appreciate it. You tell them of the stories your father once told you, of the promises you made, of the legacy that is to be theirs. You work the fields defying the Zionists, and when they uproot one of your beloved trees, you plant ten new ones. And when the Zionist colonists come to steal your land and your trees, you stand up against the usurpers and protect your land with your body. You fear no clubs, no tear gas and no bullets. You fear their terrorism not, for it is your land and it is your olive tree, your apple tree, your almond tree and your fig tree. You cling to the trees of your father and reach for the nearest stone and defend the land, for it is yours.

A thousand carnations for you: because you are the protector of the land.

A thousand carnations for the Palestinian mother who witnessed the Nakba; you who went through untold suffering and survived unprecedented terror. You were forced out of your home by Zionist terrorists, but you carry that piece of Palestine with you wherever you went, you never forget it. You tell your children and your grandchildren about the home you had, the garden you loved, the fields and the water spring where you often played and worked. You tell your children about the dark day when the Zionists came, how you fought with the little you had against the killing machine that they were and still are. You tell them about the betrayal of the so-called brothers and how they left you alone to face a slow death, surrounded by Zionists terrorists. You tell them about the murderous Zionists who spared no one, not the young nor the old. You tell them how with cries and kicks and under the threat of a machine gun you were forced to leave your home, the home your children were born in. You tell them how as you were being forced out, under the rain of bullets, you saw beloved ones get butchered, and beloved homes get blown up. You saw your beloved home vanish into thin air. You know since how many days, months and years you have been made a refugee after foreigners have stolen your land and claimed it theirs. You count the days till you return back home for you know no other home and will accept no other. You know your house and your garden, your fields and your meadows are waiting for you to return. You remind you children that they have a home, far away, and they have a house and a key. You carry that key close to your heart and on your deathbed you hand it over to your children. You ask for a grave in your village that was erased, that doesn’t exist anymore for the “civilized world”, but is forever alive in your heart and mind and is more real than an invented entity built on the ruins of your home. You are away from your home but have your home in your heart.

A thousand carnations for you: because you are the witnesses of the Nakba.

A thousand carnations for the Palestinian woman in her working place; you go to your work every single day, defying the occupation to provide food, an education and a better future for your children. You defy Israeli terror every day to teach children that the land was, is and will always be Palestine. You teach the children not to fear the sniper on the opposite building nor the tank waiting outside the school. You teach them that freedom is the right of every human being and that freedom is never bought or sold. You teach them that you don’t beg for your legitimate rights and that Palestinian rights are not negotiable. You teach them that no military checkpoint can stop an idea and no siege can imprison a thought. You teach them that occupation never lasts and that justice is the destiny of every freedom loving people. You defy Israeli terror every day to treat injured people, to heal the wounds, to ease the pain. You risk your life during Zionist terror attacks, during incursions and curfews, to save the lives of others. You get beaten at checkpoints, humiliated and arrested, but you insist on reaching those who urgently need you. Your husband gets murdered by Zionists or imprisoned for life in a Zionist cell, and you take on the task of providing for your children and holding the family together. You defy the Zionist occupiers every day when you work in your field, when you teach children, when you heal patients, when you build a home. You defy the Zionist occupiers every day when you plant an olive tree, when you stitch a Thoub, when you bake Taboun bread. You defy the Zionist occupiers every day when you write of Palestine, when you sing of Palestine, and when you paint the beauty of Palestine.

A thousand carnations for you: because you are the daughters of Palestine.

A thousand carnations for all Palestinian mothers leading the struggle for freedom; you face Zionist terrorism day after day and never surrender. You get kidnapped from your homes by Zionist terrorists who lock you up in dungeons. You are subjected to continuous torture and humiliation. You are forced to give birth in Israeli prison clinics while handcuffed to the bed. You are stopped at Zionist checkpoints, humiliated in front of your children and often get beaten by Zionist soldiers who know no mercy. You are deliberately delayed at checkpoints and prevented from passing to get urgently needed medical treatment. You are forced to give birth at military checkpoints surrounded by mocking Zionist soldiers, on the road or in the back of a car and under inhumane conditions. You lose your babies and sometimes your lives at these Zionist death traps. During curfews and under the cover of night you distribute wheat, milk and sugar to needy families. You rush to protect your children and all Palestinian children from the brutality of the Zionists. You guide young men escaping the Zionist army, check the safety of the roads for them. You face fully armed Israeli soldiers who have come to take away your children, you stand between the soldiers and the young men to protect them. When Zionist soldiers as old as your youngest son beat you with the back of their rifles, slap you, punch you and push you to the ground, you stand up again and again, look them in the eye and show them that you don’t fear them. You don’t fear them for you know they are cowards hiding behind their machine guns. You face both the Zionists colonists and soldiers and fear them not. Despite Zionist terror you continue to live, to struggle and to protect your children, homes and land. You see how time after time, Zionists come and raid your villages and refugee camps spreading terror and destruction. You know that after every such terrorist raid, someone’s child will be carried away to a dark cell or to the grave. You rush to the streets to protect your children and your homes. You rush armed with stones to stop the march of Zionist colonists and IOF soldiers who have come to commit a new massacre. You don’t think about your own safety, you never do, for it is the safety of your children and all Palestine’s children that you care about.

A thousand carnations for you: because you are the spirit of Palestine.-

A thousand carnations for the memory of all the Palestinian mothers who were butchered by Zionist terrorists; A thousand carnations for the Palestinian mothers who were murdered before, during and after the Nakba. A thousand carnations for the Palestinian mothers who refused to leave and preferred to die in their homes and on their lands. A thousand carnations for the Palestinian mothers who died defending their children, protecting them from the murderous Zionists. A thousand carnations for the Palestinian mothers who were murdered by the Zionists while teaching, while working in the fields, while working at home, while working in clinics, while working in offices and firms. A thousand carnations for the mothers murdered in their beds by Zionists air raids while sleeping and dreaming of a better future for their children. A thousand carnations for Palestinian mothers who died of heartache, away from Palestine, but yearning for Palestine. A thousand carnations for all the anonymous Palestinian mothers whose names we don’t know and of whose sacrifices we didn’t talk, write or sing.

A thousand carnations for you: because you are Palestinian mothers.

And a thousand carnations for my grandmothers; you taught me the love of the land that is mine. With your words you showed me a Palestine before the Nakba, a Palestine that was full of prosperity, happiness and love. With your stories you taught me about my culture, about the folklore the Zionist are stealing. With your memories you showed me the Nakba and the Naksa and the tragedies of our people and taught me a history not found in books. Your steadfastness and bravery in the face of Zionist terror will never cease to inspire me and your wisdom will never cease to guide me. You taught me not to fear Zionists, that it is they who fear us, an unarmed people yearning for freedom. You taught me to love this land because it is our mother. You taught me never to forget that Palestine is one from the River to the Sea, and that no Zionist and no traitor can ever make us forget that or make up give up our legitimate rights. You taught me that there is no freedom without the return of all Palestinian refugees to their homes. A thousand carnations and a thousand tears for my beloved grandmothers; Aisha who lies to rest in Jerusalem and Mariam who lies to rest in Bethlehem away from her beloved home and only home Jrash (ethnically cleansed on 21.10.1948).

And a thousand carnations for my mother; you taught me to stand up against injustice, to never be silent. You taught me to sing, draw and write for Palestine. You taught me to be proud of being Palestinian. You taught me never ever to give up no matter how tough it gets. You taught me that often we have to climb mountains on our own to reach our goal, that even if we get no support we should continue climbing and one day we will reach the top. You taught me to feel the pain of others, that we Palestinians were and will always be one, that we share the pain and the hope. You taught me to patient like the cactuses of Palestine. You taught me that Palestine is never for sale, that when we resist, we should never ask for a price for our resistance. You taught me that a real activist doesn’t ask for a price, never asks for something in return for her/his activism for Palestine. You told me about growing up as a refugee, how it felt to have a home that is close but unreachable. You taught me that in every one of us there is Palestinian refugee, that we will be free when all Palestinians refugees return to their homes. You taught me to see the land, to notice it, to feel it. You taught me to touch the earth with my hand, to embrace the air that surrounds me, to drown in the sight of the golden setting sun over the green olive fields. You taught me the love of the land, our land and that we are nothing without the land. Today, no words are good enough, no text long enough to describe your soul that is more beautiful than the sunset and more generous than the rain. To you, my beloved mother, a thousand carnations and a thousand kisses.

And a thousand poppies for the mother of every Palestinian: our mother Palestine; The Zionists tried destroying you, but in the process they are only destroying themselves and their fake entity. The Zionist tried murdering you, but in the process they are only exposing their murderous nature and their thirst for blood. They are so miserably failing because you are more alive than any of these dead murderers. You are alive through your children who swear to remain loyal only to you and to no other. You are alive through your olive and almond trees, through your orange and fig trees. You are alive every time a bird sings in your skies, and every time a flower blossoms in your meadows. You are alive every time a Palestinian child laughs, and every time a Palestinian child sings. You are alive every time a Palestinian child writes your name, and every time a Palestinian child draws your map. You are alive every time a Palestinian child holds a stone and dreams of your freedom. You are alive every time a Palestinian child shouts out for the whole world to hear: I am Palestinian. You are alive every time a Palestinian baby is born to tell the Zionist: we are here to stay.

You gave us our name and gave us our home and it is for you, beloved Palestine, that we write, draw and sing.

And it is for your freedom that we fight, because you are Palestine, our mother, from the River to the Sea.