Zighen Aym

Undercover Senator or Undercover Congressman/Congresswoman

2010-02-07T20:26:00.001-08:00

Undercover Boss, the new CBS Sunday program, follows the CEO or CEO of a company as he/she gets temporary employment at different business units.

On the first episode, Larry Odonnell, COO of Waste Management Inc., beomces “Randy Lawrence" and is presented to his new WM future co-workers as a laid-off construction worker in search of a job and a new career. The presence of the camera is explained as a documentary about his hunt for a new job.

Larry or “Randy” learns of lot about the corporate policies he has implemented but also a few ones his managers has instituted on their own on their workers.

I suggest that a new program “undercover Senator” or “undercover congress.” A camera will follow a senator or a congressman/congresswoman as he/she finds out the following:
- what it means to live without health care or loose health care coverage
- what it means to go to war.
- what it means to loose a job.

I fell the pain

2009-07-21T19:06:00.000-07:00

I feel the pain of Professor Gates. I too was a victim of racial profiling just after the 9-11 events because of my brown skin. The FBI thought I was a terrorist. Shame and disbelief came together, were mixed, and created a weird sense of vulnerability that I am still trying to get over.

Here is a case of a professor, who teaches at Harvard University. With more than 50 honorary degrees and a show on PBS, he remained unknown to a Cambridge police officer who tricks him to get outside his house, and then arrest him for disorderly conduct. I mean what kinds of morons the Cambridge police department employs. One wonders what kind of TV shows or books do these police officers read as to be clueless about Prof. Gates.

These police officers cannot tell a house owner from an intruder. They cannot get along with citizens. They are quick are at using their power to shame and degrade law-abiding citizens.

Having reading many news reports, I cannot wonder why these side with the police officers that arrested him. I thought the burden should not be on Prof. Gates. He was in his house, and the police have no right to enter it.

It is sad that, despite the end of official slavery in America, people are still judged by the color of their skin.

Blaming the Victim and Silence on the Western Front

2009-07-12T07:23:00.000-07:00

Where in the world, would there be no news about the killing of a pregnant woman inside the courtroom? Yes, a 32-year-old Egyptian woman, Marwa Sherbini, was killed inside a German courtroom in Dresden as she waited to testify against a German man who had been convicted for calling her a terrorist in a public park because she wore the hidjab.

To my knowledge, there has been no report in any media in the United States of America. What shocked me the most in this story is the strange silence in the America media. The only report I found on the western side of the Atlantic is an opinion by Tarek Fatah in the National Post of Canada. However, this opinion-writer seems to side with the killer.

Fauzia68, a commentator of his opinion, rightfully denounced Tarek Fatah when he blamed the victim for wearing the hidjab.

Tarek Fatah's opinion on the murder of Marwa Sherbini reminds of Uncle Tom's Cabin. He fits the exact image of a runaway slave who becomes a submissive and all-forgiving loyal soul. In this case, Tarek Fatah became submissive to a Western media that currently blames Muslims for all the ills in the world.

However, he takes it even further; he blames Muslims for being murdered by Westerners and even suggests that Muslim fathers, brothers, and sons should be held responsible when Western men murder Muslim women.

Muslim victims or defendants are always blamed. That is western media.

Reasons to Leave Algeria and Settle in America

2009-07-04T16:12:00.000-07:00

Many friends wonder why I came to America. Today, July 4, is America's independence day. Tomorrow, July 5, is Algeria's. Maybe one reason of my coming to America was to celebrate independence one day earlier.

Below are my 10 reasons for moving from Algeria to America.

10) To live in an empire called the US.
9) To get away from my mother-in-law.
8) To get away from my mother.
7) To water grass, cut it, and not feed it to my goats.
6) To see my children speak English instead of Tamazight (Berber).
5) To become a slave to the dollar instead of the dinar.
4) To replace the word “opportunity” with the word “money.”
3) To listen to politicians waffle* in English instead of Arabic
2) To beat my wife without fearing her brothers' retaliation.
1) To claim my share of Indian land.

* Waffling, also referred to as obscure language or double-speak, is close to the well-known "langue de bois" French expression.

Obama or Osama: B & S or same difference

2009-06-04T18:31:00.000-07:00

The president of the most powerful nation in the world is named Obama.
According to the same nation, the most notorious "terrorist" is named Osama.
The difference is the letters B and S, which make BS, the acronym for Bull Shit.

Is this just a coincidence or a conspiracy? What if Osama was the president and Obama the terrorist? Some conservative Americans did accuse Obama of being a terrorist and a friend of terrorists. And many conservative extremists would love to have Osama be the president.

Instead of talking to the Saudi king and the Egyptian president, which are just puppets of the US government, OBama could have talked to American Muslims here in the US, saving a lot of taxpayers' money.

President Obama, where is the change?

2009-06-03T19:23:00.000-07:00

There is certainly a lot of excitement about Obama’s trip to the Middle East. The corporate media’s talk includes words such engagement, dialogue, mission with the Muslim. In the end, what I saw is Obama with the same dictators that the US has been supporting for so many years. What a Shame for someone who wanted change.

Obama is talking with the same rulers who have oppressed their people for so long. In addition, the supposedly harsh words about the Israelis settlements, they will nothing but words. Israel is not listening. Obama’s words are for public consumption.

If President Obama wanted to do something different, he will put human rights and democracy first before talking the repressive regimes that are in power in a region that goes from Morocco to Syria.

President Obama, where is the change you promised?

My wife washed my notes away...

2009-05-10T13:45:00.001-07:00

My dear wife washed my notes away on Mother's Day today. Yes, I was in the garden planting tomatoes when she shyly appeared at the back door. She was holding a pack of papers. Not hearing what she was saying, I approached and saw small wet pieces of wet papers.
“Did leave you papers in your pants?” she said.
As if I received a smack on the face, I realize that my pocket book, where Ihas inscribed ideas that pop up in my mind, has just taken a back.
“Did you look inside the pockets?” I asked.
“Of course,” she said. “I am not sure how I missed them.

The small notebook had already lost its cover. All that was left were the inside white pages. Some had the light blues lines. The first five pages, where I had written some notes,” had been all washed out.

Sydney Poitier’s quote “ proximity does not mean causality” and “society does not have a change of heart”, which I read in his book The Measure of a Man, have disappeared. There was no trace of my writings, nothing at all. They disappeared into the oblivion as they were never been written. There was another note I had taken. However, I cannot remember it anymore.

A few minutes later, she came back with half of the cover. On it were three dates, those on which I sent letters book flyers.

Couscous and terrorism - "Body of Lies" movie

2009-04-12T18:47:00.000-07:00

I love couscous, the North Africa dish made with semolina. Do you? Sundays are my favorite days because my wife always prepares a couscous for dinner. In addition, when we have guests, she also makes couscous, and I love that. When she makes it for us, she makes it with garbanzo beans and she throws in a small piece of salted and dried mutton. Mmm..., I love the salted taste of the meat.

However, yesterday, I got offended. My daughter brought home the “Body of Lies” movie for us to watch. Directed by Ridley Scott with the screenplay by William Monahan and the novel by David Ignatius, it follows Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio), who is a CIA operative in the Middle East. Ed Hoffman, played by Russell Crowe, is his control at Langley.

Now you must be wondering why I am blogging about couscous and then about the “Body of Lies”. It is simple: Couscous was mentioned twice condescendly as if couscous eaters are potential terrorists who can neither befriended nor trusted. I am really trustworthy. One friend from India told be so.

Now, I do not go around accusing hamburger eaters to be killers of Afghani and Iraqi children. I know better. Instaed, I think that former President Bush should be dragged into the International Court of Justice for killing thousands of Afghani and Iraqi civilians.

Now given that couscous is mostly a North African dish, why in the hell did the movie refer to it? Couscous is hardly popular in Iraq and Jordan where the movie takes place.

Until recently because of TV images, the public believed that 70% of American Italians were members of the mafia. However, the true rate is about 0.03% because out of 15 million Italian American, there were only 5,000 who were “made” mafia, according to the FBI. In addition, out of the 500,000 members of organized crime in America today, Italian Americans only have 1,500 members, which means only 0.3% of organized crime members are Italian Americans. The jump from 0.03% to 70% is caused by TV and movie images and stereotypes.

I remember reading that the New York Post published an apology for the cartoon that depicted a police officer who killed a chimpanzee. I think that Scott Ridley should also apologize for spreading the idea that couscous eaters are potential terrorists.

This social construction of the image of foreigners leads the public to the stereotype that most couscous-eating are untrustworthy people or potential terrorists. This is unfair.

I am tired of the stereotyping by Hollywood, and I am going to write a letter and request an apology from the director. I mean what is this idea of spreading cultural misinformation that causes prejudice.

IN addition, I am starting to be concerned: What if the FBI calls me back for an interrogation because I am a couscous eater…?

He said, “Tolerant Muslim Morocco.” I say, "Tyrannical King Mohamed VI.”

2009-04-12T17:13:00.000-07:00

Today, Sunday April 12, 2009, the Chicago Tribune published an Associated Press (AP) titled, “Grapes grow, and wine flows, in (mostly) tolerant Muslim Morocco.”

If you are like me, you must have already given up on the American mainstream media to report anything negative about the kings and dictators in North Africa. No American media, be it radio, TV or newspapers, will publish or broadcast a report on the repressive regimes of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.

The April 9 elections in Algeria that saw Bouteflika elected for the third term was not mentioned because they cannot present them as fair elections. Therefore, the media just ignores the event.

In the above-mentioned article, the author, Alfred de Montesquiou, report on the winemaking in Morocco. He quotes a winemaker by the name of Mehdi Bouchara who said that Morocco is a country of tolerance.

Let me kick myself a little or better let me laugh a bit. Is this guy serious? Does the journalist believe him? If Morocco was tolerant, it would:
- Tolerate Berber families to freely choose names to their children instead of forcing Arab names on them.
- Stop the repression of the people of Morocco.
- Free the Berber students who are in Moroccan jails.
- Not institute a list of banned names that Moroccan families cannot give their children. Also banned are Christian names.
- Fight the dire living conditions of the Moroccan

Mr. Alfred de Montesquiou and Mr. Mehdi Bouchara, I must tell you that Morocco is neither tolerant nor modern. It is simply a kingdom with a tyrant king, who has more than 10 castles.

To summarize, the article is nothing but propaganda for the Moroccan king. In the past I have read articles about playing gold in Morocco. Now, it is about wine in Morocco. What a joke!

Do not expect anything more substantial to be published in the American media about Morocco, Algeria, or Tunisia.

Barack and McCain

2008-07-06T13:56:00.000-07:00

Today, Barack Obama and John McCain published two articles in the Parade magazine, which comes in the Sunday newspaper editions. I was so disappointed by what they wrote that I decide to comment on their articles.

Barack’s article was “Sacrifice for the Common Good.” What a lie. America is not a communist country, and so there is no common good. Every dog for himself, I am sorry.
Later, in his article, he writes, “the greatness of our country is the liberty to pursue our dreams.” Yes, one can pursue his dreams, the real question is: Can one achieve them? In addition, from what we see in America, not every does.

In other countries, people have dreams, and they have the liberty of pursuing them too. In addition, many do not think they will reach them, and that is what they leave for others countries.

The democratic nominee also indicated that “those who have fought on the battlefield under the stars and stripes” there is no further proof sacrifice is necessary. Excuse me, Mr. Barack, those who died did not die for America they died because they signed up for the military and the military forced them to go kill and die. Just imagine if the military allowed them to get out of their contracts after they sign in. What does the military resort to the stop-loss rule to keep them in?
He said that he gets “inspired by those who signed up to fight for a better America at here at home….” You are inspired, that’s good. What are you doing? Are you doing the same?

John McCain’s article was title “A Cause Greater Than Self-interest.” He also talked about sacrifice and that patriotism is putting the country first. That is just a lie. Why don’t the rich people put the country first and decide to pay its national debt?
Why don’t they decide to donate their money to the US treasury? Instead, they create philanthropic organization (usually bearing their names), creating more fame, respect and honor for themselves and children. Why don’t they ask their children to make the ultimate sacrifice by signing with the military?

I’ve had with it politicians. They just talk to the wind.

Honor, War, and the Young

2008-05-10T05:54:00.000-07:00

Will you send your son or daughter to a war to kill or be killed? Of course not. Then you might ask why would a leader of a country send other people's children to war? The following picture shows the number of US soldiers killed in Iraq since the March 2003 invasion.

More than 509 soldiers killed in Iraq were 21 years old. That’s more that 13% of the total death casualty.

The number for higher ages drops sharply after that. In addition, more than 60% of those killed are less than 26 years old.

It means that the young are put are at higher risk in this five-year old occupation.

If basics training start at 18 years old, why doesn’t the military allow the young soldiers to learn more about fighting before putting them in harm’s way? Couldn't it send the more experienced and older ones to the front first.

Long time ago, in many countries, wars never affected the rich people. Even when their name appeared in the lists of people to be drafted, there were laws that allowed them to pay a poor young man to go to war instead of themselves. This happened in Spain for example.

Today it is a little different. Education, which is the only for the poor people to lift themselves out of poverty, has become too expensive. Only a few people are able to pay for their children’s education, sometimes through loans and debts.

When the US Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and the National Guards offer educational incentives supports, their goal is to lure poor people into their ranks. Many are told they will not be send to Iraq or Afghanistan, only to find themselves being shipped there within a year after their enlistment.

If you have not seen Michael Moore's movie Fahrenheit 911, you need to rent it (it only costs 50 cents at Family Video) to see how military recruiters go to shopping malls to search for poor high school students who have very little chance of attending college.

Henri Ford once said that "they want war because they make money out of such conflict — out of the human misery that wars bring."

I don’t believe all this talk about fight for freedom. If it were true, wouldn't the rich people and their children take part in this war. Why is it only the young and uneducated people who do most of fighting? And if there is honor to die for freedom, how come the congressmen, congresswomen, senators, and the executive branch officials don’t send their children to get this honor before sending other people’s children.

How come the names of the soldiers who die in these two wars are not those of famous and rich people? The names of who die are those you never heard of. It is never the names of the local, state, and nation officials. It is never the children of the Hollywood stars, those of the well-known musicians – The famous people in America. Those who die are the little people and the poor people, and the one who are less-privileged. It is never the over-privileged.

Yet, newspapers paint their death with a superficial word called “heroes”. How come over-privileged people don’t seek the honor of becoming a hero?

An Algerian Cartoonist ALI DILEM

2008-05-08T20:16:00.000-07:00

Ali Dilem: when he received the 2006 Cartoonists Rights Network International Award

On China and Tibet

On Bush and the Iraq War

Ali Dilem is an Algerian cartoonist who has many problems with the Algerian military regime. His work is published in the Algerian newspaper liberte. His work can also be found at cargle.com . WIth more than 10,000 cartoons and more than 50 lawsuits in Algerian, Ali Dilem remains the most famous African cartoonist. He produces a cartton day for the Algerian newspaper Liberte, and several ones for the Francophone ." TV5

You can read an article Ali Dilem: 10,000 cartoons and 50 lawsuits
by Ghania Khelifi

Hypocrisy 101

2008-03-20T20:18:00.000-07:00

The following is only a look at realpolitik or plain old opportunism in our world today. For many years, the Western countries' reactions to political events in other countries follow a trend: a trend of hypocrisy

Serbia is not a client state ---> West support Kosovo

Now Kosovo will be a client state. Today, George Bush announced the selling of arms to Kosovo. He said, "I hereby find that the furnishing of defense articles and defense services to Kosovo will strengthen the security of the United States and promote world peace."

What Kosovo needs is not arms.

Spain is a Western country   --> West does not support Basques

Algeria is a client state          ---> West does not support Imazighen in Algeria

Morocco is a client state      ---> West does not support Imazighen in Morocco

Turkey is a client state          ---> West does not support Turkish Kurds

Iraq WAS NOT a client state ---> West supported Iraqi Kurds

Iraq IS now a client state       ---> West does not support Iraqi Kurds

China is not a client state but a commercial ally   --> West does not support Tibetans

Sudan is not a client state of the West but provides China with Oil ---> West does not support Darfur refugees

These double stantards reflect the hypocrisy of the West when it comes to human rights, tyrants, oppressions, and freedom.

Goodbye, Agent Bob

2008-03-16T16:12:00.000-07:00

My book ”Still Moments: A Story about Faded Dreams and Forbidden Pictures” was published in June 2005. Before it reached the market, I had decided to send a complimentary copy to the FBI agent who interrogated me. In the book, I referred to him as Agent Bob.

On June 16, I went for my daily exercise at Four Seasons, a local health club. I swam my daily laps, and was in the steam room where my eyes fell on The Pantagraph, Bloomington-Normal's local newspaper. I was flipping through the newspaper pages when I saw a title that brought me to a stop. The title read, “FBI Agent Remembered.”

I started to read the article out of sheer curiosity. But soon, I realized that the FBI agent who was being remembered in the article was the one who interrogated me on January 22, 2003. I had referred to him as Robert H., but his full name was Robert Hardesty.

According to the news report, Agent Hardesty fell during training on June 2, and passed away four days later. Officer down Office has a memorial page about him. His former employer, Porter County Sheriff’s Department has a web page about his career.

I was sad that agent had died. I felt sad for his children and his wife. His death disappointed me. I was even sadder when I realized that I could not offer him a free copy, and maybe get him to see life from the side of the interogee.

Kissing The King's A..

2008-03-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

A March 13 2008 article titled Morocco’s Berbers Reclaim Their Language and Their Indigenous Culture was published in the US News & World report.

Without even reading the entire article and only reading the subtitle, I knew that the author must have been on a PR campaign for His Majesty, King Mohammed VI of Morocco.

The subtitle was, “The shift is part of a broader push toward pluralism and openness by the nation's 44-year-old ruler, King Mohammed VI.”

Bravo, Ms. Schwartz. Hail to the King!

The article did fall short of my expectations and failed on many aspects. The first is the failure to criticize the Kingdom for its past and current abuse of human rights. The second was the failure to report on the regime’s repressive and discriminating policy towards the Berber culture and language. The third is the failure to report on the excessive wealth built by his father, King Hassan II. With more than ten castles, King Mohammed VI reportedly owns half of the Moroccan economy through private and national companies.

Yet, Ms. Emma Schwartz only found words of praise for King Mohammed VI. She wrote, “he has liberalized laws affecting women (such as on divorce), forged stronger economic ties with the West, and created a commission to examine past human-rights violations.”

Follow-up questions could have been:
- Has the standard of living or Moroccans changed since he forged economic ties with the West? The fact is that Morocco has had stronger ties with the West since its independence. Yet, only 14 percent and 12.7 percent of households in rural areas have access to potable water and electricity respectively, while more than 90 percent do so in urban areas. For your information, rural areas are mostly inhabited by Berbers.

- Has anyone been jailed or punished? Examining past human-rights violations is good. How to stop future violations should have been the plan?

Emma Schwartz did not mention that, in October 2006, King Mohammed VI stopped a planned an earlier agreed visit of a delegation from the European Parliament. The decision came less than 48 hours before the delegation was to leave for Rabat and Western Sahara.

She also does not mention the jailing of journalists such as Ali Lmrabet for criticizing the king. After his release in 2004, he has been forbidden to publish his newspaper. A journalist herself, Emma Schwartz could have given a voice to Moroccan journalists who cannot write anymore because the King has said so.

Ms. Emma could have got the following quote from Ali Lmrabet:"I never
said we had to change the king -- no, no, no, no! But I said that some things the king is doing, I do not like. Is that a crime?"

Emma could also have reported on the imprisonment of Berber students who have been peacefully requesting their rights. She could have hinted at the Moroccan laws that forbid children from having Berber (Amazigh) names.

She talks about pluralism of the King... Is she kidding? A pluralist king? Isn’t that an oxymoron?

Was Ms. Schwartz kissing King Mohamed VI's A..? Probably, yes. She wrote, “an initiative by King Mohammed VI ..." Since when do kings care for their subjects?

The Magic of Time

2008-03-14T17:19:00.000-07:00

You might have seen the picture before. It is that of my niece Fatima in 1984 when she was only fours years old. At that moment, I was dabbing into photography, which was my favorite pastime. A printer who saw it offered to make New Year postcards. It magically became a hit in Algeria.

In 2006, Fatima, who holds a law degree, got married and the following picture was taken at her wedding.

When Fatima will reach her old age, I probably will not be around to take a picture of her. Instead I am sharing another picture of another Fatima, who lived in my village. She made some of the most beautiful Berber carpets.

Back Then

2008-03-13T18:10:00.000-07:00

Do you remember playing with this toy, which your father or your older brother made for you? It must have been at least 40 years ago. The toy is called Takaroust, probably a deformation of the word "carosse."

The wheels at the end are made of cork with a strong piece of wood attached to their centers. The piece of wood went also through a hole at the end of a long reed. Another circular piece of cork is used as steering wheel. As you pushed ahead, the wheels rolled and you run faster to make them then rotate faster.

The engine noise of this toy is up to the driver. His vocal cords and lip movements are his best chance.

(Picture taken in the village of Agouni Gueghrane, Les Ouadhias).

In 1986, I was driving from les Ouadhias to Tizi-Ouzou, and I saw this farmer plowing a very inclined field. As you already know, many of the olive and fig tree fields in Kabylia are very hilly.

I was taken by the power of inclination, the energy of the oxen, and the perseverance of the farmer. "Tayuga" or the pair of oxen was hard at work and the farmer was behind, guiding them. Not one family owns a pair of oxen in my village. This is a contrast to the times when there were at least 10 pairs of oxen.

Exchanging secrets

2008-03-12T18:09:00.000-07:00

In Algiers, Algeria, plenty of social interactions take place in the streets. Old women, usually wearing the white veil called Haik, go shopping and stop to rest to discuss life. The picture above was taken more than 23 years ago in Downtown Algiers.

The picture above shows old men who flee the crowded appartments to breathe some fresh if any. They may discuss politics, sports, or family issues. This picture was taken in Place du Premier Mai in Algiers.

When I lived in Algeria from 1983 until 1990, I loved to walk the streets all day along, watch at people, and capture moments of their lives. That is when I learned that people loved to exchange secrets.

Berber for $0.99

2008-03-11T19:08:00.001-07:00

I swear I did not ride a Berber magic carpet to come to America. When I first came to the USA, I had to explain many things about myself.

When I indicated that I came from Africa, the first question was: "why was I not very black?" (I am more brown).

The second had to do with my French accent when I spoke English. I had to explain that France occupied Algeria for 132 years, and time did the rest.

The word "Berber" is mostly associated with the Berber rugs, which are known for their special loops. I consequently have found myself spending hours and hours visiting carpet stores where I felt very comfortable and happy to see the word "Berber" on many colorful carpet brochure. The word "Berber" written in giant display made me feel important.

Even Sunday newspaper ads about Berber carpet at $0.68 and $0.99 (such as the one below) per square foot made me happy.

Berber or Gerber

2008-03-10T18:12:00.000-07:00

The word "Berber" does not bring anything to mind to many people. Some people hear "Gerber." Some hear "Barbar." Still others are just confused

If you dare say "Berber King," some will hear "Burger King."

This bring me to my first blog which deals with the 2007 movie "Blades of Glory", starring Will Ferrel, a former comedian of NBC's Saturday Night Live show.

Below are some pictures of I took from the movie. These pictures will demonstrate how the characters joked about "Berber." I am not offended at all. I am just surprised to see that the screenwriters found it funny.

First Picture: Don't step on the Berber.

Second Picture: Baby food.

Third Picture: Rug Doctor.

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