Our Documentary

Yesterday, we started shooting our Documentary that mainly focuses on “The Foul carts in Egypt”. It was a horrible day, not because of the project it self or the shooting, but because of the way people dealt with us.

Most of the people we encountered were really tough and for the most part were not found to be helpful or supportive at all. Once the cart owners saw the cameras in our hands, they ignored listening to our directions, or what their roles were, nor did they try to understand what it was that we wanted to shoot, and why were shooting (university project).

Although we had started shooting yesterday, this was not our first time searching for the carts we wanted to shoot. It was quite a daunting and difficult task just trying to get anyone to agree to be filmed, or cooperate with what we were trying to accomplish. We were not merely interested in filming just the carts, but rather a day in the life of a cart, its owner, and the patrons of the cart. This was meant to be a vignette filmed to highlight an early morning ritual for thousands of Cairo’s residents.

This was meant to be a project in which we were to interact with members of our society, a project in which different walks of life would exchange thoughts and opinions. Instead, it turned into the longest 24 hours of life, a full day in which everyone we encountered was both disrespectful and inconsiderate….3amar ya masr.

The Art of Complaining

Two women are standing over a buffet at a wedding reception. The first woman says to the second, “Oh my God, the food here is really horrible”. The second woman agrees, adding “I know, and very small portions”. The first woman complained, the second woman agreed and felt that she had to comment as well.

Besides being experts on every topic (most Egyptian males consider themselves master football tacticians, expert doctors, and great political minds). Egyptian women however are all certified pharmacists who go around handing out verbal prescriptions to their families and friends.

Also, they are extremely nosy in all matters that may not concern them. In my opinion, the greatest character flaw in the Egyptian character is that they complain to no end. They keep complaining about pollution, politics, economics and everything in their lives without looking for the reasons behind all these problems.

Complaining itself is not a bad thing, in fact it is usually a good sign that a problem has been realized. However, complaining is usually followed by actions to solve the problem.

Unfortunately, this is not present in our modern Egyptian society. We just complain but, we don’t take actions. Most people for example are complaining from the state our streets are in, the garbage and trash pilling up on every street corner.

People complain to one another, when in fact they are part of the problem. Throwing their own garbage in the streets and then complaining that the streets are dirty. The idea that everyone is doing it does not make it right. It only makes it harder to solve the problem, harder but not impossible.

Finally, our complaints should be followed by actions, not just talking for the sake of talking. Start with your self, one person is powerful enough to make change.

Corruption

Most of the people are not facing the problems or the situations they are in but, they keep trying to find away to blame others to avoid the actual problem. Proper planning and facing problems seriously seem to be viable solutions for all the problems. Accountability is also a must. No one ever seems to be held accountable or responsible for anything.

For the sake of example proper policing, with just an appropriate repercussions for everyone and anyone violating traffic laws would also seem quite logical, with no exceptions made. By exceptions of course I mean the Minister’s son or a friend of a friend of a police officer doesn’t get a traffic violation, but normal citizens do, for the same exact violation.

If all citizens know that there will be no exceptions, and they will be punished or get traffic violation when they violate the traffic law, for sure they will follow the law. Unfortunately, I found Egyptians enjoying violating the law. Instead of following the law and the regulation, they pay bribes and they rely on people they may know to avoid the violation. As a general rule, it is easier to follow the law, instead of looking for away to avoid punishment.

Finally, by violating law and paying bribes, we as citizens are encouraging corruption.

Privacy

The Oxford American Dictionary defines Privacy as "the state or condition of being free from being observed or disturbed by other people". It is this freedom of disturbance and interference that makes privacy such a wonderful appeal and sought-after treasure. But, like most treasures it is hard to find. In our modern Egyptian society, the word privacy seems to mean nothing to a great number of people.

Everyday Aunts, Uncles, distant relatives, neighbors, and sometimes just random people you have never met in your life will exercise what they see as their God-given right to find out more about you and your personal life. People you know or don't know at all, will share the most private and intimate details of their lives with you with no hesitation. They will also demand that you share and talk about private and personal information, all for the sake of chit-chat, or making conversation.

There is a thin line I believe between being friendly and sociable and just being plain nosey and annoying. That line is being crossed within every conversation in Egypt as I write this article! I can't understand why their fascination with the lives of others is as strong as it is. What benefit does it have on their lives to know that I-for the sake of example- have an appointment with my Doctor? "Are you ill?", "Was it something you ate? what did you have for lunch? where? I've heard a lot about that restaurant, where is that place?, I hope you get well".

Once they get a hint about the dilemma, everyone immediately feels that it is their duty to advise me on matters which do not concern them. I want to know why people are asking all these private questions, in order to be able to know how to deal with their questions. But, such questions leave me standing with an awkward, fake smile on my face, thinking to myself "I can't believe you just asked me that!"

Garbage Dreams

Garbage Dreams is a 2009 documentary film produced, written and directed by Mai Iskander. The documentary premiered at the 2009 South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival, in Austin Texas. SXSW was originally a music festival, and was in fact one of the largest music festivals in the United States until 1994, when the SXSW festival came to incorporate both music and film.

Garbage Dreams follows the lives of three egyptian teenagers who were born into the Egyptian trash trade. The documentary shows to the viewer what it's like for these three teens to grow up in what was referred to as "the world's largest garbage village". According to the documentary this garbage village, which lies on the outskirts of Cairo is home to over 60,000 "Zaballeen" which is Arabic for "garbage people". The documentary shows the daily lives of these three teens, it shows us behind the scenes footage of the zaballeen community, and how in actuality they are just normal, decent, hard working human beings doing the only work they can to survive. The documentary also reveals the effects of globalization on the zaballen's trade, and how the three teens who represent a sort of microcosm of this community, deal with the impact of this issue and how it effects their futures.

Besides the SXSW Film Festival, Garbage Dreams has been screened at numerous other festivals across the United States. At the Bermuda International Film Festival as well as at the Vail Film Festival, Garbage Dreams won the awards for "Best Documentary". Mai Iskander herself has gone on to win the award for "World Cinema Best Director" at the Phoenix Film Festival, the same festival where the documentary won the "World Cinema Audience Award". Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore said of the film, "Garbage Dreams is a moving story of young men searching for ways to eke out a living for their families and facing tough choices as they try to do the right thing for the plane. Mai Iskander guides us into a 'garbage village,' a place so different from our own, and yet the choices they face there are so hauntingly familiar. Ultimately, Garbage Dreams makes a compelling case that modernization does not always equal progress." The documentary has also gone on to win the Al Gore REEL Current Award at the Nashville Film Festival.

Watch the Documentary.

EXODUS

There is a new and recent phenomenon amongst Egyptian youth. Everyday vast numbers of poor desperate Egyptians are paying great amounts of money to smugglers who promise them a wonderfully successful life abroad (mostly in Europe). They embark on their journey to the new world often in vessels that are not fit for the journey, nor for the rough sea conditions. They sail through the roughest of seas and deal with unimaginably inhuman conditions, all in an attempt to live a new life abroad. A life where they are treated as humans, with rights and freedoms, and most of all with dignity.

Unfortunately, the majority of these vessels never make it to their final destinations. Many stories circulate through various news outlets, almost on a weekly basis, confirming sunken boats off the coast of Libya, smuggling rings foiled by police, families of victims demanding justice for their youth who died at sea. The list goes on, all confirming that the great majority of youth being smuggled never get to fulfill their dream. Those who make it and arrive safely, find other problems upon their arrival. They are usually greeted by the local coast guards and border patrol agencies who immediately apprehend the newly arrived illegal aliens and after background checks to confirm they are not terrorists on any of the international watch lists, the are deported to their countries of origin. According to the BBC news online website (news.bbc.co.uk), it is estimated that “almost half a million Egyptians have successfully entered Europe illegally in the last decade”, which serves to show that although people being smuggled are aware of the great risks and tremendous hazards they would have to overcome, the reward at the end of the journey (living abroad and leaving Egypt) is more than worth it to them, in fact it is seen as a risk worth taking.


The Majority of people choosing the smuggling route out of Egypt have no other options. They are usually peasants from poor and impoverished backgrounds with basic or no formal education or schooling. In effect it is desperation and hopelessness that have led them to their decision. They are not however the only class of people looking to leave their country behind. Again, according to the BBC, “it is found that 50% of students who take up postgraduate studies in Europe and the United States don’t return to Egypt.” This shows that not only are the poor and uneducated who can not find means of making a decent living in Egypt are leaving, but in fact the majority of the brightest and most talented of Egyptian pupils as well.

There are two quotes that I believe will help in the understanding of why this apparent exodus is occurring in Egypt. They are also a good way to conclude this article I believe. The first comes from a civil servant named Saeed who exclaims “My country hasn't given me anything; I've been working on a temporary contract for seven years earning no more than $50 a month. I would migrate without hesitation if I get the chance”. The second quote is from Dr Azza Koraim, a social studies professor at the University of Cairo, who says “The injustice in the workforce market gives jobs to the rich or the relatives of important people and deprives young people of the right to hope”.

A Fun & Fictitious Fable (Brought to you by the letter “F”)

Five furry and fuzzy feline friends Freddy, Fred, Fredrick, Frieda and Fareed, found themselves in an unfortunate and unfavorable fix. For the five felines had found four finger-licking, flavorful feasts. Unfortunate for the fact that four feasts for five felines was a foul fix.

Freddy, the father figure for the five-some, fabricated a fine and fair formula for the fantastic feasts the felines had found. “Four feasts for five felines is not unfortunate, but fortunate. We will all split the four feasts fairly,” proposed Freddy. Frieda, the only female feline of the five agreed with Freddy finding his formula fair-minded and well founded. Fred, Fredrick and Fareed differed with Freddy and Frieda, finding their suggestions fatuous and facetious. Fred, Fredrick and Fareed voiced flippant remarks, forcing Frieda’s face to frown.

“Four of us are forceful and formidable unfeminine felines, while only one is a frail and feeble faint-hearted female. Furthermore, I haven’t feasted in a fortnight, so how is fifty-fifty a fair formula?” demanded Fredrick. Fred and Fareed showed favor to Fredrick’s pontifical remarks.

Fred was a fat feline and Fareed was a filthy and foolish one. Fredrick forever fathomed Freddy’s father figure role was a far finer fit for him rather than Freddy, and furtively fancied it for himself. So, this foul federation of the three foxy felines formed no surprises for Freddy, the front-runner of the five [formerly] fellow felines.

Frieda figured she would forgo her fraction of the feast for a far less fraction, having faith that if this would rectify the fix the felines were in. The Foxy Federation of Fredrick, Fred and Fareed agreed and the fractions of the fancy feast were given out. Frieda found herself with a feeble fraction of the feast, but felt fortunate to still have her feline friends. Freddy was not fulfilled but felt that lawfulness amongst the friends had been finally found. But you can never, not for a fraction of a second de-emphasis the ferocity and fierceness of greed. Fred the fat feline flattered and fawned Frieda in a fox like manner, then suddenly filched fragile Frieda’s fraction, doing so after fortifying his own fatter fraction far from the reach of his fellow felines. Freddy became furious and force Fred the fatty to return what he has filched from his fellow feline friend. The fatty refused, and a fiery and fervent fight broke it.

Faraway from the ferocious fight, a foul, fiendish, and frightening foe was approaching cautiously. Faster and without fickleness, the foe forced his way closer to the feuding former friends and forced them to fear him. Fearing the fangs of this formidable foe, the felines all forfeited their feasts, fearful of a foul fate. Their foe took their feasts and fled faraway forever. The five furry and fuzzy felines were left without their food.

“This forlorn and foul fix has forced us to fear our foes, forfeit our food and finally, act unfavorable towards one other, friends” said Freddy. It would be another fortnight before the furry felines would find any food to feed on, and when they did, it was a fraction of the feast they found a fortnight before.

Friends fortified together are more formidable than the foulest and most ferocious of foes.

It’s a jungle out there – it’s every girl for herself

On a hot and still summer afternoon, sun is shining intensely, pollution hanging in the air like a cloud of dark sinister smog, eerily waiting for someone or something to happen. Finally heading home after a long day filled will meaningless errands one after the other, I decided the best action would be to take a taxi cab back home, thinking it would be the easiest and fastest of options. Standing at the corner of a nameless street I waited for a cab, which passed or at least matched my very selective “cab-picking” criteria. It had to be relatively new, air-conditioned and with an elderly driver as to avoid as much random chatter and conversation as possible. Fifteen minutes, and seven cabs later I had found my desired cab. I made my way in the back seat and prepared myself for what I was convinced would be a long and painful journey back home.

Twenty minutes had passed and we’d traveled what seemed to be no more than ten kilometers at most. So far the cab driver didn’t say anything, and the air-conditioner was still working. Everything appeared to be going to plan. Then, suddenly and without warning the cab driver mentioned something along the lines of “it is hot today, isn’t it?” I chose not to respond fearing this small question would be the tip of a conversational iceberg. I pretended to be busy doing something on my mobile phone and hoped he would think I neglected to hear him, and since the question was not important, , he would act as though he never even asked and the sweet silence momentarily lost would once again prevail.

My plan had worked, or at least that’s what I thought. Half way through our journey home I witnessed an incident where two young male teens appeared to be verbally harassing a younger female teen. I was shocked and disappointed, I looked to the driver and noticed that he was also witnessing the same incident and was slightly shaking his head in silent disapproval. Without thinking and with good intentions I said, “Boy it’s really hard being a female in this society nowadays, I mean it’s like a jungle out there – it’s every girl for herself”. The cab driver pulled out his mobile phone and pretended to be performing some urgent and serious task on it. “Very well played, sir”, I said. The driver turned to me and smiled. Sweet silence would prevail for the remainder of ride home.

I never intended to be rude, or hurt the driver’s feelings, but that must have been the way my actions were perceived. When he returned the gesture I had made to him a little while earlier I understood how he felt. How arrogant and stuck up I must have seemed. Like I too good to talk to a lowly cabbie. This experience taught me (the hard and embarrassing way) to be more humble.

We as a society or on an even more general scale – as human beings – tend to distinguish ourselves from other’s based on quantitative criteria like intelligence, wealth or social status. My experience with this cab driver taught me that there is something to learn and values to gain from all peoples, from all walks of life. At the very least if they are rude or not well mannered you are learning how not to act. The cab driver I was discussing earlier could have easily made a foul or rude remark when I had made my comments to him, and he would have had somewhat of a right to do so, but because of the way he chose to convey his message I learned a great and valuable lesson, which I may not have had he acted in another way.

There is always a positive to be taken from all individual and sometimes seemingly meaningless experiences. We do not live in a jungle, we are human beings and we should start treating one another as such.

Thursday Night is Every Night

Getting from point A to point B in Cairo has become an exercise in wasting time. Traffic congestion now seems to be a fact of life in Cairo. It is one of the annoying things that all Cairo citizens have become aware and familiar with, whether they like it or not.

Through all hours of the day and into the night, and every day of the week, commuters are looking for excuses as to why all the roads and streets are busy and overcrowded with cars. "It's not Thursday today, is it?" one might ask oneself while they contemplate why they haven't moved a single meter during the last 45 minutes. "Is there an event happening around here somewhere?". Cairo citizens are left scratching their heads at the endless possibilities for this traffic jam. There is no straight answer, just another day in the life of Cairo and its streets.

Taxi drivers are usually the only ones who seem to know what is happening. Although their answers never really make sense, they are always willing to share their points of view. While everyone else is baffled by this new phenomenon, taxi drivers are willing to inform us why the streets are as busy as they are.

Ask a taxi driver "why at 1am on a school night the Sixth of October Bridge is overcrowded?" For sure you will get this answer: "all the vacationers are coming back from Alexandria tonight". Is it logical that they all somehow get together and decided as a group to return to Cairo all at once? For me, it is logical because all the Egyptian think the same way.

Ask if you ask "Its 6pm on a Wednesday, shouldn't everyone be home from work and school by now? Why is it so busy?" And the answer: "It's Wednesday night, and tomorrow's Thursday, that's why it is so busy". It's not a logical answer at all! But unfortunately, taxi drivers answer that way trying to convince us that they understand the whole situation.

We can't ignore the fact that, Cairo has become an awfully over populated city. We live in one of the most densely populated cities in the world, but this is not the only reason. I think, one of the factors may be the poor infrastructure, the poorly designed streets and roads. Most Cairo residents cannot find parking spaces beside their homes. Cairo streets have become concrete jungles where only the aggressive can survive.

So, what is the solution? For sure, I don't know, and it's not my job to know. I'm not an expert on city planning but by now I'm an expert on traffic decongestion.

All what I know is that as a citizen, safe and organized streets and roads are basic and integral aspects of the city in which I reside, they are the right of every citizen. How they are achieved and maintained are not my concern, it’s not my work. But they are someone’s work and that person must be responsible for doing such things.

Do you know who Robert Fisk is?

Robert Fisk is a famous British journalist, who was born on 12 July 1946 in Maidstone, Kent. Robert got his B.A in English Literature from “Lancaster University” in 1968 and his PhD in Political Science from “Trinity College” in 1985.

He first worked on the Sunday Express diary column then; he decided to move to The Times as Belfast correspondent .Now, he is working as a correspondent in The Independent, his first report in The Independent was published on 28 April 1989. During his working in The Independent, he interviewed “Osama bin Laden” three times between 1994 and 1997.

He spent more than 30 years living in and reporting from the region.Fisk has been living in Beirut since 1976, and was present in Beirut throughout the Lebanese civil war. He was one of the first journalists to visit the scene of the Sabra and Shatila massacre.

Fisk won a lot of awards the last one was in July, 2008, when Trinity College Dublin awarded him a second, honorary, Doctorate. The New York Times described Fisk as “probably the most famous foreign correspondent in Britain".

Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Fisk

Why do they hate the West so much, we will ask

By: Robert Fisk January 7, 2009

The writer is expressing his sympathy with the latest massacre in the history when Israel killed forty civilian refugees in a United Nation School and if George Bush had supported an immediate ceasefire earlier, those forty civilian would be alive. If we reviewed Israel history we will not surprised.

For sure we all still remember the invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and the 17,500 dead, most of them were children and women; Sabra-Chatila massacre when Israel killed 1700 Palestinian civilian; Qana massacre when 106 Lebanese refugees most of them were children at UN base in 1996; the massacre of Marahin refugees and bombardment of 1000 civilian during 1996 invasion. What happened was not only shameful but also a disgrace and a war crime.

Many of the West leaders, presidents, prime ministers, and journalists will keep lie; that Israel is avoiding killing civilians, Israeli deserve security and Hamas broke the truce.

In fact, Israel broke it first, on November 4th and 17th when six and four Palestinians were killed respectively.
Twenty Israeli dead in 10 years while 600 Palestinian dead in a week and the west will keep asking, why they hate us? But for sure they know the answer.

Reference:
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-why-do-they-hate-the-west-so-much-we-will-ask-1230046.html

Bring in the peacekeeper? It is not as easy as it sound

By Robert Fisk, The Independent, January 6, 2009

The writer in his article is trying to express his point of view for the current Gaza assault and if the Palestinians will succeed this time to internationalize their conflict with Israelis. However Yasser Arafat begged for UN force to protect the Palestinians before and after Oslo agreement, always the Israelis refused and succeeded to disable decisions.

Mr. fisk went deeply in his article through the history of the UN in the conflict since 1940s up to 2006 when Israeli - Hizbllah war ended with the Security Council decision to send a large number of UN force to South Lebanon.

Now the question raised, is the Palestinians will succeed to have UN force in the region?
Even if the answer is yes, which UN border will the UN force use? the writer raised a very good question, is it the 1940s, the pr-1967 or the post-1967 border.

Most likely it will be between Israeli and Hamas, so Gaza will be the easy option and the Palestinians will ask for the same action on the West Bank – Israeli border.

Reference:
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-bring-in-the-peacekeepers-its-not-as-easy-as-it-sounds-1228137.html

The rotten state of Egypt is too powerless and corrupt to act

By Robert Fisk, The Independent, January 1, 2009

Robert Fisk criticized the Arab presidents, kings and princes reactions to the constant bloodbaths in the Middle East in general and to the slaughter in Gaza strip in particular.

The writer shows the wide gap between the Arab regimes and their citizens, the regimes are deaf while the people are shutting in the streets during demonstrations.
The example was very clear when the Egyptians begged the president to open Rafah gate, break off the diplomatic relations with Israel and even went further hopping to send weapons to Hamas.

The Egyptian regime was not listening or reacting with anger of the people shouting in the streets against Israel and latter on turned to be against the regime.

The writer considers the weakness and powerless in Egyptian reactions and decisions are due to the bad economy situation, as the Egyptian economy is depending on the west foundations and subventions. It is also due to the corruption that has invaded the Egyptian sectors.
Mr. Fisk supported his point of view by two articles from Egyptian newspapers, Al-Masry Al-youm and Al-Dastour.

Reference:
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-the-rotten-state-of-egypt-is-too-powerless-and-corrupt-to-act-1220048.html

Arab Stars Cancelled Their New Year Celebrations

TV stations cancelled the celebrations planned to take place in the New Year. The Egyptian and Arab artists also cancelled their sharing in those events, solidarity with the Palestinian people suffering from the Israeli aggression.

In the meantime, the Ministry of Information has decided to cancel Nile TV Channel live celebration pre-planned to take place on the eve of the first day of the New Year. This was done to express their feeling for the Palestinian people and to support their stand facing the Israeli aggression. The Egyptians were not alone in this, but some Arab singers also cancelled their concerts. “Hakim”, “Kazem El Saher” and “Mohamed Mounir” canceled their New Year concerts to express their protest for what is happening in Gaza.

On the other hand, “Amr Diab” decided to donate with the four million pounds that he earned from his “Dubai” concert in the New Year for the Palestinian people.
Personally, I’m appreciating his attitude and reaction with the Palestinian; however an official announcement for receiving his donation is expected.

Gaza Assault

For the fifth day, December 31, 2008 Israeli warplanes continued to pound the Gaza strip and according to Israeli leaders, it is just the start. The assault aimed to eliminate the Hamas movement and to stop firing rockets inside Israel. Up till now, Israel had killed 397 of the Palestinians and over 2000 Palestinian were injured.

Hamas continued firing rockets against the Israeli soldiers and civilians. As a result for the firing about 250 rockets from Gaza in the past four days, only four Israelis were killed and twenty four Israelis were injured.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that, the attack on Gaza still the first of several stages approved by the security cabinet. Additionally, Israel amassed tanks and thousands of troops along the Gaza border are ready for ground operations.

According to Hamas, 180 0f its members were killed, while the U.N agency in Gaza estimated that among the civilian casualties were 62 women and children. As the Islamist Hamas group said “Israel is targeting everything in Gaza”.

Palestinian analyst says “Israel is repeating the same mistake of Lebanon in Gaza and as obvious that Israel didn’t learn anything from its failure in 2006”.

Reference:

Abdallah, Sana. “Israel Continues Assault on Gaza, Death Toll Rises.”Middle East Times 30 Dec.2008.

Internet Outage

New cut in the internet cables for the second time in 2008. On Friday the 19th of December 2008, most of the people opened their own computers and started to serve the web but they couldn’t, so they thought that it was a temporary problem or slow down in the service due to routine maintenance. Unfortunately, the whole country was internet less on Friday morning. People were seeking to know the reason for the internet less in Egypt, and the Ministry of Communications declared that three internet cables were cut off. Those cables connect Egypt to Europe, and the cause of the cut was not immediately known. The Ministry guaranteed that the internet will be back by 80 percent on Sunday.

Fortunately, the cut of the internet cables happened during the weekend, where most of the governmental offices, banks, and stock exchange in Egypt are not working during the weekend. On the other hand, travel agents were seriously affected by this cut. The travelling agents had to issue tickets manually. The internet cafes were empty. Also, student faced problem in doing their assignments or search on the web. During the problem the traditional fax machines were suddenly back.

Reference:

Leila, Reem."Internet-less again." Al-Ahram weekly 25-31 Dec. 2008 : 3.

The Possible Reasons for Internet Cut

Specialists suggested that the latest internet cables break is either due to seismic activity that was reported near Malta or the 5.9 magnitude quake that was reported by the U.S Geological survey. If the cables cut were happened due to an anchor so the cables should have been removed from its original location. The same problem happened early in Egypt this year when the undersea cables were also damaged in January, causing outages in the Mideast and India. Professionals and technicians started fixing the internet cables immediately to solve the problem quickly.

Do you know what the Narcotics Anonymous is?

Narcotics Anonymous is a worldwide organization that was established to help drug addicts to recover. This organization started in the U.S as a small movement, and then it became one of the largest organizations to help addicted people. At the beginning, the organization grew very slowly because it was not well known. Now, NA is well established in most of the countries in Western Europe, Australia, and Middle East. In order for the NA to be able to reach most of the addicts, it makes the organization books and pamphlets available in 34 languages.

Going deeper into the “NA”, it is non-profitable organization for drug addicts and “NA” as a whole has no opinion on outside issues, including prescribed medications. There are no restrictions in the membership about gender, age, religion, and social class; also, it’s for free. The “NA” mission is to provide an environment in which addicts can help one another to recover and to find a new way to live by sharing their own experiences. Finally, it is worth mention that the “NA” is self-supporting and it is not accepting any financial support or charity.

The Shock

Most of the people all over the world are against "George W. Bush" strategies in Iraq and Middle East. This did not give the right for the Iraqi journalist “Muntadar Al-Zaidi” to throw “Bush” with his shoes during a press conference in Baghdad, because this is not the way to express his anger and the Iraqis depression from the destruction happened in Iraq.

People differed in their views on this subject between the supporters and opposition. In my opinion throwing "Bush" with the shoes will never change anything and the situation will remain as it is, the only thing added is the image of the uncivilized Arab.

One of the comments that I read supporting what “Al-Zaidi” did was written by the famous American journalist “Dave Lindorff". He said that what the Iraqi Journalist did should have been done by the White House Press corps several years ago also; the press corps should stop treating presidents like royalty. “Lindorff” is suggesting inviting “Al-Zaidi” to teach classes about press conference journalism technique in Mass communication faculties at USA.