“I don’t want to be the mouse that freezes when it sees a snake.”

The View from Tunis

“I don’t want to be the mouse that freezes when it sees a snake.”

… Let me start at the beginning.

My Tunisian colleagues and I were huddled around a small table, sipping hot coffee in a crowded shop on Bourgeiba Street in Tunis, discussing the breathtaking developments in the country. We were interrupted several times by a few hundred young demonstrators who were making sure that their voices were heard as Tunisia’s future is being decided. Their newly found freedoms were in unmistakable display and the energy level of the youth was evidence of pent-up frustration and anger over the past fused with hope for the future.

These young men and women will need time and education to fully understand that it is not the government that will respond to their demands and provide them with jobs. Rather, it is a healthy, corruption-free environment for investment and a private sector that is willing to take the risks to invest in small and medium-sized businesses, which will in turn generate the high-value jobs that the youth covet.

In any case, it was heartwarming and encouraging to see youth able to express themselves with vociferous vigor and experience first-hand older political leaders able to openly discuss with me their political positions and ideas of how Tunisia should be reformed.

When the decibel level of the chants was low enough for us to hear each other, the Tunisians and I got back to our discussion. As many conversations among Tunisians and internationals invariably do, this one eventually turned to the subject of the Islamists’ role in Tunisia and how strong it will be in the country’s future.

Al Nahdha, the main Islamist political movement in the country, is moderate by most accounts yet had been banned by the Ben Ali regime. Its leader Rachid Ghannouchi recently returned to the country and the party has applied for official registration. Most international media have commented on the perceived danger of Al Nahdha taking over in a political competition, as it is the most organized in a field of amateur political parties.

One of the Tunisians at the table – a former Marxist and now staunchly secular and significantly left-of-center on the Tunisian political spectrum, which itself is already to the left – took a deep drag of his cigarette and said: “I don’t want to be the mouse that freezes when it sees a snake!”

My inquisitive stare prompted an explanation. “The Western media is fixated on the issue of Islamism but we’re more pragmatic! We know that they will have a role in the future of the country. In a free and fair election they will gain their natural size that represents their audience in the country. We expect that to translate into perhaps 400,000 to 500,000 votes. There will be six million voters in Tunisia and 96 percent of them will vote. They feel empowered and will want to participate in the democratic process. Our energy should be harnessed into getting most of these voters and not into worrying how many Al Nahdha will get!”

Perhaps the new political leadership in Tunisia is more mature than analysts give them credit for.

END QUOTE:
“The gift of liberty is like that of a horse, handsome, strong and high-spirited. In some it arouses a wish to ride; in many others, on the contrary, it increases the urge to walk.”
Massimo d’Azeglio

"Destructive Beast", A Film about Corruption in Yemen

Please check out a blog written by POMED (Project on Middle East Democracy) about the film screening at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. A trailer is also available on Youtube.

Looking for the Wahabs

By Dr. James Zogby, Arab American Institute
http://www.aaiusa.org/dr-zogby/entry/looking-for-the-wahabs/

OCRACOKE ISLAND, N.C. We are just ending a family vacation on this little island off the coast of North Carolina. We have been coming here for 35 years now, and though so much has changed, the simple beauty of the place remains.

Ocracoke is one of the Outer Banks' barrier islands jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean. By any measure, it is tiny: a mere 16 miles long and, for the most part, less than a few hundred yards wide - though at its southern end, the island stretches out to a width of a mile and a half.

What makes this island so special is the fact that no buildings are allowed on its entire coastline, meaning miles of empty beaches, and its remoteness - it is only accessible by ferry or boat. The population is small: year round residents number only 800 souls living mainly around a small lagoon on the island's sound side. During the peak vacation season the population swells to 5,000 visitors.

It was precisely Ocracoke's remoteness and its simplicity that brought us here 35 years ago. That, and stories about the Wahabs who lived there.

My son Joseph's teacher first piqued our interest with tales about his many visits to the island: the beaches, the birds, the boating etc. Reading a bit more, we learned about: Ocracoke's early colorful history as refuge for the notorious Blackbeard the Pirate; its nickname "graveyard of the Atlantic", earned for the more than 100 shipwrecks off its coast; and the descendants of the island's first settlers (some remnants of pirates and shipwrecks) - families named O'Neal, Scarborough, Howard, Garrish, Ballance and Wahab!

Obviously, it was that latter who caught my attention and so that summer my wife and I took our little family on their first journey to Ocracoke to, among other things, find the Wahabs. Heeding the advice of those who had been there before, we prepared ourselves for the long drive, the need to buy fresh vegetables on the mainland (back then, none were available on the Outer Banks), and to bring what was needed for rustic living.

The beaches were, as promised, pristine, expansive and deserted. The wildlife (both coastal and marshlands) was diverse and plentiful. And the island's residents were hospitable, delightful and eager to tell their stories.

One of my first stops was a visit to the Wahab family cemetery. There were many tombstones, some going back 200 years, marking the passing of the likes of Elizabeth Wahab, Job Wahab, James Wahab etc. I was determined to meet their living relatives.

The owners of the most beautiful house on Ocracoke were Stanley and Myra Wahab - the last of the family on the island. Stanley, I learned, was on the mainland, but Myra - the island's grande dame - agreed to meet with me.

She was, as I had been warned, a formidable presence. Imperious in her bearing and yet gracious in her manner, she welcomed me into her home for tea and conversation. For over an hour she regaled me with island lore and the many accomplishments of her husband. And then to the family history. According to her, the earliest Wahab was an itinerant merchant shipwrecked on the island, she believed, in the latter part of the 17th century. The family, she said, had always understood their ancestor to be an Arab, making him the earliest Arab immigrant to these shores.

She became quite animated when she told me that a few years earlier some researchers from Duke University had come to interview her. They claimed the family was probably "originally Scottish and named 'Wachob ' or something like that". She scoffed at this, telling me that she had dismissed them replying " We are Ay-rabs and proud of it. And you can't take that from us". Formidable and feisty, imperious and a presence - and well worth the visit.

Stanley died in 1988. Myra lived to 99, passing away in 2002. One nephew, Larry Williams, who also proudly claimed Arab ancestry (he was featured in a special issue of ARAMCO World Magazine highlighting Arab Americans from each of the 50 states) , inherited the Wahab properties (we stayed in his guest house and visited with him before be died in 2008). But he too is gone, leaving Ocracoke, for the first time in maybe a few hundred years, without a Wahab.

The end of one family is cause for some sadness. The island has changed, in other ways, as well. There are fresh vegetables for sale, meat is served in stores and restaurants, rental properties are air-conditioned, some mobile telephones work , and cable TV and wifi are now available everywhere. The beaches are still pristine (this remains one of the few places on the Atlantic coast where you can walk for miles in the surf never seeing another person) and the wildlife is still plentiful. But the Wahabs who I came here to find 35 years ago are now gone and all that remains of them are the stories that others will tell and the markers in the family graveyard.

Private Sector Development is Key to Political Development in Ethiopia

Please read my recent article on Ethiopia: Private Sector Development is Key to Political Development in Ethiopia

END QUOTE:
"Being President is like being a jackass in a hailstorm. There's nothing to do but stand there and take it!" -- Lyndon Baines Johnson, 36th President of the United States of America - 1963-1969

The Top Ten Things I love about Lebanon

This blog entry was inspired by a recent visit to Lebanon as well as an article I read on Cedar Wings, the inflight magazine of MEA.

10- Nothing starts off a Lebanese morning like listening to the soothing melodies of the First Lady of Lebanese Singing, Fairus. This tradition has remained constant for 50 years. Listening to “Shayef Elbaher” and “Atini Ennaya” is a prerequisite to one’s first cup of coffee or trip to work. Listen clearly. Her voice echoes from speakers across the country.

9- An exquisite Meza scattered about a tabletop surrounded by friends whose fingers are dipped in a plate of Hummus and the air is filled with laughter. The Lebanese saying goes that those who eat out of the same plates of Meza with pita will remain the closest friends forever.

8- The sizzling sounds of Falafel frying and the buzz of the twirling giant Shawarma skewers, with the aroma to entice one’s every fancy –these traditional sandwiches are the best things to eat as one strolls along the city.

7- A Lebanese dusk at springtime transmits the most beautiful fragrance of Jasmine and Orange Blossom in the air. One is blessed when someone’s home nearby has these aromatic plants growing in pots in the balcony.

6- As Lebanon is in a constant state of change and motion, only one thing will ever stand the test of time: its traffic jams. Yet there is a special moment of sheer beauty and warmth as one watches the face of a frustrated man swearing at those around him; he gently turns to grin at a young Lebanese woman as she raises her hand to him, smile, and ask him tenderly if she may pass in front of him.

5- In a country swarming with artists, there is always a play, book launch, or art show to attend. If you are unfamiliar with places to go, you will undoubtedly stumble upon one on your way home from the market. Just go with the flow.

4-Lebanon overflows with buses, service cars and private taxis. For a mere couple of dollars (and everyone takes the Ol’ Greenback), an old rickety Mercedes will take you anywhere you need.

3- One word to learn when visiting Lebanon is Itfaddal. Whether someone is in carrying a bag of fruits, eating potato chips, or whether one compliments them on a beautiful silver ring sitting snugly on their finger, a Lebanese will always gesture: “Itfaddal! You are welcome to it and what is mine is surely yours.”

2- It’s 3 A.M. and you are craving freshly squeezed orange juice, a Shawarma, and a “double apple” shisha. Unfortunately, these things are not within reach at that time. “Ma Fi Meshkle!” Just pick up your cell phone and order it and it will all come to you, with free delivery! Whatever you desire at anytime, anywhere, the fabulous delivery service is sure to fulfill them.

1- McDonalds offers valet parking. Enough said!!!!!

Anyone wants to share a Hummus plate at 3 A.M. with me?

END QUOTE:
"The best leader is one whose existence is barely known. Next best is one who is loved and praised. Next is one who is feared. Worst of all is a leader who is despised. If you fail to trust people they won’t turn out to be trustworthy."
The Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu

Ethiopia: Land of Beautiful People, Stunning Landscape, and Delicious Coffee

A landlocked country of over a million square kilometers (about twice the size of Texas), 85 million people, over 80 ethnicities, and at least as many languages, Ethiopia is a country rich with history, culture, and beautiful landscape. However, what strikes a visitor the most is the beauty and warmth if its people. I traveled to Adama in the south, Wenchie in the west, and as far north as Mekelle, and I was always welcomed warmly by gorgeous, warm, and proud people of all ages.

Ethiopia has a delicious cuisine of indigenous food and a hint of Italian influence on its pastas and coffees. Ah! The coffee! I’ve never had a better macchiato anywhere, and the traditional three round of dark, delicious Ethiopian coffee service is an out-of-this-world experience. (For more on the coffee service, please read my previous blog: Almaz, the Coffee Lady at the Addis Ababa Hilton.)

Below is a random photo essay of the people and landscape of Ethiopia. I hope you enjoy reviewing the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them.

END QUOTE:

“Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love.”

Jane Austen.

The Dead Sea

Dear Loved Ones,

In mid November, the CIPE MENA staff and I were at a very important gathering in the Dead Sea in Jordan. The event took months to plan and brought together our partners from across the region to discuss their experiences on advocacy programs. Experts from Morocco to Egypt and from Turkey to Yemen spent a full three days discussing approaches and methodologies for combating corruption, improving access for informal entrepreneurs, and engaging on policy reforms. The event was a total success and I am so proud of our team.



Despite the intensity of the program and the fact that every staff member was in attendance in every session, we still had time to enjoy the beautiful Kempinski Ishtar Resort.

The Dead Sea البَحْر المَيّت‎, al-Baḥr El-Mayyit, is the lowest body of water on earth, the lowest point on earth, and the world's richest source of natural salts. As its name evokes, the Dead Sea is devoid of life due to an extremely high content of salts and minerals which gives its waters the renowned curative powers, therapeutic qualities, and its buoyancy. Because the salt content is four times that of most world's oceans, you can float in the Dead Sea without even trying, which makes swimming here a truly unique experience not to be missed: here is the only place in the world where you can recline on the water to read a newspaper. It's a strange feeling to swim in this sea. One feels like a buoy bobbing above the water and it is extremely painful if the water gets in the eyes or into an open cut.

This is me having breakfast and that's Palestine behind me. Surreal!!!!

The Dead Sea has some of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen. Breathtaking. And the irony of the "sun setting over Palestine" did not escape me.

This is yours truly enjoying a free moment at sunset in the Infinity Pool, which is named so because from this angle, the pool blends with the Dead Sea, and one seems to be swimming in infinity.

Staff called this one "the Bobbing Head".

END QUOTE: If I had no sense of humor, I would long ago have committed suicide. ~Mahatma Gandhi