I guess the only way to compare is to go to Tehran :D :D

Why bring up the Mullah’s of Iran?? Seems like your writing to please certain readers. Why not compare to the Wahabi Sheiks of Saudi Arabia?

Welcome to Washington, DC! Have been a fan of your blog for sometime now. Although we have never met, please email back if you need anything while here.

Cheers,

Oh, I guess Washington DC is a nice enough place. As you say, it’s calmer than the normal Middle Eastern city. There are no perpetually honking servees drivers, no pictures of political warlords plastered to the walls, and broader roads and sidewalks.

But, living there, you quickly come to realize that it’s a city artificially constructed around the central government. It is there to serve a purpose; it is a city of people passing through. Boston and New York have far more personality. And, for my money, I’d choose Beirut over Washington any day of the week. :)

Hey, I know ur busy now, but i read this report on this blog about solidere vs St. George hotel. It would be nice read more about this
http://bloggingbeirut.com/archives/1165-STOP-Solidere-St-Georges-Fight-for-Justice.html

In every city there are positives and negatives. If it Washington, Philadelphia, Tehran or Beirut. The issue is what is the norm? How the city is being governed? In DC, you can demonstrate, have a sit-it or just hold a banner as long as you have a permit and will not disturb others! Can you do that in Tehran or Damascus?

To Fares, the Mullah’s in Tehran are promoting killing (Iraq), destruction (Iraq), oppression (Iran) and chaos (Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Bahrain, Gaza). I never heard that the Wahabi shieks are telling their followers to cause problems!

Mustapha, take advantage of the FREE admission to all sort of museums courtesy of the US taxpayers!

Yes, Washington is great, but (and no offense intended to east coast fanatics), it’s nothing compared to a few cities in the west coast :)

You lucked out, Mustapha. The weather today is absolutely wonderful. It feels like this for about two weeks in the fall and spring. Enjoy it while you can. This is a great day to hit the mall and the museums. (Start with Air & Space. Their movie To Fly! is a must!)

F the east AND west coasts…ITS ALL ABOUT LIVING IN THE MIDWEST!!!!. this is the real america. much love to all…i am just kidding about the F comment…mostly…well sorta. ha-ha.

All kidding aside, after reading such stories as this and this [via Mustapha's blogosphere feeds], I am not only certain that I would rather model the soul my country after anywhere BUT the Mullah’s state in Tehran.

I feel so sorry for those young women.

I am not surprised you liked DC. Washington is a city of monuments, memory, and good city life. The closest resemblance in the east to DC is Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. I am not talking about the architectural character, but about the general feel of the city, and it’s scattered monuments.
DC of course is a bigger scale.

welcome back mustapha.

That’s right M. nothing like the laid back West coast. I live in San Francisco and I think it’s one of the greatest cities in the world.

They have a saying here that goes by “when people want to immigrate they move to America. When American want to immigrate they move to San Francisco” :)

I used to live in DC. Areas such as the National Mall, Georgetown, Capitol Hill neighborhoods, are a nice enough place. But there is another side to DC where some neighborhoods resembles more third world countries than the glittering touristy areas you seem to have toured. In the ‘90s this was known as the “murder” capital of the US. Crime remains high, but again only in the unadvertised, poverty-stricken areas.

And is it not disingenuous of you to compare Washington the “city” with the political leaders of another country? Were you to visit Tehran the “city” would you not have found it people “normal” and “full of life?”

So you visit one of the more cosmopolitan cities in the states, and all you can do is come back with cheap and dishonest political commentary? I guess this is more proof that “Washington,” as its critics claim, is also a self-serving and fraudulent political state of mind whom the sophistication of the city it inhabits seems to have escaped it.

I’m happy enough living in the DC area, but a visit to Chicago is a must! NYC is also great but you need a lot of time to see all that if offers.

Mustapha, glad that you have seen it with your own eyes and not with your formal prejudices.
For allouch the two pennies philosopher, ALL the US is cosmopolitan, and I truly doubt you have ever “lived” here, visited maybe, but living in the US would have rid you from your complexes. Here respect for others is transmited with brest feeding, I hardly see an american criticizing other countries (unless he’s a Lebanese originaly), I hardly see an uneducated american (unless he’s lebanese originaly), I hardly meet an unpatriotic american at the same time (unless he’s lebanese originaly)… to cut the list short, I hope that one day we (lebanese) stop talking crap about magnificient countries that are leading humanity toward a greater future, while we (k-Lebs) don’t even know how to stand in line.
Have a nice trip Mustapha, open up and let the american way in, at least for the time of your stay. If you’ve never got the chance to see NY, don’t miss it. Another BIG surprise/beliefs-changing is waiting for you there.

Ralf,

“I hardly see an american criticizing other countries (unless he’s a Lebanese originaly)..”

Really? I guess you never watch cable news channels.

Ralf, you said,
“ALL the US is cosmopolitan
I hardly see an american criticizing other countries
I hardly see an uneducated american
I hardly meet an unpatriotic american”

As someone who’s lived in the US for almost 10 years, I can assure you that there are actually quite a few Americans who would happily call you a sand-nigger/towelhead/raghead, and tell you go back wherever the f*ck you came from.
They do not like arabs, and they DO consider you one even if you think you’re “Phoenician.” They don’t like blacks or latinos. Indians or asians. They make fun of Canadians and French.
As for seeing uneducated americans, try stepping out of your chichi life in Georgetown and seeing how the rest of the world lives.
I bet you’re one of those people who never sets foot in Dahieh either, unless you’re on your way to Monoprix to do some SHOPPING!

There are plenty of unpatriotic americans as well. And just for the record, you’re not sounding too patriotic about Lebanon yourself.

Seriously, have you not set foot south of the Mason-Dixon? Or do you just not notice the racism because you fit in so well with them yourself?

Grow up and stop being so naive.
People are the same everywhere. I’m sure the people of Tehran are just as nice as the people of Beirut and DC.
And I’m sure their politicians are just as much a bunch of lying, murderous, cut-throat bastards as those in BEirut or DC.
Stop falling into the trap of thinking other people/countries are worse/better than others.
People are people!
The US doesn’t have our best interests in mind. And neither does Iran. The only people who are going to care are the Lebanse. We need to get out sh!t together and stop with the secterianism and infighting.

yea yea yea, go ahead M.A. and spit your venom, tell us more about the 1% of the Americans that you lived around, go ahead and describe to us your shitty ghetto where you spent your 10 years in the States. Where do you live again? In New-Islamabad? The trailer park on Nuclear Plant road and Open Sewers Street? That is indeed part of the US, the US of the marginals of the assholes that never adapted and never tried, the US of the fuked-up who don’t want to work and get fed by the government and who cries all day long: “they won’t give me a job because I’m an arab, a black, a latino, a muslim, a chineese …. All the stupid reasons in the world to hang around in the hood masturbating five times a day, and looking at other Arabs, Latinos, Muslims… having a respectable life and then call them pigs.
Nobody ever disrespected me here because I’m Lebanese, nobody ever hated me for the way I pronounce the “TH” and you know why, because people don’t care here where you come from and even less what your religion is. As long as you are a hard worker who makes or at least tries to make a respectable life (and that is easy in the US and you don’t need to be a doctor or a lawyer) nobody gives a shit about the rest.
People here hate the like of you, racist assholes who still use the N word and wussies enough to put it in someone else’s mouth. Lazy bums who victimize themselves all day long and spit on the hand that feed them. Retarded arrogant fanatics that want to import dahyieh to Brooklyn, who wants to impose their way of living on everybody else and refuse the slightest changes in their own lives!!!

I never had identity problems, I had more identity problem in my native country than in the US; I have a wonderful job, a wonderful wife and wonderful friends. People don’t consider me anything but who I am, a person that share the same civilized values. And if a redneck wants to call me an Arab, what in hell is this going to change in my life, or maybe you want to cry for half a day about it and accuse the government and all the American people. You will be treated as a bitch only if you are a bitch.
As for education, sorry there was not a school in your trailer park, you must have stolen everything in it to exchange it for crack, but the US has 99.99% of literacy and whoever wants to, can get the education he aspires for, unless he wants to stay in New-Islamabadhood!
I traveled a lot in the States and seen many big cities, small cities and towns. I see a land blessed by God and inhabited by good people (apart from New-Islamabadhood), warm and generous, courageous and brave, clever and educated, respectful between each others, joking on each other’s particularities and special exclusive characteristics but they will not fight you or hang you because you are gay, Muslim, yellow, or whatever you want to think is diminishing. May God keep blessing this country of ALL, and may the jealous learn instead of denying!

People are the same everywhere.

Have you visited your local maximum-security prison?

Welcome to America Mustapha

If you take one thing away its this - we dont fight eachother in the streets - we fight eachother at the ballot box

Inherant to our model is the distain for extremes

Any how go to Georgetown for coctails and great food

and no , its not blasphemy to love Washinton ;-)

DC is like any other capital except that in DC as in all cities in the US, security and aestetics are important keys in keeping people happy. One person wrote that we dont fight each other in the streets but in the ballot box…but for all that jargon the fact is that fighting doesnt go on in the ballot box. There is a large portion of society that doesnt vote because they know that the system is disproportionate as it is in Beirut and other cities. DC is beautiful, I am from there but I do not like living in a city that is set up to be the political capital of the USA and has one of the highest crime rates and has one of the worst education systems in the US. DC is a facade for what the politicans want the people to see as America. I am glad you enjoyed it though, I do to but I am bitter about it.

Ralf @ 19 & 20,

Thank you.

M.A @ 17 & 18,

You are wasting your life.
Might as well not bother to come.
I am sure, nothing had changed for you.

Darling Ralf, it looks to me like you’re the only one spewing.
I’m still not sure why you’re so upset that I dared to suggest that the US has problems too.
Just like Lebanon and Iran.
Of course it has it’s good side. I wouldn’t still be here if there weren’t advantages.
I think you’re a little blinded by your hate for yourself and others like yourself.

Mustapha,
You sound as though you expected Mordor!

MA,
Your blanket statements that “they do not like” such and such races/ethnicity/confessions is the exact same prejudice that you accuse us of harboring. There are awful, ignorant and hateful people everywhere in the world but as someone who lives in a mid-sized town in Texas I can say that while racism certainly still exists, it is probably scarcer than in most European and Near Eastern countries. As Ralf so kindly stated, we as Americans (and especially Texans) open up our arms and homes to anybody who works hard and has a decent moral compass.
Check yourself before you diss others.

Mustapha, please visit Texas.. we are the friendliest and most hospitable people in North America! BTW, Bush is not indicative of Texans..

The stars at night,
Are big and bright,
Deep in the heart of Texas!

(The people, not so much apparently.)
Just kidding I have some good friends from Austin.
Seriously though, I’m sure you’ll find in any grammar textbook that “quite a few” does not mean “all”.

Changing your mind suddenly huh M.A. ?Rephrasing and accentuating what you already said huh?
Joking now huh?
How about “Sorry to have spoken like an idiot!”
You have American friends: Blasphemy!!! How dare you state it so openly!!! Do they call you Arab??? Don’t they hate your Saddam moustache? Do they say hello to you?
And Dakhilak, please don’t leave here! Amrika will stop existing if you take the decision to leave! the american people are so happy that you still find it advantageous to live here, otherwise it will be mass suicide if you decide to leave.

Wa7ad che7ad wou mcharat!

Don’t forget to say hello to your neighbour Houssein Zorkot!!!

and PS: Don’t you dare mess with Texas!!!

The dogies bawl,
And bawl and bawl,
Deep in the heart of Texas!

Sader city kids are learning really fast the marines songs!

Nice post Mustapha. Glad you enjoyed your trip. Washington DC is nice, Beirut as well! Looking forward to have Beirut Free and Alive again like Hariri made it for all Lebanese.
Looking forward to have the Persian-Safavid (aka hizballah) occupation removed from downtown Beirut. Beirut is the Best City in the World!

eh excuse me , ” the choice doesn’t seem that difficult between the mullahs in Tehran who advocate a culture of death and nihilism,”?!!

Now don’t get to carried away Mustapha , you are not in the city of Bimbos in DC , you are in land of Zios that surley you are trying to please .

If you have never been to your own “Shebba Farms ” ,(occupied by the “Mullahs advocate a culture of death and nihilism”?!! no by your life loving Israelis ) , make sure to go and visit another Zionist occupied territory , the US Congress .

GK Says:
” the Mullah’s in Tehran are promoting killing (Iraq), destruction (Iraq), oppression (Iran) and chaos (Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Bahrain, Gaza). I never heard that the Wahabi shieks are telling their followers to cause problems!”

Yeah , GK , it was the Mullah Rumsfeld that wanted a “sexy little war” and “Shuck & awe” in Iraq .

And tell me when did the Mullah invaded Gaza ?!!

And tell me who supported Taliban ?

[...] I arrived and checked into the hotel at about 5.30pm. By then, I was aware that the organizers were going to take us the bloggers out for dinner. By 7.00pm I was downstairs at the lobby waiting, unaware that the Arab guy waiting nearby was none other than Lebanese blogger, Mustapha of Beirut Spring. A few minutes later, the Egyptian Sandmonkey showed up. I was already expecting his presence after reading this post on his blog. [...]

Let me get the simple stuff out of the way first:
1. Admiring Washington, DC.
I am surprised that someone from a part of the world that still has vestiges of some of the world’s greatest ancient architecture which presumably educated your visual sensibilities and art appreciation, you liked our single most Mussolinesque city.
I find that nothing resembels EUR–the city Il Duce had started building on the outskirts of Rome–as our capital. EUR, Washingotn DC, the Stalinist parts of Moscow and Hitler’s “vision”, have a lot in common: massive, overpowering, squat buildings, covered in marble or travertine (glory and power…), that speak of the Kafkiesque power of the state, its crushing bureaucracy and –the symbol of the central dictatorial or oligarchic power: the must-have phallic obelisque. Architecturally it is a city without a soul.
The only things nice in DC are the green spaces and a few Georgian mansions.
2. Who are you? I find it odd that whenever you speak of the feelings of the people in the ME you never use the pronoun “I,”
or even “we”–you detach yoursef completely from those who are presumably your people. It is “they.”
3. That you wish to see the mullah regime gone is one thing but to wish to import “made in America” democracy makes me wonder if you heard of Iraq, Abu Ghraib, Gunatanamo, Palestine.
I would have expected you to have more personal dignity and national pride and tell us that we are not welcome to butt in and tell you what to do but leave you alone to decide by self-determination.
You are a an odd bird. But maybe that’s why you have been invited here: you are useful.

Persian Chick:

There are more than 20,000 cities and villages in the United States all built from the ground up by immigrants. One of the main differences between our North American populations and many other populations in the world is that we are not forced to stay here and ever so few choose to emmigrate. In fact, many millions who are here illegally are hopeful that they may become legal citizens.

Guess what…There is nothing Zionist about America other than in the minds of lunatics. Americans are not colonizing other countries, other populations are emmigrating here. Go dig a hole in your backyard and drop in sometime. Your head is in the sand, and one foot in the grave already anyway.

Jazy boy , you are the one that your head is in the sand . No wonder , you must be the product of poor education in Rednekia , sorry I meant America , or a zionist hiding behind American flag.

You country’s history start with shedding the blood of Native Americans and continue to present date with shedding the bloods of Middle easterns for your masters in Israel .

Go read your History .

Nothing Zionist about United Slaves of Americs ?LOL

Who do you think you are talking to ? Some brain washed Christian Zionist Red-neck from the Bible belt that you sticked the scofield Bible to ?!!

http://www.trumanlibrary.org/oralhist/wright.htm
“You get this from Mr. Truman’s book, but also there are many stories that are not known.
One of them was that when the election was coming up in 1946 in New York, the group of New York Jews called upon Mr. Truman. [Alan Taylor, op. cit. p.93] Emmanuel Cellar was the head of this committee. Rabbi Steven Wise and several others were in it. They called upon Mr. Truman and said, “We have just been talking with Mr. [Tom] Thomas Dewey. He is willing to come out and declare for a Jewish state, and we are going to turn our money and urge the Jews to vote for him unless you beat him to it.” Then Emmanuel Cellar pounded upon Mr. Truman’s desk and said, “And if you don’t come out for a Jewish state we’ll run you out of town.”

This, I’m sure, is the threat that Mr. Truman refers to in his book, saying, “The extreme Zionists threatened me.” They were Emmanuel Cellar, Rabbi Steven Wise, etc. These are not the extreme Zionists, these are just the run of the mill Zionists. What Mr. Truman did was to cave in to these threats that they would support Mr. Dewey. In that way he got the Jewish money and the Jewish vote. His decision was not made from the point of view of what was going to result in the Middle East, but what was going on in the United States.”

Persian Chick:

Exactly as I wrote, your foot is in the grave. This year is 2007, not 1946.