IDF builds fake Arab town

[Bosco 1]

Will you clarify your use of bias because the way I am reading it, it is highly insulting. Bias means an impartial judgement or an unfair policy rooted in prejudice. Is this what you mean? I will refrain from replying further until you clarify.

I may have used the wrong word, but I mean tendency. Not ignorant judgement, but just the tendency of what is supported and what is not. I know many of you are very intelligent. So if I re-worded it, I might say...it is the tendency of MENA to lean left, or it is the tendency to support certain issues over other issues. I didn't mean it in the insulting way.

I think anyone with even the most simplistic understanding of daily life in Palestine would understand that any pictures that depict life in any realistic way would by default be politically charged. To do otherwise would be project a very false image of what life is like there. If there is any objection, it should not be to the pictures but to the fact that this reality exists. I find it rather sad that people protest the pictures rather than the problems.

Edited January 26, 2007 by Bosco

[peezey 0]

You're saying the US media wouldn't pick this up and go to town with it, should say, Hezbollah built a town like this after an Israeli town, make pictures of it available to the press, announcing their new tactical training Fake Israeli Town?

Exactly.

You remember the "Internet Twins" case about six years ago where the St. Louisian natural mum decided to swap adoption (of the then-six-month-old twins) from a San Diego couple to a Swansea (Welsh) couple? None of the American media covered it until a Welsh judge ruled that the twins should go back to US (after the natural mum had decided she wanted to now KEEP them, and her estranged husband had gotten in there)--but it was big story in the London Times (probably others such as Guardian, Telegraph, etc) and BBC.

And this was with the story happening partly on their own doorstep!

I don't see what this has to do at all with an Israel vs. Arab news story in a time of war.

[chri'stina 190]

No one has to prove what they are allowed to talk about or not talk about, what they are allowed to show in pictures or not. I didn't say to stop doing anything you are doing.

But I am saying how someone from a different perspective would feel about all this, and would not feel truly welcome.

If people disagree with me, that's fine. But I am just saying what I feel about it.

[jordanianprincess 0]

First of all, the MENA board is so baised towards the Arabic Middle Eastern issues and not Israel's issues. I haven't seen any evidence to suggest the opposite so if there is, I would be willing to read it. People can say, "oh everyone is welcome here.." but who would want to post here when the bias is towards something they don't agree with? And when they happen to be a small minority who don't agree?

Do we have to agree? Its quite simple that this is a forum about the Middle East, full of people who support it. Why wouldn't we talk about the issues facing our countries and our spouses countries?

Secondly, there is a bias towards Islam in the MENA forum. Yes there are some non-Muslims, but with the bias towards people's home country or SO's countries, which are mostly Arab or Middle Eastern(sorry if I don't have the terms 100% correct but you know what I mean), which are mostly Muslim countries, it seems it would be very hard for a Jewish Israeli to participate in this forum without drama.

I disagree, I am not Muslim and I don't have a problem participating. This is a MENA forum what do you want us to discuss? These are the issues that are important to us.

I looked at some of the pictures thread, and how wildroze was jumped on for being upset at seeing negative politically charged pictures about Israel killing Palestinians, etc. After all the pretty pictures posted. It was not the time nor place. I was annoyed as well. And just imagine if she had posted pictures of dead Jewish people killed by Palestinians first...that would have gone over well... Yet when she is upset about the pictures that are posted, people jumped down her throat. I don't get it. It's a double standard.

It's not a double standard at all. No one told she couldnt post photos or what to post photos of. The reality of it is, Israel has more beauty to show that the West Bank and Giza. You are assuming what people would have done if she posted those photos. We acknowlegde there is suffering on both sides but everyone refuses to accept that. WOM has every right to post photos of what life is REALLY like in the West Bank, there is no way to sugar coat it because its reality. There is no reason for Wildroze to take offense to that because we are not blaming her for it or anyone else for that matter, they were just photos.

That is how you feel on all of it, and I am not saying you are wrong.

I do see double standards here at times though. That's how I feel about it.

Double standards for what? Can you plese give me an example? Because from where I stand, no one told Wildroze not to post photos. WOM has been posting those photos since she joined and she should stop because there is an Israeli member?

Stina, I respect you alot but this is one case where you have no leg to stand on. This is a Middle East forum, what else would we discuss? You can go into OT anyday and see the bias against arabs, we are often called terrorists in there. Are we just not allowed to voice our opinions?

[peezey 0]

Will you clarify your use of bias because the way I am reading it, it is highly insulting. Bias means an impartial judgement or an unfair policy rooted in prejudice. Is this what you mean? I will refrain from replying further until you clarify.

I may have used the wrong word, but I mean tendency. Not ignorant judgement, but just the tendency of what is supported and what is not. I know many of you are very intelligent. So if I re-worded it, I might say...it is the tendency of MENA to lean left, or it is the tendency to support certain issues over other issues. I didn't mean it in the insulting way.

I think anyone with even the most simplistic understanding of daily life in Palestine would understand that any pictures that depict life in any realistic way would by default be politically charged. To do otherwise would be project a very false image of what life is like there. If there is any objection, it should not be to the pictures but to the fact that this reality exists. I find it rather sad that people protest the pictures rather than the problems.

I would think no matter your opinion of the situation, when you see small children on their way to school passing soldiers with guns at the ready, pointed not so far away from the little heads, you would at least pause and wonder what was going on.

Double standards for what? Can you plese give me an example? Because from where I stand, no one told Wildroze not to post photos. WOM has been posting those photos since she joined and she should stop because there is an Israeli member?

Not to mention wildrose was told she could post what she wanted.

Edited January 26, 2007 by peezey

[chri'stina 190]

I don't understand that because I said there is a tendency for MENA to lean a certain way, and how some people would not be welcomed would equal to saying hold back your opinions?

[peezey 0]

I don't understand that because I said there is a tendency for MENA to lean a certain way, and how some people would not be welcomed would equal to saying hold back your opinions?

Your post wasn't just about wildrose. You said you were annoyed, Israel's "issues" aren't discussed here. You are clearly voicing your opinion about the situation, so you are going to get feedback on it.

[jordanianprincess 0]

Speaking as one of the few arabs in here, the bias of this entire website gets to me. People can go on and on about how arabs are terrorists and jew haters. If we respond in anyway, all hell breaks loose. We are damned if we do and damned if we don't.

This affects me personally on many levels. There are so many people here that pass judgement about arabs only hearing one side of the story. If we respond, they we are biased. What is the deal here? Every arab knows and acknowledges that Israelis are suffering. However no one wants to acknowlege or accept the fact that Palistinians are suffering too, you brush it off as if its nothing. Arabs don't hate jews, they hate the Israeli government. There is a big difference.

I wonder how some of you would feel if the shoe was on the other food and someone was constantly trashing your people and country.

Again, Wildroze is more than welcome to post here anytime she likes with anything she likes. However we are not going to censor our posts for anyone, its reality and people need to accept it.

[jordanianprincess 0]

I don't understand that because I said there is a tendency for MENA to lean a certain way, and how some people would not be welcomed would equal to saying hold back your opinions?

An India forum would tend to learn towards India. Canadian forum would lean towards Canada. Israelis don't considers themselves Arabs for the most part and Arabs don't consider Israelis to be Arabs for the most part. I don't know what the MENA forum should be discussing besides MENA related topics.

[chri'stina 190]

I don't understand that because I said there is a tendency for MENA to lean a certain way, and how some people would not be welcomed would equal to saying hold back your opinions?

Your post wasn't just about wildrose. You said you were annoyed, Israel's "issues" aren't discussed here. You are clearly voicing your opinion about the situation, so you are going to get feedback on it.

True peezey.

To clarify, the part that annoyed me was seeing the way wildroze's comments were reacted to in the pictures thread, not that Israel's issues aren't discussed here.

JP- for me a double standard would still be the picture issue. I do believe if wildroze posted pictures that were politically charged against Palestine, people would not be happy and would react the same way she did.

I know there are horrible things that go on over there. I personally don't care that the pictures were posted. But I don't think it would have been a good reaction if wildroze had been the one to initiate the politcally charged pictures instead of WOM. What bothered me was the way people reacted to wildroze saying how she felt. Not that the pictures were originally posted.

[Jenn! 918]

I don't understand that because I said there is a tendency for MENA to lean a certain way, and how some people would not be welcomed would equal to saying hold back your opinions?

I guess maybe I misunderstood what you meant than. I think it's inevitable that someone coming into MENA and expressing the opposite viewpoint from a majority of the posters will be questioned and argued with.

I will concede one point you made though. I'm pretty sure that I would have been offended and would have said something if someone had come into the picture thread and posted pictures from a suicide bombing in Israel. That's being honest. It may be a double standard, but it's the way I feel about it nonetheless.

[Ban Hammer 12,848]

I don't understand that because I said there is a tendency for MENA to lean a certain way, and how some people would not be welcomed would equal to saying hold back your opinions?

I guess maybe I misunderstood what you meant than. I think it's inevitable that someone coming into MENA and expressing the opposite viewpoint from a majority of the posters will be questioned and argued with.

I will concede one point you made though. I'm pretty sure that I would have been offended and would have said something if someone had come into the picture thread and posted pictures from a suicide bombing in Israel. That's being honest. It may be a double standard, but it's the way I feel about it nonetheless.

i'd said something to that effect earlier in that thread, about how many would like my posting pics showing the other side of the coin.

[jordanianprincess 0]

JP- for me a double standard would still be the picture issue. I do believe if wildroze posted pictures that were politically charged against Palestine, people would not be happy and would react the same way she did.

I know there are horrible things that go on over there. I personally don't care that the pictures were posted. But I don't think it would have been a good reaction if wildroze had been the one to initiate the politcally charged pictures instead of WOM. What bothered me was the way people reacted to wildroze saying how she felt. Not that the pictures were originally posted.

Thats an assumption. You are accusing us of being guilty before it even happens.

[chri'stina 190]

I don't understand that because I said there is a tendency for MENA to lean a certain way, and how some people would not be welcomed would equal to saying hold back your opinions?

An India forum would tend to learn towards India. Canadian forum would lean towards Canada. Israelis don't considers themselves Arabs for the most part and Arabs don't consider Israelis to be Arabs for the most part. I don't know what the MENA forum should be discussing besides MENA related topics.

But this is the MENA foum, not just for one country or nationality as it would be for India, Canada, as you mentioned above. I am not saying what has to be discussed and what doesn't have to be. But it would be intimidating I think to join in anywhere where you felt your issues or opinions were not supported most of the time. It doesn't even have to be an Israel/Arab issue. I would love to see discussion between Jewish Israelis and Arabic people on here in this regional section. I know it takes the other people showing up too, it can't just happen if they don't come. I understand that. But it almost seems like Israel(Jewish Israelis) being part of the MENA forum is forgotten.

JP- for me a double standard would still be the picture issue. I do believe if wildroze posted pictures that were politically charged against Palestine, people would not be happy and would react the same way she did.

I know there are horrible things that go on over there. I personally don't care that the pictures were posted. But I don't think it would have been a good reaction if wildroze had been the one to initiate the politcally charged pictures instead of WOM. What bothered me was the way people reacted to wildroze saying how she felt. Not that the pictures were originally posted.

Thats an assumption. You are accusing us of being guilty before it even happens.

Ok, then I am guilty of assuming. But I think it's true.

Edited January 26, 2007 by stina&suj

[UmmSqueakster 54]

The thread did **not** say "only post pretty pics". As you read, wildrose is welcome to post what she likes. When you've been to Palestine and see how people are treated and how the must live, as WOM has, come back and let us know if there is bias.

As the OP of the picture thread, allow me to clarify. I believe I asked for pictures, both positive and not so positive, that showed life in the ME/NA. Life ain't pretty for a lot of people from the region. While I love to look at pretty pictures, I know that isn't the whole truth.

I wish I had more pictures to post of all the street children of Cairo. It breaks my heart every time I walked down the street.