Posted on 01/20/2008 2:16:56 PM PST by SJackson
President al-Assad Launches official opening of festivity of Damascus, capital of Arab culture for 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008 - 09:50 PM - Syrian news agency
www.sana.sy/eng/21/2008/01/19/157105.htm
...Today, Damascus not only represents the Arab Capital of Culture, but the Arab Capital of dignity.
It provides us with a strong sense of Arab and human dignity, an infinite sense of national pride. It is the capital of resistance, as resistance is an original aspect of our Arab culture. It is the culture of freedom and the defense of freedom. The culture of resistance is creativity; our freedom is a prerequisite for our creativity and hence both are inseparable.
Damascus Arab Capital of Culture embodies a living example of the dialogue and coexistence of cultures; it represents a symbol of diversity within unity and an attribute of the beauty of the rainbow of human life. Through all this, Damascus provides definite proof that the notion of the conflict of civilizations is both null and void.
Damascus embodies Arab culture that builds relationships with other cultures based on love and openness; it opens its heart to those who arrive carrying their hearts and closes its gates to those who arrive carrying their swords.
...As I am sure you have all witnessed, Damascus adorns herself with Damascus rose, she showers her visitors with the sweet fragrance of jasmine and quenches the thirst of her lovers with her delicious spring water. But Damascus also has a sword to her name. the Damascus sword, which she will quickly raise in the face of those who covet her or those who wish her harm.
Our message is one of solidarity to the Arab nation, to the language of our great ancestors, to the great universal values bestowed to us from God. We work with dignity and pride to achieve peace and the well being of humanity.
Thank you all.
Gee, from what I recall from Syrian expatriate blogs, for Syrians, Damascus is the capital of Bootupyerass and Footonyourneck.
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Capital of Arab culture? Let’s see, we can credit the Arabs with....with.....hmmm...still thinking. Oh yeah, rugs.
Actually the rugs are Persian. Iranians ain’t Arabs.
And there’s Turkish delight, but Turks aren’t Arabs either!
My mom says Arabic coffee is actually really good, but I don’t like coffee so I wouldn’t try it anyway, LOL
Hate to break your bubble.
It’s Turkish Coffee.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_coffee
It’s Arabic. They drink it all over the Arab world. Turkish coffee is something different, but it is also sometimes referred to as Arabic coffee.
Ah the glories of Arab culture and civilization, female circumcision, stoning rape victims and all those achievements of the Assyrian Christians they like to take credit for.
Ah, but as Musharraf has correctly pointed out, Arabs have won Nobel prizes — when working from Western universities.
Only people such as Musharraf and Hagib Bourguiba are allowed to speak out honestly about this farce. Our so-called leaders have their mouths oiled shut.
Okay. So, Arab culture= none. :)
Yes,but so many of them embraced Nazi notions so readily and then today it is a reality that there is lots of Arab racism of similar ilk, however startling that may be, in the preaching and publications and in common discourse in Arabic based in part on the notion that Allah sent an Arab messenger. It was particularly prevalent just before we dropped the roof on the Taliban and is now resurgent again.
Western progressives gladly embrace it because it is anti-American and, worse, the mainstream and the White House give it a free press because of oil. It’s one of the “good racisms” like that of the Han. You know the ChiComs own Taiwan because its Chinese, even if they never actually ran the place.
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