Real Choice

Man lives in a society. The people of every society, willingly or unwillingly, directly or indirectly, share many things with each other. They eat the food grown in the same soil, drink the water from the same spring, breathe the air of the same atmosphere.

From this angle of vision, it is highly describe that one should try to know all religions of the world, in the proper spirit to become a good believer.

Unfortunately, all the religions with the exception of Islam were changed according to the opinion and thoughts of the writers who wrote and scripted them. They omitted and tremed a lot of their teachings and on the other hand, they added some of their own thoughts and beliefs.

When Islam appeared, Arabia was a desert, a nothing. Out of nothing, of a desert a new world was fashioned, a new life, a new culture, a new civilization, a new state which extended from Morocco to Indies and influenced the thought and life of the three continents: Asia, Africa and Europe.

Pointing out the misrepresentation of Islam. One must look at everything with critical eyes in order to reach what he searches and seeks for.

The theory of Islam and sword for instance, this charge of ignorance and bigotry is refused by Qur’an, by the history of Muslim’s conquerors and by their public and legal toleration of Christian worship and others. Moreover, the greatest success of Muhammed’s life was affected by sheer moral force without the stroke of a sword.

The main problem of Islam is that some Muslims do not understand the rules of Islam correctly some others do not want to make these rules their daily attitude and behavior for some personal benefits. Not mention the people who fight Islam or mispresent it for some reasons.

There is a factor which man must put into his consideration. It is the anguage in which the three main religions were written in. Islam was written in the Arabic language before more than fourteen centuries. The Arabic language remained till now as it was. But the English language was changed. For instance, Shakespeare’s books which were written – — before only about 400 years, after 1000 years of Islam – are very different from the English which we use now and we can not understand the English which they were written in.

Man must choose his own religion according to real criterion of right and wrong, without any pressures of any kind. His choice must be free and fair. It must come from his own conveiction.

Written by: Salem Mraheel Quraisha.

428 words

For The Sake of Truth

Press media is the mirror of the society. It must reflect its real picture, not the surface one. Facts are sacred, so writers must write accurately and without bias and submit real and immediate information.

Most of he Arab writers write for themselves, not for the readers. For instance, in some other countries we see a lot of people read in public places and gardens, at the airports and sea beaches. But in the Arab world and as some people accused them as Arab do not read. Really and we have to acknowledge that there are a few readers. Although, there are a lot of educated people in the Arab world.

So, have to put into our consideration the following points: First of all, how the Arab readers can read if they do not find what they want to read. Instead, they only find what the writer wants to tell.

Secondly, how they can read if they find what they already have read is not the fact or at least not the whole fact and sometimes they read something contrasted with what they read a day before.

Thirdly, how can they read if they do not find what they search for or what they eager to know.

Fourthly, a lot of writers are affected by any simple or any passing events. Instead, they have to put into consideration the national aspirations and hopes of the Arab readers.

The Arab live in one geographical area and have one history. They speak one language, Arabic. Moreover, most of them have the same religion, Islam.

The Europeans, who do not have all these advantages and who witnessed many confrontations between each other, plan to live in one unit.

So, either we like or not, we have to acknowledge these facts and when we write for the Arab readers, we have to take these points in view regardless of any temporary situation or we have to stop writing and let the opportunity for the others who deserve to be writers.

Words are existed but who can use them correctly and usefully by putting them into a certain order to produce a well-done work. A work that serves the honest purpose for which it was produced.

Writers do not invent events or news. They only create the style in which they produce and introduce these events and news.

This subject reminded of an Indian film where the hero of that film was an editor, who tried to make the news by himself, when he sent some men to kill a big bug in his country. The news of that man s death was prominent in his news paper, whereas no one knew about the event and unfortunately, the police also knew about it from the paper. So that news instead of being a factor for his fame, became a factor in proving his participation in the crime.

When a writer writes about a matter, he has to be honest and fair and make a balance by mentioning all the facts concerning the subject and the advantages and disadvantages. As there is evil in man, there is goodness in him.

The writer has to introduce his works in any field in an attractive style on a nice plate to open the appetite of hi readers to make them continue reading the subject. He has to avoid the ways that make the reader annoyed and leave the subject and search for another thing to do.

We have to avoid ambiguity and write frankly and openly. For instance, the aims of Israel are not a secret, their plans to gather all the jews in Palestine are not a secret, their plans to demolish Al-Aqsa mosque and build their so-called temple are not a secret, their plans to occupy and exploit the sources of water are not a secret.

Lastly, when the writer can not able to write the fact under any pressure, he has to stop writing. Here, we have to mention the Egyptian newspaper, Al-Ahli, issued on Wednesdays at that time, when the party that issuing it, stopped issuing it at the end of 1977, because they could not transfer the true word to its readers. Their last words were: We can not able to translate the facts into affective and true words. So, all what we can say is, See you but not for ever.

Written by: Salem Mraheel Quraisha.

730 words

The Heritage

     At that night, which was very calm and its calmness was astonishing, I and the other boys of our district were playing under the full moon.  But suddenly everything changed.

     We heard someone shouting in my house.  We hurried there.  I saw my father holding my grandfather, who was by his turn lying on his chest.  His eyes were wide-opened and he was calm but my father was shouting: ” Water…Water.’.

    My youngest uncle came very fast and gave my father a glass of water. Then he stood near beside another man who was standing there.  Then there was tumult.  A lot of women came.  My mother and some women, who came to console her, were crying.

     I stood motionless.  It was a strange situation.  It was the first time for me to see someone dying and unfortunately he was my grandfather whom I loved because he used to give me money to buy sweets.

     After drinking water, my grandfather moved his eyes towards an iron box, which was laid beside his bed.  He was very strict.  He did not allow anyone to open it or at least to touch it.  He pointed to that box with one hand and gave my father a key with the another one.

     “Open it…Open it”, he said with a heavy tongue.  They brought the box.  Then they opened it.  Everyone was very anxious to see what that box was containing.  There were some photos and beads and some other things.  There was a big tin inside it, too.

     My grandfather pointed to the tin.  They took it out of the box and gave it to him.  He collected his strength and grasped the tin strongly.  Then he gave it to my father, whose face was strained and apparently, he pretended to keep control of himself.  But when my grandfather gave it to him, he sighed deeply and uttered that: “My son, this is the most precious thing that I can give you.  Keep what inside it…Keep what inside it”.  These were his last words. And afterwards he breathed his last breath.

     Everyone was puzzled what inside that tin was.  But after the funeral, everything returned to its natural circle of life.  My father sent for all the heirs.  When they came, he said: “I gathered you today to open this tin and to see what inside it and to give everyone his part.

     We all expected there were something very precious and expensive.  May be there were some jewels or something like that.

     But when my father opened the tin, everyone was astonished because there were only bundles of folded papers tied with pink tape.  We all got down to read them; untying the tape my grandfather had tied all these years ago, taking them out of their fragile folders.

     Those papers were some documents proved possessing land and some bills prove paying taxes.  Although we keep our land inside our hearts, those papers were of great use.  They are reminding us of our land and our past and approve that that was and will be our own land.

     They have been kept by my grandfather since 1948, when the invaders occupied our land and dismissed us from it.  And now they inherited by my father and, in due course, will be by me.

Written by: Salem Mraheel Quraisha.

550 words

The Repentant

     As every old woman in our small village, my grandmother used to tell us stories and tales every night.  One night and I remember it mainly because it was very calm night and the moon was full.  I also remember it well because it was unfortunately the last story my grandmother told us.  The next night, she fell ill and the price for the end of her illness was the end of her life.

     She smiled, as she used to, and started telling us the story of Mr. Habeeb’s son and the ruler who lived in our village a long time ago.

      She said, there was a very rich man in that village.  When he died, his son  James, who was 25 years old then, married a poor girl called Susan.  They led a happy life but for a short time. 

     When they had their first child, James spent all his money and sold all his properties because he became a very bad drunkard and a gambler.  He spent all his money and time on drinking and gambling.  He did not spare any time for his house.

     Now, he had no food in his house.  So he used to curse the ruler of his village.  His poor wife Susan spent her time begging him to stop cursing the ruler in order not to put him in prison. But all her efforts were in vain.

     When the ruler heard of that man, who was cursing him, he threatened him.  He said, “One day, I will cut his tongue and then he will not be able to utter with any word”.

     Everybody in that small village was astonished because the ruler was very justice and he did not hurt or try to hurt anyone.

   When James heard of the ruler’s threats, he decided not to stop cursing him. Those threats increased his will against the ruler because he was dull and he hated everything around him.

      His wife broke into tears and said to him, ” I’m old Susan who wants to love you like when you were 25 years old!  Don’t torture me.  Stop cursing…I don’t have much longer to live.  Please, look at our son.  He needs you.  Don’t leave him and me to our unknown fate and you spend all your remaining days in the darkness of prisons”.

     One day, the ruler ordered some of his servants to load a cart with all kinds of the food that found in his palace.  After that, he sent them to unload it at James’s house.  He sent some money to be given to James’s wife, too. 

     When they arrived there, they found only his wife who was very delightful when they told her that the ruler sent all that food and money for them.

     When her husband came back after midnight and he was cursing the ruler of their village, as he used to, she told him of what the ruler had sent to them.  Then she broke into tears and started repeating the same words that she used to say to her husband.

     At that moment, he sighed deeply and said, ‘ Now, the ruler has cut my tongue forever.  He punished me in a respectable way.  I will start my life from this moment.  I’ll lead a respectable life.  I’ll work and do my best to make you all happy.  I’ll stop drinking and gambling”.

     He tried to control himself but he could not.  He broke into tears and knelt down thanking Allah (God) for that precious opportunity to repent.   

Written by: Salem Mraheel Quraisha.

590 words

Lebanese are the Losers

Lebanon with its green pine mountains and a coast of 120 miles on the Mediterranean, was the most preferable place for the tourists to go and a famous centre of trade for all kinds of goods and it was a meeting place for businessmen and traders. But during the 1970s and 1980s, it was a meeting place for war trading.

It is a dear part of the Arab world. It affects and is affected by the changes in it. It embraced about half a million Palestinian refugees.

Lebanon with its 10452 square km area was the capital of the Arab culture through the past years; mainly in 1970s. most of the school text-books were printed in Lebanon. Moreover, other books were issued in it. Free press, translated films and various programmes are issued in it.

The early Arabs adopted the Aramaic alphabet which was used in today’s Lebanon about 3,700 years ago, to Arabic. Arab scribes put dots over some of the letters which were alike and invented and produced the alphabet of 28 letters which the Arab use today.

Lebanon, the country which had a strong economic, now it has collapsed one. It was the state of safety. But since 1975, when the first spark of this civil war started in April with the famous bus event, it became a land of fear and conflict which left more than 150,000 people killed and one million, a quarter of the population, displaced and left a considerable amount of damage and ruins.

For the sake of the vagabonds, orphans and disfigured people, the Lebanese have to make sacrifices for those people and for the sake of Lebanon. The national interest must take over and the Lebanese have to criticize themselves in stead of criticizing others or even each other. They have to look at their mirror to see themselves more clearly and they have to work to serve the national interest rather than the interest of an individual.

In this conflict every country has its own aims and interests and in any case the Lebanese are the losers. Some countries work for the partition of Lebanon which is yearning for peace, unity, stability and security. Others wanted to complicate the political situation in the Mid-east and to block and hinder the peace process. As for Israel, it is fuelling the war in Lebanon to mislead the world’s opinion about what is happening in the occupied territories and to make it as a mask for its crimes. It also worked to link it to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

The Arab League and through the Supreme Arab Tripartite Committee ( SATC ) worked very hard to let the Lebanese deputies gather in Taif in Saudi Arabia and discuss their problem which resulted to sign the National Charter for Reconciliation. The SATC promised to continue its efforts to let Lebanon achieve its goals through the Taif Accord.

A lot of Lebanese sacrificed their souls for the sake of Lebanon. Rene Mouawad, 64 years old, and the ninth president of Lebanon was killed in a bomb explosion, only 17 days after he was elected. He was the second president who paid his life as a price for peace in Lebanon during the bitter civil war.

In 1982, Bashar Gemayel was killed in a bomb explosion, only a few days after his election.

Mouawad was elected as a president of the republic by the Lebanese deputies who are the representative of the people until further notice and those members of the parliament supported the Arab League peace plan. mf.

. Mouawad who was the minister of education in 1980, organized examinations for Christian and Muslim students whose studies had been interrupted by the war and in 1981, he established a ” Zone of Legitimacy ” where all students could sit their examinations. So, the universities of Lebanon remained a beacon of knowledge and culture in the Lebanon’s sea destruction.

But the peace process in Lebanon can go forward despite the killing and the Lebanese have to work for their unity by abandoning differences at this critical stage to end a long period of misunderstanding, civil war and bloodshed.

Despite the deep divisions that have fragmented the country, the Cedar trees remained the symbol of Lebanon and the symbol of the strong will of the Lebanese and of their aspirations to bring stability and reconciliation between the various parties in their country after several years of the bitter civil war that fuelling not only Christians and Muslims but also Christians and Christians, and Muslims and Muslims .

The Lebanese have to give priority to the restoration of unity, independence and sovereignty of Lebanon on its entire territory to resume its role as a leading centre of civilization and culture for Arab nations and for the world.

So, they have to look forward to seeking for far agreement, not provisional one, and through negotiations and understanding. The best framework to achieve their aims is the Taif Accord which was accepted not only by all the Lebanese deputies, but also by the Arab League and the world.

# ( end )

830 words

written by Salem Mraheel. Quraisha

عذراً قاموس اللغة العربية سالم مراحيل الفعل اللازم يتعدىفي زمن عربي يتردى عذراً قاموس اللغة العربية الفعل الماضي مبني لكن الحاضر نكسات والماضي تعلوه حسرات اندلس الطارق قد زالت ولعاب اعادينا سالت ونفوس العرب قد مالت هل يأتي يوم ترتفع ويكون الماضي مبنياً عذراً قاموس اللغة العربية وضمير الغائب قد يعرب لكن ضمائرنا ماتت في هذا العصر ولا تعرب عذراً قاموس اللغة العربية الحال المفرد منصوب لكني اراه مكسوراً احوال العرب مشتتة فالكل بمفرده حالة عذراً قاموس اللغة العربية مذياع العرب يفاجئنا مسرى نبيكم سقط لكن القدس لم تسقط بل سقط عويل مدافعكم قدس الاقداس قد اغتصبت عذراً قاموس اللغة العربية واخيراً سقطت بغداد لكني اراها شامخة تعلوها صيحات العرب مكبرة استشهد شيخ في القدس هبت بغداد تناصره لم تسقط بغداد البتة عاصمة رشيد اغتصبت عذراً قاموس اللغة العربية صهيون الفاعل في العرب لكن الفاعل قد يحذف وينوب عنه المفعول فالكل تراوده نفسه ان يصبح مفعولاً مرة عذراً قاموس اللغة العربية للمزيد رابط الخبر : http://www.alriyadh.com/2006/12/22/article211232.htm

The Sites of the Antique and Historical Buildings

1. There are several antique and historical sites in Tabuk zone. Four of them are considered of the best ten antique sites in the Kingdom. These sites are : Taiyma, Quraiyah, Al-Bade’a, and Aiynounah. Moreover, the historical sites are related to the Prophet’s biography ( peace be upon him ), to the Saudi history and to the literature heritage
2. There are many sites worth seeing and deserve a display on the tourism map, such as the old Arabian trading routes, the Egyptian pilgrimage’s route and Shami pilgrimage’s route.
   All the antique sites suffer from collapse