11.02.07
Posted in Muslim Understanding at 11:38 pm by expatgirl
When we give up the notion of our own concrete categories we can learn to better deal with viewpoints of others.
Imagine if I told you a chicken is not a bird, a tiger is not a cat and a lemon is a vegetable not a fruit. These statements are all true, if you are speaking the Thai language and categorizing according to Thai rules.
Â
Read the complete article at http://www.south-thai.com/twoblue.html
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08.18.07
Posted in Muslim Understanding at 11:43 am by expatgirl
Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calandar. This year it falls approx. on Sept. 13 to Oct. 11 (depending on the sighting of the crecent moon.) It is a deeply felt spiritual time for Muslims where they fast (abstain from both food and water) and refrain from sexual contact during daylight hours. Muslims also practice self restraint in their behavior by not swearing, smoking and arguing. Please remember when traveling in southern Thailand that many of the people that you meet will be fasting at this time. Show your multicultural awareness and compassion by being considerate of this special time for Muslims.
For more information on Ramadan in Thailand please check out this article
http://www.south-thai.com/ramadan.html
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08.04.07
Posted in Human Rights Issues, Muslim Understanding, Uncategorized at 1:37 pm by expatgirl
A man is taking a walk in Hatyai, Thailand. Suddenly he sees a little girl being attacked by a soi dog. He runs over and starts fighting with the dog. He succeeds in killing the dog and saving the girl’s life. A neighbor who was watching the scene walks over and says: “You are a hero,” tomorrow you can read it in all the newspapers: “Helpful Hatyai man saves the life of little girl.” The man says: “But I am not from Hatyai!” “Oh, then it will say in newspapers in the morning: Tremendous Thai saves life of little girl” – the neighbor answers. “But I am not Thai!” – says the man. “Oh, what are you then?” The man says: “I am a Saudi!” Then next day the newspapers say: “Islamic extremist kills innocent soi dog.”
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05.14.07
Posted in Human Rights Issues, Muslim Understanding, Uncategorized at 1:45 pm by expatgirl
APRILÂ 30, 2007Â Report on TerrorismÂ
WOW! Take a look at these statistics
US Dept. of State
Country Reports on Terrorism  -Report Home Page
Released by the Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism
April 30, 2007
www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/crt/2006/82739.htm
Â
Victims and Targets of Attacks
As was the case in 2005, Muslims again bore a substantial share of being the victims of terrorist attacks in 2006.
- Approximately 58,000 individuals worldwide were either killed or injured by terrorist attacks in 2006. Based upon a combination of reporting and demographic analysis of the countries involved, well over 50 percent of the victims were Muslims, and most were victims of attacks in Iraq.
NOW TAKE A LOOK AT THESE STATS ON AMERICAN VICTIMS
U.S. citizens worldwide killed as a result of incidents of terrorism: 28
U.S. citizens worldwide injured as a result of incidents of terrorism: 27
U.S. citizens worldwide kidnapped as a result of incidents of terrorism: 12
TERRORISM DEATHS OF PRIVATE U.S. CITIZENS IN 2006 (BY COUNTRY)
| Country |
Date of Death |
Number |
Location |
| Afghanistan |
May 18, 2006 |
1 |
Islam Qal, Herat, Afghanistan |
|
December 6, 2006 |
2 |
Kandahar, Afghanistan |
| Iraq |
January 6, 2006 |
1 |
Nasiriyah, Iraq |
|
January 16, 2006 |
1 |
Baghdad, Iraq |
|
January 18, 2006 |
2 |
Basrah, Iraq |
|
February 11, 2006 |
1 |
Baghdad, Iraq |
|
March 9, 2006 |
1 |
Baghdad, Iraq |
|
March 14, 2006 |
1 |
Tal Afar, Iraq |
|
March 20, 2006 |
1 |
Baghdad, Iraq |
|
May 3, 2006 |
1 |
Tallil, Iraq |
|
May 7, 2006 |
1 |
Balad-Tahwilla, Iraq |
|
May 8, 2006 |
1 |
Near Rustamiyah, Iraq |
|
August 17, 2006 |
1 |
North of Tallil, Iraq |
|
August 18, 2006 |
1 |
Baghdad, Iraq |
|
August 28, 2006 |
1 |
Baji, Iraq |
|
September 17, 2006 |
1 |
Hawijah, Iraq |
|
September 22, 2006 |
1 |
Basrah, Iraq |
|
October 4, 2006 |
1 |
Baghdad, Iraq |
|
October 11, 2006 |
1 |
Tikrit, Iraq |
|
October 22, 2006 |
1 |
Baghdad, Iraq |
|
November 2, 2006 |
1 |
Baghdad, Iraq |
|
November 13, 2006 |
1 |
Baghdad, Iraq |
|
December 21, 2006 |
1 |
Baghdad, Iraq |
| Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank |
May 14, 2006 |
1 |
Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Pakistan |
March 2, 2006 |
1 |
Karachi, Pakistan |
| Thailand |
September 16, 2006 |
1 |
Hat Yai, Thailand |
TERRORISM INJURIES OF PRIVATE U.S. CITIZENS IN 2006 (BY COUNTRY)
| Country |
Date of Death |
Number |
Location |
| Afghanistan |
April 7, 2006 |
2 |
Lashkargar Province, Afghanistan |
|
May 18, 2006 |
2 |
Islam Qal, Herat, Afghanistan |
| Algeria |
December 10, 2006 |
1 |
Algiers, Algeria |
| Egypt |
April 24, 2006 |
5 |
Dahab, Sinai, Egypt |
| India |
July 11, 2006 |
1 |
Srinagar, India |
|
August 16, 2006 |
5 |
Imphal, India |
| Iraq |
January 18, 2006 |
1 |
Basrah, Iraq |
|
January 29, 2006 |
1 |
Taji, Iraq |
|
May 18, 2006 |
2 |
Herat, Iraq |
|
May 29, 2006 |
1 |
Baghdad, Iraq |
|
October 24, 2006 |
1 |
Keokuk, Iraq |
|
December 21, 2006 |
1 |
Baghdad, Iraq |
| Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank |
April 17, 2006 |
1 |
Tel Aviv, Israel |
|
October 11, 2006 |
1 |
Nobles, the West Bank |
| Russia |
January 11, 2006 |
1 |
Moscow, Russia |
| Thailand |
September 16, 2006 |
1 |
Hat Yai, Thailand |
TERRORISM KIDNAPPINGS OF PRIVATE U.S. CITIZENS IN 2006 (BY COUNTRY)
| Country |
Date of Death |
Number |
Location |
| Afghanistan |
March 30, 2006* |
1 |
Near Gresham, Afghanistan |
| Iraq |
March 30, 2006* |
1 |
Baghdad, Iraq |
|
July 9, 2006* |
1 |
Baghdad, Iraq |
|
August 5, 2006* |
1 |
Baghdad, Iraq |
|
November 16, 2006 |
4 |
Aswan, Iraq |
| Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank |
June 10, 2006* |
1 |
Nobles, the West Bank |
|
August 27, 2006* |
1 |
Gaza City, Gaza |
| Nigeria |
January 30, 2006* |
1 |
Offshore the Niger Delta, Nigeria |
|
August 23, 2006* |
1 |
Port Harcourt, Nigeria |
| *Date rescued/released. |
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05.12.07
Posted in Human Rights Issues, Muslim Understanding, Uncategorized at 1:04 pm by expatgirl
Here is a good article
“The rise of more puritanical strains of Islam in southern Thailand is often cited as contributing to the violence, particularly given Muslim anger at the deployment of Thai troops in Iraq. But while Islamic consciousness and a sense of persecution and solidarity with fellow Muslims has grown over the last two decades, it would be a mistake to view the conflict as simply another manifestation of Islamic terrorism. The violence is driven by local issues.”
Check out the full text atÂ
  www.south-thai.com/Insurgency.html
Â
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04.06.07
Posted in Human Rights Issues, Misc., Muslim Understanding, Uncategorized at 3:32 pm by expatgirl
I just watched a wonderful movie on Israel and Palestine. I loved how balanced the movie is. It is called “Promises.”  It was produced and brought about by American Jews yet shows a balanced picture of the problems between Israel and Palestine.Â
Today I was surfing the net…. only 2 sites (clicks) and I stumbles upon this website that shows stats on the deaths in Israel and Palestine and how the American media skewed coverage of it.
Â
Wow….. take a look
Â
http://www.ifamericansknew.org/media/net-report.html
Â
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03.31.07
Posted in Misc., Muslim Understanding, Uncategorized at 3:27 pm by expatgirl
Here is a link to my 2004 Blog Entries that I recently recovered. I was talking about the violence that I saw even then.
http://www.south-thai.com/2004blog.html
Â
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03.28.07
Posted in Human Rights Issues, Misc., Muslim Understanding, Uncategorized at 4:12 pm by expatgirl
A young man wrestles with himself and society on his choice to become a Muslim. http://www.south-thai.com/jihad.html
True Story of how the US Military sponsors sex tourism in Hatyai. http://www.south-thai.com/soldier.html
Story of the sad fate of the Sea Gypsies and the uncounted number of people that drown in southern Thailand each year. http://www.south-thai.com/gypsy.html
Â
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03.20.07
Posted in Human Rights Issues, Muslim Understanding, Uncategorized at 6:19 pm by expatgirl
A more balanced article about the situation in southern Thailand
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/03/20/asia/AS-GEN-Thailand-Insurgency-Human-Rights.php
 The Associated Press…. but who was the author of this article?
Here is the Human Rights Organization’s original document on the topic of “Thailand: Security Forces Responsible for Disapperances  Government Should End Policy of ‘Dissapearing” Suspected Muslim Malay Separatists
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/03/20/thaila15499.htm
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Posted in Human Rights Issues, Muslim Understanding, Uncategorized at 6:01 pm by expatgirl
Yes, Indeed there are radical groups of insurgents in southern Thailand that the newspapers claim to be Islamic. Instead of condemning a peaceful and productive religion (Islam) reporters should use the terms “radical-insurgents” or “extremists.” This would HELP the general more moderate and peaceful Muslim population of southern Thailand fit a separate and negative title to the ones causing violence.Â
The Counterterrorism Blog (I have the link in my favorites) still has the best information on southern Thailand. I challenged Dr. Zachary Abuza to find statistics on the killings, violence and imprisonment for Buddhists and Muslims in southern Thailand and his reporting in the last month have reflected a change. Because Muslims are the majority in this area, and not all violence is done by Muslims he should avoid claiming non related violence to the true insurgency. I asked that Dr. Abuza not use the word “Muslim” unless it is proven that it is indeed a Muslim and then sparingly as not ALL violence by Christians, Buddhist and Jews are labled as Christian, Buddhist and Jewish violence.
The main point is that radical groups should not be labled as Muslim or Islamic. They should be labled as what they are, divergent.
The Co-Chaimen of the Counterterrorism Foundation are Daveed Gartenstein-Ross & Andrew Cochran. I wonder if they will be up for factual and productive reporting instead of playing on westerners’ fears of Islam and using sensationalism in journalism for their own benefit.
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