Haddad's 'Palestine'

Alas Tunisian born Hubert Abraham Haddad's poignant novel 'Palestine' is not readily available in an English translation.

Haddad is a Jew living and writing in France. His literary accomplishments are long and varied as truly he is gifted.

'Palestine' has won two prizes: 'Prix des cinq continents de la francophonie [2008] and 'Prix renaudot' [2009].

Haddad dwells on the violence and repression of the Israeli occupation in Hebron as seen through the eyes of an Israeli soldier taken prisoner by a Palestinian terrorist cell. 'Palestine' is one and at the same time, not only a young woman who tends to his wounds but also the embodiment of the suffering and humiliation of 44 years of Israeli occupation.

Cham who becomes Nessim physically resembles Palestine's brother; he is the mirror image of the cancer of oppression that the Zionist state and settlers are visiting in the occupied West Bank, specifically here in Hebron, the site of the Tomb of the Patriarchs, commonly revered by Jew and Muslim alike.

As Nessim, Cham is psychologically transformed as he witnesses the mindless and deliberate effects of Israel's policy to drive Palestinians off their land and destroy, unsuccessfully, their soul. Empathy takes hold of his heart and soul towards Palestine as he submits to the daily routine of occupation.

The story's denouement is explosive as it conveys the state of Israel's lawlessness and absence of humanity.

If anything Haddad's 'Palestine' is a testament to Palestinians who are not an invented people.

Guamdiary thinks that were Haddad's novel rendered in English, it would take a courageous publish willing to lose money in the current, mad climate of US politics and utterly intellectually and morally ignorant culture. Yet, we feel that is worth the try!

David Cameron's Jimmy Cayne moment in Brussels

Jimmy Cayne is the disgraced banker who brought down Bear Stearns in 2008, a forerunner of the global markets crash. What has David Cameron have in common with the pot smoking Cayne?

Rewind the film of history to 1998, to the crash of the debacle of Long term Capital Management which almost brought down finance capitalism. The big bracket banks, under the pressure of the Clinton administration, met to rescue the markets by shelling out of deep pockets of theirs LTCM. Jimmy Cayne was the sole exception: he is famously heard to say his hands did not reach to his pockets.

The mighty wizards of American financial capitalism never forgot Cayne's arrogance. So in 2008 when Bear Stearns' head was on the block, Hank Paulson & co. let the rough and tumble brokerage die an ignoble death.

Fastforward to the meeting of the 27 European countries in Brussels. David Cameron like Cayne refused to go along to rescue the Euro and stabilise the shaking pillars of finance capitalism. He held out for special privileges for the City in London which played its shameful part in provoking the 2008 global recession, and on which Cameron as prime minister continues to support and rely on, whilst his government's programmes are driving the UK to wreak and ruin.

Continental Europe will not forget Cameron's perfidy. And soon the day will come, as it surely will, when he is going to come hat and hand for a bailout. And then, continental Europe will judge him severely and humiliation. The UK owing to Cameron's petty mindedness will sink to the rank of a fifth class power and feast on salted crow!

'Light on the Lotus Hill': an episode in Singapore's forgotten history

The island city state of Singapore boasts of its first world economy, fine universities, think tanks, and the genius of its peoples--its only resource. Yet, during almost a half century of independence, its universities have produced little in the way noteworthy of its past, other than endless boasting of the PAP.

Unearthing Singapore's forgotten history is seemingly left to amateur history buffs. 'Light on the Lotus Hill' is one notable example. Originally published as a book by Chan Cha Wah, holder of a master's in anthropology from the London School of Economics, in 2009, it follows the life of the Venerable Pu Liang, the eight about of the Shang Lin monastery, who gave aid to and support of Nanyang Volunteers who left Singapore to work on the Burma Road, the only link to the outside world to supply the land locked Chinese resistance to the Japanese armies.

The good abbot was a living example of the virtues of his religious calling and worked closely with the China Relief Fund during the Sino Japanese war that began in 1937. He opened the monastery to fleeing Singaporeans from the Japanese bombing of Singapore in year end 1941, as well as using its large grounds then on Ballestier Road as a school for drivers and mechanics of trucks that they would use in maintaining and services and transporting supplies in American made trucks on the Burma Road.

From 1937 to the entry of Japanese troops in Singapore in 1942, Chinese in Nanyang [Singapore] raised funds, educated the public to advancing imperial Japan's designs on China and beyond, recruited volunteers notably for the Burma Road, through the China Relief Fund.

The Venerable Pu Liang played his part. During the infamous 'Sook Ching', the Japanese occupiers arrested him and two monks; they were executed in Changi beach.

It is to Chan's credited that he not only documented the eight abbot of the Shang Lin monastery's life but also his support of aiding and comforting the victims of Japanese aggression, raising money--donation of the faithfuls' contributions at Vesak day--and opening the monastery grounds as a school and training ground of Nanyang Volunteers for the Burma Road, he has written, produced, and directed a riveting documentary on the life of Pu Liang--the light on the lotus hill.

Chan's documentary is currently entered in the Imperial War Museums competition.

Were it not for the intellectual curiosity of Singaporeans like Chan Cha Wah, the hidden history of Singapore would remain for too many years more under the morass of time.

'Light on the Lotus Hill' reclaims its rightful spot in Singapore's history. It is only hoped that others follow Chan's inclinations. It is a sad commentary that the Merlion island's history is left fallow.

lbion Cameron plays the Perfidious card

It should come as no surprise that UK prime minister David Cameron played the traditional role of 'Perfidious Albion' at the talks in Brussels to save the European Union.

Traditionally, the UK has always stood aloof from continental Europe but for the times when conflict--usually war--challenged its interests.

Consider the Great War: Britain fought the rising Hun that challenged it economically as well as militarily. Once vanquished, thanks to the intervention of the US, London quickly picked up its marbles, withdrawing into the comfort of its own 'Little England'. Continental Europe was left to its own devices thank you very much.

Now, Cameron is playing the same old game with the Euro, which the UK refused to support, unless Germany and France would recognise London's special rights. Germany's Angela Merkel demurred, and France's Nicolas Sarkozy tersely remarked that the British prime minister missed the golden opportunity to keep his mouth shut.

Cameron simply wanted to protect London's parochial designs. By drawing the line in the sand, he has marginalised the UK and is hastening the decline of the UK where the sun never set on its empire, to a fourth rate power. Even his American allies have loosened the ties of their special relations, thereby multiplying the effect of diminishing the UK's role in Europe. Now, thanks to Cameron, London is a backwater, London being a financial centre notwithstanding.

The UK's austerity vise has also contribution to breaking social peace through strikes, riots, and growing impoverishment.

By upholding the banner of 'Perfidious Albion', Cameron is being crushed by his small mindedness and myopic view of Europe.

Littered with books

'Littered with books' is a wonderful, award winning, independent bookshop in Singapore's Duxton Road in the Tanjung Pagar district.

A quiet retreat, it is well stocked and don't be surprised if a cat or two finds its way among your feet.

LWB has the ambiance, say, a Barbara Pym would find congenial.

Anyone going to Singapore should not deny himself a visit to LWB.

Is the PAP the only political party in Singapore?

Anyone reading 'The Straits Times' would come away with the impression that the only game in town is the People's Action Party. Yet in the 2011 General Election Singaporeans sent six opposition candidates to Parliament, causing consternation among the ruling elite.

Still, the 'Times' hardly breathes a word on the Workers' Party which broke PAP's stride, especially in Aljunied where the longtime PAP favourite and minister George Yeo went down to defeat.

WP's significant showing has sent PAP into soul searching, and the 'Times' prints endless articles in the ruling party's intentions of trying harder in order to respond to the changing tastes and aspirations of Singaporeans.

You have to go to social networks to hear the opposition parties for they are steadfastly denied any space in the media which PAP has erected a firewall to keep them out of public view.

Mme. Clinton goes to Naypyidaw

Without fanfare, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has come to Myanmar.
Her visit was carefully choregraphed as a result of president Obama's meeting with Burmese authorities in Indonesia during a meeting of Asian Pacific states.
A secretary of state has not visited Myanmar or Burma since John Foster Dulles in 1956.
Clinton met with president Thine Sein at Naypyidaw, the new Burmese capital. According to reports, she handed him a letter from Obama and discussed means to open full relations with a Myanmar where the generals have taken to wearing civilian cloth. As a result, reforms are in the air to widen avenues to a civil society, as well as opening a window to a wider world within, it has to be stressed, from a Birman standpoint.
The US is badly informed about what's happening in Myanmar. It, however, does want to seize an opportunity to twist the Chinese tiger's tail. China has never boycotted Myanmar; it has 'rectified borders' with Burma a half century ago, thereby establishing friendly relations. More recently, Beijing's dynamic economy has moved in swiftly overwhelming Myanmar's industries. And the Chinese have acted arrogantly and crudely prompting Naypyidaw to cancel a dam project which China sorely needs.
Although Thein Sein's motives remain unclear, one thing is certain, he's looking to wiggle out from under China's heavy hand. His desire is welcome by the US that is looking to mate China in the Asia Pacific region. Which brings us back to Clinton's presence in Myanmar. In a way, it's a mutal Christmas gift these exploratory talks.
Another concern of Obama is Myanmar's relations with North Korea. Before flying in to the Birman capitol, Clinton had talks with her South Korean allies in Seoul. Isolating North Korea is top priority for these two countries. It is doubtful that Myanmar will distance itself from the DPRK, the more especially since things on the ground there have evolved without the guiding hand of America's bienfaisance. If the US' track record is any signpost, Washington will soon prove as heavy handed as the Chinese in dealing with Birman sensibilities on the matter of North Korea.
For the moment, prospects look bright, but has US diplomacy improved since Foster Dulles visit in 1956?