TUESDAY, APRIL 15, 2014 LOCAL kuwait digest in my view Mortal sins of Why Arabs go Twitter bats! backwards By Ali Al-Randy By Dr Shamlan Y Al-Essa hoever said that Twitter can be a blessing or a ew York Times, the well known American curse is absolutely right, because in the for- newspaper, published on April 9 a long Wmer, it is used as a means to create a civilized, Nreport on its front page about the problem humane dialogue through which thoughts, visions and of accepting outstanding students in prestigious information can be exchanged. It can also be curse American universities, to a point that made the when over-flooded with mindless, silly chats that famed Stanford University reject outstanding stu- include no information or deep thoughts; when it’s dents who scored up to 95 percent, as the university merely used to exchange superficial or indecent com- Political ments and accusations. Some comments are so impolite accepted only 5 percent of the outstanding students and violate others’ privacy by libeling and blaspheming activist who attempted to enter this university, as 42,167 them by sick-minded people who have no courage to applied for admission and 2,138 were accepted, but confront and hide behind sobriquets, just like bats that at the end only 1,700 registered. cannot fly during daytime and thus resort to the dark- The question: Why do American universities ness of caves with serpents, scorpions and harmful become strict in the policy of students’ admission, insects. while our universities are the only ones who take it Such practices have recently exposed a number of easy in accepting students with low academic unstable personalities and interest-seekers who falsely Al-Anbaa scores? The difference between them and us is that accuse others simply because they stood as strong bar- Western universities brag about thousands of out- riers against their mean illegitimate desires and wishes. Political faction standing students applying for admission, be them No wonder that such campaigns can sometimes be led Americans or foreigners, because strictness in aca- by reputable high degree holders, politicians, academics demic admission elevates the university’s standards, and media, art and legal figures who use the accounts of misled people or even people hired to practice libel- and the more strict universities are in the policy of ing to the dirtiest levels ever in using such media driven admission, the academic level of the university goes by psychiatric diseases, sense of failure and family in my view higher. grudges and complexes that may make people infected Fierce competition among American and foreign with them accuse others of their own literal or moral Palestinian statehood students from all over the globe gives prestigious flows. They would then portray rivals as possessing all American universities uniqueness, because they do the world’s misdeeds. not differentiate between hardworking and out- We believe that all these vices are committed by ‘bats’ By Abdullah H. Erakat standing students, be them citizens or foreigners, whose family and personal history might have been full ot all Palestinians believe that the joining of ments.” The official says the Palestinians broke-off direct because the grades of the students qualify them for of the mortal sins they have been trying to label others United Nations agencies and international treaty talks in March; said “no” to Kerry’s framework and princi- admittance to the university. The American govern- with, namely highly successful people who know the Norganizations by the Palestinian Authority will ples of final status; and “Abu Mazen said ‘no’ to recogniz- ment is not involved in admission policies, even if nature of these venomous scorpions. bring its people closer to statehood. ing Jewish [character of the] state.” He also argued that it the university is a government one. What American However, historically and logically speaking, all UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has issued accept- was the Palestinians who refused a package deal which universities do is different from what we follow in Twitter bats or chicks can never defame righteous peo- ances of the letters of accession signed by Palestinian would have facilitated the prisoner release. “The ple, and neither can these social media clean the records President Mahmoud Abbas last week, including the Palestinians have to look at their own behavior. In the our universities. Minister Al-Mulaifi insisted last year of those coward scorpions who do not have the honor Hague Convention and the Fourth Geneva Convention past months, they have shown an exclusively rejectionist on accepting 11,000 students despite the fact that nor the ability to act in the open and declare their true infuriating Israel and triggering a round of tit-for-tat with position.” our university has the capacity of 6,500 students identities. Those who resort to such cheap conspiracies the Netanyahu government amid what some are calling Abdelkarim, who has been involved in Palestinian poli- only, and this year the minister is insisting on accept- work in collaboration with psychologically-diseased the collapse of the peace mission overseen by US tics for 47 years, said there are constant Palestinian meet- ing all passing students, not only the outstanding people who suffer from inferiority and lack of integrity, Secretary of State John Kerry. The memberships take ings following up on the joining of UN agencies. He said, ones. effect on May 2, thirty-days after the submission of the “The PLO has always viewed it as its right for the state of creditability and honor. As the Arabic proverb says: ‘The original letters and two-days after the deadline for the ini- Palestine to join all conventions and agencies of the The question: Why do American universities and deprived has nothing to offer”. —Translated by Kuwait tial nine-months agreed to by both the Israelis and United Nations.” He failed to offer details of those plans, others in advanced and industrial countries are strict Times from Al-Anbaa Palestinians for Secretary Kerry to broker a peace deal. but suggested that more action may be needed from the in their admission policies, although most of them “It doesn’t translate into any tangible change on the Palestinians to ensure their membership. are private, and do not pay attention to profits, while ground,” said Nadim Khoury, Assistant Professor of Fatah representative Mohammad Hurani said the we, the backward in the Third World countries, take Political Science at Al-Quds Bard Honors College for move to sign the letters of accession this month was a it easy in the admission policy, to a point where kuwait digest Liberal Arts and Sciences. message saying that “the Palestinians have their options” “It may give the Palestinians more leverage diplomati- and put pressure on Israel to agree to follow-through on Mulaifi called for admitting all students who passed cally, but this is a remote and abstract kind of power,” he its commitments. the secondary school exams. Why does their think- Women market wrote in an email to The Media Line. Following the UN gambit, government officials in Israel Other conventions Abbas signed-on to include the announced it would impose economic sanctions on the loses identity! Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties and The Palestinians in response to the move, which Israeli Prime Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Minister Binyamin Netanyahu considered to be a unilater- The days of Kuwaiti pride Degrading Treatment or Punishment. “It won’t protect al one. Hourani, a lawmaker, said the Palestinian side was By Arwa Al-Wagyan Palestinians from settler violence or dismantle check- not surprised since “they have nothing to lose.” and prosperity were in the used to feel very happy wandering around the old points and settlements,” Khoury said. “President [Abbas] and the Palestinians know that the But officials of Gaza-based Hamas disagree that it reactions of the Israelis will be a kind of political and eco- fifties until the middle of women’s market (Souq Al-Hareem) in downtown won’t bring statehood closer. “It’s a great step for the nomic punishment,” said Hourani, adding that “there is sixties, during the reign of IKuwait City as a child, listening to Kuwaiti dialects Palestinians,” Isra Al-Modallal, the Hamas government’s always a price you pay in politics.” He argues that US and watching Kuwaiti salesladies doing business. The first female spokesperson said. She said this could be a Secretary of State John Kerry means well, but that he late Sheikh Abdullah Al- market had a beautiful Kuwaiti flavor and fragrance chance to put Israel before the law. needs to exert pressure on the Israeli side. “We think the then. It symbolized Kuwaiti women’s historic self- Americans should make pressure not only on the Salem Al-Sabah. Kuwait was reliance. However, doing the same trip these days, I Direct talks Palestinian side, but on the Israeli side, too,” he said. the country of Arabs, with feel very sad for how identity-less the market has “This is the only way to call for our rights,” she said in a Despite his remarks to the Senate Foreign Relations telephone interview from the Gaza Strip. Committee last week in which Kerry, in the estimation of the full meaning of the word. become. It is not as Kuwaiti as it used to be. Most Qais Abdelkarim, a member of the Palestinian the Israelis, pointed the finger of blame at the Jewish salesladies are Ethiopians or Indians renting the stalls Legislative Council representing the Democratic Front for state enraging Israel’s supporters both domestic and on sublease contracts. The whole market, that once the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), said the Palestine abroad - earning the praise of Hamas’ Al-Modallal-the ing differ from ours? The answer to this question is was considered a wonderful symbol for Kuwaiti work- Liberation Organization (PLO) could have made the move Israeli official nevertheless denied that it was receiving ing women, has become a trade.