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Tax? What tax?
Thoughts about The Middle East on February 7, 2007
If bouncing from Dubai Police‘s website to the RTA‘s website to Dubai E-Government‘s website to Comtrust‘s website and all the way back again doesn’t drive you mad, here’s something that will – the AED 10 “Knowledge Fee” they levy on top of every fine you pay online.
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Why Beirut?
Thoughts about The Middle East on July 15, 2006
I’ve never had an opinion on the issue before, primarily because it’s hard to put what the newspapers tell you into context without actually being there. Add 23 years in a region cradled in media censorship and unilateral Palestinian sentiment, and you’re all but forced to put on your conspiracy helmet.
For an Indian, you’d think I’d talk about the attrocities in Mumbai last week. However, whether politically motivated or not, they were acts of terrorism perpetrated by a group of social misfits – people will no regard for life. Israel’s attacks on Beirut on the other hand were acts of retaliation against a people, who for the most, have had nothing do with Hezbollah‘s kidnapping of 2 Israeli soldiers on July 12. Retaliation by a government elected into power by a vast majority of people who share the same values on life as the vast majority of the people of Beirut themselves.
I’d been to Beirut last year, and I can tell you that it’s a great city; which, with its street-side cafes almost brings back memories of walking through the streets of Vienna. Make no mistake though – the scars of years of civil strife are everywhere : buildings riddled with bullet holes, the remains of churches levelled to their foundations and (at the time of our visit, shortly after the Hariri assassination) armed guards at every corner in the city center. It can be unsettling at times, but it’s peace. A peace, which I’d be very surprised if anyone, save the social misfits, would be willing to give up for Hezbollah.
I don’t claim to be an expert on politics – I’m not. What interests me is why the Lebanese government took the back seat, when everyone from Moscow to Tehran had their say on the issue 2 days ago. Capt. Jacob Dallal, an Israeli Army spokesman raised a fundamental question on CNN a short while ago – why doesn’t the Lebanese government take responsibility and clamp down on Hezbollah? A message echoed, albeit rather poorly, by the United States, which conveniently side-stepped rebuking Israel, and instead chose to hold Hezbollah and Syria responsible for Lebanon’s fate.
Analysts, on the other hand, estimate that with years of Iranian backing, Hezbollah’s military wing is significantly stronger than Lebanon’s own army. And it doesn’t end there. With 2 members on the ruling cabinet and a number of social institutions under its civilian arm, any attempt by the Lebanese government to rein in Hezbollah will undoubtedly have bitter-sweet economic consequences.
At the end of the day, the question remains – whose side would you take?
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Mine’s bigger than yours
Thoughts about The Middle East on July 8, 2006
The recent string of super-spire township developments in the Middle East (the latest of which is Kuwait’s Mubarak Al Kabir) makes you wonder if there’s any real merit to heading skyward or whether it’s just a matter of grown adults stacking legos in a sand pit. Yes, it’s the dream that makes us who we are – and Tokyo could be forgiven for their 2000 meter Shimizu, but does the X-Seed 4000 really need to be taller than Mt. Fuji – concept or otherwise?
On a side note, I’ll never understand why Nakheel keeps promoting the Al Burj with a horrid midnight impression which makes it look like something straight out of Mordor, when it looks so much more awe-inspiring in daylight.