Said didn't deny his birth certificate listed Egypt. You choose to ignore that fact because it doesn't suit your argument. If he said "his family moved to Egypt" I might not object, though "moved back" would make more sense. When George Bush does these types of things you become furious. Yes, we're talking about people. Not a nation. So let's stick to the humanitarian context.
Your case should be studied by an equipe of psychotherapists, Ben. http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,203150,00.html
Argue with his birth certificate, not with me. I didn't list Cairo as his home. He can explain it any way he wants, but that doesn't change the fact that when he was born, Egypt was listed as his home. It says a lot about Israel (the country) that Israel Shahak prospered there.
"I was born in Jerusalem and had spent most of my formative years there and, after 1948, when my entire family became refugees , in Egypt." -Edward Said, London Review of Books May 7, 1998 http://www.lrb.co.uk/v20/n09/print/said01_.html
Why not continue the quote, Ben? Feeling a little dishonest this morning? "All my early education had, however, been in élite colonial schools, English public schools designed by the British to bring up a generation of Arabs with natural ties to Britain. The last one I went to before I left the Middle East to go to the United States was Victoria College in Cairo, a school in effect created to educate those ruling-class Arabs and Levantines who were going to take over after the British left." Does this sound like someone who is deliberately trying to "trick" people into thinking that he never spent much time in Cairo? Ben, just read his goddam memoir already--it's all very clear in there, and you can stop with this racist, ignorant garbage. In any case, Ben, what exactly is your (and the extreme Zionists' who you are plagiarizing) point here? That Edward Said ISN'T Palestinian? Or he isn't AS Palestinian as he claims? You think he's really an Egyptian who just decided he could get more famous by pretending to be a victimized Palestinian? Are you *#*#*#*#ing serious? Actually, I think this probably IS your halfwitted interpretation, which is pathetic. You see, the jerks your quoting have a much larger goal that you probably don't even see. They very clearly see Edward Said's entire life and body of work as evidence of exactly the truth that they so wish to deny. 1) Palestinians were a people on the land. 2) Jews kicked them off the land. This doesn't jibe very well with their old "a land without a people for a people without a land" cry in the runup to 1948.
Re: Re: Edward Said (RIP) In an Arafat article I read by Daniel Pipes, it said that Palestinians were suspicious of his Egyptian accent and upbringing. It's like a Brooklyn-ite trying to pass as a native of New Orleans. But he certainly has ridden the Palestinian thing as far as he could. The same article said that 3 of the biggest proponents of Palestine were all Egyptian-born & falsely claimed they were born in Palestine. I think the writer was referring to Arafat, Edward Said & another person by the name of Said in the 1st half of the 20th century. http://www.danielpipes.org/article/317
Re: Re: Re: Edward Said (RIP) You see, Pizza. The fact that you read Pipes is supposed to be EMBARRASSING for serious people. Yet you come on here and trumpet his assinine accusations like they're relevant. For the umpteenth time, NOONE, NOT EVEN THE STUPID ZEALOTS are claiming that Said was not born in Jerusalem. His birth certificate from Jerusalem is pretty darn solid on that point. So to call him "Egyptian born," you claim Pipes does, right away makes him even more whacked than the rest of the loons. The claim that Ben has been parroting is slightly less moronic. It has to do with the fact that Said's father had opened a branch of the family store (founded in Jerusalem, and run by him and his brothers) in Cairo. It's called "international business." Of course, when an American moves abroad with his family for business reasons, yet still returns to his hometown annually, sends his kids to school in the states for a while, and so on....no one claims that they are no longer "American." This is what Ben is trying to sell. Only idiots are buying.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Edward Said (RIP) I screwed up. Said was raised in Cairo & took off for the US later on. Arafat on the other hand was born & raised in Cairo. Care to refute that?
Said's undeniable dishonesty doesn't bother you. After being a refugee who left AFTER 1948? Remind me which race I'm against? The Egyptian-Palestinian refugee race? The Palestinian race? The Arab race? Yes, he's benefited enormously from giving the impression of being a Palestinian victim. It's funny how angry you get when George Bush gives the impression that Iraq was behind 9-11 without going nearly as far as Said does in terms of outright lying about the connection. Edward Said doesn't fit into that model. Here's what another Said said: Nuri Said, PM of Iraq, ""We will smash the country with our guns and obliterate every place the Jews seek shelter in. The Arabs should conduct their wives and children to safe areas until the fighting has died down." "This wholesale exodus was due partly to the belief of the Arabs, encouraged by the boastings of an unrealistic Arabic press and the irresponsible utterances of some of the Arab leaders that it could be only a matter of weeks before the Jews were defeated by the armies of the Arab States and the Palestinian Arabs enabled to re_enter and retake possession of their country." Edward Atiyah, Arab League.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Edward Said (RIP) Usually an American city would be listed on the birth certificate as a permanent address, not Cairo.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Edward Said (RIP) But his permanent residence WAS Egypt, as his father had no intention of ever moving back to Jerusaelm. He apparently hated it there. This has no bearing on the question of Edward Said's credibility as a Palestinian. Anyway, I'm not going to continue poking holes in this flimsy and trivial lie. I've never seen you ONCE, Ben, challenge Said's ideas or writings about the issues themselves. If you want to demonstrate that you have even a mediocre comprehension of the issues in Israel/Palestine, maybe you can try that sometime. Or just continue the silly ad hominem attacks. Daniel Pipes cares...
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Edward Said (RIP) I've just posted a Said lie that can't be defended, but fine. There are so many others, but despite what some people think, most documents are not available online, especially from the before the 90s. I generally respond to anti-Israel attacks. Saridinia will start more Israel threads in one week than I will in one year. I've alreaedy addressed Said's idea about a "bi-national" state which is just doubletalk for Israel's eradication. That much is so obivous that even most Palestinians don't bother proposing it anymore.
Thank You! Another ignoramus makes himslef publicly known. Many who have never read Said yet hold uninformed opinions keep it to themselves. You however, are honest/stupid enough to bring it out in the open. Clearly anyone incapable of reading any of Said's scholarly works shouldn't bother to post on his political views (since you're going to get second/third/fourth/etc. hand information). If you've never read his scholarly works (at least Orientalism) than you shouldn't post. Stick to Bernard Lewis, his drivel is designed to fit perfectly with most ignorant people's pre-conceptions and prejudices. Besides, the words he uses are also much shorter.
Re: Re: Edward Said (RIP) You're obviously forgetting that Said expressed his political views countless times in essays and interviews.