The song of this week that I have been raving about on Twitter is Michael Jackson’s “What About Us?”

I know the song is about nature and what humanity has done to it, but what caught my attention is toward the end of the song. The end of the song emphasizes on the Holy Land, and the innocent people that are dying, because they are attached to the land.

Why can’t humans ever accept that we are part of the earth, and we stay dear to it with all our hearts and souls. I wish I was in Palestine. I wish I was living there and knowing that I am fighting for it. This land, so alluring and captivating, makes it worth fighting for.

I was flipping through the images on a Facebook group called, Photos from Precious Palestine, and I stopped on a certain photo that made me read it 3, 4, and 5 times.

They took everything from the Palestinian people, and when my poor people turned around and said, “We had enough! We will defend our selves and fight back,” then they get blamed and are labeled as terrorists.

I read it, and then I thought of my self. I turned to my selfish being and thought, “Is this a curse that is being passed on us Palestinians? Even some Arabs? Even me as a blogger?”

I write my thoughts, my opinions, and share it with everyone on my blog, but I am the one that gets blamed and ridiculed for it. It’s like I am supposed to shut the hell up when everyone is not in agreement with me. I have to shut up, stop writing, and suffer emotional pain because some idiot or two out there did not like what I said.

Where is the freedom of being a human being? The world is rapidly changing, science is explaining so many things, and technology is advancing at incredible rates. We are slowly trying to understand the world around us, we can even see photos now of the universe millions of light years away, but we are still arguing about the same issues and solving it the same way humans did since day one. When we fight, we make sure to hurt the other person in any way we can, either in a physical or mental way. That’s all we are cable of still mastering in utmost perfection.

When we start opening our minds to other possibilities than arguing, (who started it and what method should be used to annihilate the other), then we will advance as human beings to understand the world around us, and really use that God given intelligence to better humanity and just enjoy the journey of life.

Finally, as long as there is one Palestinian living in this world, the name Palestine will live on. Same goes for each of you out there from different nations, religions, and ideologies.

This is part three of the year end manifestation of the life of my blog.

My blog this year won so many awards, that I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count them! NOT!! (Didn’t I sound cheesy and dorky like the rest of the bloggers out there?) But yes, my blog won a lot of invisible mind boggling awards. I won people’s readerships. That’s the biggest award I can get as a blogger. I don’t care about best blog, or best writer, or best anything. Who cares? It’s like winning a virtual banner to advertise someone else’s bright idea that started the campaign.

Really, if the prize was money based, then people will be all over it! I would be so all over it!

So, I am gonna list the top blog posts this year by comments, my favorites, and ones that I should have never published, but found their way online cause of my insomnia or excessive amounts of coffee!

Top Blog Posts 2009 | Comments & Reactions

1. April 28, 2009 | It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a conspiracy theory!
2. June 7, 2009 | The Arab Blogorette
3. June 16, 2009 | I think it is time for change!
4. August 25, 2009 | Why are Muslims turning Atheists?
5. August 30, 2009 | Analysis: It is much harder to get rid of her
6. September 7, 2009 | Arabs marrying non-Arabs
7. September 18, 2009 | Window shopping for a bride
8. October 27, 2009 | Symbols of being different

Top Blog Posts 2009 | Monaism & Love

1. January 15, 2009 | Are good people always the victims of life?
2. March 31, 2009 | How accurate is this?
3. April 20, 2009 | Airports think I am a perv!
4. May 21, 2009 | A way to relieve stress
5. July 15, 2009 | Teaching a child the basics of the internet world
6. September 6, 2009 | No Comment
7. September 24, 2009 | I am sick and tired of looking for work!!! NO MORE!
8. December 4, 2009 | The typicals
9. December 26, 2009 | I am the master of my choices

Top Blog Pots 2009 | Those That Should Have Never Been

1. January 28, 2009 | The blogging world is run by monkeys
2. May 4, 2009 | I thought I held the title of taking things too seriously
3. June 20, 2009 | The media has been following me for over two decades
4. September 26, 2009 | I don’t like talking about sex in public

Tell me your first reaction to this mini movie about Jerusalem, Palestine. There is no talking in it. Just music, beautiful landscape, and people.

The movie is called “La7n el 3awdah.” And if I can translate that properly, it means something like, “The Tune of Return.”

I was deeply moved near the end of this video, and I couldn’t hold a tear. That’s me! Miss emotional!

Some people in the past have asked me why I have advertisements on my site. I replied that I was poor and I needed money from writing such mundane things on my blog. Since I have been finally employed by the good people who realized that maybe I do have a talent, then people will now question why I am still monetizing my blog.

I know advertisements are annoying, and they make pennies a day. However, I am going to leave them for two reasons:

1) I have a significant number of lovely daily readers.

2) I am going to use the money for something more than my self and to help others.

Therefore, I have decided that the money I make from my site will be sent to an online Palestinian Children’s Charity. It has absolutely no political affiliation. It is just money to buy medicine, etc. I could care less about politics or any stupid organization, and I support no one.

The rest of the money will be used for hosting my websites and domain renewals, and any other miscellaneous online purchase I need for my sites.

Random Thoughts

Well, I have been on a shopping frenzy lately. I had to go buy new clothes for work. And this is no ordinary work. I can’t dress like I just got out of bed and put on the first thing I saw in the closet that is still not ironed. Oh no. No more! I have to look like I am actually going to work! Not only that, all my clothes are too big on me. I lost so much weight from sitting at home eating my self up from anger and depression, that I was in desperate need of a new wardrobe! So, I am slowly picking up new clothes and will get a lot more later and throw out the old. I only go for sales. I don’t like spending money on clothes. I find it a waste!

Also, it is so much fun walking in downtown and looking like I a little career girl! Hehehe! I look so sophisticated for a programmer. But hey! I get treated well! I get a kick ass view (click to view), free hot drinks, and free lunch every Thursdays. Now that’s the life!

I got this email right now, and I am not going to bother to email this guy. I decided I rather take the time and post it on my blog instead so everyone can read it, and see my ever so delightful truthful reply. I don’t know if it is a hate mail or what. Maybe it is one of those ignorance emails. I haven’t gotten those in a while!

Your Name: omar
Email: omar9731@hotmail.com
Website: http://
Message:
hi Mona, i hated what you wrote but I guess that’s what you do when you want people in the west to like you, you kiss ass and try to show how nice a person you are and then you even go to another extrem where you agree with their hatred towards us Arabs and even to the point where you want them to like you so much that you stand with them and attack your own people in such a racists clocked way And by this time you even forgot why you did it and you hate what you did and said but still why did you do it.? What do you think that they are better than us. You are my pride and tonight you killed my heart.

After I read this horribly written email, what I have concluded from this is the following: I am a moody backstabber with multiple personalities. Not only that, I killed someone’s heart while doing it. I apologize Omar for killing your heart. I don’t need to apologize for anything else you said, because you don’t even know what you are talking about. I could care less who likes me or who agrees with me. I am ME! I don’t represent anyone but ME! I am NOT REPRESENTING ANY ARAB SPEAKING PERSON OTHER THEN MY SELF!

Also, thinking about it now, I do want to clarify for everyone one more thing to confirm my backstabbing ways. You see, I am Palestinian. The rest of the Arab world does not give two shits about me or my people, and don’t even want us there. My ethnicity is that of Palestinian origin who speak the Arabic language. So, if you find us exiled in some Western country and were raised here instead, then don’t blame us for our way of thinking. Blame the rest of the ever-oh-so-caring-Arab-World. At least this Western world accepted us, why didn’t YOU!?

Updated: This was another email from him. So eloquently put.

Your Name: omar
Email: omar9731@hotmail.com
Website: http://
Message: so rebellious dick head!

Also, I tracked his IP Address, and it says he is in Australia. Is Australia considered a first world Western country? And he came to my site searching for: “Arab Girls in London.” I guess he was like everyone else, couldn’t find what he wanted.

I came across this video while checking out my peepz Facebook profiles, and they shared this amazing new song for Palestine in English. Visit (www.maherzain.com) for more information about this singer.

Awakening Records is pleased to announce the release of the world’s first animated peace music video on Palestine. Palestine will be Free’ is performed by Awakening’s latest music sensation – Maher Zain.

This is the first time an animated peace music video has been produced on Palestine: “We are recognised as pioneers and constantly pushing the bounds of creativity and innovation. This animated music video for our new star artist Maher Zain is just another step in that direction and certainly not the last”, said Bara Kherigi, Director of Awakening Records. Destined to be an international success, the video features the story of a young brave Palestinian girl who never loses hope for a better future despite the harsh realities surrounding her.

All this talk about religion this week, and reading others opinions, really got me thinking of lots of stuff to talk about today.

Many of you know about Sunnis and Shi’ite, the two main denominations in Islam. Well, as a Palestinian, it is very rare to find a Shi’ite Muslim. It is almost non-existent unless they are originally from Lebanon or Syria. Well, my grandmother was Shi’ite of Lebanese origin but born in Palestine. So that makes my dad half Sunni, half Shi’ite. Which makes me have many Lebanese Shi’ite cousins.

Ask me if I grew up caring about such a thing? The answer is no. To me, Islam is Islam. People just make a big deal about little past events, and give them selves new names with new religious traditions.

Unfortunately, many people make a big deal about denominations. It’s like Catholic and Orthodox Christians. Different customs and beliefs in minor things.

One time I was at an engagement party, and a Palestinian girl that I knew made such a big deal that our Sunni Syrian friend was getting engaged to a Shi’ite Lebanese. She treated it like the girl was committing a sin or something. I didn’t want to argue with her or start a never ending debate. I never tell people that I am 1/4 Shi’ite and it doesn’t bother me or I even care about denominations, because I know people’s reactions towards such a thing.

In the end of the day, I don’t care, and such segregations are the reasons for wars, hatred, and prejudice within a religion.

I wonder how children brought up with parents of different religions turn out? Hmm??

But hey, we live in modern times, and we need to get the message out and appeal to more people. Words are the most powerful weapon. I hope more people in the world become aware of what was the result of the massacre earlier this year, and the cause of the problem.

Gaza rappers influenced by war

The people of Gaza have faced a war, and been besieged by a blockade imposed by Israel in retaliation for rocket fire. So in an effort to express their grief and resilience, a group of rappers from the Gaza Strip are getting the word out, the only way they know how.

Al Jazeera’s Casey Kauffman met the rappers in Gaza.

From AlJazeera English, June 22, 2009

I may not know many people in this city that I live in, especially Arabs. However, my mom knows many because of the nature of what she does. She fixes clothes for people, but 99% of those people are Arabs. It is the only thing she can do, and is more like a hobby and social interaction. She learned this hobby when she was only 15, because it was the only thing that she can spend her day doing. The people raised in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon at its early days, most likely did not have many females getting a proper education. My mom was one of them.

She has been fixing clothes, or being a seamstress almost all her life. She gets to meet lots of Arabs as a result, and hear their stories. And most of you know my mother by now, she is Reuters in this house. I know many stories about Arabs in this city of mine, but never really interacted with them or cared to.

It’s all in the Culture

Last night, I was sitting on my L-Zay Boy couch. That’s where I have been spending all day with the laptop on my lap. I’m spending my day writing a fictional story, and I will soon post parts of it weekly on my blog. Stay tuned! It is just for fun, and something new. Anyways, my mom comes into my blog office, and sits on a chair. She tells me, “I know so many people now. You know this and that. I met her aunt today and 15 year old daughter. They wanted me to add an extension to a dress.”

I looked at my mother with a raised eyebrow and said, “Aha? And?”

My mother continued on, “The lady wanted me to add an extension to the top area of a dress, so her daughter’s breasts don’t show. I was a bit surprised, because I didn’t know that Christians cared about such dress issues.”

They were Iraqi Christians.

“Mom, so what if they are Christians? They are Arabs. In reality, it has nothing to do with being a Muslim only to dress conservatively. It is our culture that is conservative, and not religion,” I said with a concerned voice.

Mom replied, “I sensed that. The lady said that her husband will scream at her, and not their daughter for wearing an uncovered dress like that. It had to be fixed.”

I sensed mom’s concern and confusion. Typical Arab Muslim mentality. I said, “Mom, like I said, it has nothing to do with religion. Look at some Muslim Arabs that live here or back home. Look at the way they dress. It is shameful and an invitation for rape. So what Arabs wear has nothing to do with religion anymore. If they do care, it is following cultural conservative traditions. That’s if many know what those modest traditions still are.”

Enlightening Her with Some History

[Screen shot from Fadi Andrawos music video]

I was reading some history of Palestinian life before 1948 the other day, and I wanted to share some stories with my mother. I continued on the conversation and told her, “Before the war, many of the Palestinians lived in villages and were farmers, etc. They lived a very modest life. Their only worry in life was having daily necessities to survive. Since most of them were living such a life, many of those villages lacked mosques or churches, but everyone knew and respected each other’s religion.”

Mom interrupted me and said, “Of course. That’s true, and the neighbours celebrated each other’s religious holidays. Many Christians fasted in Ramadan like their Muslim neighbours. Muslims celebrated Christmas and Easter like their Christian neighbours. They never let religion separate them.”

I said, “Exactly. Palestinians lived the Arab life. They respected each other, and never made religion a barrier between them. They celebrated each other’s religious holidays. They mourned with them. They celebrated great times with them. I don’t know when this religious separation ideology between Arabs started, but it is not right. Especially Arabs here that come from some noratic closed minded Islamic lifestyle back home, and think anyone who is not a Muslim is the devil.”

Mom said, “You are right. Our religion says to respect those who carry the holy books. Christians and Jews.”

“Exactly!” I excitedly said. “So no more of this religious crap that shocks the hell out of Arab Muslims here. They need to look deeper into their religion. Also, they should learn the true essence of being an Arab,” I added firmly.

I think I lectured my mother enough yesterday. However, I know nothing will change. At least I said something, and not only to her my loyal readers.