to an israeli interviewer
You have called me today to request an interview for an Israeli newspaper. Here is my answer.
you want to interview me about the music we are keeping going in beirut today.
in other times, i would have liked to be interviewed by an israeli newspaper to talk about my music and my drawings.
i would have probably said for a start that i never imagined the israeli people like green people with antennas.
i would have talked about the free jazz and the improvised and experimental music scene in lebanon.
i would have said that beirut is most probably the closest city in the world to tel aviv and that the musicians and artists of both cities have a lot in common. at least the weather, not to speak about the mediterranean way of life and the high concentration of intellectuals, artists, thinkers and free men in both cities.
today that i have the occasion to say whatever i want, i do not wish to do so.
today, instead of playing music with my friends musicians in Beirut and in the whole world, i am playing with the israeli air force. and this, i do not accept.
today, i sadly do not feel we have the same weather anymore. beirut is getting hotter every day. and this, i do not accept.
today, i am beginning to believe that there is not so much free men in israel. i tend to think more and more that the majority of the israelis are really green with antennas on their heads. and this, you shouldn't accept.
today, i do not wish to speak anymore.
thank you for listening to this “nothing” i ended up by saying.
you want to interview me about the music we are keeping going in beirut today.
in other times, i would have liked to be interviewed by an israeli newspaper to talk about my music and my drawings.
i would have probably said for a start that i never imagined the israeli people like green people with antennas.
i would have talked about the free jazz and the improvised and experimental music scene in lebanon.
i would have said that beirut is most probably the closest city in the world to tel aviv and that the musicians and artists of both cities have a lot in common. at least the weather, not to speak about the mediterranean way of life and the high concentration of intellectuals, artists, thinkers and free men in both cities.
today that i have the occasion to say whatever i want, i do not wish to do so.
today, instead of playing music with my friends musicians in Beirut and in the whole world, i am playing with the israeli air force. and this, i do not accept.
today, i sadly do not feel we have the same weather anymore. beirut is getting hotter every day. and this, i do not accept.
today, i am beginning to believe that there is not so much free men in israel. i tend to think more and more that the majority of the israelis are really green with antennas on their heads. and this, you shouldn't accept.
today, i do not wish to speak anymore.
thank you for listening to this “nothing” i ended up by saying.
posted by mazen (old profile) at 01:11
14 Comments:
Mazen - you have said much more than anything.
I cannot believe that while the Lebanese are being bombed Olmert and Bush are seeing opportunities for peace.
I cannot believe that while Beirut is bombed Israelis think it is appropriate to talk to us about our music, our lives, our souls, our cities. Do they think we have no feelings? Do they think we have no hearts? Do they think destroying our Beirut, our bridges, our lives, is ok for us? Do they think we are robots?
Great answer, as great as your drawings and music.
Check out your drawings all over Amsterdam here: http://www.voyantes.net/blog/?p=155
my dear marvin,
not robots, animals as the nice israeli ambassador to the un ointed it out. this guy would probably be shocked to see that i have a beard but no explosives belt.
sadly enough, the majority of the people in the world do not know who we are.
we know the history of all the nations in the world.
i can give you the names of at least 45 of the united states of america. i can tell you all about the french kings since pepin le bref. i know every little detail of the rise and fall of the communism in russia. i know most probably the names of 3 quarters of the presidents and kings of the world. etc. etc.
and this, most of the lebanese people are capable of.
as they are capable of answering you in 3 languages to any question you ask to a person on the street.
what do people know about us?
hello delirious,
great to see that i am back in amsterdam. i played two concerts there this year (the latest less than 2 months ago).
i think your idea is great. it should spread in all the cities of the world. it will allow me to travel a little bit in those harsh times.
...
We are not the same as our governments. Don't underestimate the mass revulsion that is occuring among people everywhere (it seems, except in the US) at what is happening in Lebanon.
I don't know a single soul here (Melbourne, Australia) who doesn't think that what is happening is obscene.
I have put the Lebanese flag on my blog and linked here. I wish I knew what to do.
Hi Mazen, You look to become little bet tired, if you answer at the telephon to somebody from Israel-sayng is a reporter-(Naturally You didn't know before...). But...to find Your location, nothing more easy by telephon's signals!(May be I'm to distrustfull. But Y'd understand, what You created,is first time in the world(something like Pink-Floyd concertum.)and it arouse a great deal of iterest for what is the situation over there and this is more and more efficient then million of israely sonor bombs!Of course You know that is not been allowed to be there, like in Palestine or Irak, to many T.V.reporters, those who got the permit are sending us, around the world,just few incomplete well handled news, that often seems- All of You Lebanes guilty-too!Not the same by Your draws and words...!So, I kan understand Your main interest in Y life is Art, like widely shown here and what is wrong with this?!Just and only a job, a passion of a human being like You(me too from long time and profetionally) and many others in the world.I kan even understand that in the art world-wide, like almost 90% of others activities these are handled by juwish people(I'm absolutly not racist)so for You, before, is been easy to have meet some of them, that mekes me to realize how is for Y difficult to take a political position and... follow in this way, like is possible-is one way to live little bet serene-.But trust me, take little bet more care of You and Your Family and frends.These people they don't accept, somebody showing the truth, worse if by that, they kan't get some profit even. What else kan I say...We are really millions coming helping all of You and we only wish true freedom in each Countrys.We all are exhausted to hear or see massacres, expecially of babies and women, all just for more and more shit money to be handled only by somebody!Last... We are the mediterranean People, we just should care more of our interests in this area and not the israeloangloamericans,meaning the governors and not all the citizens, that I hope are with nous. See You in free Lebanon.
Hi egi.About this:(-Elias Khoury wrote recently an essay (will be published tommorow in London) calling for a new vision to unfold from the debris that war causes, a vision that in my opinion is only possible by meeting around in a cafe chatting about music, art and other bla bla bla. Maybe even sharing a bottle of wine.-)All o.k.! But... never sharing or using even money with somebody that kan't?!Of course without ask them it back? That's only a joke.I just appreciate Your good hooping and the joke is even, to let somebody understand that we all are still in time if really want to stop and start new Era, expecially for the youngs. Egi, do something practik to help Your People and all Lebanes, Palestinians, Iraquis etc.MADRE NATURA 'L BLESS YOU.
Hi Mazen,
I sent your blog link to every cartoonist friend I could think of, and posted on my own blog about it. In a little while I'll re-post, to keep it in view.
To the poster who commented that maybe people in the US aren't revolted by the war in Lebanon, I have to tell you that's not the case. I can't speak for anyplace but New York (and wouldn't want to anyway), but I can tell you that everyone I know is heartsick and furious. The people I know who are the most upset are secular American Jews who don't agree with Israeli policies in general - and there are more of us then is ever let on in our media.
Most people in this country with half a brain feel helpless, disempowered, and completely unrepresented after six years of the Bush-Cheney regime. We are well-fed hostages. And the rest...well, it's a big country. A lot of people here probably don't even know where Lebanon is; some people can't even find their own damn country on a map, you know? But I was proud to see that my own local representative (Flatbush, baby!) was among those calling for an immediate ceasefire in Congress. Of course, Bush won't listen, because he's on vacation and doesn't give a crap about anyone, but still. It takes guts to stand up to the Israel lobby in this country.
What I keep wondering is, when this is all over, who's going to clean up? Who's going to rebuild Beirut, again? Where is this all headed?
f*** mazen, you are so
controversial.
i have to say, my little bleeding heart jumps high in the air when i read a lebanese-israeli dialogue (the non-racist ones with diplomatie, as your ph.d. commentator would like) and i feel that we-- well, i feel like i can even use "we" as a participatory, consensual, congregational, pluralized statement. "we" as hope, man.
so i cringed when i read this post.
i also cringed because, the other day, a part of me also went looking for "art in the time of war." possible goldmine!
but i quickly got bored, or rather, i began to disabuse editorials in the wall street journal, post on other blogs, get caught up in the outrage that makes me cry everyday and spit venom at this cursed war.
what am i saying? that your writing has pierced my skin and i'm bleeding. i felt the pain when i looked down and saw the blood. but dammit, i (WE, the royal american WE) need the shock of your opinions.
oh and a question, are american jews also green with horns?
missing you and your cadre and all the green/red in beirut...
shayna
Apologies to those of my American friends who are horrified by what is happening in Lebanon. I did not mean to smear them.
I was of course referring to the polls which show that support for the Israeli bombing of Lebanon runs at 68 per cent in the US (as opposed to say 13 per cent in Germany).
i believe there are actually just two division in the world. it is neither moslems nor christians nor any other beliefs. it is not divided by land borders and nationalities. i believe it is a division of the people who knows we should live as one regardless of color, nationality or belief... and the other one would be those who become too keen in observing their cultural, religious, or political beliefs that they put the basic values of human lives at stake... the second group of people are the ones who keep vying for power and to keep trying to secure what they have through forceful means... they keep trying to prove they are powerful by making sure others are bowing down on their knees.
if ever there will be a world-wide division, i believe it would be those who respect human lives for whatever and however they are... as opposed to those who does not content themselves and wishes to wage war. the choice is ours.
BRAVO!!!!
Well said, Mazen!
A Lebanese blogger
http://meastpolitics.wordpress.com
Mazen,
Why not view the offer to interview you as an attempt by Israelis to humanize the Lebanese rather than an attempt to make the Lebanese robots? The less anonymous you are, the more human you are, and the interview would present the story of you, an individual.
Being human is more than merely suffering during bombing - you were able to record beautiful music in the midst of the attacks, evidence of your great humanity. Was "Starry Night" not meant to be heard by Israelis? Why now hide your light under a bushel? Perhaps they need to hear it more than anyone.
There are Israelis sympathetic to your plight, and allowing your anger at the Israeli government to sour your view of all Israelis dehumanizes them. Communication is the only way people will learn about your experience and your struggle, and unless you had reason to believe the Israeli interviewer was going to be hostile towards you, turning down the interview seems to be part of the problem, not part of the solution.
I can't begin to understand what you are going through. Hopefully my comments will be taken how they are intended - as a friend would offer advice to a friend. I hope peace returns to your country soon.
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