“Maybe Hell is the inability to change things. Instead faith made us see Heaven”. A kamikaze speaks and does so in the book by Mahi Binebine, a former student and professor of mathematics in Paris and today a painter and writer in New York. Born in Marrakech in 1959…
Coronavirus and the war rhetoric
During this global pandemic and quarantine, we hear a lot of talking about a war-like situation. Sure, there are some similarities between the two emergency circumstances. On the other hand, psychology, strategy and social system play a total different role…
Coronavirus, a chance to walk on the other side
When the whole world was looking at Italy with worry, the virus was spreading everywhere else. This is because that worry wasn’t always “genuine”, but more often led by a stereotypical consideration of Italy, (one of) the“open flank” of Europe. With all the lack of controls and weak structures… (allusion by some news from England), being the country of disorganization and slowness “par excellence” (tacit from some French news). And this attitude came also from our debate. Is this disturbing? Yes, because it doesn’t tell the whole story…
Nouri Bouzid, facing any taboo in the Arab world
“In our tradition there is a strange reversal of roles, where the rapist is proud and the victim must be ashamed”. I remember once, when I returned to my city in Sfax, I met my brother and other friends and acquaintances playing cards in a bar. I joined them, and I recognized someone who had been a rapist when we were younger, even though he was a few years older than me. Well, at a certain point he said to me, and repeated it several times, without anyone reacting in any way: “if I had raped you as a young man, you would not have had the courage to open your mouth now”…
“La guerra del fùtbol”, kicking diplomacy away
In 1969, Honduras and El Salvador contend the qualification to the World Cup of 1970 in Mexico. But the matches take place in an already dramatic political situation. And made things even worse…
Stanley’s war
War movies follow usual outlines, blending together action, heroism, sacrifice, emotions. Because they work better if there’s a good vs evil dichotomy in which you can relate. Not Kubrick ones. In Stanley’s war there aren’t good ones…
From war on drugs to drugs in war
The finding of captagon, some kind of amphetamine, in the pockets or blood of many jihadists affiliated to Islamic State surprised the public opinion. But using drugs in wars is an ancient practice. Anyway it’s a paradox how the same Governments who spend billions in the war on drugs or groups that punish the use of narcotics with death penalty, if they have to prevail against the enemy, don’t mind to step on everyone and everything…
Keep calm and don’t blame islam
7 gennaio, è appena passata l’Epifania, nemmeno il tempo di riprendere i ritmi di lavoro regolare dopo la sbornia delle lunghe festività natalizie che il mondo è scosso dall’attentato alla sede del giornale satirico parigino Charlie Hebdo ad opera di un gruppo di fondamentalisti islamici ma di nazionalità francese, affiliati alla sezione yemenita di Al […]