Successful Prayers

"The wall cannot seperate the olive tree from its roots." Raja Shedadek.  "My homeland is not a suitcase, and I am not a travellor." Ghassan Knafani.  "We are all born with the greatest treasures we'll ever have in life. One of those treasures is your mind, the other your heart." Susan Adulhawa.  "You cannot continue to victinize someone else just because you yourself where a victum once - there has to be a limit." Edward Said. "We Palestinians have no future, only a past."  Raja Shehadeh.  "One can rely on evil persons, they at least won't change."  William Faulkner                                                                                No rain for months and than after I wrote that we are praying for rain, it rained the next day in Gafsa, more rain a couple of days later in 4 governments. Rain in Sousse a few days afterwards, though not yet as much as we need. There is supposed to be more to come soon. But anyhow, it's encouraging, so let us pray for peace, punishments for all war criminals, and at long last a two state solution. This senseless suffering must end. Seems to me we are living in a stupid century. There appear to be continued attacks in Gaza on Palestinian schools. It makes me wonder whether Netanyahu deep down hated his school days. After all it is a well known fact that revenge is often taken on innocent persons. - Sadly an estimated 46 % of Tunisians think about leaving their country, the majority with an university education. Brain drain, sounds worrying. Makes it difficult to achieve improvements that would make Tunisia more attractive to stay and create a great country, which I strongly believe is possible, eventually. Some folks tell me first of all we need to change our mentality, get citizens to appreciate and protect nature, animals and the environment. Teach kids the right values, respect, keep their surroundings clean, show responsibility, learn the beauty of books and not just play football every spare minute. Cheap diesel enables youngsters to ride their motorbikes, "let off steam, just for fun", but it comes at a heavy price, considering the pretty obvious pollution (black stinking clouds, smell of something burning, exteme noice at ear-slitting level). Scientists worked out that rising sea levels present a threat to Tunisia losing Kerkennak, Kalaat el-Andalous and other costal areas e. g. Karthago. I read that during a period of over 9 years Tunisians paid 447 Million Dinars to get visas for  European countries. Often lost money, as money spend on visas that finally get rejected is not refunded and Tunisians receive the highest rejections, in particular in Italy. This may well have something to do with "some bad apples", in other words terrorists, whose evil deeds make quite a few Europeans suspicious of North Africans, Arabs and Moslems in general ( recent case in Solingen, still under investgation, suspect arrived 2 years ago from Syria, either mentally sick or a terrorist). Germany had promised asylum to Afghanistan persons and their families threatened by the Taliban with death as they are regarded as traitors, in particular if they worked for foreign armies like e. g. German, American or British. By German laws you normally can't be sent back to a country that intends to kill you, how Germany can now withdraw their visas I don't understand. Frau Faeser, the minister of the interior, declared she is thinking of offering financial aid to those that will be deported, excuse me, but I wonder whether under the given circumstances this money the families would have to finally spend to cover the funeral costs. I believe that human rights should be valued in supposed to be civilized Democratic countries, to take priority over the possibilities of losing votes. Besides, attacks on refugees, 2500 in Germany last year, show that politicians don't fulfill their duties sufficiently to educate the ignorants. What is German culture? Coffee, potatoes? They come from South America, beer? Was invented in Egypt, numbers, letters? Originate from the Orient. The interior of churches often remind me of Mosques, the clothes (dresses) of nuns, monks, priests and other clergyman man, including the pope, doesn't it look oriental? Scientists learned from those of other parts of the world. So who should feel superior? It came to light that one of the richest families in U. K., Indians, exploited their country men. They had to work 18 hrs. a week, were not allowed to go out, had their passports taken away. Something simular happened in Germany, concerning Chinese restaurants, Germans in Spain "helping" Germans to buy a house. Criminals often find it easier to trick in another country their own country men/women. I personally wouldn't expect a person who looks simular to me, speaks the same language, etc. to be necessary my friend - just because we meet in another country. I heard that a Tunisian living in Italy offered help to a Tunisian lady who came with a visa and seemingly a job for one year. After a month she was adviced to look for a new job and the aforementioned Tunisian turned up " to assist". He got her a room in a hotel, free food and a job in a restaurant. Sounds great - but it's not the end of the story. He tricked her into handing him her passport and accepting her wages being paid into his bank account, "after all there are expenses to cover", and she now receives a tiny pocket money. That's modern slavery (she may well be not his only victim)! In such a situation one is well adviced to at least seek support from a local NGO organisation.