Harel and Moushira, why the rush on closing this thread?!! :) Let us give time and space for a civilized and purposeful dialogue and deliberation to come to fruition and realization!
-- Maysara "All that is necessary to right action, is right judgment" _Rene Descartes On Fri, Aug 13, 2010 at 12:12 AM, Maysara Omar <[email protected]>wrote: > Dear Yohai, > > I thought it was pretty clear that this has nothing to do with me > personally. But just to emphasize, and not to yell or anything like this: > THIS DISCUSSION HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME PERSONALLY! > > Most appreciatively, > -- > Maysara > "All that is necessary to right action, is right judgment." _Rene Descartes > > > 2010/8/12 Yohai Edery <[email protected]> > >> Hello Maysara and all, >> >> >> >> I feel like I have to send an e-mail again regarding what you wrote below >> as there is a lot of miss information in what you wrote. >> >> >> >> Firstly, let's put things on the table, as an Egyptian you are not feeling >> good with coming to Israel as it would seem to your friends back home like >> you are trying to "normalize" relations with Israel. Although there are >> almost 30 years of peace between our countries, Egypt and Egyptians have >> been always against normalizing relation with Israel and in fact there is a >> lot of incitement towards Israel and Jews in general in Egyptian media, >> books, cultural events and so. Israeli cultural products (movies, music, >> theater and such) were band from participation in festival in Egypt even >> international ones held in Egypt. The situation with Jordan is not >> better…unfortunately. On the meantime, Israel has welcomed movies, music and >> artists from Egypt and Jordan that have participated in festivals and events >> in Israel. >> >> >> >> I can guarantee that people from all over the world will have no problem >> coming to the event in Israel. Israeli authorities will allow everyone from >> everywhere to come to Wikimania providing he/she has not been engaged in >> terrorist activities…which I believe is not the case for the participants of >> our event….I doubt Al Qaida, Hammas and Hezbollah care about Wikipedia. I >> can tell you from past experience that people from Libya and Lebanon came to >> conferences in Israel without any trouble. The problem maybe with their own >> home government….but that, unfortunately, we can't control. >> >> >> >> Again, accusation bout maltreatment and confiscation of belongings are >> *NONSENCE >> *I want to remind you that Israel is a full functioning democracy!!! We >> DO NOT do things against the law and will not confiscate anything from >> anyone unless there is a solid reason. Again, I have been involved with tens >> of conferences in Israel and had many friends from all over the world coming >> to Israel, none of them suffered from any of those things you maintained. I >> would like to kindly ask you to stop with those accusations. >> >> >> >> Regarding arriving to Israel from Cairo, again, you don’t have to do that >> by bus or car only like you said….you can easily fly to Ben gurion >> international airport in Tel Aviv on a non-stop flight from Cairo with El-Al >> Israeli airline or Air Sinai (part of Air Egypt). If you need help with >> making the reservations, I would love to help…. >> >> >> >> I think that change comes from people and not for the leaders….I would >> expect you to see this event as a great opportunity to start real dialogue >> between people in the Mideast and use such an important source of >> information like Wikipedia to a good use as a tool to bring people together, >> break stigmas and fight prejudice. The only way we can live together in >> peace is if we will get to know each other….I have visited Egypt and Jordan >> as well as the Palestinian territories…I know a lot about the Arab >> world…what do you know about me? >> >> >> >> Hopping to show you all the real face of Israel when you are hear... >> >> >> >> Good night from Haifa, Israel >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> *Yohai Edery* >> >> *יוחאי אדרי * >> >> >> >> E-mail: [email protected] <http://[email protected]%20> >> P Please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to >> >> >> >> *From:* [email protected] [mailto: >> [email protected]] *On Behalf Of *Maysara Omar >> *Sent:* Thursday, August 12, 2010 5:46 AM >> >> *To:* Wikimania general list (open subscription) >> *Subject:* Re: [Wikimania-l] Problematic aspects of hosting the next >> conference in Haifa, Israel >> >> >> >> Hello to All :) >> >> >> >> 1) Of course i am aware that the decision has already been made. I would >> not have brought this issue had i not thought, (along with many others by >> the way who are unfortunately not here to express themselves about this) >> that whatever jury took that decision has fallen into a manifest error, that >> justifies a look back and reconsideration, rather than be ignored, and >> regardless of whether this will change things or not. The issue needs to be >> addressed, because it is very important. It is a fact, that participants >> from Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and possibly other countries, will >> never have the chance to attend the next wikimania conference should it be >> held in Israel. Further, other participants from other countries, >> particularly "Arab" countries whose citizens do not usually go to Israel for >> any purpose, and this applies to both Jordan and Egypt with whom Israel is >> in diplomatically fine terms, will find many troubles from both the Israeli >> and their own governments. This is no speculation, there are hundreds of >> accounts on the internet of maltreatment and confiscation of belongings of >> passengers for all sorts of reasons by Israeli officials at entry/exit >> points. Questions asked in such aggressive tonality and attitude regarding >> the passengers' views and opinion of Israel and the conflict in the middle >> east. Please ask the ministry of foreign affairs, whether they will let some >> attendees in, if they answered these questions as they do believe rather >> than fake a friendly answer! >> >> >> >> 2) If even presidential elections can be repeated because their results >> were doubtful, i cannot see why everyone here so far is talking about the >> "impossibility" of reconsidering the validity of the decision made by the >> jury, as though it is a sanctified or infallible one! Somehow it seems that >> so far no one apart from myself, who could get into Israel only following a >> car or bus ride of 8 hours from my very home in Cairo, took the time to >> think of the position of those who will never be permitted into Israel, or >> who will avoid doing so because Israel is in fact a problematic destination >> for them. And regardless of whether any of this is fair or not, we currently >> do have a realistic situation that is laden with injustice and great >> potential of practical disorder, which somehow was not raised during the >> decision making process, although it is no secret or news! This suggests >> that non of those who will be negatively effected by the decision, were >> present when the process of deciding was ongoing. One of the benefits of >> this discussion then, is perhaps to give more attention to such matters as >> representativeness, inclusive deliberation, and outreach, in further such >> processes of wikimania biding and decision making. Perhaps from now on, we >> should make more effort in reaching out for, you know, "all the people on >> Earth" who might want to come to wikimania with their experiences, etc. >> Unfortunately I was not there then, and maybe i won't be able to be there >> later, but I do not believe that it is too late to bring this issue now, and >> to attempt to correct what is wrong even by those who, understandably, love >> their own country and would have loved to see it hosting such a wonderful >> event. It is for a clean, freeing, progressive, and Humanistic experience >> and social process that we commit ourselves; the passing-by moments in this >> experience will be destructive if they are absorbed only in the passing-by >> moment! >> >> >> >> Finally, Wikimania conferences must be accessible to everyone, without >> having to speak of making "exceptions" and taking extra measures to smoothen >> the passage of those who participate together everyday in creating and >> making the new free knowledge and culture of our age and the future. This is >> the position that I have chosen for myself, rather than the one that you ask >> me to adopt, that is, to suggest solutions to numberless problems and to an >> erroneous and unfair condition and situation. And now I ask you, what is >> YOUR position? >> >> >> >> :) >> >> -- >> >> Maysara >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Wikimania-l mailing list >> [email protected] >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l >> >> >
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