Islamic Jihad steps up Israeli strikes
Thursday January 3, 2008
Guardian Unlimited

Islamic Jihad forces today stepped up indiscriminate attacks on civilians in Israel, just days before George Bush’s first visit to the region as the US president.

A Palestinian rocket fired from Gaza landed in a northern neighbourhood of the Israeli city of Ashkelon, 15.5km (10 miles) away. The Israeli army said it was one of the longest distances a rocket from Gaza had ever flown.

In response Israeli aircraft hit two targets in Gaza City, including the home of a senior Palestinian militant who was killed by Israeli troops last week.

The attack sent thick plumes of black smoke into the sky and, although there were no immediate reports of injuries, ambulances were racing to the scene.

Officials in the ruling Hamas militant group said the home belonged to Mohammed Dadouh, a master rocket maker from Islamic Jihad, who was killed last week. The building is next to a Hamas training base.

[…]

The skirmish comes days before Bush arrives to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace. He has no plans to visit Gaza, but persistent violence could overshadow his trip to the region.

Well, that’s the way I would have started this article.

Nothing Vincent Magombe, Director of Africa Inform International, said on Newsnight last night should be remotely controversial, however we do not hear it enough–particularly from the ‘expert’ talking heads on news and current affairs programs. Instead, fat-headed realpolitikers like former Powell aide, Colonel–is he still in the military?–Larry Wilkinson sneer that democracy equals the ‘Magna Carta plus 900 years’. Vincent Magombe refused to accept the patronising bumwash of Wilkinson and the reptilian Sidney Blumenthal.

Gavin Esler: Vincent, do you fear that democracy itself in Kenya is one of the casualties that we’re about to see expire as a result of this violence?

Vincent Magombe: I think what I fear about the discourse around issues to do with democracy in Kenya and in Africa, is when people seem to suggest that Africa is not ready for democracy. I think the people of Kenya have shown that they are ready for democracy–they went out there and practised democracy. The people who are not ready for democracy are the leaders, the dictators. So Mwai Kibaki, because he’s not ready for democracy, he tries to shatter it. But there is now a very wonderful thing happening in spite of what we are seeing in Nairobi today. The people of Kenya are trying to do something very experimental, but if it works it will be very good for the rest of Africa. They are trying to say ‘we will stand up for once and defy lack of democracy, dictatorships, in spite of the bullets’–hundreds of them have died–and if they succeed, I can tell you 2008 will be a good year for Africa.

[…]

Gavin Esler: I just want to go back to Vincent Magombe on this … when people say that certain regions of the world, certain countries are not ready for democracy, it may be condescending, it may be a very unpleasant thing to hear, but isn’t it true?

Vincent Magombe: I am sorry to say that it is a very stupid to say, and it’s stupid because one is assuming that democracy is the preserve of the West and is being brought from the West and given to me.

Gavin Esler: But do you take [Larry Wilkinson’s] point that you can’t export it, it has to grow organically over a long time?

Vincent Magombe: No, it’s, but that is the problem–nobody is asking America to export its type of democracy to me. I am just saying that I am as human as an American, I want to choose my leader, I know what I want that leader to do. I can choose between a leader that wants to bring war, or that wants to give me hospitals or schools–that’s democracy. Anybody in Africa, even that person who is not educated, can make those choices. In Kenya they made those choices. Now, this nonsense of thinking that America is bringing democracy to us–by the way there is sometimes very little that I can see that you can bring to me because some of the worst examples of lack of democracy have come from America, from Britain, from anywhere, you know during the colonial times and so on–everybody should have a right to enjoy their freedoms, to choose their leader, and when you choose a good leader, he will do good things for you.

It’s not over til it’s over, they say. And in the case of Christmas it’s not over until Twelfth Night (Sunday 6 January).

For those in London, what better way to round up* the Midwinter celebrations than the Twelfth Night events organised and performed by the players of the Lions part theatre, storytelling and music group based at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, together with the local community?

See here for a wonderful photo gallery of previous years’ Twelfth Night celebrations.

The programme will include:

• The Holly Man arriving from the Thames – the Green Man in Winter guise
• The Bankside Wassails – community singing to welcome in the new year
• A Mummers’ play – a freestyle folk morality play with mediaeval origins
• King Bean and Queen Pea – see Lion’s Part website for details

There will also be some Molly Dancing courtesy of Lewisham-based Fowler Molly, and I’ll be there for the afternoon with my camera to record the event for this blog.

The festivities commence at 12:45 on Bankside outside Shakespeare’s Globe, and will end with music, dance, storytelling, mince pies and mulled wine at the George Inn, Southwark.

Do come along if you’re in the area. I’m not familiar with the Lion’s part, but I know some of the people involved in the wider event, and it looks to be great fun. These are old folk traditions being celebrated, and it is organised as an inclusive, community event.

* I say “round up”, but that is reserved for Plough Monday, which is the Monday immediately following Twelfth Night. Plough Monday is traditionally the start of the agricultural year. Fowler Molly will be dancing on Plough Monday, as they always do. I don’t yet have details, but will publish them here when I know what’s happening.

MACAQUE MONKEYS ‘PAY’ FOR SEX

Errr …no they don’t and they certainly didn’t.