Our friend Seham sets us straight:
Did you guys come up with some offline pact to not mention Michael Jackson's passing on your site? Lame. Arabs
loved Michael Jackson, they loved him, unapologetically. And my Arabs
still haven't tired of talking about him or his death yet. One of my
cousins sent me a $2.00 text message from Ramallah when he heard the
news that just read: "Mikaeel!!!"
That's what we call him, Mikaeel.
I liked his music and all but I grew up in the post 'Beat It'
Internet era so I can't rightfully claim him as my generation. I do
have some vague memories of being dragged to the flea market before a
trip to Falastin to buy red faux leather "Beat It' jackets for my
cousins. And I really hated that flea market because the guy
collecting money at the entrance was missing an arm and always wanted
to pat my face with his good hand that had really filthy black
fingernails. I was a classist child.
Anyway, this is the most badass performance, ever. Nothing is cooler than this and nothing will ever be cooler than this.
And here is a dance tribute to Mikaeel by Saudis, one by Tunisians, Lebanese reactions here, here and here, a Palestinian reaction here.
And here is Michael himself clad in abaya in Bahrain (see, Phil, some people choose to wear it even if they don't have to…) while his daughter or son sports hijab.
Michael Jackson seems to embody the problems of discrimination on the basis of what one looks like, so that he represents, for me, a poster child for the LGBT – despite the fact that his own issues with identity and sexuality apparently played out differently than theirs. I didn't know Jackson, cannot guess what reason there were for his actions, nor what those activities included. What remains, unobscured by such questions, are his music and performances.
Thank you Seham. Thank you Phil for finally putting up something about Michael Jackson. I must admit, I was a little sore at you guys for not mentioning him. I loved Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson is loved by Pakis and Indians too! His 80s songs are cool, but I was more of a fan of the 90s hits. Many of his songs make me tear up. Ever after listening to them a gazzilion times. RIP Michael.
Where's Mooser? I haven't seen any posts from him lately?
I was never much of a fan and I was glad Phil didn't mention him. Every other US and UK based news agency and blog seems to have gone into Michael Jackson overkill. There are a finite number of times you can listen to Thriller and other tribute songs before loosing your sanity
His early songs were totally electric, in the same way as Elvis's and The Beatles were. I wonder if I will live to see a fourth of that caliber. James Brown and Buddy Holly are certainly honorable mentions. Just my personal opinion. My own son loves Phish. Shafiq sure is right about the Jackson overkill here in the USA. On a gossip note, I wonder who will or is the trustee for the kids. His mother is very old. He hated his father and gave him nothing and will come out of his grave if the three kids end up in his control. The youngest kid is adopted. The older two are test tube babies, carried to birth by the surrogate. Nobody knows who their biological parents are, so far. But Michael is not a biological father to any of them.
His Dermatologist is supposed to be the father.
Making him the "poster child" of a group that abandoned people like him would be an injustice. Even the idea of LGBT is exclusive, refusing entry to the sorts of people Michael represent (whether he was or not, whether he did anything or not, whether he wanted to be or not). It used to be simply the gay rights movement. Then gay and lesbian. Then gay lesbian and bisexual. Now gay lesbian bisexual and transgendered. What began as a clarification of identities, with an aim to powersharing within organizations and differentiating issues, is today a wall that keeps others out. It tells everyone: some issues, some injustices, some discrimination simply has nothing to do with us. "We, as LGBT, can go about our everyday lives without giving a second thought about that. It has nothing to do with us. We have nothing to do with them." Around the time Michael was experiencing his problems, the gay community was doing the dirty work of Republican senators, kicking out organizations from ILGA that defended the rights of boylovers. The LGBT community has said nothing about the exponential growth of sex offender registries, surveillance, ostricization of a whole class of people. Assimilationist gay politics is the antithesis of justice and is nothing more than a narrow sense of entitlement. They didn't defend Michael, they didn't want Michael, they don't deserve Michael.
Thanks Seham, interesting collection, I guess I wasn't a fan, but although I wasn't , I can understand his fans. Some catchy tunes. somebody suggested, if you have to read something about Michael Jackson read this, and I can't judge, since I haven't read anything else, but this is interesting: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1196009/I...
May I join you? I miss him too. Maybe he is out with his Jewish motorcycle gang, if he didn't only invent them for our pleasure.
I guess that would have been convenient for Michael, especially since the surrogate nurse had worked for that Dermatologist. The kids don't appear to look like him at all, nor like the nurse as to claim she is the biological mother made by some. I'm betting the kids were all carried by a surrogate and are all full test tube kids–meaning likely by contract they will never know their biological parents, the sperm and egg donors.
yeah, he's a real rebel, maybe he and his gang are heading for Target, after Trader's
MOOSER—come back!!
awwww Shfiq…. I think that's the only point so far that we disagree on! What about the soundtrack form the movie Free Willy? That makes me bawl everytime I hear it, when Willy flies, flies over the rocks and ito the ocean, free at last… Look it on youtube. It's beautiful.
Free Willy – That was the first movie I went to watch at the cinema, brings back memories. I haven't seen it since then so I don't remember the soundtrack. I just watched it on youtube now, but it doesn't have the same effect any more. Plus, did you hear that the family are thinking about a traditional 'Muslim burial' to respect his new faith?
The Saudi video is a fake with superimposed music. They were actually dancing to Saudi music.
Glad to see Phil post something that does not advocate killing Jews.
Yep I heard about that. I doubt it will go through though.
Arab Tributes to Michael Jackson
glad to see ismail lives in comfort and security thanks to goy cops and soldiers