Remembering Madiba

It is fitting today on the 2100th write-up here in #Outsiders  that this is dedicated to the memory of Nelson Mandela Today represents one day since Madiba passed away.     South Africa will be remembering Madiba.  We here at Outsiders also remember him and shared observations earlier visiting the +Nelson Mandela Foundation Website:  

 by Mike P 

It has been one year since Madiba left us. For me, he was the example to follow to forgive, to overcome, to persevere and to do what can be done to make a difference. May his soul RIP and may we all be inspired by his example.

•  & Remembering this admonition from him on this day which was amongst the thousands of tributes on the Website  

Notations On Our World: On the plight of Jason Rezaian & Other Thoughts

It has been a challenging few days yet again around our World.    We were quite intrigued by this from France24:

“@PostBaron: Detention of @jrezaian of a 'fiasco', says Iran's human rights chief http://t.co/N9pX5Drro5 @FRANCE24 good news I guess 🙏
— Mike Pouraryan (@mikepouraryan) December 4, 2014

For everyone's benefit, Iran's Human Rights Chief is the brother of the Chief Justice of Iran and the the Parliamentary Speaker.   The three brothers are probably the most powerful trio in Iran Today.    His comments is especially poignant as reports also surfaced that Jason Rezaian's detention was extended yet again for 60 Days.    His acknowledgement of it being a fiasco seems to potentially bring in a sense of realism that somehow a resolution on this unjustified detention is at hand.

Beyond his comments on the Jason Rezaian case, his comments on the detention of the leaders of the Green Movement Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi may be ending soon.   Although some hopeful signs have been floated before, the fact that he's noted this is quite a development.    As Rosewater continues to play in theaters that continues to remind all of the utter brutality of 2009, it will be quite a development if this occurs.

Notations on our World: On the Latest From the Middle East

Israel is headed for elections.    We here @ #Outsiders caught excepts of the the Israeli Minister's Statement on his rationale for the elections and commented on it earlier on:

listening to #Israel PM #Netanyahu on @i24news_EN as @lucyaharish anchors the special...@lucyaharish is on pointe..he's nervous.
— Mike Pouraryan (@mikepouraryan) December 2, 2014

It was amusing how Lucy Aharish sarcastically noted about the "House of Fun" that Israel has become.   As the discourse continued and the Prime Minister accused Tzipi Livni and Yair Lapid of a defacto "Coup", he went on to note why he think he's the best man to lead Israel again.   It was ever so a mirror image of the discourse in the United States.   Some noted how The Israeli Prime Minister was a bit nervous--couldn't agree more in this regard.   It is quite shocking though as the fundemental challenges facing Israel are being ignored and how the politics of blame, shame and fear seems to be the order of the day in Israel right now.

As Israel enters elections season, the polls are not looking good for the Centrists (Lapid/Livni).   Beyond Israel, though, there is Syria and this latest tragedy is ever so disconcerting as the fire in Syria rages on and on: 

Mike Pouraryan saw this and thought of you!
FRANCE 24 English@France24_en  Follow UN cuts food aid to 1.7 million refugees from Syria f24.my/1y8V89Lpic.twitter.com/uzrE2yHuJB 06:53 AM - 02 Dec 14
As we went to press, we also saw reports of the Leader of Dayesh (also referred to as Islamic State) being detained by the Lebanese Army along with his child.   It may well show how he is under pressure to have sent his family out.     Challenging Times....