Opinion

There's nothing more inflaming to the souls of Arab and Muslim Americans than seeing US officials treating them as they are less American. 

Case in point:

Mohammed Ibrahim, a 115 y/o American citizen from Palm Bay, Florida, has been illegally locked in Israel’s military prison system since February 17, 2025. Israeli occupation soldiers kidnapped him from his family’s home in al-Mazra’a ash-Sharqiya near Ramallah in the occupied Palestinian West Bank, three weeks after he arrived to visit relatives. Israel claims he threw stones at settlers, yet no trial has taken place and the allegations remain unproven, according to FB post by his supporter Sandra Ibraham.

"When he was taken, Mohammed weighed 108 pounds. Since that time, he has lost 22 pounds, bringing him down to 86 pounds. Troops blindfolded him at arrest, held him in harsh conditions, and confined him for months in 'quarantine' for a scabies infection he contracted in prison as a result of medical neglect by Israelis. His parents have seen him only three times via a courtroom camera and every visitation request has been denied."

It is particularly difficult to pick out the most idiotic comments made by President Donald Trump over the past week as there is so much to choose from. There were the memorable doodle-headed speeches before the Israeli Knesset and the so-called Peace gathering in Sharm el-Sheikh Egypt and the threats against Hamas over the failure to come up with the bodies of Israeli hostages that were killed by American government provided bombs dropped by Israel and are now buried beneath piles of rubble. And then there is the Insurrection Act, cited nearly every day by Trump or one of his cabinet, which, if it is successfully called for and passes through judicial review, will truly turn the United States into a police state ruled by a leader that clearly is mentally incompetent as well as providing all the signs that he is a narcissistic psychopath whose goal in holding the presidency is to be surrounded by folks who tell him constantly how great he is! And let’s not forget the bloviation regarding the “Triumphal” Arch being planned for the Arlington National Cemetery end of Memorial Bridge leading to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington.

A single, candid statement by US President Donald Trump during a Fox News interview on October 9 may illuminate the true calculus behind Israel’s decision for a ceasefire in Gaza, following a relentless, two-year genocidal campaign that has tragically killed and wounded nearly a quarter of a million Palestinians.

 “Israel cannot fight the world, Bibi,” Trump declared during the interview, a direct warning he said to have previously delivered to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

 The stark reality is that very few people around the globe currently support Netanyahu. Crucially, a significant segment of his own populace has already held him in contempt, a resentment that predates the war on Gaza — a war which he treated as a desperate, personal quest for renewed domestic popularity.

This article first appeared on Reel Time with Richard Ades.

Two of the bravest movies I’ve seen in the past couple of years have taken aim at Iranian authoritarianism. In 2024, there was The Seed of the Sacred Fig, followed this year by the judo-centric Tatami.

Now, add a third flick that raises a middle finger to Iran’s Islamic dictatorship: It Was Just an Accident, a ballsy effort written and directed by Jafar Panahi. The low-budget thriller deftly creates tension leavened with flashes of humor, all the while wading through moral quagmires and asking questions that defy easy answers.

The tale begins on a dark highway, where we meet a family man (Ebrahim Azizi) who’s driving home with his wife and young daughter when his car breaks down in front of a garage that’s closed for the night.

Luckily for him, the mechanic agrees to take a look at his vehicle anyway. Unluckily for him, the mechanic’s assistant thinks he recognizes this stranded motorist.

Catch up with Simply Living’s founding member Chuck Lynd — a lifelong advocate for local economies, sustainability, and the power of community to shape a just future.

Few people embody Simply Living’s mission as fully as Chuck Lynd — longtime board member, community organizer, and local economy advocate. Chuck’s journey from small-town Ohio to the frontlines of social and environmental change offers a model of what it means to “live simply so that others may simply live.”

“I was very lucky to grow up in a loving family in Ironton, a small town on the Ohio River. My parents grew up during the depression and my brother and sister and I were all born during WWII, while my dad worked double shifts at Armco Steel. Later my dad owned the Ironton Book Store, which also sold office supplies, typewriters, gifts and dishware. From age 11 though high school I worked at the store and learned everything about running a retail store, and even kept the books. This experience gave me a good work ethic and influenced my love of local economics and my involvement in helping start the Clintonville Community Market.”

I hadn’t heard Sawyer Fredericks. I saw Sawyer’s farm strum was scheduled at Rhumba Cafe October 21st, 2025. The email said Sawyer Fredericks won on the Voice in 2015.  Pharrell coached Sawyer into victory.

I pondered. Pharrell brought us the Clipse. Pharrell produced NORE. I love Nothin, I love Drink Champs. “Homeboy I Came To Party. Your Girlfriend Was Looking At Me.”

I revisited The Clipse new record, Let God Sort Em Out. Which feature y’all like best: Kendrick, Nas or Tyler? I pressed play on Sawyer Fredierck’s newaest album…No Need To Wonder.

Pharrell wasn’t involved but Sawyer’s politics seemed correct. Sawyer Fredericks – I read online 11-14 million people watched season 8 of the Voice in 2015. I haven’t seen this show.

I watch Democracy Now, Fallon and Rick+Morty. I found Secrets Declassified with David Duchovny is fun because it’s like the real X-Files.

I love NORE. Sawyer Fredericks, I saw Pharrell was your coach for Season 8 of the Voice.  I like the Clipse, and Nore.

Are there suggestions Pharrell made which assisted your victory from the Voice?

Suddenly and violently, their childhoods were shattered. No child should have to live in a war zone. No child should have to bear witness to the murder of their mother. Some stopped talking. Others endured long rehabilitation for physical wounds in hospitals. We spoke to half a dozen Ukrainian orphans who witnessed their mothers killed in Russian drone or missile attacks. They are the hardest cases in a generation of children growing up scared by war, though many young people in Ukraine will have to make their way in life without one or both parents. We asked about interests, hobbies, plans and coping in times of terrible uncertainty, of facing the future and moving on.

Katia and Yulia

I sit here at my desk, looking out the window – and see someone walking through the parking lot. This is the most ordinary of moments. I shrug quietly. Life goes on.

My impulse is to stop writing the column here. That’s it. Nothing more to say. Life is totally fine and civilized and I’m here in the middle of it, growing old but giving no thought whatsoever to the darkness that lurks at humanity’s margins. Sure, the news covers that stuff, but what do I care? Things are fine where I live.

But the darkness tugs. I read the news. I know that hell consumes parts of the planet and certain lives have no safety – no value – whatsoever. Here’s a recent New York Times headline, as ordinary as the fact that someone was walking through the parking lot outside my window:

“U.S. Military Kills Another 6 People in 5th Caribbean Strike, Trump Says.”

Well, so what? They were transporting drugs. “The military has now killed 27 people as if they were enemy soldiers in a war zone and not criminal suspects. . . .”

I love Chinese food, but I have standards. What if there was a Chinese restaurant a mile away and rated 2 stars? NOT A CHANCE. No matter how hungry I might be, it’s worth it to drive farther for better Chinese food.

Why then, do we KEEP SETTLING FOR LESS? Recently, Columbus City Schools were rated overall as a TWO-STAR SCHOOL DISTRICT by the State of Ohio.

The Columbus City School Board has three Board of Education positions open for election this November 4. Every election we keep voting for the approved Franklin County Democratic Party (FCDP) “endorsed candidates.” And for all of our loyalty, our schools earn TWO STARS. No, it’s not the fault of the teachers or the students. It’s a MONOPOLY OF FAILED LEADERSHIP.

Politicians and education don’t mix