Word: abu
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Your story on the Iraqi insurgent leader "Abu Qaqa al-Tamimi" (a pseudonym), who trains and equips suicide bombers [Oct. 24], provided another example of the dangerous weeds that grow in the pastures of religion. Killing Americans and his own people is what al-Tamimi does. He uses children and young people as his tools. The innocent are used to kill the innocent. This will be a long war. It will last until people put humanity ahead of fanatic religious beliefs that are offered up by the powerful few who want to control the many...
Directed by Hany Abu-Assad...
This combination of provocation, suspense, and black humor is typical of Hany Abu-Assad’s film “Paradise Now.” The film follows best friends Said (Kais Nashef) and Khaled (Ali Suliman) on the evening before they are to carry out a suicide-bombing mission in Tel Aviv, capturing the interactions they have with oblivious family members and friends...
...harsh visual description of inequality, Abu-Assad forces the viewer to consider the conditions that push people in the direction of violence. The film doesn’t legitimize violence, nor does it take an overtly political stance in terms of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is aware of the issues but never didactic. Rather, the goal is to challenge our natural impulse to dehumanize suicide bombers as one-dimensionally evil...
...Abu-Assad’s portrayal of his characters’ vulnerability counters media depictions of terrorists as cold-blooded extremists. Khaled delivers a speech to his community, pouring out his frustrations and grievances and explaining why he has chosen to become a martyr. His angry words are not recorded, however, because the cameraman was concentrating on his falafel sandwich. The dark irony of his deflated diatribe both amuses and overwhelms the viewer with compassion for him. It somehow feels akin to watching a younger brother flounder in a play while no one pays attention to his efforts...