Scene One:

A Palestinian woman, anger contorting her face, fear widening her eyes, praying to God to punish Arab rulers with scandals they deserve.

The Palestinian woman is screaming in the face of journalists, "Come and take photos. Let the world see how children are slaughtered."

The Palestinian woman is lost, walking in circles. She doesn't seem to know where her home is. Maybe she is too afraid to go to it after seeing the carnage. Maybe she saw members of a phalangalist death squad.

Scene Two:

73-year old Ariel Sharon presents his unity government to the Israeli Knesset. He receives unprecedented, overwhelming approval. He declares his commitment to the "peace process" and the signed agreements.

The same Sharon that is all smiles today was the same Sharon that lead the Israeli army to siege Beirut and Palestinian refugee camps on the day the broken hearted Palestinian woman roamed the streets. He let some phalangalist bloodhounds hunt, gauging eyes, severing limbs, knifing pregnant wombs, and slitting throats.

A large demonstration was held in Tel Aviv requesting the indictment of the same Sharon. Now he comes back on the heels of a landslide electoral victory to take the Prime Minister's seat in Israel. At the same time, Eli Habieka, phalangalist engineer of massacre, is occupying a ministerial seat in Lebanon. Is this the time that Sharon asks for forgiveness? Or will he wait for divine justice?

Scene Three:

Yasser Arafat, who led the Palestinian troops that withstood the siege of Beirut for months, today opens the sixth session of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) in Gaza with the Intifada raging. The PLC members clapped when the President proclaimed that municipal elections would be held. Maybe they were clapping because he didn't mention holding elections for the PLC, whose mandate expired years ago? These members are in their posts without the electorate's backing; and they haven't confessed the guilt of holding on to their undeserved seats. Will the Supreme Council of Justice issue a ruling concerning the council to prove the independence and fairness of the judiciary? Or will it stay a puppet to the Executive like the Legislative Council? For the oppressed, all that remains are heaven and prayers.

Coming Shortly:

Another Arab summit will be held in Amman soon. After two decades of oppression and scandals, it seems that God answered the Palestinian woman's prayers. Arab rulers did nothing about the massacres. Instead, they sent their armies to invade another Muslim country, then another Arab country. Then their armies joined the enemies in killing Arabs in the Arab Peninsula. What goes through these rulers' minds as they walk the red carpet? Does it remind them of the color of Arab blood? Do they ask themselves why their scandals grow decade after decade, feast after feast, and summit after summit?

Maybe the gates of heaven were open to receive the grieving Palestinian woman's prayer. It seems that her curse is following these rulers; and not even the armies of Uncle Sam or the lofty palaces will protect them from it. Or are they contemplating asking for forgiveness from their people and from God by submitting war criminals and killers from among them to trial? Anyhow, the doors of heaven are open to the oppressed and also to those seeking forgiveness as well.