The Nahmias Cipher Report archived articles from 2009 - 2020.
“Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot... wait for the boy who kisses your forehead, who wants to show you off to the world when you are in sweats, who holds your hand in front of his friends, who thinks you're just as pretty without makeup on. One who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares and how lucky his is to have you.... The one who turns to his friends and says, 'that's her.'” ~ Anonymous
Read More“Corporations have been enthroned …. An era of corruption in high places will follow and the money power will endeavor to prolong its reign by working on the prejudices of the people… until wealth is aggregated in a few hands … and the Republic is destroyed.” ~ Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865). A landmark "lawsuit is being brought by black South Africans who were abused by the military and security forces of apartheid South Africa against a number of companies that provided the tools to the military and security for them to perpetrate the abuse."
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France24 International News produced a report titled "Yemen, the new Eldorado?" This report illuminates the life of refugees who survive the dangerous crossing of the Gulf of Aden to reach Yemen. Those who survive the crossing are only welcomed if they are Somalian. Under Yemeni law Somalis are granted rights of asylum, but Ethiopians if caught are immediately deported. Watch video report here.
In the words of one survivor “we were 120 people, overcrowded; the trip took two days. We did not receive food, nor water. Some of us were placed in the hull. Several people died because of asphyxia, some others were thrown overboard, among them two children. In order to intimidate us, they beat us heavily with their belts. One of the smugglers threw petrol on us and showed off his lighter.” MSF and MSF podcasts: Médecins Sans Frontières
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"A fresh start is nearly impossible wherever there’s a history of violence." Radio Netherlands Worldwide began the new year with a "program that shows people around the world can make new beginnings with old enemies. Stories include: a Palestinian and an Israeli teenager who overcame their fears to become best friends; a Muslim and a Hindu filmmaker whose relationship was tested and strengthened while working in conflict-torn Kashmir; a man in Zimbabwe who now preaches against the intertribal violence he once took part in. We also feature an essay from Sri Lanka about overcoming caste divisions, and another from a survivor of Sarajevo with her reflections on the war crimes trial of Radovan Karadzic." Source: The State We’re In, 2 January 2010
Read MoreHappy New Year!! Wishing you increased prosperity, health, peace and happiness for 2010.
Read MoreHave you ever seen gorgeous, impossibly intricate head wraps and wondered how these beautiful, exotic women fashioned them? Well, when I was a child in Nigeria, these were my very thoughts until Mama Nyiyi taught my mother and aunt how to wrap the "Gele" as this Yoruba head wrap is named. The Gele goes beyond mere head covering, these wraps are creations of art. This post also contains an instructional video on how to properly wrap the Gele.
Read MoreAyanna Nahmias, Editor-in-ChiefLast Modified: 22:50 PM EDT, 27 December 2009
SAO PAULO, Brazil - Gabriel Wickbold is a young Brazilian Photographer whose images are intriguing and captivating. This post features his 'Faces of Brasileiros' series.
[slideshow]
Putumayo Celebrates Carnival in Rio with Brazilian Beat (wholefoodsmarket.com)
Totalmente Brasileiro (cortez.wordpress.com)
Carnaval Brasileiro Austin 2012 (worldculturesaustin.com)
New Brazilian millionaires on the rise (helpinyourhomes.wordpress.com)
Diane von Furstenberg's Best of Brazil (online.wsj.com)
Ayanna Nahmias, Editor-in-ChiefLast Modified: 14:07 PM EDT, 27 December 2009
CHINA - This blog addresses many issues regarding human rights and seeks to encourage the reader to act even if it is through sharing a post or video. Somewhere in the world today, some person or group of people are being treated inhumanely. We blithely read about such abuses, but we live in a society where we can insulate and anesthetize ourselves to their suffering.
It is true that sometimes all of the evil and hatred in the world seems ubiquitous and insurmountable, and the natural human reaction is to shrink away and adopt a protective sphere around family and personal friends, or to remain silent and bury one's head like the proverbial ostrich. These however are not the only choices available to us.
In Christianity, Judaism and Islam, the spoken word is accorded with reverence because of the creative power inherent in thought, which leads to spoken communication, which leads to action otherwise known as creation. It is a simple concept, but in our current world where spiritual, faith-based, intangible concepts are under attack as being childish and atavistic, the need to control our thoughts and words and thus what we creatively manifest is of the utmost importance and urgency.
In the recent past, we have had many great souls stand up on behalf of humanity, however, just as many quietly but effectively work in the shadows and are never elevated onto the world stage. People like Nelson Mandela, Mohandas K. Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King, Jr. are notable and internationally recognized figures. Now Liu Xiaobo joins their ranks as one who is less known today, but who may in the future be the defining face of freedom of speech in China. Because of this Xiaobo was sentenced this past Friday to 11 years imprisonment by the Chinese government.
The video below was disseminated to Amnesty International supporters with instructions to share it with as wide an audience as possible. Although I am not an ardent supporter of the United Nations, because I feel it has not lived up to the ideals for which it was created; I also recognize that its ineffectiveness lies in its membership, which is composed of individuals who are representatives of governments and corporations with interests that are often contrary to human dignity and well-being. This does not, however, diminish the power of the dream, for in dreams are the realities of tomorrow.
The poem by Martin Niemöller, a Protestant pastor and social activist sums up the essence of this post, and will I hope provide you with a reminder that tyranny and abuse does not stop with its intended victim.
Follow Nahmias Cipher Report on TwitterWhen the Nazis came for the communists, I remained silent; I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats, I remained silent; I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists, I did not speak out; I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews, I remained silent; I wasn't a Jew.
When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.
Twitter: @nahmias_report Editor: @ayannanahmias
January 7, 2010 is the day that Ethiopians will celebrate Christmas. Although there is no direct correlation between a Jewish festival and this date when Ethiopian Christians among others (i.e. Russian, Serb, and Ukrainian Orthodox Christians) celebrate Christmas, I did find a unique minor holiday that reinforced the shared history, Gizret.
Read MoreHonor killings, domestic violence and rape does not only occur in Muslim countries, it is happening more and more in the United States, and we are each responsible for doing our part to stop this scourge. It happens in Western and Eastern cultures, and also in Christian and Islamic countries. This post does not seek to indict one faith or group of people over another, for the real culprits are the men of any nationality, culture, and faith who feel that women are chattel, and deserve to be treated with disrespect, physical and sexual violence, and even death. This behavior continues unabated because the perpetrators know that there will be no repercussions for their acts of violence.
"Awareness leads to interest, which leads to desire, that leads to action."
Read MoreThe more burdened we become by the cares of the world, the easier it is for us to forget the dreams of our youth. I like this song because it is an anthem, a reminder to me and I hope to others to never forget our dreams that can yet be realized and definitely achieved if we believe.
Read MoreLady Gaga is an interesting phenomena whose theatrical and satirical music videos offer an insightful commentary on and parody of America's wanton sexuality, consumerism and self-absorbed showmanship. Even the ambiguity of her sex and sexuality contribute to effectiveness of her appeal as an extraordinarily marketable performance artist. As a consequence of several comments from readers, it should be noted that this critique of Lady Gaga is limited to the video "Paparazzi," as I am unfamiliar with the rest of her work.
Read More2009 Ethiopian & Diaspora music videos featuring artists from Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda. Check it out!
Read MoreAyanna Nahmias, Editor-in-ChiefLast Modified: 01:46 AM EDT, 18 December 2009
Idan Raichel Project # 3
ISRAEL - "The Idan Raichel Project is the self-titled debut album by Idan Raichel. Raichel composed and arranged many of the tracks, performs vocals and plays the keyboard, while collaborating with other vocalists and musicians. Hit singles include Boi (בואי / "Come"), Im Telech (אם תלך / "If you go") and M'dab'rim B'sheket (מדברים בשקט / "Speaking Quietly").
Idan, the group's founder, had long been fascinated with the diversity of Israel and sought to celebrate his appreciation and respect for different cultures through his music. Because of its open door to immigrants from Jewish communities around the globe, Israel is home to a stew of cultures and traditions, including people of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Latin American and Eastern European roots.
Yemenite Jews offer traditions that reflect thousands of years of living in the country of Yemen on the southern edges of the Arabian Peninsula. Israel’s Sephardic community consists of people who had incorporated the traditions of Spain, North Africa and the Mediterranean region where they had lived for centuries. The largest immigrant population in Israel consists of Ashkenazi Jews, who had come mostly from Russia and Eastern Europe (Idan’s is himself of Eastern European descent). More recently, over 85,000 Ethiopian Jews now call Israel home after efforts to naturalize this so-called “lost tribe of Israel” through dramatic airlifts in the 1980s and 90s. In addition, there is a large Arab community, which makes up almost 20% of the official total population of Israel.
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While the majority of Raichel's songs are in Hebrew, a few are entirely in Amharic, while others include small passages in Amharic, by male and female voices, setting traditional-sounding tunes to modern music. Love-songs predominate in his Hebrew lyrics, including Hinech Yafah (הינך יפה / "Thou art Fair") based on the Song of Songs, while the opening track also reaches into the depths of Jewish liturgy, with B'rachot L'shanah Chadashah (ברכות לשנה חדשה / "Blessings for a new year") sampling voices reciting traditional Jewish blessings. (Source: Wikipedia)
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A Taste of (Second) Home (elytebarzilay.wordpress.com)
CONCERT REVUE: Opening Doors to Acceptance and Unity: India.Arie and Idan Raichel at the Strathmore (therogersrevue.wordpress.com)
Ellsworth Kelly is a 21st century American artist. The simplicity of the image sums up humanities' eternal quest for understanding. Perfectly sublime. This artist, like Mark Rothko, who is another favorite, was part of the color field painting and the minimalist school.
Read MoreIdi Amin's bloody reign is magnificently captured in the movie "The Last King of Scotland". Recalled in the memoir is an violent and frightening encounter we had with Idi Amin's soldiers in the 1970's while trying to enter Kenya after a 29 day journey through seven countries in Africa.
Read MoreMzungus are raping our children, and it is allowed because of poverty and hunger. Sex tourism is a crime against humanity; it irrevocably harms girls, boys and women, and should not be tolerated under any circumstances. I urge everyone who follows this blog to highlight this issue by reposting this video.
Read MoreThe strength of Parks' work, resides in its perspicacity coupled with the power of the stories he tells through his photography. It is the reason why doors typically closed to African-Americans during the pre-Civil Rights era, were opened for him. These skills and talents allowed him to work for some of the most prestigious fashion magazines in America, at a time when most African-American photographers, journalist, and models were barred. Parks' association with the Civil Rights Movement, and in particular, the two photos of individuals associated with the Nation of Islam; Ethel Shariff, Daughter of Elijah Muhammad, and Malcolm X prompted this post.
Read MoreThe Report seeks to challenge readers to move beyond the accepted standard fare purveyed by most media, often demonizing and convicting an entire society and citizenry. Rather, The Report asks readers to recognize themselves in the “other” and assign blame to the miscreants who truly are the culprits of many of the atrocities that negatively impact us all.
