The latest edition of Shire Network News is up: Podcast goes to the Wall.

The feature interview is with Anne Franklin of Clintons for McCain. She says they want Barak Obama to lose this election, in order to clear the way for Hillary Clinton next time. They’re working overtime to defeat Obama in November.

Of interest to Israellycool readers, however is my blog news piece on Obama’s trip to the wall and the “stolen” or more accurately, cynically published prayer. Obama was a little bit to “me me me”. Something that Pamela at Atlas Shrugs jumped on.

Here’s part of what I said on the show:

But let us not forget Obama at the Western Wall (or Ha- Kotel to give it it’s Hebrew name). You may well have seen Obama trying to insert a note in the Wall and know that later, the very same note turned up, published in full in the Ma’ariv newspaper in Israel. Obama prayed for me, me, me….. more me’s than a thing with lots of me’s in it.

It’s now been confirmed by A Ma’ariv spokesman in the Jerusalem Post that “Barack Obama’s note was approved for publication in the international media even before he put in the Kotel, a short time after he wrote it at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem.” The paper added that is was “pleased” with its “journalistic accomplishment.”

One of the most important central lessons of Judaism is to move away from personal fulfillment and toward what one can do for others. Judaism doesn’t regulate rights for the self, it lays down obligations toward others. One doesn’t live to make oneself happy: one lives to attain happiness through performing good deeds that make others happy. Jews say prayers for sick relatives or friends, and ask friends to do the same: they never say pray for me.

Obviously, Barack is not a Jew. Obviously Jesus was. I’m just saying.

That particular note of BHO’s so supremely violates all concepts of Jewish prayer its no wonder the Kotel kept pushing the thing back out at him. When I watched the video I could just hear the voice of G-d (or the New York Times editor): “NOW WRITE THAT AGAIN BUT PRAY FOR OTHERS!”

The podcast, which can be found here, focuses on political participation from the community and their views on the two main candidates. An excerpt:

If you would've asked me this about 10 or 15 years ago, I would've said the involvement would be low to minimal to zero. Now, the community has brought itself out on all different levels, be it on the federal level with the national election, be it on the city level with our next mayoral election, be it on the city council level both here in Beverly Hills and the City of Los Angeles. On a national level, I see it going both ways - the Persian Jewish community likes McCain because of his obvious stance on national security, which is something that's very important to us. Some are very turned off by that and the fact that he says we might stay in Iraq for 100 years…there's definitely a cost and a loss of life component of that. But uh…some are also turned on by the fact that he wants to go invade Iran - there are a lot of people who still live here who have a lot of sentiment toward Iran, you know, I don't blame people….The younger generation, they go with Obama and the democratic party. It's not just about change but it's about something new. And uh, that Barack Obama brings to the table. I really see a divide among the generations.

Those interviewed in the podcast also discussed economics as it relates to political preference, as well as a bit of history surrounding Persian Jewish participation in politics.

The accompanying article makes further note of the generation gap in the Persian Jewish community, as well as why Persian Jews are unlikely to support Obama:

Iran is indeed an issue during the election this year and it is particularly important for local Iranian Jews because the majority of them have suffered at the hands of Iran’s regime during or after the 1979 revolution. Obama’s calls to negotiate with Iran’s current regime does not sit well with older Iranian American Jews because many had their assets confiscated by the regime or were terrorized by the regime. So they do not want to see the Iranian Ayatollahs rewarded by any American administration’s welcoming gestures that will legitimize their rule in Iran. Some of Obama’s foreign policy advisers are also former Carter administration advisers who older Iranian Jews and other Iranian Americans blame for helping to bring the current Islamic fundamentalist regime to power in Iran nearly 30 years ago.

Any errors in transcription are the author's own

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Tori was an active author at Mideast Youth for a long time and you may read her previous posts here (under a pseudonym.)

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We Iranians have now gotten used to politicians throwing the name of Iran, and misrepresenting Iran. Obviously one is lead to believe that both the ‘Obliterated' comment will be seen along side the ‘Wipe Out' comment from now on.

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Here are some great photos to go along with it:

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Najam Sethi, the editor of the Daily Times in Pakistan discusses the importance of privacy in between US-Pakistani relations. (0:25)