I thought this was cool, so just wanted to share this true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image of a cloud-free view of the Middle Eastern countries surrounding the Fertile Crescent. (I got the image from NASA.)

Arching along the Eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea from the Red Sea through modern-day Syria, and then across to the Persian Gulf in an upside-down “u” shape, the Fertile Crescent is a rich, food growing area in an otherwise dry, barren land. Anciently, the land nurtured some of the earliest recorded human civilizations. Even today, a narrow strip of green along the Mediterranean Sea and the Euphrates River marks out the Fertile Crescent.

Although I can’t read a word of his blog, Fouah al-Farhan has been taken into custody by the Saudi government for posting some remarks critical of the government.

They are supposedly holding out for a written apology, so if indeed we do see one expect it to be completely bogus. I mean, lets face it. If someone arrests you for excercising free speech and then you apologize for doing so, you’re clearly lying through your teeth.

Those of you that are regulars can guess what I feel about this. Frankly I don’t care what country you live in, freedom of speech is the most basic human right. From it all other freedoms flow. In my opinion any government that decides it can no longer tolerate free speech is one that should be overthrown by the people - from whom all power is truly derived.
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Can’t we all just get along? Apparantly not, and the folks over at Maps of War have documented the many different eras of domination of the Middle East as proof.

Who has controlled the Middle East over the course of history? Pretty much everyone. Egyptians, Turks, Jews, Romans, Arabs, Persians, Europeans…the list goes on. Who will control the Middle East today? That is a much bigger question.
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