Does Arafat have AIDS?

Does Arafat Have AIDS?
by Malcolm Thornberry 365Gay.com European Bureau Chief

Posted: November 1, 2004 8:04 pm ET
(Paris) As French doctors continue to run tests on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat some medical authorities not connected directly to his case are suggesting that he may have HIV/AIDS.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath Monday said that all types of cancer had been ruled out.

Arafat has been visibly ill for more than two weeks. Last Wednesday he collapsed and briefly lost consciousness. Initial blood tests performed in the West Bank revealed a low blood platelet count. The Palestinian leader was airlifted to France where he is undergoing more tests.

But, with leukemia and other forms of cancer ruled out, the list of possible diseases is narrowing.

A low blood platelet count is a sign of a weakened immune system. In addition to cancer, the low count could be attributed to bleeding ulcers, colitis, liver disease, lupus, or HIV. It is believed that ulcers and colitis have already been ruled out.
............

http://www.365gay.com/newscon04/11/110104arafat.htm


................

As an HIV physician...it makes sense to me...

Professor 2

This person said everyone in Israel knows this and has known this for years. I couldn't start a thread on it as I do not have enough posts.

:eyes:

I'm not sure why that poster considers that particular piece of gossip important enough to plonk the same link in multiple threads. Having had zero luck in getting them to answer any question they're asked in this forum, I'd be wasting my time asking what the hell difference does it matter what ails Arafat, and why there appears to be a major obsession going on over HIV/AIDS...

Violet...

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

And hopefully why I was wrong? And knock off the accusations of personal attacks. If I were to do it, believe me, no-one will be in any doubt about what it is :)

Anyway, where was I wrong?

I said that rumour was being touted as fact. Correct or not?

You haven't answered the questions I've asked you in this forum. Want the links?

Ah, the rest makes sense now. If there's a rumour afloat that someone has AIDS, that means they are gay. Not for a moment do I doubt the medical credentials you've swathed yrself in, but aren't medical experts aware that there are many other ways of contracting HIV? Isn't it that unfortunate misconception that led to a wave of ignorant persecution by mainly homophobes against anyone who contracted HIV? But maybe doctors are different here than elsewhere in the world. Doctors here don't tend to jump on a rumour and call it a diagnosis...

On 'outing' people, no matter who they are. Maybe it's just not progessive of me, but anyone who's into that needs to get themselves a fucking life and stop poking their slimey noses into other people's private lives. People's sexuality is private domain. Those sort of evil dingbats are closely related to the evil dingbats who 'out' women who've had abortions, and I've got nothing but contempt for either breed of evil dingbat...

Violet...

...the same as us...as a fair amount of them in Australia/Canada/USA/Israel/UK...etc etc are imports from my country and medical school (RSA) :*

What the hell does being gay have to do with AIDS?

You need to drop the whole "doctor" front.

...that the majority of HIV infected people in North America,Europe,Australia,Middle East(if they kept records/In Israel they do) etc etc Are gay males and the incidence is rising so yes HERE it is very much a GAY disease....

....Whereas in Africa its a predominantly Heterosexual disease....


Did you know that?

:think:

So you, as a "Doctor", are saying that because HIV/AIDS has been a VIRUS (disease huh?) primarily spread amongst homosexuals that it is ok to assume, or even better yet do as you did and imply, that HIV/AIDS victims are gay?

Show your colors a little more vibrantly there buddy.

You got more posts than me...

Israel may have poisoned or otherwise infected him with something, AIDS or other. To gays this may be important, but remember AIDS is not limited to the Gay community, a factoid this post seems to ignore.

:eyes: :eyes:

If you are as dense and devoid of common courtesy in your real life as you appear here on these forum pages then you must be alone and friendless...pity.

What, pray tell, about my post did you find so laughable? That straight folks get AIDS as well? That neither you nor I know what ails Arafat?
Or are you just here to vent your spleen to make a silly life more bearable?

In this forum when your a person broght up with Jewish values and ingrained pro Israel bias to be attacked at every post (which is important for other progressives to see exists in this community as there are not enough of us posting on this very important website),and often attacked very personally as some other Doctors on this board are,it puts a person in a very defensive posture that sometimes makes me react too aggresively without seeing that the poster is actually posting a neutral unbiased post worthy of discussion.

I apologize.

"some other doctors" you mean ONE other self described doctor - who after posting he gets aroused by the thought of Palestinians being murdered was doubted by some on this board as that view seems to go against the hippocratic oath somewhat.

I'm also incredibly bemused that as a HIV/AIDS doctor you posted that the ridiculous "AIDS bomb" theory was possible. If you are indeed a HIV/AIDS doctor you'd know it was pure 100% unadulterated bullshit.

Oh and by the way please please stop claiming that you are some kind of arbiter of what is and isn't worthy of discussion based on being Jewish - you're not the only one and we don't all agree with you regarding the best demonstartion of "Jewish "values"

Djinn! :toast:

Couldn't put it any more eloquent and better...

No matter what you say or belive , that the vast vast majority of Jews concur with my mainstream Jewish views.A tiny minority,such as natura karta,and other self haters such as Adam Shapiro,:puke:
may agree with the Jewish world according to Djinn.BUT `cos you say its so dont make it true.I may say``I dont believe in France`..that dont make it so...I look on a map and There it is...

You may say that Jews are not homogeneous in their thoughts on this topic....BUT the vast vast majority are...A prayer in ever synagogogue in the world (bar natura karta and Michael Lerners) are said for the IDF soldiers weekly ....reform/conservative and orthodox (and my own gay synagogue too)


Also the medical ``facts`` your spewing ..because YOU say they are ``pure 100% unadulterated bullshit.`` does not make em so...

Where did you get your medical degree? Mine came about in 1990 (The France analogy applies here again) So maybe you wanna get a medical doctor to argue that point?

That this applies ESPECIALLY to Australian Jews who are amongst the most Zionist Jews in the world.My school spent many many a field trips to Israel with Moriah high school students ( a great school in Australia)...and many of them are today high Ranking officers in the IDF.

the majority (if you beleive the last election results I'm holding off on an opinion there for the moment) of Americans supported Bush

SO FUCKING WHAT?

You can not and do not speak for ALL Jews, you can call the rest of us self haters if you like (although I beleive that would be against the rules here personally I couldn't give a shit) but it wont change anything.

Please provide some evidence for your claim that most Australian jews support the occupation???

as for who became high ranking IDF officers..who cares - several prominent terrorists became high ranking Israeli political figures - some even PM's what exactly does that prove?

I don't need a med degree to know that the AIDS bomb story is IMPOSSIBLE - I don't disbeleive that someone within Hamas or whatever thought about it but it would have been IMPOSSIBLE to pull off.

Simple facts about the nature of the disease can readilly debunk this ridiculous notion - please explain how it would possibly work if you disagree with the many people I've discussed this with - including the Australian doctor who was one of the first to study AIDS in the eighties (world reknown) the largest AIDS charity in the country who I've worked with for several years, atleast 4 doc's where I currently work (2 are virologists) and my father, a highly published doctor who main work was in the field of disease transmission.

Again please explain how your opinion trounces every other expert in this field?

maybe get a doctor to argue this point...

I've discussed this (as said before) with several experts in the area - they ALL soundly disagree with you - as YOU are a sefl proclaimed HIV/AIDS expert how about you tell us - with reference to the virus' ability to stay alive outside the body and the effects of an explosion and resultant heat on the virus.

Thank you in advance as I'm sure you'll actually be able to come up with an answer instead of saying "ask a doctor" which again...I have

My sources are mainly my many many many friends made while I attended Hebrew school in South Africa and our multiple exchanges with our Moriah school cousins....
but its easy for you to find on the net,,,

For example.....

`` Australian Jewry has a strong and deep relationship with Israel. Most Australian Jews have family members in Israel and each year many young Australians participate in one of a variety of programs based in Israel. The Zionist Federation of Australia, under the leadership of Dr Ron Weiser of Sydney, administers a number of programs designed to qualitatively enhance the relationship between israel and Australian Jewry.``

http://www.join.org.au/comunity.htm

well fuck me with a chainsaw there's a surprise - this group has no valid claim to speak for anyone, but thanks for the laugh anyway.

Interesting you mention Moriah a guy I know went there (had to check with him but he has confirmed this was the school) he left because of their refusal to do anything about the blatant homophobia he experienced there - the principal told him (and his parents) that basically if he was going to flaunt God's law with his lifestyle he should expect some flak. Ah religion 'tis a wonderful thing.

...Your friend from Moriah....

Is he single? Is he cute? What work does he do now?

trolling for booty....

in a thread about HIV, are you??

Shades of "bareback" Sullivan...

and to be honest - no offense but from your posts I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be interested.

Any chance of answering the AIDS bomb question at all? ever?

nowhere in "love your neighbor as you love yourself" is it implied an exception for Palestinians, and nowhere in "justice, justice you shall pursue" is it implied an exception for IDF soldiers.

Also, praying for the state and its soldiers and praising the policies of the government are quite different.

Oh my not more of that BS RW rhetoric used for smearing critical opinion! So if the majority of US (that voted for Bush) are homophobic (are against homosexual marriages, adoption, equal rights as heterosexuals), that makes them right? Let me guess: Noam Chomsky, Uri Avnery, Amira Hass and org. like Gush Shalom are also self-hating Jews according to your kind of thinking?

Or the fact that those nazi right wingers call anyone left to them anti-American, self-hating citizen just because they don't agree with their views or that of the president (in Israel's case Sharon or the majority opinion among them).

Spare me such logic and reasoning. Or I might really think you're not what you claim to be and just might be another of those pretending to be something while actually being more FR then DU...

:eyes:

...of me...:eyes:

I was Bar Mitzvah'd in an Orthodox synagogue in Long Beach NY. My grandparents (all four) were Orthodox, my parents were Conservative Jews, so I understand what you are saying.

But I believe that you must understand that attacks on Israeli policies are not attacks on world Jewry.The state of Israel is , of course, predominantly of that faith, it is the homeland to most of us Jews in fact.But one must judge their policies and actions from a position of religious neutrality.

I am newish to this particular forum and precisely because I expected it to be a rather explosive subject. I must say that , in my limited exposure to this place, Ive found no antisemitism and little angst excepting , unfortunately, from the defenders of Israel. Noone Ive read is suggesting an expulsion of the Jews from the state of Israel, I would certainly support no such thing.

Palestinians have rights equal to those of any other people, and I see little differentiation between terrorism by children and fanatics and that of a legitimate government.I trust that we can dialog on this subject and exchange information and opinions in a civilized manner. How else can any progress be made?

Personally I am an atheist and so is most of my fathers family, but like I keep telling queerjustice and others, there are many religious jews who also do not support the actions of teh Israeli government in regards to the Palestinians.

I also do not support banishing people from their homes - whether they are Jewish, Muslim, European, Arab etc etc

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

"Y'know, you really are a sick ,warped individual."


I'm just glad that wasnt a personal attack ,Englander.

...either...and I am quite healthy actually...

.....Arafat on the other hand is a REALLY sick individual.....

Comment or argue on the ``post``, (which I did not write)...instead of attacking me, who you do not know and I do not care to know you.

yet you happily call me a self hater

hold on...i gotta bookmark this....john locke may never
post again until the next comet comes thru


lol

I've been busy. ;)

I've been a bit busy lately too, and I'm considering becoming a doctor so I'll have all the time in the world to post at DU ;)

Nice to see you again, btw, and I hope it's not such a long time before you post again...

Cheers...

Violet...

Was liver failure. While this can be a secondary result of HIV, I think that this would have been caught much sooner and would have been accompanied by other symptoms which would have been rather easy to pick up and treat.

No, my thought has been some sort of non-Hodgkins or viral infection...

L-

"has used French privacy laws to keep the state of her husband's health a mystery"?...

all I can think of is that either the French laws of inheritance that will allow the Madame to inherit the Palistinian treasury depend on the cause of death or the cause of death remains a mystery to avoid the damage to the Arafat aura in a way that being a corrupt thug and a murderer clearly does not...

To keep people from speculating. Also, for the most part illnesses of world leaders generally is a closely guarded state secret. True of Kennedy's health back in the 60's, Woodrow Wilson back in the 20's, Mao back in the 60's and 70's, Boris Yeltsin, etc.

L-

it is secret only while the leaders are still leading...

eventually, the truth outs, and until it does, the people will keep speculating...

Or at least the transitional period has completed into whatever follows next.

From my opinion, it doesn't matter if Arafat was gay, straight, has AIDS, or whatever as this amounts to nothing more than lurid tabloid type speculation. Doesn't matter in the bigger picture of Arafat's role on the world stage - either as a statesman/patriot/strongman/terrorist/etc. (draw your own conclusion), same goes for Kennedy's dalliances, Empress Catherine the Great's alleged sexual escapades, etc.

L-

enquiring minds want to know if he was poisoned...oh, that's right they ruled that out, didn't they?...

from my opinion, it matters neither, I rejoice that the worms will soon devour his wretched carcass regardless, however, secrets are kept not from those that it would not matter to, rather, from those that it would...

what does matter is the possible billions in Swiss bank accounts that Arafat plundered from international agencies supposedly for the sake of the people, and by what statutes or laws his Miss Piggy look-alike widow is entitled to any of it before those people, and, by what standards of morality did Europe knowingly bankroll his murderous cronyism for so long at the expense of these people?...

But to the broader issue of bankrolling, truthfully, there is little money in the area that does not have blood on it of some sort or another.

Even the first influx of investments by the major powers starting in the 1830's is tied to one of several conflicts most local, but which also includes the Crimean War.


L-

but with the exception of the one gay site, all are either Jewish
or Republican, so straight away I'm inclined to disbelieve.

There are some discussion threads also pushing the idea that Israel
is behind the AIDS rumours in order to cover up the fact that they
poisoned him. I don't buy into that either - I think he was more
valuable to Israel alive, because that gave Sharon an excuse to
refuse to negotiate on Palestine, Arafat being a "non-person".

Perhaps the truth is that he was an old man who got sick and died.

R.I.P.

would explain the lack of diagnosis being made public, the lack of an autopsy if the diagnosis was unknown, and the charade being woven around the diagnosis...


Senior Palestinian renews poisoning suspicion in Arafat death: Turkish paper

...

Nasser al-Qidwa, Arafat's nephew and Palestinian representative at the United Nations, told the daily Vatan that Arafat's health problem was "such a complicated condition that a diagnosis was not possible."


In comments on rumors that Arafat might have been poisoned, al-Qidwa was quoted as saying: "This is our biggest suspicion. If it were a normal death, it would have been possible to put a diagnosis so far."


Palestinian foreign minister Nabil Shaath has insisted that the 75-year-old leader was not been poisoned but rumors have flown back and forth over what exactly he died of amid the refusal of French doctors to disclose the cause of death to anyone but his family.


Arafat's personal physician, Ashraf al-Kurdi, has called for an inquiry into his death.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/afp/20041113/wl_mideast_afp/mideast_arafat_death_cause_qidwa

Dr. Fathi Arafat, Yasser Arafat’s brother, has died of cancer at the age of 77...

sorry, Fathi, no HIPAA for you...