Wednesday, April 30, 2003

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/29/opinion/29GERE.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/30/international/worldspecial/30RUMS.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/30/international/worldspecial/30ASSE.html

And then I found the following today:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54502-2003Apr29.html

which was a mine of information--for better or for worse. For example, the writer points out that Khomeini was not just riding in on a spontaneous wave; he had spent 15 years--*FIFTEEN* years, people--of grassroots organizing. And that the Left and Khomeini cooperated a *lot* in the 70s.

This last, particularly, is something that resonates very loudly with me right now; having hung around with a lot of Indian leftists lately. Having grown up on the other side of the intellectual spectrum, it's been a long and grudging road to realizing that these guys really know how to organize--and they achieve results. Have you seen http://www.stopfundinghate.org? 4/7 of the people listed in the acknowledgements to the report (http://stopfundinghate.org/sacw/index.html) are local to the Bay Area and I got to meet all 7 over the last week. (You might have heard the name of Biju Mathew--google him if you haven't.) These guys know how to organize and they have a well-reasoned world view.

Need to try and capture the whole discussion on identities

* It is very interesting to see American Muslims be so anti-war and pro-Human Rights and so on when it is a war against a country of their compatriots; and the rights being violated are theirs.

* Another interesting thing is that in a a lot of cases, the people American Muslims used to rail against [like Barbara Boxer] are *against* the war [as are more jews than most Americans) while the people they were in political alliance with (Tom Cambell, for example) have endorsed it.

I cannot believe how many people think that stating their truth as it has become obvious to them is a way of convincing someone.

"Here is my view of reality. Believe it. It is true."

Is not a way to convince anyone.

It is not Da'wa.

"Da'wa" means inviting people to something; not hitting them over the head with it.

Even to The Prophet, Allah and his angels did not say in one go: "Here is a complete system of belief: Listen, there is only one God, and you are his messenger. Say the Kalima, start praying five times a day, fasting for a month every year, give zakaat, and perform the pilgrimage." The message was brought to him in parts he could absorb in meanings he could absorb.

Friday, April 25, 2003

test:

ﺖﺣﺎﺒﺼ

Wednesday, April 23, 2003

Nationalist

2 generations of confrontation

Europe

want to live neighbourhoodly

solve problems

governments and politicians will do what tgey will

we need to solve problems

we need to understand

Monday, April 21, 2003

The post below actually doesn't mention her being the last Empress of India...

Sabahat Ashraf - Apr 2, 2002

Okay, but here's a different one. The amusing thing to watch in the US [okay, so I have basically been tuning out most US media since about October; but some still seeps thru] is that you hear "She was the woman Hitler called 'The Most Dangerous Woman in Europe'..."blahblahblahblah ad nauseum. NO mention of her and Badsha Salaamath's [after all, he *was* the last Emperor of India] earlier much-criticised role as Appeasers ... oh, well...

May she rest in peace. There are so few people from that generation of our grandparents left. It was a very interesting lifetime that that generation spanned. Imagine living from the before automobiles were common to a time of the Internet and instant messaging across the globe...

And, yes, Nadia, my reaction to Diana -- even when she was alive -- was stronger than the one Our-Cousin-Who-Is-Stuck-in-Ireland just expressed. At least in our lifetimes the Queen Mum was a less pervasive phenomenon....

Well, you were the folks that got serious about this topic...

Moon, that's why the saying is "The King/Queen is dead! Long Live the King/Queen!" Little Kitty Cat now has to find a new chair.

Wednesday, April 16, 2003

Canadian Flees South

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPPrint/LAC/20030320/UKAMAN/International/

Silicon Valley and Presidential Politics

http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/5381587.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

Turning the tide of Africa's Brain Drain

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2844277.stm

Naeem Sadiq on secularism:

http://www.creativepsychotherapy.com/Discussions/Seculaism/Naeem_Sadiq01.htm

http://www.progressive.org/rothfisk9807.htm

Hoodbhoy on Hoodbhoy

http://www.creativepsychotherapy.com/Articals/Pervezhoodbhoy.htm

Tuesday, April 15, 2003

There is an assumption expressed repeatedly that we live in an era that is more civilized than previous ones. But consider this: Before this era, there were, you will agree, times and places where people lived without a fear of life and limb. Now consider this: a formal, full-time police force is a pretty recent innovation. So how is it that in this more "advanced" society, we have to have a full-time force to prevent a breakdown of order?

Also, consider this: an Iranian just said to me, "I lived in a country once, where didn't have any government for 6 months. There was no looting."

There is a need to emphasize and be conscious about the difference between being anti-Zionist and being anti-semitic.