By Nilofar Suhrawardy, Muslim Media News Service (MMNS)

NEW DELHI- Ironically, the very week in which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh talked highly of his government’s resolve to push the country forward towards greater heights proved politically expensive for him. While addressing the nation from ramparts of Red Fort on August 15, 2007, the 60th anniversary of India’s independence, Singh said: “Today, when I look back, I can say with some satisfaction that we are undoubtedly moving forward in the right direction. We have been slow in taking some steps; we have dithered at times, and stumbled some times. We have had success on some fronts, and setbacks on some others. But, there is no doubt that we have been steadfast in our resolve, firm in our convictions and resolute in our commitment to the welfare of the common man.”

Without elaborating on India’s foreign policy, including India-US nuclear deal and Indo-Pak relations, Singh only referred to India’s desire for peace with its neighbors. “India wants to live in neighborhood of peace and prosperity. I assure all our neighbors that we in India want peace and best of relations with all of them,” he said.

Referring specifically to his government’s concern for socially and economically deprived classes, Singh said: “We are committed to economic, social, political and educational empowerment of SCs (scheduled castes), STs (scheduled tribes), OBCs (other backward classes) and minorities.” In addition to his government having announced scholarships and development programs for these classes, he said: “I am happy to say that we have been able to persuade private sector to some extent to take affirmative action to ensure that these sections of society get a fair share of employment in industry and trade.” “The Prime Minister’s 15-Point Program is designed to ensure that minorities are not left out of development programs and that they have necessary resources to transform their lives,” he asserted.

Yet, there remains little doubt that Singh must give serious attention to two crucial issues, one he evaded in his address and the other that he referred to, respectively the Indo-US nuclear deal and his government’s approach towards minorities. Taking the latter point first, of late, several Muslim organizations have raised voice against the government having ignored their community.

The Joint Committee of Muslim Organizations for Empowerment (JCMOE) held a “sit-in” (dharna) demonstration at Jantar Mantar on August 14 demanding implementation of recommendations made by Sachar Committee and Mishra Commission. While Sachar Committee has pointed that even 60 years after independence, Indian Muslim community is extremely backward, the Mishra Commission has suggested reservation for Muslims.

During his address on the occasion, President of All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM), former legislator Syed Shahabuddin said that this demonstration was a “knock” on doors of democracy. “This is the first knock and not the last. We will keep knock on this door again and again and if need be, break it,” he said.

Legislator Shahid Siddiqui (Samajwadi Party) questioned government’s silence on the two reports, with Sachar report only having been “technically” introduced in the Parliament, while the Mishra has not even reached this stage. “The government is not serious about pursuing the two reports,” he said.

Addressing a national convention on “Feeling of insecurity among Muslims: Its probable implications and solutions” organized by All India Milli Council (August 18), former Prime Minister V.P. Singh referred to “atrocities” committed on Muslims following demolition of Babri Masjid, during Mumbai riots and Gujarat carnage. “The Gujarat carnage shook our faith and the whole country rests on faith in the country’s judicial system,” he said. “It is a pity that Muslims who have been part of the freedom struggle and chose to stay behind after Partition are being asked to prove their nationalism,” Singh said while referring to government having failed to take any action on Sachar report and Srikrishna Commission report.

With the government well aware of Indian Muslims’ political significance as a crucial vote-bank, it can definitely not ignore their demand for constructive moves. However, even before the government has had time to deliberate on this, it has been shaken by Left bloc’s stand against the India-US nuclear deal. During an hour-long meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Left leaders Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury (Communist Party of India-Marxist), said that the government should not “operationalize” the deal. The others who attended this meeting (August 18) included United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

The following day (August 19), Mukherjee, along with Defense Minister A.K. Antony and senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel discussed the issue again with Yechury. After the meeting, ruling out any compromise on the deal, Yechury said: “There is no compromise formula. Let them set up a mechanism that will evaluate impact of the Hyde Act on sovereignty of India and other related issues.”

By Sunday evening as the Congress leaders were engaged in finding a way out of this crisis, the other parties began deliberating on possibility of snap polls in case the government does not yield to Left’s stand, prompting the latter to withdraw support. “If elections are held, we may or may not lose some seats, but the Congress will lose heavily,” a CPI(M) leader said. “They (UPA) will have to pay a big political price if they are not ready to reconcile with us on the nuclear issue,” A.B. Bardhan (Communist Party of India) said. Calling on his party members to be ready for snap polls, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader M. Venkaiah Naidu said: “You must be ready for any eventuality as anything may happen at any time.”

Not in favor of midterm polls, the UPA allies advised the Congress to work out a formula for settling differences with the Left over the nuclear deal, sources said. It is certainly a taxing time for the Prime Minister!

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By Bob Wood, Muslim Media News Service (MMNS)

By the time you read this column, the domestic stock market may have taken a rather severe beating. I include the possibility of a full fledged market crash, at worst, but not much of anything for a best-case scenario. But from adversity, we can sometimes find opportunity. And I believe we will find some wonderful opportunities to take for our advantage. Some great investments are now in the making.

Now, before you become too eager, bear in mind that the best bargains may well be unsafe to load up on for several more weeks, if not months! Keep in mind how the bear market cycle of 2000 to 2003 played out. The market broke from its highs in March of 2000, with the eventual bottom not seen until early 2003.

Only at the end of that bear cycle was it safe for investors to wade back into the markets. Along the way, lower prices were available for stocks on buy lists of opportunistic investors, but those prices steadily fell even further as other investors became ever more discouraged and sold to avoid further losses.

I am as positive as I can be that recent market turmoil is just the beginning of the new bear market cycle, or, more likely, the resumption of the secular bear market that began in early 2000. That the S&P 500 sits at a lower level now than its bull market top in early 2000 is a great clue!

You may have noticed that when domestic stock markets fall, the international and emerging markets tend to fall even faster. That fact any investor now loaded up on the long side with those more volatile stocks and funds knows well.

Commonly accepted investing tenets teach that international and emerging markets are considered more volatile investments, based on past performance. And that concept becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy as investors sell first what they have heard are riskier stocks and funds.

What amazes me is that so few investors take time to consider the vastly superior economic fundamentals offered in many foreign markets. Our country’s ultra-loose lending standards for housing and other forms of credit do not exist in most places, excluding Australia, Spain and the U.K., and are not responsible for giving the illusion of their strong economies.

On the other hand, countries like Brazil, Russia, China and Taiwan are doing great business by exporting manufactured goods, energy and other commodities. They are also paying down their external debts, while here, we are taking on so much debt that David Walker, Comptroller General of the United States, compares us to the Roman Empire. He talks about the end of this empire, not the onset of it!

The bursting of the U.S. housing bubble is causing shock waves in the financial markets. And who ever would have thought that money market mutual funds would be blowing up? Many of these occurrences are attributable to the immense amount of fraudulent activity perpetrated by banks and brokers who sold junk bonds to buyers, led to believe they were getting investment-grade debt.

Of course, this debt debacle is just beginning. Huge amounts of mortgage debt soon will be reset to higher interest rates. A large bulge of mortgage debt is scheduled to reset, starting in October of this year and lasting well into next spring. I fully expect more market volatility, at least for that long, as financial markets come to grips with rising defaults.

As domestic markets reel from the realization that this bubble’s bursting will be the most painful one yet, my favorite international and emerging markets shares should see selling that belies their underlying economic fundamentals, as they benefit from leaders who use sane fiscal and economic policies.

Bargains in the international markets are already becoming available. For those not philosophically opposed to owning bonds, some closed-end funds that invest in international government bonds look awfully tempting. In fact, having held them for the past couple years, I am currently enduring an unexpected amount of volatility for bond funds.

Shares of the Alliance Bernstein Global High Income (AWF) fund appear to offer a stellar investing opportunity. With a yield quoted at almost 9%, the fund sells for an almost unbelievable 17% discount to its NAV (as of today, 8-17). Best of all, the fund pays its dividends in foreign currencies, which add a potential hedge against the falling dollar, now enduring a 90-year trend of lost value. Volatility notwithstanding, I added a little of this one to client accounts this past week.

Equally attractive are shares of the Western Asset Emerging Markets Debt Fund (ESD), with a yield close to 8% and a discount to NAV of almost 17%. I’m not as concerned as others with the volatility of these funds. I see a sufficient margin of safety offered by both of these offerings (to do more research, go to www.etfconnect.com ).

For those who prefer investing in equities, other great investments are becoming available. Asian economies are growing stronger by exporting manufactured goods, and some economies are benefiting from the economic progress of China. Interested investors can buy a basket of such stocks managed by one of today’s best emerging markets fund managers, Mark Mobius. The Templeton Dragon Fund (TDF), for example, sells at a discount to its NAV of about 15%. The average P/E for several stock markets in Asia are lower than the P/E of our domestic markets, and the high rates of personal savings in those economies offer an added reason for optimism.

For those wishing to invest in the growing economic picture seen in India, consider two great options — when our markets finally calm down. I believe that turmoil in U.S. markets is just beginning and will last for months to come, affecting these funds that invest half a world away.

As of mid-August, the Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund (IIF) is selling at a discount to NAV of nearly 15%; it invests in the local market, enabling the manager to buy stocks not offered here. A closely related offering, The India Fund (IFN) now sports a discount of about 11%.

Investors like me who see a bright future in the energy sector could consider buying shares in the Petroleum and Resources Fund (PEO), which manages a portfolio of energy related companies. This fund can be bought currently at a discount close to 10% of its underlying value, and many energy stocks sell at P/E multiples lower than the overall market average.

Others exist, of course, but I think we have plenty of time to jump into them. They may be available at even lower prices as our stock market moves lower in the coming weeks, which, I think, is a fair possibility.

In the meantime, while many investors lose money, as so many do in bear markets, you may choose to avoid the stock markets altogether until this turmoil settles out. Or you could take steps to “hedge” your stock market exposure using bear market mutual funds like the Prudent Bear Fund (BEARX), a managed bear-market fund. Shares in the Rydex OTC Inverse Fund (RYAIX) benefit from a falling Nasdaq 100, and shares in ProFunds Ultra Short Emerging markets Inverse Fund (UVPIX) offer protection against losses in that sector. The latter is a leveraged fund, so smaller doses are recommended. I use all three in client accounts to offer protection from losses and also profit potential in a bear market.

Investors do not need only rising markets to profit from their efforts. Bear markets offer different opportunities, but acceptable gains are possible. Bear markets certainly look different than bull markets, but, if the domestic secular bear market that began more than seven years ago is about to endure another leg down, investors need to look for opportunities in different places.

Those opportunities will be there. But it’s up to you to find them and the nerve to invest in them when others are looking for shelter from losses. Bear markets set up opportunities for the sharp-eyed investor. They’re popping up now, and more are coming. Look for them while the crowd heads for cover. But be patient!

Have a great week.
Bob

Bob Wood ChFC, CLU Yusuf Kadiwala. Registered Investment Advisors, KMA, Inc., invest@muslimobserver.com.

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By Adil James, MMNS

Dearborn–August 19–”These are turbulent waters–and we are the people who know how to swim in these waters.”

These were the words of veteran Detroit Free Press reporter David Crumm, who spoke last Sunday at the ICA, during Zaman International’s gala there.

Present were upwards of 250 guests, there to honor Zaman, to learn about and support its work, and to see the prominent speakers who had been brought for the occasion, including Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President Jawad Khaki, and of course Mr. Crumm, who received an award (the 2d Annual Hope for Humanity Award) that night and who is the recipient of several fairness in journalism awards from local Muslim organizations.

Mr. Khaki of Microsoft spoke at length on the virtues of multicultural acceptance and inclusion, criticizing those who spread intolerance and describing his essentially globalized life, born in Tanzania to parents from India, and educated in the UK.

Zaman organizers showed brief videos describing their work of helping the poor. The organization has several ongoing projects, including Bayt al-Zahra, which Zaman explains provides food and other necessities to more than 400 families.

Mr. Crumm also spoke on issues relating to mutual goodwill, and described his upcoming project after he leaves the Free Press, a “Read the Spirit” website which will have a spiritual focus.

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Indian Muslim Parliamentarian Visits Chicago

August 12,2007

CHICAGO, IL– Asaduddin Owaisi, the member of Indian Parliament , spoke to a crowd of over 500 hundred at Norshore Banquet Hall in Chicago. In his 80 mins long speech the articulate barrister covered a wide range of issues of concern to Indian Muslims from the community’s low socio-economic status to the recently signed Indo-US nuclear deal.

Owaisi is the lone MP from Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) which is mainly concentrated in the city of Hyderabad and adjoining areas. His party has five members in the Andhra Pradesh state legislature.

Owaisi said that for sixty years of independence all political parties have taken the Indian Muslims for a ride and have failed to take substantive actions in improving their lot. He called for a quick implementation of Sachar Commission report which was delegated with quantifying the socio-economic status of the Indian Muslims by the Prime Minister and presented a depressing picture of Indian Muslims. “If decisive action isn’t taken immediately, there will be widespread political consequences for the secular parties in the next election,” warned Owaisi.

The MIM was recently in the news over the alleged attack on controversial Bengali writer Taslima Nasreen by its members. Barrister Owaisi said that it is unfair to call the action of his party members as an attack. “It was a strong protest…Why is she being allowed to propagate her hateful views in India? She has Swedish citizenship and has no business being in India,” he said. He asked the Indian government to immediately cancel her visa and deport her back to Sweden.

“If someone is interested in abusing then they should abuse me or my family. But we will not tolerate any remarks against our Prophet or our religion,” he declared.

Owaisi called the recently concluded Indo-US nuclear deal as good for India provided that it does not influence the latter’s foreign policies. He said that India has vast capabilities to develop indigenous resources and technologies and that this aspect shouldn’t be ignored. He called for increased peace building measures between India and Pakistan which will guarantee security and prosperity for all.

He praised the entrepreneurship, hard work, and dedication of Indo-Americans and urged them to take active part in the society.

At the event a book comprising of selected parliamentary speeches of Asaduddin Owaisi was also released. The book titled “Representing Indian Muslims: Selected Speeches of Asaduddin Owaisi” has been compiled by Toronto based researcher Mohammed Ayub Ali Khan.

Mohamed Bakri receives Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarship

MINNEAPOLIS, MN–University of Minnesota, Twin Cities alumnus and Sudan native Mohamed Bakri has been awarded a 2007 Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarship. The scholarship was awarded to only 34 scholars nationally out of the 977 candidates who were nominated for the award by their undergraduate institutions. This program awards scholarships worth up to $50,000 each to college seniors or recent graduates to attend graduate or professional programs.

“I am very proud the University of Minnesota nominated me and pleased to receive such a generous scholarship. I am grateful for the wonderful support from both my sociology professors and the College of Liberal Arts honors advising staff. I will work hard to fulfill the expectations of this great university and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation,” Bakri said.

Bakri is the second U of M, Twin Cities student to win a Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarship. He is a 2006 summa cum laude graduate in sociology, and received CLA’s Turner Award for Best Summa Thesis for 2006. With the support of the Cooke Scholarship, he will begin work toward a master’s of public affairs degree this fall at the University’s Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs.

Bakri earned an undergraduate degree in law from the Khartoum branch of the University of Cairo in 1987 and began a promising career as a journalist. An outspoken advocate for democracy, religious tolerance and women’s rights, Bakri won recognition in journalism, poetry and drama before leaving Sudan as a political refugee in the late 1990s.

He and his family settled in Minnesota, where he began taking classes at Century College before transferring to the University of Minnesota. His summa thesis, “Failed Societal Community? The Crisis of Democracy in Sudan,” analyzes the collapse of Sudan’s first democratic government, 1953-1958, from a sociological perspective. Bakri’s long-term goals include founding a research center dedicated to bringing a Muslim perspective to United States and international efforts to support the democratization of developing nations in the Middle East and Africa.

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is a private, independent foundation established in 2000. The Foundation offers several types of scholarships to help students of exceptional promise reach their full potential through education.

At the heart of the University of Minnesota, the College of Liberal Arts has served Minnesota and its people with distinction for over 135 years-improving people’s lives and contributing to the public good through path-breaking research, service to communities, and teaching.

Chicago mosque defaced

CHICAGO, IL–Two teenaged vandals broke into Chicago’s Jama Masjid and damaged the interior and exterior of the popular mosque. According to press reports, police responded to a 911 call at 12:45 AM on August 20th and found two teens hiding beneath a stairwell.

Idris Thaomas,17, and a 16 year old accompolice were arrested and charged with burglary and defacing property. Police said the boys cut a hole in a fence, broke through a plastic barrier and forced a window open to gain entry to the property. Once inside, police said, they spray-painted graffiti on the walls.

The spray-painted messages did not contain racist or anti-Muslim messages, according to police.

“Nothing that was spray painted would indicate it was a hate crime,” said Officer Marcel Bright to Chicago Tribune, who could not confirm the religious affiliations of the teens. “That’s why they were only charged with burglary and defacing property.”

Rogers Park District Lt. Ken Barnas said the graffiti may be related to gang activity. “The mosque leaders are going to come in and see if anything is missing,” he said.

Bay County Bus Driver Goes to Court This Week

BAY COUNTY, FL–A Bay County school bus driver facing hate crime charges involving a Muslim woman and her two children will go in front of a judge this week,the WJHG news channel reported.

Thomas E. Plaisted will have a pretrial hearing Wednesday.

Police arrested him in June for an incident at a Lynn Haven Taco Bell. He’s accused of being hostile to a Muslim family and pushing a five and an 11-year-old.

He allegedly spat on one of the children.

Donations, feedback sought for new mosque in Ohio

DAYTON, OH–Details for a mosque/activity center to be built by the Islamic Society of Greater Dayton on South Alpha Bellbrook Road in Sugarcreek Twp. “are still in the planning process,” said Marwan Younes Maarouf, a member of the New Mosque Committee, reports the Dayton Daily.

“It’s a community project so it’s contingent on the availability of funds,” he said.

The majority of Muslim worshippers in the area “are in the southern part of town, which is why we chose Sugarcreek Twp.,” he said.

Dr. Tarek Sabagh, president of the Islamic Society, said the group hopes to collect donations during the next several months — which includes Ramadan, the holiest period in the Islamic faith, when people are most giving, he said — before submitting an application to the township’s board of zoning appeals.

Ousted Arabic-themed school principal gets support

NEW YORK, NY–Supporters of the ousted principal of a Arabic-themed public school in New York rallied in front of the city’s Department of Education.

“Unless we all send a clear message that racist comments associating Arabic language and culture with terrorism will not be tolerated, we will continue to hear them again and again,” the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee and other community groups said in a statement in support of the Khalil Gibran International Academy.

Debbie Almontasser, who is a Muslim of Yemeni descent and fluent in Arabic, was forced to resign after she explained the word “intifada”–commonly used in the context of the Palestinian uprisings against Israel–as meaning “shaking off.”

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Tossing Fuel on a Fire

Courtesy Dave Lindorff

According to a new Associated Press report, the US is offering Israel a record $30-billion 10-year military aid package.

Let’s ignore for a moment the AP story’s irony-free comment that “Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns said the package was meant to back peace-seeking countries like Israel and moderate Arab states in the region to counter U.S. adversaries such as Iran.” (Israel is a “peace-seeking” country?) We’ll just focus on the amount of money that’s being promised here.

Israel is a land of only 6 million people. That works out to about $5000 in arms aid per man, woman and child, and of course, since nearly a third of the people in Israel are Palestinian, and won’t see a penny’s (or bullet’s) worth of that aid, it’s really closer to $7500 per person. And remember, this is no basket case nation; this is one of the most technologically developed and wealthiest countries on earth we’re talking about here.

Looked at another way, this aid to Israel represents a gift of $100 worth of money and weaponry from every man, woman and child in America to the people of Israel.

Think about that the next time you are scraping together the money to make your next mortgage payment or rent check.

Then think about the additional $20 billion that the U.S. is offering to the so-called “moderate” Arab states around Israel, by which we mean Saudi Arabia (you know, the country that gave us most of the 9-11 bombers and that is the prime country of origin of the foreign fighters we hear so much about in Iraq attacking US troops), Jordan and Egypt. the US has to offer that military aid if it’s going to give weapons to Israel, or risk losing the friendship of those countries.

So that’s $50 billion in weapons aid to a region that is a perpetual powderkeg. It makes about as much sense as giving a gift of matches and lighters to a rehab center full of pyromaniacs and convicted arsonists.

Viewed another way, the new military aid to Israel, which represents a 25 percent increase over last year (a reward for Israel’s brutal and pointless invasion of Lebanon, perhaps?), which comes to about $3 billion per year, is ten times the entire US aid budget to fight AIDS in Africa.

So not only is this aid offer stupid in the extreme, giving Israel no reason whatsoever to work to achieve some kind of just and abiding settlement with its neighbors and with the Palestinians inside and outside its borders, but it’s immoral for the reason that it shortchanges those who really need the aid.

I mean, this military aid to Israel is also equal to or greater than all US aid to Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean region.

But the news isn’t all bad. At least in Latin America and the Caribbean, Venezuela is picking up the slack (and the rewards in terms of public acclaim) by providing the aid that the US is skimping on while it bankrolls Israel’s war machine.

Is this how you want your tax dollars used?

Dave Lindorff is the author of Killing Time: an Investigation into the Death Row Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal. His n book of CounterPunch columns titled “This Can’t be Happening!” is published by Common Courage Press. Lindorff’s newest book is “The Case for Impeachment”, co-authored by Barbara Olshansky.

He can be reached at: dlindorff@yahoo.com

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By Kathleen Khalil

Why did I travel to Lebanon in May 2007? One reason for my trip to the Middle East, but particularly to Lebanon was to find out the truth of what happened during the “war” between Israel and Lebanon. I learned information that makes me even more proud to be Muslim and of Arabic descent.

What did I learn from this trip? I learned that 35 years ago, I did not appreciate the beauty of Beirut, the coastline. I was young, moving too fast, taking in the sights, having fun, and yes, visiting my village of Tibnin. However, 35 years, later, I seem to have matured a little, just as Lebanon had. We go through our personal wars, our difficulties; we learn, and we move on.

What did happen in Lebanon 9 months before I arrived, in May, 2007, but did not read about in the U.S. papers? What information about the big picture was kept from U.S. citizens? What is the spirit of the Lebanese?

First, during a drive through Beirut, the Daylia area, I learned that the Israelis bombed Lebanon with three types of bombs. Cluster bombs in the South for maiming the children and unwitting adults, to prevent the Lebanese from using their fertile agricultural land, and to discourage the people from returning to the south. The second type was the pinpoint bombs used to blow up 22 bridges going to the south; large patches of roads, buildings, restaurants, and yes, even mosques. I learned or personally saw, in my brief stay, that the Israelis bombed the dome and sides of a small mosque in Bint Jebail and bombed mosques in at least two other southern villages.

The third type of bomb was the uranium bomb, used to bomb places where Nasrallah lived, Fadallah lived, and perhaps one to three military personnel lived, in Beirut. In the capital of Beirut, the residences are located in large “apartment style” buildings. These buildings, up to 20 floors, were totally collapsed and everything melted. Some very good older friends of mine, living in Beirut, at the time, informed me the bombing melted $12,000 of jewelry, her passport, and visa.

I learned of many occurrences in the war. In one event, Israeli soldiers were dropped by large helicopters in Tyre. These Israeli soldiers were dressed in Lebanese Army uniforms and spoke “Arabic.” When a Lebanese military officer saw a man dressed in the Lebanese military garb and did not recognize him, the Lebanese officer inquired, “Who are you?” The Israeli answered, “Lebanese military, don’t worry about it, leave me alone.” The Lebanese officer then shot the Israeli. Another Israeli called the helicopters saying, “they know, come and get us.” Thirty Israeli soldiers had been helicoptered deep into Tyre. The Israeli’s killed two Lebanese military, one Hezbollah. The Lebanese military and Hezbollah killed five Israelis. The helicopter returned 25 living and 5 dead soldiers to Israel.

Today, and each day in Lebanon, people drive at least 60 to 70 miles per hour on some of the bombed roads leading to the South, and the temporary bridges. They are undaunted with these inconveniences, with determination and tenacity. The people of Lebanon are deeply saddened by the war, but determined that Israel will never grab their land.

The people in Lebanon were very gracious, hospitable, and generous. The Lebanese border towns with Israel, look serene, like anyone could walk in with a toy gun and take over the villages. What a surprise for the Israeli’s when they battled Hezbollah. The U.S. and 5 other countries have labelled Hezbollah as a “terrorist” group. In contrast, the European Union and all other countries do not perceive Hezbollah as a ‘terrorist” group.

I learned on my trip there are many heroes in Lebanon we did not read about. The “ordinary” men who put their lives at risk to travel to a Southern village that was being bombarded to save women and children. The American born Lebanese woman who stacked a car full of Arabic bread and had it driven to the people in a Southern Lebanese village so they would not starve. The man who built an orphanage to help the children who lost their parents. The people who stayed in Lebanon suffering anxiety and fear during the Israeli bombings. The panic stricken ones who were able to escape to another country. The many women who miscarried during the bombings of their villages. The children still suffering from PTSD. But of course the biggest heroes are those who gave their lives to protect the sovereignty of Lebanon and their bereaved families.

Why haven’t we, in the U.S. heard about these true events? Apparently, some people presently in power are at war with a group and are using propaganda to influence the psyche of the group. For example, the U.S. figures stated that there are 6-7 million Muslims in the U.S. The PEW study group, in contrast, says 2 million. When propaganda is used, both the minority group and the majority group (for believing the untrue information) are hurt.

When I was a teenager, I remember hearing on the radio, “Palestinians are terrorists.”

I thought, how absurd. the medial/government wants to destroy the Palestinians by eliminating them from being accepted in our society (e.g. jobs, education, positions of power). Years later, the voice on the radio was generalizing, “all Arabs are terrorists.” Now, we read and hear the absurd statement, “all Muslims are terrorists.”

This brainwashing is an attempt to crush the psyche (Psychological Slavery). Thus, having the persons in the “out group” think so little or themselves, that they do not go to college or strive to meet their potential. They take the menial jobs that others refuse, don’t run for public office, and stay docile and passive, instead of taking an active and productive role in OUR society. The brainwashing makes those affected feel inferior, and want very much to be accepted by the majority “power” group. Consequently, we give up our own culture, religious practices, and identity, to “fit in.” When we start “adjusting” our values and positive character to what the “power” group “prefers” regarding our looks, our positive actions, our identity, what we wear, who we marry, etc., we have “adjusted our psyche” to meet someone elses ideas about who we should be, not using our own mind.

We have a rich culture, a logical and forgiving religion, and kind and generous personalities. (If you notice, your body and mind will relax when you are in the company of genuine people.) When do we notice how dangerous it is to let any group define us? When do we have enough confidence to accept ourselves and love ourselves–not exclusively for the materialism we bring to ourselves and our families, but for our character and our values? Then we can encourage ourselves, our children and our community to become more active in meeting our true potential and in leadership positions. How? By running for public office, suing those who say untruths about Islam and Arabs, joining Muslim or Arab lobbyist organizations and participating in Islamic activities, and charitable and political activities of other groups, also.

Please search and find your own truth, whether it takes you travelling to Lebanon, or a reflection inside you–your truth, is most important step, and the first step toward true Islam. Please remember, unlike the propaganda machine attempts to convince us, EACH one of us “can make a positive difference.”

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By Geoffrey Cook, Muslim Media News Service (MMNS)

Berkeley–Egypt is a society that contains both Christians and Muslims and that is reflected in their culture — one of the most ancient cultures at that.

Youssef Essa was a creative writer — in fact, with many awards to his credit. At the same time, he was a substantial scientist. His charming daughter Fatan Essa came to Berkeley. (Curiously, her father was in residence here as a Fulbright scholar during the 1960s.) She came to introduce her father’s work that is too little known in the West. It was a happy time for him here in Northern California. He learned to love American movies. He even wrote articles about Berkeley. Unfortunately, when he returned to Egypt, he found himself in a depression.

Dr. Youssef Eassa is one of the most significant writers of the Twentieth Century, and definitely so in the Arabic language. He was writing in a school of his own where imagination, fact and dream merged amazingly to create an analysis of reality (much of it the Islamic realism within the Land of the Nile). Eassa mastered the short story, the novel, articles and the essay. Besides fiction (his short stories are masterful), he composed poems, and was an exceptional essayist. The critic Mohammed Fatey Bek wrote in 1945, “The works of Yousef Ezeddin Eassa are pieces of outstanding quality. They’re characterized by an originality of ideas and a variability of themes. There is a beauty in their build up, and they are highly creative.”

Fatan believed her father “was global in the way he looked at things…he was a universal thinker.” His two careers as a scientist and a writer gave him a grand vision. “He was able to balance the two sides of his [intellectual] life.” Being a scientist and a creative person, “He had an immense gift of imagination.” Ms. Essa stated “It is more difficult to see the whole world as the whole world.” He was nominated for the Nobel Prize, but very few of the judges read Arabic.

When “He was recovering from the [a] shock of death,” he graduated in 1938. Shortly, thereafter, he wrote a play that became an immense success. In his play, “Life became death and death life. He wrote in symbols, the butterfly became his (overriding) symbol for “Love [for him was] a butterfly.”

Much of his life was spent over periods of historical upheaval. He never understood World War II.

He was married shortly after the War in 1948 to Fatan’s mother. Personally, he was an admirable father to her. In particular, “He was very sympathetic with young people.”

“You really find yourself liking him because you like his writing.” There is a lot of psychology in his writing even in his “…challenging essays.”

The government of Egypt published A Selection of Short Stories (2002) by Professor Essa. Please, contact their Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Office of the Foreign Information Department. The book was published by the Prism Publication Office/ 44, Messaha Street / Guiza / Egypt (the Prism Literary Series #13). The translator of these short stories is by his daughter Fatan Essa with revisions by Amal Mazhar. There is a website dedicated to Professor Youssef’s memory at www.eassa1914.net.

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Islamic Cairo is still waiting for a comprehensive urban development plan, much to the concern of the World Heritage Committee, writes Courtesy Nermine El-Araf

Following its meeting in New Zealand last month, the World Heritage Committee (WHC) released a report that may exacerbate differences between the Ministry of Culture and the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) on one hand, and UNESCO on the other.

In the report, WHC members reiterate their concern over the lack of progress in implementing the recommendations of the 2002 International Symposium on the Conservation and Restoration of Islamic Cairo which include: designating Islamic Cairo as a Special Planning District, with buffer zones, in accordance with the provisions of the Operational Guidelines ; preparing a comprehensive urban plan for the conservation and development of the old city with appropriate development regulations to encourage the rehabilitation of the urban fabric and ensure its compatibility with the historic character of Islamic Cairo and organising regular meetings between Egyptian and international experts to review current conservation issues and projects.

They also accuse the Ministry of Culture of failing to submit the requested progress report but providing, instead, a list of project sites in synoptic table form.

“No description or documentation was attached. However, the information available does show important progress in the conservation of buildings and streets in the old city. These efforts are not visible enough — due to the absence of a comprehensive urban conservation plan,” the report said.

In a telephone interview, Ayman Abdel-Moneim, general director of the Historic Cairo Project, told Al-Ahram Weekly that there was no substantive delay in compiling the report. “During a previous discussion with the WHC in Paris in June it was agreed that a survey would be undertaken following the committee’s July meeting in New Zealand,” he said.

Abdel-Moneim also pointed out that $2 million in funding was now available to UNESCO to finance the specialist help needed to carry out a comprehensive urban survey of the historic city and monitor the increasing rate of urban development, the overcrowding of buildings, and the impact of industrial activity on the architecture of the area.

“This two-year long survey will result in integrated socio-economic revitalisation plan linking the urban and the socio-cultural fabric of the city’s core,” Abdel-Moneim confidently predicted, adding that its provisions would be enshrined in legislation to preserve monuments and protect the area from further encroachment.

He said the SCA had already provided WHC with a map detailing all monuments and archaeological zones in historic Cairo.

The WHC report also touched on the ongoing controversy surrounding the Cairo Financial and Tourism Centre (CFTC) under construction close to the Salaheddin Citadel. In April 2007, at the request of the SCA, a mission was sent from the World Heritage Centre to assess the scheme. Delay in compiling a report on the scheme’s status, the report said, was the result of the team’s lack of access to necessary documents. The CFTC site, bordering the citadel, will house hotels, offices and a shopping mall on 61,000 square metres. The maximum building height, says ALKAN, the company building the centre, will be 59.5 metres, i.e. 51 metres higher than the Salah Salem highway that runs past the citadel.

“The shape and character of this very large complex, whose architectural language is mainly that of a commercial building, do not appear to be sensitive to the particular context of the site, both in terms of landscape and environmental conditions. From information provided thus far, indeed, it seems that this project would have a significant adverse impact on the visual integrity of the citadel and its setting, which will be impossible to reverse,” said the report.

The mission listened to presentations by both parties while investigating the development and its impact, hearing presentations from the developer and from objectors to the scheme. In order to help it come to balanced opinion, mission members requested that the developer make available detailed architectural plans, sections, elevations, etc., printed on a measurable scale. ALKAN has so far failed to meet this request. Considering the nature of the surrounding landscape and structures, which are very varied and rich in sculptural terms, it would be impossible to arrive at a full understanding of view lines, for example, on the basis of drawings alone. The mission also requested that the developer also provide a scale model of the proposed scheme, showing the surrounding areas, the citadel and other structures.

The UNESCO mission expressed its concern that a project located in such a sensitive and technically complicated location had not been analysed through site-specific study models, let alone the kind of fully detailed model essential to measure the impact of the project and make a competent assessment. At the time of drafting this document, only presentation drawings had been provided. Acting on the recommendation of the World Heritage Centre, the SCA has halted ongoing construction works and an update should be available at the time of the committee meeting.

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