Detroit–February 13–The majority of Detroit’s mayoral candidates showed great respect for and an appreciation of the waxing political involvement of Muslims and Arabs by attending a forum at the Islamic Center of Detroit this past Friday evening.
The candidates are racing for the February 24th primary special election to replace Mayor Kilpatrick.
The front runner appears to be the interim mayor, Kenneth Cockrel Jr.
Nicholas Hood III appeared to be the most confident candidate who appeared at the forum, dubbed the “Detroit Mayoral Candidate Forum†and cosponsored by the Islamic Center of Detroit on Tireman, the Arab American Public Affairs council (AAPAC), the Michigan chapter of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), the Arab Student Union of UM Dearborn, and CAIR-Michigan.
Osama Siblani, publisher of the Arab American News, was the Emcee for the event, working with Tarek Baydoun, who is also a prominent leader in Dearborn’s Arab community and active also in the religious programs of Dearborn.
Siblani explained that event organizers had chosen the ICD as the intersection between all of the different communities, and in fact ICD is close to the center of gravity of the different Muslim communities in the Detroit area.
Councilman Hood has the polish of a professional politician. He speaks confidently; can work a room; makes eye contact; thinks on his feet; can say what he should. He is an elected city councilman whose father before him was also a politician.
Troublingly, he has been slow to produce necessary financial records, however, as reported in the Detroit Free Press.
One very encouraging note that Hood sounded was a story about a recent meeting with elder statesman and former ambassador to the UN Andrew Young, in Atlanta. Young told Hood that it was Arab money that had turned Atlanta around, and he said he would tell Hood how Detroit could follow in Atlanta’s recovery footsteps.
We hope this signals a growing openness to Muslims and Arabs on the political, business, and cultural and social levels.
Event organizers were disappointed that two confirmed participant candidates did not appear at the event, namely Freeman Hendricks and Coleman Young.
There were also many present who are unlikely to win the race, but whose presence is still a tribute to the inclusive event. Such candidates included Stanley Christmas, who showed much knowledge of Islam, and Joseph Holt.
FAIRFAX, VA– Essam Omeish, a pediatric surgeon from Northern Viriginia, has announced his candidacy for the Virignia House of Delegates from the 35th district. The district includes the areas of Fairfax County just north and west of the city of Fairfax.
A vocal community leader he had served as the president of the Muslim American Society. His association with MAS was brought into limelight two years ago when Gov. Tim Kaine appointed him to the Commission on Immigration. The appointment was criticised by Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Woodstock, a fellow member of the commission, who claimed that MAS is closely associated with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.
A spokesman for the governor at the time dismissed Gilbert’s concerns as “innuendo, moving dangerously close to slander,†and challenged Gilbert to offer proof. Omeish resigned less than a day later, after online videos came to light in which Omeish accused Israel of genocide against Palestinians. He later clarified that his comments were quoted out of context and defended MAS.
A high achiever since his childhood Omeish graduated from Georgetown University with a double major in Hovernment and Biology in 1989. He earned a medical doctorate from the same university in 1993. To date he has reportedly performed over 5,000 surgeries and treated over 7,500 patients.
Arif Khan, among top McDonald’s managers
VERO BEACH, FL–Born in Karachi, Pakistan, Arif Khan, 43, says he is living the American Dream. He came to the United States at age 17 to join his family. He attended Elgin Community College in Elgin, Ill. He and his wife, Julie, have eight children. He had several different jobs before joining a crew at a McDonald’s restaurant in Chicago. This year, Khan has been awarded the prestigious Ray Kroc Award, designating him as among the top 1 percent of McDonald’s 14,000 managers. He operates the store at U.S.1 and Oslo Road in Vero Beach.
A three-time Outstanding Store Manager award winner, Khan currently manages the McDonald’s restaurant on Route 1 in Vero Beach. “I enjoy working at McDonald’s not only for the career opportunity but also for the chance to support my community,†said Khan.
Asian American Coalition awards talent, service
CHICAGO, IL–The Asian American Coalition of Chicago has awarded several Pakistani Americans at its annual award ceremony.
Kamran Khan, founder and president of Nexgen Cosmetics, was awarded the Pan Asian American Ping Tom Memorial Award.
Faisal Rashid, Trustee and Tax Collector, DuPage Township, was given the community service award.
Students Sheena Anissasari La-Reine Quick and Nudrat Zoha were given the youth excellence awards.
IMAN director gets leadership honor
CHICAGO, IL–Rami Nashashibi, executive Director of Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN), was honored with the Norman Bobins Leadership Award Monday at the 15th Annual Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards (CNDA).
Distributed for the first time in 2008, the Norman Bobins Leadership Award was established by LaSalle Bank to honor the leadership, innovation and long-time commitment to Chicago communities embodied by Norman Bobins, retired chief executive officer of LaSalle.
This award recognizes an emerging leader at a non-profit community development organization who has enhanced his or her own organization and demonstrated the potential to become an innovative and instrumental leader in the field of community development.
As a founder and now executive director of IMAN, 2744 W. 63rd St., Nashashibi has been a leader in Chicago Lawn and beyond, according to the presenters of the award. He has fought for social justice and broken down cultural, religious and racial barriers through an inspiring range of projects and programs.
At the community level, IMAN provides direct services from food distribution to career development to health care. Under Rami’s leadership, IMAN also fosters cross-cultural understanding through its arts and culture programming and events.
But Nashashibi’s work reaches far beyond the Southwest Side. IMAN’s organizing and advocacy efforts have formed statewide alliances and affected change on issues like criminal justice and human rights, including drafting and organizing for the passage of legislation to provide alternatives to incarceration for low-level, non-violent drug offenders.
The Norman Bobins Leadership Award includes a $20,000 grant to the non-profit organization that employs the winner. Up to $6,000 of the grant can be used for general operation support for the non-profit to underwrite the time the applicant devotes over the year to professional development.
Unravelling Islam at Montana State
The Muslim Students Association is holding a host of events this week as part of its Islam Awareness Week. The activities including screening of films, panel discussions, and lectures.
Guest speakers included Hussam Ayloush of Southern California, executive director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and Aminah Assilmi of Knoxville, Tenn., director of the International Union of Muslim Women.
“I’m hoping to change many misconceptions people have of Islam,†said Raima Amin, 19, a student in cell biology and neurobiology, to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Most American Muslims live peacefully with their neighbors, she said.
“There are over 1.2 billion Muslims in the world n only a small fraction are creating terror,†she said. “It’s up to normal Muslims like us, civilians, to spread the word. There’s definitely hope, because we are the majority.â€
Need 7-Days Shifa Clinic: Initiative Presented at Shifa Foundation Annual Dinner
Annual Dinner of Houston Shifa Foundation (HSF), a Not-For-Profit 501 C, was held at the stylish Vargo’s Restaurant in Houston. Keynote Speakers included Houston Mayor Bill White, who lauded the efforts of HSF in the field of community health and rehabilitation of ex-offenders and Nobel Laureate Dr. Ferid Murad, who made an interesting video on how and why he got the Noble Prize and then he made a verbal presentation on Scientific Research to instill interest in the community to enter the arena of Research-&-Development (R-&-D).
Also spoke on the occasion included City of Houston Councilperson M. J. Khan, HSF Board Members Laeeq A. Khan, Dr. Waseem Khan, Dr. Moien R. Butt, Dr. Azam Kundi, Attorney Naomi Hussein and Dr. Rizwan Naeem (Emcee).
Both the distinguished guests Mayor White and Dr. Murad received bouquets of flowers.
“Humanity will be well-served and $125,000 is needed to start five weekdays Shifa Clinic with Registered Nurse and another Staff Member†appealed Dr. Azam Kundi, as he informed that the community needs are urgent for this purpose.
A large gathering of prominent community leaders, physicians, professionals and entrepreneurs attended this $1,000 Per Couple Dinner.
As everyone is well aware, HSF is helping and serving indigent Houstonians for more than a decade: Shifa means Healing. HSF provides many needed services including healthcare, legal advice, adult and child education, family crisis intervention, social rehab for ex-offenders and low income housing. The services are supported by nearly 200 volunteers, who not only give their time and talent, but also contribute personal funds.
In the health care field, HSF currently operates 3 all volunteer clinics in Champion Forrest, Southwest Houston and Clear Lake areas and a fourth clinic is about to start serving community in Bear Creek area. In 2008 Good Neighbor Clinic donated a movable clinic building for Shifa Salam Clinic at Champion Forrest location. Shifa Healthcare Services has benefited over 20,000 people.
Some of the HSF’s working partners include the University of Houston College of Pharmacy, Kelsey Seybold Clinic, The Rose Foundation, Network of Strength, Novo Nordisk (For Supply of Insulin), WebMed, Gateway to Care, Hope Clinic, Texas Children’s Defense Fund, American Cancer Society, Bone Marrow Registry, Health Fairs Chinese Community, CHIP registration day for underserved families and others.
Since 2005, the City of Houston has awarded $800,000 for State-of-the-Art Community Center. Mayor Bill White performed opening ceremony of the Shifa Community Service Center in 2008.
HSF has also received a 1.50-Million Dollars Federal Grant through City of Houston for construction of a low income housing project at West Belfort Avenue. First section of this multi-building complex is in final stage of completion and apartments will be offered to low income family as early as February 2009.
The City of Houston has also approved HSF for another similar project and so far has approved a total of $150,000 to cover Shifa office expenses and pre-development costs.
HSF has received a number of government/corporate donations/grants through the efforts of our volunteers; like the Memorial Hermann Hospital $3,000 on behalf of Physician of the Year Award to Dr. Maqbool Haque; the City of Houston $2,000 Employee designated donations; Hewled Packard giving one LCD computer monitor as part of their Community Service Contribution Program through the efforts of Samina Quddus, Esq.; Chevron donated $ 1,000 for community service by Kamran Sabir; Good Neighbors Clinic donated a movable clinic building consisting of a 2,000 SF double wide trailer, through the efforts made by Dr. Azam Kundi; Kelsey Seybold Clinic donated all furniture, including exam tables through Dr. Azam Kundi undertaking.
HSF is governed by a Board of Directors that consists of 12 members. Directors and officers of Shifa Foundation receive no monetary compensation for their work at Shifa Foundation.
Shifa Foundation’s next goal is to start a seven day clinic to be eligible for the federal health grants.
For more information, one can visit HSF office at 8303 S.W. Freeway – Suite 575 – Houston – Texas 77074 – Phone: 713.779.1555 – Fax: 713.779.1483 – E-Mail: ShifaClinicHouston@GMail.Com – Web-Page: www.ShifaClinicHouston.Org – Main Clinic Located At: 10415 Synott Road – Building D – Sugar Land – Texas 77478 – Phone: 281.561.5767 – Fax: 281.561.5759.
Muhammad Ibn al-Idrisi was born in Andalusian city of Ceuta, in 1099 C.E. He was the descendant of Idrisid the ruler of Morocco who were said to be the direct descendant of Hazrat Hasan (ra) the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (s). Al-Idrisi received his education in Cordoba. He traveled to many distant places, including Europe, Africa and Asia to gather geographical data and plant samples. After traveling a few years he gathered enough information and accurate measurements of the earth’s surface to complete a rough world map. His fame and competence eventually led to the attention of Roger II, the Norman King of Sicily, who invited him to produce an up-to-date world map. He left Andalusia and moved to Sicily and worked in the court of the Norman king till he died in the year 1166 CE.
Mohammad al-Idrisi was a great geographer, cartographer, botanist, traveler and poet. In the West he is best known as a geographer, who made a globe using a silver sphere for King Roger of Sicily.
Al Idrisi’s contribution to geography was tremendous. His book; ‘Nuzhat al-Mushtaq fi Ikhtiraq al-Afaq,’(The Delight of Him Who Desires to Journey Through the Climates) also known as Roger’s Book, is a geographical encyclopedia which contains detailed maps and information on European countries, Africa and Asia. Al-Idrisi completed his encyclopedia in a very unique way. In addition to his personal travel and scholarship, he selected some intelligent men who were dispatched to distant lands accompanied by draftsmen. When these men returned, al-Idrisi inserted the information in his treatise. On the basis of these observations made in the field, and from data derived from earlier Arabic and Greek geographers, he brought the data up to date. The book and associated maps took 15 years to complete. It is unquestionably among the most interesting monuments of Arabian geography. In addition, the book is the most voluminous and detailed geographical work written about 12th century Europe.
Al-Idrisi compiled a more comprehensive encyclopedia, entitled ‘Rawd-Unnas wa-Nuzhat al-Nafs’ (Pleasure of Men and Delight of Souls). Al-Idrisi’s knowledge of the Niger above Timbuktu, the Sudan, and of the head waters of the Nile was remarkable for its accuracy. For three centuries, geographers copied his maps without alteration. The relative position of the lakes form which the river Nile starts its journey, as mentioned in his work, does not differ greatly from the modern map.
Al-Idrisi built a large global map made of silver weighing approximately 400 kilograms. He meticulously recorded on it the seven continents with trade routes, lakes and rivers, major cities, and plains and mountains. It is known to have been a colossal work of geography, probably the most accurate map of Europe, north Africa and western Asia created during the Middle Ages. The presentation of the Earth as a round globe was revolutionary idea in the Christian world because they believed that the earth was flat. Al-Idrisi knew that the earth was round, and he even calculated the circumference of the earth to be 22,900 miles, a difference of eight percent from the present value, and explained the revolutionary idea about earth like this; “The earth is round like a sphere, and the waters adhere to it and are maintained on it through natural equilibrium on the surface of the earth, the air which suffers no variation. It remained stable in space like the yolk in an egg. Air surrounds it on all sides.
Al-Idrisi’s book, KitÄb nuzhat al-mushtÄq, represents a serious attempt to combine descriptive and astronomical geography. This book was not as grand as his other books, apparently because some truths of geography were still veiled from the author, nevertheless it is also considered a major geographic monument.
He also made the world map on a great disk almost 80 inches in diameter and weighing over 300 pounds–fabricated out of silver, which was chosen for its malleability and permanence.
Al-Idrisi’s other major contribution was his work on medicinal plants, which he discussed in several books, especially Kitab al-Jami-li-Sifat Ashtat al-Nabatat. (Simple Book of Medicinal Plants) He studied and reviewed all the literature on the subject of medicinal plants and came to the conclusion that very little original material had been added to this branch of knowledge since the early Greek work. He started collecting medicinal plants wherever he he traveled. Thus, he is credited for having added a large number of new medicinal plants, together with their evaluation to the medical science. He has given the names of the herbs in many languages like Greek, Persian, Hindi, Latin, Berber and Arabic.
Al-Idrisi was a traveler who wrote about what he saw–some historians compare him to Marco Polo–but al-Idrisi’s work was much more scientific, and generally more objective, than Polo’s work. While al-Idrisi’s books have survived in their original manuscript form, whereas Marco Polo’s writings exist primarily as later transcriptions which were often altered.
Al-Idrisi, no doubt, was a great geographer and traveler who produced original work in the field of geography and botany. Some historians regard him as the greatest geographer and cartographer of the Middle Ages. His books were translated into Latin and became the standard books on geography for centuries, both in the east and west.
New York–The situation in Gaza, which I have covered for the better part of two months, has changed dramatically with the Israeli elections last week. (They have not been fully determined as I write.) I am going to temporarily turn my attention now, though, to the Indo-Pakistani emergency that has arisen over the Mumbai terror attacks. The Pakistani Government has acknowledged that a group, Laskar-e-Taiba, who were fighting for the right of Indian Kashmiris to join Pakistani Kashmir and, consequently, had been domiciled within the Islamic Republic, partially planned the dastardly raid. The Pakistani Government under pressure from Washington and New Delhi has charged nine individuals with crimes associated with the Bombay (Mumbai) assault. At the same time, Islamabad has complained about the lack of candor in sharing information from New Delhi.
Two months ago the Asia Society presented a discussion among three noted writers — Salman Rushdie, Mira Kamdar and Suketo Mehta who all had strong connections with Mumbai (Bombay) plus Rome Hartman as moderator on the late November (2008’s) terror attacks on that Indian city.
I have decided, although many of my readers are critical of him, to concentrate on Mr. Rushdie since he is from an Indian Islamic family but mainly brought up in London. Curiously, while I have been working on this piece, the British press has made much of the twentieth anniversary of the fatwa pronounced upon him by the Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran. Salman Rushdie, although a Muslim born in Bombay, holds a knighthood as a British citizen. What struck me — while not acknowledging any justification for the extremists’ exploits, as he should — was his inability to understand the motivation of the terrorists. “The incredible cruelty of these killers!†Very true but a much more simplistic exclamation than one would expect from an author so highly touted by the literati of London and New York.
Rushdie pointed out the cynicism of the politicians. Indian and U.S. Intelligence warned the local authorities of a likely attack from the sea for the very night of its commencement, but the Indian Costal Defense forces could not locate the attackers. There was “a pile of mistakes.†The anti-terrorist troops of the Indian Army, who fought so heroically in Bombay itself, were permanently quartered centrally in the greater Delhi megalopolis, and it took several days to get them properly deployed on the coastline of Maharashtra around India’s commercial hub. Rushdie stated that Indians should not be asking for new laws but reforms. Bombay is “a city of pleasures,†and the radicals have “a real dislike of an open society,†and (so) “they attack[ed] it!†Again, simplistic, and I am not sure of the accuracy of their motivations. If at all it is far from a primary motive.
Salman misses the point when he the writes off the aggression to cowardice. Cowards they are not, but they do not have a way or the means to dialogue with another type of an aggressor bearing down upon them, and this is a thing of which Mr. Rushdie is a master – and that is Post-Modernity. To counter such horrifying instances as that Bombay November, we must respect those who hold to an older mindset, and only counter their complaints with military means as a last resort. At this time, it appears that the onslaught came in response to the Indian Government’s inability to address the United Nation (U.N,’s) Resolutions and the political aspirations of the Kashmiri people by holding a plebiscite to determine their will as to their future as the only Muslim majority State within the Federation. Laskar-e-Taiba is an extreme fringe element in the struggle for Kashmir’s independence, autonomy or accession to Islamabad. In a very real sense that fanatical group has done much harm to the legitimate resolution of the calamity within the Vale!
I could understand, the two Indian Hindus present’s Pakistan-bashing (although I think it is most dangerous within a close short-fused nuclear neighborhood), but Salman Rushdie’s knee jerk allegations against his fellow Subcontinental Muslims in Pakistan is as Nationalistic as the (fascist-like) Hindu Right (VHP, BJP, RSS, etc.). Rushdie accuses Islamabad of accruing its power among the nations by its resentment of India! For him, it is “a decreasingly functioning society†where their civilian politicians have been ineffective — especially the present-day Asif Zardari.
There has been a large debate over the excesses of the Fourth Estate during the Mumbai devastation by pumping the assailants’ notoriety to a national and international audience, and, thereby, making their feat an ephemeral “success,†but Rushdie did not judge the press to be the primary problem. [Things were] “…pronounced, but …in fact…wasn’t… [because] it was changing so fast.â€
Salman questions the proper policy towards Pakistan (I sense he means both India’s and the United States’), and he comes up with the typical knee jerk reaction that one would expect of a lower middle class Indian (or even an American for that matter) instead of understanding the complexities of the political situation: “All roads of terrorism lead to Pakistan.†He accuses the democratically elected Government of acting shamefully. He, also, criticizes Washington for treating Pakistan with “velvet gloves†ignoring the fact that after Great Britain — possibly — Pakistan has been Washington’s most consistent ally since its birth. To begin, the Central Government in Islamabad finds itself to be under severe threat by those very actors that have delivered this worst incidence of dread to the Republic of India. (Islamabad has recently stated that their most reactionary constituents in Peshawar’s Provinces were a most grave hazard to the Islamic Republic itself!) By the fighting and loses in the Northwest, it is apparent that Rawapindi does not have these players under their authority. It must be acknowledged, also, that most likely scattered renegade elements within the Islamic Government itself encourage these reactionary forces. On Sunday (February 15th, 2009), it was reported that the Central Government caved into the demands of the Taliban to allow them to enforce strict Islamic Law Swat Valley – one of the rebels’ chief demands.
At least Rushdie concedes that “Islam had nothing to do with 1947.†That is, Islam was not to blame for the horrors of the Partition of British India. It is this historical incident that has divided peoples within an identical cultural zone in Southern Asia.
In conclusion, President Zardari’s acknowledged that a few of his fellow citizens were involved in the Mumbai attacks. Although accordingly those assaults were partially planned in his country, the ensuing violence was, also, plotted in Europe and the Gulf. The Pakistani State has charged nine of their nationals with direct participation or conspiracy in the crimes. The Islamic Administration has asked for further documentation from the Indian regime to investigate the latter’s claim of further links to Pakistan. So, far the dossier from New Delhi has not been expanded. Added to this is the weakness of the current executive in Pakistan compared to the previous command. This makes it harder for the Zardari coalition to control those very renegade elements that challenge not only him but Prime Minister Singh and all South Asia. Dr. Manmohan Singh’s Centrist Congress Party has to face re-election soon.
They have to confront a strong challenge from the anti-Islamic BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), and part of the Laskar-e-Taiba’s timing was to force new Delhi to the right in expectation that oppression against Muslims would once again become policy in hopes they could gain back Islamic popular backing. These people are not stupid; just brutally dangerous. That is why over simplifications such as Mr. Rushdie’s are just as perilous in countering these anti-social forces and for the purpose of coming towards resolution of long-standing disputes.
Several Abrahamic Religious leaders ‘assume’ that evolution is in conflict with creationism. It frightens them about the unknown; which is human. They have an unquestionable need to believe that what they know is the final word of God; a different point of view is anathema to them. The non-Abrahamic faith followers need not gloat; a new idea is usually an abomination to someone or the other including some of them. Whether you are a believer in a God, or several or no God, you would still find a new idea bring insecurity, like some one has pulled the rug from under you and you are out of your comfort zone.
We need to give God a lot more credit than we have given him (her or it) now. Let’s give him the benefit of doubt that his word (or wisdom) perhaps includes evolution and every one of us needs to push the refresh button of our thinking, and find meaning in it. Let’s make Good look good. Religion is about what we believe.
Is it possible that Adam was the first man in the process of evolution who was able to communicate coherently, take care of himself and survive against the nature’s oddities? He was able to survive the fires, storms, blizzards, floods and furies of nature. Did God feel pleased with this new species that finally perfected to become a permanent part of the universe unlike the others that faded into oblivion? Did God call him “Adam†because he was the first one to stand out on his own? God’s word is all embracing and that is what he may have meant in the Bible, Torah and Qur’aan. I am sure the other scriptures carry similar wisdom; it is rather our shortcoming in understanding the spectrum of God’s word rather than the word itself. Let’s be open to learning.
An old Jewish folk tale makes the point. One day God said to Abraham, “If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be here,†to which Abraham replied, “True, but if I weren’t here there wouldn’t be anyone to think about you.â€
Pastor Randy Spaulding, “Science was a art of the ancient world, but religion and science had not split into “sacred†and “secular†realms. They existed side by side as simply two ways of being curious about life.
â€The great chasm between science and religion came in the 16th century, when Copernicus guessed that the earth circled the sun instead of vice versa. This was counter to the biblical understanding that believed everything revolved around the earth. Copernicus and the Bible could not both be right. The Church stuck with the Bible and the scientific community separated from the church, finding themselves condemned as heretics and heathens.â€
The key word is, “understandingâ€, which implies incomplete understanding. Spaulding, “Religion is superstitious and locked in a vintage paradigm!†yells Science. “Science is nihilistic and devoid of morals!†Shouts Religion. For a progressive Christian like myself, and perhaps some of you, I find myself caught in the middle. My conservative Christian friends and family frown at me for affirming Evolution. My liberal and scientific friends roll their eyes at me for believing in God.â€
Rev. Paul J. Kottke, “It is a false choice to feel that one must choose between science and faith. The language of one is factual [focused on the part s]. The language of the other is liturgical, metaphorical [focused on the “whole,†the being of life]. Both science and faith are gifts of God’s revelation to us – to be used in ways that create hope, meaning, and the fulfillment of life†and he continues, “To me, it is self-evident that both creation and evolution are gifts of God’s revelation into the world. If one is perceptive enough, then one will see the evidence of God’s presence in both the beauty of creation and in the theory of evolution.â€
Robert Tucker, a Unitarian Universalist Minister writes, “I am also careful to stay informed as to what science says, so that I can distinguish “faith†from “fact.†That is something many Christian clergy fail to do. A classic example occurred the year following Darwin’s publication of on The Origin of Species. In June of 1860, a famous meeting took place at Oxford University. Speaking for the Church was Bishop Samuel Wilberforce.
Defending the scientific view was biologist, philosopher and paleontologist Thomas Henry Huxley. After his savage speech denouncing Darwin and Huxley, Bishop Wilberforce asked the scientist: “If anyone were to be willing to trace his descent through an ape as his grandfather, would he be willing to trace his descent similarly on the side of his grandmother?†“The audience greeted this with rapturous applause.†Huxley responded: “A man has no reason to be ashamed of having an ape for his grandfather. If there were an ancestor whom I should feel shame in recalling, it would rather be a man who, not content with an equivocal success in his own sphere of [religious] activity plunges into scientific questions with which he has no real acquaintance.†[I.e., the Bishop!] At this point “bedlam broke out…and ladies fainted from shock. From that moment the relationship of science to religion would never again be the same.†[Fadiman, revised ed., 283f.] To which I can only say, “Amen!â€
I close with this prayer of the scientist and the priest, Father Teilhard de Chardin:
Lord, we know and feel that you are everywhere around us; but it seems that there is a veil before our eyes. Let the light of your countenance shine upon us in its fullness. May your deep brilliance light up the innermost part of the [shadows] in which we move. And, to that end, send us your Spirit, whose flaming action alone can operate the birth and achievement of the great tr ansformation which sums up all inward perfection and towards the unity for which your creation yearns. [The Divine Milieu, p. 132]
This year represents the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin (12 February 1809) and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his seminal work On the Origin of Species in 1859. This backdrop provides a rich opportunity to demonstrate that religion and science have much to offer one another. Please join us and congregations all around the world in celebrating Evolution Weekend 2009!
13 -15 February 2009 — Evolution Weekend
From the Clergy Letter “Evolution Weekend is an opportunity for serious discussion and reflection on the relationship between religion and science. One important goal is to elevate the quality20of the discussion on this critical topic – to move beyond sound bites. A second critical goal is to demonstrate that religious people from many faiths and locations understand that evolution is sound science and poses no problems for their faith.
Evolution Weekend makes it clear that those claiming that people must choose between religion and science are creating a false dichotomy. Through sermons, discussion groups, meaningful conversations and seminars, the leaders listed below will show that religion and science are not adversaries.
Let the discussions for and against continue, on the way, we would learn more about it.
Mike Ghouse He is a frequent guest on talk radio and local television network discussing interfaith, political and civic issues. His can be found on the Websites and Blogs listed at his personal website www.MikeGhouse.net. Mike can be reached at MikeGhouse@gmail.com.
NEW DELHI: “We believe that the peaceful use of nuclear energy is an inalienable right of every nation in the world and it should not be under the monopoly of countries which are seeking more than their due rights and are trying to have everything,†Iranian envoy Syed Mehdi Nabizadeh told journalists (February 9). Speaking at a press conference on the eve of 30th anniversary of Iran’s National Day, Islamic Revolution’s victory, he focused on factors, which have influenced Iran’s foreign policy during the last three decades.
The press conference signals the increasing role being played by media diplomacy in today’s era. It was convened apparently not only to mark the 30th anniversary of Iran’s National Day but more specifically to use the forum to express Iran’s stand on significant national as well as international issues.
“Concepts like elimination of tension, dialogue and cooperation have opened a new chapter†in the country’s foreign policy, Nabizadeh told media. “Iran has always stressed over improving its bilateral, regional and international relations with its neighbors and other countries,†he said. History was a “good evidence†that in “no page can one find a single stance of Iran’s invasion against any other country,†he pointed out. Iran, however, has been invaded many times by other countries and today faces many challenges, including terrorism. Since its establishment, Islamic Republic of Iran has “faced terrorist activities of internal and external groups losing a number of its officials and citizens to this sinister phenomenon,†he said. Iran has “always called for elimination of all possible forms of this shameful element (terrorism) in a principled and not a selective manner,†Nabizadeh asserted.
Iran also faces the danger posed by narcotic drugs, due to its neighbor Afghanistan being their main producer. Iran has “paid a heavy price in both human and financial terms in fighting the smugglers and distributors of drugs,†Nabizadeh said. The “presence of foreign military forces in Afghanistan,†he pointed out has “resulted in manifold increase in the production of opium products†there, which has led to Iran face “more challenges and pay even more price.â€
Defending Iran’s peaceful nuclear policy, Nabizadeh elaborated on Tehran having agreed to “supervision by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA,)†of the country’s peaceful nuclear program and “peaceful use of nuclear energy by the country.†“Tehran is being accused of pursuing a clandestine nuclear weapon program by certain countries which have actually used atomic weapons and killed innocent people and which cannot be washed away from memory of people and pages of history,†he said. Inspired by teachings of Islam, Iran opposes “concepts such as killings and mass killings,†advocates non-existence of nuclear weapons in its defense-military doctrine and calls for “a region and world free from all varieties of weapons of mass destruction (WMD),†Nabizadeh said.
The plan of Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is “to create a global front to establish peace and justice, which is now the common stand of freedom-seeking nations all over the world in the 21st century.†This, Nabizadeh said “is a manifestation of the emergence of Iran’s way of thinking in international politics.â€
“Dynamism and expansion†in development of Iran’s relations with India has been “quite evident†in the recent years, Nabizadeh said. The 15th meeting on Indo-Iranian joint economic commission in Tehran (November, 2008) has been among the most significant development in strengthening economic ties, he said.
When asked about Iran’s role in pressurizing Pakistan to take action against elements responsible for Mumbai terror attacks, Nabizadeh replied that the incident has been strongly condemned by the three countries (India, Iran and Pakistan). India and Pakistan should work towards solving the complex issue at the bilateral as well as regional level, without calling on “external forces†to step in, he said. Referring to the situation in Afghanistan, Nabizadeh pointed out that presence of foreign forces “cannot bring peace and stability†there.
On possible impact that the new American President Barack Obama’s policy can have on Iran’s relations with United States and other diplomatic issues concerning Tehran, Nabizadeh said: “We have always said that we want friendly relations with all countries.†“But if he (Obama) tries to bring certain changes by trying to impose his own ideas in others parts of the world (including Afghanistan), than he cannot go far ahead.â€
Iran was trying to make its Chabar port viable by declaring it a free trade zone and improving the logistical infrastructure, Nabizadeh said. A road or rail line from the port could take Indian goods to the Afghan border. Elaborating on the potential of this linkage, he told journalists, a 217-km India-built road from the Afghan border town of Zaranj will provide the last-mile connectivity to Delaram located on the “garland highway†of Afghanistan which connects most of its major cities, including Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif and Kunduz. Some offshoots of this road, also called the North-South corridor, go into Central Asia.
To a question regarding the much-publicized Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline, Nabizadeh acknowledged that Delhi still has concerns regarding the security and price-factor, which can be sorted out. With Iran and Pakistan continuing their discussions on the pipeline, the agreement is being framed in such a way so that India can join in future, he said. “But we hope the delay will not be so long that there is no room for India. We believe the implementation of the project will help in the establishment of security in the region,†Nabizadeh said.
A sports car is a term used to describe a class of automobile. Generally it is used to refer to a low to ground, light weight vehicle with a powerful engine. Most vehicles referred to as sports cars are rear-wheel drive, have two seats, two doors, and are designed for more precise handling, acceleration, and aesthetics. A sports car’s dominant considerations can be superior road handling, braking, maneuverability, low weight, and high power, rather than passenger space, comfort, and fuel economy.
Sports cars can be either luxurious or spartan, but driving mechanical performance is the key attraction. Many drivers regard brand name and the subsequent racing reputation and history as important indications of sporting quality (for example, Ferrari, Porsche, Lotus), but some brands, such as Lamborghini, which do not race or build racing cars, are also highly regarded.
A car may be a sporting automobile without being a sports car. Performance modifications of regular, production cars, such as sport compacts, sports sedans, muscle cars, hot hatches and the like, generally are not considered sports cars, yet share traits common to sports cars. They are sometimes called “sports cars†for marketing purposes for increased advertising and promotional purposes. Performance cars of all configurations are grouped as Sports and Grand tourer cars, or, occasionally, as performance cars.
A sports car does not require a large, powerful engine, though many do have them. Many classic British sports cars lacked powerful engines, but were known for exceptional handling due to light weight, a well-engineered, balanced chassis, and modern suspension (for example, Lotus Seven, Austin 7 Speedy). On tight, twisting roads, such a sports car may perform more effectively than a heavier, more powerful car.
Due to North American safety regulations, many sports cars are unavailable for sale or use in the United States and Canada. In the United Kingdom, Europe, and the Middle Eastern market (e.g. UAE), a flexible attitude towards small-volume specialist manufacturers has allowed companies such as TVR, Noble, and Pagani to succeed.
The sports car traces its roots to early 20th century touring cars. These raced in early rallys, such as the Herkomer Cup, Prinz Heinrich Fahrt, and Monte Carlo.
The first true sports cars (though the term would not be coined until after World War One) were the 3 litre 1910 Vauxhall 20 hp (15 kW) and 27/80PS Austro-Daimler (designed by Ferdinand Porsche).
Two companies would offer the first really reliable sports cars: Austin with the Seven and Morris Garages (MG) with the Midget. The Seven would quickly be “rodded†by numerous companies (as the Type 1 would be a generation later), including Bassett and Dingle (Hammersmith, London); in 1928, a Cozette blower was fitted to the Seven Super Sports, while Cecil Kimber fitted an 847 cc Minor engine, and sold more Midgets in the first year than MG’s entire previous production.
Editor’s note: Taken from the IRS website on 2/18/09. For updated information, please visit the IRS website directly.
Congress has approved and the President has signed new economic stimulus legislation, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The IRS is working closely with Congress and the administration on the stimulus legislation and will implement tax-related provisions of the new program as quickly as possible.
Additional details will be available on this Web site, IRS.gov, as soon as they become available.
Following are a few questions and answers on the legislation.
Could the new legislation affect 2008 tax returns? Generally, no. The new legislation does not have any major impact for the vast majority of individuals preparing their 2008 tax returns due April 15. Instead, these changes will largely impact 2009 tax returns filed next year, in 2010. Taxpayers should continue to prepare their 2008 tax returns as they normally would.
There are a few limited areas in the legislation that could impact 2008 tax returns. For example, for some small businesses, changes in the net operating loss provisions could affect 2008 tax returns. More details on this and other changes — such as the first-time homebuyer’s credit — will be available soon.
When and how will people get the $400 to $800 “Making Work Pay†tax credit? Taxpayers will not get a separate, special check mailed to them like last year’s economic stimulus payment.
For many taxpayers, the additional credit will automatically start showing up in their paychecks this spring. For people who receive a paycheck, the credit will typically be handled by their employers through automated withholding changes. For some other people, the credit can be claimed when they file their 2009 tax return next year.
More details about the “Making Work Pay†credit will be available soon, including an updated version of the withholding tables contained in Publication 15, (Circular E), Employer’s Tax Guide.
Does this new stimulus legislation have any impact on the recovery rebate credit for 2008 tax returns being filed now? No. But the IRS reminds taxpayers and tax preparers to make sure they properly determine eligibility for the recovery rebate credit before they file their 2008 federal tax returns.
Where are more details on the tax provisions of the legislation? The IRS will be providing more details on this web site as it becomes available. A summary of the key provisions is available from the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means committees.
Editor’s Note: Taken from the IRS website 2/18/09—for updated information please visit the IRS website directly.
(Updated 2/12/09 to clarify that a taxpayer who wants the IRS to figure his or her recovery rebate credit enter the letters "RRC" on the tax return.)
WASHINGTON –– In response to errors showing up on early tax filings, the Internal Revenue Service today urged taxpayers and tax preparers to make sure they properly determine eligibility for the recovery rebate credit before they file their 2008 federal tax returns.
Some individuals who did not get the economic stimulus payment, and a smaller number of those who did, may be eligible for the recovery rebate credit. However, most taxpayers who received the economic stimulus payment last year will not qualify for the recovery rebate credit on their 2008 federal income tax return.
An early sampling of tax returns shows about 15 percent have errors involving the recovery rebate credit. Some tax returns erroneously claim the credit, do not claim the proper amount of recovery rebate credit or mistakenly enter the amount of the stimulus payment they received on the recovery rebate credit line.
To avoid delays in tax refunds, it is critical that taxpayers know the correct amount of the stimulus payment they received last year, if any, to help determine whether they qualify for the recovery rebate credit now.
The amount of the stimulus payment will not be entered directly on the tax return. For people using a paper tax return, the stimulus payment amount will be required when completing a related worksheet. For people using tax software, the stimulus payment amount will be needed as part of the return preparation process.
How to Get the Recovery Rebate Credit Right
The IRS sent taxpayers nearly 119 million stimulus payments last year. There are three ways individuals can find out how much they received:
Check the amount listed on Notice 1378, which the IRS mailed last year to individuals who received the economic stimulus payment.
Go to the How Much Was My Stimulus Payment? tool that is available on the IRS Web site, IRS.gov. This can provide the correct amount in a matter of a few seconds.
Individuals can call the IRS at 1-866-234-2942. After a brief recorded announcement they can select option one to find out the amount of their economic stimulus payment. They will need to provide their filing status, Social Security Number and number of exemptions.
With the amount of last year’s economic stimulus payment in hand, the taxpayer can then enter the figure on the recovery rebate credit worksheet or in the appropriate location when tax preparation software requests it.
If the taxpayer or preparer is using tax software, the amount of the recovery rebate credit will automatically be calculated and reported properly. If the taxpayer is using the paper method, the recovery rebate credit, as determined through the worksheet, should be reported on Line 70 of Form 1040, Line 42 of Form 1040A or Line 9 of Form 1040EZ.
For most taxpayers, the correct entry for the recovery rebate credit will either be blank or zero.
If there is any question at all as to the amount that should be reported for the recovery rebate credit, the taxpayer or preparer should enter "RRC" next to the appropriate line above, and the IRS will determine whether a recovery rebate credit is due, and, if so, how much.
Some of the major factors that could qualify you for the recovery rebate credit include:
Your financial situation changed dramatically from 2007 to 2008.
You did not file a 2007 tax return.
Your family gained an additional qualifying child in 2008.
You were claimed as a dependent on someone else’s return in 2007 but cannot be claimed as dependent by someone else in 2008.
Stimulus Payments Not Taxable; Reports of Extensive Refund Delays False
The IRS has received a number of recurring questions involving stimulus payments and the recovery rebate credit. Here are some important tips to keep in mind:
Taxability. The economic stimulus payment is not taxable and it should not be reported as income on the 2008 Form 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ.
Refund delays. IRS personnel are aware of reports that errors in claiming the recovery rebate credit could delay tax refunds for as much as eight to 12 weeks. These reports are false. As the IRS detects and corrects return errors concerning the recovery rebate credit, refund delays are currently no longer than about one week.
One payment. In addition, the IRS notes taxpayers will receive a single refund that includes any recovery rebate credit to which they are entitled. The IRS will not be issuing separate recovery rebate credit payments.
Refund amounts. The IRS reminds taxpayers they should not use their regular refund from last year in calculating the recovery rebate credit. Some taxpayers may be confusing their regular tax refunds with the economic stimulus payment they received when completing their 2008 tax return.
Direct Deposit Requests. Taxpayers who request a direct deposit will receive the refund in the form of a direct deposit even if errors are detected.
Two Surgeons from the UK, Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah and Dr Swee Ang, managed to get into Gaza during the Israeli invasion. Here they describe their experiences, share their views, and conclude that the people of Gaza are extremely vulnerable and defenseless in the event of another attack.
By Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah and Dr Swee Ang
Marisa Judeh of the Netherlands lights candles in Amman during a vigil demonstrating solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza Februray 8, 2009. REUTERS/Ali Jarekji
The wounds of Gaza are deep and multi-layered. Are we talking about the Khan Younis massacre of 5,000 in 1956 or the execution of 35,000 prisoners of war by Israel in 1967? Yet more wounds of the First Intifada, when civil disobedience by an occupied people against the occupiers resulted in massive wounded and hundreds dead? We also cannot discount the 5,420 wounded in southern Gaza alone since 2000. Hence what we are referring to below are only that of the invasion as of 27 December 2008.
Over the period of 27 December 2008 to the ceasefire of 18 Jan 2009, it was estimated that a million and a half tons of explosives were dropped on Gaza Strip. Gaza is 25 miles by 5 miles and home to 1.5 million people. This makes it the most crowded area in the whole world. Prior to this Gaza has been completely blockaded and starved for 50 days. In fact since the Palestinian election Gaza has been under total or partial blockade for several years.
On the first day of the invasion, 250 persons were killed. Every single police station in Gaza was bombed killing large numbers of police officers. Having wiped out the police force attention was turned to non government targets. Gaza was bombed from the air by F16 and Apache helicopters, shelled from the sea by Israeli gunboats and from the land by tank artillery. Many schools were reduced to rubble, including the American School of Gaza, 40 mosques, hospitals, UN buildings, and of course 21,000 homes, 4,000 of which were demolished completely. It is estimated that 100,000 people are now homeless.
Israeli weapons
The weapons used apart from conventional bombs and high explosives also include unconventional weapons of which at least 4 categories could be identified.
• Phosphorus Shells and bombs
The bombs dropped were described by eye witnesses as exploding at high altitude scattering a large canopy of phosphorus bomblets which cover a large area.
During the land invasion, eyewitnesses describe the tanks shelling into homes first with a conventional shell. Once the walls are destroyed, a second shell – a phosphorus shell is then shot into the homes. Used in this manner the phosphorus explodes and burns the families and the homes. Many charred bodies were found among burning phosphorus particles.
One area of concern is the phosphorus seems to be in a special stabilizing agent. This results in the phosphorus being more stable and not completely burning out. Residues still cover the fields, playground and compounds. They ignite when picked up by curious kids, or produce fumes when farmers return to water their fields. One returning farming family on watering their field met with clouds of fumes producing epistaxis. Thus the phosphorus residues probably treated with a stabilizer also act as anti-personnel weapons against children and make the return to normal life difficult without certain hazards.
Surgeons from hospitals are also reporting cases where after primary laparotomy for relatively small wounds with minimal contamination find on second look laparotomy increasing areas of tissue necrosis at about 3 days. Patients then become gravely ill and by about 10 days those patients needing a third relook encounter massive liver necrosis. This may or may not be accompanied by generalized bleeding , kidney failure and heart failure and death. Although acidosis, liver necrosis and sudden cardiac arrest due to hypocalcemia are known to be a complication of white phosphorus it is not possible to attribute these complications as being due to phosphorus alone.
There is real urgency to analyze and identify the real nature of this modified phosphorus as to its long term effect on the people of Gaza. There is also urgency in collecting and disposing of the phosphorus residues littering the entire Gaza Strip. As they give off toxic fumes when coming into contact with water, once the rain falls the whole area would be polluted with acid phosphorus fumes. Children should be warned not to handle and play with these phosphorus residues.
• Heavy Bombs
The use of DIME (dense inert material explosives) were evident, though it is unsure whether depleted uranium were used in the south. In the civilian areas, surviving patients were found to have limbs truncated by DIME, since the stumps apart from being characteristically cut off in guillotine fashion also fail to bleed. Bomb casing and shrapnel are extremely heavy.
• Fuel Air Explosives
Bunker busters and implosion bombs have been used . There are buildings especially the 8 storey Science and Technology Building of the Islamic University of Gaza which had been reduced to a pile of rubble no higher than 5-6 feet.
• Silent Bombs
People in Gaza described a silent bomb which is extremely destructive. The bomb arrives as a silent projectile at most with a whistling sound and creates a large area where all objects and living things are vaporized with minimal trace. We are unable to fit this into conventional weapons but the possibility of new particle weapons being tested should be suspected.
• Executions
Survivors describe Israeli tanks arriving in front of homes asking residents to come out. Children, old people and women would come forward and as they were lined up they were just fired on and killed. Families have lost tens of their members through such executions. The deliberate targeting of unarmed children and women is well documented by human right groups in the Gaza Strip over the past month.
• Targeting of ambulances
Thirteen ambulances had been fired upon killing drivers and first aid personnel in the process of rescue and evacuation of the wounded.
• Cluster bombs
The first patients wounded by cluster were brought into Abu Yusef Najjar Hospital. Since more than 50% of the tunnels have been destroyed, Gaza has lost part of her lifeline. These tunnels contrary to popular belief are not for weapons, though small light weapons could have been smuggled through them. However they are the main stay of food and fuel for Gaza. Palestinians are beginning to tunnel again. However it became clear that cluster bombs were dropped on to the Rafah border and the first was accidentally set of by tunneling. Five burns patients were brought in after setting off a booby trap kind of device.
Death toll
As of 25 January 2009, the death toll was estimated at 1,350 with the numbers increasing daily. This is due to the severely wounded continuing to die in hospitals. 60% of those killed were children.
Severe injuries
The severely injured numbered 5,450, with 40% being children. These are mainly large burns and polytrauma patients. Single limb fractures and walking wounded are not included in these figures.
Through our conversations with doctors and nurses the word holocaust and catastrophe were repeatedly used. The medical staff all bear the psychological trauma of the past month living though the situation and dealing with mass casualties which swamped their casualties and operating rooms. Many patients died in the Accident and Emergency Department while awaiting treatment. In a district hospital, the orthopaedic surgeon carried out 13 external fixations in less than a day. It is estimated that of the severely injured, 1,600 will suffer permanently disabilities. These include amputations, spinal cord injuries, head injuries, large burns with crippling contractures.
Special factors
The death and injury toll is especially high in this recent assault due to several factors:
• No escape: As Gaza is sealed by Israeli troops, no one can escape the bombardment and the land invasion. There is simply no escape. Even within the Gaza Strip itself, movement from north to south is impossible as Israeli tanks had cut the northern half of Gaza from the south. Compare this with the situation in Lebanon 1982 and 2006, when it was possible for people to escape from an area of heavy bombardment to an area of relative calm – there was no such is option for Gaza.
• Gaza is very densely populated. It is eerie to see that the bombs used by Israel have been precision bombs. They have a hundred percent hit rate on buildings which are crowded with people. Examples are the central market, police stations. Schools, the UN compounds used as a safety shelter from bombardment, mosques (40 of them destroyed), and the homes of families who thought they were safe as there were no combatants in them and high rise flats where a single implosion bomb would destroy multiple families. This pattern of consistent targeting of civilians makes one suspect that the military targets are but collateral damage, while civilians are the primary targets.
• The quantity and quality of the ammunition being used as described above.
• Gaza’s lack of defense against the modern weapons of Israel. She has no tanks, no planes, no anti-aircraft missiles against the invading army. We experienced that first hand in a minor clash of Israeli tank shells versus Palestinian AK47 return fire. The forces were simply unmatched.
• Absence of well constructed bomb shelters for civilians. Unfortunately these will also be no match for bunker busters possessed by the Israeli Army.
Conclusion
Taking the above points into consideration, the next assault on Gaza would be just as disastrous. The people of Gaza are extremely vulnerable and defenseless in the event of another attack. If the International Community is serious about preventing such a large scale of deaths and injuries in the future, it will have to develop a some sort of defense force for Gaza. Otherwise, many more vulnerable civilans will continue to die.
Prepared remarks of President Barack Obama at the National Prayer Breakfast
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
Remarks of President Barack Obama National Prayer Breakfast As Prepared for Delivery
Good morning. I want to thank the Co-Chairs of this breakfast, Representatives Heath Shuler and Vernon Ehlers. I’d also like to thank Tony Blair for coming today, as well as our Vice President, Joe Biden, members of my Cabinet, members of Congress, clergy, friends, and dignitaries from across the world.
Michelle and I are honored to join you in prayer this morning. I know this breakfast has a long history in Washington, and faith has always been a guiding force in our family’s life, so we feel very much at home and look forward to keeping this tradition alive during our time here.
It’s a tradition that I’m told actually began many years ago in the city of Seattle. It was the height of the Great Depression, and most people found themselves out of work. Many fell into poverty. Some lost everything.
The leaders of the community did all that they could for those who were suffering in their midst. And then they decided to do something more: they prayed. It didn’t matter what party or religious affiliation to which they belonged. They simply gathered one morning as brothers and sisters to share a meal and talk with God.
These breakfasts soon sprouted up throughout Seattle, and quickly spread to cities and towns across America, eventually making their way to Washington. A short time after President Eisenhower asked a group of Senators if he could join their prayer breakfast, it became a national event. And today, as I see presidents and dignitaries here from every corner of the globe, it strikes me that this is one of the rare occasions that still brings much of the world together in a moment of peace and goodwill.
I raise this history because far too often, we have seen faith wielded as a tool to divide us from one another – as an excuse for prejudice and intolerance. Wars have been waged. Innocents have been slaughtered. For centuries, entire religions have been persecuted, all in the name of perceived righteousness.
There is no doubt that the very nature of faith means that some of our beliefs will never be the same. We read from different texts. We follow different edicts. We subscribe to different accounts of how we came to be here and where we’re going next – and some subscribe to no faith at all.
But no matter what we choose to believe, let us remember that there is no religion whose central tenet is hate. There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being. This much we know.
We know too that whatever our differences, there is one law that binds all great religions together. Jesus told us to “love thy neighbor as thyself.†The Torah commands, “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow.†In Islam, there is a hadith that reads “None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.†And the same is true for Buddhists and Hindus; for followers of Confucius and for humanists. It is, of course, the Golden Rule – the call to love one another; to understand one another; to treat with dignity and respect those with whom we share a brief moment on this Earth.
It is an ancient rule; a simple rule; but also one of the most challenging. For it asks each of us to take some measure of responsibility for the well-being of people we may not know or worship with or agree with on every issue. Sometimes, it asks us to reconcile with bitter enemies or resolve ancient hatreds. And that requires a living, breathing, active faith. It requires us not only to believe, but to do – to give something of ourselves for the benefit of others and the betterment of our world.
In this way, the particular faith that motivates each of us can promote a greater good for all of us. Instead of driving us apart, our varied beliefs can bring us together to feed the hungry and comfort the afflicted; to make peace where there is strife and rebuild what has broken; to lift up those who have fallen on hard times. This is not only our call as people of faith, but our duty as citizens of America, and it will be the purpose of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships that I’m announcing later today.
The goal of this office will not be to favor one religious group over another – or even religious groups over secular groups. It will simply be to work on behalf of those organizations that want to work on behalf of our communities, and to do so without blurring the line that our founders wisely drew between church and state. This work is important, because whether it’s a secular group advising families facing foreclosure or faith-based groups providing job-training to those who need work, few are closer to what’s happening on our streets and in our neighborhoods than these organizations. People trust them. Communities rely on them. And we will help them.
We will also reach out to leaders and scholars around the world to foster a more productive and peaceful dialogue on faith. I don’t expect divisions to disappear overnight, nor do I believe that long-held views and conflicts will suddenly vanish. But I do believe that if we can talk to one another openly and honestly, then perhaps old rifts will start to mend and new partnerships will begin to emerge. In a world that grows smaller by the day, perhaps we can begin to crowd out the destructive forces of zealotry and make room for the healing power of understanding.
This is my hope. This is my prayer.
I believe this good is possible because my faith teaches me that all is possible, but I also believe because of what I have seen and what I have lived.
I was not raised in a particularly religious household. I had a father who was born a Muslim but became an atheist, grandparents who were non-practicing Methodists and Baptists, and a mother who was skeptical of organized religion, even as she was the kindest, most spiritual person I’ve ever known. She was the one who taught me as a child to love, and to understand, and to do unto others as I would want done.
I didn’t become a Christian until many years later, when I moved to the South Side of Chicago after college. It happened not because of indoctrination or a sudden revelation, but because I spent month after month working with church folks who simply wanted to help neighbors who were down on their luck – no matter what they looked like, or where they came from, or who they prayed to. It was on those streets, in those neighborhoods, that I first heard God’s spirit beckon me. It was there that I felt called to a higher purpose – His purpose.
In different ways and different forms, it is that spirit and sense of purpose that drew friends and neighbors to that first prayer breakfast in Seattle all those years ago, during another trying time for our nation. It is what led friends and neighbors from so many faiths and nations here today. We come to break bread and give thanks and seek guidance, but also to rededicate ourselves to the mission of love and service that lies at the heart of all humanity. As St. Augustine once said, “Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.â€
So let us pray together on this February morning, but let us also work together in all the days and months ahead. For it is only through common struggle and common effort, as brothers and sisters, that we fulfill our highest purpose as beloved children of God. I ask you to join me in that effort, and I also ask that you pray for me, for my family, and for the continued perfection of our union. Thank you.
Need To Change Texas Laws Concerning I&R (Initiatives and Referendums)
By Inayatullah Ibrahim Lalani
In the US, the venue for changing laws to meet the new necessities is usually through the elected representatives (U.S. congress or the state legislatures, as the case may be). In some States, the voters are allowed to place an issue for enactment directly to the voters for their approval (or not) and if approved it becomes the law of the state. There are many limitations, exceptions and overrides to this form of citizen democracy.
Texas, in this regard, is one of the most restrictive states in the nation; it allows only municipalities to grant – or not grant – the right of citizen generated I&Rs; these measures have to be limited to very narrowly defined issues and require an unreasonably large numbers of signatures on the petition to put anything on the ballot. Ironically, most opposition to more permissive I&R laws comes from the Democrats. The Republicans are more inclined to favor such. The reason given by the former is that if allowed to, narrow right wing special interest groups will take advantage of the usual very low turnouts in municipal elections to push through unsavory, anti-democratic measures by mobilizing conservative faithfuls. This is called gaming the system.
We don’t believe that that is a good argument against citizen democracy. We also believe safeguards can be built into any new law to prevent the above mentioned abuses. Safeguards such as limiting such ballot measures to elections with larger turnouts, e.g. gubernatorial or presidential election years. Or making such measures non-binding, i.e., to become in effect “a sense of electorate†manifesto.
A group of citizens called Tarrant County Initiative is spearheading a movement to change the law in favor of greater citizen democracy. Appropriately crafted legislation will allow us to place before the electorate of any jurisdiction (we are only aiming to do so for the 900,000 voters in Tarrant County, selecting the fourth largest Texas county, as a ‘test market’ so to speak); we understand that two groups in Austin are working on a similar plan for that city (where, we believe, no legislative change is needed).
We have started lobbying our lawmakers for enactment of comprehensive, more permissive and less burdensome (i.e. requiring fewer signatures) legislation but do not have enough man-power to reach everyone in Texas House or Senate. We are therefore appealing all Texans to initiate such lobbying process in their own districts. If you need more information, please feel free to contact us via e-mail at my e-mail address shown at the bottom of this article.
You may ask what is the motivation behind this, rather daunting, campaign. We want to be forthright with our readers. We would like the electorate to address a vital question of our times: Does Israel share our values as is often claimed? The core American values as understood by most citizens are the dicta: 1) All men are Created Equal 2) The state should offer equal protection of law to all living within its jurisdiction and 3) There should be strict separation of Church and State. A corollary question to be piggybacked to the above would be “If you agree that Israel neither subscribes to nor practices these three core American values, is it then not practicing (South African style) ‘apartheid’?
It is important to point out that millions of Americans gave their lives in the Civil War, World Wars I & II and other conflicts defending these values and by flippantly asserting that a foreign country shares those noble values with us when in fact it does not, we are trashing those sacred memories of our fallen heroes. We would like to place this referendum on the ballot for November 2010 election. In order for that to happen, the law must be passed by the 81st Texas legislature now in session and signed by Governor Rick Perry by June 5, 2009. Remember, there is going to be no legislative session after that date until 2011 since Texas Legislature meets only for four and a half months every two years!
If we are successful in clearing the legislative hurdle, we are then up against a difficult, expensive and formidable challenge before the electorate is able to express its opinion on this burning issue.
Lalani is a free-lance writer and an activist living in Fort Worth TX Area. He can be reached at assadiq@gmail.com
FREDERICK, MD–Imam Yahya Hendi, prominent interfaith activist and head of the Islamic Society of Frederick, is being honored by the Baltimore field office of the FBI for fighting terrorism, drugs and violence in America. NBC news reported that he will be recognized as the Community Leader of the Year.
For past seven years his organization has been helping to increase awareness about Muslims and fight terrorism.
Reacting to the news Hendi said, “For me the award is about the people of Maryland, Muslims, Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, people of faith, people of no faith who have tried in the aftermath of September 11th to reach out to our law enforcement agencies to say, ‘What can we do to help America?’â€
Hendi “frequently visits and lectures at churches and synagogues hoping to create a positive relationship,†the statement read. “In his lectures, Imam Hendi focuses on issues related to gender relations, world peace, political justice and inter-religious and inter-faith issues.â€
Hendi “believes that only with love and education can the world be a better place to live in,†the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office said.
Imam Hendi also serves as the Muslim chaplain at Georgetown University.
The U.S. and NATO should withdraw from Afghanistan.
Picture: Imran Khan (right) Greets AQ Khan upon the latter’s release from house arrest. Reuters
Dear President Obama,
Your extraordinary ascent to the U.S. Presidency is, to a large part, a reflection of your remarkable ability to mobilize society, particularly the youth, with the message of “change.†Indeed, change is what the world is yearning for after eight long and almost endless years of carnage let loose by a group of neo-cons that occupied the White House.
Understandably, your overarching policy focus would be the security and welfare of all U.S. citizens and so it should be. Similarly, our first and foremost concern is the protection of Pakistani lives and the prosperity of our society. We may have different social and cultural values, but we share the fundamental values of peace, harmony, justice and equality before law.
No people desire change more than the people of Pakistan, as we have suffered the most since 9/11, despite the fact that none of the perpetrators of the acts of terrorism unleashed on the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001, were Pakistani. Our entire social, political and economic fabric is in a state of meltdown. Our sovereignty, dignity and self-respect have been trampled upon. The previous U.S. administration invested in dictators and corrupt politicians by providing them power crutches in return for total compliance to pursue its misconceived war on terror.
There are many threats confronting our society today, including the threat of extremism. In a society where the majority is without fundamental rights, without education, without economic opportunities, without health care, the use of sheer force and loss of innocent lives continues to expand the extremist fringe and contract the space for the moderate majority.
Without peace and internal security, the notion of investing in development in the war zones is a pipe dream, as the anticipated benefits would never reach the people. So the first and foremost policy objective should be to restore the peace. This can only be achieved through a serious and sustained dialogue with the militants and mitigation of their genuine grievances under the ambit of our constitution and law. Since Pakistan’s founding leader signed a treaty in 1948 with the people of the country’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas and withdrew Pakistani troops, they had remained the most peaceful and trouble-free part of Pakistan up until the post-9/11 situation, when we were asked to deploy our troops in FATA.
Even a cursory knowledge of Pushtun history shows that for reasons of religious, cultural and social affinity, the Pushtuns on both sides of the Durand Line (which marks the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan) cannot remain indifferent to the suffering of their brethren on either side. The Pushtuns are proud of their history of resisting every invader from Alexander onwards, to the Persians, Moghuls, British and the Russians (all superpowers of their times) who were all bogged down in the Pushtun quagmire. So, no government, Pakistani or foreign, will ever be able to stop Pushtuns crossing over the 1,500-kilometer border to support their brethren in distress on either side, even if it means fighting the modern-day superpower in Afghanistan. Recent history shows how the mighty Soviet Union had to retreat from Afghanistan with its army defeated even though it had killed over a million Afghans.
To an average Pushtun, notwithstanding the U.N. Security Council sanction, the U.S. is an occupying power in Afghanistan that must be resisted. It is as simple as that. Therefore, the greatest challenge confronting U.S. policy in Afghanistan is how to change its status from an occupier to a partner. The new U.S. administration should have no doubt that there is no military solution in Afghanistan. As more innocent Pushtuns are killed, more space is created for new Taliban and even Al-Qaida recruits–revenge being an integral part of the Pushtun character. So, as with Iraq, the U.S. should give a time table for withdrawal from Afghanistan and replace NATO and U.S. forces with U.N. troops during the interim period.
The Pushtuns then should be involved in a dialogue process where they should be given a stake in the peace. As the majority’s stake in peace grows, proportionately the breeding ground for extremists shrinks.
The crucial lesson the U.S. needs to learn–and learn quickly–is that you can only win against terrorists if the majority in a community considers them terrorists. Once they become freedom fighters and heroes amongst their people, history tells us that the battle is lost.
Terrorism worldwide is an age-old phenomenon and cannot be eliminated by rampaging armies, no matter how powerful. It can only be contained by a strategy of building democratic societies and addressing the root causes of political conflicts. The democratization part of this strategy demands a strategic partnership between the West and the people of the Islamic world, who are basically demanding dignity, self-respect and the same fundamental rights as the ordinary citizen in the West enjoys. However, this partnership can only be forged if the U.S. and its close Western allies are prepared to accept and coexist with credible democratic governments in the Islamic world that may not support all U.S. policies as wholeheartedly as dictators and discredited politicians do in order to remain in power.
The roots of terror and violence lie in politics–and so does the solution. We urge the new administration to conduct a major strategic review of the U.S.-led war on terror, including the nature and kind of support that should realistically be expected of Pakistan keeping in mind its internal security interests. Linking economic assistance to sealing of its western frontier will only force the hand of a shaky and unstable government in Pakistan to use more indiscriminate force in FATA, a perfect recipe for disaster.
The stability of the region hinges on a stable Pakistan. Any assistance to improve governance and social indicators must not be conditional. For the simple reason that any improvement in the overall quality of life of ordinary citizens and more effective writ of the state would only make mainstream society less susceptible to extremism. However, if the new U.S. administration continues the Bush administration’s mantra of “do more,†to which our inept leadership is likely to respond to by using more force, Pakistan could become even more accessible to forces of extremism leading to further instability that would spread across the region, especially into India, which already faces problems of extremism and secessionist movements. Such a scenario would benefit no one–certainly not Pakistan and certainly not the U.S. That is why your message of meaningful change, Mr. President, must guide your policies in this region also.
Imran Khan is chairman and founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (Movement for Justice), and served as an elected member of Pakistan’s parliament from 2002-08. The captain of the Pakistan team that won the cricket World Cup in 1992, he founded the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Center, the biggest charitable institution in Pakistan. He is chancellor of the University of Bradford, in the U.K.
Washington, D.C.: Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Executive Director, Kashmiri American Council/Kashmir Center, solemnly expressed his deepest condolences at the passing away of the courageous, principled and legendary Pakistani journalist of Kashmiri ethnicity Khalid Hasan. ‘Khalid Hasan made countless imperative appeals for the international community, particularly in Dakar in 1991 and Casablanca in 1994 to bravely come forward and listen to the cries of the people of Kashmir. This unwavering and confident voice for the downtrodden people of Kashmir will be sorely missed,’ quoted Dr. Fai.
Khalid Hasan was born in Srinagar and graduated from Murray College in Sialkot, Pakistan. His writings bore a distinctive air of the tragic, undoubtedly a consequence of the oppression he witnessed in Kashmir and catapulted him to channel that pain in a constructive manner. His illustrious career included being a Press Secretary for the Late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, and writing witty, insightful and inspiring columns for both the Daily Times and The Friday Times in Pakistan. Moreover, his columns also appeared regularly in Kashmiri newspapers in Indian Occupied Kashmir.
More specifically, after Khalid Hasan’s visit to his ancestral homeland in Kashmir in 2004, he became ever more prolific in highlighting the sufferings of the people of Kashmir. ‘Particularly,’ spoke Dr. Fai, ‘he resented the inhumane manner in which the Indian army hideously planted itself as a protruding weed, in the garden of the Kashmir Valley, on every corner and street. This atrocious affront to Kashmiri dignity was deeply felt by this lion of letters.’
Today, this literary magician will be laid to rest, following Islamic funeral services at Darul Huda Islamic Center, Virginia. A cross section of Americans, including people of Pakistani origin and Kashmiri origin from both sides of the Ceasefire Line are expected in attendance, to show the respect. And, however, to declare that while his voice is silenced, his words will reverberate for future generations to come.
Profile of Khalid Hasan:
“Khalid Hasan is a senior Pakistani journalist and writer. He was born in Srinagar, Kashmir. He began his long career in journalism writing for The Pakistan Times, Lahore, as senior Reporter and Columnist in 1967. He was asked by [Pakistan’s Ex-Prime Minister] Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, on taking office in December 1971, to join him as his first Press Secretary. He went on to spend five years in the country’s Foreign Service, with postings in Paris, Ottawa and London. He resigned in protest when the Bhutto Government was overthrown by General Zia ul Haq, and worked in London with the Third World Foundation and the Third World Media before leaving to join the newly-established OPEC News Agency (OPECNA) in Vienna, Austria, where he stayed for 10 years. He returned to Pakistan briefly in 1991, where he worked as a freelance journalist for the next two years. He moved to Washington DC in 1993 and worked out of there as U.S. Correspondent for The Nation, Lahore.
From 1997 to 2000, he was in Pakistan as head of the Shalimar Television Network. He returned to Washington in 2000 as Special Correspondent of the Associated Press of Pakistan [APP], which he left to join Daily Times and The Friday Times, Lahore, in 2002. He continues to work as the [U.S.] Correspondent and Columnist of these two publications in Washington. Khalid Hasan is a prolific writer and translator. He has published over 40 books in Pakistan and abroad.â€
With ALLAH’S name, The Merciful Benefactor, Merciful Redeemer
By Imam Abdullah El-Amin
– Revised –
“This day have those who reject faith given up all hope of your religion: Yet fear them not, but fear Me. This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Al-Islam as your religion.â€
In what is believed to be the last ayat of revelation, ALLAH is saying He completed His favor on us. He says we are not to fear the unbelievers because they are aware that they are unable to sway the true believers from the path of The Religion, Al-Islam. So therefore the only way for us to live, is by the tenets that Almighty ALLAH laid down for us. So, since we believe the Qur’an is the last instruction from ALLAH, and is for all time, Al-Islam is not only “a†way of life, as is popularly said; it is “the†only way to live.
We, as human beings, face many challenges daily while on our journey in this life. Many of these challenges seem gigantic and overwhelming – and they come one after another but little as we know, these challenges are a blessings and good for us as well. They are good because first of all ALLAH allowed them to happen. Overcoming challenges gives us one of the most valuable things in life – which is experience. Regardless of how many times you tell a baby the stove is hot, he oftentimes has to get burned before he really learns.
A bank president was asked once, “What is the secret of your success? He answered “two words.†“And what are they, sir? “Right decisions,†he answered. “And how do you make the right decisions?’ The bank president answered, “One word.†And what is that word sir?†He answered, “Experience.†“And sir, how do you get experience?†The bank president answered, “Two words.†“And what are they?’ The bank president answered, “Wrong decisions.â€
We must constantly remind ourselves and others that we, as believing sons and daughters of our first father, Adam, have nothing above us except ALLAH, The Almighty. Satan, The Shaitan knows this but tries to trick us into believing that mistakes we make are a testament to his superiority over us.
But these mistakes and wrong decisions we make are allowed by ALLAH to make us wiser and stronger. And if you observe closely the braying of satan, you will notice that oftentimes the ones shedding light on your mistakes and throwing stones at your head, are the ones most guilty of what they throw at you.
“Do you think that you will not be tested? We tested those before you.â€
If we were not tested and given hardships, our humanity would not reach its highest height. Just remember that ALLAH has perfected our way of life which is showing us the way to live.
There is no problem or hardship we cannot overcome using the perfected Words and guidance of ALLAH. Prayer, Zakat, fasting, and other spiritually enhancing actions coupled with obedience to laws of living such as diet, no intoxicants, good treatment of other humans, especially women, and others, have perfect guidance for living and overcoming obstacles.
Keep in mind that Al-Islam is perfect – striving to live it puts you on that path of righteousness.
When I told a friend, a former section leader in a large Harvard College course, that I had been offered a chance to do an op-ed for The Harvard Crimson on Gaza, she identified two fairly common, understandable undergraduate attitudes: “The situation is too complicated and I can’t make up my mind about it;†and “This is controversial and there are differences of opinion. No side is ‘right.’’â€
I hope that the recent war, occurring at the beginning of the Obama presidency, will lead to enough discussion of Israel and Palestine in the Harvard community so that more of us feel able to take positions. With that in mind, I will use my space to present a factual picture one would think controversial, but which surprisingly is a matter of consensus of “informed observers.â€
The Israeli “new historian†Benny Morris—a strong Zionist—has documented the “Origins of the Palestine Refugee Problem.†During military operations in 1947 and 1948 against Palestinian resisters and Arab invading armies trying ineffectually to prevent the creation of a Jewish state, Jewish regular and irregular forces, sometimes using carefully calibrated terror tactics, drove somewhere between 600,000 and 800,000 Palestinian men, women and children from their villages, which they then leveled. After the war, they used force to prevent any of them from returning. Then the new state summarily confiscated their land and property for redistribution to Jews. The remaining Arab population of Israel—now about 20 percent—eventually received formal legal equality, but live in second-class citizen status similar to that of American blacks in the North before affirmative action and the rise of the new black bourgeoisie.
In 1967, Israel preemptively attacked Egypt, Jordan and Syria, and occupied the West Bank and Gaza, largely populated by refugees of 1948, as well as East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights and Sinai (later returned to Egypt). This generated another approximately 200,000 Palestinian refugees who were also forbidden to return. Since 1973, Israeli governments have gradually moved about 400,000 Jewish settlers into the West Bank and another 200,000 into East Jerusalem, appropriating about 50 percent of the land (when roads and other infrastructure are taken into account), taking over the water, and alternately exploiting and starving the West Bank and Gaza economies to the point where the Arab population is overwhelmingly dependent on the international “donor community†for subsistence.
Palestinian non-violent and violent resistance to the military occupation is fully legal under international law. On the other hand, many of the specific tactics, especially airplane hijacking, suicide bombing targeting civilians, including children and old people, and indiscriminate rocket attacks, have been widely denounced as criminal.
The Israeli government justifies the wall, check points, the network of access roads, the discriminatory legal regime, the pass laws, arbitrary arrests, house demolitions, targeted assassinations, torture, and everyday military control as necessary for the security of the settlements (viewed as illegal everywhere but in Israel), and to protect against terrorism inside Israel. The international human rights NGOs such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the United Nations that have denounced Palestinian terror tactics have unanimously condemned Israel on many occasions for violating the human rights of the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.
After Israel withdrew its settlers from Gaza in 2005, it retained full control of land and sea borders and of the air space. It periodically entered the territory with the goal of suppressing rocket fire aimed indiscriminately at southern Israeli towns. Over the four years before the December 2008 invasion, this rocket fire killed 13 Israeli civilians and made life miserable for tens of thousands of inhabitants of the towns targeted.
After Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections in 2006, Israel and the U.S. set out to isolate Hamas by cutting off Gaza from the outside world. The justification was that Hamas was a terrorist organization “dedicated to the destruction of Israel.†Israel and its allies persisted in this strategy in spite of repeated indications, reported faithfully in the New York Times, that Hamas, like the Palestine Liberation Organization of Yasser Arafat before it, was looking for face-saving means to alter its position and accept a two-state solution.
The Hamas claim, which seems basically sound to me, is that Israel was mainly responsible for its ending: Hamas suppressed almost, but not all rocket fire; Israel retaliated for the residuum by refusing to open the borders, so that Gazan misery continued unabated or worsened, and then carried out an armed incursion in November 2008. When Hamas refused to renew the truce and recommenced rocket fire, Israel invaded.
Numerous observers have charged Israel with committing war crimes during the war. Without downplaying that aspect, I think it is important to understand the 1,300 Palestinian casualties, including 400 children as well as many, many women, versus 13 Israeli casualties, as typical of a particular kind of “police action†that Western colonial powers and Western “ethno-cratic settler regimes†like ours in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Serbia and particularly apartheid South Africa, have historically undertaken to convince resisting native populations that unless they stop resisting they will suffer unbearable death and deprivation. Not just in 1947 and 1948, but also in Lebanon in 1982 and 2006, Israel used similar tactics.
Causing horrific civilian deaths is often perfectly defensible under the laws of war, which favor conventional over unconventional forces in asymmetric warfare. The outright “crimes,†like the My Lai massacre, Abu Ghraib, or Russian massacres in Afghanistan and then in Chechnya, are less important for the civilian victims than the daily tactics of air assault, bombardment, and brutal door-to-door sweeps, meant to draw fire from the resisters that will justify leveling houses and the people in them.
Can this picture be right? If so, what is to be done? If not, what is to be done? If you are not already clear about what you think, it is crucial to try to find out for yourself. If the situation is as bad as I have painted, you might consider some small step, perhaps just a contribution to humanitarian relief for Gaza, or e-mailing the White House, or something more, like advocating for Harvard to divest.
Duncan Kennedy ‘64 is the Carter Professor of General Jurisprudence at Harvard Law School.
John Maynard Keynes, 1883 – 1946. Time Magazine cover, 1966
On June 8, 2006; I wrote an article entitled: “The Crumbling American Mightâ€. I said, “The world fears American might while America fears its own crumbling might, the dollar. And the American dollar is the US Achilles Heelâ€. About 15 months later the American dollar tumbled.
The cumulative effect of many years of fickle fiscal policies, especially of the last 7 years, is responsible for the present economic crisis. Many fear that we are on the brink of depression should the current severe recession continue.
Since the Second World War, the US has adopted two economic policies. One is Keynesian economic theory, proposed by the British economist John Maynard Keynes in 1930, and later in 1970’s the US adopted the supply side theory proffered by Milton Friedman and others.
According to Keynesian economics, the state should stimulate economic growth and improve stability in the private sector through, for example, adjusting interest rates, taxation and funding public projects.
The basic premise of the Keynesian economic policies is: for economic wellbeing, the state should stimulate economic growth through the private sector. And, by adjusting the interest rates, the Fed maintains the stability of the private sector (i.e. you and me).
The Fed fine-tuned the money supply as and when it caused inflation or deflation. If inflation raised its head, it restricted the money supply by increasing the interest rates. And it would loosen the credit supply by lowering the interest rates, as an when economic activity slowed down or deflated.
The stagflation of the 1970’s, (the awful combination of high inflation and slow growth) and the oil crisis of 1973 bedeviled policy makers in 1970’s. It sowed the seeds for the end of the dominance of Keynesian policies, as it had failed to stabilize the demand management.
This bought the Austrian school of thought, supply-side economics, to the fore. The intellectual roots of supply-side economics have also been traced back to various early economic thinkers such as Ibn Khaldun and many others, especially Nobel laureates Robert Mundell, Milton Friedman, and James Buchanan.
Supply-side economy basically propagates tight money to stop inflation, cut in marginal taxes to stimulate growth, and lower capital gains tax to encourage entrepreneurs.
The supply side economist typically argues to achieve the proper level of marginal tax rates, (tax cuts). According to them, maximum benefits are achieved by optimizing the marginal tax rates of those with high incomes. And hence it is termed as “trickle down economics.†Reduction in capital gains will most likely increase supply and thus spur growth. Thus it came to be known as “supply side economics.â€
The Keynesian economist, by contrast, contends that tax cuts should be used to increase demand, not supply, and thus should be targeted at cash-strapped, lower-income earners, who are more likely to spend additional income.
What it means in simple terms is this: supply side economists target higher income brackets, while Keynesians target lower income brackets.
In both these theories, the critical word “personal savings†is missing, and both theories advocate spending either through borrowing directly from bank, via credit cards or money saved from lowered taxes.
The industrial prosperity of a country is measured by its Gross National Product (GNP) and not by Gross National Consumption (GNC). Although GNC may help increase GDP, but by default.
It is a historical fact that for more stable economies, individual savings plays a strengthening role. Thus, encouragement of personal savings is paramount in creating more stable economies.
Depending upon his savings, an individual buys goods after careful consideration of each purchase’s pros and cons–even if it is a leveraged buy or on installments. Essentially what it means is when an individual uses his savings or in combination with the borrowing he will be more prudent in his purchases or investments.
In the next few articles, I will discuss: the causes of the present economic crisis, that has little to do with Keynesian or supply side economics; whether the present proposed stimulus is enough or not and will it work or not; its long term impact and as an individual what you should do to protect your assets.
I hope you are reading Bob Wood’s weekly articles–many readers appreciate his articles and have benefited from his advice.
