In Perspective

Three senators have approached the Pakistani(-American) community in New York. Read the article here. The politicians are finally starting to realize the value of using history and speaking a new symbolic language as witnessed by their calling on the vision Muhammad Ali Jinnah. It’s also important to note the semi-mea culpa with respect to the PATRIOT Act. The reach out maybe for the wrong reasons, but it’s an important acknowledgment of the role immigrants, and Muslims, play in the political process. It’s also an opportunity for us to get more involved and create a new vision for ourselves here in…

In a stunning turn of events in India, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s BJP party was upset by Mrs. Sonia Gandhi’s Congress Party. As an American Muslim of Indian descent, I have some strong feelings about India in general and about the communal violence between Hindus and Muslims in India over the past few years. Though the majority of Indian citizens are Hindu, people quickly forget that there are more Muslims in India than in Pakistan (approx 100 million). I believe that the ousted party bears some responsibility for the communcal violence, but the reason I am posting this information…

Despite my responsibility as a citizen to keep informed, it’s getting quite difficult to read the news these days. I often find myself having to take a break from reading because I am overcome by anger, bitterness, or despair. And never mind the effect it’s having on my ability to do other work. However, I came across an op-ed yesterday, by a supporter of the war in Iraq, that made some very good points. What I liked most about it was its focus on where do we go from here. Regardless of whether or not you support the war in…