Day: May 2, 2004

Current Affairs Religion

Milad un-Nabi

islamoyankee

Yesterday was the birthday of the Prophet (Milad un-Nabi). I had wanted to do a lengthy post on the various world traditions associated with the celebration of the day. When I went on-line to try to pull resources about Egypt, Pakistan and Indonesia, all I kept getting were sites decrying the celebration of the Prophet’s birthday. Apparently because he never celebrated it, we shouldn’t either (leave aside the irony of the “guardians of faith” making this decree on the internet.) I celebrate birthdays of my friends and family, people who are important to me. I can’t think of a more…

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Current Affairs

The Toll

islamoyankee

From Friday’s MotherJones.com, the casualty figures in Iraq are: Number of U.S. service members killed in Iraq since Operation Iraqi Freedom began on March 19, 2003: 732 Number killed since George W. Bush declared an end to “major combat” on May 1, 2003: 594 Number killed this month: 136 Paul Wolfowitz, the man considered one of the architects of this war, doesn’t know that. Is it because we can’t hear the names of the dead? Or because we can’t see them? Despite the recent charges against the guards at Abu Gharib prison, the great majority of men and women in…

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Current Affairs

Compare and Contrast

islamoyankee

Two interesting op-eds in the Boston Globe today. The first talks about Karen Hughes equation of the women who marched on the DC Mall last week with terrorists. Regardless of where you fall on the abortion debate, the casual and easy equation of people with different views than this administration is a disturbing phenomenon. (It has happened before with respect to teachers; further proof we are preparing for the Rapture?) The emotional associations with the word “terrorist” after 9/11, across the country, is profound. I think it’s much more evocative than “communist” ever was for my generation. When disagreement becomes…

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