May 2004 – Page 3 – islamicate

Back to the open letter

islamoyankeeMay 19, 2004

Two weeks ago I posted an open letter to Bush and Kerry. At the urging of the Velveteen Rabbi, I actually sent it – electronically – to both candidates. I thought I should give an update. I got an almost immediate response from the Kerry campaign, a canned letter that thanked me for writing, but that I should understand while they try to read everything they get, it may take weeks before anyone actually gets to my submission, and they may never respond. The Bush campaign never responded. They didn’t even bother with the automated message. I think that’s kind…

Current Affairs Religion

Doing what Sistani says

islamoyankeeMay 19, 2004

Grand Ayatollah Sistani is asking for US troops to leave Najaf and Karbala. According to Sistani he wants to “‘allow the police and tribal forces to perform their role in preserving security and order.’” I think this is a good idea. I don’t think the US should commit to a full-scale withdrawal, but they should say that they will withdraw to the perimeters of both cities for 72 hours. If the situation improves, they will stay out; if it worsens, they will enter. They will gaurd the outskirts of the city and prevent people from entering who are not authorized…

Current Affairs

Is it the same?

islamoyankeeMay 18, 2004

A soldier who deserted from the US Army in Iraq because he found the war morally objectionable – partly because of the treatment of prisoners – faces the same punishment as those who abused the prisoners at Abu Ghuraib. I turn to those more knowledgeable: Can he plead that he deserted because the orders were illegal?

Current Affairs Religion

Darfur

islamoyankeeMay 18, 2004

(Note: I’ve only recently become aware of what’s going in Sudan because of The Head Heeb. Read some of his background pieces (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), and continue to read him for the latest news. I want to throw in my two cents now, but don’t have the resources to give it the coverage it deserves on a regular basis.) Sudan is known as a failed state – the type that gives a base of operations to terrorist organizations; Sudan was in fact home, briefly, to Osama bin Laden, and was bombed in 1998 by the US for allegedly…

Current Affairs

We let Zarqawi do it?

islamoyankeeMay 18, 2004

Read this short blurb on Gadflyer about an article on Slate. We apparently had multiple opportunities to take out Zarqawi and didn’t. He had an opportunity to kill an American, and he did. He was also going to release biological weapons in London, which we weren’t going to stop. Fortunately, the London police did.

Current Affairs

Gay Marriage Comes to MA

May 17, 2004

The Boston Globe – along with all local media – is running the story about the first same sex marriage licenses being given out in the People’s Republic of Cambridge. I am really happy to be living in this city and state! Since in Islam – marriage is a civil contract – there should not be issues (ha! ha ha!) with Muslims seeing anything wrong with gay marriage. I am not sure what the Holy Quran says about homosexuality – perhaps someone can drop me the 411. But I think we should let people choose who they want to be…

Religion

The discussion I want to have

islamoyankeeMay 16, 2004

The discussions surrounding Abu Ghuraib are getting more and more depressing. Seymour Hersh’s article in this week’s New Yorker talks about how the torture was the result of orders from the Pentagon getting out of control. Newsweek is reporting President Bush signed the orders to commit torture. (TPM, Father Jake, Loose Democracy, Juan Cole on the same.) Colin Powell thinks the Arab world should be more outraged over the beheading of Nick Berg. He’s right. Why is this even an issue? There seems to be a race to be the most barbarous and callous people in the world. As an…

Weblogs

Our own stories

islamoyankeeMay 15, 2004

Demi posted something in comments that I really liked. Because it was so lengthy, and many respects quite independent of the original post, I asked her permission to move into the main area of the site. Here it is: I have been indulging in the same finger-pointing: at the president, at Rumsfeld, at any number of persons and entities. And it’s true, they are at fault. But I cannot shake the feeling that I am at fault as well, as is every individual that is part of a culture. Individuals comprise the culture, whether that culture gives rise to an…

Current Affairs

This is sad

islamoyankeeMay 14, 2004

Nick Berg’s father has been speaking out against the Department of Defense. It’s sad that he is criticizing the government, the entity that should have been protecting his son; it’s sad because the government should be seen as our protectors, particularly overseas. It doesn’t bode well for the country when the government is seen as contributing to American deaths internationally. The critique won’t get much traction, but I wanted to give my sympathies to the family for the loss of their son and their sense of betrayal. (Background pieces on Nick Berg in US Custody.) Aside: The video broadcast talking…

Weblogs

Teach to learn

islamoyankeeMay 14, 2004

Via Joho, I found a 2nd grade class that maintains a blog. They’ve got a question that needs to be answered. The teacher who thought of this idea, using a blog to teach, should get teacher of the year. The concept is great, community teaching in a really organic form. The question is about dinosaurs and the kings of the jungles. Help them out and do your teaching duty for the day. My thoughts in their comments.