Back to Boykin

Yesterday Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld apologized to Iraqis for the abuses of Abu Ghuraib…I think. Rumsfeld often speaks in a way that needs deciphering. Two of my favorite examples are: “Reports that say that something hasn’t happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don’t know we don’t know.” “There’s another way to phrase that…

I have nothing against military dictatorships if they happen to be installed in one of the most unstable and fragile flashpoint countries in the world such as Pakistan. During his tenure as President of Pakistan. Pervez Musharraf has done and said the right things. He has been very critical of the extremist elements in Pakistani society and seems intent on seeing a modern and tolerant Pakistan take root. He is fighting an uphill battle against the MMA, while he tackles education reform, closes madrassas, and tries to reign in boombastic imams. He has had to deal with secretarian violence and…

We need to hold the NYPD accountable for their misdeeds. Sarah’s piece is spot on. Sarah Sayeed, Ph.D.: The Dolphin and the Monkey and NYPD’s Disappointing Tactics. Aesop’s story might be a good one to teach at New York Police Department trainings, instead of infecting unsuspecting officers with a pernicious fear of Islam and Muslims. The active participation of Police Commissioner Kelly and his Public Affairs Officer Paul Browne in the creation and promotion of an anti-Muslim film has led Muslim New Yorkers to deep disappointment, skepticism and mistrust. They are now calling for the two to resign.