The newest red state

Despite recent tragedies and fears, the New Year was well-spent, and hopefully it was for you as well. May the new year bring us greater knowledge of ourselves, of our faith, and allow us to be of greater service to our families, communities, and our faith.

I was watching CNN last night and came across a Lou Dobbs interview with Fouad Ajami, Director, Middle East Studies Program, John Hopkins University. Dr. Ajami made a lot of sense to me. To get a sense of where he is coming from, here is a list of articles by or about Dr. Ajami: Iraq and the Arabs Future Rude Arab Awakening What the Arab World Is Watching [critique of Al-Jezeera] Lebanon Star [critique of Ajami’s attack on Al-Jezerra] During the interview, in which he was speaking about the Abu Ghuraib scandal and the brutal beheading of Nick Berg, Ajami…

“There are no longer any signs of life along 240 kilometers”. (Reporter in helicopter over Aceh) “In this kind of a tragedy, there is no religion,” said Imam Syed Abdullah, who led a team of Indian rescue personnel in retrieving bodies along the coast. He agreed to have Muslim victims buried with others in a mass burial. “They died together in the sea. Let their souls get peace together.” “We’re concerned about providing safe water and preventing the spread of disease. For children, the next few days will be the most critical.” (Carol Bellamy, executive director, Unicef) Please give generously.…