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Grass Roots Development May Hold Promise in the Muslim World

I would actually hope that it holds promise for everyone: There is, Khan averred, a “dominant player fallacy” or the tendency to place “too much reliance in national governments and other institutions which may have relatively superficial connections to life at the grass-roots level.” Thus, “urban-based outsiders often look at these situations from the perspective of the city center looking out to a distant countryside, searching for quick and convenient levers of influence.” The secret, then, is to work “from the bottom up” and not from the top down, as is so often the case. As he told the dinner…

Hasidic Reggae

Yes Virginia, it’s true. Take a look at this site, just to read comments like this: “He can really rip,” agrees hip-hop producer and bassist Yossi Fine (David Bowie, Me’Shell Ndege-Ocello), who is himself part Israeli and Afro-Jamaican Jew. “He’s extremely fierce, jumping around the stage. The only difference between him and a Jamaican rapper is that he takes the lyrics from the Bible instead of from Rasta. He changes ‘Jah’ to ‘Hashem’ [Hebrew for God].” I intend to buy an album. Seems very cool. Also, here.

MLT – Opening Comments

Ministry of Integration in Denmark 1. Daisy Khan’s opening a. Conference planned before cartoon crisis in Copenhagen b. Now need to heal wounds c. Introducing Susanne Clausen from Integration Ministry 2. Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs 3. Danish gov’t had no control over publication of cartoons in private newspapers a. Could emphasize freedom of speech, freedom of religion were co-existent b. Protests in Denmark were peaceful i. International scene clouded scene in Denmark c. 210,000 (3.9%) population is Muslim d. 85 approved communities, 19 of which are Muslim (aside from National Church) e. 120 prayer rooms f. Muslims are free…