Accountability and the Court

From the DNC, my take away message: Kerry fought in a war 30 years ago. America is a great country full of hope and promise. Because Kerry fought in the war, he values the greatness of America and will fight to keep it great. From the RNC, my take away message: 9/11 was great. Without it you’d never know that Bush was chosen by God. And by God, we’re more than happy to have another 9/11 to prove how great we are. Overall big disappointments for me: John McCain and Bob Dole. They’ve become tools. Rudy Giuliani did not disappoint…

Starting yesterday afternoon, New York time, Mumbai (Bombay) came under a terrorist attack. Currently more than 100 people are dead and over 300 are wounded, with multiple hostage situations. I can offer nothing that the news is not giving, except a prayer for the souls of the deceased; a prayer for the wounded; a prayer that those who perpetrated this act face wrath of the God whom they so easily defame. Choose your mainstream news source: I’m using BBC, both for the local coverage, and to get some sense of distance from it all. Sepia Mutiny links to sources of…

There is a new film on Rikers, called Rikers: An American Jail, and I’m quoted in the interfaith discussion guide. As a Muslim, when I hear about prison, I think to the Story of Joseph, told in Chapter 12 of the Qur’an: are we punishing difference, rather than actions, and putting the innocent in jail? Do we seek to turn people to repentance, or are we fulfilling our needs for revenge? One of the clear commandments in the Qur’an is to maintain the balance of justice, and to not give into our own desires and call it justice (55:9, 4:135).…