Author: SAM I AM

Even though categorization is a useful tool for analysis, and OBL is definitely a bad guy, I am curious to hear if people have any objections to the use of the term binladendism as described in this article in the Boston Globe by Abdul Cader Asmal.  I’ve heard some convicing arguments against the blanket use of the term Wahhabism and my sense is that binladenism is probably more accurate but flawed in its own ways.

It would be nice if when we did things for our faith that made sense, we were seen as reclaiming the inclusive and intellectual aspects of our traditions rather than trying to reform them. So many groups that live and die by a narrow interpretation of Islam use the past to justify their actions. It’s heartwarming to see the past being invoked for good things as well. Here’s an article about a group that I believe is doing just that in Canada. As a side question – if forced to live in under a fundamentalist regime, would you rather it…

My parents always told me that the company you keep says something about you. What does that say about those who keep the company of Attorney General Ashcroft. Krugman has a thing or two to say about a “Travesty of Justice.”

In a stunning turn of events in India, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s BJP party was upset by Mrs. Sonia Gandhi’s Congress Party. As an American Muslim of Indian descent, I have some strong feelings about India in general and about the communal violence between Hindus and Muslims in India over the past few years. Though the majority of Indian citizens are Hindu, people quickly forget that there are more Muslims in India than in Pakistan (approx 100 million). I believe that the ousted party bears some responsibility for the communcal violence, but the reason I am posting this information…

Despite my responsibility as a citizen to keep informed, it’s getting quite difficult to read the news these days. I often find myself having to take a break from reading because I am overcome by anger, bitterness, or despair. And never mind the effect it’s having on my ability to do other work. However, I came across an op-ed yesterday, by a supporter of the war in Iraq, that made some very good points. What I liked most about it was its focus on where do we go from here. Regardless of whether or not you support the war in…

The below excerpt from the following article, where President Bush addressed Evangelical groups on National Prayer Day was quite surprising to me. It’s appears to be a major departure from some of his previous rhetoric. In fact, the article itself points to how this is fairly out of character. I must say that in a vacuum, devoid of the context of this administration, I very much like this quote. For me, it seems to hearken back to the Idea of America, which I love so much. I understand that people have different views of what Justice is, but nevertheless, I…

Disclaimer – I am not offering this article as any type of justification for the prison abuses going on. Let me be 100% clear – I think what has happened in the Abu Ghraib prisons, and perhaps elsewhere as well, is atrocious and I am angry about it. It is our fault as a country and we need to fix the problem immediately. Those responsible for overseeing these horrible travesties should be severely punished and things must change immediately. Actual post – In the interests of learning from the situation and trying to understand factors at play, I came across…

1. God creates and sustains all of creation at all times 2. Intellect makes Man unique and exhalted from amongst creation (2:30-34) 3. With the great power of this intellect, comes great responsibility (spider man fans should recognize this mantra) 4. This responsibility is a sacred moral trust (amaana) 5. To the extent we have any power over any other person, or any part of creation, it is within the confines of this amaana. 6. Therefore, by not seizing on every opportunity to do good, you are abusing God. (I borrowed this line from someone else, but I like it…

In his op-ed yesterday, Thomas Friedman touched on something very dear to me – the idea of America. And in order to preserve the idea of America (he was actually talking about America’s Honor), he said that this administration needed to fire Rumsfeld, eat crow publicly, enlist help, and change course. I agree that all of these things might help preserve America’s credibility and salvage the Iraq situation, but I don’t share any of his optimism that there is any hope that this is what we will do. At least one reporter sees no end in site for Rumsfeld. Although…

I haven’t really read the news for the last few days, party because I’ve been travelling and partly because I’m just really annoyed at the way the administration is doing things. I know, I know . . . that’s not news. However, the issue for me has progressed beyond general annoyance and crystallized around two central issues – power and trust. We live in the free world and President Bush seems to have made freedom his mantra, but his behavior seems to more closely resemble an “elected” dictatorship. I know this is naive, but aren’t there any mainstream politicians who…