Wonderfully done video, deserving of much wider circulation than it's getting. Great to share with interfaith initiatives and Christian friends. Pass this along!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Remembering Our Veterans
As an American, I salute and support the men and women who have served and sacrificed for this country. I offer my deepest respect and thanks for those who put themselves daily in harm's way to uphold the Founding Father's ideals of tolerance, equality and pluralism.
As a Muslim on this day, I especially want to salute the over 20,000 Muslims (according to the "Crescents and Crosses" article mentioned below, who cites the American Muslim Armed Forces and Veteran Affairs Council for the figure; some other sources cite a range between just under 4,000 to about 12,000) serving in the U. S. military. Each of you, brothers and sisters, set a shining example in the current climate that the deepest, truest values of this country and our faith share a strong , compatible resonance, despite what "extremists" in both the American right or in Islam attempt to portray and perpetrate.
Some links:
Crescents Among The Crosses although two years old, this is still a great, moving post by Shahed Amanullah on Muslims who have died in service for America.
The American Muslim great blog and site by Robert Salaam, a military veteran and Muslim convert.
American Muslim Armed Forces and Veteran Affairs Council last updated in April.
Muslim Military Members "An organization providing information, communication, and coordination for Muslims in the US Armed Forces," per their web site. Also not updated since last year, at least publicly (there may be portions of the site accessible via verification of military status).
Muslims For A Safe America interesting advocacy group that "encourages honest and informed discussion about how to make Muslims and America safer." They put the range of Muslims in the U.S. military between 5,000 and 20 000.
Know of others? Share them here.
As a Muslim on this day, I especially want to salute the over 20,000 Muslims (according to the "Crescents and Crosses" article mentioned below, who cites the American Muslim Armed Forces and Veteran Affairs Council for the figure; some other sources cite a range between just under 4,000 to about 12,000) serving in the U. S. military. Each of you, brothers and sisters, set a shining example in the current climate that the deepest, truest values of this country and our faith share a strong , compatible resonance, despite what "extremists" in both the American right or in Islam attempt to portray and perpetrate.
Some links:
Crescents Among The Crosses although two years old, this is still a great, moving post by Shahed Amanullah on Muslims who have died in service for America.
The American Muslim great blog and site by Robert Salaam, a military veteran and Muslim convert.
American Muslim Armed Forces and Veteran Affairs Council last updated in April.
Muslim Military Members "An organization providing information, communication, and coordination for Muslims in the US Armed Forces," per their web site. Also not updated since last year, at least publicly (there may be portions of the site accessible via verification of military status).
Muslims For A Safe America interesting advocacy group that "encourages honest and informed discussion about how to make Muslims and America safer." They put the range of Muslims in the U.S. military between 5,000 and 20 000.
Know of others? Share them here.
Monday, November 08, 2010
Ali Abunimah in Albuquerque
Great, well-attended speech last night by Ali Abunimah
on the context and a way out of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict , based in part on his book, One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse (he had sold out of copies by the time the lecture was done; hope it's on Kindle soon).
Abunimah (also founder of Electronic Intifidah) laid out his case in a clear, well-intoned articulate voice, framing his points squarely within the context of international law and universal human rights. He stressed a governance that includes egalitarian treatment for all the population: "Israeli Jews will be the beneficiaries of this as well," he said.
Abunimah advocates a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) technique to apply pressure against what he said was an increasing entrenchment of apartheid policy into Israeli law. He cited the effectiveness of a BDS-type approach in South Africa, and also mentioned South Africa and Ireland as possible models he's researched for governance of a single state with a bilateral population.
The run-up to the talk was marked by some very public flap in town, well documented on Abunimah's blog. While acknowledging the flap, he didn't dwell on it: "This issue isn't about me," he said.
While he had impassioned moments, the overall tone had the calm, clear logical intensity befitting the the seriousness of the topic, and stayed clear of over-the-top rhetoric and delivery.
He was also pretty web savvy, live streaming the event to his web site and Tweeting up to the start of the speech. His earlier speech at Stanford is up on you Tube and last night's was also videotaped; we'll see if that makes it to the web as well.
on the context and a way out of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict , based in part on his book, One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse (he had sold out of copies by the time the lecture was done; hope it's on Kindle soon).Abunimah (also founder of Electronic Intifidah) laid out his case in a clear, well-intoned articulate voice, framing his points squarely within the context of international law and universal human rights. He stressed a governance that includes egalitarian treatment for all the population: "Israeli Jews will be the beneficiaries of this as well," he said.
Abunimah advocates a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) technique to apply pressure against what he said was an increasing entrenchment of apartheid policy into Israeli law. He cited the effectiveness of a BDS-type approach in South Africa, and also mentioned South Africa and Ireland as possible models he's researched for governance of a single state with a bilateral population.
The run-up to the talk was marked by some very public flap in town, well documented on Abunimah's blog. While acknowledging the flap, he didn't dwell on it: "This issue isn't about me," he said.
While he had impassioned moments, the overall tone had the calm, clear logical intensity befitting the the seriousness of the topic, and stayed clear of over-the-top rhetoric and delivery.
He was also pretty web savvy, live streaming the event to his web site and Tweeting up to the start of the speech. His earlier speech at Stanford is up on you Tube and last night's was also videotaped; we'll see if that makes it to the web as well.
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