politics

The 30th anniversary of Khomeini's return to Iran should be something we all take the time to reflect upon. From thinking about what the role of the US--and the West generally--has been in Persia, (supporting the Shah; hosting Khomeini...), to what the Iranian model and experience says about what the possibilities are in Pakistan, to what neo-purist interpretations of Islam have meant for the world at large today, the list is endless.

Here's a flashback from a BBC journalist:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolpda/ukfs_news/hi/newsid_7861000/7861357.stm

[First published at http://blog.iFaqeer.com]

This mornings Stratfor Podcast is titled "Erdovan's Davos Walkout Lays Down the Marker". I haven't heard it yet (hoping to, on the exercise machine), but just from that title, you can see one thing: the recognition of Israel has been anathema in the Muslim world, but if you had wondered if any good could ever come out of recognizing them, this is it. The fact that Turkey is seen in the Western World as a "moderate" Muslim state and has respect for being one of very few Muslim states to recognize Israel gives Erdogan's action much more weight than, say, a Pakistani or Indonesian leader doing the same. I am not saying Pakistan should up and recognize Israel, but it's something for Pakistanis to think about in the debate of whether and when to think about "normalizing" relations.

When my son started First Grade, come the start of African-American History Month, he coolly informed his (predominantly East and South Asian) classmates that his otherwise very Pakistani-looking, and sounding "dad is an African-American". I do not remember ever having used that phrase within earshot of him. But he knows that I was born in same region of Africa that is the origin of most of the people who came to this country as slaves. And thus I came to this country as an African-born grad student much like Barack Obama Sr.

This is one of the few times that everything eloquent and erudite that can be said, has been said. So, I'll leave you all with just this bit...

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

-- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Anyone who has read my entries on this site can quite easily summarize my broad position on most issues: I'm anti-terrorism, anti-violence against innocent people, pro-American, pro-West, anti-fundamentalist, etc.

In keeping with those views, which some might even go so far as to say form the foundation of a true, honest American Patriotism, I have to say that I will be utterly disappointed if we do not hold accountable those officials responsible for staining this nation's history with their lewd and dishonorable actions.

I suggest we start with Mr. Richard Cheney.

From the NY Times:

Emily Nordling has never met a Muslim, at least not to her knowledge. But this spring, Ms. Nordling, a 19-year-old student from Fort Thomas, Ky., gave herself a new middle name on Facebook.com, mimicking her boyfriend and shocking her father.
“Emily Hussein Nordling,” her entry now reads.

Overdoing it abit. As quoted at this website http://thekenoshakid.blogspot.com/2008/06/bacongate.html

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Supposedly, "The View" had its "Best of Breakfast" segment set up before it booked Michelle Obama as a co-host for today's show. But such a huge deal was made out of the Obamas' lust for bacon, that I've started wondering if it was intended as a denial of the rumor that Obama is a Muslim.

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p>Is the Obama campaign in danger of overdoing the I-am-not-a-Muslim routine? After all, it's not bad to be Muslim.

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I have noticed that a number of ethnic and religious groups have no problem expresing thier views in a way that identifies who they are (i.e., writing Ed/Op pieces, wearing t-shirts that identify their political affiliation -- Jews for McCain, Catholics for McCain, Catholics for the Environment,etc.). But, Muslism are consistnetly in the shadows. The other day I was wearing a Muslims for Obama shirt that I made myself (since the Obama campaign doesn't sell them online) and was accosted, not by a non-Muslim but by a fellow Muslm.

>Karachi at dusk

We've had a lot of angst, and whatnot about the events in Karachi. Please do read the piece below. Kamal is a friend, too, but he's evolved into one of the most objective observers I know in the business--anywhere. [Yes, more so than I.]