the real battle

is not between "civilizations"

not between east and west

not between science and religion

not between believers and unbelievers

not between good and evil

the true battle

is between open systems and closed systems

between harmony and discord

between the desire for domination

and the potential for understanding

it is a question of how you as self

relate in a world full of others

and the battle is not out there

it's in here

inside you

and it's unfolding

right here

right now

It's hardly an anniversary many will register, but last week marked 30 years since President Jimmy Carter authorised the first covert CIA operations against the government of Afghanistan.

By backing the anti-Communist mujahideen and creating civil unrest, the plan was to provoke a Soviet invasion and thus, in the words of Carter's adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, "[give] the Soviet Union its Vietnam War".

History records this Cold War gamble paid off. But the laws of unintended consequences have also meant that 30 years on we're still living with its legacy.

The "warlords" who inherited the ruins of Afghanistan after the Soviet army began pulling out 10 years later in turn provoked the reactionary extremism of the Taliban. The ensuing fundamentalist Islamic state became a refuge for bin Laden and al Qaeda . September 11 provoked another invasion, this time by the US and its western allies. Seven years on we are hearing the familiar comparisons with Vietnam all over again.

Overall, civilian deaths are at their highest since the start of the war and military casualties, while not as bad as in Iraq in terms of sheer numbers, are rising. Pakistan now harbours something like 1.5 million Afghan refugees. The opium trade is back in business. The Afghan army remains inept and untrained. Iraq has drained American and Nato military resources.

Coalition troop deaths in Afghanistan surpass Iraq

• May and June death tolls for foreign troops were higher in Afghanistan than Iraq
• 46 U.S. and allied troops died in Afghanistan in June; 31 in Iraq
• Afghan deaths included troops from U.S., U.K., Canada, Poland, Romania, Hungary
• Same trend seen with civilian deaths, analysts say

(CNN) -- For the second month in a row, U.S. and allied troop deaths in the Afghan war have surpassed those in Iraq, according to official figures tallied by CNN.

In June, 46 foreign troops died in Afghanistan and 31 troops died in Iraq. In May, 23 foreign troops died in Afghanistan and 21 died in Iraq.

A Pentagon report issued last week about Afghanistan said that security in many areas of the country is regarded as "fragile" and that Taliban militants have regrouped into a "resilient insurgency" after the Taliban was toppled from power in 2001.

June was the deadliest month for foreign troops in Afghanistan since the conflict there began in 2001. Twenty-eight Americans, 13 Britons, two Canadians, one Pole, one Romanian and one Hungarian died in Afghanistan. The latest deaths were three American troops who died in a vehicle rollover while on patrol in Kandahar province.

Afghanistan: Airstrikes kill civilians

• U.S. airstrikes hit Nuristan province in Afghanistan on Friday
• Provincial governor says strikes killed 22 civilians, including 1 woman, 1 child
• U.S. says strikes hit two vehicles carrying insurgents

US, NATO deaths in Afghanistan pass Iraq toll

Afghan Civilian Casualty Rates

A Dossier on Civilian Victims of United States' Aerial Bombing of Afghanistan:

Karzai orders probe into deadly U.S. strike

• Afghan president orders inquiry into allegations 15 civilians killed in U.S. strike
• In second strike local officials said coalition bombing killed 23 in wedding party
• Karzai has stepped up pressure on his U.S. allies to take more precautions

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai has ordered an inquiry into allegations that 15 civilians were killed in a U.S. military strike targeting militants.

UN figures reveal 62% rise in Afghan civilian deaths

The number of civilians killed in Afghanistan has risen by almost two-thirds in the first half of the year compared with 2007, UN figures showed today.

The figures, which reveal that almost 700 civilians have died, show that the instability and violence afflicting the country are taking an increasing toll on ordinary Afghans.

John Holmes, the UN's humanitarian affairs chief, said a recent increase in militant attacks was making it increasingly difficult to deliver emergency aid.

"The humanitarian situation is clearly affected and made worse by the ongoing conflict in different parts of the country," he said in Kabul.

"Most of these casualties are caused by the insurgents, who seem to have no regard for civilian life, but there are also still significant numbers caused by the international military forces."

The hearts and minds of those we are trying to save, die from the good intentions the Bush Message sends every day.

Send More Troops To Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (CBS News) ― Grappling with a record death toll in an overshadowed war, President Bush promised Wednesday to send more U.S. troops into Afghanistan by year's end. He conceded that June was a "tough month" in the nearly 7-year-old war.

In fact, it was the deadliest month for U.S. troops in Afghanistan since the conflict began.

"One reason why there have been more deaths is because our troops are taking the fight to a tough enemy, an enemy who doesn't like our presence there because they don't like the idea of America denying safe haven (to terrorists)," Mr. Bush told reporters Wednesday. "Of course there's going to be resistance."

Mr. Bush said it was a tough month too for the Taliban fighters. The former ruling Islamic militants have rebounded with deadly force since their overthrow 6½ years ago by U.S.-led troops.    "We're going to increase troops by 2009," Mr. Bush said, without offering details of exactly when or how many.

It amounted to a reiteration by Mr. Bush of a promised buildup of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. He said coalition forces have doubled in size over two years and pledged that the twin strategy of fighting extremists and supporting Afghanistan's civil development "is going to work."

The more Bush pledges, the more Bush promises, the more Messages Bush sends dig us deeper into the body count ...  The message the world has heard since 9/11 is that the USA has devolved into the evil empire.  The seeds of resentment, hate and conflict have been sewed by the USA since WWI.  That was when the US started picking up where British Imperialism left off.  Using better euphamisms, the US has embedded its influence across the world with the similar manipulation techniques used by Britain.  It is all about creating a monopoly for resources and commerce.  Body count becomes incidental.

Any promises Bush makes at this point is so moot it would be comical had Bozo the Clown not passed away recently.   Bozo actually reincarnated before his passing.

The only problem is Bush has the personality of

According to the authors of the Orthodox vision of human rights released Thursday, "blasphemy shall not be justified by the rights of artist, writer or journalist." Under the pretence of human rights protection, civilizations "should not impose their lifestyle patterns on other civilization{s}" and the human rights protection "should not {be used cynically to} serve interests of certain countries."

"The right to education provides for gaining knowledge with a view to cultural traditions and visions of a family and a person. Most world {cultures} are based on religion, therefore, any comprehensive education and upbringing should include the basics of religion which created the culture where such person lives," the Basics read.

The document also states that private life, vision and people's will should not be subject to "total control". "Manipulation of people's conscience and choice by government agencies, political powers, economic and information elites is dangerous for the society. It is also unacceptable to collect, concentrate and use information on any aspects of person's life without his/her consent," the Basics' authors believe.  {Corrections, emphases, and clarifications Tiernan's.}

Of course, most Russians living today well remember the abuses alluded to in the last paragraph!  I can't endorse it without seeing it in detail, but I commend its reading, at least, to all of us who seek to deal rightly with Eastern Europe, the Orthodox World, and ultimately the whole Two-Thirds World.

(*--Sometimes translated as Bases, the plural of Basis.)

If an idea has the potential to change the world, then an idea expressed through video presents a profound medium with which to mold, inform and edify. This morning, a good friend of mine, Dr. Bruce McKay of the University of Lethbridge, emailed me a link to a recently completed video of one Matt Harding, a viral video blogger from Connecticut, USA. Matt has made a career out of traveling and dancing throughout the world, (sponsored by Stride Gum no less).

In this, his third major video production, Matt captures the warmth of the human spirit, the strength of experienced similarities, and the shared humanity of our fragile planet. You must watch the video to understand its potency. Click on the video to go to watch it in HD. It is worth it, I assure you.

Where does the strength of the video come from, and why does it resolutely resound? I would love to hear your thoughts and insights!

I have loved watching this video over and over again. Lets see what it can do :)

According to a Times/Bloomberg poll reported by the L.A. Times, 73% of Americans disapprove of the American President George W. Bush. That leaves him with a 23% approval rating. That is certainly not enough to maintain a position on American Idol, and, one should concede, not enough to maintain any credibility as a diplomat and politician. Unfortunalty, Bush’s rhetoric and his “Chicago School of Economics” policies are still accepted and repeated by the major news stations of America. Therein lies the real danger. It is not enough to recognize the mistakes of the last eight years, and shake your head with the sad realization that the wool had been pulled over the eyes of the American public for so long. A lesson, albeit painful and expensive, must be internalized, and the mistakes must not be made again.

If only the approval ratings of Bush could be further directed at the agencies and individuals who promulgate his particular school of thought.

At first examination, I dismissed the forwarded email as a fabricated tale, designed to foster support for one denomination over the other, as well as distinguish one culture as superior to another. Nevertheless, a quick google search exposed the account as an honest and factual retelling of a particular instance occurring in a correction facility in Fulton, Missouri, as retold by Rick Mathes. Rick Mathes is himself a distinguished philanthropist, splitting much of his time between social work in the communities and within correctional facilities, acting as executive director of Mission Gates Ministries. However, Rick Mathes is neither a trained theologian, nor schooled in Islamic Studies. Unfortunately, the retelling of this event, without proper understanding of the situation, individuals present, and philosophical intricacies of theological/cultural/political discussion, leaves the reader with a false supposition of reality.

To begin, the Imam in question was not trained in Islamic theology. In fact, the Imam was an inmate, recognized by his fellow peers within the institution as charismatic and devout. Unlike Christianity, in which the order of ordination and ministry often follows the examples of the ancient hierarchical structures of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, specifically honoring organization and accountability to higher recognized authorities, Islam has another unique organizational structure, involving community recognition and commonly accepted credentials, typically involving extended years of training and instruction. However, in a pinch, the Ummah, or community of believers, may recognize one as the leader of the group, albeit with reservation and community decisions. The Imam does not act as the supreme religious head of most Ummah’s, but more as the facilitator of group discussion and prayer, the responsibility of religious observation falling on each particular member individually. In this particular case, the Imam in question had an unfortunate complete lack of understanding regarding Islam (submission or worship of God), the Qu’ran (The believed/accepted revealed Word of God) or the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (The traditional sayings and actions of Muhammad). I say unfortunate, because his response was completely misleading and erroneous.

Islam, contrary to popular opinion propagated by news sources and talking pundits, is a religion of peace. Obviously, history has accredited much violence to the standard of the religion, but this is neither new, nor accurate. Contrary to the claims of atheist secularists such as Dawkins and Hitchins, religion is not the cause of human misery or suffering, nor is it the point of confrontation from which atrocities arise. Instead, religion has been used by the skillful and manipulative as the outward commonality under which political aspirations may be attained. Religion, on the other hand, is a set of principles, typically outlining peace, understanding, love and mutual respect. The Golden Rule is golden for a reason, because it transcends geopolitical boarders and philosophical differences, unifying religious thought throughout the world. Islam in particular advocated the love of the divine for humanity, and the continued process of revelation facilitating the twahid (unity) of all people. The central message of Islam states “There is no god but God”. The statement may be read through a myriad of interpretations, but the most commonly accepted across nations and religious denominations concerns the unity of all natural existence, living and static. True harmony, Islam claims, exists when each recognizes the interconnectivity of all beings, and the dual nature of each reality. In this philosophical vein, only through understanding that which seems different can one understand oneself, and appreciate the manifestation of the transcendental, of the divine, of God, in everything.

Islam, separate from later interpretations of nations, individuals and political groups, does not call for the death of anyone, nor does it claim any term such as infidel. In fact, no such word exists in the Arabic, the word from which infidel is usually translated, albeit poorly, is kafir, or literally “one who covers, or is in hiding”, referring primarily to atheists or polytheists. Infidel in fact, has a uniquely English epistemology, and referred originally to those who rejected the divinity of Christ, or were free thinkers. Specifically, it was utilized during the crusades as a derogatory term for Muslims and Jews, and was used proficiently to persuade the Christian Knights, and later inquisitors, in the right action of war and inflicting death on the Saracen Muslims and Jews. Secondarily, the Qu’ran, and Muhammad as well, specifically opposed the use of any violence, or derogatory term toward his Christian, Jewish and Zoroastrian neighbors, (who, by the way receive the honorary title “people of the Book”, meaning people under covenant of God) under punishment of exclusion and expulsion from the Ummah, or Muslim community. Likewise, there are no promises for rewards in heaven for murder, be it for a kafir or one of the People of the Book. Such a passage does not exist.

There are other inaccuracies contained in the short passage, however, I will not examine them in more detail. Instead, I have sought to outline some of the background and information necessary to glean comprehensive facts from this story. The event that happened in the prison was unfortunate; because it famed the flames of misunderstanding and bigotry further then they have already been stoked in modern western society.

Rick Mathes comments more about his experience on his webpage, but continues to resist examining the reality of the situation further, and thus remains stagnant in the quagmire of false assumptions and overzealous faith in his own correctness of religious thought.

I hope all who take the time to read this realize it was not written in hostility or with the aim of trumpeting a point of view. I wrote this because I care for my family, for my community, my country, the peoples of the world, religious and political pluralism, and the triumph of reason and rationality. I love the central tenant of Islam, not because it is found in my own belief system, but because it is accurate. There is unity and harmony in all things. Misunderstanding and lack of information breed fear and fear breed blindness. Examination and understanding produce love, peace and harmony. I think we can all aspire toward that.

For those interested, I will post this email on my blog at http://maffersalmon.wordpress.com/ along with links to the relivant sites and information for further research.

Bush said that if Congress does not act promptly, “critical accounts at the Department of Defense will soon run dry.” He added that civilian employees may face “temporary layoffs,” and the Pentagon would be forced to “close down a vital program that is getting potential insurgents off the streets and into jobs.” If the supplemental spending bill is not enacted after July, Bush said, the department would “no longer be able to pay our troops,” including ones in Iraq and Afghanistan.

U.S. President George Bush wants $178 billion more in military spending to help pay for wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, opposition Democrats are adding domestic spending to that bill, and Mr. Bush says he will veto it if those programs are not removed.

What it means when the US goes to war

Hat Tip to this article by Chris Hedges - Troops, when they battle insurgent forces, as in Iraq, or Gaza or Vietnam, are placed in "atrocity producing situations". Being surrounded by a hostile population makes simple acts, such as going to a store to buy a can of soda, dangerous. The fear and stress push troops to view everyone around them as the enemy. The hostility is compounded when the enemy, as in Iraq, is elusive, shadowy and hard to find. The rage soldiers feel after a roadside bomb explodes, killing or maiming their comrades, is one that is easily directed, over time, to innocent civilians who are seen to support the insurgents.

Civilians and combatants, in the eyes of the beleaguered troops, merge into one entity. These civilians, who rarely interact with soldiers or marines, are to most of the occupation troops in Iraq nameless, faceless and easily turned into abstractions of hate. They are dismissed as less than human. It is a short psychological leap, but a massive moral leap. It is a leap from killing - the shooting of someone who has the capacity to do you harm - to murder - the deadly assault against someone who cannot harm you. [See Entire Article]

This is not a game of Chess or Monopoly. This is not a board game with inanimate objects challenging other inanimate objects. Human flesh and human psyche is changed forever by the folly of disconnected leaders. Fairy tales abound warning us, from childhood, about good and evil leaders. Those fairy tales give us heroes who win, after a terrible cost in lives and property. Religions tell similar tales, trying to teach believers about consequences from their actions. The most glaring misinterpretation for some major religions appears to mix up earthly and heavenly rewards and consequences, with terrible results.

Politicians have responsibilities to those who elect them. But, they also have a responsibility to the world around them. Eight years of distortion and extortion have changed the world. The lessons have been tragic and harsh. The final acts of President Bush will determine how hard it will be for the world to recover from all the bad parts of this fairy tale. The only positive side from these years of torment are acute public awareness of the world itself. The Earth is changing under our very feet while global economic and political landscapes shift.

President Bush appears to be plodding along like nothing has changed ...

Hat Tip to thedailyhypocrite for their revealing Bush comments.

Saudi King calls for opening up to other faiths

MAKKAH, June 4: A gathering of Muslim scholars from around the globe got under way here on Wednesday, with call from King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia to counter the challenges of rigidity, ignorance, narrow-mindedness to make the world accommodate and pay heed to the kind message of Islam without reservations, enmity and antagonism.

Addressing the select gathering of some 500 best minds of the Muslim world, the king emphasised: “We are voice of rational and just co-existence and dialogue, voice of wisdom and admonition, and argumentation with the best way possible,”

King Abdullah who entered the hall of the Safa Palace in the vicinity of Masjidul Haram along with the former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, appeared to give a clear message to the world that despite differences the Muslim world was united on most issues confronting the Ummah.

The three-day conference is aimed at launching an inter-faith dialogue with other Abrahamic religions to eradicate misconceptions about Islam. King Abdullah had announced in March that he wanted to sponsor an interfaith dialogue between the world’s monotheistic religions – specifically with Jews.

The Saudi king stressed that the Muslim world should eradicate the menace of extremism to present the religion’s good message to the world.

“You have gathered today to tell the whole world that ... we are a voice of justice and values and humanity, that we are a voice of coexistence and a just and rational dialogue.”

He said the Islamic world faced difficult challenges from extremism of some Muslims, whose aggression harmed the magnanimity, fairness and lofty aims of Islam. “That’s why the invitation for the conference was extended – to face the challenges of isolation, ignorance and narrow horizons, so that the world can absorb the good message of Islam,” he said.

Virtually all the delegates, including Hashemi Rafsanjani, praised King Abdullah for the initiative. “Before we speak with other religions, we must speak among ourselves and reach an understanding on a particular Islamic path,” Dr Rafsanjani said, calling for greater understanding between Sunnis and Shiites.

It is hoped that the meeting will reach an agreement on a global Islamic charter on dialogue with Christians and Jews.

Secretary-General of the Makkah-based Muslim World League (MWL) Dr Abdullah bin Abdulmohsen Al Turki and other scholars have underscored the importance of contact and dialogue with followers of recognised cultures and philosophies.

Two sessions of the conference will focus on issues raised by the king and other delegates during the opening session. The third session, ‘With Whom To Talk’, will focus on dialogue with representatives of recognised philosophies around the world, including Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism and other man-made philosophies.

Saudi king calls for end to Islamic extremism

Moderate Iranian Shiite leader Rafsanjani joins interfaith dialogue - RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Islam must do away with the dangers of extremism and present the religion's positive message, Saudi King Abdullah said Wednesday as he opened a conference of Muslim figures aimed at launching a dialogue with Christians and Jews.

The three-day gathering in the holy city of Mecca seeks a unified Muslim voice ahead of the interfaith dialogue. In particular, Saudi Arabia hopes to promote reconciliation between Shiite and Sunni Muslims.

"You have gathered today to tell the whole world that ... we are a voice of justice and values and humanity, that we are a voice of coexistence and a just and rational dialogue," King Abdullah,

Abdullah's message, which has been welcomed by Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders, is significant.

The Saudi monarch is the custodian of Islam's two holiest shrines in Mecca and Medina, a position that lends his words special importance and influence. Abdullah said Saudi Arabia's top clerics have given him their approval — crucial backing in a society that expects decisions taken by its rulers to adhere to Islam's tenets.

This is a big step in bringing humanity together. History has taught that reconciliation is the first step toward uniting people. Recognizing, then accepting that we all are different is the biggest step of all.

The stubbornly persistent “clash of civilizations” theory ignores the abundant clashes within civilizations and the alliances that traverse them. They’ve been at it again. Those two middle-aged sons of dynasties anointed with the sacred oil of petroleum have been posing as God-inspired leaders of a titanic struggle between the forces of “good” and “evil”.

The first to take the world stage was George Bush. While his comments about appeasement caught the media’s attention, I found another part of his speech just as troubling. Addressing the Knesset on Israel’s 60th anniversary, he declared: “The fight against terror and extremism is the defining challenge of our time. It is more than a clash of arms. It is a clash of visions, a great ideological struggle ... This struggle is waged with the technology of the 21st century, but at its core it is an ancient battle between good and evil.”

Not one to take such affronts quietly, Bush’s convenient nemesis delivered his own birthday message to Israel. Perhaps in a bid to bolster his mystical image, Osama Bin Laden released an audiotape instead of his more usual grainy, post-modern videos. In it, he claimed: “We will continue, God permitting, the fight against the Israelis and their allies ... and will not give up a single inch of Palestine as long as there is one true Muslim on earth.”

The political scientist Samuel Huntington gave the idea of a monumental clash of civilizations intellectual credibility when he published, first an essay (1993), and then a book (1996), on the issue. Although Huntington popularized the term (and Bernard Lewis probably coined it), the notion of a clash of civilizations is certainly not new. It was a convenient cover for Soviet and US imperial expansionism during the Cold War, under the ideological covers of communism and capitalism — and the popularity of Huntington’s theory may reflect the desperate need to find a new enemy. Huntington divided the world into a number of vaguely defined civilizations, singling out the “Islamic” and “Sinic” civilizations as the main challengers to the “West”. In the intervening years, supporters of this thesis have seen the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as confirmation of this clash. And the current tensions with China might be viewed as an early dress rehearsal for a potential future confrontation with the Sinic civilization.

To his credit, Huntington does point out that a clash of civilizations is not inevitable. What baffles me is why he would propose one in the first place, seeing as there is scant evidence to back up his thesis. Two major failings in the clash of civilizations theory is that it glosses over or ignores the very real conflicts and potential conflicts within individual civilizations, and it overlooks the fact that political alliances are multiple, shifting, and often cut across civilizational boundaries. Take the Muslim world, one of the main theaters of the supposed confrontation. Viewed through the prism of Huntington’s clash, there seems to be no civilizational rhyme or reason to its geopolitical realities. For example, the first major conflict to emerge in the Middle East in the dying days of the Cold War involved not a clash between “Islam” and the “West”, but the invasion of one Arab country by another, when Iraq invaded Kuwait. In addition, the US-led international alliance which ended the short-lived occupation saw Arab and Western soldiers fight side by side. In the process, the consistently tyrannical Saddam Hussein metamorphosed from “our son of a bitch” into a tyrant of Hitlerian proportions. And from 1990 until the present, Iraq, the one-time ally against Iran, has suffered the crushing US-UK led wrath of bombings, crippling sanctions and occupation, which have helped transform it into a more theocratic state. If “Islam” were a single civilization capable of posing some sort of threat, should it not be capable of presenting some sort of united front, rather than its divided reality?

Huntington posits that: “Islam is less unified than any other civilization”. If it is so disunited and none of its countries have declared war on the West, who exactly will lead the charge: Al-Qaeda? Similarly, the West is not some unified civilization, as was amply demonstrated in European opposition to the Anglo-American military misadventures in Iraq and Afghanistan, which led Washington to accuse Germany, France and Belgium of being an axis of weasels.

One reason why a confrontation between Muslim countries and the West seems so credible to some is that it has an ancient, if long dormant, pedigree. However, the idea of Islam vs. Christendom was, in many ways, a convenient fiction perpetuated on both sides. Although many Christians and Muslims may feel a certain special connection with their co-religionists, realpolitik is more often the preferred guide. World War I — which was described by Henry James as the “crash of civilization” and demonstrates the ferocity of intra-civilizational conflict — is a telling example. The Arabs aided the British and French against the Turks, while one-time enemies, the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires, fought on the same side. The British and the French fought together in both wars, despite the fact that they have been the bitterest enemies, despising each other more than they did Muslims. For instance, Adm. Nelson once told a crewmember: “You must hate a Frenchman as you do the devil.”

Similarly, ever since the dawn of Islam, Muslims have been at war with one another perhaps more than with Christians. The Shiite-Sunni schism appeared early on. In addition, Islam quickly acquired two caliphates as the Umayyads fled West when they were ousted by the Abbasids. In addition, Christian-Islamic alliances have an ancient history, although this is often forgotten. For instance, Islam’s entry into Europe was aided by local notables, such as Count Julian of Ceuta, and the local population did not aid their hated Visigoth overlords. Over the next seven centuries, Muslim and Christian kingdoms often found themselves fighting on the same side, despite the stated aims of the reconquista. This continued into Ottoman times. While Central and Eastern Europe feared and were overtaken by the Turks, many countries in Western Europe, such as France, England and the Netherlands forged alliances with the Ottomans against the Habsburgs or the Spanish.

With few exceptions, there has never really been an actual clash of civilizations, and to avoid one emerging as a self-fulfilling prophecy, we must dig deeper than narrow cultural reductionism and examine and address the complex underlying causes of tensions and conflicts, such as inequality, poverty and oppression. Our shrinking and threatened world needs us to reach beyond narrow ideological boundaries.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear brother in Islam, thanks a lot for your interesting question. First of all, you should keep in mind the fact that Islam is the religion of peace: its meaning is peace; one of God's names is peace; the daily greetings of Muslims and angels are peace; paradise is the house of peace, the adjective 'Muslim' means peaceful. Peace is the nature, the meaning, the emblem and the objective of Islam. Every being is entitled to enjoy the peace of Islam and the kindness of the peaceful Muslims, regardless of religious or geographical or racial considerations, so long as there is no aggression against Islam or the Muslims. If non-Muslims are peaceful with the Muslims or even indifferent to Islam, there can be no ground or justification to declare war on them.

As far as the question of "Islam and the West, clash or coexistence" is concerned, we'd like to quote the following article written by Dr. Ja`far Sheikh Idris, professor of Islamic studies, Institute of Islamic and Arabic Sciences, Washington, in Islamic Future, Safar 1417 (July 1996), which supports the idea of peaceful coexistence:

Is it possible for the inhabitants of our global village to live peacefully together and reap the fruits of science and technology whose pace of advancement is constantly increasing? Or are there religious, cultural and civilization differences bound to create clashes and wars among them? The matter is so important that it behooves Muslim intellectuals and statesmen to give it serious thought.

Western intellectuals are very much concerned with this question. But they by no means agree on the answer.

One view is that the clash between Western civilization and others is inevitable, and in fact is already under way.

Another view is that the real clash is within Western culture itself.

A third view is that people all over the world are heading toward Western political liberalism and economic capitalism, and that these systems constitute the end of history in these respects.

A fourth view is that peaceful coexistence among people of different cultures and civilizations is possible provided they adopt secular pluralistic democracy.

What is the Islamic standpoint on this important and urgent issue? This paper is an attempt to give a brief answer to that question. But I am not speaking here as a social scientist who describes and explains actual reality; rather, I am attempting to describe only theoretically what I consider to be the Islamic standpoint on this issue in our present circumstances. And my short answer is that it is a standpoint that is unequivocally on the side of peaceful coexistence. But to live peacefully with others you need sometimes to be fully prepared for war against them.

REASONS FOR PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE

1. Rationality is an inseparable part of the Islamic religion, and its rationality does include that important ingredient of judging actions by their consequences. But, it is of course a rationality which is guided by other Islamic values.

The preferred action is always the action which results in the greatest good, or the least evil. The main kind of good to be achieved in Islam are, ones which are acceptable, for example, in their general sense, to most people these are: Spiritual well-being, mental well-being, human life, human wealth and honor. Judged by this rational standard and those values, peaceful coexistence and cooperation are definitely preferred over war and clashes in normal circumstances.

2. Some religions, secular ideologies and psychological theories teach that the human person is born evil. Some teach that he is born neutral between good and evil and it is society that directs him one way or the other. Others believe that there is no such thing as human nature. There are some that are brazenly racist and others that are discriminatory in other respects. The Islamic position in the words of its Prophet is that every child is born good. Whatever his or her beliefs or cultural milieu are, every human being is a potential Muslim.

In viewing people of other beliefs and cultures, Muslims should not forget to see the original nature which lies behind the facade of those cultures. [That is, every person is a potential Muslim]

3. The best favor that a Muslim can therefore do to a non-Muslim is to invite him to Islam and guide him or her to come back to their original nature.

But in doing so a Muslim is required to bear in mind certain facts and abide by certain principles, among which is the fact that since faith is a matter of the heart, no one can be compelled to accept it. This is understood from the verse which reads, (And invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom, and good admonition, and argue with them in the best of ways) (Al-Israa' 17: 125). How can this be achieved except in a peaceful atmosphere?

4. Allah tells his Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that no matter how keen he is on people accepting the faith, most of them will not. All the same, He tells His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he is sent as a mercy to them, and that his main task is not to tire of inviting them to the truth.

5. Peaceful coexistence among people belonging to different religions and civilizations makes it easy for them to exchange material and intellectual benefits. It also helps them to cooperate in solving the problems, which they face as inhabitants of a global village: drugs, diseases, pollution, etc.

But this ideal picture of peaceful coexistence and cooperation cannot be realized if the West lives in constant fear that its hegemony will be lost, and therefore does its best to prevent others from developing.

6. No rational person who has an idea of the amount of destructive weapons available in the world and the extent of the damage they can cause would hesitate to be against all kinds of wars, local or worldwide.

To avoid wars, however, we must try to eradicate as many of their causes as we can. We must thus stand for justice and against all kinds of unfair treatment and aggression.

7. Muslims should play a big role in this because they are qualified to do so. Islam is a religion, which does not compromise on moral values like truth and justice. Believers in Islam are urged to be allies to each other irrespective of race or time or place.

8. Muslims, in my view, have a special stake in peace. If peace prevails, Islam will have a better chance of being heard and accepted in the West, and elsewhere.

Many people in the West and other parts of the world are coming back to religion so much so that what is called fundamentalism has become a universal phenomenon. People have discovered that science much as it is respected and valued by them cannot replace religion.

REASONS FOR BEING POWERFUL

Islam is, however, too realistic a religion to be pacifist. It is one thing to want to live peacefully with others, but quite another to make them have the same attitude towards you. On the whole, people of every culture desire to be more powerful than those who are culturally opposed to them. They take all steps, which they deem necessary, for the preservation of their cultural identity and the subjugation of others.

In his new classic paper on clash of civilizations, Huntington tells us with unusual candidness: "The West is now at an extraordinary peak of power in relation to other civilizations. Apart from Japan, the West has no economic challenge. It dominates international political and security institutions, and with Japan economic institutions."

And: "In the post-Cold War, the primary objective of arms control is to prevent the development by non-Western societies of military capabilities that would threaten Western interests. The West attempts to do this through international agreements, economic pressure and controls on the transfer of arms and weapons technologies."

Muslims are therefore enjoined to be materially powerful so as to deter those who might resort to aggression against Muslims or who are prone to use force to subjugate others. Material power can and should thus be an ally to the cause of spiritual development and not a contradictory of it.

The United Nations Security Council has approved a 26,000-strong peacekeeping force to replace the 7,000 African Union (AU) observer mission struggling to protect civilians in Sudan's western province of Darfur.

The exact make-up and deployment date for this beefed up force is still to be determined.

In the meantime, more than 2m people are living in camps after fleeing more than four years of fighting in the region and they are vulnerable without peacekeepers.

Sudan's government and the pro-government Arab militias are accused of war crimes against the region's black African population, although the UN has stopped short of calling it genocide.

Peace talks involving the government and most of the myriad rebel groups have recently resumed, but until the new UN-AU force deploys in Darfur the prospects for an end to violence look remote.

How did the conflict start?

The conflict began in the arid and impoverished region early in 2003 after a rebel group began attacking government targets, saying the region was being neglected by Khartoum.

The rebels say the government is oppressing black Africans in favour of Arabs.

Darfur, which means land of the Fur, has faced many years of tension over land and grazing rights between the mostly nomadic Arabs, and farmers from the Fur, Massaleet and Zagawa communities.

There are two main rebel groups, the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (Jem), although both groups have split, some along ethnic lines.

More than a dozen rebel groups are now believed to exist. Most will attend the talks in Libya, but one key leader, Abdul Wahid el-Nur, is boycotting the talks until the conflict ends.

What is the government doing?

It admits mobilising "self-defence militias" following rebel attacks but denies any links to the Janjaweed, accused of trying to "cleanse" black Africans from large swathes of territory.

Refugees from Darfur say that following air raids by government aircraft, the Janjaweed ride into villages on horses and camels, slaughtering men, raping women and stealing whatever they can find.

Many women report being abducted by the Janjaweed and held as sex slaves for more than a week before being released.

The US and some human rights groups say that genocide is taking place - though a UN investigation team sent to Sudan said that while war crimes had been committed, there had been no intent to commit genocide.

Sudan's government denies being in control of the Janjaweed and President Omar al-Bashir has called them "thieves and gangsters".

After strong international pressure and the threat of sanctions, the government promised to disarm the Janjaweed. But so far there is little evidence this has happened.

Trials have been announced in Khartoum of some members of the security forces suspected of abuses - but this is viewed as part of a campaign against UN-backed attempts to get some 50 key suspects tried at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

What has happened to Darfur's civilians?

Millions have fled their destroyed villages, with some 2m in camps near Darfur's main towns. But there is not enough food, water or medicine.

The Janjaweed patrol outside the camps and Darfuris say the men are killed and the women raped if they venture too far in search of firewood or water.

Some 200,000 have also sought safety in neighbouring Chad, but many of these are camped along a 600km stretch of the border and remain vulnerable to attacks from Sudan.

The refugees are also threatened by the diplomatic fallout between Chad and Sudan as the neighbours accuse one another of supporting each other's rebel groups.

Chad's eastern areas have a similar ethnic make-up to Darfur.

Many aid agencies are working in Darfur but they are unable to get access to vast areas because of the fighting.

How many have died?

With much of Darfur inaccessible to aid workers and researchers, calculating how many deaths there have been in the past three years is impossible.

What researchers have done is to estimate the deaths based on surveys in areas they can reach.

The latest research published in September 2006 in the journal Science puts the numbers of deaths above and beyond those that would normally die in this inhospitable area at "no fewer than 200,000".

The US researchers say that their figures are the most compelling and persuasive estimate to date. They have made no distinction between those dying as a result of violence and those dying as a result of starvation or disease in refugee camps.

Accurate figures are crucial in determining whether the deaths in Darfur are genocide or - as the Sudanese government says - the situation is being exaggerated.

Have there been previous peace talks? Lots.

KEY REBEL PLAYERS

SLM: Minni Minnawi's faction signed 2006 peace deal

SLM: Abdul Wahid Mohammad Ahmed al-Nur's faction rejected peace deal

Jem: Khalil Ibrahim, one of the first rebel groups, rejected deal

Rebel negotiator: Suleiman Jamous

SLM Unity: Abdallah Yehia

UFLD: recently formed umbrella group including SLM commanders

Breakaway SLM commanders: Mahjoub Hussein, Jar el-Neby and Suleiman Marajan

There are estimated to be more than 13 rebel factions in Darfur

The leader of one SLA faction, Minni Minawi, who signed a peace deal in 2006 after long-running talks in Nigeria, was given a large budget, but his fighters have already been accused by Amnesty International of abuses against people in areas opposed to the peace deal.

The other rebel factions did not sign the deal.

There has been a dramatic increase in violence and displacement since the deal was signed.

Amid international threats of sanctions for those refusing to attend, many rebel groups briefly attended preliminary talks with the government in Libya in October 2007 - but there is little hope of a quick breakthrough.

Is anyone trying to stop the fighting?

About 7,000 African Union troops are deployed in Darfur on a very limited mandate.

Experts say the soldiers are too few to cover an area the size of France, and the African Union says it does not have the money to fund the operation for much longer.

The recent killing of 10 AU soldiers by a rebel group in northern Darfur has highlighted the need for the new force to be deployed - but at the same time makes it harder for the AU and UN to secure pledges of troops.

The new, larger joint UN-AU force should be in place by early 2008 - if international support is forthcoming - and be better equipped and with a stronger mandate to protect civilians and aid workers.

But until recently, Sudan resisted strong Western diplomatic pressure for the UN to take control of the peacekeeping mission and their attitude to the deployment and its mandate remains ambiguous at best.

Some say even this new 26,000 force will not be enough to cover such a large, remote area.

Others point out that peacekeepers cannot do much unless there is a peace to keep.

They say the fighting can only end through a deal agreed by all sides, which has yet to materialise.

Report: Some 300 rebels captured in Sudanese army fighting with ...

Chad denies involvement in Sudan's Darfur rebel attack on capital ...

Sudan cuts ties with Chad after rebel attack on Khartoum

Full coverage »

A look at Sudan's Darfur conflict

A look at the rebels who moved on the Sudanese capital of Khartoum on Saturday, and the underlying conflict in the Darfur region:

CONFLICT:

More than 200,000 people have died since ethnic African tribes rebelled in February 2003 after years of neglect by the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum. The government responded with a military campaign in which pro-government Arab militia, the janjaweed, are alleged to have committed widespread atrocities.

PLAYERS:

_ Sudan's government: President Omar al-Bashir last year agreed under heavy international pressure to a hybrid United Nations-African Union force to replace the small and poorly equipped A.U. force. Human rights and humanitarian groups allege the government has launched military offensives and failed to disarm the janjaweed. Rebels also accuse the government of stonewalling on the deployment of the peacekeeping force, which has insufficient personnel and equipment.

_ Justice and Equality Movement: Led by Khalil Ibrahim, a veteran politician, the JEM has become the backbone of a rebel coalition that has repeatedly defeated government troops in northern Darfur. JEM calls for more autonomy for Darfur but not outright independence. Experts say the group's military strength has been boosted by arms from Chad.

_ Other rebel factions: The Sudan Liberation Movement splintered into two main factions in November 2005 after a power struggle between leaders Abdelwahid Elnur and Minni Minnawi. Minnawi signed a peace deal with the Sudanese government in 2006 and is now an adviser to President Al-Bashir.

FORCES:

_ Sudanese Armed Forces: Believed to be more than 100,000.

_ Estimated size of both SLM and JEM: 10,000, according to Jane's Information Group. The International Crisis Group puts the number at between 7,000 and 15,000, and some estimates put it much lower, around 1,200 to 2,000.

_ Janjaweed: Peaked at about 10,000, but figures fluctuate.

It takes celebrities to get the attention of a self-consumed world. Humanitarian disasters, man made or natural, are nightly news entertainment for westerners. Human suffering is described by how your boyfriend or girlfriend has mistreated you. It is a selfish world. Being disconnected from others is a way of life. Being disconnected from how the earth works allows us to ignore it warnings. In the US, people are consumed with the inconvenience of rising fuel prices, food prices and moan about their iPhones and toys. Loosing jobs, loosing their overpriced homes is their real tragedy. Feeling sympathy for their neighbors is common, doing something about it is left up to sacred charities that are loosing donations to economic downslides. Simplistic attitudes are the best anyone can expect from western society. "Why don't they just elect someone else? Why don't they just move somewhere else? Why is everyone picking on Britney Spears?

Celebrity humanitarians focused on Darfur:

• Angelina Jolie - UNHCR
• George Clooney
• Brad Pitt
• Don Cheadle
• Matt Damon
• Jerry Weintraub
• David Pressman
• RONAN FARROW and MIA FARROW
• Steven Spielberg

]]> http://truthhugger.wordpress.com/?p=264 Tue, 13 May 2008 13:07:58 +0000 bosskitty http://truthhugger.wordpress.com/?p=264 Burma continues to reject help

Burma's military government has said it is still opposed to letting foreign aid workers in to help the many victims of Cyclone Nargis.

Vice-Admiral Soe Thein, of the military leadership, said Burma was grateful for the aid shipment from the United States which arrived on Monday.

But he said that so far there was no need for aid workers.

The US has said it hopes to send in two more transport aircraft carrying aid later on Tuesday.

... aid workers complain that much of the aid delivered over the past week has not reached those who need it, because the Burmese military insists on controlling most of the distribution - despite lacking the equipment and expertise to do it well.

... delivering supplies in the Irrawaddy Delta with dugout canoes, and say they are badly overstretched.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed his "immense frustration" "We are at a critical point. Unless more aid gets into the country very quickly, we face an outbreak of infectious diseases that could dwarf today's current crisis."

With little access to food or clean drinking water, they face cholera, fever and other illnesses.

Mr Ban said the UN had been able to reach some 270,000 people, providing only "the most rudimentary assistance".

He said food aid provided so far might amount to less than a 10th of what was needed, and that rice stocks were "close to exhaustion".

U-TAPAO, Thailand (CNN) -- The United States has sent more aid to cyclone-devastated Myanmar amid allegations that the ruling military junta is keeping the best foreign supplies for itself and doling out rotting food.

Rain lashes Myanmar cyclone survivors

YANGON (Reuters) - Heavy rains pelted homeless cyclone survivors in Myanmar's Irrawaddy delta on Tuesday, complicating already slow delivery of aid to more than 1.5 million people facing hunger and disease. "The response of the regime in Burma to this crisis has been absolutely callous and those paying the price of this callousness have been the long-suffering Burmese people," Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told parliament.

Journalists in Myanmar 'live in fear'

• Phones are tapped and the few foreign journalists in Myanmar operate in secret
• Reclusive military regime does not want details of the suffering to leak out
• Junta wants to conceal the extent of the cyclone damage, says one journalist
• Aid agencies there now becoming uncomfortable talking to reporters in public

AT THE OTHER NATURAL DISASTER

China's Hu says quake relief government's top priority

A massive search and rescue operation is under way in south-western China after one of the most powerful earthquakes in decades.

Troops have arrived in Wenchuan county at the epicentre, which was largely cut off by the quake - but heavy rain is hampering rescue operations.

Elsewhere in Sichuan province, frantic efforts are being made to reach thousands of people under the rubble.

Boulders and landslides are blocking roads in the worst-hit areas and helicopters have been unable to land because of the bad weather.

Beijing has deployed 50,000 troops to help with relief efforts, but they have not yet all arrived.

The 1,300 rescue troops and medics who reached Wenchuan county immediately started searching for survivors and treating the injured, Xinhua reported.

Premier Wen pledges to save more lives ...

The meeting demanded sufficient supply of food, medicine, clothes and tents to the quake-hit areas and that telecommunication, power and water supplies and transportation access must be restored as soon as possible.

Local governments should keep a close watch on the latest development of the earthquake and its aftershocks, and guard against earthquake-induced disasters causing new casualties.

Those who spread rumors to sabotage disaster relief work would be dealt with according to China's laws and regulations.

The contrasts are evident, no word on international aid response to China. But, given China's superior capabilities, China may not need the same help that Burma does. Natural disasters in affluent countries is no less traumatic, but the response is much more effective. China's paranoia aside, it appears to be making an heroic effort, Chinese people have a more humanitarian heart, when it comes to their own. No comment about Tibet ...

Burma is a catastrophe sandwiched between tyranny and greed. Paranoia takes a more sinister turn when international aid is hijacked by the government. Casualty numbers for both disasters are daunting. Success of relief efforts will determine the size of the health crisis to follow. China's paranoia will address health issues immediately, its world image is at stake. Burma's paranoia allows it to ignore the plight of its own people to protect their dismal few tyrants.

The world is watching another life lesson unfold before their eyes. Governments not prepared for the consequences contribute to the destruction of the human race. The world must shake massive denial the earth is changing and take note of all the symptoms. Without coordinated, responsible behavior, the results of earth's warnings will throw humanity back into the stone age ... Every year earth's alarm clock rings and rings ... as advanced and sophisticated as human beings have become, self-importance has made us all deaf. Governments doze and dream of money and power. First world humans are so disconnected from the earth realities, they will be the first to go ...

]]> http://truthhugger.wordpress.com/?p=259 Fri, 09 May 2008 04:07:23 +0000 bosskitty http://truthhugger.wordpress.com/?p=259 Cheap Indian cars coming, warns Canadian minister
Toronto: Nano, Tatas' small car with a price tag of just $2,500, is already being viewed as a threat to the North America auto market even before its launch in India.
Canadian Industry Minister Jim Prestice gave this warning Wednesday when he said that unless steps were taken to cuts costs and delays in cross-border movement of auto parts, North American-produced vehicles will be outpriced by Indian and Chinese vehicles in their own market very soon.

``Not long from now, we will see the first Chinese - or Indian - manufactured vehicles arrive on North American shores, ready to be sold to eager consumers. These vehicles will have encountered a border delay only once,'' Prentice told the Council of the Americas in Washington.

In the post 9/11 world, he said, despite the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) businesses in Canada, Mexico and the US were suffering because of ``the burden of new measures to enhance security, as well as more rigorous enforcement of existing rules.

``This means that businesses in all three countries are facing longer delays, higher inspection rates, additional fees, and more layers of security when they can afford it least.''

He said the costs and delays of an automobile part as it travels across national borders on its way to final assembly added several hundred dollars to the price of a North American-built vehicle.

Describing these problems as a `two-headed monster', the minister said, ``We want security and prosperity. Instead, we make it more difficult to have either. Not only do we hamper the legitimate trade and travel that provide the foundation for North America's prosperity, but we are also clearly misallocating resources.

``The dollars, hours and resources spent investigating legitimate travel and trade are dollars, hours and resources that would be better spent targeting the areas of highest risk.''

The unveiling of Nano a few months ago made headlines in Canada, with dealers and buyers expressing interest in the world's cheapest car.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Πιο πρόσφατο περιστατικό το ολλανδικό φιλμάκι Fitna. Αλλά υπάρχουν ακόμα οι μνήμες για τις γελοιογραφίες του Μωάμεθ στη Δανία, οι σατανικοί στίχοι του Σαλμάν Ρουσντί, η αυτολογοκρισία της όπερας του Μονάχου (στο Μόναχο ήταν ή στο Βερολίνο;) για την παράσταση του Ιδομενέα, σειρά παρόμοιων περιπτώσεων και βέβαια η ιστορία της Ayan Hirsi Ali και της άγριας δολοφονίας του Theo van Gogh. Και αν βγάλουμε στην άκρη το Ισλάμ: ο αγγλικός νόμος του 2006 που ποινικοποιεί τη "βλασφημία" και αντίστοιχες διατάξεις στο ελληνικό σύνταγμα και τους νόμους. Το έργο του Thierry de Cordier στην έκθεση Outlook. Αυτά έτσι στα γρήγορα, ο κατάλογος θα μπορούσε να συνεχίζεται για σελίδες αν καθίσουμε λίγο και σκεφτούμε.

Διαβάστε το ακόλουθο άρθρο:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sam-harris/losing-our-spines-to-save_b_100132.html

Σχολιάζει ένα δραματικά αυξανόμενο φαινόμενο. Την (αυτο)λογοκρισία στο όνομα της -κακώς νοούμενης και ολωσδιόλου δήθεν- θρησκευτικής "ευαισθησίας". Το πως οι πολιτικοί στη δύση (μην ξεχνιόμαστε βάζω μέσα το σύνολο των ελληνικών κομμάτων που εκπροσωπούνται στη Βουλή) είναι διατεθειμένοι να περιορίζουν όλο και περισσότερο ατομικές ελευθερίες τόσο βασικές και θεμελιώδεις για μια δημοκρατία όσο η ελευθερία έκφρασης και διακίνησης ιδεών.

Συμπληρωματικά μπορείτε να δείτε και μερικά video του Pat Condell με σχετικό περιεχόμενο:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxbYBIlT6VE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUTFcgE1F7w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9dXGJ2rYdA

εξαιρετικά εύστοχο και ειρωνικό και το σχόλιο περί βλασφημίας στο μέσο περίπου του ακόλουθου video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5cXWElb-GE

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Καλημέρα al3xandr3,

εξαιρετικο το μαιλ που μας έστειλες. Μια σύντομη και άσχετη διόρθωση,

το περιστατικό με τον Ιδομενέα του Μότσαρτ έγινε στη Γερμανική Όπερα του Βερολίνου.

Επί της ουσίας. Μέχρι τις γελοιογραφίες, πίστευα πως για την αντίδραση

των μουσουλμάνων έφταιγε η εξωτερική πολιτική της δύσης και τα πολλά

χρόνια επεμβάσεων και καταπίεσης των αραβικών χωρών από τους δυτικούς.

Μετά τις γελοιογραφίες και τους επακόλουθους θανάτους οι θέσεις μου

αλλάξανε δραματικά. Δεν δέχτηκα και δεν πρόκειται ποτέ να δεχτώ πως

άνθρωποι μπορούν να πεθάνουν εξαιτίας κάποιων σκίτσων. Αν ναι, τότε

αυτοί που σκοτώνουν έχουν σοβαρό πρόβλημα.

Το ζήτημα δεν τίθεται στη σωστή του βάση. Δεν πρόκειται για σεβασμό

της θρησκευτικής ελευθερίας αλλά να ξεκαθαρίσουμε ποια ελευθερία είναι

σημαντικότερη. Δεν υπάρχει λογικός άνθρωπος που να μη συμφωνήσει πως η

ελευθερία του λόγου είναι σημαντικότερη από τη θρησκευτική ελευθερία.

Χωρίς ελευθερία του λόγου δεν μπορεί να υπάρξει θρησκευτική ελευθερία.

Τελεία και παύλα.

Δε σκοπεύω να μπω σε κρίσεις ποιος πολιτισμός είναι ανώτερος. Δεν έχει

νόημα. Αλλά η κατάκτηση της ελευθερίας του λόγου είναι από τα μείζονα

γεγονότα όχι μόνο του ευρωπαϊκού πολιτισμού, αλλά της ανθρώπινης

ιστορίας και είναι ευτύχημα που αναθραφήκαμε σε αυτό το πολιτισμικό

πλαίσιο. Μπορεί να υπάρχουν πολλά άλλα πράγματα να κρίνουμε αρνητικά,

αλλά δε φαντάζομαι να υπάρχει διαφωνία στην αξία και τη σημασία του

συγκεκριμένου.

Δεδομένου του παραπάνου, είναι τρομερά επικίνδυνη η ευκολία με την

οποία οι εκπρόσωποι του δυτικού πολιτισμού είναι έτοιμοι να εκχωρησουν

έναν από τους θεμέλιους λίθους της πολιτισμικής κληρονομιάς τους για

να κατευνάσουν απλώς κάποιες ψυχοπαθολογικές αντιδράσεις.

Και θεωρώ λυπηρό πως το συγκεκριμένο ζήτημα το θίγουν περισσότερο

επιφανείς αθεϊστές, γιατί υπάρχει πιθανότητα να εκφυλιστεί η συζήτηση

σε ένα πλαίσιο 'κοιτάξτε πόσο κακή είναι η θρησκεία', ενώ πρόκειται

για κάτι πολύ πιο θεμελιακό. Το συγκεκριμένο ζήτημα θα έπρεπε να είχε

ξεσηκώσει ήδη τις πιο σημαντικές πνευματικές φωνές του

δυτικοευρωπαϊκής παράδοσης.

Πολλές ευχές

Υ/Α

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Σημείωση: Θα πρότεινα στους αναγνώστες να διαβάσουν πρώτα το κείμενο του Harris και τα δουν τα βίντεο του Condell. Θα αποσαφηνίσουν πολλές ενδεχόμενες απορίες. 

Southeast Asian countries are struggling to curb food prices as energy costs climb. Many governments have banned rice exports to safeguard supplies, but economists say restrictions only drive world prices higher.

• China Increases Fuel Subsidies
• China Worries Over Xinjiang Energy
• China Boosts Food Subsidies
• China Fuel Pricing Losses Soar
• Experts Doubt China Gas Plan
• China Price Controls More Damaging Than Storms, Experts Say
• China Polluters Still Get Loans

China farms the world to feed a ravenous economy

The rice fields that blanketed this remote mountain village for generations are gone. In their place rise neat rows of young rubber trees _ their sap destined for China.

As Beijing scrambles to feed its galloping economy, it has already scoured the world for mining and logging concessions. Now it is turning to crops to feed its people and industries. Chinese enterprises are snapping up vast tracts of land abroad and forging contract farming deals.

This quest raises both hope and criticism.

• Laos' communist regime touts rubber as a miracle crop that will help lift the country from the ranks of the world's poorest nations. China is expected to consume a third of the world's rubber by 2020, become its largest car market and put 200 million vehicles on the road.
• Some Laotian farmers are losing their ancestral lands or being forced to become wage workers on what were once their fields. Chinese companies are accused of getting rubber concessions from officials and not compensating farmers. They are also accused of violating laws, human rights and the environment, under conditions described by experts as "anarchic."
• From Southeast Asia to Africa, the Chinese are farming oil palm, eucalyptus, teak, corn, cassava, sugar cane, rubber and other crops. As in Laos, the industrial-size farms are variously viewed as an ecological nightmare or a big step toward slashing poverty.
• In Congo, a Chinese telecommunications giant, ZTE International, has bought more than 7 million acres of forest to plant oil palms.
• In Zimbabwe, state-owned China International Water and Electric Corp. reportedly received rights from the government to farm 250,000 acres of corn in the south.
• Indonesia is moving to develop biofuel plantations with The China National Overseas Oil Corporation - London-based Environmental Investigation Agency, an advocacy group, believes other deals are in the works, often through proxy companies because of long-running anti-Chinese sentiment in the country. The group says the project would destroy natural forest.
• In Myanmar, rubber concessions - Refugees fleeing Myanmar's military regime say troops are forcibly evicting farmers to make way for rubber plantations, including some run by Chinese enterprises.
• A Chinese-Cambodian joint venture - converted land of the Phong tribal people into a tree plantation 20 times larger than allowed by law in Cambodia, according to the environmental group Global Witness. The group says the concession in Mondulkiri province encroached on grazing grounds, destroyed sacred sites and used toxic herbicides.
• "The Chinese companies do everything in their power to take advantage but they are also taken advantage of. The system is corrupt and there are loopholes and sometimes it works in their favor and sometimes against them," says Weiyi Shi, an American economist who recently completed a study on the rubber industry.
• When the China-Lao Ruifeng Rubber Company moved in, the frontier village of Changee lost most of its rice fields and grazing land and its burial grounds were desecrated. The pleas of villagers got no result and some protesters were reportedly held at gunpoint, with the Chinese using coercion through local authorities.

Abolish wasteful world food body -- Senegal's Wade

Arabs mull emergency fund to fight food inflation

Afghanistan food security alert

Hunger "tsunami" will hit next generation, UN aid chief

The First World world is just about to pay serious attention to the conditions spreading throughout the Third World. These headlines do not attract those disconnected from the realities of the world. America is cushioned from the bleak conditions overseas by media focus on trivia and manufactured headlines. Television news must provide "eye candy" to improve its ratings. Ratings bring advertisement. Advertisement brings profit. This is American media. Cable, Satellite and Blogs bring the up close realities of world conditions. Environmental, socio-economic and now spreading hunger are explained in detail by documentaries and investigative reporting. Agencies and Organizations tasked with addressing the needs of the casualties are seldom afforded the marketing luxury of celebrities. A telling symptom of mental health is how the masses have chosen such trivial celebrities as Paris Hilton, Anna Nicole and other sexual icons. Obsession with non-issues hampers real personal decisions. There are some very tough choices facing everyone on this planet. Those choices will be made by those few really paying attention. First World masses will remain distracted until the creeping crisis actually touches their personal lives. Then the natural reaction will be anger, reality is a rude intrusion for the distracted.

China is very aware of the spreading crisis and is positioning itself for survival at the expense of those unfortunates who scrape their living from their land. We can criticize, we can complain and protest their devious methods. But, in reality, we are watching where we will be going as soon as the First World starts experiencing the symptoms. Without the participation of the masses, the decisions of our leaders will go unnoticed. Leaders will not be held to a moral standard. The "us or them" mentality will be the likely result. Religions so focused on their own cultural trivia will justify more brutal behavior from congregations. Religion has lost its ability to guide individuals, its all about political manipulation now.

Enter the new American President. We do not want a President distracted with trivia and Congressional infighting. We need a President that can bring both sides to the middle so REAL issues can be addressed. We need to address realities. Focus on profit is too shallow right now ... instant monetary gratification must be replaced with long term gratification. Where will be the profit is humanity does not survive?

]]> http://unladtau.wordpress.com/?p=14 Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:29:32 +0000 erleargonza http://unladtau.wordpress.com/?p=14

Erle Frayne D. Argonza

[Writ 22 March 2008, Quezon City, MetroManila]

In my meaty article on New Nationalism, I advanced fourteen (14) contentions in substantiation of what neo-nationalism is.

The first basic contention is that the nation-state can thrive and grow amid globalization. In other words, globalization shouldn’t lead to the destruction of nation-states. The trend since the start of massive implementation of liberal reforms leading to global integration of markets has been, in fact, the destruction of nation-states. This trend has to be stopped now.

There is really no reason to destroy the nations just so that our global community can be integrated. In the Philippine experience, nationalism has been a positive, progressive force that had united close to 100 ethno-linguistic communities. The Philippine nation had just lately crystallized, with a national identity now in shape though in moderate level, a phenomenon that took over 200 years to build.

There is no way that we can allow the massive destruction of nations today just in order to whet the appetites of the global oligarchy and their transnational corporations or TNCs for control over the world’s resources and labor. The conservation of nations must be a pre-requisite to building the ‘peace condition’ nationally and globally, guided by the principle of ‘dialogue of civilizations’.

On the other hand, amid the failings of globalization, we simply cannot go back to the past and destroy the integration efforts altogether. We can still move on towards a more progressive globalization that serves the interests of nations rather than the global oligarchy. Nations can derive benefits from integrated markets, we can’t overstress the risk-side of globalization at the expense of the benefit-side.

Somewhere along the line, the striving for stronger nations must cohere with the collective efforts for integrated markets. Later on, nations would compose an integrated political entity, the global state with its own global institutions.

Below is the excerpt from the New Nationalism article regarding the nation-state.

Strong nation can thrive & grow amid globalization.

The nation can continue to exist, even become strengthened, while it sails deep into the middle of the ocean of globalization. The two are not necessarily contradictory. Nationhood can continuously be pursued, patriotism can move ahead while paddling astride the powerful waves of globalization. For as earlier stated, globalization holds the promise of growth through the vast opportunities it has opened. Nations must strive to concur cooperation with other nations to extend the scope and limits of the opportunities, while at the same time build internal opportunities to further optimize inducements for investments.

Just recently, our entrepreneurs and professionals made waves through the international awards they respectively received, such as Tan Caktiong (top entrepreneur) and F. Palafox (the only ASEAN architect to make it to the world’s Top 200 architects), signifying the high level of competitiveness our compatriots are capable of achieving. Such sterling achievements surely inspire us to continue to strengthen nationhood and to forge new areas of cooperation and growth-inducing endeavors. While forces exist that work to tear the nation asunder, forces are likewise growing that lead to the nation’s strengthening. We should all work hard to make sure that the latter forces prevail, while neutralizing and diminishing the potencies of those forces that destroy nationhood.

They are to blame for beginning this inhumane Christian occupation of rightfully Muslim lands that continues today in the form of the Colonial powers, the U.S. invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, and the existence of the State of Israel.

That's what Muslim apologists and hate-ranting imams/national leaders will tell you. And they are obviously totally unbiased and without political motives, so what they say MUST be true and unquestionably factual!

So let's count the dates up to the Crusades, shall we?

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634 A.D. Muslim invasion of Byzantine Christian Empire - Arab Muslims attack, invade and occupy Christian Syria, Armenia, Egypt, North Africa, Asia Minor, Crete and Sicily, and attempt to conquer the Byzantine Christian Empire's capital Constantinople in Christian Turkey, until 1169 A.D. Many of these remain under Muslim occupation.

634 A.D. Muslim invasion of Palestine - Caliphate Muslims attack, invade and occupy Christian Palestine. Jerusalem (which is mentioned 154 times in the Bible but exactly ZERO times in the Quran) falls to the Muslim occupiers in 638 A.D., until retaken by the Christian Crusaders in 1099 A.D.

650 A.D. Muslim invasion of Khazar - Arab Muslims attack, invade but fail to occupy Jewish and Christian Khazar (Ukraine and Russia), until 737 A.D.

652 A.D. Muslim invasion of Southern Italy - Syrian Arab Muslims attack, invade and occupy Christian Sicily and Italy, until 1091 A.D.

700 A.D. Muslim invasion of Nubia - Arab Muslims attack, invade but fail to occupy Christian Nubia, until 1315 when a Muslim king ascended the throne.

711 A.D. Mulsim invasion of South-west Europe - Umayyad Muslims iattack, invade and occupy Christian Spain, Portugal, Andora and Gibraltar, and tried to invade France, until 975 A.D.

846 A.D. Mulsim Saracen sacking of Rome - Saracen Muslims attack, invade and pillage Rome, the very capital of the Christian church at that time. The unholy, sacrilegeous robbed the sacred relics of the Basilica of Saint Peter and Basilica of Saint Paul, but could not breach the walls of the city. (Kudos to Eric Mudasi for insipiring this addition.)

1064 A.D. Muslim invasion of West Asia - Turkish Muslims attack, invade and occupy Asia Minor and Syria, until 1308. They remain under Muslim occupation today.

1095 A.D. The First Crusade - First Crusade begins. Campaign is limited to retaking formerly Christian lands. Today, all the territory reclaimed from Muslim occupiers durng the Crusades has returned to Muslim occupation - except for Israel, which has been returned to Jewish rule after 2500 years of occupation.

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So according to jihadi apologists, all the suicide bombings, hostage taking, journalist beheading and terrorism is justified by the Western Christian invasions of sovereign Muslim lands which began with the illegal Crusades.

In fact, Rome itself ought to be handed over to the Muslim World Caliphate as recompense for all that Christian Roman Empire-started conflict.

Even though 461 years of unprovoked, unjustified Muslim aggression preceded the Crusades.

Because obviously, the Americano-Zionists used their demonic time-travel technology/spells to warp space-time and make the 1095 A.D. First Crusade happen before Islam was founded.

Yes, it is obviously all the Western Christian Imperialists Crusaders' fault. At the behest of their Elders of Zionism masters.

Full list of 'Western Christian acts of first-aggression' at this Wikipedia.

NEW YORK — Pope Benedict XVI has said he would like to reach out to the Muslim community through dialogue, and Muslims were included in the pontiff’s meeting with interfaith leaders in Washington on Thursday night. But many Muslims in America remain wary, saying the pope has created the impression that he is insensitive to their faith.

There are several perceived slights that linger in the memories of Muslims. This pope started off on the wrong foot with his lecture, September 2006 lecture at the University of Regensburg in Germany, in which Benedict quoted a Byzantine Christian emperor saying that the prophet Muhammad brought “things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.” Several incidents since then have nudged Muslims further away.

“I don’t think he did enough to apologize,” said Omar T. Mohammedi, a member of the New York City Commission on Human Rights.

Conversion and religious freedom remain major, thorny issues in the relationship between the Vatican and Muslim countries. Some Muslim countries prohibit Muslims from converting, and punishments can include the death penalty — a position that Catholics find an anathema.

Some Muslim leaders invited to meet the pope in Washington declined, citing the controversies over the Regensburg lecture and conversion. “I didn’t attend,” said Salam al-Marayati, executive director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, who was invited to the interfaith meeting. “The invitation was to be involved in the ceremonies and the pageantry, but not in authentic, in-depth discussions o