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Previous Posts
Muslim Informants prevent domestic terror: the data
As Americans, Muslim Americans have the same vested interest in preventing terrorism as any other fellow citizen. In fact, since 9-11 woke all of us (muslim and non-muslim alike) to the reality of terrorism against our homeland, American muslims have arguably borne a greater responsibility in preven
posted 10:48:46am Feb. 06, 2012 |
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I Speak for Myself volume 2 available for pre-order
The second volume of I Speak or Myself is now available for pre-order on Amazon:
The book, like its predecessor, is a collection of essays from American Muslims, in this case men. I am honored to be a contributor to this book, along with Svend White, Shahed Amanullah, Aamer Jamali, and many o
posted 8:36:08am Feb. 03, 2012 |
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Liam Neeson is (not) converting to Islam
Yes, it's true that famed Irish (and Catholic) actor Liam Neeson said the following while filming a movie in Istanbul:
The Call to Prayer happens five times a day and for the first week it drives you crazy, and then it just gets into your spirit and it's the most beautiful, beautiful thing... The
posted 12:01:38am Jan. 26, 2012 |
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#Tahrir Square on #Jan25Two in pictures
Today is the one-year anniversary of the uprising in Egypt's Tahrir Square, the heart of the Arab world and the pulse of the Arab Spring. Thousands and thousands of people are thronging the square. Below are some images from the past 24 hours in Tahrir. I was privileged to go to Cairo this fall and
posted 4:19:40pm Jan. 25, 2012 |
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Letter from a Birmingham Jail - Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. wrote this letter while incarcerated on a charge of parading without a permit. It was in response to prominent white religious leaders of the Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist and Roman Catholic churches, and Reform Judaism, who were against his protest marches, fe
posted 8:39:59am Jan. 16, 2012 |
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posted November 29, 2008 at 11:26 am
I truly hope that Obama surrounds himself with competence, without regard to any ideological tests. And yes, competent people can and should disagree and discuss with the idea of extracting from such discourse good policy.
Mistakes will be made, count on it. None of us are gifted with a crystal ball that enables us to foresee the future. It is always through a glass darkly that we address the issues of the day and plan for the future. Even so, good policy is arrived through due consideration, understanding the biases of friends and foes alike, discovering more of what lies hidden, and then moving forward. No policy should be absolute, though there are times when it must be resolute.
Governing well is a mixture of art, science and instinct. Instinct should not be ignored, but must be checked against fact. Methods to correctly ascertain fact must remain as free of bias as possible. (Remember the decisions made in Iraq that resulted from false intelligence and a desire from on top to see a weapons of mass destruction program where it no longer existed.) Strategic thought, an ability to reappraise a policy in the face of evidence, (in other words an open feedback process that allows policy to be fine-tuned or even retooled) is essential.
This is what I want and expect from Obama.