NATION
16 July 2007,
DR FAROOQ HASSAN
As the Lal Masjid offensive in Islamabad ended on July 10, it had left behind according to the Pakistani Government an estimated 88 people dead, including the deputy head of the Mosque and the military colonel who led the initial assault. The casualty figures according to the online edition of an […]

Dr. Farooq Hasan has a new editorial essay in The Nation.
This government’s abrupt and seemingly ruthless behaviour towards the Chief Justice of Pakistan has triggered such a velocity of political agitation against the military rule as never seen in the past in Pakistan. Indeed nowhere in recent history has a third world country seen such […]

I have always been fascinated by innovation. It is what America was built on, has helped keep America strong, and I believe is where our strength in the future lies. I’ve always been an early adopter of technology and seek to add my own innovations.
For me, and I believe for many others, that […]

In the first plenary session of the Media in Transition conference, Tom Pettitt’s presented the idea of the Gutenberg Parenthesis. With the advent of the printing press, we moved to a culture where text was fixed. The author of works became fixed. The content of the work became fixed. Prior to […]

Now here is a great rant. About time!
Where Have All the Leaders Gone?
By Lee Iacocca with Catherine Whitney

Had Enough?
Am I the only guy in this country who’s fed up with what’s happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We’ve got a gang of clueless bozos steering our […]

I watched the 1982 film “Gandhi” the other night. The viewing experience in 2007 is extremely timely, given the current US involvement in the Middle East. I recommend investing 3 hours and 10 minutes in a viewing of this film. It swept the 1983 Academy Awards. Could it even be made […]

You will want to check this out. Perhaps watch the videos. But
“Be advised these are authentic videos shot in real American prisons and jails. They contain graphic scenes of violence, assaults, nudity and death. Please do not view these materials if you are a minor or easily shocked. We present these materials to […]

Dr. Farooq Hassan, Bar at Law,
Professor of International Law, Harvard University

The military run administration in Islamabad stuck back at the top Pakistani Judge of its apex court. Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry has been suspended by President Pervez Musharraf for “misuse of authority”. The president has asked the Supreme Judicial Council, which oversees the judiciary, to investigate the charges.

The military regime in Pakistan has seldom given any hope to the country’s well wishers abroad and within the country to return to barracks as mandated by the Supreme Court’s ruling in Zafar Ali Shah’s case by 2002. Now well beyond that time frame, its clear that this demolition of the judicial independence of the nation is to ensure that the judges will personally pay who dare to affirm their integrity in this year when the general is evidently hell bent upon staying in power for the third time, irrespective of what the Constitution or the electorate says.

[This is cross posted from Tom’s list.]

As Daniel Yankelovich noted in a post-2004-election Christian Science Monitor article, “Democracy requires space for compromise, and compromise is best won through acknowledging the legitimate concerns of the other.” Yet today, there is little space for the other to be heard. We talk about issues with people who already agree with us, re-circulating the same ideas within our own communities of interest. We take our cues from our favorite media outlets, where opposing TV sound bites pass for honest dialogue, or from partisan information sources like talk radio, email lists and weblogs that aim to further polarize the electorate.

Recognizing that opinions differ, and then creating the means for people to engage in constructive rather than destructive conversations, can reduce invective debate and set the stage for the deeper dialogue so necessary to democracy, negotiation, and solving the problems our nation faces.

RedBlue will be an interactive Internet application that will provide an exciting yet safe way to engage directly with someone on “the other side” of the political spectrum. This new approach to civic engagement is designed to leave behind the confrontational and polarizing forms of discourse that dominate today’s Red vs. Blue debates and reintroduce Americans to the old-fashioned notion that in matters of public policy, there can be room for reasonable people to disagree.

By: Michael D. McDonald, Dr.P.H.

In reading Dr. Farooq Hassan’s Presidential Address on “Islam: Environmental Protection,” I am inspired to suggest an ambitious project to change the course of human history toward environmental sustainability.  We have before us a unique opportunity to embrace our larger humanity and its movement toward a more sustainable future.  It is very encouraging to have such an eminent scholar discussing the truths of the Qur’an as they apply to humanity living in harmony with our environment. 

Within the traditions of Islam, Aikido, and the way of the western pilgrim are the seeds for developing a common understanding of a positive, peaceful, and sustainable future.  Aikido teaches that maintaining one’s own balance in the world, whether in self-defense or in life, is the key to harmony. Western philosophy, going back to ancient Greece, teaches that balance and moderation are key to living in harmony with the world. Although oft honored in the breech, biblical teachings in both Judaism and Christianity speak of living in harmony with nature, and of humankind’s responsibilities as steward of the environment.

Aikido teaches that in order to maintain balance, one must first have a strong base by finding one’s own sustainable center before addressing threats and the complexities of the world at large. In Judaism, the Kabbalah teaches that one must have a solid foundation before venturing into the unknown. Similar concepts in Sufism, Christianity, shamanism, and other religious and cultural traditions prepare the individual to live in balance with nature.