Other - Politics & Government - September 2006

In the time where our children are becoming increasingly more in danger for kidnapp, muurder and sexual predators should we be considering a child safety drive and a specially designed database to allow our childrens fingerprints and DNA to be stored with our permission until they are 18, for times when they may be needed for identification, missing persons etc. We Microchip dogs to find them should we be finding a way to make sure that we are not wasting time when our childs safety is at stake?

2006-09-18 21:55:58 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous

What about freedom of speech? I am just curious. Good night everyone from Frogspeaceflower.

2006-09-18 21:49:02 · 4 answers · asked by frogspeaceflower 4

My Islam

By Mona Eltahawy
Thursday, January 3, 2002; Page A17

I am a Muslim. The terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 shook my faith to its foundation. I am angry and ashamed that Muslims will forever be remembered for such horror.

But being angry and ashamed is not enough. Muslims must ask ourselves, how did we get here? We are long overdue for a healthy dose of introspection. We've heard many times how the U.S. government must reexamine its foreign policy and about the list of corrupt dictators it calls friends. It is just as important for Muslims to do our own soul-searching.

For starters, liberal, moderate and progressive Muslims must speak out. We've been quiet too long, and I blame us for the sad state of affairs of the Muslim Umma (community) as much as I blame the clerics, whom, I must admit, I gave up on long ago.

It is no longer enough for the clerics to issue tired platitudes on how Islam means peace and surrender. Where were they when Osama bin Laden and his coalition of terrorists vowed to target every American man, woman and child?

We have to look inward and ask ourselves what in Islam, what in the way it is practiced today, allowed bin Laden to promote his murderous message? And, please, those of you out there penning letters to tell me Islam is nothing but a bloodthirsty religion of the sword or that the Sept. 11 attacks were a Zionist conspiracy that had nothing to do with Islam -- save your ink and close those e-mail messages. I have no time for either camp.

I belong to a third camp that refuses bin Laden's options of being on his side or with the "infidels." I am fed up with the self-pity and self-denial that for too long have paralyzed Muslim thinking. By constantly blaming Western conspiracies for our ills we fuel our own helplessness. Strength is the essence of introspection.

We must make that introspection public. We should not be ashamed to question out loud. Muslims love to remind the world that the Islamic empire at its height stretched from Morocco to China. That we gave the world Avicenna, Averroes and the concept of zero. That at its founding, Islam gave women more rights than any other religion or social system.

All that is true, and I have shared in that pride. But by pointing to our achievement and not to our shortcomings we give in to what I call the Pyramid curse. I am from Egypt, home to the Great Pyramids of Giza. When I lived in Cairo I would swell with pride whenever I saw those magnificent structures. But that pride was often tempered with sadness that their magnificence was a reminder of what Egypt used to be. They are three gauntlets thrown down nearly 5,000 years ago by a golden dynasty whose splendor we strain to understand, let alone better.

Some may question who I am to speak for Muslims. My answer is who is bin Laden? He received no formal religious education but took it upon himself to represent us. He does not represent me. I am a Muslim woman who is wrestling with her faith and questioning its meaning for me today. It is equally my right to speak out.

About 10 years ago, I went through a crisis of faith that swept away lazy answers and made me realize how much work it takes to keep my faith viable. For inspiration I turned to Muslim scholars whom I considered revolutionaries. They were reinterpreting Islam by looking at it squarely with modern eyes. They dared to utter the R-word -- reformation.

One of these books was "Toward an Islamic Reformation: Civil Liberties, Human Rights, and International Law," by Abdullahi An-Na'im, an Emory University law professor. I recently turned once more to his book and wrote to Prof. An-Na'im to seek his advice.

He wrote back to tell me that he was about to oversee a new program that includes supporting nine fellows over the next three years to promote human rights in their own communities from an Islamic perspective.

Muslims in America are fortunate because we are free to debate without risking our lives. Prof. An-Na'im's book presents and builds upon ideas of Sudanese Muslim jurist Mahmoud Mohamed Taha. The Sudanese government publicly executed Taha in January 1985. Many Muslims consider Taha's ideas controversial because of their espousal of reform, but they offer a welcome alternative to the fundamentalists, whose ideas too often go unchallenged.

Kevin Hasson pointed out in his Dec. 27 op-ed article how religious freedom in America had influenced the Catholic Church. American Jewish friends have told me how their faith has evolved in America and given birth to the Reconstructionist movement. Muslims in America have the chance to lead the way for the Umma.

Washington Post

Mona Eltahawy Website

2006-09-18 21:08:42 · 19 answers · asked by dflp 1

As we went to Iraq along side USA without any evidence for the reasons given, along side the movement into Afganistan and the USA interagation camps and distruction of villagge with woman and children(un-armed may i add) Are we in fact terrorist with more power??

2006-09-18 20:43:59 · 31 answers · asked by Anonymous

Our popularity rapidly depleting, our academic standards sliding, American factories shutting down...

2006-09-18 20:32:57 · 17 answers · asked by Picard Facepalm 5

Why do people regugitate such idotic trash about liberals such as "liberals hate god" or "liberals want the terrorists to win" or whatnot. NOBODY WANTS TERRORISTS TO WIN YOU IDIOTS. That stuff is so ridiculous and it comes from people who only want to make money, yet the great idiotic masses in the US hear it and venerate it like it's straight form the mouth of Jesus (who they only give lip-service to anyway). Why can't people think for themselves in America? Why does this pass for political debate in America? Why are my countrymen sometimes SO DUMB?

2006-09-18 19:53:17 · 7 answers · asked by bakum 2

It's ok for someone from Glasgow to call themselves Scots not British
It's ok for someone from Cardiff to call themselves Welsh not British
But if someone from London calls himself English and not British this is seen as racist.
WHY?

2006-09-18 19:37:02 · 28 answers · asked by rosbif 6

2006-09-18 19:35:57 · 5 answers · asked by Charlie B 1

ok why is it that when gas was hovering around the $3.00 mark it was all because george w is in the white house.ok now gas has droped back to around the $2.15 mark at least where i live is that his fault also?just wondering

2006-09-18 18:57:07 · 15 answers · asked by bigrigdvr 3

So was he telling the truth when he said "I did not have sex with that woman" when his cigar did?

2006-09-18 18:23:24 · 17 answers · asked by halfbright 5

economy. And I guess I am looking at it from a technology standpoint. I work in the software industry and there seems to now be enormous pressure to compete globally. Is this not the case in other industries?

2006-09-18 18:10:07 · 4 answers · asked by Ralph 7

they're good, muslims are evil?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060918/lf_afp/afplifestylemideast_060918153859

actions speak louder than (made-up) words (ie islamo-fascist).

is it just me, or do christians often side with whoever has power? in the case of this era, the jews?

2006-09-18 18:08:03 · 1 answers · asked by Anonymous

with the documents from the Archives stuffed down his pants?"Sandy did you get the documents or are you happy to see me?"

2006-09-18 18:07:34 · 7 answers · asked by halfbright 5

2006-09-18 17:36:41 · 6 answers · asked by freedom4ni 1

This week, the Senate is planning to quietly hold a vote that would pardon President Bush for breaking the law by illegally wiretapping innocent Americans without warrants. According to Senator Leahy, the bill would "...immunize officials who have violated federal law by authorizing such illegal activities.

President Bush broke the law, and courts are starting to agree. Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter once said the program was illegal "on its face." But he has now caved to pressure from Vice President Cheney, and introduced legislation that marks a new low: the bill justifies everything the president did. Worse, it makes it legal to wiretap Americans, in secret, without warrants or oversight, whenever the administration wants to.

So far, Democrats and some Republicans are holding strong against the bill. If it passes we are in for a bumpy ride, ready for the final takeover?

2006-09-18 17:35:57 · 6 answers · asked by saltydog 2

there is oil in russia and in other places...why the obsession with the middle east? we have nuclear energy and wind and solar power...what is the need for oil anymore anyway?

2006-09-18 17:34:08 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous

Princess Sophie von Hohenberg, Prince Maximilian von Hohenberg and Prince Ernest von Hohenberg were the children of assassinated Austrian Archduke Francis Ferdinand (1914).
They lived with Graf Jaroslav Thurn. In 1938 they were sentenced to serve a term in Dachau concentration camp. What were the charges?

2006-09-18 17:33:34 · 1 answers · asked by Anonymous

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Responsibility

US bases its culture around freedom as we were the first 'modern' nation to come up with the current democracy. However, have we put so much reliance on individual freedom that we ignore the responsibilities of the individual to help himself, his family, his community, the nation, and the world?

Freedom is not free.

2006-09-18 17:29:02 · 5 answers · asked by leikevy 5

Has the price of gasoline gone down more in places where there is a possible change of party for representation of those areas. Are there larger price drops where important seats are at stake????? Demand drop in all areas should be close if actually determined by demand, so why the wide differance in price reduction. Reduced twice as much in some areas as in others. Where I am reduction is minimal and not much chance of party change, they will stay repulican.

2006-09-18 17:27:06 · 1 answers · asked by icheeknows 5

is there any organization which will allow me to visit darfur or sudan and help out? Whether it be distributing supplies, feeding the hungry, or just helping with daily life? I want to physically help instead of just donating $?

2006-09-18 17:21:53 · 3 answers · asked by leitner12 2

as though they are allowed to kill anyone that says anything they don't like about alley. Maybe we should sit down and talk it out with them so we can "understand" why they are allowed to murder if offended. Now the Pope is on their hit list, where is the condemantion from all you peace loving Muslims unless you are too scared to say anything and have your head sent to your kin I guess!! or you silently hate non-Muslims too. I say Piss on you all
make your bed get ready to sleep on it Americans are getting fed up with your crap.

2006-09-18 17:18:24 · 4 answers · asked by uwantfacts 2

I think its worse there out of control over there

2006-09-18 17:15:16 · 10 answers · asked by eastcoast_29 2

I am doing a research project, what would make the perfect president including past experiences, anything....

2006-09-18 17:11:52 · 9 answers · asked by lacey 2

2006-09-18 17:09:27 · 14 answers · asked by rathirathi2001 1

9/11 happened on Dubya's watch, will he screw up again? Conservatives think so http://prisonplanet.com/articles/august2006/290806bushresponsible.htm

It can't happen on his watch again, I mean look at how smart he is http://www.cutepiggy.com/george_w_bush.html

And he's done a good job, just look at his approval ratings http://www.pollingreport.com/BushJob.htm

People will blame Clinton because Bush is an idiot. Not that Reagan and Bush armed, trained, financed Bin Laden in the 80's. Oh no that's not it right Neo-Cons?

Maybe Bush ignoring the Predential Daily Brief which said on the front Bin Laden Determined To Attack U.S had something to do with it? No Clinton made him not read the brief right?

Clinton must have made Bush Ignore George Tenant and Richard Clarks warnings that Bin Laden was going to hit the U.S within 3 months (this was on 8/17/01).

When Bush ignores more warnings and we're hit, will Neo-Cons try to blame this one on Clinton?

2006-09-18 17:09:19 · 28 answers · asked by Anonymous

2006-09-18 17:05:42 · 1 answers · asked by NOooob! 1

They are businessmen, they're good at making deals, they have connections all over the world. They would not run our country with bloodshed like the old days. They'll get the job done and keep America as the world leader in power. They would bodly go where no politicians have gone before! Question is, which mafia member be President and VP? What do you think based on what the mafia is today and the problems and conditions our country is in now?

2006-09-18 17:04:19 · 12 answers · asked by ZORRO 3

Can anyone sum it up for me?

2006-09-18 16:49:55 · 9 answers · asked by David D 1

Or is it considered rude to discuss politics?

2006-09-18 16:46:23 · 4 answers · asked by soulgirl76 4

2006-09-18 16:44:34 · 10 answers · asked by bumpb4 2