tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45941779318776861222011-11-19T01:11:01.188-06:00Just the thoughts of an American Muslim on politics, Religion and Muslim community issues.Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.comBlogger1991100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-72153218296984258502011-09-18T19:33:00.001-05:002011-09-21T13:21:06.878-05:00

Edited portions of a speech I gave before a church in St. Louis, Missouri,  on the 10th annual remembrance of September 11 EventsSeptember-11 did not change the face of the world.  It just made it easier for a lot of ugly feelings and restrictive policies to come to the surface in an explicit and unashamed way, sadly with very little resistance from us – the people, wherever in the world we live

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-49391761530823303432011-08-22T23:56:00.002-05:002011-08-22T23:58:39.979-05:00

Another good article by the always-level-headed Akiva Eldar. Unfortunately, and despite people like him, Israel is doomed no matter how many nuclear weapons or superpowers are at its disposal. Arrogance and supremacy are ingrained in Israeli mindset - and that is inconsistent with long-term survival.  Remember apartheid South Africa, anyone?When Israeli arrogance meets Arab honor - Haaretz Daily

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-52035426016262142692011-06-11T22:08:00.004-05:002011-07-03T00:40:21.813-05:00

Religious fundamentalists and groups on the religious right in general think they are very special.  That arrogance, of course, occurs across the board, whether they are Muslim, Christian or Jewish. Many do not only think that they are the only ones that will ever get to paradise, but frequently they think they are in the center of God's attention, and that the whole universe has been

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-47693371563061279432011-06-06T22:36:00.007-05:002011-06-08T11:58:24.302-05:00

There is a tremendous amount of Islamophobia out there.  A lot of it is a result of genuine racism, vicious xenophobia, political posturing and regular good-old mean spirited people. But some of it is also avoidable if some Muslims do not carry on living like extreme idiots in some cases, and like racist bigoted hateful people who just use Islam to cover up for their evil spirits with a facade

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-89043127306819571802011-06-05T23:08:00.001-05:002011-06-05T23:26:51.373-05:00

The lyrics and the images are fabulous.  I need say no more. Khaled

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-86815745072288422442011-05-25T20:58:00.002-05:002011-06-09T10:49:05.468-05:00

Some events in one's life, as much as in humanity's conscience, are demarcation lines where what is right is clear, and what is wrong is clear.  Individuals and societies decide for themselves on which side of the demarcation line they would stand.  And their choice will be registered in the collective conscience of history. We are witnessing some of these events that have been evolving over the

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-71823261715463244312011-05-20T20:59:00.003-05:002011-05-20T22:23:06.051-05:00

I came across this on a very decent Israeli blog called +972 Magazine that Michael W, and occasional reader and commenter on this forum has brought to my attention few months ago. This exemplifies the inadequate recognition of the beautiful human beings (in this case, Just and peace loving Jews and Jewish Israelis) who cross the line of tribalism and religious clannish tendencies to seek and

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-81757593624225316042011-03-17T23:12:00.001-05:002011-06-09T10:50:17.010-05:00

One of the problematic issues about the Egyptian constitution, currently under renovation, is Article No. 2, stating that the "principles of Islamic Shari'a are the principal source of legislation" in Egypt.The article was introduced in the constitution few decades ago, during the time Sadat was appeasing the rightwing religious group in an attempt to stifle liberal secular groups, particularly

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-79013663309687911192011-02-23T10:34:00.001-06:002011-02-23T11:27:20.678-06:00

The last 3 weeks have been more emotional than anyone can imagine.  I do not think I had cried in my whole life than I did the last few weeks, with all that was going in Egypt.  And the tears continued out of joy off and on since then, especially thinking of the those who lost their blood so that the rest of their fellow Egyptians can feel the pride of the rebirth of the Egyptian nation. I had a

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-61170439333358791132011-02-11T11:32:00.002-06:002011-02-11T11:45:36.705-06:00

Thanks to Slama, fellow Egyptian blogger.  She checked the Wikipedia entry on Egypt's ex, and it has been changed. Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak (Arabic: محمد حسني سيد مبارك‎, Egyptian Arabic pronunciation: [mæˈħæmːæd ˈħosni ˈsæjːed moˈbɑːɾɑk], Muḥammad Ḥusnī Sayyid Mubārak; born May 4, 1928[1]) was the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011. .......On February 11, 2011, Vice President Omar

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-84275482014256210062011-02-11T10:22:00.000-06:002011-02-11T10:22:50.662-06:00

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-126989209152432172011-02-10T10:15:00.000-06:002011-02-10T10:15:44.429-06:00

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-59148054823682144532011-02-10T09:49:00.002-06:002011-02-10T09:51:55.961-06:00

Twenty minutes ago the supreme council of the armed forces declared: "Declaration Number 1: The council is in permanent session to see what need to be done to protect the country AND the gains and the ambitions of Egypt's people." I cannot wait for Declaration #2. Khaled

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-16028165162529527832011-02-08T12:37:00.001-06:002011-02-08T12:38:23.473-06:00

This a great post by Sala, the young Egyptian blogger I mentioned several times before.  I like the way she writes. And the way she expresses her thoughts are very moving.  She, gracefully, gave me permission to re-post her latest blog entry. -------- (Salma's post followes) -------- Change for Egypt.. I do not even know how to start this post..i am over-whelmed by all the love i am seeing from

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-20184538117359524902011-02-08T11:19:00.000-06:002011-02-08T11:19:48.263-06:00

Salma, a young Egyptian blogger and frequent commenter on this forum has provided me with a link to what possibly could be the first song written specifically for the January 25 revolution. It has a great beat, beautiful lyrics, and the video is pretty moving.  It is sung by Mouhammad Mounir, a well know and respected Egyptian singer. Thanks so much Salma for the link.  I am sure more and more

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-90059940555216047572011-02-06T20:13:00.002-06:002011-02-06T22:27:46.498-06:00

Al-Tayyeb: Al-Azhar Senior sheikh The most senior Al-Azhar clergy, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb criticizes Iran's clergy for making [political] statements, using their 'religious authority'; statements which, in his opinions, contradicts the explicit statements of Quran and Prophetic teachings as well as the 'consensus' of the Muslim nation. That usually means that Iranians made statements along the lines:

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-22300046240057437622011-02-05T01:12:00.002-06:002011-02-06T01:25:56.625-06:00

Mubarak as most Egyptians see him I am baffled: Democracy is supposed to bring good elements (with, hopefully average IQ at least) to government.  But, if that is the case how would idiots like Biden, Blair and Berlusconi made it? According to them Mubarak is (1) not a dictator, and not only (2) a courageous man, but apparently (3) a very wise one too. Those darn Egyptian ingrates!  They

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-36757584462373224102011-02-04T01:07:00.001-06:002011-02-04T01:17:48.917-06:00

Since I have started blogging, I do not recall that I have talked about anything very personal. But with all the amazing events unfolding in Egypt at the hands of the millions of the brave and beautiful Egyptian men and women of all ages, religions, social classes and education levels, it has been difficult to hold back from expressing some personal emotions that have been recurring on my mind

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-41746845590284309622011-02-02T11:34:00.002-06:002011-02-02T12:55:46.466-06:00

وفقا لرفيق وهو أحد الأقباط في مصر بأن أسطورة اعتبار الرئيس حسني مبارك أفضل مدافع عن المسيحيين في مواجهة المتشددين الإسلاميين تحطمت مع وقوع تفجير كنيسة القديسين في الاسكندرية عشية العام الجديد.وواصل رفيق وأقباط اخرون التظاهر إلى جانب مليون مصري على الأقل خرجوا يوم الثلاثاء مؤكدين أن رغبتهم في إنهاء حكم مبارك المستمر منذ 30 عاما أكثر الحاحا من أي مخاوف بوقوع تغيير في السلطة يصب لصالح الجماعات

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-74178043372107433292011-02-01T13:18:00.003-06:002011-02-04T01:43:15.515-06:00

Even at a time when the will of the people of Egypt (Muslims and Christians, religious and secular, men and women) is heard loud and clear allover the world, The Coptic Orthodox Pope Shnouda III is sending greeting and his 'people's' support to the criminal dictator. The story on the street, on the internet and on TV is telling us that Egyptians Christians are as determined as Egyptian Muslims

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-48780038832709774562011-01-31T00:15:00.004-06:002011-02-04T01:44:13.586-06:00

[More linked articles added on February 2, 2011] From Haartz Newspaper (read the full article here): Israel urges world to curb criticism of Egypt's MubarakJerusalem seeks to convince its allies that it is in the West's interest to maintain the stability of the Egyptian regime. By Barak Ravid

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-59520103687007685902011-01-29T11:19:00.001-06:002011-02-04T01:45:04.933-06:00

A young woman worth a million men. Beautiful words. The beauty of all what is going on is that it is reminiscent of the 1919 revolution in Egypt that shook the British in submitting to people's wishes. Then, like today, women were major player facing the bullets of the British as much as med did. I did not ever guess I will live to see this happen again in Egypt.Khaledبنت بمليون راجل

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-70313742837236762972011-01-28T12:06:00.003-06:002011-01-28T20:43:05.184-06:00

I posted this on the White House web site. Please Make sure that you express your opinion to your elected officials so we, Americans, do not miss a good chance to do the right thing. (Contact info and suggested text are at the end of this posting) Sooner or later, 'our' dictator allies in the Middle East will fall.  The people there remember very well who was with them, and who was with the

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-91400674632399731142011-01-26T19:13:00.005-06:002011-02-04T03:12:10.494-06:00

So far the popular uprising on January 25 has not been  effective in changing government structure or policies.  But it is still a major landmark in the history of political protest in Egypt. The extent of organization, the communication technology involved in managing it, and the definite involvement of may women in it, with and without Islamic head cover, have all been remarkable (the photo to

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-71165428926642018022011-01-23T22:47:00.002-06:002011-02-04T01:48:31.700-06:00

In my last posting I talked about the sad events of the suicide bombing of a church on New Year's Eve in Alexandria, Egypt.  I also hinted a little about the complex nature of the 'inter-religious' stresses, and the relationship between the government and the religious institutions (namely Al-Azhar, and the Coptic Church).The fall-out of the sad events in Egypt 3 weeks ago is still unfolding

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-82826277593818050622011-01-08T02:37:00.001-06:002011-01-08T10:44:10.079-06:00

I am not the kind of person that thinks twice before greeting non-Muslims on their Holy day.  Most people I know would greet me on my Islamic religious events.  Verse 4:86 of the Quran commands me that if I am greeted, I should respond with a better greeting, or at last, a similar one.But this year I hesitated before calling my Egyptian Christian friends to tell them 'Merry Christmas' on January

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-40486001910213286642010-12-27T21:44:00.001-06:002010-12-27T21:45:44.184-06:00

 Deputy FM: 'The state of Facebook' is more real than Palestine  Thus spake the 'genius' deputy foreign minister of Israel. Referring to recent announcements by several Latin American countries that declared recognition a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, the deputy foreign minister opined that any such Palestinian state was as virtual one as the popular social network.

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-24623503095488840322010-12-18T21:34:00.001-06:002010-12-18T21:40:32.423-06:00

In my previous post, the issue of why moderate Muslims are no where to be notices most of the time was discussed. Just for fun, I went through my browser bookmarks and chose some of the sites I collected over a period of time. Some of them I check regularly, some I do not follow closely.  But it is a 'sampler' of the diversity in web sites and bogs that Muslims are contributing too or founded

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-68150347404320110832010-12-18T15:00:00.003-06:002011-06-20T01:25:17.090-05:00

Muslims realize that moderate forces in Islam are alive.  But to non-Muslims, that does not seem believable, except a small minority that is highly educated about the Middle East, usually for academic purposes.  The majority, by far, and no matter what their intentions are, seems to be unaware of the moderates in Islam and how much effort they are exercising to battle the vocal tide of

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-79701880544727534742010-12-11T19:21:00.001-06:002010-12-11T19:22:35.424-06:00

"I think I’m saying some important things here that need to be much more widely known, especially at this point in time."  This is what Lesley Hazleton said about her 9 minute video on Accidental Theologist web site that she contributes to. For those who read the Quran in Arabic, the video's message comes as no surprise, but the beauty and eloquence in it make it a must watch even if you already

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-36237598940742948382010-11-26T23:20:00.002-06:002010-11-27T00:23:39.477-06:00

While marriage has been talked about very positively in the Quran, divorce has not only been permitted, but its technical and legal aspects have been discussed in more details than marriage itself, and that makes sense: it is a conflict situation, and that deserved more elaboration.  But divorce has been look down upon in most Muslim communities - though not by Islam as a religion - as an

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-59180400443158894852010-10-19T23:50:00.003-05:002010-10-20T10:49:34.743-05:00

This idiot man is a scholar of the Talmud, and yet he is a shame to humanity.  He is the Sephardi chief rabbi of  Israel.  In case you do not know it, this idiot chairs the Shas party that holds the balance of power in the Israeli parliament, and some of his more idiotic followers in several ministerial positions in the Israeli government as well. You can read about his 'credentials' on

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-41444165678603701602010-10-09T17:28:00.001-05:002010-10-09T17:32:17.563-05:00

[This is part 2 of a sermon I gave in September to a local mosque.  Part 1 was posted before on this blog]A primer on anger management and conflict resolution, the Quranic way The tough times we face should teach many other lessons as well.  Lessons that have always been spelled out in the Quran, but that many of us may have not felt the need to put them to good use frequently. Hate against

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-38664732699362146912010-10-02T20:33:00.001-05:002010-10-03T12:58:55.345-05:00

[This is part 1 of a sermon (delivered on in September 2010), that I put together for a local mosque.  Part 2 will be posted soon and it is about what the Quran teaches us on anger management, and conflict resolution]These are very turbulent times for American Muslims.  We are reminded daily how many fellow Americans hate us.  But we are also blessed to see many Americans that do not hate us, and

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-18196516380811225952010-10-02T19:16:00.000-05:002010-10-02T19:16:03.708-05:00

I am surprised the US embassador to the UN did not veto this violent act against Israel. Khaled 

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-64530691576373623742010-09-27T00:21:00.002-05:002010-09-27T02:56:03.188-05:00

Netanyahu urges restraint as West Bank settlement building freeze is lifted You can read the article if you want, but it is all in the picture and in the title. As for me, I have to excuse myself.  I think I am going to throw up.Breaking New:Sources familiar with the inner workings of Gang House (that is the Israeli Government Headquarters for those of you not versed in foreign affairs jargon)

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-8910293861633394802010-09-25T23:11:00.004-05:002010-09-26T00:52:59.364-05:00

This is a reply to a comment by Pamela Taylor on my previous posting.  She referred to her posting on the Washington Post On Faith, and to an interview with the Sudanese scholar, Al-Turabi.   It grew too long to be a comment, so I ‘promoted it’ to a post status! Hi Pamela:Thanks for the link to your article on the Washington Post On Faith blog.  I enjoyed reading it and I do encourage reader of

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-58063788873575529782010-09-19T12:08:00.005-05:002010-10-03T23:31:00.644-05:00

In a previous posting I brought up the issue of the difficulty facing many Muslim women finding husbands.  Many Muslim women (and men) are raising the question about the discrepancy between the rules of marriage outside the faith that has - so far - been undisputed amongst Muslims. I recently received this email from a non-Muslim reader: "One of the most misunderstood areas in Islam is that of

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-12951200617777034332010-08-31T02:02:00.001-05:002010-08-31T02:15:14.938-05:00

Not guilty. The Israeli captain who emptied his rifle into a Palestinian schoolgirl (From the British Guardian)An Israeli army officer who fired the entire magazine of his automatic rifle into a 13-year-old Palestinian girl and then said he would have done the same even if she had been three years old was acquitted on all charges by a military court yesterday. ... The manner of Iman's killing,

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-11631822122729077882010-08-30T14:57:00.002-05:002010-08-30T14:57:00.593-05:00

‘Sinner’ singer given 39 lashes by rabbis JERUSALEM POST STAFF

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-33026334857161585792010-08-29T02:11:00.002-05:002010-08-29T02:50:43.020-05:00

As if it was not enough to have a demagogue idiot fill the air waves in Washington's Lincoln Memorial this Saturday, the hateful racist bigoted evil religious Jewish 'spiritual' leader in Israel also has to have his moment on his holy day.  Do not expect anything holy in his ramblings. Only an Israeli spiritual leader and head of a party that is in the ruling government in our Ally/Master Nation

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-41218712387466063522010-08-29T01:40:00.003-05:002010-08-29T02:34:44.919-05:00

How much longer we have to endure idiocy being the loudest voice in the country? We are supposed to be better than that. It is hard to find anything to say about 'Beck the idiot' that has not been said before.  But when a village clown has the power to mobilize tens of thousands on demand: that is a sad day.  He tarniches MLK memories with a fake call to 'restoring honor' to our country, on a

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-26153013225320533812010-08-15T22:33:00.006-05:002010-08-15T23:32:26.872-05:00

A true patriot shows his love for fellow citizens The nonsensical and mostly hateful discussion about the the so-called 'Ground-Zero Mosque' just shows how politics and religion are almost one and the same thing in many areas of the US at present. The so-called separation of Church and State is a great principle, but is getting  less and less implemented.  And even when religion is not

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-77851622487004977212010-08-06T23:34:00.001-05:002010-08-08T01:51:35.571-05:00

Emily Henochowicz is a Jewish American young woman who was in the occupied Palestinian Territory at the time the Israeli 'Defence' Forces slaughtered several Turkish civilians and one American  in the Gaza flotilla largest ship, Mavi Marmara.  In the protests that erupted in Ramallah the following day, that young art student lost her left eyes after a member of the Israeli 'Defence' Forces aimed

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-20783976593107701872010-08-01T01:26:00.022-05:002010-08-07T00:53:06.772-05:00

Abraham Foxman I never liked the ADL.  Somehow they send a vibe of sneaky, dishonest and unprincipled opportunism.  No matter what subject they meddle in, their stance reeks of pure cheeky pro-Israel propaganda (i.e., Hasbara) coated with an ultra-thin layer of civil rights defense. The only demonstration I organized was against their ugly head, Abraham Foxman who was invited - by some

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-79984177587108329362010-07-15T13:27:00.002-05:002010-07-15T21:26:27.792-05:00

In my previous posting Wanna b a bride, I talked about the problem facing Muslim women in many Muslim societies not finding Muslim husbands.  One of the comments mentioned polygamy in Islam asked about its impact of the problem discussed in the posting. I responded with enough material that may deserved its own 'mini' posting.  Also, re-posting my comment may lead to stimulating a discussion on

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-89042043328608222342010-07-13T22:03:00.002-05:002010-07-13T22:28:16.857-05:00

Israeli Military Declares Gaza Flotilla Killings Justified Israel has killed thousands of Palestinian civilians: men, women and children without a second thought or remorse. So, what's a few more Turks killed in the big scheme of Israeli policies? Besides, a Rabbi knows best when is comes to what pleases God, and the rabbi said it is OK. Chabad rabbi declared his 'Godly' view of where Judaism

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-18517823698011897402010-07-11T14:08:00.001-05:002010-07-11T14:14:13.515-05:00

It must be hard to feel that you are great, and yet that you have to have Every One's approval and acceptance, even the people you occupy and oppress.  I think Israel hunger to get even the 'terrorists' to accept tit as legitimate is a manifestation of that. Israel has more nuclear weapons that China, exports more weapons that France and Britain, is able to occupy concurrently parts of three

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-65311464794359462352010-07-10T01:33:00.004-05:002010-07-10T08:30:31.887-05:00

I guess turning the other cheek and walking the extra mile is passée. I am not sure which Jesus this guy believes in.Jonathan Wilkins, Baptist Tabernacle Minister, Files Lawsuit To Overturn Georgia Church Gun Ban www.huffingtonpost.comATLANTA — A minister in Georgia is challenging the state's ban on guns in churches after the U.S. Supreme Court recently issued a decision supporting

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-70618472345952038932010-06-30T20:00:00.002-05:002010-07-04T11:24:13.342-05:00

What do Muslim Egyptian women and Muslim American women have in common? Until recently, I would have answered: very little other than their religion.  But over the last couple of years I have become more aware of another thing in common: a rapidly growing problem of finding a suitable husband.  The problem is no laughing matter, and it threatens to be a very ominous threat to social structure,

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-16742567434323549002010-06-27T10:34:00.000-05:002010-06-27T10:34:16.318-05:00

An interesting post by the Palestinian American Activist Ali Abunimah.  It goes to show that maintaining lies is difficult, and over time the truth comes out, even if the Israeli government is the brain behind the lie. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered unexpected support to the Gaza Freedom Flotilla and others who plan to challenge his country's naval blockade of the

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-79028974877918281052010-06-23T12:54:00.004-05:002010-06-23T13:29:19.368-05:00

There is always something worth reading in the Huffington Post.  these two news items happened to be next to each other. Some how that seemed like a message. (Link here) (Link here) And now basic facts: Israel: Population 7.5 millions (and, if you wish, additional 10-12 million Jews in the rest of the world) Gross Domestic Product: :$195 Billions (IMF) Literacy rates: 97% And, Saudi Arabia:

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-6359368763874445042010-06-10T13:08:00.005-05:002010-06-10T22:57:07.395-05:00

MondoWeiss is one of the best sites covering Israeli Palestinian News. Their coverage of the latest events with the assault on the Turkish ship and the massacre of Turkish peace activist. Many of their latest posting are refuting the idiotic claim that the activists were - like every thing else in the universe - a threat to Israel.Today they posted a graphic video possibly of the shooting at

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-53680230758182528582010-06-08T12:12:00.015-05:002010-06-08T18:09:36.587-05:00

It has been a little over a week since Israel's bloody killing spree on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara took place. At this point British, French, Italian, Russian and German officials have called for international probe (Check this: EU states competing over Israel policy). The UN is on board and already working on the probe team to be headed by former New Zealand prime minister. [Addendum: The

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-20557279144599732002010-06-02T21:28:00.017-05:002010-06-08T17:22:07.381-05:00

Day after day a new nail is hammered in the coffin of any claim that Israel has any shreds of morality or decency. For decades, their high powered propaganda machine and their real control on many major news outlets managed to blind the average Westerner about the truth in that unlucky part of the world that is 'blessed' with Israel's presence. Europe is almost free from the mental fog about

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-42239170339010326662010-05-26T22:40:00.012-05:002010-05-26T23:40:54.983-05:00

It is always amusing to see how traditional Jewish clergy are as messed up as the worst of the Muslim clergy and fanatics. And with hundreds of thousand of fundamentalist Jews occupying Palestinian occupied territories of the West bank, it is worthwhile exposing who these people are.The average person in the US truly believes that in the Israeli Palestinian conflict, the Israeli side

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-2195194078567712862010-05-19T21:42:00.012-05:002010-05-19T23:52:32.364-05:00

In a previous posting I presented my opinion that the Islamization of the Palestinian cause was harmful to Palestinians on one hand, and to all Arabs and Muslims on the other. I strongly believe that it was a short-sighted measure, tactically and strategically.The major beneficiary of that mistake was Israel and its Arab- and Muslim-hating supporters who found a great comfort in presenting it

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-19412474611593462862010-05-03T21:23:00.011-05:002010-06-12T02:16:41.979-05:00

A middle aged Christian black President, and a older Jewish white man of God from California: what do these two men have in common? Both are hated, and both should be very proud of it. Let me explain. Mankind is programmed to essentially enjoy being liked. If you think this is not the case, just imagine how much more difficult it would be to build a society or a community of any kind if we all

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-488503933874230102010-04-15T13:23:00.010-05:002010-04-18T23:03:23.489-05:00

The title on Haaretz front-page online few days ago read: "Zionist group bans Goldstone from grandson's bar mitzvah"Judge Richard Goldstone is a Jewish South African internationally respected jurist who made the grave mistake of accepting to write a report on the crimes committed by Israel and Hamas during the bloody Gaza War over a year ago in which over 1500 Palestinians were killed, more than

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-47592151557860633242010-04-07T19:42:00.014-05:002010-04-07T22:40:52.090-05:00

During the last week of March 2010, a group of senior Muslim clerics gathered in a small town in Turkey to discuss an interesting issue: modernization of some old religious rulings (Fatwas) that do not seem to make sense in modern times.The major Fatwa in focus this time was an 800 year-old Fatwa, issued by Ibn Taymiyya (1263–1328 AD). That Fatwa is understood by modern-day militants as

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-63850502951415977782010-04-01T23:26:00.007-05:002010-05-19T23:53:16.071-05:00

For a large number of people, merely raising the question, whether the Israeli Palestinian conflict is a Islamic ‘religious’ issue or not, may raise eye brows. Many take it for granted that the conflict is a religious one.Well. That has not been always been the case. And for several decades, Palestine liberation from Israeli occupation and oppression was an Arab national cause, not an Islamic

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-80909274754874569812010-02-19T07:12:00.013-06:002010-02-19T12:43:46.069-06:00

I am not a follower of the world of art, but I came across this article in Haaretz Israeli newspaper.Spain sculpture offensive to Jews, Israel saysI am sure non-Jews may also find it offensive for different reasons, but it all depends what you think he is saying. As for me, I found that sculpture on display in Madrid's contemporary art show ARCO 2010 interesting, so I did some looking around

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-21677481818040259662010-02-11T11:52:00.009-06:002010-02-11T14:27:52.069-06:00

Human societies are nothing if not... 'human'.Part of being human is, unfortunately, being pretentious and dishonest, as well as posturing and self righteousness. There are no exception to that rule whether you are talking about Afghanistan, Egypt, The United States or, in this case, France.The arrogance of French culture pops up every now and then giving the impression that the French have '

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-35925095654744410612010-01-26T19:24:00.011-06:002010-01-26T21:17:31.485-06:00

My criticism for many Muslims and how they perceived Islam is not new. And moreover, it will not stop for as long as I see a chance to change something or someone.I consider that my responsibility and my religious duty. There is no point in being part of a community if one does not regularly critically appraise the state of health and future trajectory of that community. And if things are not

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-9526998396508888502010-01-13T21:38:00.012-06:002010-01-13T23:00:19.743-06:00

The clown of a clergy that goes by the name of Pat Robertson has uttered a lot of nonsense before. Idiocy comes naturally to him, and stupidity seems to be his hall mark. I have commented several time on some of that senile nonsense before (check these).Yet, millions that falsely think they are really Christians follow the idiot and his nonsensical ramblings. Ramblings that if not about gay,

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-12934915996440637722010-01-06T20:16:00.013-06:002010-01-06T22:47:32.128-06:00

One of the best things that ever happened to American Muslims was, and still is, the birth of the Council On American Islamic Relations (CAIR). To say the least, it empowered American Muslims and brought their civil rights to the forefront in many Muslim communities. It is still a strong pillar of Muslim civil rights in the US (and Canada).The American civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is also one

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-89829140918093039652009-12-29T12:49:00.007-06:002009-12-29T20:51:23.579-06:00

It would be wonderful to be able to support charitable organizations that we like throughout the year. But let us be honest: something about the end of the calendar year brings the topic of charitable donations 'to the front burner' more frequently.Could it be Christmas Spirit in the air?Or is it the IRS and Uncle Sam's promise to be nicer to us if we share the wealth?Or is it the usual human

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-61003325256836608472009-12-29T12:31:00.005-06:002009-12-29T12:47:24.036-06:00

The title of the post was the subject of an email I received for Ali, a friend of mine. The topic is interesting with very thoughtful content that he was trying to bring to the attentions of the friends he sent the email.I asked him to let me share it, and he kindly agreed.I was reading this book and this one page really stuck to me and thought I share it with some of you. Sorry for the long

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-17652620104256510812009-12-12T19:40:00.004-06:002009-12-12T19:49:36.577-06:00

I received an email from a friend with this article from The Wall Street Journal.It is a very well written article and it is unique as it is looking at the massacre from a the 'personal Islamic perspective' applied to the perpetrator.I felt it is worth sharing and I hope it will lead to a good online discussion. Please give your input.Major Hasan and the QuranRepentance is the only option for

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-2465426524643502442009-11-28T20:12:00.005-06:002009-12-01T19:17:36.407-06:00

"Medicine of the Soul" is over a thousand year old book written in Arabic by Abu Bakr Al-Razi (born in AD 875 near Tehran), the greatest medical scientist and physician produced by the early Islamic civilization. He ventured in all aspects of medicine and psychiatry (including scientific medical research) and is known to be the first in the history of medicine to treat pediatrics as a

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-71126409638198181542009-11-19T11:55:00.001-06:002009-11-20T12:10:32.280-06:00

This posting is not about how US 'dismay' at Israeli wrong-doing would ever straighten up anything, because it would not. The US can express dismay till the cow come home, and Israel would not even blink - they know it is the game of politics as usual.This posting is truly to get you to put yourselves in the shoes the poor man in the photo.Think for a second what may make you steal from you own

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-34628605852537360332009-11-17T18:56:00.007-06:002009-11-17T20:01:57.145-06:00

Earlier today I was cc'd on an email exchange between several of the Interfaith Partnership (IFP) of St. Louis and Imam Minhajuddin, Imam (i.e., religious leader) of the Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis (IFGSL). The email was a reply from Imam Minhaj to an earlier message he received from the IFP and Faith Beyond Walls of St. Louis.I found his reply to be worth sharing with you and the

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-28822998714395107142009-10-27T20:00:00.012-05:002010-05-19T23:43:13.511-05:00

Some fundamentalists are smart. Most are just plain dumb. Their knowledge of religion - whichever religion they exploit to express their anger and desire for power - is mostly spotty, and lack awareness of the breadth and diversity of opinions that all religions developed over time.Most of the dumb fundamentalists think that they know exactly what God wants even though they do not even have

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-15206078681203923392009-09-27T12:10:00.011-05:002009-09-29T16:03:23.207-05:00

I have not posted anything for several months. Mostly as I see no value in it other than me venting, which was not my initial intention of starting this blog over 20 months ago.Anyway, I received an email from a dear and thoughtful friend of mine who needed to vent after an email exchange with someone that forward him an email full of the usual nonsense: conspiracy theories about everything, and

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-87174085316356467002009-07-16T22:02:00.021-05:002009-07-17T00:42:58.104-05:00

There is no dispute that the best system of governance mankind had invented is democracy. But democracy does not lead automatically to a benevolent civilized state that coexists in peace and harmony with its neighbors – even if the neighbors are also democratic states. The claim that more democracies will lead to more peaceful and humane world is a lie, mostly used to justify horrendous

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-24922790171274901262009-07-09T21:53:00.009-05:002009-07-11T10:10:42.843-05:00

As a country built on immigrants, the USA has a large number of its loyal citizens with some other ‘homeland’ attachments. For the most part, the old homeland attachment is more emotional than material. It may present itself in the excited discussions about politics ‘over there’, in going crazy about how that country ranks in world soccer, or in sending some money for various overseas charities

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-82404442224566394522009-07-02T23:03:00.013-05:002009-07-03T00:19:42.710-05:00

Proper vote-counting is essential for democracy, but NOT sufficient.Considering the current focus on Iran and the election fraud that may have altered the outcome of its presidential race, the issue of democracy in the Middle East is on the front burner among the talking heads in the media probably only until another disaster, 'existential threat' or a celebrity death fills the air

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-62716580343146838072009-06-29T22:44:00.004-05:002009-06-29T23:08:11.961-05:00

The events in Iran give me a great deal of heartache. That is not because I think Ahmadinejad had the elections rigged. Western reporters, including many from the BBC and American media who have been there and are familiar with Iran, seem to agree that there could have been voting irregularities but that the outcome of the election was unlikely changed.Mousavi has won the hearts of the educated

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-91336938118057918462009-06-20T23:48:00.011-05:002009-06-21T12:16:05.744-05:00

Bahar Bastani is a good friend of mine. He is an American Iranian Muslim activist and an eminent University kidney disease specialist in St. Louis. I recently received an email from him with thoughtful comments about the recent elections and post-election events in Iran.Like many others, I was hoping for the opposition to win in Iran simply because the faces that represented them were more

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-68870278745258298642009-05-02T14:17:00.023-05:002009-05-04T14:05:37.373-05:00

Last month the saga of the Saudi father ('father' used here in a very loose sense) who married his 8 year old daughter to one of his acquaintances as a 'dept-repayment' was on the Arabic and international media. The mother, who opposed the marriage filed to annul the marriage before a local court but her request was denied and the 'legality' of the transaction was upheld. The judge said he tried

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-47831658113572994652009-04-23T21:50:00.022-05:002009-04-24T00:03:57.673-05:00

First time I heard about it was in an article titled: Tell Her the Truth in The Nation. That article made me envy London, New york and Chicago a little. Those places were where the 'playlet' was showing. And now it is here: in St. Louis.During the murderous Israeli assault on Gaza earlier this year, many progressive and liberal forces in Europe were very active and outspoken in their support

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-32077229822055122112009-04-18T23:54:00.009-05:002009-06-29T23:09:07.264-05:00

This is a translation for an article published in Arabic in Al-Dustur Egyptian newspaper in July of last year. In this posting, I explain why I am translating it with some information and links about the author, a renowned Egyptian writer.The phrases in square brackets are my own, and are meant to add some clarification of cultural of historic background where I deemed some clarification may

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-19029418879592067022009-04-18T22:03:00.016-05:002009-04-18T23:17:29.465-05:00

I alluded in my previous posting to the fact that Muslims, by virtue of their diversity, should be a group that is difficult to generalize to, yet they seem nowadays as the main target for cultural generalization, mostly in a deeply negative way.The numerous ethnicites, cultures and languages of Muslims all over the world, while contributing to diversity, undoubtedly compound the problem for

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-22781694926131280562009-04-15T22:21:00.008-05:002009-04-15T22:49:31.604-05:00

Does that title sound antisemitic to you as it does to me? Do titles like that get on your nerves? I hope it does. Why then do I choose a title that annoys me personally, and can even get me in trouble?Well, I chose it to make a point.This morning I came across an article in Haaretz that had the title “What are the origins of Muslim antisemitism?” That title got on my nerves. For whatever

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-7741896759542589342009-04-04T19:48:00.013-05:002009-04-06T11:02:51.229-05:00

Thinking about death? It could be a good thing.“I am afraid I do not have good news for you. Your doctors think you have only few years to live” While that does not sound like a definite death sentence (after all that is just likelihood), it is not exactly the kind of thing one looks forward to hearing.So, once you here that, what happens next? I guess that all depends.If death is imminent, for

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-90129974384219251582009-03-27T17:40:00.020-05:002010-05-19T23:56:53.537-05:00

The double 'Anti' in the title is not a typo. Following the horror of the Gaza war, a lot more voices were heard harshly - and correctly so - criticizing Israel and its pattern of brutal handling of the Palestinians (in Gaza as well as the West Bank). Coinciding with that is usual the increase in charges of 'antisemitism' by the blindly Pro-Israel chorus, and regardless of what Israel ever

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-86473747728096621432009-03-22T20:44:00.003-05:002009-03-22T21:47:21.093-05:00

The Israeli President Shimon Peres for a casual looker may look like a nice grandfatherly figure. He is soft spoken and has a way with words. But do not let appearances fool you. He suffers from the same flaws like most, if not all of Israel's leadership. Whether explicitly spoken or not, the sense of 'chosenness' and supremacy that entitles them to give advice and tell everyone else that

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-31944322966519403652009-03-22T20:15:00.011-05:002009-03-22T21:42:44.899-05:00

(This is a collection of quotes relevant to Part One of this posting: A call to join the 'Enlightened' ones. Part 1: Chosen? Who knows. Arrogant? Absolutely.)In part Two of this posting, I included few paragraphs and photos taken verbatim from: the Israeli Daily Haartz (by various authors), from New York Times article by NYT Jerusalem Bureau chief Ethan Bronner, and from Richard Silverstein's

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-8866260276008930722009-03-15T01:10:00.001-05:002009-03-15T02:19:12.913-05:00

Gaza war of 2009 is not a very well-kept secret.The number of victims may be disputed, but very few will deny that a large majority of the 1500 Palestinian killed by Israel were innocent children, women and men. Most of the world have seen the Israeli military exercising a campaign of vengeance against Gaza people.What may be a sliver of hope - if you are still capable of seeing anything

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-12103623070187053632009-03-14T23:51:00.007-05:002009-03-15T02:33:34.355-05:00

Part 2 is a brief presentation of two excellent articles mentioned in Part 1 of this postingGideon Levi wrote recently a very interesting article about the Tennis Match events in Sweden, titled "Has anyone in Israel asked why the Swedes hate us?". It is a must-read, and it discusses the reason for pervasive and unreal sense of innocence some Israelis have, and the real anger the world outside

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-7083186592167895372009-03-08T16:30:00.018-05:002009-03-08T21:54:36.233-05:00

The Morality of politicians is always suspect. And for most of us, a politician of integrity and solid principle is the exception rather than the rule. This applies everywhere, and regardless of religion or ethnicity.Two news items, from very different parts of the world, were cases in point for me.The first case comes from one of the most forsaken places where bloodshed, rape, ethnic cleansing

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-6237678547893021022009-02-24T20:57:00.014-06:002009-02-25T00:24:36.160-06:00

Here is a puzzle for you.The first picture you see below: what kind of emotions does it trigger?Want to guess what the story behind the photo is? Give it a shot, but do not peek at the text under the picture.Let me help you a bit. Two women, one of them dressed in a white uniform taking a close look at the other woman's eye. Are you closer to a good guess?The women look European. The hair style,

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-65531592951056452282009-02-19T14:37:00.029-06:002009-02-22T12:18:05.719-06:00

I cannot claim to be a theologian. But I do not have to be one to express how I feel about God, and about my own faith.There are different ways to look at one's faith, and why we need to do what God wants, and stay away from what God tells you not to do.For example, one can look at being a believer as being an employee: if you do what your boss wants, you will get promoted (= go to heaven). If

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-29397303442972965092009-02-12T21:54:00.024-06:002009-02-13T16:00:54.397-06:00

Few weeks ago, Pope Benedict XVI decided to reverse the excommunication that was imposed on several bishops with history of strong conservative inclinations in an attempt, as some reporters suggested, to be more inclusive of conservative groups deemed in the passed as fringe. The excommunication, to my knowledge, was not for their opinions, but rather for accepting appointments as bishops

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-48933680764508048422009-02-05T21:41:00.038-06:002009-02-10T01:43:34.303-06:00

I remember one of my professors over 25 years ago saying: "put a little of your heart into what you do". That way, nothing is "just a job". What you do becomes part of you, becomes more enjoyable, and more likely also gets better done. If you cannot put a little of your self into you job, then you are in the wrong business.Charity work is also like a job. For some people it is 'just a job'

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-45016633910209895902009-01-31T14:01:00.000-06:002009-01-31T15:51:45.115-06:00

I know GW is old news, but I have just received this cartoon in an email from a friend. It is not a funny cartoon, but it is amazingly sad.Imagine yourself, with all the fire power, financial power, propaganda power, intelligence service capabilities in the galaxy at your disposal for a whole lot of 8 very long years. Yet, you leave the presidency with nothing you can claim as an achievement.

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-1453177286946840712009-01-28T20:34:00.010-06:002009-01-31T15:57:45.971-06:00

A good friend of mine is half Jewish by birth, but has for the last 5-6 years been more aware of her Jewish identity. Recently I received an email from her after she read some of my latest blog postings. I felt that it may be worthwhile to share with you part of her email in blue (with her permission), and my response in red to it.A major part of the wide gap between pro-peace Israeli and

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-4146661665113543172009-01-27T15:34:00.012-06:002009-01-27T17:59:40.214-06:00

Richard Silverstein is probably one of the last Jews on the planet that should receive hate mail from a Muslim or an Arab. If you do not believe me, check his web site or his contribution to the British Guardian.Of course he gets a lot of hate mail, but almost exclusively from right wing Jews or ardent pro-Israel fundamentalist Christian. Over the years, he stopped taking it personally. And with

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-70845872227586438102009-01-27T02:15:00.003-06:002009-01-27T02:19:59.234-06:00

Gaza War Pushes Arabs to the Brink - The Nation Anger is boiling over in the Middle East over Gaza, and -- exactly as I predicted -- the result of the war has been to boost radicalism throughout the region, to strengthen the terrorist-inclined fanatics of Hamas, and to enhance the muscle of terrorist-inclined Israelis, including far-right parties such as Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu and,

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594177931877686122.post-24863825157070545412009-01-22T23:50:00.004-06:002009-01-25T10:47:45.088-06:00

In a previous post I presented a very good article by Stephen Walt disputing the Mythical Strategic Genius of Israel and its politicians.Although it may be a stretch for me to disagree with the analysis of someone in Walt's stature, I actually do disagree with him. I still think that Israel is a strategic genius today, and here is why I think so.I do not disagree with Walt on his historic facts

Khaledhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10331670117235466721noreply@blogger.com0