Dear HumanDHS network friends
Please find below the CGNews Bulletin for 10-16 June 2008.
Kind regards
Brian Ward
Common Ground News Bulletin - 10-16 June 2008 Inside this edition
A royal heritage
by Sheikh Anwar Muhaimin
In this third article in our series on African American Muslims, Quba Institute director Sheikh Anwar Muhaimin considers the impact of Islam on his predecessors – young African American men in 1940s America – providing them with a connection “to a universal and global family”.
(Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 10 June 2008)
Does America have a role in Ankara?
by Ariel Kastner
Ariel Kastner, a research analyst with the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, assesses the political climate surrounding the upcoming Israeli-Syrian talks hosted by Turkey, and gauges America’s role in the negotiations.
(Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 10 May 2008)
~Youth Views~ The fittest survive in Lebanon
by Ceem Haidar
In light of the country’s recent conflict, Lebanese American University student, Ceem Haidar, considers why the Lebanese are among the most adaptable of people and what youth can do to help bring an end to the turmoil.
(Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 10 June 2008)
Academic lighthouse on the Bosphorus
by Christiane Schlötzer
Against the backdrop of recently tense relations between Germany and Turkey regarding issues of immigration and assimilation, the two countries have joined hands to build an Istanbul-based university, heralding a new beginning for Turkish-German relations.
(Source: Qantara.de, 6 June 2008)
Christians and Muslims united in weddings
by Sameh Fawzy
How different are Christians and Muslims from one another really? Sameh Fawzy, an Egyptian journalist, considers the most basic of religious ceremonies – marriage – in Christianity and Islam and argues that there is more to unite both communities than divide them.
(Source: Daily News Egypt, 9 June 2008)
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A royal heritage
Sheikh Anwar Muhaimin
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - “You are royal. You come from a royal background,” the Spruce Street neighbourhood boys were told in Smitty’s barbershop when they came in for their weekly haircuts. With these words, the lives of these young African American males were impacted forever. They were inspired to think about themselves in a way that was broader and grander than they had ever imagined.
This was Newark, New Jersey nearly 70 years ago, a time when jazz music was the rage, zoot suits were in style and the Spruce Street boys were looking to have a good time, spending their nights dancing, partying and picking up women. The person speaking to them was their local barber, Brother Sabroon, who tried to inspire these young men to look deep within themselves to see something that was deeper than what they were living at the time.
Occasionally, Brother Sabroon would invite these boys to meet the man who inspired him: “The Professor”. Muhammad Ezuldeen was a man from the South who had journeyed to the Middle East in the early 1900s to study ancient Egyptian history and ended up studying the tenets of Islam and later becoming a Muslim. He taught his followers the basics of this religion, following in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad in the early days of Islam.
Over time, many of these young men began to ponder their broader purpose in life, asking what might be more meaningful than just having a good time, and thinking about what made their heritage special.
I am the son of an early convert, and as someone who has known many of these African American converts to Islam throughout my life, I have grown to understand that Islam provided many answers to these questions. It seems that Islam was, for many of them, the answer to the powerlessness that they felt, a way to rise up and build themselves back into the people that God intended them to be. They finally felt “connected”, not just to their ethnic roots as black people but, more powerfully, to a universal and global family.
Professor Muhammad used to encourage his followers to migrate from the cities and “go back to the land”. He would captivate them with stories about their true heritage and their connection to the Biblical Hagar, mother of Ishmael. They were taught that they were the original Arabs, the Hemetic Arabs, and thus they had an obligation to reconnect to their lost heritage, tongue, history and culture. Many of them also felt that by submitting to God they were taking their rightful place amongst civilised people in the world – a right that they were denied, in many instances, by the very design of society in those days.
In trying to achieve the same outcome, my elders would tell me stories of overcoming hatred of the “white man” and learning to love God and accept His decree. Some may view this as a passive form of acceptance but, in fact, the spiritual implications are very powerful indeed.
In my case, I was constantly reminded that my destiny was ultimately the design of God and for that reason no one had control over it or me except Him. Therefore I could not fall prey to the “blame game” which, in a larger context, made me responsible and accountable for my own actions and responsibilities.
In listening to the stories of these elders I have come to admire and respect the sincerity and depth of commitment that many of them possessed. For a significant part of my life, Islam was a habit for me – it was all I knew in my childhood. But for many of my predecessors, Islam was a true life-choice.
In my early adulthood, I often read the autobiography of Malcolm X, who would later become El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. His story parallels the stories of the Spruce Street boys and other African American Muslims who were not born into Islam, but chose another path to it.
The stories of these early converts continue to inspire me and inform both my understanding and my practice of Islam. And it is a story that has yet to be fully told.
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* Sheikh Anwar Muhaimin currently resides in Philadelphia and is the director of the Quba Institute. This article is part of a series on African American Muslims written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org .
Source: Common Ground News Service, 10 June 2008, www.commongroundnews.org
Copyright permission is granted for publication.
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Does America have a role in Ankara?
Ariel Kastner
Washington, DC - The recent announcement that indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria are being conducted in Turkey has led many to ask whether this round of negotiations represents anything more than political games. Given that Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is facing a deepening corruption investigation with louder calls for him to step down, and in light of floundering negotiations with the Palestinians, many Israelis presume he might be using the cover of peace talks with Syria to divert attention from his political challenges.
But the unusual official announcements – both the Israeli and Syrian governments released coordinated remarks announcing the talks – and reports that agreement has been reached on a number of core issues indicate that something more than political games may be afoot. What remains to be seen and is of the utmost significance for forging a deal, however, is whether the United States will engage as a participant.
Israeli leaders have a history of acting boldly under political fire; former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, for example, announced plans in 2003 to withdraw Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip amidst a corruption investigation. While political troubles on the Israeli side portend movements towards peace, economic woes on the Syrian side exert pressure on President Bashar al-Assad to make changes to the status quo.
In this climate, it is no surprise that the Israeli and Syrian governments are testing the waters. But, while talks have moved forward, a key component remains missing: the United States.
Until recently, the United States was expected to act as the mediator in peace talks between Israel and its neighbours, including Syria. During Bill Clinton’s presidency American officials shuttled between Damascus and Jerusalem, overseeing negotiations between the parties. But today the United States not only has a shared interest with Israel in pulling Syria away from Iran and halting Syrian weapons assistance to Hizbullah, it has its own interest regarding Lebanon – ensuring it be independent from Syria – that does not concern Israel.
When commenting on the possibility of Israeli-Syrian talks, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made clear that the United States does “not wish to stand in the way of any attempt to achieve peace,” but added that “Syria [has] yet to show a desire for Middle East peace, especially vis-à-vis Lebanon.” Syria’s role in Lebanon, including its alleged assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri in 2005, poses a direct assault on one of Bush’s priorities in the region: democracy promotion.
At the same time, things have changed on the Syrian side, whose main interest in talks with Israel is no longer the return of the Golan Heights: while this is a basic requirement, it is not incentive enough to reach agreement. Syria is struggling with a stagnant economy that is taxed by rising energy costs (partly due to a loss of illegal oil revenue from Iraq after the US invasion) and an influx of Iraqi refugees who are straining the country’s infrastructure.
Some analysts have speculated that the country may face a “day of reckoning” when the economy cannot keep up with population growth and domestic needs. Syria, therefore, seeks any financial and diplomatic relationship it can have with the United States.
While American compensation for making peace with Israel has been the norm – Egypt, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority all received large amounts of aid and deepening of trade when they worked out their respective agreements, this time the United States’ other interest – that relating to Lebanon – will play a determining role. Consequently, a peace dividend will not result from peace between Israel and Syria alone, but from a peace between Israel and Syria and the United States.
The question for the current round of talks then is whether the United States will engage not as a mediator, but as a participant. So far the White House, while apprised of the meetings, hasn’t expressed a willingness to join in the talks. So while Israel and Syria may make progress under Turkey’s guidance, a key piece of the peace puzzle will still be missing. But perhaps not for long. Even if the current US administration does not engage, Turkey may well be able to shepherd the talks to a point where at least the next administration can help finalise the deal.
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* Ariel Kastner is a research analyst with the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org .
Source: Common Ground News Service, 10 June 2008, www.commongroundnews.org
Copyright permission is granted for publication.
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~Youth Views~ The fittest survive in Lebanon
Ceem Haidar
Beirut - My fellow Lebanese, come pick up your Medals of Immunity since nothing seems to shake you anymore. There was a bomb, you say? We still don’t have a president? Another leader just got assassinated? There are clashes in parts of Beirut? Gunshots were heard? So then, what’s the safest route to go to the bar tonight?
Considering the turmoil we have seen and the conflicts we have endured, I’m surprised we are still standing – and even able to smile about it all.
Perhaps the Darwinian notion of “survival of the fittest” was conceptualised particularly for Lebanon and its inhabitants. If someone is wondering why, my response would be to look at the past four years of events in the country.
Our problem-solving skills, though requiring major retouching, are among the most advanced in the world. We have a new crisis to attend to almost every week. And look – there go the politicians yet again trying to resolve a new issue at hand. Yet here we are, a few months of peace have been secured, it seems.
However, our leaders cannot be entirely credited for the adept problem-solving skills of the Lebanese people. Their expeditious methods of restoring peace on the streets are not entirely effective. In fact, although we may have the most reputable risk management skills in our leaders, they are always seated around their table battling away crisis after crisis, so their timing is unfortunately way off.
We Lebanese youth find ourselves unable to plan ahead. From education to work, our lives are repeatedly put on hold, and we silently pray for a brighter future. Lebanon in general is not the best of places to establish oneself career-wise, as the opportunities here are limited. Since enrolling in my university, I have spent more time at home due to the crises than I have in the classroom, and the same applies to those who work. I speak for all our youth when I say that in order to fully apply ourselves and give back to our country, we need to experience what it’s like to be free from strife.
However, after this most recent conflict that resulted in the Doha Accords, all Lebanese are asking: “Did the politicians really have to put us through all this just to reach an inevitable compromise?”
So why don’t we call on the leaders and tell them to leave their bickering to themselves, to not burden us with their political differences, and to simply allow us to go through at least one day without having to hear them squabbling over power instead of dealing with more normal political issues. In the end, after all, it all comes down to the race for power.
But then again, Darwin kicks in and the fittest seem to survive.
Our will to live is stronger than ever. We have endured events far beyond our limits, yet have overcome them. The ability to adapt graciously to situations seems to be innate, whether becoming accustomed to times of war, turmoil, or even familiarising ourselves with peace. We find ourselves yearning for what Westerners talk about, namely safety, security and stability.
So what can we, as the youth of Lebanon, do about all of this? Our options may be limited, but we want to voice our concerns – whether in editorials or by staging protests. After all, this is our homeland, and it is based on democratic principles – and no longer should our voices go unnoticed. Our sheer determination will keep driving us until we are heard, though.
There is not one event that we have not been witness to, not one dilemma at hand that we have not scratched our brains to try and find a solution to. The Lebanese are, each in their own way, self-trained political analysts. No one else in the world can give you the history of their country, updates of the current state of emergency, and what the leaders are trying to do to help, in less than five minutes, under machine gun fire and RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) blasts.
But we can. It’s in our nature. It’s how we survive.
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* Ceem Haidar majored in journalism at Lebanese American University and is a graduate of the class of 2008. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org .
Source: Common Ground News Service, 10 June 2008, www.commongroundnews.org
Copyright permission is granted for publication.
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Academic lighthouse on the Bosphorus
Christiane Schlötzer
Bonn, Germany - There are plenty of respected universities in Turkey that teach in English or French. Germany now also wants to get its foot in the door of the Turkish education market, with a Turkish-German university (DTU) in Istanbul. The German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan signed the foundation document for the new university – to be located along the banks of the Bosphorus – in Berlin on Friday, and the first students from both countries are expected before 2010.
“This is a glorious day for Turkish-German relations,” commented Edzard Reuter, visibly moved. The former Daimler-Benz CEO grew up in Ankara, where his father Ernst Reuter had found refuge from Nazi persecution from 1935 to 1946.
Ernst Reuter later became mayor of Berlin, and his name inspired the Ernst Reuter Initiative, set up by the foreign ministers of the two countries in 2006. This initiative aims to find new ways for fostering understanding between cultures, especially in the wake of the Danish Muhammad caricatures incident. The DTU is the initiative’s ambitious showcase project.
The idea for a Turkish-German university, however, is much older, with a long history of setbacks behind it. The Kohl government had planned a similar project as long ago as the early 1990s, which ultimately failed for financial reasons. It was not the only one. The current plans are also yet to be approved by the Turkish parliament.
“The Turkish education bureaucracy is renowned for its stubbornness when it comes to clearing up issues of national autonomy,” says professor of politics Claus Leggewie, one of the DTU’s many founders.
But none of the other plans ever got as far as the current project. The building work is scheduled to start in 2009, although Babacan did not state a precise date in Berlin. The first students should be enrolled as soon as autumn of next year.
The Turkish side will provide the premises and cover running costs, while the Germans are to send lecturers, develop curricula and give grants. Berlin is currently anticipating annual costs of Euro 3.5 million. To begin with, four faculties are planned: Engineering, Economics & Social Sciences, Law, and Cultural Studies. Teaching will be mainly in German.
Students gaining a Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD from the new university will receive a graduate certificate from both countries. The DTU hopes to admit 5000 students in total, and will be open for “excellent students from Turkey” and also Germany.
There are several secondary schools in Turkey that teach entirely or partly in German. In Germany, pupils can also learn Turkish as a foreign language at several schools. Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan unleashed a storm of indignation during a visit to Germany in February, when he warned Turkish people living in the country against “assimilation” and also suggested more Turkish secondary schools.
Steinmeier, Babacan and the German education minister, Annette Schavan, described the project on Friday with words like “lighthouse”, “signal” and “new phase”. In fact, German professors helped found a university in Turkey once before. In 1933, the founder of the Turkish state, Kemal Atatürk, encouraged Germans living in exile from the Nazis to create the first Western-oriented university on the Bosphorus. It became a long-term project – the Istanbul Üniversitesi celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.
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* Christiane Schlötzer is a freelance writer. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org .
Source: Qantara.de, 6 June 2008, www.qantara.de
Copyright permission is granted for publication.
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Christians and Muslims united in weddings
Sameh Fawzy
Cairo - Over the last few years I attended a number of my Muslim colleagues’ marriage ceremonies at mosques. Every time I participate in this lovely occasion I get the impression that Muslim weddings have become closer, at least in form, to the wedding ceremonies of Christians.
In the past, Muslims used to celebrate weddings at home or in country-clubs, but now there are big halls attached to mosques that are always occupied by successive weddings, especially on Thursdays and Fridays.
Last week I attended a friend’s wedding at the mosque, where my first impressions about such ceremonies turned into convictions. It seems that there is now an Egyptian culture signifying the common rituals of all Egyptians. The marriage ceremonies on both sides have tilted towards one another.
Christians have to book a church a few months in advance to be allotted one hour for their ceremony. Muslims now have to do the same: when you enter the mosque’s gate, particularly that of a famous one, you will find a timetable of the weddings scheduled for each day. Each couple on the long list is given only one hour.
At the church, the bride and groom sit on two prominent seats on the eastern part of the church, surrounded by flowers and candles. At the mosque’s banquet hall, there is also a specific space for bride and groom, also decorated with flowers and candles.
As the couple enters the church, they are greeted with a lovely hymn about God, called “The King of Peace”. At the mosque, the couple enters the hall during the recitation of the 99 attributes of God.
In the Christian wedding ceremony, each couple goes through a three-part religious process: the declaration, the blessings and the prayers. The priest has to announce the first names of the couple, and their desire to unite in Jesus Christ. Then, he blesses them and calls on attendees to pray to God to make both the groom and the bride happy and faithful in marriage.
At the mosque, I encountered similar rites. The registrar who conducts the marriage ceremony declares first names of the couple and announces their unity in Islam. He then asks the attendees to pray to God to fill the couples’ lives with goodness and prosperity.
Culturally we sometimes think that Muslims and Christians have become distant from one another. However, a deeper look into their daily life practices shows the many similarities between them, although they may appear unable to explore and sustain this closeness.
Unfortunately, fanatics on both sides preach a culture of hatred by drawing divisive lines between Christians and Muslims. When I shared my observation about the marriage ceremonies with a conservative Muslim friend, he admitted the similarities, but tried to convince me that what is going on is not new, only a manifestation of Egypt’s pure return to real Islamic teachings.
However, I continue to believe that Egyptians differ in religion but unite in culture.
I love to look at issues from a cultural perspective. So despite any apparent social disintegration, this makes me feel that I am still living in a united society.
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* Sameh Fawzy is an Egyptian journalist, PhD researcher, and a specialist on governance and citizenship. This abridged article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org . The full text can be found at www.dailystaregypt.com .
Source: Daily News Egypt, 9 June 2008, www.dailystaregypt.com
Copyright permission is granted for publication.