They Said It Wouldn't Last

Creative activism...

Happy anniversary, War! I can hardly believe we've been together for five years now ... that's a fifth of the way to our silver anniversary!

Traditionally, a fifth anniversary is marked with gifts of wood, symbolizing a "strong and lasting marriage." But I knew you wouldn't mind a gift of Kevlar -- I looked it up, and apparently it symbolizes "a strong and lasting insurgency." Somehow it just seemed more appropriate.

It's sooo sweet of you to take me out to dinner for our anniversary, War. I know it's not easy getting a reservation here in Baghdad, with so many of the local restaurants destroyed by suicide bombers. But eating in the Green Zone is fine. No, really! Concrete barriers and barbed wire can be extremely romantic.

Anniversaries make me so nostalgic. I have to confess, though, when we first met I wasn't all that sure about you. Remember those sweet nothings you used to whisper in my ear, about WMD and "shock and awe"? Did you think I was impressed by all that macho posturing? I never really fell for it, you know.

I have to say, you didn't make a great impression on my mother either. She always thought you were a bully and a liar. And I don't know if you noticed this, War, but even your friends were pretty appalled by some of your behavior. Right, wild oats. Whatever. Still, I wasn't surprised so few of your so-called friends showed up for the wedding, and fewer still stayed for the dancing. Some "coalition" that turned out to be!

But I don't want to dwell on the bad times, because we did have some good times, didn't we? Remember those peaceful days between "Mission Accomplished" -- I think that was May 1, 2003 -- and ... and ... well, July 2003 or so, when we could still stroll around Baghdad at dusk, interrupted only by occasional small-arms fire? Those were the days, before the car bombs and IEDs.

We were happy then, weren't we, War?

I really think we were. True, the parades and flowers never did materialize, but I'm not a romantic sap. For me, it was enough that hope was in the air. Children were going to school, political dissidents could speak openly, Iraq was full of a sense of freedom and possibility. So there were no WMD after all -- so what? All's fair in love and war, right? -- and all's well that ends well!

Except, I guess, that the whole thing hasn't exactly ended well.

Don't you wish we could go back to those halcyon days in the spring and summer of 2003, and have a do-over? This time, we'd do it all so differently, wouldn't we, War? We've learned, we've grown. Oh! If we could only do it all over again, we'd have more troops to start with, and we'd never have had that awful quarrel with nice General Shinseki. We wouldn't disband the Iraqi army, we wouldn't have done that whole de-Baathification thing, we'd have prevented the looting and infrastructure sabotage that helped the insurgency get off the ground. Right?

But you can't go back again, can you? If all that couples counseling has taught me anything, War, it's that we need to take responsibility for what's happened, because when relationships sour, there are always casualties.

In this case, a whole lot of casualties. Nearly 4,000 U.S. troops are dead, and more than 29,000 U.S. troops have been wounded. At least 82,000 Iraqi civilians have died violent deaths since the invasion, and some estimates suggest that as many as 600,000 other Iraqi civilians have died of causes indirectly related to the conflict. They say that nearly 20% of Iraqis have had to flee their homes.

Oh, I know, War, I know. In five years, every relationship is going to have its ups and downs! And you're right, you've been trying hard lately to turn things around. I do give you credit for that. Your surge brought violence down, even though it seems to be rising again. And you've tried so hard to listen, finally, and understand that an enduring relationship has to be about more than just brute force.

But, War, it's just not enough. It's too little, too late. "Political progress," "reconciliation" -- pretty words, but I just can't see it happening.

Anyway, War, I don't like to be a stick in the mud, but it kind of bothers me that these days we're jumping into bed with absolutely everyone: Sunni insurgents, Shiite insurgents, Kurds, God knows who else. It's like being inside Eliot Spitzer's marriage and James McGreevey's marriage and David Paterson's marriage, all at once.

Look, War, I don't quite know how to say this, on our anniversary and everything, but ...

I want a divorce.

Source: LA Times

SEIU Paid Summer Internship

I participated in an older/parallel version of this program in Summer 2006, right before I started law school.

It was by far one of the best summer jobs I've ever had.

It's an amazing opportunity for activism, growth, learning, etc. and you're getting PAID to do social justice work.

Need I say more?

Service Employees International Union:
Social Justice Summer Internship Program

Do you care about social and economic justice?

Are you active on your campus or in your community?

Looking for a meaningful way to spend the summer?

CHECK OUT THE SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION.

WE HAVE A LIMITED NUMBER OF PAID SUMMER ORGANIZING INTERNSHIPS.

What do union organizers do? Organize working people to fight for a living wage, respect affordable healthcare, and a voice at work and against low pay, sweatshops, and discrimination.

Interns learn the strategies SEIU uses -- from direct action to political action, door knocking to the newest media and technology. Interns also learn how SEIU builds community coalitions and national campaigns to empower working people and expose unjust employers.

Who does SEIU organize? Workers in healthcare, property services, childcare, education and other fields. With 1.9 million members - 56 percent of them women and 40 percent people of color - SEIU is largest, fastest growing, most diverse union in the country. SEIU represents more immigrants than any other union and welcomes gays and lesbians as members and staff.

Students tell us their SEIU internships helped connect course work to the real world and make their campus and community activities more effective.

TO APPLY: email your resume and a letter explaining why you want to intern with SEIU to intern@seiu.org or contact SEIU's academic outreach coordinator, CJ.Grimes@seiu.org, or 312-480-0267.

SEIU Internship Basics:

You'll work with some of the savviest, most experienced organizers in the country. Before assignment to a campaign, interns participate in two weeks of classroom and field training. Once on site, biweekly training sessions will help new organizers learn from their successes - and mistakes.

Interns receive a weekly salary starting at $460 per week, daily per diem, housing, and a transportation allowance or car, as needed. You must have a drivers' license. SEIU will get you to and from your internship site. We can also work with students to arrange academic credit. And, time as an intern counts toward seniority for those who come to work for the union later on.

Except in the movies, working for economic and social justice is rarely glamorous. You'll work hard, sleep little, and experience the joy of work that actually makes a difference.

GOOD LUCK!

Help Mikey

Taxes

My paperwork is sitting with the family accountant. He's got my W-2, my 1099-MISC and a 1098-T as well. As a result, my conscience is killing me. I'm filing taxes for the purposes of abiding by the law of the land, but dang it by doing so I'm perpetuating my role as a silent partner in war crimes.

The US Campaign to End the [Apartheid] Israeli Occupation says: "in 2007, the United States gave Israel $2.34 billion in military aid to enforce its illegal military occupation and siege of the Palestinian West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. That amounts to each individual tax payer giving on average $8.56 to [apartheid] Israel to commit its human rights abuses."

Mind you, this is just Apartheid Israel. Imagine if we added the cost of imprisoning folks for non-violent crimes (in this country), Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. etc.

HPV? Herpes? Chlamydia?

I'm thankful for Islam, for giving me an alternative.

I'm thankful for my parents, for laying a proper foundation allowing me to attend the sex ed. classes in middle school.

AND I'm thankful for Carl Rice and Rushiko Nishikuni, for teaching the sex ed. classes in middle school. Islam and parents aside, those two put the fear of HIV and herpes in my heart.

This is sad, sad news:

One in four teenage girls has an STD! Start panicking now!

If you've been watching the news or reading the newspaper for the past two days, that's probably what you've heard. If you're a teenage girl, you've probably checked yourself in the bathroom at least once to make sure there's nothing new going on down there. What's causing all the chaos?

A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that one in four teenage girls has a sexually transmitted disease. The most common infection the study found was the human papillomavirus or HPV. A whopping 18 percent of teen girls apparently have the virus. Compare that to the 40 percent of the girls ages 14-19 in the study who were sexually active, and that means almost half of all young women who are having sex have contracted the disease.

Coming in at a very distant second in the study was chlamydia. The bacterial infection showed up in 4 percent of the women tested.

"Women are often without symptoms for chlamydia," said Fred Wyand of the American Social Health Association. "It's not like you assume, with itching and burning. People don't always know they have it. The CDC recommends all sexually active women 25 and under get screened for chlamydia."

Full Story: MTV News

Support Our Troops?

It would obviously be a generalization to say all of the troops are scum, but it might be one that I could make without feeling guilty. It's as though everyday we learn something new and disgusting that they are being "ordered" to do.

I'd like to believe they go in as kind hearted people attempting to save the world. It is the institution and the task at hand that are the problem. It's the uniform that makes otherwise great people do the things recorded in the video below?

"Tomorrow's Not Promised Today."

This past weekend marked 8 months since Selene's accident. I keep thinking I'll get used to the void, the gap in life's circle of best friends. I'm not there though. I still miss her. I want to visit but seeing her mother's pain is often just unbearable. And who am I to feel pain when her family has been thru so much?

Rialto Muslim Woman's Headscarf Lawsuit Allowed to Move Forward

(Alhamdulillah. She's got one obstacle down and 394302 to go.)

A lawsuit accusing San Bernardino County of violating a Rialto Muslim woman's rights by forcing her to remove her headscarf was allowed to proceed by a federal judge Monday.

U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Phillips denied a motion by the county's attorneys seeking to have part of the case dismissed.

"There's clearly enough here to satisfy the requirements for the claimant," Phillips said in a brief hearing at the Riverside court.

Full Story: Press Enterprise

A Picture/Drawing is Worth a Thousand Words

Talking Points on the Gaza Drama

(Hijab tip: American Muslims for Palestine)

We call on the US government, as a contracting party to the 4th Geneva Convention, to take immediate steps to end the on-going War Crimes directed at Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip and the West bank.

We are distressed by the news of the continuing violence and killing directed at the civilian population in the Gaza Strip and the imposition of an illegal blockade on all border crossings. Since the beginning of the year, the [apartheid] Israeli actions included cutting off supplies for electricity and fuel, which renders the whole human services infrastructure in Gaza Strip in great impairment and itself constitute a crime against humanity. This action as well as the continued disproportionate use of violence is a major violation of the 4th Geneva Convention. [Apartheid] Israel is responsible for the well-being and safety of all occupied civilians, including the Gaza Strip.

In his most recent statement Professor John Dugard, the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories, called [apartheid] Israeli government's actions "serious war crimes" for which its political and military officials should be prosecuted and punished. The killing of civilians violates, he said, "the strict prohibition on collective punishment contained in the Fourth Geneva Convention. It also violates one of the basic principles of international humanitarian law that military action must distinguish between military targets and civilian targets." Indeed, the very legal framework invoked by the Israeli government to carry out this illegal and immoral act - declaring Gaza a "hostile entity" within a "conflict short of war" – has no basis or standing in international law.

We call on the US government, as a signatory of the 4th Geneva Convention, to act immediately to put a stop to [apartheid] Israel's actions and, revive the diplomatic process, to end all attacks on civilians, including the continuing demolition of Palestinian homes at an alarming rate and building of settlements. As we mark the 60 anniversary of the Nikba (the 1948 ethnic cleansing of Palestine) we are reminded of the continued dispossession and violence directed at Palestinian refugees and their families, a fact that must be addressed as we deal with the current unfolding war crimes.

1. Under International law and standing UN conventions, destroying a people in part or in full is considered ethnic cleansing.
2. The escalation in Gaza was forewarned by [apartheid] Israel's deputy defense minister Matan Vilnai of a "greater Shoah" the Hebrew work for the Nazi Holocaust.
3. The full siege of Gaza is leading to deaths due to lack of access to medical essentials, sickness, lack of sanitation, lack of access to basic resources that are there and protected as basic human rights.
4. [Apartheid] Israel is the occupying power and uses air, sea and land US made weapons to bomb civilians in one of the most densely populated areas in the world, a clear violations of rules of engagement in armed conflicts.
5. Palestinians have the right to defend themselves. This right is protected by International Law.
6. Palestinians dying in Gaza were forced out by [apartheid] Israel, forcefully and illegally in an effort to ethnically cleanse Palestine. Now [apartheid] Israel is killing them inside the refugee camps.
7. Peace can only be achieved when Israeli apartheid is ended and Palestinians are granted their national, political and civil rights, as well as the right to return.
8. As of March 4th, 2008, [apartheid] Israel killed 128 Palestinians, injured 350, and 28 of those killed are children, the youngest being a 20 day old infant.
   
   

I'm Not Sure Who I Loathe Most. . .

Ignorant Arabs? Wal-Mart? Apartheid Israel?

As America changes, so does the store where America shops. In Dearborn this week, the world's largest retailer opens a store like no other among its 3,500 U.S. outlets. Walk through the front door of the 200,000-square-foot supercenter and instead of rows of checkout counters, you find a scene akin to a farmers market in Beirut. Twenty-two tables are stacked high with fresh produce like kusa and batenjan, squash and eggplant used in Middle Eastern dishes. Rimming the produce department are shelves filled with Arab favorites like mango juice from Egypt and vine leaves from Turkey used to make mehshi, or stuffed grape leaves. A walled-off section of the butcher case is devoted to Halal meats, slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law (when a Wal-Mart manager noticed the pork section was too prominent he ordered it moved, since Muslims don't eat pork). In the freezer case, you'll find frozen falafel. You can also pick up a CD from Lebanese pop singer Ragheb Alama or buy Muslim greeting cards.

Wal-Mart's Arab-American emporium provides a preview of the retail giant's latest strategy to boost business as it reaches the saturation point in its American expansion. Over the past two years, Wal-Mart has tested its "store of the community": it has stocked stores in Chicago and Atlanta with products aimed at African-Americans and set up a hitching post at an Ohio store near a large Amish community. The Dearborn store, though, is the most extreme example of the concept. Wal-Mart offers its standard fare, plus 550 items targeted at Middle Eastern shoppers. "In the past, Wal-Mart has been pretty cookie-cutter when it comes to merchandise," says Dearborn store manager Bill Bartell. "But this time, we really got to know the community. We're blazing a trail here."

Typically when Wal-Mart comes to town, it drops its big-box store on the community with a thud. Then it rolls out rock-bottom prices that undercut local merchants, who often wither and die. That Bigfooting has led to passionate community opposition in many markets, including suburban Detroit, where it opened its first supercenter just a year ago to protests over plans to stay open 24 hours (Wal-Mart backed down to 18 hours a day).

To fit into this bastion of ethnic tradition, Wal-Mart started two years ago to meet with imams and moms, conducting focus groups at Middle Eastern restaurants. Wal-Mart learned the community wasn't as concerned about seeing Arabic-language signs as they were with dealing with Arabic-speaking staff. So Bartell hired about 35 Arabic speakers, including Suehaila Amen, a local middle-school teacher who is providing ethnic-sensitivity training to the 650 employees. He also learned not to bother stocking traditional Muslim clothing, like the headscarf, or hijab, Amen wears. "The community told us, 'I would not feel comfortable coming to Wal-Mart to buy my hijab'," says assistant store manager Jordan Berke. "We're not here to overstep our bounds."

Despite the sensitive sell, local shopkeepers still worry about Wal-Mart. "There is a fear factor in the business community," says Osama Siblani, publisher of Dearborn's Arab American News. To allay those fears, Wal-Mart is making an extraordinary promise: it will not undercut the prices of the small local merchants (though it will still go after Kroger). The insular company even agreed to be scrutinized by a "community advisory board" made up of local Arab-American leaders to ensure it isn't harming the mom-and-pop shops. One example: Wal-Mart agreed to charge one dime more than local grocers for a six-pack of pita bread.

Full Story: Newsweek

(I'm sparing you the picture of the sister who will forever be immortalized as somebody who cares more about her hummus than the poverty of others.)

I'm disturbed beyond words.

BooHoo. Let's cry about Palestine and then turn a blind eye to the fact that the majority of people of conscience refuse to shop at Wal-Mart. Yay olive oil! It's so bad: Wikipedia gave the Wal-Mart criticisms their own page! There was a movie made about how disgusting this corporation is - and some Muslims just can't get their head out of the sand.

And to make things better the only concern these Arabs had was that they mom and pops businesses would be impacted by all of this. Let's put domestic low wages and international sweat shop patronage aside and instead make sure that Wal-Mart promises not to undercut prices at our local Arab stores.

Ya'Allah why are we so ignorant? And self-centered?

Hamas Fighters Battle On

To Israel and its allies, Abu Mohammed and his comrades are Jew-hating terrorists. But Abu Mohammed sees himself on a mission from God to rescue his people from 60 years of misery as refugees since the establishment of the Jewish state in 1948.

Full Story: Reuters

Gaza Massacre Continues

How do we sleep while our brothers bleed?

[Apartheid] Israeli forces have kept up attacks on the Gaza Strip, where they have killed at least 32 Palestinians, militants and civilians, since Wednesday morning.

Afghanistan

Yay Nader!

We lost Kucinich, but Nader's coming to the rescue:

MR. RUSSERT: Will you run for president as an independent in 2008?

MR. NADER: Let me put it in context, to make it a little more palatable to people who have closed minds. Twenty-four percent of the American people are satisfied with the state of the country, according to Gallup. That's about the lowest ranking ever. Sixty-one percent think both major parties are failing. And, according to Frank Luntz's poll, a Republican, 80 percent would consider voting for a independent this year. Now, you take that framework of people feeling locked out, shut, shut out, marginalized, disrespected and you go from Iraq to Palestine/Israel, from Enron to Wall Street, from Katrina to the bungling of the Bush administration, to the complicity of the Democrats in not stopping him on the war, stopping him on the tax cuts, getting a decent energy bill through, and you have to ask yourself, as a citizen, should we elaborate the issues that the two are not talking about? And the--all, all the candidates--McCain, Obama and Clinton--are against single payer Health insurance, full Medicare for all. I'm for it, as well as millions of Americans and 59 percent of physicians in a forthcoming poll this April. People don't like Pentagon waste, a bloated military budget, all the reports in the press and in the GAO reports. A wasteful defense is a weak defense. It takes away taxpayer money that can go to the necessities of the American people. That's off the table to Obama and Clinton and McCain.

The issue of labor law reform, repealing the notorious Taft-Hartley Act that keeps workers who are now more defenseless than ever against corporate globalization from organizing to defend their interests. Cracking down on corporate crime. The media--the mainstream media repeatedly indicating how trillions of dollars have been drained and fleeced and looted from millions of workers and investors who don't have many rights these days, and pensioners. You know, when you see the paralysis of the government, when you see Washington, D.C., be corporate-occupied territory, every department agency controlled by overwhelming presence of corporate lobbyists, corporate executives in high government positions, turning the government against its own people, you--one feels an obligation, Tim, to try to open the doorways, to try to get better ballot access, to respect dissent in America in the terms of third parties and, and independent candidates; to recognize historically that great is sues have come in our history against slavery and women rights to vote and worker and farmer progressives, through little parties that never ran--won any national election. Dissent is the mother of ascent. And in that context, I have decided to run for president.
MR. RUSSERT: How would you feel, however, if Ralph Nader's presence on the ballot tilted Florida or Ohio to John McCain and McCain became president, and Barack Obama, the first African-American who had been nominated by the Democratic Party--this is hypothetical--did not become a president and people turned to you and said, "Nader, you've done it again"?

MR. NADER: Not a chance. If the Democrats can't landslide the Republicans this year, they ought to just wrap up, close down, emerge in a different form. You think the American people are going to vote for a pro-war John McCain who almost gives an indication that he's the candidate of perpetual war, perpetual intervention overseas? You think they're going to vote for a Republican like McCain, who allies himself with the criminal, recidivistic regime of George Bush and Dick Cheney, the most multipliable impeachable presidency in American history? Many leading members of the bar, including the former head of the American Bar Association, Michael Greco, absolutely dismayed over the violations of the Constitution, our federal laws, the criminal, illegal war in Iraq and the occupation? There's no way. That's why we have to take this opportunity to have a much broader debate on the issues that relate to the American people, as, as, as a fellow in Long Island said recently, M . Sloane, he said, "These parties aren't speaking to me. They're not speaking to my problems, to my family's problems."

Full Meet the Press Transcript: Counter Punch

Get Involved: Nader for President 2008

Ya Allah . . .

. . .I thank You for today. I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning. I'm blessed because You are a Forgiving deity and an Understanding and Compassionate one.

You have done so much for me and You continue to bless me in ways I cannot count. I know that You will forgive me and continue to bless me if I turn to You in a sincere and humble fashion. You continue to bless us even when we fail to be grateful and appreciative.

I now appeal to You in humility for your promise of forgiveness. Please keep me safe from all danger and harm. Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude. Help me and give me the courage, patience, and strong will to make the best of each and every day.

Please help me to broaden my mind so that I approach problems, confusion, despair, misfortune, happiness, clarity, and good fortune with appreciation and wisdom.

I know that sometimes negative things happen for seemingly no reason, and I am a human, created by you weak and humble, and limited in my ability to understand some things. Help to me realize the lessons behind hardships when I'm being pushed beyond my limits.

Let me not fall to the weaknesses of complaining about things I have no control over, and help me to fulfill the best of my full potential when I do have the power and ability to make positive change or fulfill obligations.

Give me the courage, strength, fortitude and willingness to be a blessing of aid and comfort unto others.

Keep me strong that I may help the weak. Help me to work towards justice and fairness for everyone and everything, even if it means standing up against my own faults and wrongdoings.

Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others. And empower me to avoid destructive greed and to be generous to others.

Help me to become and grow as a constructively active individual and as a constructive member of groups, and help me to defeat the weaknesses of passivity if I ever fall into such traps.

I pray for those that are lost and can't find their way, for them to seek clarity and confidence about themselves and their surroundings.

I pray for those that are misjudged and misunderstood and who, as a result, are wronged.

I pray for peace, love and joy for every human and that all can free themselves from the imprisonment of debt and that their needs are met.

I pray that every eye that reads comes to know there is no problem, circumstance, or situation that is insurmountable. All it takes is that we just believe and have confidence in ourselves and in Him and that we strive earnestly for improvement.

Ameen.

Fake Plaques Sent to Lawrence Police for Being 'Corrupt'

Once more, I almost fell out of my chair laughing . . .

LAWRENCE — They were real looking enough. Three wooden plaques each embossed with a gold police shield, a small gun piece and each engraved with an officer's name.

But these "plaques" sent to the police department Sunday were no awards. They came from a bogus address in Puerto Rico, supposedly sent from a former assistant district attorney and were in recognition for the officers being "corrupt." They were dated "9-11-2007."
. . .
Lawrence police also notified the postal inspector in Boston. The sender could face federal charges for using the U.S. Postal Service "to threaten, harass or intimidate," Romero said.

Full Story: Eagle Tribune

I want to be happy. I want to think to myself, "yay! Some cops finally had the roles reversed on them and now know what it means to feel intimidated or threatened." However, I'm not quite there. I have a hard time believing receiving a plaque compares to 'driving while Black' or 'flying while Muslim' or heck living while poor or 'of color.'

If it's not the first time these folks have been called corrupt, I've got an inkling the accusations are based in seeds of truth.

...still laughing at the idea of these cops feeling intimidated by a plaque!

Mabroooook ...

...to my sister in uniqueness, Lena Khan! Remember what I said about loving creative activism?

"We are proud to announce the winners of our One Nation, Many Voices Online Film Contest: including Grand Prize winner Lena Khan for her music video, 'A Land Called Paradise'."

Oppressed Muslim Men

I almost fell off my futon laughing! (Hijab tip: Aicha Sebaa)



Update (02/21): Folks, calm down I'm pretty sure he's joking. If not that, then he's making a "single & lookin'" announcement for himself. Think about it, first he tells you he knows all of his Islamic duties and then he casually adds in that he's single. Either way, I'm pretty sure he isn't serious.

Habibi

Begging and solicitation = serious problems in San Francisco; and it's expected given the ridiculously high level of poverty here. In my year and a half here, I've seen some great signs and heard some great requests.

However, the best thus far came yesterday. Saly, Shereen and I were walking up Powell Street on our way to Union Square and all of a sudden we heard:

"Habibi! Habibi, spare some change? I'll make da'wah for you! Come on habibi, just a little change?"

He kept going and we kept walking.

Happy Valentine's Day?

(No, I do not actually celebrate this religious turned corporate fiasco of a holiday.)

February 14, 2008
To: Michael Chertoff, Chief, Homeland Security
cc: President Bush, Congressional leaders, and members of the media

Dear Michael Chertoff, Chief, Homeland Security

I am asking you in the name of decency to stop the ICE raids at the homes and workplaces of the immigrant community. No family should have to endure armed squads bursting into their houses with shotguns and automatic weapons drawn. One's home should be a place of security and peace. Children should not be left alone or have to lose their parents through raids at their work, resulting in depression, traumatic stress disorder and separation anxiety. Children should live with love and joy. This is what America stands for.

This Valentine's Day, please have a heart and STOP THE RAIDS!

Sincerely,
Zahra Billoo


(Folks send your own letter ASAP, by clicking HERE. Do it for the kids. It'll only take a couple of minutes!)

Random Fabulous Moment of the Week

Monday afternoon I'm studying at my favorite place (Panera Bread) and the man in the booth next to me, leans over and says:

"Excuse me, I just want to say you're really brave for wearing a head scarf."

I'm not sure I would classify myself as brave and of all places San Francisco is a relatively easy city to wear a hijab in. That doesn't however change the niceness of the comment.

Alhamdulillah for open minded people.

Top Commanders & Officials ...

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — A senior Taliban commander was wounded and arrested by Pakistani forces as he tried to slip across the Afghan border into Pakistan with a small band of men, the Pakistani military spokesman’s office said Monday.

The commander, Mansoor Dadullah, is the brother of one of the Taliban’s most prominent and brutal operational leaders, Mullah Dadullah, who was killed last year. Mansoor Dadullah is not of the same stature within the Taliban.

Full Story: NY Times

Here's what I'm trying to figure out: we've been at this war on terror business for 6+ years now. Every few months (sometimes more often) we get news about another top or key official from a terror organization being captured. Who are these men? And how many key officials did Al Qaeda and the Taliban have? Isn't everybody stuck at Guantanamo a key Al Qaeda official? And have you seen how small Afghanistan is? Given it's relative size and the fact that they did not have power over all of Afghanistan, how many top leaders did they need?

This is getting ridiculous. It's bad enough our money is being spent on an imaginary War on Terror. The US and their allies conducting this imaginary war in an inefficient manner, simply adds insult to injury.

Last Night?

Did anybody manage to TiVo/record Prince Among Slaves last night?

(If you say yes and let me borrow/watch, I'll bake you cupcakes?)

If You're Going to Insist on Voting for Obama . . .

. . . as a responsible voter, you should at least attempt to hold him accountable.

ACTION ALERT:
Call the Obama Campaign: "Understand" [Apartheid]Israel's starvation

THE UN SAYS:

• Israel is allowing only 41% of Gaza's food requirements

• Israel grants only 1 in 7 patients access to urgent treatment outside Gaza

• Israel denies medication and hospital supplies to Gaza

• Israel is not allowing enough fuel to treat and pump clean water in Gaza

• Israel's cruelty has caused more than 70 deaths of untreated Gaza patients since June

BARACK OBAMA SAYS: "We have to understand why [apartheid] Israel is forced (sic) to do this"

PLEASE CALL THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN TO SAY YOU ARE OUTRAGED!
(866) 675-2008

TALKING POINTS:

• Denying food to 1.5 million civilians is a crime! It is irresponsible for Obama to encourage it.

• Denying medicine to sick and dying people is a crime. It is NOT self defense.

• [Apartheid] Israel's actions are collective punishment. Why does Obama not condemn it?

• Denying food, medicine and other essential supplies does nothing to harm fighters or the Hamas government in Gaza. It only harms civilians, one half of whom are children. Does Obama consider them disposable?

Obama's callous defense of [apartheid] Israel's cruelty deserves your action. Presidential candidates are sensitive to criticism. Your calls have the potential to make Palestinian rights an issue. Now is the time!

Following is the text of Obama's letter to the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Zalmay Khalilzad. A photocopy of the signed letter is at Jewish Standard.

1.23.2008

Dear Ambassador Khalilzad,

I understand that today the U.N. Security Council met regarding the situation in Gaza, and that a resolution or statement could be forthcoming from the Council in short order.

I urge you to ensure that the Security Council issue no statement and pass no resolution on this matter that does not fully condemn the rocket assault Hamas has been conducting on civilians in Southern [apartheid] Israel for over two years.

All of us are concerned about the impact of closed border crossings on Palestinian families. However, we have to understand why [apartheid] Israel is forced to do this. Gaza is governed by Hamas, which is a terrorist organization sworn to Israel's destruction, and Israeli civilians are being bombarded by rockets on an almost daily basis. That is unacceptable and [apartheid] Israel has a right to respond while seeking to minimize any impact on civilians.

The Security Council should clearly and unequivocally condemn the rocket attacks against Israel, and should make clear that [apartheid] Israel has the right to defend itself against such actions. If it cannot bring itself to make these common sense points, I urge you to ensure that it does not speak at all.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama
United States Senator

Creative Activism Makes Me Happy

Egyptian player Mohamed Abou Traika wears a tee shirt reading "Sympathize with Gaza" as he celebrates his goal 1-0 against Sudan in Kumasi 26 January 2008 during the African Cup of Nations football championship. STR/AFP/Getty Images

4th Amendment

Today's Criminal Procedure reading included the Accidental Tourist's Guide to Maintaining Privacy Against Government Surveillance. Yes, it's somewhat old but if you're a Muslim or political activist (sadly) it still very much applies to you.

To maintain privacy, one must not write checks or make any phone calls. It would be unwise to engage in conversation with any other person, or to walk, even on private property, outside one's house. If one is to barbecue or read in the backyard, do only if surrounded by a fence higher than a double decker bus and while sitting beneath an opaque awning. The wise individual might also consider purchasing anti-aerial spying devices if available (be sure to check the latest Sharper Image catalogue). Upon retiring inside, be sure to pull the shades together tightly so that no crack exists and to converse only in quiet tones. When discarding letters or other delicate materials do so only after a thorough shredding of the documents (again see your Sharper Image catalogue); ideally, one would take the trash personally to the disposal site and bury it deep within. Finally, when buying items, carefully inspect them for any electronic tracking devices that may be attached.

Scott E. Sundby, Everyman's Fourth Amendment: Privacy or Mutual Trust Between Government and Citizen? 94 Colum. L Rev. 1751, 1789-1790 (1994)

If You Registered As A Republican ...

...so you could vote for Ron Paul, please excuse me while I laugh at you.

This is why people of conscience attempt to avoid voting Republican at all costs:

Free Speech My Arse!

Three Days to the Postmark Deadline!

A Palestinian civilian has been killed and over 40 injured in an [Apartheid] Israeli missile attack that destroyed the deserted, Hamas-run interior ministry in Gaza City.

The building, destroyed on Friday, was situated in the heart of a residential neighborhood but had been vacant since it was severely damaged in a air raid two years ago.

A woman was killed and at least 46 other civilians were injured in the attack, hospital officials said.

Full Story: Al Jazeera English

How do you read that and not do something? Start with baby steps - register to vote. If you're a CA voter, you've got three days to get your application postmarked!

Kucinich Kicks MSNBC In The Face

People are sometimes surprised and even upset that I haven't yet jumped on the Obama wagon. I'm not saying I won't, just that I haven't. It's really simple actually: I can't get over Dennis Kucinich. As Presidential candidates go, he's FABULOUS.

He is, right on:

• The WAR

• Palestine

• Social Welfare

• Civil Rights

• The Patriot Act

...and the list goes on.

"But Zahra, he doesn't have a shot in heaven!" You're right. His chances aren't slim, they're anorexic. "So why stick with Kucinich then?" Ask me another day about rape vs. date rape, but in the meantime it's because he is bringing THE ISSUES to the table. When was the last time Obama or Clinton said something appropriate about Palestine? Or have you heard Paul on immigration?

Everybody is scared of Kucinich because Kucinich is getting folks to talk about what matters. He is raising the issues ...

Today's good news: MSNBC tried, but will not be able to lock Kucinich out of the upcoming debate!

Senior Clark County District Court Judge Charles Thompson said if Kucinich is excluded, he'll issue an injunction stopping the televised debate.

The judge sided with a lawyer for the Ohio congressman, who says debate host MSNBC at first invited Kucinich to take part and then told him last week he couldn't.

Full Story: Associated Press

Forbidden Love: My Favorite Thus Far

I know you've all been bombarded with emails about the fabulous films competing in the Link TV competition. And subhana'Allah they are all amazing. While I posted one of my other favorites at Muslamics a few days ago, Forbidden Love (below) got the highest ranking from me! It's funny, most everybody can relate to it and the ending is beautiful!

Election 2008 - How Will You Make Palestine Matter?

Sen. Clinton's behavior is hardly unusual among the candidates for president. Barack Obama, who expressed some sympathy for the Palestinians before he set his sights on the White House, now has little to say about their plight, and he too said little about what should have been done at Annapolis to facilitate peace. The other major contenders are ardent in their declarations of support for Israel, and none of them apparently sees a two-state solution as so urgent that they should press both sides to reach an agreement. As Zbigniew Brzezinski, a former U.S. national security advisor and now a senior advisor to Obama, noted, "The presidential candidates don't see any payoff in addressing the Israel-Palestinian issue." But they do see a significant political payoff in backing Israel to the hilt, even when it is pursuing a policy -- colonizing the West Bank -- that is morally and strategically bankrupt.

Full Story: LA Times

So tell me: have you, as a self-proclaimed supporter of the Palestinian people, at least registered to vote in the upcoming elections?

L.A. Living Wage Law Is Upheld

(Hijab Tip: Nadia Afghani)

Subhana'Allah. It's a sad day when the politicians and judges get it right and the Muslim organizations (no names, but you know who I mean), that claim to be at the forefront of advocating justice, don't.

The 3-0 ruling by a panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal in Los Angeles means that the city can now implement a law that would provide salary and benefits equal to $10.64 an hour to workers at a dozen LAX-area hotels. The law had been struck down in May by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge David P. Yaffe, who sided with business interests and ruled that the city had not made sufficient changes from an earlier version of the ordinance.

The law is groundbreaking because living wage laws in the United States are usually applied to government contractors. The law in Los Angeles went a step further, targeting the hotels because they generate so much business from the city-owned airport.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa hailed the decision as a victory.

"I have always supported the alternative ordinance, which the court upheld today, because it balances the right of workers to receive a living wage with the concerns and needs of business," he said in a statement issued by his press office.

The law will most immediately affect about half of the 3,500 hotel workers, with the other half already making more than $10.64 an hour. But periodic cost-of-living adjustments to the living wage probably will result in a raise for most of the 3,500 workers.

Full story: LA Times

Yes folks. There are Muslim organizations that could care less. They were fine with the idea of directing thousands of Muslims towards hotels that were NOT even paying a living wage. It looks as though they are going to have to find a new way to manifest their narrow minded backwardness to perpetuate injustice. Alhamdulillah for the victory. May Allah (swt) guide our organizations and protect us from their mistakes.

Blogging

I've been really bad at this blogging thing, but I'm going to start up again insha'Allah.

BTW if you want to take a trip to Pakistan to view the madness first hand, let me know. There is a delegation heading there next week; I'll forward you the 411.

Housekeepers Win Historic Citation against LAX Hilton for Health and Safety Violations

At a November 15th press conference, politicians, community members, and clergy came out in support of LAX Hilton housekeepers who filed a complaint and won a citation against the hotel from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health for violating the Repetitive Motion Injury (RMI) standard.

Totaling $14,425 in proposed fines, this is the first time that CalOSHA has cited a hotel for violating the RMI standard. It cited the privately-owned LAX Hilton on October 30th for failure to control exposures causing such injuries and failing to train workers on injury symptoms, prevention and reporting. Additional violations included electrical, chemical and eye protection hazards and a failure to adequately complete accident investigation forms under the Injury and Illness Prevention Program Standard.

California is the only state in the United States that has a workplace repetitive motion injury standard. According to the LA Times, CalOSHA Director Len Welsh said the LAX Hilton "did not follow policies that other Hilton hotels followed." In the same article, Adela Barrientos, one of the LAX Hilton housekeepers who filed the complaint along with the Southern California Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health, stated that "they keep putting more things in the room."

The LAX Hilton, located on Century Boulevard just outside the Los Angeles International Airport, is under a national boycott. Housekeepers there held a "Day of the Dead Tired" march through Los Angeles along Century Boulevard, drawing attention to work-related injuries and the need for health care.

Feed the Fasters

Love the Poor

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "O God, grant me life as a poor man, cause me to die as a poor man and resurrect me in the company of the poor." His wife asked him why he said that, and he replied: "Because (the poor) will enter Paradise (before) the rich. Do not turn away a poor man. . .even if all you can give is half a date. If you love the poor and bring them near you. . .God will bring you near Him on the Day of Resurrection."

Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1376

It can be the difference between kicking the beggar
(and I've seen this happen in Muslim countries!),
smiling at him or buying him lunch . . .

Stop Tancredo's Fear Mongering

This is the same idiot who suggested bombing Mecca a couple of years ago.

Want to keep the hate mongering off your local television networks? Sign the petition NOW!

Sweetest Girl Lyrics

...Never thought that she would come and work for the president
Mr. George Washington (where my money at?)
She thought he’d call (where my money at?)
She had a good day, bad day, sunny day, rainy day
All he wanna know is (where my money at?)
Closed legs don’t get fed, go out there and make my bread
All he wanna know is (where my money at?)
She ended up in a roll call, bruised up, scarred hard
All he wanna know is (where my money at?)
She thought he’d call (where my money at?)

See I’mma tell you like WU told me
Cash Rules everything around me
Singin’ dollar dollar bill yall (dollar, dollar bill yall)...

Al-Awda Statement On Annapolis Conference

For Immediate Release
November 26, 2007

Al-Awda Statement On Annapolis Conference

With the upcoming US-sponsored international conference in Annapolis MD, Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition, reiterates once again that a just and lasting peace can only be achieved with the return of all Palestinians to their original homes, towns, and villages, with full restitution of all of their confiscated and destroyed property, and compensation. The Palestinian Arab people, regardless of their religious affiliation, are indigenous to Palestine. Therefore, they are entitled to live anywhere in their homeland Palestine which encompasses present-day [apartheid] "Israel", the West Bank and Gaza Strip. No agreement, negotiations or parties which purport to trade away these rights or any other inalienable rights can have any legal basis and cannot bind or compel the Palestinian
people to end the struggle for the fulfillment of all of their rights.

The definition of [apartheid] Israel as a "Jewish state", granting exclusive rights to citizenship and land to any Jew from anywhere in the world, while denying the indigenous inhabitants of Palestine their fundamental rights, is part and parcel of the racism inherent in the colonialist Zionist ideology which underlies the policies and laws of the settler state of [apartheid] "Israel". Any sacrifice of any part of our land and culture will represent a blow to the entire Arab peoples and the lands of West Asia and Africa.

The US government subsidizes [apartheid] Israel's injustices with billions of dollars annually. Any Palestinian and other Arab participating in accommodation with
the Zionist and US regimes in order to promote normalization and put an end to the Palestinian liberation struggle, stand exposed naked before the world as traitors to our people.

Until all Palestinians exercise their right to return and self determination, Al-Awda calls on all its members and supporters to redouble their efforts, working for and demanding:

1. An end to all US political, military and economic aid to [apartheid] "Israel"
2. The divestment of all public and private entities from all Zionist corporations, and American corporations with subsidiaries operating within [apartheid] "Israel"
3. An end to the investment of Labor Union members' pension funds in[apartheid] "Israel"
4. The boycott of all [apartheid] "Israeli" products

The 60 year commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba will take place in May 2008. Al-Awda's 6th Annual International Convention will take place in Anaheim, California, May 16-18, 2008. The convention will be dedicated to renewing our struggle to return and to reclaim our land no matter what deals are made in Annapolis.

Until Return

Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition
PO Box 131352
Carlsbad, CA 92013, USA
Tel: 760-685-3243
Fax: 360-933-3568
E-mail: info@al-awda.org
WWW: http://al-awda.org

Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition (PRRC) is the largest network of grassroots activists and students dedicated to Palestinian human rights. We are a not for profit tax-exempt educational and charitable 501(c)(3) organization as defined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the United States of America. Under IRS guidelines, your donations to PRRC are tax-deductible. To make a donation, please go to http://www.al-awda.org/donate.html

Thanksgiving [Rape & Pillage Day] Grateful List

(It's a joke folks!)

In a special pre-Thanksgiving radio address broadcast from the White House, President George W. Bush asked his fellow Americans to join him in giving thanks for the following things:

“My fellow Americans, let’s be thankful for global warming, because as these winter months approach, it makes the world such a nice, toasty place.

“Let’s be thankful for all of the food on our tables, unless some of it is from China.

“Let’s be thankful that Pakistan will have free and fair elections, and maybe someday we will, too.

“Let’s be thankful for the iPhone, except for those losers who actually paid full price for it.

“Let’s be grateful that I didn’t take out a subprime mortgage on the White House like Mr. Cheney told me to.

“Let's be thankful that nuclear weapons haven’t fallen into the hands of the wrong people, like Nancy Pelosi or Rosie O’Donnell.

“Let’s be thankful that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert’s writers are on strike, and hopefully will stay that way for the rest of my term in office.

“Let's be thankful that even though my approval numbers are falling, they’re still higher than my grades at Yale.

“Let’s be thankful that Osama bin Laden dyed his hair in his last video, because that made him look really gay.

“Let's be thankful for Guitar Hero III, which really helps you get through those long Cabinet meetings when they're going on and on about the economy.

“Let's be thankful that our military commanders have nothing bad to say about the war in Iraq until after they’re retired.

“Let's be thankful that in nine months it will be August and then I can go on summer vacation again.

“And finally, my fellow Americans, let's be thankful that, even though Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize, I’m still a lock for the Nobel War Prize.”

A Perspective on Arranged Marriages

Most Americans have sex on the third date. I married my husband after meeting him for the third time. I'm Indian, and having an arranged marriage is something that my ancient culture still thinks is a great idea.

Since the day I was born, my parents had been planning this occasion. When I was 20, they presented me with my first proposal. I found him overbearing, and I desperately hoped there would be more suitors. There were. But I passed on every Raj, Arun, and Sanjay — too fat, too boring, too short.

By age 26, after attending more than 150 weddings, I was fast approaching my "expiration date." So my parents put pressure on our community — not to mention my relatives — to find The One. They urged me to be more flexible, and I had no reason to argue. Being a spinster in Indian society is considered an embarrassment, a burden on the family. I was raised to think a smiling groom, approved and blessed by my parents, was the ultimate achievement. While Western teenagers spent summers working the cash register at the mall, I spent mine learning to sew and cook so that I could someday be a successful wife.
. . .
That's when I started to realize that I just might have the best of both worlds. I marinated my Indian marriage in the flavors of Manhattan. I kept the sari and bought the Jimmy Choos. I made fabulous curries, seasoned with spices from Dean & Deluca. And after months of enjoying decidedly non-Indian experiences of seders, Saks, and sake, I felt confident enough to direct Indian guests to a hotel, occasionally throwing in a MetroCard.

As Indian women gain financial independence, it is inevitable that we will see fewer arranged marriages — and maybe that's too bad. I firmly believe that our marriage works because it is blessed and supported by our families. The strength we get from their advice (solicited and unsolicited) helps us overcome difficult times. Had I found my own mate, I'm sure my parents would have come around, but I'd have to live knowing that they wouldn't be truly emotionally invested in the success of the marriage.

I've come to believe it's not so much how you get hitched but what you do with your relationship that matters. Although my husband doesn't always agree with his opinionated and selectively liberated wife, he openly expresses his love. Back home, couples don't even hold hands on the street. Here, well, couples do a lot more than that. India may have found me a husband, but America showed me how much fun it is to be his wife. Power to my parents for arranging this union.

Full story (i.e. the stuff in between): MSN's Lifestyle

Higher Education Action Alert

(In case you need a break from the LAPD stuff. . . )

After almost 10 YEARS of waiting, the Higher Education Act is finally on the move!

The Higher Education Act was originally introduced in 1965 to help "strengthen educational resources of our colleges and universities and to provide financial assistance for students in postsecondary and higher education." It is the single most comprehensive bill dealing with higher education access on the federal level. HEA is supposed to be renewed every 5-7 years, but hasn't been reauthorized since 1998!

On Friday, the House Education & Labor Committee introduced the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007 (Higher Education Act Reauthorization). The committee will make changes to the bill this week and the full House will vote on the bill soon.

Today, you have the chance to make sure college is affordable and accessible for generations to come.

Passage of the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007 will:

* Simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application by allowing the Department of Education to use IRS information already available

* Expand higher education access for low income and underrepresented students by making the Pell Grant available year round, strengthening early intervention & outreach programs such as GEAR UP & TRIO, and expanding funding for graduate students at historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and other minority serving schools.

* Restore the integrity and accountability of student loan programs by requiring schools to adopt codes of conduct, providing student borrowers with full information about their federal and private loan options, and protects students from aggressive marketing practices by lenders

Congress needs to hear from students and their families about the need to make higher education more affordable and accessible!

Flood your Representatives' phone lines WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY and urge them to make higher education a right!

Click here for a sample call-in script!

For more information on the Higher Education Act, visit www.usstudents.org or email us at ussa@usstudents.org.

This is how it all starts: the LAPD is "mapping" the Muslim community! I'm not sure what I'm more distraught about: the mapping or the complicity and submission by certain Muslims involved in all of this. Check out the nitty-gritty here!

SABA Condemns the "State of Emergency" in Pakistan

San Francisco, November 8, 2007 -- The South Asian Bar Association of Northern California (SABA) condemns the "state of emergency" declared in Pakistan on November 3rd, 2007 by President General Pervez Musharraf, his suspension of civil rights, and the ensuing state violence against the Pakistani judiciary, bar, pro-democracy activists, human rights organizations and independent media.

In recent days, the Pakistani military state has beaten and jailed a staggering number of lawyers and judges for supporting an independent judiciary and for opposing military dictatorship. Victims include Muneer Malik, past President of the Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association, whom SABA recently honored at a joint event with the Bay Area Association of Muslim Lawyers. In fact, a majority of the Supreme Court justices and their families have been put under house arrest for refusing to give their imprimatur to President Musharraf's overthrow of constitutional governance.

We stand in solidarity with fellow lawyers who are fending off bayonets, batons and bullets in the streets of Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and other Pakistani cities to defend the rule of law. This military crackdown violates international law and threatens the freedom and liberty of all Pakistanis.

SABA calls on President Musharraf immediately to end the "state of emergency," to restore the judiciary, and to release all lawyers imprisoned for opposing the military state. As South Asian attorneys, we add our voices to the chorus of: "Qanoon ki baladasti, zindabad! Long live the rule of law!" We call on all lawyers to support the sacrifice of our colleagues in Pakistan and work towards their immediate release.

Media Contact: Supriya Sundarrajan

"Why We Should All Become Muslims"

Well according to Dilbert, everybody should convert because:

Osama and his gang want to form a giant caliphate, essentially a world government run by Islamic law with an Islamic leader. But if 300 million Americans become Islamic, he’s not going to want us in the group because we’d be too influential with our relatively moderate ways. We’d be unsuitable as either an enemy or an ally. His best strategy would be to ignore us.

BUT would you be happy as a Muslim?

And it’s irrational to believe you would not be happy as a Muslim when you see plenty of practicing Muslims in this country who are perfectly happy with their choice. You would be happy with any religion after you got used to it, especially if all your friends joined in.

Full Piece: The Dilbert Blog

(Hat tip: Mike Yi)

Colbert's Run For White House Stopped Short

To get on the ballot, a candidate must demonstrate two requirements: that he or she is viable nationally and has spent time campaigning in the state.

Carol Fowler, chairwoman of the state Democratic Party and a member of the executive council, suggested Wednesday that Colbert did not meet the standard of national viability.
. . .
Meanwhile, long shots Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel did make the cut.

Full Story: CNN

Can you imagine how fabulous it would have been to be
part of Colbert's campaign team? Yay for Kucinich though!

<3 This Presidential Candidate

"I seriously believe we have to start asking questions about his mental health," Kucinich, a quirky, long-shot candidate in the race for his party's presidential nomination in the November, 2008 election. "There's something wrong. He does not seem to understand his words have real impact."

Full Story: Yahoo! News

Hussam Ayloush's Thoughts On "The Kingdom"

Gap Threatens India's Clothing Boom

"Everyone knows factories in Shahpur Jat use child labor — it's an open secret," says Puja Sahu, owner of a fashionable boutique in the area where the Observer reporter allegedly found the sweatshop. Shahpur Jat lies in the southern part of Delhi and houses grimy, dimly lit sweatshops behind plush, high-end boutiques. On Monday, there were no children working in the unit that had reportedly been making clothes for Gap, but several children were seen embroidering clothes in a number of other factories. Sahu says trained embroiderers and tailors are paid between $110 and $150 a month, whereas "children can be employed for less than half of this, sometimes for no money at all if their parents have sold them off."

The Indian government tried to downplay the issue and none of the ministries in whose domain it has arisen has commented. It was left to Commerce Minister Kamal Nath to react to the report. According to the Times of India, Nath said the allegations would be probed, while warning developed countries against using allegations of child labor as a pretext for taking protectionist tariff measures. Children's rights activists, however, see the latest allegations as typical of the problems associated with India's economic rise, where growth is prioritized over social equity. Pradeep Narayan of the non-profit Child Rights and You says, "Policies on liberalization, privatization, trade, export-import, et cetera get implemented very fast and very effectively. But the policies on the social sector, like health or child labor, never do."

Full Story: TIME

Katrina Comparisons Are a Different Class of Wrong

You knew it had to happen.

The moment firefighters began to get an edge on the fires, pundits, bloggers and other gasbags couldn't wait to proclaim San Diego's superiority over New Orleans in government response to disaster.

A writer on the conservative Red State website said the difference, of course, was firm Republican leadership in San Diego.

"New Orleans, on the other hand," said the writer, "was a city on the federal dole dominated by Democrats, racial politics, and the legacy of Huey Long's populist-socialist dreams."

Everybody got that?

Republicans are better at evacuations than Democrats. This seems to be particularly true when the Republicans in question can flee down the highway in Yukons while Democrats wait for buses trapped under water.
. . .
"It's phenomenally better," Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff said of the difference in federal response, "because we have been planning and preparing and training together for the last 2 1/2 years."

There you go.

You'd think San Diego's staunch defenders would be thanking New Orleans for making these improvements possible, rather than all but calling the recovering bayou city a jungle filled with savages who got what they deserved.

But we have different classes of people.

Full story: LA Times

The Ten Most Dangerous Organizations in America

9) Muslim Student Association

Call me crazy, but as a Jew, I am very nervous about organizations that would like to see death to Israel. It’s just a personal preference of mine that Israel be left to… I don’t know… survive? That is why the Muslim Student Association (MSA) made the list.
. . .
MSA is a group that supports radical Islam that calls for the death of Jews, the wiping out of the United States, raises money for Hamas, and has many other ties to terrorist organizations.
. . .
2) Universities and Colleges

Anyone familiar with my column at Family Security Matters knows my thoughts on the Left’s stranglehold on American colleges and universities. Unfortunately, many professors use the various organizations on this list as a part of their curriculum, often selectively ignoring facts that don’t support their far-Left agenda.

Full Story: Family Security Matters

(Hijab tip: Rose Mishaan)

Return of Benazir Bhutto

The Kleptocrat in an Hermes Headscarf

Counter Punch
October 22, 2007
By JEMIMA KHAN

She's back. Hurrah! She's a woman. She's brave. She's a moderate. She speaks good English. She's Oxford-educated, no less. And she's not bad looking either.

I admit I'm biased. I don't like Benazir Bhutto. She called me names during her election campaign in 1996 and it left a bitter taste. Petty personal grievances aside, I still find jubilant reports of her return to Pakistan depressing. Let's be clear about this before she's turned into a martyr.

This is no Aung San Suu Kyi, despite her repeated insistence that she's "fighting for democracy", or even more incredibly, "fighting for Pakistan's poor".

This is the woman who was twice dismissed on corruption charges. She went into self-imposed exile while investigations continued into millions she had allegedly stashed away into Swiss bank accounts ($1.5 billion by the reckoning of Musharraf's own "National Accountability Bureau").

She has only been able to return because Musharraf, that megalomaniac, knows that his future depends on the grassroots diehard supporters inherited from her father's party, the PPP.

As a result, Musharraf, who in his first months in power declared it his express intention to wipe out corruption, has dropped all charges against her and granted her immunity from prosecution. Forever.

Notably, he did not do the same for his other political rival, Nawaz Sharif, who was recently deported after attempting his own spectacular return to Pakistan.

But the difference is that Benazir is a pro at playing to the West. And that's what counts. She talks about women and extremism and the West applauds. And then conspires.

The Americans and the British are acutely aware that their strategy in the region is failing and that Musharraf's hold on power is ever more tenuous. They have pressed hard for Benazir and the General to cut a deal that would allow them to share power for the next five years in a "liberal forces government".

It's all totally bogus. Benazir may speak the language of liberalism and look good on Larry King's sofa, but both her terms in office were marked by incompetence, extra-judicial killings and brazen looting of the treasury, with the help of her husband--famously known in Pakistan as Mr 10 Per Cent.

In a country that tops the international corruption league, she was its most self-enriching leader.

Benazir has always cynically used her gender to manipulate: I loved her answer to David Frost when he asked her how many millions she had in her Swiss bank accounts. "David, I think that's a very sexist question."

A non sequitur (does loot have a gender?) but one that brought the uncomfortable line of questioning to a swift end.

Of all Pakistan's elected leaders she conspicuously did the least to help the cause of women. She never, for example, repealed the Hudood Ordinances, Pakistan's controversial laws that made no distinction between rape and adultery.

She preferred instead to kowtow to the mullahs in order to cling to power, forming an expedient alliance with Pakistan's Religious Coalition Party and leaving Pakistan's women as powerless as she found them.

The problem is that the West never seems to learn; playing favourites in a complicated nation's politics always backfires. Imposing Benazir on Pakistan is the opposite of democratic and doubtless will cause more chaos in an already unstable country.

Make no mistake, Benazir may look the part, but she's as ruthless and conniving as they come--a kleptocrat in a Hermes headscarf.

Jemima Khan is an ambassador to Unicef.

(Hijab tip: Huda Shaka)

David Horowitz Intends to Spread Fear, Hatred

This fun-filled week will feature an array of speakers, films, enlightening literature and the opportunity to participate in a sit-in. Student organizers can choose from a delightful list of speakers, including:

Mark Steyn, a man who calls himself a "culturalist" rather than a "racist" for finding Western culture preferable to Arab culture and who supports immigration with the condition of assimilation

Phyllis Chesler, a professor of women's studies who wrote of the new anti-Semitism, which essentially encompasses anyone opposed to Israel's policies

And, if you're really lucky, like students at the University of Southern California, Ann Coulter, who once referred to Muslims as "ragheads" and is now apparently crusading for Muslim women's rights.

Full Story: Minnesota Daily

Love, Marriage and Islam . . .

. . . from the perspective of an American Muslim muhajiba:

Born in Kenya of Indian heritage, I came to the United States at age 6, settling with my family in upstate New York. Growing up Muslim in suburban America, I missed out on the typical “Dawson’s Creek” method of courtship: the flirting, the fighting, the making up and making out.
. . .
So my friends and I had high expectations when it came to marriage, which was supposed to quickly follow graduation from college. That’s when our parents, many of whom had entered into arranged marriages, told us it was time to find the one man we would be waking up with for the rest of our lives, God willing. They just didn’t tell us how.
. . .
Yet now, at 29, despite all of my “meetings,” I remain unmarried. And in the last five years I’ve exhausted the patience of my matchmaking aunties and friends who have offered up their husbands’ childhood playmates.

I began to panic when I realized people were no longer even asking me how my husband hunt was going. I was too old to be hanging out at the mosque weekend school, where scarf-wearing teenage girls in tight jeans check out the boys from a distance (while pretending not to look). Yet I was not at the point where I’d consider importing a spouse from the subcontinent.

Full story: Close Enough to Touch Was Too Far Apart

Happy Indigenous People's Awareness Day!

Please note: Columbus was a murderer. One of the main components of his "discovery" included raping and murdering the natives, not to mention pillaging their villages. I'm sorry, did you miss that? People died so you could get the day off from work today.

This is very much like Thanksgiving, aka Rape and Pillage day.

Maybe this is what is wrong with Amerikkka (us). We were "discovered" and founded by murderers, we are led by murderers and yet all we can think of is how it means we get the day off work.

And Islam is the problem? Give me a break.

Read a book folks, read a book.

Current Fave Qur'anic Excerpt

“Say: O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [ Sûrah al-Zumar : 53]

Taking Advantage of the Last Ten Nights of Ramadan

The last ten nights of Ramadan are upon us. And soon after this you the journey for Hajj will begin for Muslims around the world.

If you make the same dua, each day, for the last ten nights of Ramadan, it's guaranteed that you would have made that dua during Laylatul-Qadr. (A night worth 1000 months of reward in the sight of Allah).

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So, prepare your dua from now!
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Step 1: Ask yourself, "If Allah said to me, I'll give you anything you wish, just ask!" What would you ask for? Make a list. (Try to fill two pages worth of dua, from the goodness of this life and the next.

Step 2: Pick about six of those things

Step 3: Make dua for those siz things consistently every night for the last ten nights of Ramadan.

Of course, make as much dua as you want, but make sure these six things are consistent.

Source: Ustadh Muhammad Alshareef's email lists

(Hijab tip: Dina Badawy)

(Hijab (hat) tip: Saira Lari)

Corrie v. Caterpillar: Political Question

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal of CCR’s case charging Caterpillar, Inc. with aiding and abetting war crimes and other serious human rights violations on the grounds that the company provided bulldozers to Israel knowing they would be used unlawfully to demolish homes and endanger civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

[The] decision from a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals found that it did not have jurisdiction to decide the case because Caterpillar’s bulldozers were ultimately paid for with money from the United States. Because of the U.S. government’s decision to grant military assistance to Israel, any decision regarding whether Caterpillar aided and abetted war crimes would impermissibly intrude upon the executive branch’s foreign policy decisions. In today’s decision, the Court did not rule on the question of whether Caterpillar aided and abetted Israeli war crimes.

“We are extremely disappointed with the Court’s refusal to decide whether Caterpillar violated the law, essentially because it did not want to question the U.S. decision to pay for the bulldozers,” said CCR Senior Attorney Maria LaHood. “The Court has a constitutional duty to uphold the law, and the law prohibits aiding and abetting war crimes - regardless of who’s footing the bill.”

Source: The Rachel Corrie Foundation

(With respect to the concern of whether or not I will ever need to know the workings of the "political question" doctrine, the answer appears to be "YES!")

And the injustice continues . . .

UAW Calls National Strike

DETROIT — The United Auto Workers has launched a national strike against General Motors Corp., GM spokesman Dan Flores said Monday. It's the first nationwide strike during auto contract negotiations since 1976.

Workers walked off the job and began picketing Monday outside GM plants after UAW's late morning strike deadline passed.

Full Story: Houston Chronicle

Real Job

(I <3 this quote. It's been circulating via email for sometime now - I thought I'd share in case some of you out there had not yet seen it. Disclaimer: I haven't verified it's authenticity.)

From Ronald Reagan's recently published diaries.

Entry: May 17, 1986;

"A moment I've been dreading. George brought his
ne're-do-well son around this morning and asked me to
find the kid a job. Not the political one who lives
in Florida. The one who hangs around here all the
time looking shiftless. This so-called kid is already
almost 40 and has never had a real job. Maybe I'll
call Kinsley over at The New Republic and see if
they'll hire him as a contributing editor or
something. That looks like easy work."

Milestone

For the first time, the number of deaths of children under age 5 around the world has fallen below 10 million a year.

(Sadly, that is being called a milestone.)

BUT 9.7 million children under age 5 will still die this year. Do your part to make a difference. Donate NOW.

(Reminder to myself before all others: the money spent on a new pair of shoes, even those on clearance, can save a life!)

9-11-01: 6 Years Today

Today undoubtedly marks a sad day in our country's history. However, what saddens me more is that we won't practice what we preach. Why do we, while mourning our losses, continue to kill innocent people overseas?

3,000 people died in the World Trade Center Attacks.

Over 650,000 people have died as a result of the illegal war we are conducting in Iraq.

It's 9-11 EVERY DAY in Iraq!

(Not to mention Afghanistan, Palestine, etc.!)

Win for Palestine Mural at SFSU - GUPS

GUPS @ San Francisco State University

PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY

Sept 5, 2007

Dear community members:

We are thrilled to announce that we have finally won approval for the SFSU Palestine Mural despite ferocious opposition.

This permanent piece of art honoring the late professor Edward Said is the first of its kind on any American university campus wall; it has been attained after a long, unrelenting, and sustained struggle spearheaded by the Palestinian students of SFSU GUPS and allies and supported by the Bay Area Arab American community and friends.

You don't want to miss the exciting celebration to inaugurate the mural that will be held at the Cesar Chavez Student Center in San Francisco State University on November 2, 2007. The event will feature cultural presentations, inspirational speakers, music, food, and more throughout the day and a moving night program. We are planning to invite members of the Said family to join us in these activities.

This is history in the making. This mural is more than just a piece of art; it signifies the unbreakable bond between Palestine and the Palestinians everywhere including US campuses. It recognizes the ground-breaking and prolific academic and intellectual work to which Professor Said dedicated his life and his relentless defense of peace and justice. The mural is an important culmination of the Palestinian students' historic struggle for Palestinian human and national rights. The mural shall serve as a daily reminder of the Palestinian struggle, establishes a permanent presence of the Palestinian issue, and links it to the three other murals that celebrate peoples' struggles for social justice, self-determination, and freedom.

Therefore, we in GUPS, and the Cesar Chavez Student Center, have the honor to invite you all to join in celebrating this historic event.

If you need more information or like to know what you can do to support this celebration please contact GUPS by email at GUPS@sfsu.edu or by visiting our website.

GUPS Office:
1650 Holloway Ave.
CCSC M100-B
San Francisco, CA 94132

We hope to see you all there.


General Union of Palestine Students
San Francisco State University Chapter

Islamic Relief and Katrina

Donate NOW: Islamic Relief

Happy Labor Day

Today the United Steelworkers and United Mine Workers of America, which have a combined 1.8 million members, threw their support behind Mr. Edwards. His campaign said the endorsements gave him “the largest bloc of union support” of any of the presidential candidates so far.

In a statement announcing the Labor Day endorsement, the steel union cited Mr. Edwards’s electability in the general election — a theme his campaign has been pushing as a way to set him apart from top rivals Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.

“The union movement is not just important for the past, it is crucial to strengthening and growing the middle class in America, crucial to lifting millions of Americans out of poverty,” Mr. Edwards said while visiting a region of the country where the steel and manufacturing businesses have declined.

Read on at: NY Times

Change

I ask Allah (swt) to:

"grant us the serenity to accept the things we can't change,

the courage to change the things we can,

and the wisdom to know the difference."