Reel Bad Arabs, by Dr. Jack Shaheen

As you're reading Ahmed's Islam Under Siege, think also about the images of Arabs and Muslims you have in your mind and that you see and have seen portrayed around you or discussed in the media or in books or conversations. If you saw Disney's Aladdin as a child did you think about the view of Arabs it portrayed? Ponder Shaheen's film clip and look for further examples. If you're interested Shaheen has a book by this name. There are also many more You Tube videos and a documentary film.

Lex Talionis (an eye for an eye) as early justice in the face of terror

Many scholars and practitioners have asserted that the breakthroughs in the Code of Hammurabi and in the Hebrew Bible and the Koran of retaliatory vengeance--an eye for an eye, but only one eye--was a triumph of justice in the face of terror.  Retaliation or Lex Talionis (in Latin), the law of the Talio or one-for-one retaliation, stopped endless cycles of retaliation and blood feud.  Yet, this mode of punishment, of responding to terror rand wrong, has been repudiated in many places today.  Gandhi's statement that, "with an eye for an eye, the whole world is blind," is designed to mae people stop before retaliating at all.  But, if they cannot stop, is a one-for-one retaliation better than a blood feud that goes on for generations?  Is there something in Gandhi's statement that ignores human psychology?

Zulu Warriors' Song

 Often those who would advocate for a particular response to terror, frequently a violent response, rely on music.  Martial music throughout world history has been used this way to generate commitment to war and heroic values.  One example, from South Africa, the Zulu Warrior's Song by Johnny Clegg and the Scatterlngs of Africa is reproduced here.  What other examples, from classical music to contemporary music can you provide?

Influential Cleric Issues Fatwa Against Terrorism

This article speaks to the recent release of  a fatwa (religious decree) by Muhammad Tahir Ul-Qadri decrying terrorism.  Important to note is Ul-Qadri's exhaustive analysis against the use of terrorism through the study of Islamic legal, theological, and traditional teachings.

To Read The Middle East Online Article, Click Here:

Terrorism: The most meaningless and manipulated word

An Article by Glen Greenwald in February speaking to the use of the word "terrorism" and the political context that exists allowing some acts (in particular those committed by Muslims) to be considered acts of terrorism, while other violent acts-specifically the act of flying a plan into an IRS building by Joseph Stack was not labeled as an act of terrorism.

To read the entire Salon.com article, click here:

Obama's Hesitant Embrace of Human Rights

Obama's presence in the White House for many has signaled a change in the degree to which human rights are respected.  However, many are now standing by to see a concrete shift in policy reflective of a deeper respect for human rights.   


Click Here To Read the Rest of New York Times Article