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Friday, 24 October 2008

  • [article] Commentary: Candidates should seek votes of Muslim-Americans

    By Nafees A. Syed
    Special to CNN

    Source: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/23/syed.muslim/index.html

    Editor's note: Nafees A. Syed, a junior at Harvard University majoring in government, is an editorial editor at The Harvard Crimson as well as a senior editor and columnist for the Harvard-MIT journal on Islam and society, Ascent. She is chairwoman of the Harvard Institute of Politics Policy Group on Racial Profiling. She grew up in Atlanta, Georgia.

    CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (CNN) -- During this election, we have seen the spectacle of two presidential candidates fighting over one voter while snubbing an entire segment of the American population worthy of their attention.

    We in the Muslim-American community look wistfully at people like Joe the Plumber, wishing that we too could be courted for our vote by the presidential candidates.

    At the same time, we look gratefully at figures like former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who reassure us that there is hope for greater acceptance of Muslim-Americans.

    Over time, we grew to expect standoffish treatment from the Republican Party. Almost a decade ago, many Muslims, my parents included, supported President Bush for his humble foreign policy stances, strong family values and reaching out to the Muslim-American community.

    Things have obviously changed since September 11, 2001, and we have grown used to anti-Muslim rhetoric from Republican candidates. We have run like refugees to the Democratic Party, only to find reluctant tolerance and hope that we will go somewhere else.

    American civil rights activist and intellectual W.E.B. Du Bois wrote, "[The American Negro] simply wishes it possible to be both a Negro and an American, without being cursed and spit upon by his fellows, without having the doors of Opportunity closed roughly on his face."

    Over a century later, I and many other Muslim-Americans feel the same, hoping that we can be accepted in America as both Muslims and Americans.

    As a college student voting in my first presidential election, I have been inspired by Barack Obama's call for change. My campus is full of Obama posters, and several of my classmates have taken time off to work for his campaign.

    There is no doubt Obama has the Harvard vote, but my vote will not be cast as enthusiastically as others.

    This campaign means to me what it means for my classmates. In the next few years, the economy and American foreign policy will affect my generation unlike any other, and those concerns are the primary influences on my vote.

    However, as a Muslim-American, I see some issues as more personal. I don't blame Obama for clarifying that he isn't a Muslim; if someone misidentified my religion, I would likewise point out the facts, especially if it was part of a larger smear campaign. However, as the first Muslim Congressman Keith Ellison stated, "A lot of us are waiting for him to say that there's nothing wrong with being a Muslim, by the way."

    Indeed, Obama's responses to accusations that he is Muslim should be more than just denial; they should be a condemnation of the prejudices that lace such accusations.

    When I discuss this issue with fellow Muslim-Americans, especially ones who have dedicated significant time to his campaign, I immediately hear that he's just doing what he needs to do to win.

    I respond skeptically to these arguments. Is it really politically necessary for Obama to avoid visiting mosques -- something that President Bush has dared to do -- while rallying support from churches and synagogues? Doesn't his careful distance from the Muslim-American community contradict his message of unity?

    Still, others, my parents included, advise that it is best that we as Muslim-Americans avoid marring his campaign with our visible support at a time when any connection with Muslims would jeopardize his chances of winning. They reason that we have to politically isolate ourselves for the better candidate to win, a sacrifice we should make for our country.

    I am unwilling to feign political apathy. All I want is for one of the candidates to assure me and the American public that "Muslim" and "American" are not mutually exclusive terms.

    Colin Powell's recent interview with Tom Brokaw has left me with some hope. He highlights the flaw in the question of Obama's religion with the answer, "he is not a Muslim; he's a Christian. ... But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America."

    To prove his point, Gen. Powell recounted the story of Purple Heart- and Bronze Star-winning Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, an American soldier in Iraq who sacrificed his life for his country. He represents a Muslim-American community that is dedicated to its country and worthy of the presidential candidates' attention and respect.

    It is a tribute to Gen. Powell's own dedication to his country that he would take note of the treatment of Muslim-Americans during the elections.

    Thanks, Gen. Powell. You said the words that Muslim-Americans around the country were waiting to hear.

    The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Nafees Syed.

Friday, 15 August 2008

  • [thoughts] The Bad to Prepare for the Good

    yup. that's not a typo. 

    early in our walk, we often hear that God uses the "good times" of our lives to prepare us when we hit the "valleys" and "lows" in our walk with him.  to remind us of his goodness and faithfulness that will carry us through the dark times.

    but as i look back, i have to say that He also uses the "bad" to prepare us for our "good times" in life.

    what do i mean?  when we hit rock bottom, we have no choice but to turn to God for help.  it's easy to "surrender" our lives when its our only viable option.

    but what about when we hit the "highs", when everything goes our way and God blesses us beyond we can ever imagine.  how much more difficult are words like "dependence", "surrender" and "desperate for God" to live out?

    when we're "king of the world", how relevant is the "King of kings"?  how much more do we need to reminded of his goodness and faithfulness during the abundant harvest?  can He still carry us through the GOOD and allow our walks to be unscathed from any sense of independence from Him?

    "thanks for getting me here, Lord.  i think i can take it from here.  I'll see You again when the storms hit.  that's really the only time i need You."


Wednesday, 06 August 2008

  • [article] Healing After Tragedy: Chapman Copes With Loss of Daughter

    ABC News

    Healing After Tragedy: Chapman Copes With Loss of Daughter

    Steven Curtis Chapman: "While We Are Grieving This Process, There Is a Hope"

    By JANICE JOHNSTON and EMILY YACUS

    Aug. 6, 2008 —

    Grammy-winning Christian music star Steven Curtis Chapman and his family suffered a profound loss on May 21 when his 5-year-old daughter Maria Sue was accidentally hit by his 17-year-old son, who was backing up his SUV in their driveway. Maria later died at a Nashville hospital.

    The Chapman family gave an exclusive interview to "Good Morning America's" Robin Roberts in their Tennessee home, discussing the accident, their faith and family strength in the wake of their tragedy.

    For 5-year-old Maria Sue Chapman, singing was a family gift that came easily. After all, her father was a multiple Grammy and Gospel Music Association award-winning megastar.

    The 45-year old Kentuckian and his wife, Mary Beth, were already the parents of three biological children, yet they were encouraged and inspired by their daughter Emily to visit and adopt three little girls from China -- Shaohannah, Stevey Joy and their youngest, Maria Sue.

    The experience of adopting the girls would lead the Chapmans to found Shaohannah's Hope, a nonprofit that seeks to ease the expense of adoption. As of July 2008, the group has provided grants to over 1,700 families wishing to adopt orphans in the United States and worldwide.

    Chapman described the moment he knew they were destined to return to China to adopt Maria, an orphaned girl he met while on tour there. He said an e-mail containing photos from his previous trip changed their lives and lead them back to Maria.

    "As it [the e-mail] opened, it was this picture of me kissing Maria goodbye in that parking lot in China about two weeks earlier," said Chapman. "And it was instant. I knew that that was a picture of a daddy kissing his little girl. It wasn't just a guy with a little child that needed a home, it was a daddy and a little girl. It was just so clear when I saw it."

    After Maria's adoption, the Chapman family was complete, and Maria grew into her role as the baby girl of this loving family.

    "We knew from the get-go that she was a firecracker," said her adopted mother, Mary Beth.

    That same animated spirit would lead her to run toward her older brother as he neared home.

    Mary Beth described what happened: "The girls had been playing on the playground and -- complete accident. She was, actually excited that he was coming home. And he is so great with the girls. They just love him. And she was running to see him and, you know, ran, you know, into the back of the car."

    Chapman, who immediately got into his car to go to the hospital, had the presence of mind to roll down his window and speak to his inconsolable son Will before leaving.

    "I really don't remember this," he said about the moments directly following the accident. "It was, actually, Dave -- Uncle Dave that told me. He said, 'You rolled the window down and just, very loudly yelled really... with as much strength as you could muster and just said, 'Will Franklin, your father loves you.'"

    Chapman continued to describe the moment immediately after the tragedy: "I just really had a deep concern in my heart that I wouldn't lose two children as a result of this because I knew what Will was struggling with."

    He described the struggle to grieve the death of a child, while at the same time supporting the ones who lived on.

    "We have talked a lot. And you will hear all of us talk about the process of grieving with hope. That's what has kept us breathing, kept us alive is that while we are grieving this process, there is a hope that we have that we're anchored to in the midst of just what sometimes seems unbearable," said Chapman.

    Sitting by her husband's side, Mary Beth added emotionally, "I've said, you know, somewhat coldly, 'I don't care whose lives are touched by this story and whose lives are changed or what good comes of it.' As the heart of a mom, I want Maria back."

    Crying, she continued, "And that's -- you know, that's what I want people to know is I want Maria back. But because I know that she is completely whole because of my faith, I know that she's completely whole and completely OK and I'm going to see her again. As a mom, I have to shift that grief to go."

    For Chapman and his wife, grieving for Maria and maintaining the strength to comfort their other five children has been extremely difficult.

    Mary Beth described her other children and the lives they lead: "I have Emily who's getting married and her fiancé, Tanner, and Caleb and his girlfriend, Julia, and Will Franklin. You know, he's my baby boy. And then Shaoey and Stevey, and my grief gets shifted to making sure there as whole and as healthy as they can be.

    She added, however, "But it's the heart of a mom, I'd like to have Maria back."

    For the three oldest Chapman children, Emily, Caleb and Will, healing comes through couseling, faith and the unwavering love of family.

    "Obviously it's been really hard, you know, just the past couple months," said Will about his sister's death.

    Will described his siblings' show of support and love: "I started running after the accident, you know, and started just running away from the house. And I remember Caleb was the first one to run and kind of just jump on me and hold me. And then Shaoey was right there by him."

    "To me, you know, that meant a ton... I didn't really want to be at the house, I just wanted to be away. And I was just freaking out," Will continued.

    In addition to his supportive family, Will also turned to faith to help him through.

    "I've gotten str-- a stronger faith through all this, you know, and more faith through all this. But then there's those days, you know, that just hit you and you're just, like, 'Oh, man, this is just awful.' But-- you just gotta continue to choose to live. And that's the faith that, that continues to keep me going, you know."

    Will's siblings described the strength of the Chapman family's support system. "When you see someone hurting and you see someone burdened, you want to take that burden from 'em. And because you-- I-- you'd rather endure that pain than see your brother, in this case my for real brother endure that pain," said Caleb.

    "Grief is this windy road," said his sister Emily. "And sometimes you turn the corner and you've got a straightaway and it's beautiful. And then you can turn a corner at the end of that straightaway and it's thunderstorms and mountains and it can be hard, even within the same day."

    Chapman said that the accident made the family question their faith in God.

    "My son said the other day that, you know, 'Yeah, we are family.'... But we're a family with a lot of questions," Steven Curtis Chapman said. "But that's what faith is. It's living with the questions. That doesn't mean you have the answers. That's exactly what faith is."

    The Chapmans sat together on their porch with guitars, playing music. For them the burden is lifted by the grace of shared grief.

    Steven Curtis Chapman's current hit song, "Cinderella," was written one night while getting his little princesses ready for bed. Incredibly, he wrote the words to remind him to appreciate each moment with his girls, before they grew up.

    Just months before the accident, Chapman's book about fatherhood, "Cinderella: The Love of a Daddy and His Princess," was published.

    After losing Maria, Steven thought he could never sing "Cinderella" again. But now, the words have an even stronger meaning for him.

    "I thought, you know what? I've got to sing this song. I have to sing it because I have to continue, you know. These chapters that are still being written with my two little girls, Shaohannah and Stevey Joy. And Emily who's getting ready to be married, we need to keep living these moments, these living years -- these moments that we have, we still-- still need to be engaged in those," said Chapman. "And I need to be dancing with my Cinderellas."

    And with conviction of faith, Chapman proclaimed, "I'm going to dance with Maria again."

    The Chapman's are establishing a home for special needs children looking to be adopted in China. [Their daughter Maria was adopted with a heart defect.] To read more about Maria's Miracle Fund or the Chapman's adoption charity, Shaohannah's Hope, click here.

    For more information on Steven Curtis Chapman's music, click here.

Thursday, 31 July 2008

  • [article] Bush signs bill to triple AIDS funding

    Bush signs bill to triple AIDS funding

    By KATHARINE EUPHRAT, Associated Press WriterWed Jul 30, 9:37 PM ET

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080731/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_aids;_ylt=Ahol7zR869uehlWlr4TS7yys0NUE

    President Bush signed legislation Wednesday that triples U.S. funding to fight AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis around the world.

    The five-year, $48 billion plan renews a program credited with saving millions of lives in Africa alone and is widely seen as one of the major achievements of the Bush presidency.

    Bush said the program, launched by him in 2003, "is the largest commitment by any nation to combat a single disease in human history."

    The president signed the bill in the ornate East Room of the White House, surrounded by lawmakers and people affected by AIDS whom he met on his February trip to Africa.

    The legislation is a rare case of relatively easy cooperation between the Democratic-controlled Congress and the White House. It passed the House last week by a 303-115 vote and the Senate earlier in the month by a vote of 80-16.

    It renews Bush's original five-year, $15 billion program called the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which was set to expire in September.

    Some GOP conservatives questioned the new plan's sharp spending increase. But most on both sides of the aisle, and in groups that advocate both health initiatives and Africa, praised the U.S. aid for boosting America's reputation abroad.

    Bush diverted from broader remarks to issue a personal appeal to those stricken with AIDS.

    "Don't let shame keep you from getting tested or treated," he said. "Your life is treasured by the people who love you. ... It matters to the people of the United States."

    The AIDS initiative has so far supported care for nearly 7 million people and helped deliver lifesaving anti-retroviral drugs to about 1.7 million HIV-positive people. With the AIDS pandemic now affecting 33 million people worldwide, both Democrats and Republicans have called it one of the most significant accomplishments of the Bush presidency.

    The program's five-year renewal comes with some significant changes that took months to negotiate: a third of prevention funds will no longer be reserved for abstinence education; a "conscience clause" gives religious groups the right to refuse participation; more focus is placed on women and girls; and HIV-positive people will find it easier to get visas into the United States.

    Bush said the goal for the new funding is to prevent 12 million new HIV infections, treat more than 2 million with anti-retroviral drugs, support care for 12 million and train at least 140,000 new health care workers.



Tuesday, 29 July 2008

  • [article] U2 Set Sale For a New Horizon

    U2 Set Sale For a New Horizon
    Exclusive: New Studio Album & Tracklist Revealed

    Sunday Mirror, July 29, 2008

    Stephen Maguire and Seamus Ross

    Source: http://www.atu2.com/news/article.src?ID=5054

    It's the beautiful day millions of U2 fans around the globe have waited patiently to see for the past four years.

    Now we can reveal details of the supergroup's long-awaited new album.

    It is believed to be titled No Line On The Horizon and will be on sale in music stores on November 14.

    The band's record company Universal has already registered the internet domain name nolineonthehorizon.com -- prompting speculation this will be the new record.

    And among the songs to be released on what many music insiders are calling the band's best work to date are "Moment of Surrender," "For Your Love," "Love Is All We Have Left" and "One Bird."

    Others include "If I Could Live My Life Again," "The Cedars of Lebanon" and "No Line On The Horizon."

    Earlier this week a 19-strong film crew headed to the Spanish city of Cadiz to shoot a video for the band's first single from the new album although the band were not believed to be present.

    Last night an insider said the U2 machine is gearing up for the release of one of the most keenly-awaited albums in recent years.

    "The album is more or less all in the bag except for a few minor details," the source revealed. A lot of people have been waiting a long time for this album as they do with every U2 album.

    "But the word coming out is that the band is very, very happy with the end product and when U2 are happy it should be quite a piece of work. They're not easy to please."

    Legendary producer Steve Lillywhite, who has worked with U2 for more than two decades, said the new album had blown him away.

    It is the first original work since the band released the smash-hit How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb in November 2004. It sold an incredible 10 million copies and picked up eight Grammy Awards.

    But music commentators think the new record could be even bigger for Bono, the Edge, Larry and Adam.

    U2 are also expected to announce details of a huge worldwide tour, which would almost certainly include a number of nights at the new O2 Arena in the Dublin Docklands -- formerly known as the Point Theatre.

    In a flurry of activity, the group have just re-released their first three albums -- Boy, October and War -- in extended formats and with previously unreleased tracks.
    It has led to that rare thing -- U2 making a mistake.

    A quantity of the re-released War albums have been printed with incorrect track listings inside a booklet.

    But ironically, it won't hit sales, as the botched items are likely to become collector's pieces.


    © MGN Ltd., 2008.

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