Archive for July 3rd, 2010
Part one. Spreading myths:Hezbollah?
Posted on: July 3, 2010
What myths Hezbollah has to desist spreading?
That is my first installment on myths that religious sects in Lebanon have to desist spreading, now that Lebanon has proven that it can resist Israel aggressions. I selected Hezbollah for my topic for three reasons:
First, I need to have a specific target in order to minimize tendencies for generalization;
Second, Hezbollah is the most powerful movement in Lebanon in number, organization, military training, and in readiness and thus, this important social and political force can either spread havoc or strengthen the independence of Lebanon depending on close dialogue and communication among the Lebanese political parties;
Third, because I have a high respect for this organization that saved Lebanon twice from becoming a total non-entity within the last decade. Yes, with Hezbollah I feel that Lebanon is no longer just a State recognized by the UN but has acquired the status of a Nation; a tiny Nation but with the potential of agreeing that we are one people under the law and against all contingencies.
The first myth that Hezbollah needs to lay off is that “dress codes are religious matters”. Dress codes for man and woman have nothing to do with religious dogma. In Mecca, during Prophet Mohammad’ period, only noble ladies wore the veil outside their residence as a discrimination dress code of their rank from the other working women. When the companions of the Prophet fled to Yathreb (Medina) at the onset of persecutions, the veil was not used in Medina and women had large freedom; they had their own mind. It was a chock for the women and men of Yathreb seeing a few of the companions’ wives wearing veils as if they were of noble ranks.
Prophet Muhammad did not bring the issue of dress codes until he married many women for political exigencies; he was then inundated with sexual rumors about a few of his wives. Thus, he asked his wives to wear veils and long dresses when stepping out of their homes in order to minimize their recognition by the public. Thus, a particular and local case needs not be extended to whole communities and to people of different cultures and in this age.
I suggest to Hezbollah to taking the bold decision of toning down the importance of dress codes and desist of spreading this myth. Women who have no convictions that dress codes are of the domain of religious belief should not be pressured to cheat on their convictions. Extending liberty to exercising the power of individual rational thinking is the best asset for higher confidence in leadership and tighter cohesion in the ranks in dire circumstances. The leaders of Hezbollah should give examples within their own family and relatives.
The second myth to get rid off is combining political and religious responsibilities. It certainly is a proof of internal weakness in the organization when the Secretary General feels the need to offering the face of an Imam.
The Prophet Muhammad was upset with the central “Orthodox” Church of Byzantium (Constantinople) because it labeled one of the Christian sects in Mecca (the Ebionites) as “heretic”: Muhammad’s uncle Ain Warkat was the Patriarch of this Christian-Jew sect and he taught Muhammad to read and write in the Aramaic language of the Bible that the sect used. Ain Warkat translated his “Bible” into the Aramaic slang spoken in Mecca that was called Quraich Arabic. The Prophet’ goal was to unite the “heretic” sects under common denominators by discarding the abstract notions that divided among them; after all, they all followed the daily rituals of the Jewish customs that they inherited by tradition. Muhammad abhorred central religious power and viewed it as the enemy for harmony and peace among the believers. That is why the Prophet declined to name an Imam before his death so that Islam should not be regulated by any central power; he could have named Ali as Imam and Ali would have been an excellent religious guide.
Preaching at every religious event, as in a Friday prayer, Hassan Nasr Allah is definitely sending the wrong message to the Lebanese; the mixing of politics and religion is bound to lead to disaster. We need to hear Hassan Nasr Allah political messages and wish he spares us his religious belief that is not the concern of the people at this junction.
What the Lebanese people and the members of Hezbollah understand is that Hezbollah is a shifty religious sect following the sect of the Iranian Spiritual Guide of the revolution in power at the moment. For example, taking a religious story to drive through a political message, every now and then, is appropriate rhetorically, but when the entire speech is religious then the people get tired of too much chatting in matters they care less about. Everyone should have his specialty, responsibility, and his target audience.
State business, political organization, and religion should not mix. Lebanon has 18 formally recognized sects and we need not exacerbate our caste structure problems. We need to be the vanguard to the other Arabic and Islamic States in running our life and strengthening our individual freedom for rational thinking.
That is my first installment on myths, from all religious castes, to confront head on for a harmonious and stable Lebanon.
To the Graduates
Posted on: July 3, 2010
Graduate ceremonies?
My message is: “Defend mankind, any man regardless of gender, race, color, or social origin against sickness, illness, indignity, lack of human rights, and civil rights. Learn to love your work or (quit to a job you could love): Love is the force that keeps you going and that transforms work into value that remains within you. It does not matter what is your job as long as you can fill this job with love and compassion to your co-workers.
I learned that knowledge is power. Thank your teachers who freed you from slavery, even if they didn’t care about you but were interested in the salary. Only knowledge can break chains. The deeper you investigate into knowledge the closer you are of God. How can you believe in a God if you are ignorant of your own potentials and capabilities?
I learned that success is consequent to failures. Nothing like failure to work as catalyst to achievement. Failure is the ultimate of teacher as long as you have the courage and steadfastness to resuming the fight. You have got to dare confronting failure if you want success.
I learned that money can bring fame and power. The real challenge is how to keep money, to retain power and fame. Most people lost their money, power, and fame simply because they failed to invest time and determination for introspection activities and reflecting on the power of humility and compassion toward others. Success is within your soul first of all. Get rid of the redundant misleading facade and reach inside your own potentials for compassion and clemency.
O Graduates, move on to work, work the land, work the mind, never relinquish your right to individual reflection, freedom of opinion, and never forget your origin and how lucky you were to get an education.
Note: Adapted from a recent graduation speech (with a few alterations) by Dr. Philip Salem, chief cancer department at the Houston hospital
Before Copenhagen: Climate Change
Posted on: July 3, 2010
What did we know on Climate Change before Copenhagen?
Note: Article is re-edited
Before 1992, six nations accounted for over 80% of the total accumulated 6 gases related to environment global temperature increase such as CO2, fluor, and especially methane. These countries are USA (27%), Europe’s major States (23%), China (10%), Russia (9.25%), Germany (5.5%), and Japan (5%). In 2005, the same countries emit more than 70% of the gases. They are: China (19.5%), USA (18.5%), The EU (13.5%), Russia (5.25%), India (5%) and Japan 3.5%).
Only three countries have managed to reduce their CO2 “equivalent emissions” since the Kyoto agreement reference of 1992. They are: Russia by 40%, Germany and England by almost 20% each. The major themes in the coming conference are eight:
First, the long-term objective for the year 2050 is to staying below 2 degrees increase in global temperature. This is not acceptable: it means that the world community has already condemned 30% of animal and vegetable species to go extinct, 30% of sea-shore swamps will disappear, and a qualitative jump in desertification and rate of inundations; potable water will become scarce resource.
For that purpose, the most industrialized States should reduce by 80% the equivalent CO2 emissions. The overall reduction is to be 50% with the contribution of the developing countries in going green. To that effect, the target of not exceeding 450 particles of CO2 concentration is not acceptable. Currently we have a concentration of 390 particles and the temperature had increased by 0.8 degrees in the last three decades: We are already witnessing the melting of the Arctic Pole.
The target for CO2 should be to drop to at least 350 particles. The main reason is the emission of methane (a gas worse by 20 times the effect of CO2) that the hard frozen ground are emitting and which kept this nasty gas trapped underground before this melting phase.
Second, the medium term objective is a reduction of CO2 equivalent to 30% in reference to the year 1990. The actual engagement is 13%. The US administrations are not ready for even that modest reduction of 13%.
Third, an engagement to adopting industrial processes with low CO2 emissions.
Fourth, reducing deforestation by 50% and replanting new trees. Brazil has already started policies of saving the Amazon forest areas from further plantations.
Fifth, pumping $3 billions a year into the poorest States to encourage them switching to alternative cleaner energy resources.
Sixth, pumping additional $ 2 billions a year for innovative green technologies.
Seventh, allocating $ 10 billions, each year, till 2012 to finance green alternatives.
Eight, developing an alternative program that will substitute the “Carbon market” due to terminate in 2012.
According to the Bangkok Post the US President Obama and China Hu Jintao have agreed to lower expectation in Copenhagen. Most probably, the reference for lowering gas emission will be of 2005 instead of 1992, a move that will encourage accepting raising the CO2 concentration beyond the 400 particles. All indicates that the US is going to the Copenhagen conference empty-handed in home legislations. Many leaders are encouraging President Obama to raise the standard unilaterally as a sign of personal commitment and set the psychology of the US people in motion. Everything might restart from scratch.
The Kyoto agreement had for purpose to encouraging the heaviest state polluters to invest in the poorer States with less polluting technologies to stabilize the overall concentration of gases. The idea was to deter the emerging economies from emulating the same industrial processes that the developed countries have previously used and thus, saving future deterioration of the environment.
A tax of 2% on the heaviest industrial polluters was to generate $1.6 billion by 2012. Nothing was done so far and the US administrations refused to sign the Kyoto agreement on the basis that climatic changes are mostly a myth.
The hardest hit States are located in Africa (the western and eastern states), Afghanistan, Bangladesh (17% of its land will be submerged). The next worst hit states are Mexico, Pakistan, Iraq, India, the western states in Latin America, and many States in South East Asia. The actual facts and trends are changing priorities for the worst hit states; for example, Mexico, Argentina, Australia, North of China, and India are witnessing the lowest rain precipitations in decades for two consecutive years.
