I am coming back to this blog after a long layoff - I'm going to attribute it to my personal winter hibernation. In reality, real life has caught up to my time online and this blog was not my priority. Instead, it is (and always has been) more of a release outlet and a way to ensure that I could do some writing when the need arose. However, over the last 5-6 months, I have been doing more creative writing, including a return to my poetic roots and finally going with the book idea that has been in my head for a long time. I have no set timeframe to complete the book, nor any idea of how it will yet actually end, but I intend to enjoy the journey that it takes me on.
Along with that, my professional career (or, as I prefer to think of it, the job that pays the bills) has also gone in an unusual direction that has required a great deal more of my time and effort. I foresee that it will continue that way for a while yet but that is ok - I enjoy what I do and that is more than a lot of people can say about what they do.
All of this being said, I hope to get back to doing occasional posts on this blog. I have many ideas that come up that I want to comment or write upon but it is finding the time to do so. It may require a little more effort on my part to get there but I shall get where I want to go. I hope that those who have followed with me to this point continue to do so. Who knows, we may even learn a few things along the way. Thank you.
Showing posts with label book. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book. Show all posts
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Thoughts on extremism - via Qasim Rashid
I just finished a new book by Qasim Rashid, The Wrong Kind of Muslim. And while Mr. Rashid urged his readers at the end to share the story with others, I would have written this brief essay regardless.
Mr. Rashid is an Ahmadi Muslim and he writes of the experiences both of himself as well as a brief history of the persecution of Ahmadi Muslims, specifically in his birth nation of Pakistan. Frankly, prior to my reading of this book (which I found at the local library and picked up just because I found the title to be interesting), I knew of the two main sects of Islam (Sunni and Shia) and the battles that exist between them but not much more beyond that. I am familiar with the basics of Islamic teaching and have had very interesting conversations with several Muslim friends, including the Imam of a mosque in Georgia years ago, but this book was a bit of an eye-opener. And not in a particularly positive way - though Mr. Rashid strives to be as positive as he can in his personal outlook.
He details some of the horrific crimes - and they are indeed crimes regardless of how they may be viewed by Sunni Muslims in Pakistan - committed against not just Ahmadis but against any minority in Pakistan. The stories are particularly gripping and stay with the reader. The belief that perseverance against such oppression and aggression is a positive but it seems almost futile in some ways. He offers some comparison to the civil rights movement in America but I feel that is shallow and not entirely valid based on the differences between the two nations from political, cultural and religious viewpoints. I would like to believe that his positive faith in human nature will be rewarded but I fear that the more likely result is a worsening of the situation - perhaps something akin to Somalia in the 1990's - rather than a non-violent belief and push for improvement.
Something else to point out is a book should not be judged by its cover. While I found the title to be intriguing enough to pick it up and read it, I did attract some odd looks from people who saw me carrying the book. I live in the US and there is a pervasive negative view of Muslims (regardless of sect) among a segment of the population. On more than one occasion I tried to explain that while the issues may be specific to adherents of Islam, its lessons were not limited to just that. The key underlying point here lies in the understanding that extremism is not limited to any one religion, culture, nation or any other grouping. In this, Mr. Rashid is spot on and more can (and should!) learn from this point. In the US, we have extremists of many different varieties. I do not agree with most of them but I have the right to disagree (much the same way that they have the right to express those extremist views so long as it does not infringe upon the rights of others) - something that is not enjoyed in Pakistan based on Mr. Rashid's observations and experience. But we must take advantage of the right to express that disagreement so that narrow-minded, extremist views do not pervade the responsible mainstream!
Knowledge is power - another key point of Mr. Rashid's and one with which I fully agree. The more we know, the better we can and will be. Extremism, unfortunately, often devolves to the lowest common denominator among its followers. It abhors knowledge outside of its own limited realm and therefore will work hard to punish, abuse, or demonize it so that it cannot take root. But when extremism is allowed to do so, the result will be as predictable as what Mr. Rashid has described in his book. I highly recommend you read it in order to gain a better understanding of what can become if we choose to continue to ignore it.
Mr. Rashid is an Ahmadi Muslim and he writes of the experiences both of himself as well as a brief history of the persecution of Ahmadi Muslims, specifically in his birth nation of Pakistan. Frankly, prior to my reading of this book (which I found at the local library and picked up just because I found the title to be interesting), I knew of the two main sects of Islam (Sunni and Shia) and the battles that exist between them but not much more beyond that. I am familiar with the basics of Islamic teaching and have had very interesting conversations with several Muslim friends, including the Imam of a mosque in Georgia years ago, but this book was a bit of an eye-opener. And not in a particularly positive way - though Mr. Rashid strives to be as positive as he can in his personal outlook.
He details some of the horrific crimes - and they are indeed crimes regardless of how they may be viewed by Sunni Muslims in Pakistan - committed against not just Ahmadis but against any minority in Pakistan. The stories are particularly gripping and stay with the reader. The belief that perseverance against such oppression and aggression is a positive but it seems almost futile in some ways. He offers some comparison to the civil rights movement in America but I feel that is shallow and not entirely valid based on the differences between the two nations from political, cultural and religious viewpoints. I would like to believe that his positive faith in human nature will be rewarded but I fear that the more likely result is a worsening of the situation - perhaps something akin to Somalia in the 1990's - rather than a non-violent belief and push for improvement.
Something else to point out is a book should not be judged by its cover. While I found the title to be intriguing enough to pick it up and read it, I did attract some odd looks from people who saw me carrying the book. I live in the US and there is a pervasive negative view of Muslims (regardless of sect) among a segment of the population. On more than one occasion I tried to explain that while the issues may be specific to adherents of Islam, its lessons were not limited to just that. The key underlying point here lies in the understanding that extremism is not limited to any one religion, culture, nation or any other grouping. In this, Mr. Rashid is spot on and more can (and should!) learn from this point. In the US, we have extremists of many different varieties. I do not agree with most of them but I have the right to disagree (much the same way that they have the right to express those extremist views so long as it does not infringe upon the rights of others) - something that is not enjoyed in Pakistan based on Mr. Rashid's observations and experience. But we must take advantage of the right to express that disagreement so that narrow-minded, extremist views do not pervade the responsible mainstream!
Knowledge is power - another key point of Mr. Rashid's and one with which I fully agree. The more we know, the better we can and will be. Extremism, unfortunately, often devolves to the lowest common denominator among its followers. It abhors knowledge outside of its own limited realm and therefore will work hard to punish, abuse, or demonize it so that it cannot take root. But when extremism is allowed to do so, the result will be as predictable as what Mr. Rashid has described in his book. I highly recommend you read it in order to gain a better understanding of what can become if we choose to continue to ignore it.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Waxing Phisophic
I should preface this entry by pointing out that I actually had to go look up "philosophic" just to be sure it was a legit word and not just me making it up. I must be smarter than I think since it is. :-)
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/philosophic?s=t
I know I haven't written anything on this site in more than a month which is longer than I want to go here. But I can say that I have been doing other writing in the meantime. I wrote up a nice post on my professional blog that actually generated quite a few hits and comments and am quite proud of it. And I've also recently acquired a new notebook and have been trying to do some more writing by hand. I know, that means I'm likely the only one who'll actually see it in most cases but that's ok. That was how I started writing and sometimes it is nice to return to the basics.
It's funny, but I recently came across a collection of my written works, stories and poetry, done ever since I was in middle school from what I can tell. It's not like I've always dated my work. But it's always interesting to go back and see what you've done in the past and be able to compare it to the present. You can see where you have grown in some ways and where things have changed in your perspective and outlook on life. So it was with what I found in my collection. I only had time to go through a small portion of the work but it will give me a fair amount of things to consider and perhaps some inspiration to make some changes to how I live today and perhaps take on a simpler attitude. At the very least, it will make for some very interesting reading.
Thinking of writing has also caused me to start to look for good writing material. Over the last few years, I have not done nearly as much as I would like and I realize that it is, in part, due to the fact that I no longer carry a notebook with me wherever I go. This was my habit for many years and I kept a variety of information in my notebooks. In a way, those notebooks and random slips of paper were the closest thing I ever kept to a diary. But I do not want to just grab any old notebook and start writing in there. I want to find a nice, leather-bound notebook that will serve as a more lasting memorial to my random musings, poetry and prose. And, since I'm writing about them right now, I just found something that may work (and is comparatively cheap since some of the others I saw are several hundred dollars). I think that will be my Father's Day gift to myself.
Of course, that does not mean I'll abandon this. But since this site covers a random variety of subjects and none of my poetry, then I think there'll be enough random thoughts to spread around everywhere.
Enough melancholy for one day. Tomorrow is a new day.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/philosophic?s=t
I know I haven't written anything on this site in more than a month which is longer than I want to go here. But I can say that I have been doing other writing in the meantime. I wrote up a nice post on my professional blog that actually generated quite a few hits and comments and am quite proud of it. And I've also recently acquired a new notebook and have been trying to do some more writing by hand. I know, that means I'm likely the only one who'll actually see it in most cases but that's ok. That was how I started writing and sometimes it is nice to return to the basics.
It's funny, but I recently came across a collection of my written works, stories and poetry, done ever since I was in middle school from what I can tell. It's not like I've always dated my work. But it's always interesting to go back and see what you've done in the past and be able to compare it to the present. You can see where you have grown in some ways and where things have changed in your perspective and outlook on life. So it was with what I found in my collection. I only had time to go through a small portion of the work but it will give me a fair amount of things to consider and perhaps some inspiration to make some changes to how I live today and perhaps take on a simpler attitude. At the very least, it will make for some very interesting reading.
Thinking of writing has also caused me to start to look for good writing material. Over the last few years, I have not done nearly as much as I would like and I realize that it is, in part, due to the fact that I no longer carry a notebook with me wherever I go. This was my habit for many years and I kept a variety of information in my notebooks. In a way, those notebooks and random slips of paper were the closest thing I ever kept to a diary. But I do not want to just grab any old notebook and start writing in there. I want to find a nice, leather-bound notebook that will serve as a more lasting memorial to my random musings, poetry and prose. And, since I'm writing about them right now, I just found something that may work (and is comparatively cheap since some of the others I saw are several hundred dollars). I think that will be my Father's Day gift to myself.
Of course, that does not mean I'll abandon this. But since this site covers a random variety of subjects and none of my poetry, then I think there'll be enough random thoughts to spread around everywhere.
Enough melancholy for one day. Tomorrow is a new day.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Chinese History
I tend to hit the local library every couple of weeks or so because it's a lot cheaper than buying all of the books from the bookstore. Of course, the fact that I have no shortage of books at any time is not something that makes my better half happy at any time but it's one of the few vices (as she would see it) that I have so she's patient enough with them. And, in the last couple of weeks, I've found books on the Chinese in America by Iris Chang (just finished yesterday and an interesting read), Ezra Vogel's biography of Deng Xiaoping (just started and looks like it'll be informative - not to mention I've heard several good reviews of it) and David Cordingly's Pirate Hunter of the Caribbean, a story about the life of Captain Woodes Rogers who was what the title states. I also reserved a copy of George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones which I've heard a great deal about and of which there is a mini-series on HBO that I've not and will probably never see. Yes, libraries are a wonderful thing and I am certainly a great believer in them.
But I sometime have to temper my enthusiasm because the library does not necessarily carry all of the books I would like to read at any given time. As a matter of fact, I started thinking about the reading selections available as they pertain to China and Chinese history. If I were to use the library as my source of all information on China, I would only know the history of China mainly from the end of the Qing dynasty through to the current day and projections on the upcoming conflict between the US and China. While I've heard vague rumours about 5000 years of Chinese history, one would not know it from the books available on China in your local libraries. Even university libraries are hardly better in this regard - I had to look long and hard for any books that went much further into Chinese history beyond the Ming when I was in college not so many years ago.
So, now I will ask the few people who actually read my blog if they have any good recommendations for books on Chinese history that extend past the Communist-imposed history or the Qing dynasty? I am truly an avid learner on the subject but feel terribly inadequate in terms of my own knowledge. Oh, and the only real requirement is that they be in English - I am probably eternally a functional illiterate in Chinese. Any and all suggestions are much appreciated. Thanks.
But I sometime have to temper my enthusiasm because the library does not necessarily carry all of the books I would like to read at any given time. As a matter of fact, I started thinking about the reading selections available as they pertain to China and Chinese history. If I were to use the library as my source of all information on China, I would only know the history of China mainly from the end of the Qing dynasty through to the current day and projections on the upcoming conflict between the US and China. While I've heard vague rumours about 5000 years of Chinese history, one would not know it from the books available on China in your local libraries. Even university libraries are hardly better in this regard - I had to look long and hard for any books that went much further into Chinese history beyond the Ming when I was in college not so many years ago.
So, now I will ask the few people who actually read my blog if they have any good recommendations for books on Chinese history that extend past the Communist-imposed history or the Qing dynasty? I am truly an avid learner on the subject but feel terribly inadequate in terms of my own knowledge. Oh, and the only real requirement is that they be in English - I am probably eternally a functional illiterate in Chinese. Any and all suggestions are much appreciated. Thanks.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Nothing ever really changes
I'm currently slogging (and believe me, "slogging" seems negative but it's the right word considering how long it is taking me) through The Great War for Civilization by Robert Fisk. It is a long book and covers much Mr. Fisk's journeys and research on the Middle East. And while he has a certain leftist bent that does not diminish the work that he has compiled. I have found it to be fascinating reading, though not everyone would necessarily agree. I only wish I had read it when I first purchased the book more than a year ago - then promptly misplaced it until recently. *sigh*
But before my ADD tendencies cause me to diverge too far from my intended subject, I am currently reading through one of his sections on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. He brings up the demonization that takes place by the Israelis when they discuss the Palestinians and how they are vermin, cockroaches and insects to be stomped upon in order to teach them lessons. This is, of course, when they're not being referred to as terrorists or homicide bombers. <sarcasm> Really, I suppose the world owes Fox News a debt of gratitude for that. </sarcasm> And one only need go through MEMRI to see how many Arabs and Muslims talk about Jews. And these are things that have been occurring for years, not something that is just recent. If anything, the only thing recent about these characterizations is that they're now much more easily translated into English and therefore available to the English-only crowd who previously may have been unaware of them. And it is this demonization issue that I discussed less than a year ago on this blog and it seems to have come around again.
Indeed, how it easy it is to learn that the best way to make it easy to hurt or kill someone is to strip away their humanity and see them only as a negative caricature or as nothing more than a beast. It is not hard to understand how the situation in the Middle East between Israelis and Palestinians continues to fester when they see each other as beasts needing to be slaughtered in order to obtain what they want. Someone needs to really bring both sides to the table and enable them to start talking to each other - as people. This doesn't mean that it would be as easy as that but there can be no real beginning to a solution unless and until each side recognizes the other as someone more than just a generic "enemy" - or vermin or terrorist or Zionist or pig.
Would that it were so easy...
But before my ADD tendencies cause me to diverge too far from my intended subject, I am currently reading through one of his sections on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. He brings up the demonization that takes place by the Israelis when they discuss the Palestinians and how they are vermin, cockroaches and insects to be stomped upon in order to teach them lessons. This is, of course, when they're not being referred to as terrorists or homicide bombers. <sarcasm> Really, I suppose the world owes Fox News a debt of gratitude for that. </sarcasm> And one only need go through MEMRI to see how many Arabs and Muslims talk about Jews. And these are things that have been occurring for years, not something that is just recent. If anything, the only thing recent about these characterizations is that they're now much more easily translated into English and therefore available to the English-only crowd who previously may have been unaware of them. And it is this demonization issue that I discussed less than a year ago on this blog and it seems to have come around again.
Indeed, how it easy it is to learn that the best way to make it easy to hurt or kill someone is to strip away their humanity and see them only as a negative caricature or as nothing more than a beast. It is not hard to understand how the situation in the Middle East between Israelis and Palestinians continues to fester when they see each other as beasts needing to be slaughtered in order to obtain what they want. Someone needs to really bring both sides to the table and enable them to start talking to each other - as people. This doesn't mean that it would be as easy as that but there can be no real beginning to a solution unless and until each side recognizes the other as someone more than just a generic "enemy" - or vermin or terrorist or Zionist or pig.
Would that it were so easy...
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Random Thoughts
Just dawned on me I had a few other things upon which I wanted to write. Figures that it would happen after I had already written a mostly useless blog entry already today. *sigh*
I don't normally follow a lot of blogs. I obviously pay attention to those from LessThanDot (from a variety of authors - all of whom are very good at what they do and from whom I learn a great deal) and then a few others of friends or the occasional political blog (there is one I still "follow" but I won't list it here because it has become nothing more than a hyper-partisan attack blog from the left - I'll be delisting it soon from my follow list). However, I have recently come across one blog that actually went back to read from the very beginning. http://seeingredinchina.wordpress.com/ is written by a Westerner (I'm pretty sure he's American) who is living in China and he offers his experiences there to allow his readers a different view of a nation and people that most Americans (Westerners) may never otherwise see. I have very much enjoyed reading his point of view because he strives to avoid the common stereotypes of China and instead offers a more nuanced view of the country and its people. From my own experiences in China, I can easily see the author's point of view and appreciate the ability of someone to see beyond the stereotypes. It is very enlightening and I highly recommend this blog as an opportunity to learn more about China beyond the news stories that offer little more than generalized stories about the nation and its people.
Over the last couple of days, I've finished two books. The first was a very positive biography of the Marquis de Lafayette - the hero of the American Revolution. That is a part of history to which I had heretofore not given a lot of attention and his story has now made me curious to do more learning on that subject. The second book I found to be very inspiring and is a highly recommended read for those who want a little perspective on their lives. The Story of My Life by Farah Ahmedi is a wonderful autobiography of a young Afghan girl and the struggles she has gone through - and she is only 17 at the time of the book's publication. Losing her foot at age 7 as the result of a land mine in her native Afghanistan, she weaves a powerful tale of struggle against incredible odds to not only survive but to move forward with her life. She talks about her escape from Afghanistan to Pakistan and thence to the United States of America. Her struggle to deal with her tragic circumstances is both poignant and heart-warming and a reminder of the strength and fragility that we all possess. The fact that she has triumphed as best she can and yet shares her continued concerns for her future life gives an insight that is rarely found in most stories. A quick Google search after I finished the book shows that she continues to succeed as she goes to college and presumably has been able to lead a "normal" life that would otherwise have been unavailable to her. Her story will certainly make me pause and reconsider the next time I have a bad day at the office or at home.
I don't normally follow a lot of blogs. I obviously pay attention to those from LessThanDot (from a variety of authors - all of whom are very good at what they do and from whom I learn a great deal) and then a few others of friends or the occasional political blog (there is one I still "follow" but I won't list it here because it has become nothing more than a hyper-partisan attack blog from the left - I'll be delisting it soon from my follow list). However, I have recently come across one blog that actually went back to read from the very beginning. http://seeingredinchina.wordpress.com/ is written by a Westerner (I'm pretty sure he's American) who is living in China and he offers his experiences there to allow his readers a different view of a nation and people that most Americans (Westerners) may never otherwise see. I have very much enjoyed reading his point of view because he strives to avoid the common stereotypes of China and instead offers a more nuanced view of the country and its people. From my own experiences in China, I can easily see the author's point of view and appreciate the ability of someone to see beyond the stereotypes. It is very enlightening and I highly recommend this blog as an opportunity to learn more about China beyond the news stories that offer little more than generalized stories about the nation and its people.
Over the last couple of days, I've finished two books. The first was a very positive biography of the Marquis de Lafayette - the hero of the American Revolution. That is a part of history to which I had heretofore not given a lot of attention and his story has now made me curious to do more learning on that subject. The second book I found to be very inspiring and is a highly recommended read for those who want a little perspective on their lives. The Story of My Life by Farah Ahmedi is a wonderful autobiography of a young Afghan girl and the struggles she has gone through - and she is only 17 at the time of the book's publication. Losing her foot at age 7 as the result of a land mine in her native Afghanistan, she weaves a powerful tale of struggle against incredible odds to not only survive but to move forward with her life. She talks about her escape from Afghanistan to Pakistan and thence to the United States of America. Her struggle to deal with her tragic circumstances is both poignant and heart-warming and a reminder of the strength and fragility that we all possess. The fact that she has triumphed as best she can and yet shares her continued concerns for her future life gives an insight that is rarely found in most stories. A quick Google search after I finished the book shows that she continues to succeed as she goes to college and presumably has been able to lead a "normal" life that would otherwise have been unavailable to her. Her story will certainly make me pause and reconsider the next time I have a bad day at the office or at home.
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