Category: Politics

Politics

Former US Representative: “Israel Steals Gazan Land Under the Guise of Security ‘Buffer Zone'”

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Dennis Kucinich, former US Representative from Ohio, published a piece in The Guardian which argues that Israel’s latest attack on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is not about “security” but rather a “land grab.” Kucinich provides a little insight into what is really happening in Gaza: There is a land grab going on. The Israeli prime…… Continue reading Former US Representative: “Israel Steals Gazan Land Under the Guise of Security ‘Buffer Zone'”

Politics

Politician in Turkey Calls on Turkish Women to Stop Laughing in Public, Calling it “Immoral”.

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First of all, HAHAHAHA and LOL. In all seriousness though, this story is no laughing matter. Telling any person, let alone a woman, not to laugh in public is inhumane and stripping an individual of some of the joys of life including humor and friendship. Imagine how strange and miserable life would be without laughter. Imagine that there…… Continue reading Politician in Turkey Calls on Turkish Women to Stop Laughing in Public, Calling it “Immoral”.

Politics

Obama Admits US Tortured “Folks” After 9/11

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“Folks.” At least have the decency to call them people, Mr. President. Obama stated, “In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, we did some things that we got wrong, we did a lot of things that we right, but we tortured some folks … We did some things that were contrary to our values.” Gee, ya think? “It’s…… Continue reading Obama Admits US Tortured “Folks” After 9/11

Politics

Text of “When Genocide is Permissible” Article by Yochanan Gordon

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Yochanan Gordon, blogger for the Times of Israel, called for “the final solution” of Palestinians, just like Hitler called for “the final solution” against Jews during the 1930s and 1940s. Not only does “When Genocide is Permissible” have an utterly outrageous and ridiculous argument, but the piece itself is poorly written. Genocide is never permissible, you idiot. Original link…… Continue reading Text of “When Genocide is Permissible” Article by Yochanan Gordon

Politics

Village of Kinvara First to Boycott Israeli Goods in Ireland

Dr. Craig Considine2 Comments

Kinvara (Cinn Mhara, meaning “head of the sea”), a village in County Galway, has become the first community in Ireland to unite against Israel’s military action in Gaza. Kinvara’s business community agreed this week to operate a boycott of Israeli goods, in protest against the “ongoing bombardment” of the Palestinian people. According to the Irish Palestine…… Continue reading Village of Kinvara First to Boycott Israeli Goods in Ireland

Politics

Irish Government Gives €500k in Emergency Funding to Gaza

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The Irish government has pledged funding of €500,000 for the United Nations’ emergency appeal for families affected by the conflict in Gaza. The funding will provide food, shelter and healthcare to thousands of families, many of whom have had to flee their homes. Foreign Affairs minister Charlie Flanagan said: ‘I totally condemn the major escalation…… Continue reading Irish Government Gives €500k in Emergency Funding to Gaza

Politics

An Irish Perspective for the Palestinian People

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I must say, the Irish people I have been speaking to over the last few days are so passionate about the situation in Palestine. Not sure what it is, if it’s Ireland’s history of being oppressed by a ruthless foreign invader, or if it’s just the compassion of the Irish people. Nevertheless their stance on…… Continue reading An Irish Perspective for the Palestinian People

Politics

Forget their Different Methods of Madness, ISIS and US Military Can Both be Brutal

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Don’t let the coverage of the media trick you into thinking that ISIS is somehow more brutal than the US military. Who cares about their different methods of madness, whether it’s an “execution style” gun to the head or a bomb which drops depleted uranium on civilians. All of these acts are outrageous. Both ISIS rebels and American military…… Continue reading Forget their Different Methods of Madness, ISIS and US Military Can Both be Brutal

Politics

Negligent Pakistani Government Displaces 455,000 People With Reckless Military Adventure

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A mass exodus of Pakistanis is now underway in North Waziristan after the Pakistani army launched a massive operation against militants who oppose the state. The Pakistani army has called its operation “The Strike of the Prophet’s Sword.” I think Muhammad would be insulted that the army has used his name in an offensive that has…… Continue reading Negligent Pakistani Government Displaces 455,000 People With Reckless Military Adventure

Politics

If George Washington Ran Fox News, Bill O’Reilly Would be Fired for his Anti-Muslim Slurs

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Author Richard Hine recently tweeted about my article on honoring Muslim American veterans on Memorial Day. Hine noted: I agree with Hine. General Washington would not be happy with the Irish American Fox News commentator who has compared the Quran to Hitler’s Mein Kampf. Bill O’Reilly has historical amnesia or deliberately ignores the contributions that Muslims…… Continue reading If George Washington Ran Fox News, Bill O’Reilly Would be Fired for his Anti-Muslim Slurs

Politics

Alabama, Islam, and the Founding Fathers’ Belief in Religious Tolerance

Dr. Craig Considine1 Comment

Published on Huffington Post Religion Recent comments made by the Chief Justice of Alabama shows that much work needs to be done in educating some of America’s most powerful figures on the history of religious tolerance in America, especially as it pertains to Muslims. Speaking at the Pastor for Life Luncheon, which was sponsored by…… Continue reading Alabama, Islam, and the Founding Fathers’ Belief in Religious Tolerance

Politics

The Problem with Banning the Burqa

Dr. Craig Considine1 Comment

When I was recently invited to speak at a debate at University College of Cork in Ireland on banning the burqa, I was a bit hesitant to accept the call to participate. I, for one, am not a woman, nor am I Muslim. Speaking on an issue that focuses specifically on Muslim women seemed to…… Continue reading The Problem with Banning the Burqa

Politics

What Does Akbar the Great Teach Us About Tolerance in Islamic History?

Dr. Craig Considine2 Comments

Note: Akbar the Great, ruler of most of South Asia in the 16th and early 17th century, rejected bigotry and made unprecedented moves to help non-Muslims feel at peace in his Mughal empire. Below is passage from my article Finding Tolerance in Akbar, the Philosopher King, published in April 2013. You can also watch my short…… Continue reading What Does Akbar the Great Teach Us About Tolerance in Islamic History?

Politics · Religion

Revisiting the Connection Between Prophet Muhammad and George Washington

Dr. Craig Considine3 Comments

When I published the article – An Unlikely Connection Between Prophet Muhammad and George Washington – I had little idea of the impact it would have on Muslims and non-Muslims. The responses to my article varied from people being elated about the comparison to others feeling outraged. While some were pleased to see the similarities…… Continue reading Revisiting the Connection Between Prophet Muhammad and George Washington

Interfaith · Politics · Religion

John Andrew Morrow’s Spiritual Journey into Islam and the Life of Prophet Muhammad

Dr. Craig Considine9 Comments

This interview with Dr. John Andrew Morrow, Islamic scholar and author of the new book The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World (Angelico Press, 2013), is a follow-up to my review “New Book Sheds Light on Prophet Muhammad’s Interfaith Views.” In his response, Dr. Morrow brings us on his journey…… Continue reading John Andrew Morrow’s Spiritual Journey into Islam and the Life of Prophet Muhammad

Politics

Debating “This House Would Ban the Burqa”

Dr. Craig Considine11 Comments

The University College Cork’s Philosophical Society has invited me to speak on the topic: “That This House Would Ban the Burqa.” The debate is scheduled for the 10th of March at 7:30pm. I will be speaking for roughly 15 minutes in opposition to the idea of banning the burqa. The Philosophical Society is one of…… Continue reading Debating “This House Would Ban the Burqa”

Interfaith · Politics

The Pope: Christian and Muslim Refugees Must Share Their Belief in God

Dr. Craig Considine2 Comments

Just days after I wrote about Pope Francis’ speech on ending the “culture of indifference” towards Muslim refugees, the Holy Father emerged today with an equally powerful comment on how Christians and Muslims should lean on each other and share their belief in the “One God.” Vatican Insider reports that during a gathering at the…… Continue reading The Pope: Christian and Muslim Refugees Must Share Their Belief in God

Politics · Religion

Pope Francis: End the Culture of Indifference Towards Muslims

Dr. Craig Considine4 Comments

Vatican Radio reported today on Pope Francis’s appeal for migrants and refugees and an end to “the culture of indifference.” Although he did not explicitly mention them in his address at Saint Peter’s Square, one can be certain that the Holy Father was speaking to Muslims. The Pope stated that migrants and refugees around the world,…… Continue reading Pope Francis: End the Culture of Indifference Towards Muslims

Politics · Travels

Turning Hagia Sophia into a mosque, a church, or both?

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News of the beautiful and awe-inspiring Hagia Sophia, or “Holy Wisdom,” turning into an active mosque is a tricky situation for political and cultural reasons, as Religion News Services reports (via Huffington Post). Christians and other minorities may see the Hagia Sophia’s conversion into a mosque as a challenge to Turkey’s secular-republican origin, whereas Muslims…… Continue reading Turning Hagia Sophia into a mosque, a church, or both?

Politics

Backlash follows Catholic Online’s misleading headline on “closure” of Vatican Embassy

Dr. Craig Considine2 Comments

Catholic Online, a leading news source for Catholics in the US and abroad, recently created the headline “Obama orders closure of Vatican Embassy.” This headline is misleading, overtly political, and even dangerous as it helps reproduce the myths that President Obama is anti-Catholic and that he is also a Muslim. Catholic Online forgot this quintessential point…… Continue reading Backlash follows Catholic Online’s misleading headline on “closure” of Vatican Embassy

Politics

A Radical Christian in U.S. Congress

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U.S. Representative Louie Gohmert (Texas) recently suggested that the U.S. should judge its foreign policy decisions based on a literalist interpretation of prophecies and stories in the Bible. Scriptural literalism in any religious tradition blatantly denies cold-hard facts such as evolution and encourages naive absolutism in the face of scientific inquiry, among other issues. Interpreting the…… Continue reading A Radical Christian in U.S. Congress

Politics

Far-Right “Historic Alliance” to Liberate a Europe “Too Tolerant” of Islam

Dr. Craig Considine1 Comment

Far-right Eurosceptic politicians Marie Le Pen (French National Front (FNF) and Geert Wilders (Party for Freedom (PVV) – Holland) met yesterday in The Hague to launch what they have described as a “historic alliance” in Europe. Le Pen and Wilders’s alliance encourages ethno-nationalism, anti-immigration policies, anti-Islam fervor, and rejection of European integration. The FNF and…… Continue reading Far-Right “Historic Alliance” to Liberate a Europe “Too Tolerant” of Islam

Politics

Americans Should Reflect More Tolerance in Light of Miss America Crown

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This morning I woke up to an e-mail from my father which noted how an Indian American had just won Miss America 2013. In addition, on my Facebook feed I clicked on a story that read “Miss American crowns 1st winner of Indian descent; racist tweets follow.” Clearly many Americans were disturbed and even angry…… Continue reading Americans Should Reflect More Tolerance in Light of Miss America Crown

Politics

How Would America’s Founding Fathers React to Syria?

Dr. Craig Considine2 Comments

In all likelihood, President Barack Obama will soon bomb Syria in the hope of dealing a blow to Syrian President Bashar al Assad’s regime. This dangerous act of war is a betrayal of the foreign policy vision of America’s founding fathers and will only serve to further weaken the US’s floundering moral credibility around the…… Continue reading How Would America’s Founding Fathers React to Syria?

Politics

U.S. Depleted Uranium as Malicious as Syrian Chemical Weapons

Dr. Craig Considine3 Comments

By this time you have likely heard of the atrocity that recently took place in which over 1,000 Syrian civilians reportedly died at the hands of a chemical weapon attack. Seeing the video and images of dead or helpless Syrian civilians struggling for life reminds me of another terrible weapon of war – depleted uranium.…… Continue reading U.S. Depleted Uranium as Malicious as Syrian Chemical Weapons

Politics · Religion

Persecution of Christians Shames Muhammad’s Legacy on Religious Freedom

Dr. Craig Considine11 Comments

Things are spiraling out of control in Egypt, especially for its Coptic community, which has recently been attacked for allegedly helping oust the democratically-elected Muslim Brotherhood from power. The Copts are Egypt’s largest Christian group who make up roughly 10% of the Egyptian population. Over the last several weeks they have witnessed a horrendous string…… Continue reading Persecution of Christians Shames Muhammad’s Legacy on Religious Freedom

Politics

Egyptian Muslims Forget Muhammad’s Letter to Christian Monks

Dr. Craig Considine16 Comments

Published on the Huffington Post One issue often discussed on news sites and blogs over the last several days is the many attacks on Egypt’s Christian communities. Several outlets have reported that violence by Mohammad Morsi supporters has left dozens of Christian churches, Coptic-owned businesses and properties burnt. Fears of widespread sectarian strife seem to…… Continue reading Egyptian Muslims Forget Muhammad’s Letter to Christian Monks

Politics

Congressman Peter King and the Run of Anti-Muslim Republican Presidential Candidates

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According to my go-to Irish American news website Irish Central: “Congressman Peter King, the most prominent Irish American for decades in the House of Representatives, is considering a run for the White House, Newsmax magazine confirms.” (See the article here) If he indeed runs for president in 2016, King will continue with the recent tradition of the Republican Party…… Continue reading Congressman Peter King and the Run of Anti-Muslim Republican Presidential Candidates

Politics

Understanding the Pluralism of the Founding Fathers

Dr. Craig Considine2 Comments

Over the years I have penned many articles to highlight the pluralist spirit of the U.S. founding fathers. Independence Day is an opportunity for Americans and people worldwide to celebrate human rights and religious tolerance. The founding fathers were by no means perfect, and neither is America, but their vision for the U.S. is something…… Continue reading Understanding the Pluralism of the Founding Fathers

Politics

Glendon Crawford’s Alleged KKK Terror Plot: What if Muslims Were Behind It?

Dr. Craig Considine2 Comments

An alleged KKK member tried to sell a radiation device to Ku Klux Klan members. timesunion.com reports: An industrial mechanic with General Electric Co., who is also allegedly a member of the Ku Klux Klan, designed a deadly mobile radiation device that he intended to sell to Jewish groups or a southern branch of the…… Continue reading Glendon Crawford’s Alleged KKK Terror Plot: What if Muslims Were Behind It?

Politics

Rouhani Brings Hope to Iran-Western Relations

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Iran’s new president Hassan Rouhani says his “victory is a victory for wisdom, maturity and moderation.” Not only is he known for his conciliatory approach, but he has also pledged to promote a policy of “constructive interaction with the world” and to enact a domestic “civil rights charter”. In essence, Rouhani brings hope for the improvement…… Continue reading Rouhani Brings Hope to Iran-Western Relations

Politics

Tales of Two Founding Fathers: Jinnah and Jefferson

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The founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, is much like Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and intellectual behind the American Revolution. Both men were educated, trained as lawyers, and powerful figures behind the independence movements of two countries, Pakistan and the United States of America. At the moment, Jinnah is in the…… Continue reading Tales of Two Founding Fathers: Jinnah and Jefferson

Politics

Jinnah’s house: A symbolic hit in Pakistan

Dr. Craig Considine2 Comments

News this morning from Balochistan is not so great. The home of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan, has been attacked and pretty much destroyed by extremists. CNN reports: Assailants bombed the home of the Pakistani founding father early Saturday, killing a police officer who fought back and injuring an employee, authorities said.…… Continue reading Jinnah’s house: A symbolic hit in Pakistan

Politics

Sarin gas and the “red line”

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Word out of Washington, D.C. is that President Obama has seen enough of the Syrian Civil War and has decided to arm “the rebels,” a mix of different groups with different agendas. Obama suggested that a “red line” has been crossed when Bashar al-Assad’s government forces used sarin gas, a deadly nerve agent, reportedly on…… Continue reading Sarin gas and the “red line”

Politics

Representative Mike Pompeo Makes No Sense

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I am very upset to hear of this shocking news coming from Capitol Hill. Representative Mike Pompeo suggested recently that all Muslim Americans are complicit in terrorist attacks. Representative Pompeo needs to read an article I wrote for the Huffington Post. There is no greater sacrifice for a citizen than to give his or her…… Continue reading Representative Mike Pompeo Makes No Sense

Politics

Time For a New Patriot Act

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2001 was a dark year for Americans. The Twin Towers fell. The Pentagon was struck. But the Nation lost much more than that in 2001. 2001 was the year that George W. Bush signed the Patriot Act. The Patriot Act is kind of like a propaganda document for the following reasons. Literally, the Patriot Act…… Continue reading Time For a New Patriot Act

Politics

Benjamin Franklin Would be Outraged with NSA Spying

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Commentary · Politics

How George Washington and Prophet Muhammad Would React to Hate Speech

Dr. Craig Considine3 Comments

In a recent article for Yahoo Contributors Network, Maryam Khan Ansari wrote about how internet postings with anti-Muslim hate messages may soon be subject to federal criminal laws. In her article, Ansari discussed how Bill Killian, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, has plans to use federal civil rights laws to curb hate speech,…… Continue reading How George Washington and Prophet Muhammad Would React to Hate Speech

Politics

Jimmy Carter on Islam

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“I have been struck […] by the human and moral values which Americans as a people share with Islam. We share, first and foremost, a deep faith in the one Supreme Being. We are all commanded by Him to faith, compassion, and justice. We have a common respect and reverence for law. Despite the strains…… Continue reading Jimmy Carter on Islam

Politics

Video: “You’re all illegal here! We didn’t invite any of you!” says indigenous American man

Dr. Craig Considine1 Comment

Basically the U.S. was a country built on “illegal immigration,” so who has the right or power to stop “illegal immigration” now!? Did the indigenous Americans (“Native Americans”) ask the European settlers for their green cards? Did they ask for any identification? How about their visas?

Politics

Sultan Abdallah, George Washington and the Ties that Bind Morroco and the US

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The recent development of the Moroccan government opposing the US-led initiative to extend the directive of UN peacekeepers in the Western Sahara to human rights monitoring has caused friction between Moroccans and Americans. This spat threatens to harm a relationship which has been based in mutual respect and cooperation for over 240 years. Continue reading

Politics

Blaming “America’s Global Domination” for the Boston Marathon Bombing

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Richard Falk, an American professor of international law at Princeton University, recently suggested that US foreign policy is to blame for the Boston Marathon bombings. His sentiments remind me of Noam Chomsky’s famous quote about terrorism: “Everybody’s worried about terrorism. Well, there’s a really easy way; stop participating in it.” Do you agree with Falk’s words?…… Continue reading Blaming “America’s Global Domination” for the Boston Marathon Bombing

Politics

Catholic bishop fights opponents of immigration reform after Boston Marathon bombings

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Source: Religion News Service “Opponents of immigration … will seize on anything, and when you’ve got something as vivid and as recent as the tragedy in Boston it puts another arrow in their quiver,” New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, told reporters. “To label a whole group of…… Continue reading Catholic bishop fights opponents of immigration reform after Boston Marathon bombings

Politics

Reality is Muslims have different rules for punishment in US

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By Andrew Rosenthal for The New York Times The Boston Marathon bombings are closer to the colloquial and legal definitions of terrorism than the Aurora shooting, but not the Oklahoma bombing, or the Arizona attack. The real difference is that Mr. Tsarnaev is a Muslim, and the United States has since the 9/11 terrorist attacks…… Continue reading Reality is Muslims have different rules for punishment in US

Politics

Politicizing the Marathon bombings in a Boston church

Dr. Craig Considine3 Comments

I felt very discouraged at Mass this morning. The priest virtually incited hatred of Islam. In paraphrasing he said something like “The Boston Marathon bombings was part of the global jihad of Islamic supremacists on Christians.” He followed these loaded statements by talking about evil, the devil and how Islam has basically “always been this…… Continue reading Politicizing the Marathon bombings in a Boston church

Politics

Comparing American and North Korean mad men

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Fox News posts this picture: *** In response, I post this picture:

Politics

Moral authority on the streets of Chicago to the tribal areas of Pakistan

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Gary Younge at the Guardian makes an important point in his recent article (“Barack Obama is pushing gun control at home, but he’s a killer abroad”): Over the last few weeks there has been a distinct incongruity – to say the least – between the agenda Obama is promoting at home and the one he…… Continue reading Moral authority on the streets of Chicago to the tribal areas of Pakistan

Politics

“Islamophobia” Crimes Up Despite “Terrorist” Attacks Being Down in U.S.

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Mass shootings such as those in Newtown, Connecticut, and Aurora, Colorado, by far exceed the number of those killed in Muslim-related terrorism in the U.S., new research says.  “Terrorist” attacks in 2012 are down from 21 in 2011, 26 in 2010 and 49 in 2009, according to the fourth annual report by North Carolina’s Triangle…… Continue reading “Islamophobia” Crimes Up Despite “Terrorist” Attacks Being Down in U.S.

Politics

FBI Manufactures “Terror Plots,” Only to Foil Them, Says Top Journalist

Dr. Craig Considine2 Comments

Investigative journalist Trevor Aaronson’s new book, “The Terror Factory: Inside the FBI’s Manufactured War on Terrorism,” claims the FBI has, under the guise of engaging in counter-terrorism since 9/11, “built a network of more than 15,000 informants who infiltrate Muslim communities to create and facilitate fake terrorist plots for the bureau to foil and publicize as victories…… Continue reading FBI Manufactures “Terror Plots,” Only to Foil Them, Says Top Journalist

Politics

George Washington Quote on Bigotry and Discrimination

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George Washington’s letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island, 17 August 1790.  Full letter