Thursday, December 30, 2010

The Feminine & God (via Mevlâna Jalâluddîn Rumi)

The following is a condensing of an article on Women and Rumi:

A woman, Rabi'a al-Adawiyya (717-801 A.D.), ...first expressed the relationship with the divine in a language we have come to recognize as ...Sufic by referring to God as the Beloved. Rabi'a was the first human being to speak of the realities of Sufism with a language that anyone could understand. Though she experienced many difficulties in her early years, Rabi'a's starting point was neither a fear of hell nor a desire for paradise, but ONLY LOVE...Her aim was to melt her being in God.

Throughout the centuries, women as well as men have continued to carry the light of this love...Within some Sufi circles, women were integrated with men in ceremonies; in other orders, women gathered in their own circles of remembrance and worshiped apart from men. Some women devoted themselves to Spirit ascetically, apart from society, as Rabi'a did; others chose the role of benefactress and fostered circles of worship and study. Many of the great masters with whom we in the West are familiar had female teachers, students, and spiritual friends who greatly influenced their thought and being...

Ibn Arabi, the great "Pole of Knowledge" (1165-1240 A.D.), tells of time he spent with two elderly women mystics who had a profound influence on him: Shams of Marchena, one of the "sighing ones," and Fatimah of Cordova. Of Fatimah, with whom he spent a great deal of time, he says: "I served as a disciple one of the lovers of God...Fatimah bint Ibn al-Muthanna of Cordova. I served her for several years, she being over ninety-five years of age... She used to play on the tambourine and show great pleasure in it. When I spoke to her about it she answered, 'I take joy in Him Who has turned to me and made me one of His Friends...using me for His own purposes. Who am I that He should choose me among mankind?'...With my own hands I built for her a hut of reeds as high as she, in which she lived until she died. She used to say to me, 'I am your spiritual mother and the light of your earthly mother...

When Bayazid Bestami (d. 874), another well-known master, was asked who his master was, he said it was an old woman whom he had met in the desert. This woman had called him a vain tyrant...Her words gave him spiritual guidance for some time.

Another woman for whom Bestami had great regard was Fatimah Nishapuri (d. 838), of whom he said, "There was no station (on the Way) about which I told her that she had not already undergone." Someone once asked the great Egyptian Sufi master Dho'n-Nun Mesri, "Who, in your opinion, is the highest among the Sufis?" He replied, "A lady in Mecca, called Fatimah Nishapuri...Further pressed to comment on Fatimah, he added, "She is ...my teacher." She once counseled him, "In all your actions, watch that you act with sincerity and in opposition to your lower self...

The wife of the ninth-century Sufi Al-Hakim at-Tirmidhi was a mystic in her own right. She used to dream for her husband as well as for herself. Khidr, the mysterious one, would appear to her in her dreams. One night he told her to tell her husband to guard the purity of his house. Concerned that perhaps Khidr was referring to the lack of cleanliness that sometimes occurred because of their young children, she questioned him in her dream. He responded by pointing to his tongue: she was to tell her husband to be mindful of the purity of his speech.

Among the women who followed the Way of Love and Truth, there were some who rejoiced and some who continually wept. Sha'wana, a Persian, was one of those who wept. Men and women gathered around her to hear her songs and discourses. She used to say, "The eyes which are prevented from beholding the Beloved, and yet are desirous of looking upon Him, cannot be fit for that vision without weeping." Sha'wana was not only "blinded by tears of penitence, but dazzled by the radiant glory of the Beloved."

...One of those who rejoiced was Fedha, who was also a married woman. She taught that "joy of heart should be happiness based on what we inwardly sense; therefore we should always strive to rejoice within our heart, till everyone around us also rejoices."

...Though the Qur'an strongly encourages education for women as well as men, women sometimes received fewer opportunities for instruction than men in similar circumstances... women in general around the world have often faced prejudicial treatment because of their gender. Within Islamic society as well as within our own, difficult treatment of women has occurred...Though local cultural overlays...may have increased restrictions on women in various areas, (we) are enjoin(ed to offer) mutual respect and valuation of the human being regardless of sex or social situation. Within Sufism, this...attitude has prevailed.

...we are discovering (today) the work of many Sufi sisters. Among these was Fatimah or Jahan-Ara, the favorite daughter of Shah Jahan, the Mogul emperor of India (1592-1666). Fatimah wrote an account of her initiation called Risala-i Sahibiyya, which is known as a beautiful and erudite exposition of the flowering of Sufism within her heart.

Aisha of Damascus was one of the well-known mystics of the fifteenth century. She wrote a famous commentary of Khwaja 'Abdo'llah Ansari's Stations on the Way (Manazel as-sa'erin) entitled Veiled Hints within the stations of the Saints (Al-esharat al-khafiys fi'l-manazel al-auliya'). Bib Hayati Kermani belonged to a family immersed in the Sufi tradition. Her brother was a shaikh of the Nimatullahi Order, and she became the wife of the master of the order. After her marriage, she composed a divan (collection of poems) that revealed her integration of both the outer and the inner knowledge of Sufism.

Among the Bektashis, an order in which women have always been integrated with men in ceremonies, many women have continued the tradition of composing sacred songs (illahis). In 1987, a songbook entitled Gul Deste ("A Bouquet of Roses") was published in Turkey. It brings together sacred hymns written by women and men of the Bektashi tradition from the nineteenth century to the present.

Sufi women around the world today continue to teach and share their experience personally as well as in written form. In the Sudan, for instance, there continue to be shaikhas (female shaikhs) who are particularly adept in the healing arts. In the Middle East, women continue to mature in many Sufi orders. In Turkey in particular, the teachings continue through women as well as men, perhaps even more so now than in the past because of Ataturk's proscription of the sufi orders early in the century, which drove much of Sufi practice into private homes. One luminous lady, Feriha Ana, carried the Rifai tradition in Istanbul until her recent death; Zeyneb Hatun of Ankara continues to inspire people in Turkey and abroad with her poems and songs.

In central Turkey, the mother of a friend of ours one day heard someone knocking and answered her door. A man stood at her threshold with a message. He had come to ask her to lead a Naqshbandi women's circle. He explained that his shaikh, who lived quite a distance away, had seen her in a dream and had sent him to the place that had been indicated. When she protested that she did not know his shaikh and felt inadequate for such a responsibility, the man replied, "Do not worry. Our shaikh has seen your purity. He says that whenever you have a question you should hold that question in your heart, and in your dreams he will bring you the answer." Thus began her apprenticeship.

Sufi schools spread from the Middle East to Europe long ago, and new waves continue to arrive...A popular strain of Sufism that has been very welcoming of women is the Chishti Order, which was brought to America by Hazrat Inayat Khan. Of the many women involved, Murshida Vera Corda is perhaps the best-known; her work with children in particular has been a great inspiration to many parents.

One branch of Sufism that has become better-known in the West in recent years is the Mevlevi. Within this tradition, which was founded upon the example of Mevlâna Jalâluddîn Rumi, women have always been deeply respected, honored, and invited to participate in all aspects of the spiritual path. Rumi's family itself had a long tradition of recognizing the spiritual beauty and wisdom of women. It was his grandmother, the princess of Khorasan, who first lit the spark of inquiry in Rumi's father, Bahaeddin Weled. Under her care, he grew to be the "sultan of the learned" and a great spiritual light in his time. Rumi's mother, Mu'mine Hatun, a devout and saintly lady, was very dear to him. She died shortly after Rumi's own marriage to Gevher Hatun, the daughter of one of Bahaeddin's closest disciples. Gevher Hatun had grown up beside Rumi, listening to his father's discourses. This beautiful woman, who was known to have the heart of an angel, was the mother of Sultan Weled, to whom Rumi's own teacher, Shams-i-tabriz, conveyed many mysteries. In his Conversations (Maqalat), Shams himself stressed the equal capacity of women to be intimate with the Ineffable and to "die before death."

...Within Sufism...women and men have always been respected as equals on the spiritual path. Everyone is expected to establish his or her own direct connection with the divine...

Within Sufism, the language of the Beloved and the recognition of the feminine helps to balance some of the old cultural stereotypes that were sometimes used in expository writing and which the Western media have chosen to highlight. Rumi often speaks beautifully of the feminine, presenting woman as the most perfect example of God's creative power on earth. As he says in the Mathnawi, "Woman is a ray of God. She is not just the earthly beloved; she is creative, not created."

It is precisely this creativity and capacity for love and relationship that suits (the feminine) so well for the Sufi way of opening to relationship with the divine. As we come to recognize the magnificence of the benevolent Source of Life...

...God's mercy and benevolence is always emphasized as being greater than His wrath; the encompassing generosity and nurturance of the divine is the milieu in which we live.

As women, we come from the womb and carry the womb. We give birth from the womb and can find ourselves born into the womb of Being. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is very much revered in Sufism and Islam as an example of one who continually took refuge with the divine and opened to receive divine inspiration within the womb of her being...

Sufism recognizes that committed relationship and family are not contrary to the flowering of spirituality, but rather are wonderful vessels for spiritual ripening.

...The way is opening in our own time for greater recognition of equal partnership. We have much to learn form each other, and male and female need to recognize each other so that we can come to balance within ourselves as well as creating balance outwardly in the world. The male attributes of strength and determination also belong to women; the feminine attributes of receptivity and beauty also belong to men. As we look to the divine in each other, encouraging each other to rise to the fullness of is or her own divine nature, we push against our limitations until they dissolve and a gift unfolds. As we learn to witness the miracle of creation, a time comes when "wheresoever you look, there is the Face of God; everything is perishing except the One Face."

Whether we choose celibacy or committed partnership, whether we are female or male, the same work remains of polishing the mirror of the heart, of being in remembrance moment by moment, breath by breath. Each moment we reaffirm the inner marriage until there is no longer lover or Beloved but only Unity of Being. Little by little, we die to what we thought we were. We are dissolved into Love, and we become love, God willing. As Rabi'a says:

In love, nothing exists between breast and Breast.
Speech is born out of longing,
True description from the real taste.
The one who tastes, knows;
The one who explains, lies.
How can you describe the true form of Something
In whose Presence you are blotted out?
And in whose Being you still exist?
And who lives as a Sign for your journey?

==========
Stories report that on one occasion Rabi'a was asked, if she hated Satan. Hazrat Rabi'a was said to reply: "My love to God has so possessed me that no place remains for loving or hating any save Him."

I found the above painting and these excerpts today, 31st December 2010 here
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See also the Transcript of Radio Program | The Ecstatic Faith of Rumi -
Ms. Fatemah Keshavarz - an Iranian Rumi scholar - who although admitting that Rumi wasn't a "feminist" as such, used feminine metaphors and expressions at times in his poetry. Ms. Keshavarz said: "I think, if anything, {Rumi's) vision is that all humanity is pregnant with God." She was interviewed on an award-winning episode of On Being / formerly Speaking of Faith which has been rebroadcast recently.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Recovery Starts with Bridge (Flooded Pakistan Village)

From wfp.org

Originally published on 22 December 2010

The villagers of Zoladher in the Swat valley indicate where they will build the bridge that will allow their children to go to school.(Copyright: WFP/Martin Penner)When the monsoon flood waters surged down the Swat River near the village of Zoladher, they smashed the only bridge linking the two sides of the village. Many children now have to ride a rickety cable car to get to school. With help from WFP, villagers have started work on a new bridge.ZOLADHER (Swat Valley) – Nizarmuddin Gulbarmain, 39, understands the importance of education and desperately wants his five children to go to the village school. Unfortunately, he lives on the wrong side of the River Swat.The school is on the other side of the river and the bridge was carried away in August by flood waters. For his kids to get to school, they must either swim or use the cable car. At 10 rupees per person, per journey, the cable car would cost him 100 rupees a day. That's about the cost of 500 grams of chicken at a market.“We are poor people. Most of us have lost our crops and some of us have even lost our farmland. We can’t afford to pay all that money every day,” says Gulbarmain.

READ rest at wpf.org or GO here

Plz post in comments below other such stories of aid and recovery in Pakistan. (Small actions over time are often the most helpful). These humanitarian - people to-people efforts combining local and other help are certainly one of the best ways to contribute to peace and understanding.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Warmth & Human Rights: Groups Caring for Asians

Photo: Muzammil Pasha/UNICEF - The best way to prevent measles may be immunization - See Irin News under countries/Pakistan

(We in US and Europe have much to learn from groups featured here)

Photo UNHCR GO here

Providing warmth during a cold Pakistan winter: Report from International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

22 December 2010
By Kathy Mueller

Dawn is breaking in Pakistan. In the northern part of the country, a fine mist hangs, suspended in valleys between the mountain ranges. Frozen crystals sparkle in the early morning sun as the temperature slowly climbs above the freezing mark. Winter has arrived in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province.

This region was one of the first that was devastated by the monsoon floods in July this year. Landslides, triggered by the raging torrents, erased entire villages from the face of the earth. Roads and bridges – the only links to the people who live here – were destroyed.

“When the floods came, we were in our home. We ran towards the forest or to relatives who lived far away,” says Mubarak Shah. “We lost our land, our generator and our windmills. Our homes were destroyed too. The floods took it all.”

With rocks of all shapes and sizes still blocking the only road to his village, Mubarak Shah, his family and neighbours are virtually cut off from civilization. Today, he has walked more than 20 kilometres to Dasu because he has heard that shelter kits will be handed out by the Red Cross Red Crescent. He stands with other men, waiting patiently for his turn at the front of the queue.

As part of its effort to help 150,000 flood-affected families, the Pakistan Red Crescent Society, International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and their partners are distributing shelter kits to 70,000 people in these northern regions of the country.

Read Full Article here

Also go here

InshaAllah, I hope to post a synopsis and update on another moving effort to help flood affectees soon after the beginning of the New Year 2011.
====================

The Asian Human Rights Commission's Seasonal Message:

New Years Wishes from The Asian Human Rights Commission and their local partners:
On this occasion, we are presenting messages from several countries through a video presentation in which a number of people present their Christmas and New Year greetings and appeals.

See this humble, striking VIDEO greeting and hopes for the New Year by a number of dedicated human rights workers across Asia here

Find more on the Website humanrights dot asia

==========
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE
AHRC-PRL-038-2010

ASIA: Christmas and New Year Wishes from the Asian Human Rights Commission

The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes everyone a merry Christmas and a happy new year. In all countries of Asia, this Christmas and new year will be celebrated in very difficult conditions. We extend our wishes to all families who are struggling in the midst of these difficulties to fight for their rights. We particularly remember the families of disappeared persons and victims of extrajudicial killings, victims of torture, illegal arrest and illegal detention, and those who have been deprived of fair trial. We also remember the millions of people who suffer from effects of poverty and deprivation such as starvation, malnutrition and other serious problems. We remember the indigenous people whose habitat is in serious danger due to various forms of expropriation of the forest and natural resources. We bring greetings to all those who, despite of these problems, struggle for democracy, rule of law and human rights.

# # #

About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation monitoring and lobbying human rights issues in Asia. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984.

-----------------------------

Asian Human Rights Commission
19/F, Go-Up Commercial Building,
998 Canton Road, Kowloon,
Hongkong S.A.R.
Tel: +(852) - 2698-6339
Fax: +(852) - 2698-6367

URL: humanrights.asia

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

RUMI's Secret Path


Find a great and heartfelt Persian scholar discussing Rumi with Krista Tippet ON Being here

How have you found Rumi's lyrical poetry nourishing for your soul?

Your Voices, Your Stories here

And plz feel free to comment below this post as well.

Thanx for coming by. :)

UPDATED: ACTION: US - SAY NO to S. 510/H.R. 2751 - CALL REPRESENTATIVES NOW

Plz CALL OBAMA at White House to VOICE Opposition.! When/if he signs we MUST do all we can to AMEND this bill and or cancel it out with a brand new one truly about food safety and power to the local grower. At any rate, we need to bring much more education and awareness to the general public - many if not most who go to supermarkets to shop for produce and who as few questions as to the method of growth, pesticides and genetic modification often involved. Nor do they ask who grows this food and whether or not the purchase benefits our local growers?

This is NOT a Democrat,Republican, Libertarian or Independent issue alone and this does involve RIGHTS: Human, animal and EARTH RIGHTS. This one little bill which slipped by effects us all and will eventually affect the whole world and corporations like Monsanto getting upper hand. Many other corporations are likely to learn from this that might (and SNEAKINESS) makes right.

This also involves Worldwide PEACE. All you need to do is a half-hour on Monsanto and Iraqi farmers to see what happens when western corporations wreck a whole farming environment where for hundreds of years families have survived by the same.

SEE the report after the vote.here

The opposition believes that the controversial Bill will may make it ILLEGAL to GROW, SHARE OR TRADE HOME-GROWN FOOD! It may also force small farmers and food processors into burdensome and excessive requirements. It may give large corporations such as Monsanto CONTROL OVER US SEED and put US food and farms under the Department of Homeland Security.

SO, what is this if NOT about controlling the masses with the least common denominator at best and fascism at worst?

Unfortunately, many people will be deeply saddened by the approval.Read more at Suite101: S510 Food Safety Act APPROVED! Headed to OBAMA

THE consoling part is that so many voted AGAINST this bill showing that with more activism, the people who are for THE PEOPLE and the small farmers/gardeners/promoters of organic and non-processed food may eventually once again get the upper hand.

=============================

BEFORE THE VOTE:

KEEP your comment short and ask receptionist your plea is NO to the current food safety bill HR 2751 since it is NOT about true food safety but rather allows Gov and Corporate interests to have UNDUE control over our family and small farms.

CALL 202 224-3121 and ASK for your State's Representative(s)

IF it's busy, go DIRECTLY to your Rep's home office and register your URGENT plea.

SEE House.gov here
OR
For NAMES of your state's representatives: Finding your state's Representative here or cut past and send http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml you can also add # and your state's abbreviation) for QUICK search -- FOR example, you can find ALL your states representatives in NC by going http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml#nc

(and I often say that I'm voting FOR/ALONG with my family members and give the complete number of people in household.)

AND/or for more info GO to USA.gov here Contact USA Representatives (Save these URLs for ALL Gov. officials along with those above for later date as well.)

Although a technical/unconstitutional revenue-raising clause has been removed the newest version is JUST as problematic as ever.

This is not a bill about food safety. It is about food control and profitability in the interests of large agriculture corporations. SEE MIKE's COMMENT below this announcement:

PLZ CALL the national Representative(s) from your state. (ALL your state's Representative whether Republican or Democrat.) Ask her/him to WAIT or NOT vote until this becomes in FACT about Food Safety and is not attached to Government control of family, organic and local farms.

ACTION: Calls to ALL Representatives by EARLY TUESDAY are NEEDED ALL across the US from Citizens. (Let your Representative KNOW how many people in your household you represent.) Some legislators are attempting to force passing of a MOCK food safety Bill without study available to legislators and the PUBLIC. This FALSE Safety Bill is about ruthless/detrimental government control.

Drive-By Media: Food "safety" bill still lives in Lame-Duck Congress
BY Gregory B. Hladky Hartford Advocate Monday, December 20, 2010 12:39 pm

To the surprise of many, the food-safety reform legislation that had been stalled in Congress because of technical problems won renewed life Sunday when the U.S. Senate managed to pass a revised version of the legislation.

An earlier measure that cleared the Senate last month had gotten hung up because it included fees and other fiscal matters that are supposed to start in the U.S. House. Critics of the legislation were hoping those problems would prevent passage in the final days of this lame-duck session.

Now, all that has to happen is for House lawmakers to act quickly before everybody goes home for the holidays.

Questions or comments? (To Editor of Hartford Advocate) Email editor@hartfordadvocate.com

THIS COMMENT (found under the news above)SUMMARIZES THE PROBLEMS with passing this bill AS IT NOW STANDS.

Mike - This bill scares me -- This is not a bill about food safety. It is about food control and profitability in the interests of large agriculture corporations. I want to know where my food comes from and I would like to be able to grow it myself and feed my local community without the USDA taxing me for it. Farming is a job that embodies what being American means. It is about independence and self sufficiency.

Why is our government placing legislative controls on feeding our community through farms? I know many young people, and I am one of them, who are asking this question.

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If you have time and want to read more history, GO to November 20th on this site or CLICK here

Friday, December 17, 2010

UPDATED: Aafia Siddiqui's Dilemma Needs Truth, Justice, & Compassion

"...the Islam of compassion and mercy has produced successes that the 'Islam' of be-headings and amputations has not." (Andrew Purcell - from his article below)***

CARDS for Aafia (I've asked for specifics and here's what I received):

Me: Do you think beginning a Letter-writing campaign to Carswell and/or authorities about allowing visits from family and/or family phone calls with her? Would asking for accountability on Aafia's treatment would be helpful, counter-productive or of no help?

Answers from officials/family:

We are told that these MAY NOT BE HELPFUL AT THIS TIME. ALREADY THEY HAVE PLACED HER IN TOTAL ISOLATION. MAYBE LATER. BUT AN OCCASIONAL RESPECTFUL LETTER (to officials) FROM A CONCERNED CITIZEN MAY NOT HURT.

POST CARDS (TYPICAL PICTURE CARDS) SEEM TO WORK BEST. ALSO GREETING CARDS IN ENVELOPS (LIKE CHRISTMAS CARDS WORK FINE AS WELL) BOP OFFICIALS SEEM OK WITH THESE.

...SHE DOES GET CARDS. CAN'T CONFIRMS IF SHE GETS ALL OF THEM BUT PROBABLY MOST. SHE WOULD LOVE THEM I AM SURE. SHE LIKES PICTURES OF LANDSCAPES, ANIMALS, TOURIST STUFF AND HUMOR.
======
Despite extremist leaders who continue to use Dr. Aafia Siddiqui's cause as a recruiting tool, she has stated CLEARLY that she wants no violence done in her name. "Her sister, her brother, and their mother have all repeatedly said in public...that they do not want people killing or dying or participating in any sort of violence in Aafia's name." from post below.

On behalf of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui - be sure to see address for CARDS for Aafia end of this post. Find here: reports and analyses with links to scholars, a lawyer, a cleric and keen observers and I've just added below the freeaafia.org items - on Tues, 21st December - a short video by Andy Worthington which is a plea to the Pakistani Government.

The following have all been featured recently on the Official Family Site:
Free Aafia dot org:

Respect the Law
By Khurram Shafique

... Before the common people in Pakistan and US even became aware of the existence of Aafia, she had already become well-known to human rights activists across the world as victim of abduction, rape and torture, whose minor children had also got abducted along with her. Pakistani, Afghan and US authorities were the accused in this case.

This was the world opinion in general. Since August 2008, the American media has been considerably successful in giving a different color to the story, alleging that Aafia had ties with al-Qaeda (a charge that was never brought up in the court at any point).

The power of mass media is itself its limitation: the news of tomorrow is bound to wipe out the news of today. Therefore with the passage of time, the world opinion viewing Aafia as a victim is likely to prevail over the perception created by the American media.

For the US, the consequences could be disastrous in the long-term because nobody can say how its legal system is likely to be judged once the world opinion about Aafia prevails over the American media version...

The same goes for the government of Pakistan. This government seems to be overlooking that the last round of troubles began for President Pervez Musharraf over the issue of "missing persons" and the demand for his impeachment gained support in the wake of the discovery of Aafia in July 2008. The present regime may have made a mistake by failing to behave any differently than Musharraf in this matter...featured on the official family site: Free Aafia dot com.

READ Full Article and find an early Chronology of Events with Archives and related reports here (Be sure to note Khurram Ali Shafique Sahib's classic analysis "Don't Blame the Victim" here including reports of Dr. Aafia speaking for herself- which like most of Shafique Sahib's work - have a strong universal element. this short note added by Connie of oneheartforpeace)

Washington Report on Middle East Affairs
By Mauri' Saalakhan
The Case of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui: A Profile in Persecution and Faith here

alQaeda vs Aafia - Again
By Andrew Purcell
Dec 16, 2010

My goodness! Aafia has become positively trendy amongst the elite in the world of terrorism. Last month it was Ayman al-Zawahiri attempting to turn her into a pin-up girl for suicide bombers. Now it is the turn of Abu Yahya al-Liby. At this rate I expect Aafia to be the covergirl for "al-Qaeda Chic: The Hottie in the Hijab" next month.

Liby, like Zawahiri before him, seems to have only now discovered Aafia, nearly eight years after she was kidnapped off the streets of Karachi, two and a half years after she surfaced dazed and disoriented in Afghanistan, and ten months following her conviction in a New York City courtroom.

Where have these guys been? Are they really hidden so deeply in caves that the news is only now reaching them? I don't believe that. Even the guys in the caves have cable TV.

They decided that she would make a great recruiting tool. Nothing more and nothing less. Read their statements. Watch their videos. There is no human warmth or concern for Aafia, her children, her brother, her sister, and especially for their mother. Just the tired calls for more mayhem.

Aafia has stated that she wants no violence done in her name. Her sister, her brother, and their mother have all repeatedly said in public and to me in private that they do not want people killing or dying or participating in any sort of violence in Aafia's name.

Do you want to know what success looks like?... SEE rest of Article here

Sentencing Update: Dr. Aafia Siddiqui: "Fact vs. Fiction" : Transcript from her brother's talk posted here night before Aafia was sentenced to 86 years for a crime she didn't commit GO here and find plenty of posts re. the sentencing as well.

Find the above and more at the Official Family Site: FreeAafia dot org or GO here including this article: (Pakistan) Massive MQM rally seeks Aafia’s release - Wednesday, 29 Sep, 2010 Dawn

A Few Other Links:

International Justice Network dot org or GO here

Justice For Aafia Coalition here

Pasban here

Cage Prisoners here

SEND CARDS TO Dr. Aafia:
She is now being allowed mail and magazine subscriptions though family visitation or calls are still prohibited.Cards and letters are the only way she knows that she is still remembered.

Aafia Siddiqui #90279-054
FMC Carswell
P.O.Box 27137
Fort Worth, TX 76127
USA
===================
END sources given at Official Family Site freeaafia.org

***TO the short excerpt on top from Andrew Purcell about Islam, I want to add this note:

And of course the Christianity, the Judaism, the Hinduism and Buddhism of Compassion and Mercy are ALSO more fruitful for the whole and the highest in the present and over time as well - than any of their vengeful versions.

Here are a few more resources:
SEE Video of Andy Worthington speaking on behalf of Dr. Aafia and the site is here - an archive by Andy on Aafia is here

WikiLeaks Reveals Diplomatic Cables On Aafia Siddiqui. By Stephen Lendman. 03 December, 2010. Countercurrents.org OR GO here

Barbaric: 86-Year Sentence for Aafia by Andy Worthington here

Also be sure to look up items by ONDELETTE who's commented on both Salon.com and Firedoglake as well as placed comments on other major items for Aafia news and Op Eds. Her work is unusually astute.

Note also the following:

This from Arab News dot com (Opinion):

By TAQI KHAN, BY E-MAILLiu Xiaobo and Aafia Siddiqui

The US has incarcerated, abused, tortured and eliminated alleged terrorists or security risks globally without batting an eye.Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib have even women and children as prisoners. However when the Chinese government jails Liu Xiaobo, it becomes a human rights issue and Liu becomes an international celebrity.President Barack Obama calls on the Chinese to release Liu without delay. There are many people in the world who would walk free tomorrow if only Obama wanted it. I mean all those imprisoned without charges by the US or on orders of the US (for example in Afghanistan and Iraq)? Would Obama start with Dr. Aafia Siddiqui? He does not have to beg China or any other country.

CLICK here

Monday, December 13, 2010

LIGHT

There are two ways of spreading light: To be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. (Edith Wharton)

Prayer at Sunrise

O mighty, powerful, dark-dispelling sun,
Now thou art risen, and thy day begun.
How shrink the shrouding mists before thy face,
As up thou spring'st to thy diurnal race!
How darkness chases darkness to the west,
As shades of light on light rise radiant from thy crest!
For thee, great source of strength, emblem of might,
In hours of darkest gloom there is no night.
Thou shinest on though clouds hide thee from sight,
And through each break thou sendest down thy light.

O greater Maker of this Thy great sun,
Give me the strength this one day's race to run,
Fill me with light, fill me with sun-like strength,
Fill me with joy to rob the day its length.
Light from within, light that will outward shine,
Strength to make strong some weaker heart than mine,
Joy to make glad each soul that feels its touch;
Great Father of the sun, I ask this much.
Written by James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938)

Where there is much light, the shadows are deepest. (Goethe)

Invoke the aid of three witnesses to verify thy ‘Station’.

The first witness is thine own consciousness:

See thyself, then, with thine own light.

The second witness is the consciousness of another ego:

See thyself, then, with the light of an ego other than thee.

The third witness is God’s consciousness:

See thyself, then, with God’s light. (Iqbal)

Our hands imbibe like roots, so I place them on what is beautiful in this world. I fold them in prayer, and they draw from the heavens light. (Francis of Assisi)



Ending "Note" here


Photo & Painting credit: The Three Candles: Cathy Mallo; Fosco Maraini, Vallombroso: Cathedral Of The Pines (1928); Albert Blakelock's “Moonlight Landscape”

Friday, December 10, 2010

World Human Rights Day 10 December 2010

Tomorrow for our Saturday Peace Gathering, I hope to raise more awareness of and concern for our US reputation beyond our borders by some new posters on how drones are STILL reaping the whirlwind and how our ONGOING inhumane Renditions and Detentions continue to anger countless numbers of non-Americans. These are our sisters and brothers - who once were our friends. We need our international friends now more than ever and perhaps more than they need us - at this point - since most of our unfortunate US "diplomatic"? interaction for years - including the US Ambassador until fairly recently, Anne Patterson, has been counter-productive to say the least.

UPHOLD the Rights of Detainees & get out the word today:
GO here ( International Detention Coalition ) For a most appropriate and up to date item from Andy Worthington seeking a Worldwide Ban on Solitary Confinement and Prisoner Isolation GO to Andy Worthington dot co dot uk and look for Human Rights Day Public Figures Call for Worldwide Ban on Solitary Confinement and Prisoner Isolation. I've tried to make his TEN or so recent relevant post come up easily but at least in the US or on my preview the urls are auto aborted. See more of his posts listed below.

I'm particularly concerned about the inhumane detention and threats for TWO WOMEN who were born across the world from one another of two different faiths. Plz look into BOTH the Detention of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui in TEXAS, USA.
For updated info regarding her horrific situation plz. GO again to andyworthington.co.uk and look for category/aafia-siddiqui/archive and 2010/12/ December Archive as well as 12/05/video-andy-worthington-speaks-at-bring-aafia-siddiqui-home-november-14-2010/ and ...numerous-reasons-to-dismiss-us-claims-that-ghost-prisoner-aafia-siddiqui-was-not-held-in-bagram.

Be sure also to check out Free Aafia dot org (the official family site) and Justice for Aafia Coalition. (both which provide a free email service)...Find more related among the URLS listed at end of this post and with a quick google: Aafia Siddiqui: oneheartforpeace and nomorecrusades.

Also, look into the detention and threat of execution by hanging of Aasia Bibi of whom I've posted at another blog here

While Aasia Bibi's case is quite different from Dr. Aafia Siddiqui's - the parallels are that there are two women opposite sides of the world facing injust and inhumane treatment and detention by two nations which claim to hold to both democracy and enlightened rights. As women, they are especially powerless and vulnerable. Their religion may be used against them and the US may have also (inadvertently?) revvged up displaced anger toward Aasia Bibi because of the treatment toward so many Muslims and toward Dr. Aafia? See several URLS below for the most objective and updated Op Ed from inside Pakistan where MANY Muslims as well as other Pakistanis are even more horrified than many Americans/Christians at this state of affairs.

Strange that these two nations are growing further apart when to deepen as democracies and to appropriately seek an ending to the extremist violence, there is a much greater need for each to seek more humanity within and without and more listening to the groups with the least power. I for one fault the US most of all for reigning terror and injustice across the world with secret detention centers ( a gulag archipelago of torture ) and for continuing ( maybe even expanding? ) the use of the unmanned (video-operated) drones in places where America has NO right to go. What a terrible death that is! And imagine all the civilians, babes, elder affected.

On a more Family-Friendly side, tonight with our evening meal we will show AMREEKA a universal story of a single mother, MUNA, who leaves the West Bank with FADI, her teenage son for what is imagined as a new safe place. This has been the winner of at least four BIG film awards. "A slice of American life, as seen through the eyes of Palestinian immigrants - nuanced, engaging and authentically observed." USA Today This should be a great discussion starter for our family (two of whom were born in Uganda and know some of the situations shown for youth who must engage American ways after living in another land.)

===========
Human Rights Day December 10, 2010

December 9, 2010 at 22:58

Although this is a crazy time of season, we cannot forget people, animals and situations that are taking place around the world that need our support.

Friday, December 10, 2010 is Human Rights Day.

On this day, Amnesty International will be holding a global Human Rights Day letter writing event.

Write for Rights is designed to draw awareness to the pressing issues that people all over the world are dealing with as their human rights are being ripped apart.

To find out more about Amnesty International’s Write for Rights, please go to www.writeathon.ca or you can call 1-800-AMNESTY (266-3789).

To learn more about the work of Amnesty International, please have a look at the sites below.

www.amnesty.ca

www.amnesty.org

NOTE from oneheart blogger: I just called: 1-800-AMNESTY (266-3789) and found out that as well as asking about Write for Rights - this is the connecting number for the main switchboard. You may also want to go to AmnestyUSA.org

========================

Human Rights Day is a time for people to reflect about the meaning, importance, and need for human rights.

What do people do?

Events focused on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are held worldwide on and around December 10. Many events aim to educate people, especially children and teenagers, on their human rights and the importance of upholding these in their own communities and further afield.

The day may also include protests to alert people of circumstances in parts of the world where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is not recognized or respected, or where the importance of these rights are not considered to be important. Cultural events are also organized to celebrate the importance of human rights through music, dance, drama or fine art.
Public life

Human Rights Day is a global observance and not a public holiday.
Background

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was drafted between January 1947 and December 1948. It aimed to form a basis for human rights all over the world and represented a significant change of direction from events during World War II and the continuing colonialism that was rife in the world at the time. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is considered as the most translated document in modern history. It is available in more than 360 languages and new translations are still being added.

The UN General Assembly adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris, France, on the December 10, 1948. All states and interested organizations were invited to mark December 10 as Human Rights Day at a UN meeting on December 4, 1950. It was first observed on December 10 that year and has been observed each year on the same date. Each year Human Rights Day has a theme. Some of these themes have focused on people knowing their human rights or the importance of human rights education.

The UN symbol (an azimuthal equidistant projection of the globe centered on the North Pole surrounded by olive branches) is often associated with Human Rights Day. Copies of the whole Universal Declaration of Human Rights are also regarded as symbolic of Human Rights Day and are often distributed on or around December 10.
Human Rights Day Observances

I am leaving these URLS as they are for easy copy/pasting:

Reference to info above and the calendar at the end of this post:
http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/un/human-rights-day

See Comments to this article to show arbitrariness of who is chosen as the worst villain:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/10/human-rights-offenses-aro_n_794705.html#s203550

To see the free and informed discussions within the Pakistan community as many seek more human rights within and without their nation:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\12\10\story_10-12-2010_pg11_10http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Asia-Bibi-at-the-heart-of-World-Day-for-Human-Rights-20219.html

More from Andy Worthington on GITMO detainees and related: http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/2010/12/02/all-guantanamo-prisoners-were-subjected-to-pharmacological-waterboarding/

http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/2010/12/06/andy-worthington-asim-qureshi-and-jason-leopold-discuss-guantanamo-human-experimentation-and-the-global-reach-of-the-war-on-terror-with-peter-b-collins/

Select another year-range:
Weekday Date Year Name Holiday type Where it is observed
Wed Dec 10 1980 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Thu Dec 10 1981 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Fri Dec 10 1982 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Sat Dec 10 1983 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Mon Dec 10 1984 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Tue Dec 10 1985 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Wed Dec 10 1986 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Thu Dec 10 1987 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Sat Dec 10 1988 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Sun Dec 10 1989 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Mon Dec 10 1990 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Tue Dec 10 1991 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Thu Dec 10 1992 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Fri Dec 10 1993 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Sat Dec 10 1994 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Sun Dec 10 1995 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Tue Dec 10 1996 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Wed Dec 10 1997 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Thu Dec 10 1998 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Fri Dec 10 1999 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Sun Dec 10 2000 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Mon Dec 10 2001 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Tue Dec 10 2002 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Wed Dec 10 2003 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Fri Dec 10 2004 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Sat Dec 10 2005 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Sun Dec 10 2006 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Mon Dec 10 2007 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Wed Dec 10 2008 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Thu Dec 10 2009 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Fri Dec 10 2010 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Sat Dec 10 2011 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Mon Dec 10 2012 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Tue Dec 10 2013 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Wed Dec 10 2014 Human Rights Day United Nation day
Thu Dec 10 2015 Human Rights Day United Nation day

Copyright © Time and Date AS 1995–2010.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Invisible Beauty

*
“Beauty is a primeval phenomenon, which itself never makes its appearance, but the reflection of which is visible in a thousand different utterances of the creative mind, and is as various as nature herself.” -Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

This following piece and author is NEW to me just tonight - so please don't hold me responsible for the entire blog as I haven't yet checked out the work and sure don't know about the medical tips - if they are even sound. However, I was wanting a bit of a break from my heavier research and postings. So, here in the middle of my night - after visiting some friend's blogs with all their beauty and truth - I thought how often truest beauty is invisible.

Here, then, is what I suddenly found. I can take this little personal slice of Dr. Miller's off hand wonder into my own delightful places. Can you?

Also, I see that this doctor is quite generous to share what is known of health and applications along with the love of and experiences with the arts. The ending here, is quite amusing as well as wise :) (blogger, Connie)

*******************

Poetry is to seek beauty all invisible
By Dr. Miller:

Yes. Poetry is to seek beauty all invisible to the naked eye, the whole truth hidden..

I put myself in search of my character, which is actually somewhere. Yun Jung-hee is a legendary actress of Korean cinema of 1960s and 1970s, (who)was married with a pianist, lived in Paris and stopped playing for sixteen years. Yet from the moment I had in mind Mi-ja, I think of her. I do not know her well, but it was an instinctive feeling. Mi-ja has a beauty that goes against the passage of time, like a dried flower. It is old but speaks like a reckless girl eternal. ...the character was also the rather unrealistic Yun Jung-hee. Moreover, by pure chance, and maybe ...not ultimately was the real surname Yun Jung-hee is also Mi-ja.

How would you describe your relationship with the Festival de Cannes in 2007, you had this Secret Sunshine, which won the Best Actress. In 2009, you were a member of the jury. This year, you received the prize scenario for Poetry.

But I am a film director among many others. In reality, I do not like climbing stairs! The tuxedo, bow tie, I feel that all this does not suit me. When I am standing on the red carpet with flashing lights, I wonder what I’m doing.

I have already forgotten everything! The quota system (note: that promotes national film production) was considerably weakened. The Korean government wanted it that way for signing a free-exchange with the United States. It is in this context that I leave my office. The American oppression has succeeded.

I found the above piece at Dr. Miller's Blog here

************

Now, I want to end with a poem and the metaphor of water as the miracle between us which helps form invisible beauty of all kinds:

From Rumi:

The beauty of the heart

is the lasting beauty:

its lips give to drink

of the water of life.

Truly it is the Water,

that which pours,

and the one who drinks.

All three become one when

your talisman is shattered.

That oneness you can't know

by reasoning.

Mathnawi II, 716-718

* photo from TheHappySelf.com