Logging life

On March 29, 2002 a Palestinian girl Ayat Al-Akhras killed two Israelis. Victim of the suicide bombing by this 18 year old included a 17 year old Israeli girl Rachel Levi. They lived barely miles apart but in a totally different world, they represent two sides of a conflict that has consumed a large part of the world for more than 60 years. The world that they lived in were very different from each other and they could meet each other only in their death. Photographs of the two girls shocked the world because they looked so much like each other.   Documentary "To Die in Jerusalem" sets up a meeting between the two mothers and though both agree that they both are victims there is nothing else they agree with. There is no agreement on the cause of the violence and also what can be done to bring peace. As the world continue to spiral out of control led by politics, religion, capitalism, and above all greed and hate, do we have a failure to communicate or failure to empathize?...

I wish to travel all-over the world but for one reason or the another I have not been able to do that but I have kept my hope and interest alive by watching travel channel and recently used my soon-to-expire airline miles to subscribe to a new travel magazine "Afar." I have never heard of this magazine before so was not sure what to expect. It is not exactly National Geographic but tries its best to be a travel magazine that looks for heart of the places that its writers go, I believe they fail to capture the soul but able to capture the heart. I would also say that writers have pretty clear Western slant meaning they are there as travelers and looking everything through a Westerner's eyes. Still, writing is engaging and photographs are great. I Look forward to the next issue. http://www.afar.com/

Notes from Tariq Ramadan talk in Boston in May 2010 Muslims are only reacting. More emotional you are weaker your position becomes. First attack is on the confidence of the people to make them scared. The word “sabireen” in quran is translated as perseverance which is a combination of patience and being active. [He meant that being patient doesn’t mean that we have to be passive] Islam is a commitment. Muslims should be more spiritual and less emotional. We should strive for justice but justice for all not just for Muslims. Justice for all. To be just is to forgive. Muslims should join universal struggle for equal rights. System and structure in the world are promoting injustice. Framework is good but enforcement is not. Challenge the media discourse. For Muslims minority: speak the local language, be loyal to the country, and abide by the laws. We can face some of the challenges by being more confident and being more assertive. C...

Shadow war Originally uploaded by TwoCircles.net Shadow War: The Untold Story of Jihad in Kashmir by Pakistani journalist Arif Jamal. I was expecting this book to be a justification for "jihad" or militancy in Kashmir and also provide more information about strategy and thinking of the militants as supposedly the author had talked to hundreds of militants. The book provides sequence of events that led to militancy in Kashmir but much of it is already public knowledge and there is not much new information in there except it gives time, names, and places of people involved. Syed Ali Shah Gilani of All Party Hurriyat Conference and Syed Salahuddin of United Jihad Council appear in really bad light accused of attacking and killing their adversaries. Interesting thing is that this book is not at all favourable to Pakistani position or takes the side of militants in fact at several points it shows that Indians were willing to go to any length to talk but either Pakistanis...

an old article: By Kashif-ul-huda, TwoCircles.net A commission constituted by the UPA government suggests that Muslims in India face vulnerability in employment sector due to low level of education, having no land and being Muslim. A Draft Report on “Conditions of Work and Promotion of Livelihoods in the Unorganised Sector” released by the National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector (NCEUS) reveals low level of schooling and high rate of poverty among Muslims who are employed in organized or unorganized sectors. Muslims rank between OBCs and SCs for various indicators studied by the commission. Commission termed as a “vulnerability” the socio-religious group the worker belonged to. The report notes that socially under-privileged groups get reservation for jobs and provisions for admission to higher education institution while Muslims who are “economically backward” have no such provision. 6.1 years of schooling is an average for non-agricultural worker. For work...

Arabian adventure Originally uploaded by TwoCircles.net A sign of prosperity of Indian Muslims and their aspirations. Picture of an ad that appeared in Islamic Voice magazine.

Nasiruddin Haider Khan is in Hindi journalism since 1992 and currently work as Deputy Resident Editor of Dainik Hindustan in Agra. He has been working on gender issues especially Muslim women issues for the last 16 years. Mr. Khan has a diploma in Journalism from Indian Institute of Mass communication and MA in Womens studies from Lucknow University. In 2005 he got the opportunity to look closely into Muslim women and reproductive rights issues under Health and Population Innovation Fellowship (HPIF). He has traveled to various parts of India, Egypt, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Pakistan for an in-depth study. As a result of his research he has launched a website called GenderJihad.in. He talked to TwoCircles.net about his work. Why Gender Jihad? The word "jihad" has got violent images attached to it these days; why did you choose this word? Gender Jihad!!! Yes, Gender Jihad! Jihad for gender equality. Precisely, a struggle to end gender discrimination. Jihad is one of t...