Power

During the US presidential debate, in addressing questions on the Middle East, President Barack Obama mentioned three times that religious minorities must be protected. Understanding the nuances in the region is essential. Sometimes minorities abuse power over majority populations, as is the case in Syria. Sometimes majorities abuse power over minority populations.

"Understanding the sects and their tensions is crucial in crafting any foreign policy for the region," I wrote for The Washington Post's On Faith blog. 

Tolerance of others' beliefs,  provides security. Extending respect for those not in power provides security. As James Madison noted, "In Republics, the great danger is, that the majority may not sufficiently respect the rights of the minority." He also warned that tyranny and oppression arrive in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. Good advice for any country.

The power that comes with example, culture, trade, education, diplomacy and more, can influence more than military power. Sadly, one of the great resources of the US State Department, its Background Notes and Country Profiles, are no more. What a loss ...

Examining the State Department's notes on percentages of Shia and Sunnis in the region - 35 percent Sunni and 62 percent Shia in Iraq; 9 percent Sunni and 89 percent Shia in Iran - along with a glance at a map, makes one wonder what the Bush administration was thinking when it decided to invade Iraq in March 2003. 

Map courtesy of Google.

Divide

Can a divided US and a divided Iran come to agreement over casting transparency on Iran's nuclear program - allowing inspectors inside Iranian research facilities to determine if the program is related to weapons capability? 

The two nations agree on one point: There are no plans for post-election talks to end the stalemate.

"The United States has been working with the P5+1 to pressure Iran on its nuclear program, but with few results," reports Yeganah Torbati for Reuters. "The United States and other Western powers allege that the program is aimed at developing nuclear weapons, but Tehran says it is purely peaceful."

Expect the reports on secret plans talks to spark rancorous exchange during the third and final presidential debate in the US.  

Explore

You can explore online. Among the destinations of the British Museum's online tours is Arabic Script: Mightier than the Sword, an exhibit that explains how writing spread Islam.


Above is a page from the oldest known Koran. The British Museum explains that the text is from chapter 4 of the Koran, called "al-Nisa," or "The Women," from the end of verse 157 to the beginning of verse 161:

And their saying: Surely we have killed the Messiah, Isa son of Marium, the apostle of Allah; and they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but it appeared to them so (like Isa) and most surely those who differ therein are only in a doubt about it; they have no knowledge respecting it, but only follow a conjecture, and they killed him not for sure.
Nay! Allah took him up to Himself; and Allah is Mighty, Wise.
And there is not one of the followers of the Book but most certainly believes in this before his death, and on the day of resurrection he (Isa) shall be a witness against them.
Wherefore for the iniquity of those who are Jews did We disallow to them the good things which had been made lawful for them and for their hindering many (people) from Allah's way.

Interesting, these are the verses the British Museum decided to post as an image, with no translation provided. The verses are on parchment in dark ink. "The format of the book is oblong, characteristic of early copies of the Qur'an, and traces of the original binding are visible to the right," the exhibit notes.

Also on display is a mosque lamp, a carved tombstone, tools, clothing, jewelry, calligraphy, an engraved brass ewer, a bowl, an etched jar, coins, a Persian tile with poetry, and other art and objects spanning many centuries and countries.

The exhibit notes, "To this day the versatile Arabic alphabet remains a source of inspiration to artists from the Islamic world."

Photo courtesy of British Museum.

Binders

"The American people may not have a binder full of women at the moment, but we have a binder with two resumes in it," Virginia Hefferman writes for Yahoo News. "And, as we do every four years, we get to decide who gets hired."

I must admit, the comment on "binders full of women" during the presidential debate only caught my attention as hyperbole.

But subsequent analysis of the comment  - and the entire debate - has been adept, exposing corporate executives' desire for desperate and marginalized groups of employees willing to work long hours for less than a fair wage.

Government can help some, but individuals must refuse to play the game. Walk away from the binders and the labels.

Photo courtesy of The Writing Range. 

Acts of terror

President Barack Obama on Benghazi consulate attack, Rose Garden, September 12, 2012
"No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for." 

Presidential Debate, Hempstead, NY, October 16, 2012:
MITT ROMNEY: There were many days that passed before we knew whether this was a spontaneous demonstration, or actually whether it was a terrorist attack.
 BARACK OBAMA: The day after the attack, governor, I stood in the Rose Garden and I told the American people in the world that we are going to find out exactly what happened. That this was an act of terror and I also said that we're going to hunt down those who committed this crime.

ROMNEY: I — I think interesting the president just said something which — which is that on the day after the attack he went into the Rose Garden and said that this was an act of terror.

OBAMA: That's what I said.

ROMNEY: You said in the Rose Garden the day after the attack, it was an act of terror. It was not a spontaneous demonstration, is that what you're saying?

OBAMA: Please proceed, Governor.      

UPDATE, Oct 18: Some of the president's longtime critics suggest that the words "acts of terror" did not apply specifically to the Benghazi attacks. The statement's title is

 "Remarks by the President on the Deaths of U.S. Embassy Staff in Libya."

"Acts of terror" can only mean Libya. Those who suggest otherwise - their disrespect for the presidency, petulantly and desperately trying to remove meaning from words - are doing their candidate, Mitt Romney, a grave disservice.

The Koran and debate

Audiences in the US can expect to see more references to the Koran in many, many media forms, as I noted in a guest blog "The Koran upstages Bible in debate," for the Washington Post:

"Online translations and interpretations from American universities and beyond are plentiful... Because of that curiosity, along with the intense conflicts over faith in the modern world and the passion of adherents, audiences can expect to see more references to the Koran in politics and media discussions – and even as a central theme in films, novels and art."

The guest blog noted that the vice presidential debate made mention of the Koran and not the Bible. 

Moderator Martha Raddatz posed the question to Congressman Paul Ryan:  "I want to ask you about - the Romney campaign talks a lot about no apologies. He has a book called No Apologies. Should the US have apologized for Americans burning Korans in Afghanistan? Should the US apologize for US Marines urinating on Taliban corpses?"

Rayan's reply:  "Oh, gosh, yes. Urinating on Taliban corpses? What we should not apologize for..."

Raddatz:  "Burning Korans, immediately?"

Ryan: "What - what we should not be apologizing for are standing up for our values. What we should not be doing is saying to the Egyptian people, while Mubarak is cracking down on them, that he's a good guy and, in the next week, say he ought to go. What we should not be doing is rejecting claims for - for calls for more security in our barracks, in our Marine - we need Marines in Benghazi when the commander on the ground says we need more forces for security. There were requests for extra security; those requests were not honored. Look, this was the anniversary of 9/11. It was Libya, a country we knew we had Al Qaida cells there, as we know Al Qaida and its affiliates are on the rise in Northern Africa. And we did not give our ambassador in Benghazi a Marine detachment? Of course there's an investigation, so we can make sure that this never happens again, but when it comes to speaking up for our values, we should not apologize for those. Here's the problem. Look at all the various issues out there, and it's unraveling before our eyes. The vice president talks about sanctions on Iran. They got - we've had four..."

The conversation then moved to Iran. 

Some argue that Ryan specifically dodged endorsing apologies for mistreatment of the Koran - "finessed" and "pander" in the words of Robert Dreyfuss for The Nation. I do not agree, and believe his response, "Gosh, yes" covered both examples. He simply repeated one of the two choices, certainly the act regarded as more heinous in American culture. The Koran burning by Marines was undoubtedly an honest mistake.


The debate did not mention the Bible, though certainly great attention was devoted to Catholic doctrine and the candidates' descriptions on the role their Catholic faith played in developing their separate personal views on abortion. It's my observation that Catholics tend to lean less heavily on the Bible as a source for guidance than interpretations from the Pope and their own individual consciences. 

In the end, my point was that curiosity from others is an honor and should be welcomed: "The forays into studying, discussing, dissecting the Koran will include mistakes and misunderstandings. Artists of all types will test the boundaries. But that curiosity signals the ultimate desire for empathy, respect and desire for connections."

Photo courtesy of The Washington Post.

Poverty

Data from the CIA offer one strange look into the relativity of national poverty. The definitions of poverty vary wildly among nations. Here's a select group of nations ranked for percentage of the population living below the poverty line.

Poverty is in the eye of the beholder.