Obama's New Weather Forecast
The weather just changed.
That's my new favorite metaphor for the impact of the Obama victory.
Don't worry, I haven't lost it. I'm not saying this man can turn storms into sun. I'm saying that new leaders articulate new priorities and look for different approaches, and institutions that have felt like they've been in frigid temperatures for the past eight years might well experience a sudden warming.
During the Bush years, for example, the weather was excellent for organizations that did abstinence-based sex education. Organizations with a different approach on that topic found the climate less conducive to growth.
One place where the change in weather will be most welcome is on the U.S. relationship with the Muslim world. The weather for the past eight years on this topic has been stormy, largely because this relationship fell under the rubric of "Global War on Terror". It starts to feel inclement pretty fast when the central question America is asking one-fifth of the planet is, "Are you a terrorist?"
Several institutions have been planting seeds that may have a chance to grow fast and strong in new weather. The Brookings Institute has an important Center on this topic.
And Search for Common Ground and the Consensus Building Institute just released an extremely impressive report on the same subject.
The Search and CBI document opens with a line from President Eisenhower : "If we are to have partners for peace, then we must first be partners in sympathetic recognition that all mankind possesses in common like aspirations and hungers, like ideals and appetites, like purposes and frailties, a like demand for economic advancement. The divisions between us are artificial and transient. Our common humanity is God-made and enduring."
If the Obama Administration chooses that ethic for its relationship with the Muslim world, the weather report will read: warming.
By
Eboo Patel
|
November 10, 2008; 9:52 AM ET
| Category:
Religion & Leadership
,
Religion & Politics
,
Religious Conflict
,
The Faith Divide
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Posted by: Farnaz2 | November 13, 2008 11:50 AM
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Farhood pontificates:
“That would mean doing something about the ongoing racist filth funded by our allies, the Saudis, the Kuwaitis, the Emirates, etc., by Egypt, etc.”
This person failed to mention the one state that tops this list in the number of people it evicted and lands and property it expropriated and still expropriating and is being rewarded by 4 billion dollars a year by the taxpayers of this country. What is truly amazing is despite all this political, military and financial aid this country had dumped on that theocracy for over 60 years it shows no sign of gratitude. It is because of a lie they made up and now believe which says they are God’s “chosen people” and therefore the world owes them a good living at the expense of all the other Gentiles
Posted by: abhab | November 13, 2008 11:47 AM
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Farnaz- you left as a child 30 years ago. You have to get your own life back. Obama cannot do that for you.
Posted by: ASTORIA | November 13, 2008 11:42 AM
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I hope Obama can help the three million Jews ethnically cleansed from all over the Middle East, including this writer. I hope he can restore us to our homes from which we were either deported or fled so that we can get our lives back.
That would mean doing something about the ongoing racist filth funded by our allies, the Saudis, the Kuwaitis, the Emirates, etc., by Egypt, etc.
Posted by: Farnaz2 | November 13, 2008 3:48 AM
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Like a friend of mine was just saying, we three million have as much chance at justice, the few remaining Jews in the Middle East, as much chance of survival, the Bahai and Mid-East Christians, including Palentinian Christians, as much chance of well-being, as a Jew would have of being elected president of the United States.
Like a friend of mine was just saying..
Posted by: Farnaz2 | November 13, 2008 3:45 AM
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Farnaz- you said-
"hope Obama can help the three million Jews ethnically cleansed from all over the Middle East, including this writer. I hope he can restore us to our homes from which we were either deported or fled so that we can get our lives back."
There is a 25,000 strong community of Jews in your homeland of Iran. Israel has offered them financial incetives to move there, but they have refused saying they are happy and Iran is their home.
It is the second largest community of Jews after Israel.
What would stop you from going back if that is your desire?
I wouldn't, myself- with the political climate- but if it is your home, and you want to be there- why wouldn't you go?
You don't need Obama for that.
Posted by: ASTORIA | November 13, 2008 1:23 AM
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war on ignorance.
hope prz obama will work on cleansing the following,
1-the rusty think tanks in america.
2-the rusty morality tanks in america .
the *heart land* need serious enema.
the bigst historical job obama can (hopefully) do to america and the rest of the world.
Posted by: omarontheplanetearth | November 12, 2008 6:21 AM
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To reiterate is to educate:
A rewrite of the Worst Book Ever Written, i.e.the koran, is the only way four-fifths of the world will ever feel comfortable on a plane ride with Muslims.
This also would go a long way in making President-elect Obama's job a lot easier. Said rewrite would delete all the warmongering, death-to-all infidels and oppression of women passages in the current version. And all the dictates made by the "pretty, wingie thingie" aka Gabriel to the hallucinating Mahound aka Mohammed would be referenced as such in the new edition with said references added as to where the passages were really taken from.
Posted by: CCNL | November 12, 2008 3:26 AM
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Like a friend of mine was just saying, we three million have as much chance at justice, the few remaining Jews in the Middle East, as much chance of survival, the Bahai and Mid-East Christians, including Palentinian Christians, as much chance of well-being, as a Jew would have of being elected president of the United States.
Like a friend of mine was just saying....
Posted by: Farnaz2 | November 11, 2008 3:31 PM
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FRIENDENEMY Author Profile Page:
I hope Obama can help free Palistine and keep Israel secure...the ultimate prize.
I hope Obama can help the three million Jews ethnically cleansed from all over the Middle East, including this writer. I hope he can restore us to our homes from which we were either deported or fled so that we can get our lives back.
That would mean doing something about the ongoing racist filth funded by our allies, the Saudis, the Kuwaitis, the Emirates, etc., by Egypt, etc.
Posted by: Farnaz2 | November 11, 2008 3:29 PM
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As usual, it didn't take long before Bun-Bun chimed in here with his sick bigotry. We're really getting tired of it.
Posted by: Arminius | November 11, 2008 1:36 PM
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A rewrite of the Worst Book Ever Written, i.e.the koran, is the only way four-fifths of the world will ever feel comfortable on a plane ride with Muslims.
This also would go a long way in making President-elect Obama's job a lot easier. Said rewrite would delete all the warmongering, death-to-all infidels and oppression of women passages in the current version. And all the dictates made by the "pretty, wingie thingie" aka Gabriel to the hallucinating Mahound aka Mohammed would be referenced as such in the new edition with said references added as to where the passages were really taken from.
Posted by: CCNL | November 11, 2008 12:10 PM
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Interesting FE-
I was just having a conversation with someone in Jerusalem who is bewildered at and commenting that americans are acting like sheeple blindly worshipping Obama- and in order to put it into a context se could relate to emotionally- I told her it would be like a Palestinian in a future new Israel becoming Prime Minister-
and ended by saying Anything could happen.
Anything can happen Friend Enemy.
Posted by: ASTORIA | November 10, 2008 9:25 PM
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I hope Obama can help free Palistine and keep Israel secure...the ultimate prize.
But part of me says that it is the same as it ever was...that we can't save the world...that we can only save ourselves...
"I can show you that when it starts to rain, everything is the same..." Beatles, Rain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTLJMSbEnn0&feature=PlayList&p=FD0EA618CF575F6C&index=4
Posted by: FRIENDENEMY | November 10, 2008 4:53 PM
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*Tomorrow,Insha'Allah,you wake up in a new world*(US is a new world indeed)
When will the Indians and Pakistanis(sub-continenters) wake up in a new world ?
Are they still sleeping ?
When will muslims wake up in a new world ?
But,within a week,The weather just changed !
This is not Consistency.
Tropical cyclone/hurricane may come.Lets be ready
Posted by: halozcel1 | November 10, 2008 1:30 PM
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"It starts to feel inclement pretty fast when the central question America is asking one-fifth of the planet is, "Are you a terrorist?""
On Saturday the weekend before the election a small blurb in my local newspaper appeared tucked away where no one would read it. It read something like this; Thirteen year old girl stoned to death for adultery.
The story goes that a 13 year old was gang raped, she reported it and the "Islamists", about 100 of them took her to a field with 1000 spectators, buried her half in the ground then proceeded to stone her to death.
The world slept at the news, Muslims were happy that Obama won.
No signature riots or protests? Their very own people stoned their own to death after a horrific rape; wait...I think Amenity did say something, but then they are not a Muslim Organization..
We are so numb to Muslim violence, maybe you Muslims are terrorists?
A child was killed by Muslims who follow sharia, they read the koran and follow the muslim laws, enact the law to bring swift "Islamic Justice" to a 13-year old girl, and no one protested?
Before you gloat over Obama's victory, please at least have a moment of silence for this poor child killed by your very own co-religionists. Condemn it or condone it...just one article on your blog, only one.
What was she going through when they buried her half in the ground and the first stone hit her? I bet "Allah-hu-Akbar" was chanted several times.
Posted by: Arif2 | November 10, 2008 12:45 PM
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I hope Obama can help the three million Jews ethnically cleansed from all over the Middle East, including this writer. I hope he can restore us to our homes from which we were either deported or fled so that we can get our lives back.
That would mean doing something about the ongoing racist filth funded by our allies, the Saudis, the Kuwaitis, the Emirates, etc., by Egypt, etc.