Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Abuse of “Takbir” from Ballot Boxes To Woolwich

Must read to understand

Nervana

For many non-Muslims, “Allahu Akbar,” or God is Great has become synonymous with radicalism, brutal murders, rape, and even cannibalism committed in the name of Islam. It is hardly surprising, as the Islamic slogan has been repeatedly used and abused by anyone who wants to justify his or her crimes by adding the wrap of Islamic religiosity. A recent example of such glaring abuse in the name of God was the appalling crime in Woolwich, in which two criminals brutally attacked a soldier, beheading him and mutilating his body. Eyewitnesses reported how the perpetrators chanted, “Allahu Akbar” while committing their sick murder.

The crime in Woolwich, like many previous terrorist acts, ignited debate about Islam and extremism. Of particular interest has been whether radicalism is linked to the exploitation of Muslims’ grievances or ideological and theological interpretations of Islam. In fact, it has nothing to…

View original post 939 more words

Amazon CARES: A New Beginning for Jack

A New Beginning for Jack

By Shannon Sullivan

Jack is a very affectionate dog who was brought to the Amazon CARES clinic in April. The young man who brought Jack in was concerned because the dog was injured, and he claimed that the dog’s owner (the young man’s neighbor) did not have the resources to seek medical care for him. After assessing Jack’s injury, it was determined that his left hind limb had to be amputated.

A very happy Jack after surgery.

 

When Jack was coming out of the operating room, it was realized that the young man had disappeared. Whether the story the young man originally told about Jack belonging to his neighbor is true or not, we’ll never know. Jack was abandoned at our clinic and is now being cared for by Amazon CARES. Since his surgery last month, Jack has become the clinic’s mascot; he is always with the staff, receiving love and attention from the team and clients. We hope to find him a permanent, loving home soon!

Jack will make a wonderful addition to any family!

via Amazon CARES: A New Beginning for Jack.

Tohono O’odham Nation

foodliteracyproject

Rebecca Cohen, ’12, reflects on her first year as a FoodCorps service member on the  Tohono O’odham Nation, the second largest Indian reservation in the country.

A few months after graduating back in May of 2012—and I look back, hardly believing it has been a year since then—I packed up most of my worldly possessions into boxes, shipped them across the country, and left the Northeast to resettle in Tucson, Arizona. My senior spring, I applied for and accepted a position as a FoodCorps service member on the Tohono O’odham Nation, the second-largest Indian reservation in the United States. The reservation straddles the US-Mexico border and is approximately the size of the state of Connecticut, with a saguaro cactus to human ratio of 1:1 (or so the vast expanses of desert make it seem).

I spent my senior year researching and writing an environmental and cultural history of traditional agriculture…

View original post 865 more words

Police Chief – police expected to clear homeless, not catch criminals

sigh – so swells can feel swell and not touched by those who are not so swell…

Pride's Purge

(not satire – it’s UK policing today!)

Police swooped on a group of homeless men on Thursday night in London, confiscating their sleeping bags and even food parcels donated to them by the Salvation Army.

As if the police wasting time on attacking homeless people instead of catching real criminals is not bad enough – the explanation for the action from the Chief Inspector of Ilford, John Fish, is even more amazing.

He said the public rely on police “to reduce the negative impact of rough sleepers” – including confiscating their belongings.

Now maybe there is zero percent crime in Ilford. Maybe there are no murders, rapes, burglaries, muggings and violence there or in the surrounding areas – in which case I offer my sincerest apologies to C.I Fish for this article and congratulate him on his good fortune for being able to allocate so much of his officers’ time on matters…

View original post 201 more words

FEMA Blog: Oklahoma Tornadoes – Update & Photos from the Ground

As we often say at FEMA, responding to emergencies takes a team effort.  Minutes after the tornadoes struck, this team moved into action, including first responders, federal, state, local, and tribal governments, first responders, non-profit organizations, volunteer groups, and members of the public.  There have been a lot of stories of heroism amidst this tragic tornado, so I wanted to share a few visuals and updates from how the emergency management team is helping on the ground.

via FEMA Blog: Oklahoma Tornadoes – Update & Photos from the Ground.

How Tripoli Didn’t Sleep Last Night

What is certain, however, is that the following video illustrates the worst night in Tripoli since the civil war whereby the city was shelled with over 1200 mortars.

A Separate State of Mind | A Blog by Elie Fares

What happens in Tripoli stays in Tripoli – at least that’s what Lebanese media and politicians want.

The battles currently taking place in the city aren’t registering except with those who are affected. It could be because Tripoli’s politicians are the masterminds behind them. It could be because Lebanese media knows it will never spillover outside the city’s confines.

What is certain, however, is that the following video illustrates the worst night in Tripoli since the civil war whereby the city was shelled with over 1200 mortars.

This is Lebanon too. I was starting to doubt anything existed beyond Madfoun.

View original post