Category Archives: Viva!

Trump Touts Pledge of Allegiance with Socialist Roots – LA Progressive

Francis Bellamy, a Christian socialist, wrote the Pledge of Allegiance in 1892 to express his outrage at the nation’s widening economic divide. And, in contrast to Romney’s recitation, Bellamy did not include the phrase “under God” as part of the original version.Bellamy, who lived from 1855 to 1931, was a Baptist minister and a leading Christian socialist. He was ousted from his Boston church for his sermons depicting Jesus as a socialist, and for his work among the poor in the Boston slums.

Source: Trump Touts Pledge of Allegiance with Socialist Roots – LA Progressive

Harvard Republican Club Just Did THIS For The First Time In Their History…And Trump Is Furious. – Democratic Review

In every presidential election since 1888, the members and Executive Board of the Harvard Republican Club have gathered to discuss, debate, and eventually endorse the standard-bearer of our party. But for the first time in 128 years, we, the oldest College Republicans chapter in the nation, will not be endorsing the Republican nominee.Donald Trump holds views that are antithetical to our values not only as Republicans, but as Americans. The rhetoric he espouses –from racist slander to misogynistic taunts– is not consistent with our conservative principles, and his repeated mocking of the disabled and belittling of the sacrifices made by prisoners of war, Gold Star families, and Purple Heart recipients is not only bad politics, but absurdly cruel.If enacted, Donald Trump’s platform would endanger our security both at home and abroad. Domestically, his protectionist trade policies and draconian immigration restrictions would enlarge our federal deficit, raise prices for consumers, and throw our economy back into recession. Trump’s global outlook, steeped in isolationism, is considerably out-of-step with the traditional Republican stance as well. The flippancy with which he is willing to abdicate the United States’ responsibility to lead is alarming. Calling for the US’ withdrawal from NATO and actively endorsing nuclear proliferation, Donald Trump’s foreign policy would wreak havoc on the established world order which has held aggressive foreign powers in check since World War II.Perhaps most importantly, however, Donald Trump simply does not possess the temperament and character necessary to lead the United States through an increasingly perilous world. The last week should have made obvious to all what has been obvious to most for more than a year. In response to any slight –perceived or real– Donald Trump lashes out viciously and irresponsibly. In Trump’s eyes, disagreement with his actions or his policies warrants incessant name calling and derision: stupid, lying, fat, ugly, weak, failing, idiot –and that’s just his “fellow” Republicans.He isn’t eschewing political correctness. He is eschewing basic human decency.

Source: Harvard Republican Club Just Did THIS For The First Time In Their History…And Trump Is Furious. – Democratic Review

In the Shadows of Men(excerpt)

Exceptional – Had a similar experience when I was able to observe a painful moment with my father when I was 7 years. I finally saw that the “you can do better” was him being his father and his battle with his father and really had nothing to do with me. Good on you Ms. Harash!

نادية حرحش

I started to walk when I was very little, my mother always told me. As a continuous warning, my grandfather would tie a rope around my ankle and tie the other end to a black iron rod planted deeply in the ground. I still remember the rod’s shape and size. For some reason, the memory of this doesn’t bring me any fear. I don’t remember if it hurt me, and I don’t remember if I ever tried to untie the rope and escape. I don’t remember anything except what my mother told me—that my grandfather was forced to tie my ankle because the neighbors had to keep bringing me back home. My grandfather repeatedly said, “This girl is not a girl made for this life.”

This phrase echoed throughout my life. Though we told this story many times, laughing about it, the rope stayed with me. Whatever I did, I…

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What Muslim Women are “Allowed” – sister-hood magazine. A Fuuse production by Deeyah Khan.

Since Trump has clearly no idea about Islam and Muslims, I will present is a short list of women from across nations that could help challenge stereotypes of Muslim women. But first, let’s congratulate our athlete, Ibtihaj Muhammad, for creating history by becoming the first U.S. Muslim woman to have won a medal while wearing a hijab (head scarf) in the Rio Olympics 2016. Ibtihaj Muhammad is also considered by Time as one of the World’s Most Influential Women You Don’t Know Yet. History was also made when the dual honor holder Dalilah Muhammad won a Gold medal at the 400m hurdles Olympic event. Until Dalilah Muhammad, this was the only track event to have never been won before by an American woman.This history was made while Trump was busy degrading some of the core American values based on which the constitution of America was established: unity, domestic tranquillity, equality, and liberty. Hopefully by now Trump and supporters would’ve read the constitution – especially after our fallen hero Captain Humayun Khan’s father Mr. Khizr Khan challenged Trump to do so.

Source: What Muslim Women are “Allowed” – sister-hood magazine. A Fuuse production by Deeyah Khan.

Labour Party Is Poised to Back Jeremy Corbyn Again, Even if Britain Isn’t – The New York Times

Mr. Corbyn has said he “hopes Labour M.P.s will recognize the outcome of this election and not walk away.” More likely, they will hope for an early election in which the Corbyn-led party is badly defeated but they somehow survive, resulting in his resignation. But having seized the party machinery, Mr. Corbyn seems unlikely to give it up, even in defeat.In his view, and that of his followers, he is building a socialist movement for the future, and he and his followers regard the centrists, in the words of the former Labour legislator Chris Williamson, as Conservative “sleeper” agents at war not with Mr. Corbyn but with the members of the party themselves.

Source: Labour Party Is Poised to Back Jeremy Corbyn Again, Even if Britain Isn’t – The New York Times

Essentializing Islam will not stop Islamophobia

Spot on!

Nervana

Niqab Photo 2

( A woman wearing Niqab in France- Via AFP)

The cynical glee with which the Western media publicly flaunts — and generalizes — the practice of Islamic customs has become a disturbing pattern. The Hijab, Nigab, and Burkini have now become synonymous with Muslims, a perception that not just narrows the much more diverse reality of Muslims in Western countries, but reinforces a dangerous perception that all Muslims are a homogenous community; that they are all conservative; that all of them are Hijabi, Niqabi, or pro-Burkini. Such media misrepresentation is a dangerous farce that will only encourage Islamophobia, not defeat it, in non-Muslim societies.

The toxic debate about the Burkini ban on some French beaches was painful to watch — a zero-sum narrative on an empty stage that served only to deepen the divide between supporters and opponents of the ban.

Meanwhile, as the simmering outrage over France’s Burkini ban…

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