An American Muslim Journal

Over 40 people attend ISPU/Robert Pape Dinner in suburban Chicago

 

Hard, verified and substantiated data makes for good evidence.  Good evidence helps to develop better policy.  Dr. Robert Pape compiles and maintains the most comprehensive database on suicide terrorism dating back to the early 1980s.  Dr. Pape and his Chicago Project on Security and Terrorism (CPOST) at the University of Chicago are making compelling policy prescriptions to combat suicide terrorism based on the data. 

The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) hosted a dinner in suburban Chicago on Saturday, March 12, 2011 to discuss Dr. Pape's research and his latest book, "Cutting the Fuse".  Dr. Pape was on hand and presented a riveting (it really was "riveting" as everyone listened intently throughout the presentation) summary of his research, some of his conclusions and several policy recommendations on how to stop suicide terrorism.

Dr. Pape explained that his research focuses on suicide terrorism because it is the "lung cancer" of terrorism (which is to say it is the most lethal type of terrorism).  In a room full of physicians that analogy hit home as heads slightly nodded in acknowledgment.  

Then he threw out another question - what is the leading cause of lung cancer?  The answer - known even to laypersons - is cigarette smoking, but Dr. Pape shared the numbers.  He said there is an 85% correlation between cigarette smoking and lung cancer.  Next question: so then, what is the "cigarette smoking" of suicide bombings?  According to Dr. Pape it is the occupation of one nation by another democratic nation.  There is a 95% correlation between the occupation by a democratic country of another country and the use of suicide terrorism by the people of the occupied country.

Other interesting data and conclusions discussed from Dr. Pape's research included the fact that most of the suicide terrorism is not carried out by so-called "Islamic fundamentalists" as is commonly believed. He noted that from the early 1980s to about 2003 the majority of the world's suicide terrorism was carried out by a secular Marxist organization - the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka.  Dr. Pape wrapped up the presentation by discussion the situation in Libya and the implications of his research and findings on possible strategies for dealing with the brutal military aggression by Libya's military against its own people.  The ideas discussed by Dr. Pape about Libya can be found in a March 2011 TIME magazine essay titled "A Plan for Libya".

Over 40 individuals attended the dinner.  After his presentation Dr. Pape took questions from the dinner guests and then continued the discussions over dinner.  Every guest received a copy of "Cutting the Fuse" and during dinner Dr. Pape noted that his hope was to get everyone in attendance to read the book and to share its findings with others.

"It was an excellent event," commented one of the dinner guests.  Asked what she took away from Dr. Pape's talk, this same guest added "I learned something about the causes of suicide bombings and that we need to educate others about the findings of Dr. Pape's research."

ISPU is an independent, nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) research and policy institution.  Founded in Michigan and now headquartered in Washington, DC, ISPU continues to strive to provide expert analysis, insight and context to critical issues facing the U.S., with an emphasis on those issues related to Muslim communities in the U.S. and abroad.  Dr. Muzammil Ahmed, a founding board member of ISPU, attended the dinner. Also in attendance were ISPU board members Mazen Asbahi and Azeem Ibrahim.  The event was coordinated by ISPU's associate development officer Abdullateef Muhiuddin.

Click here to watch a presentation by Dr. Robert Pape to the New America Foundation on October 12, 2010.

 

"Children of Dust" by Ali Eteraz makes for interesting reading but not for the reasons author gives (Book Review)

Ali Eteraz is a wonderful storyteller.  His memoir, “Children of Dust”, is an engaging story of  life as a child in Pakistan to his adolescence and young adulthood in America with several pit stops  in between.  “Children of Dust” is very well written.  Eteraz’s life story provides a startling look inside the painful lives led by many Pakistani children.

Subtitled “A Memoir of Pakistan”, billed as creative nonfiction, and promoted as a “searing memoir revealing the truth about militant Islamic fundamentalism in Pakistan”, “Children of Dust” is more a story of child abuse and neglect, a horribly deficient primary education system in rural Pakistan, perverted and sadistic religious teachers and their devastating impact on a young man’s life.  Islam certainly played a role Eteraz’s narrative, but what really stands out is the psychological damage that abuse and neglect had on his life and the behavioral issues that stem from them.

In the book’s prologue Eteraz writes:

"This book is about a thoroughly Islamic childhood and about a boy's attempt not merely to know his identity, but to assert his sovereignty."

Eteraz’s childhood, in reality, had very little to do with Islam.  Certainly, Islam as a cultural talisman permeated his life but to call it “thoroughly Islamic” is a distortion of reality (based on his own account).
 
His early education in religion was not about the broad concepts in Islam, nor about its basic articles of faith.  Instead, his earliest exposures to Islam were related to concepts such as “Koh-e-Qaf” (from ancient Persian mythology – a sacred place beyond the mountains according to some) and “jadu” (black magic), and his grandmother’s supposed regular meetings with Prophet Muhammad (s) in her dreams.  It is not exactly the firm foundation upon which to build a young Muslim’s religious life.

Early in the story Eteraz writes of his experience sexually harassing a servant girl just a few years older than him at his home Pakistan.  This is the first signal that Eteraz’s childhood was neither wholesome nor idyllic.  He was seven years old and the servant girl was only a few years older.  Eteraz writes of how he forced the girl to undress, of how he exposed himself to her and then attempted to grope her naked body.
 
Eteraz says nothing about attending public or private primary schools in Pakistan where he spent his early years.  The only formal education he writes about are intermittent stints in various madrasahs where his parents sent him to memorize the Holy Qur’an.  Eteraz suggests that his parents sent him to these madrasahs because they had no alternatives.

Madrasah is an Arabic term for school but Eteraz’s accounts of the madrasahs he attended are frightening images of non-stop physical, psychological and sexual abuse of young boys.  Eteraz writes a riveting account of the fear he felt while he attended the madrasahs.  He writes of sadistic teachers at the madrasahs who beat children with sticks for making mistakes, of locking up children in prison cells and of child molestation.
 
Eteraz writes of his own rape at the hands of two other boys while in Pakistan.¹  It is an eerie narrative.  While his description is unmistakably of rape, Eteraz couches it in benign imagery.  The narrative Eteraz uses is something one might expect a child to use in order to protect himself from the psychic trauma of re-living the assault.

The experience with “Islam” once he comes to America is only slightly better than what he suffered in Pakistan.  He came to America in the 1990s, a time when mosques and established religious life for Muslims was just becoming more institutionalized but was fraught with cultural and political overtones (many of which remain in place even today).

Eteraz’s life story in America is one that is familiar in most aspects, if not all, to many American Muslims who grew up in America and attended high school and college in America in the 1980s through to the present.  He experienced the need to fit in and a frustration with the overbearing and superficial Islam pushed by his parents as a means of vaccinating him from the social ills of American society.

The end of high school and the start of college mark the midpoint of Eteraz’s book and covers about two-thirds of his chronological age.  Eteraz does an amazing job in telling a compelling story up to this point.  Thus far Eteraz has written in great detail about what he saw, what he heard and what he felt.  It is compelling storytelling.

While the book remains readable and entertaining to the very last page, from this point forward Eteraz’s narration changes.  Rather than continuing to tell a story with details and experiences, much of the remaining book summarizes events and then liberally sprinkles in political and religious editorials.
 
Eteraz chronicles his college years as being filled with sexual exploits, outward religiosity and inner conflict between Eteraz the religious Muslim wanna-be leader and Eteraz the young college kid who indulged many of his sexual impulses.  It reads more like a summary than a story.

The book’s final chapters are the least detailed and are heavy on self-reflection.  Eteraz describes “Children of Dust” as creative nonfiction and by the last few pages one cannot help but wonder if these final experiences are heavy on the “creative” and easy on the “nonfiction” because the story seems almost too perfectly tailored to accommodate the religious or philosophical epiphany with which “Children of Dust” climaxes.

Throughout the latter part of the book Eteraz works very hard to build himself up as an Islamic fundamentalist.  Presumably this is because, in his mind, his life’s story is about his personal exposure to radical Islam with a redemptive ending.  However, what Eteraz writes about vis-à-vis his activist Muslim college experience is not so different from the experiences of many other American Muslim college students.

Still, Eteraz’s epiphany at the end is intriguing.  The realization that he confronts about his religiosity in the final pages of “Children of Dust” is an interesting and thought-provoking notion.  The book is worth reading for this epiphany alone, but there are other good reasons too.

“Children of Dust” provides some insight into the humanity of one American Muslim.  By telling his own personal story, with all the painful experiences, Eteraz humanizes and contextualizes the otherwise one-dimensional “American Muslim” that most Americans read about but never get to know.

America needs to hear more stories about young Muslims with the same boldness as Eteraz’s “Children of Dust”.  Americans want to really know Muslims and especially those living in America.  “Children of Dust” gives Americans a great insight into the mind of a somewhat typical American Muslim.  That is an invaluable resource.

______________________________________________

Title:  "Children of Dust: A Memoir of Pakistan"
Author: Ali Eteraz
Copyright 2009
Publisher:  HarperCollins and HarperOne
ISBN: 978-0-06-156708-7

¹UPDATE (11/23/09): An earlier version of this article stated that the rape occurred in a madrasah.  This was inaccurate.  In fact the rape occured, accordingto Eteraz, when he was away from the madrasah he was attending.

For there to be real peace, we must get "Beyond Tolerance"

Gustav Niebuhr is an engaging writer.  He has a wealth of experience on the subject of religion in America drawn from his personal life and then his professional life (as a journalist first and then from the Academy).  "Beyond Tolerance: Search for Interfaith Understanding in America" is a solid resource for those engaged in interfaith dialogue.

What Makes this a good book?

Niebuhr draws from his personal experiences as a religion writer for the New York Times in order to analyze interfaith dialogue in America.  "Beyond Tolerance" is a combination of a personal account and a researched/surveyed academic analysis.  This unique perspective makes the book engaging and readable while providing very useful facts, resources and insights as well.  Niebuhr's personal opinions are included in "Beyond Tolerance" but he distinguishes them from facts.

It is a short book (only 213 pages) and it is a very easy read.  While it has six (6) chapters and a conclusion, the preface, introduction, notes and bibliography are integral to the book.  The preface and introduction help set the right expectations for the reader by disclosing Niebuhr's personal and professional background, his personal religious affiliation and his own attitude towards interfaith dialogue.  Niebuhr notes that he was raised in an observant Christian home where prayer was a part of his family's dail life.  Interestingly but not surprisingly he notes that as part of his religious Christian upbringing he was taught that he

"shared the world with a great variety of religious (and nonreligious) identities, all of which belonged to people who deserved as much respect as we ourselves would want."

The notes and bibliography are wonderful resources for additional reading.  This is particularly important for a book on interfaith dialogue.  This subject matter is not well represented in many public libraries.  Book stores do not carry a lot of titles on interfaith dialogue either.  Furthermore, many valuable resources for studying and undrestanding interfaith dialogue are found in periodicals and journals and less in books.  The notes and bibliography are useful in highlighting some of these resources.

What would make this book better?

"Beyond Tolerance" has many stories of interfaith dialogue drawn from Niebuhr's career as a religion writer for the New York Times.  These stories include brief sketches of the religious people he has encountered.  Another 100 pages worth of details on the people, the conversations and reflections of those who engaged in interfaith dialogue would be extremely valuable and would make the book more valuable as a resource.

What is the most important point Niebuhr is trying to convey?

Niebuhr wants to promote interfaith dialogue in America.  Niebuhr does not see tolerance as a virtue.  To him it is a fundamental responsibility in a pluralistic society like America, but it falls short of building understanding.

He uses examples of interfaith dialogue to illustrate what it looks like to go beyond tolerance.  Most of his examples are success stories but some illustrate what it looks like when interfaith dialogue falls short of developing an understanding between faiths.

In the beginning of "Beyond Tolerance" Niebuhr tells his readers that the book will not spend much time talking about religious extremism.  The underlying motivation to encourage Americans to go beyond tolerance and towards interfaith understanding, however, is his fear of religious extremism. 

Niebuhr conveys a clear desire to couner religious extremism by promoting religious dialogue that goes beyond niceties and basic religious doctrine and builds relationships between committed adherents of different religious traditions.  Neibuhr closes the book by noting that

"They - we - have our basic humanity in common.  We share a world, but one threatened by violent fanaticism...And so we have a choice, a possibility of community before us, and so much about which we can speak to one another.  The stakes are very high."

Recommendation & conclusion?

"Beyond Tolerance" is a comendable addition to the discussion of interfaith dialogue.  Niebuhr writes for laypersons and non-academics.  Religious people who are thinking about getting involved in interfaith dialogue and those who are already involved and want to go beyond the niceties and the basics can gain years' worth of knowledge from "Beyond Tolerance".

Book Details

Title: "Beyond Tolerance: Searching for Interfaith Understanding in America"
Author:   Niebuhr, Gustav
Year Published:   2008
Publisher:   Viking Penguin
ISBN: 978-0-670-01956-4
Number of Pages:   213 (six chapters, conclusion, notes, bibliography, index) plus preface & introduction

Chuck Norris: Black Belt Patriotism

 

Well I'll be damned.  Chuck Norris is now talking politics (I know, he was Huckabee's boy but now a book!?).

I haven't read the book and frankly, with all the other books I need to read, this one's going to have to be put on the backburner.

Not that I'm suggesting "Black Belt Patriotism" should be burned!  No, that was just a figure of speech.

I've read a couple reviews.  More entertaining then the reviews, though, are the comments.

"I also believe that Chuck Norris is right on.  I haven't read his book, but I like what I just read about it!  Amen, Brother Chuck!!"

"Chuck Norris is absolutely right!"

"Chuck is right on with this.  And we need to rally behind thoughts like his."

All of these quotes are from Onenewsnow.com.  I really enjoy reading their stories and the comments of other readers.  This one is my favorite:

"In addition to being an actor, martial arts expert and author, Chuck Norris' tears will cure cancer.  But unfortunately, Chuck Norris has never cried."

I love it!

Paul Bedard of Washington Whispers blog says that Chuck Norris doesn't want to be a politician because he'd be one of 100 or one of 435 - "How can you get anything done?"  Bedard says Norris has a solution (perhaps its in the book): cut House members to one or two per state so there is greater accountability.

Brilliant idea Chuck!

We can then get rid of the Senate, extend the terms of office and really get down to work.

It can be done though! Human Events Book Services quotes Chuck Norris as saying "It doesn't take many people to foster a revolution.  Jesus did it with twelve disciples."

Quite right Mr. Norris.

For those readers unaware of who Chuck Norris is, please allow me to share a few Chuck Norris facts:

• When Chuck Norris looks in the mirror nothing appears.  There can never be a second Chuck Norris.

• When there is a fire you stop, drop and roll.  When there is a Chuck Norris, you stop, drop and die.

What's all this mean boys and girls?  You don't mess with Chuck Norris.