Good news for fellow Southerners (if this Yankee may be forgiven for describing himself as such), written up in that festive,  multi-hued desi style. Insha’Allah, I’ll be there. —————————————          The Islamic Studies And Research Association   I     S     R     A       Presents On Friday, Saturday, Sunday, May 25, 26, 27, 2007   The 10Th Annual International Mawlid-un-Nabi   &   ISRA CONVENTION "Surely Allah is my Lord as well as your Lord... Read more

An inspiring story emerges from the darkness hanging over Virginia Tech.  The Holocaust survivor who saved a classroom | csmonitor.com When the sound of gunfire neared his solid mechanics lecture inside Virginia Tech’s Norris Hall, there was confusion, according to reports from student witnesses. They dove under desks, darted to the windows. But, students say, Librescu headed for the door, blocking the gunman from entering. As shots rang out, he stood there. That act of courage gave his class priceless... Read more

To call this sickening just scratches the surface of this perversion.  Women laughed as they forced toddlers to take part in ‘dog fight’ | Guardian Unlimited A mother and her three daughters who forced two toddlers to take part in a “dog fight” and filmed it walked free from court yesterday. The women, including the children’s mother, goaded the tearful brother and sister to punch each other and even use a magazine and hairbrush as weapons. When the boy, who... Read more

A snippet from my post on Eteraz.org, wherein I argued that implicitly linking the Virginia Tech killer with the Korean community makes no sense given the seemingly standard American upbringing and overall profile that have emerged in media reports. Eteraz.org || Virginia Tech massacre a sadly "American" crime If his American childhood is not enough to convince, consider his major.  He decision to study, of all things, English–a degree widely considered to be little value on the marketplace that is... Read more

I generally don’t pay attention to the comings and goings of the man-children that inhabit Hollywood.  Richard Gere’s Indian imbrolio, however, is eminently newsworthy and deserving of analysis.  It reminds us of the continuing existence of sexism, racism and colonial arrogance in the world. If you didn’t hear, Richard Gere created controversy in India a few days ago by flouting Indian mores and publicly kissing a semi-starlet, Shilpa Shetty, on stage.   BBC NEWS – Gere kiss sparks India protests... Read more

If you haven’t heard, the worst shooting rampage in American history occurred early on Monday on a Virginia campus.  At least 32 people have died in addition to the killer, who took his own life as police closed in. What an unbelievable tragedy.  May God rest their souls. And what an inscrutable mystery, as well.  The accounts of his calmness and businesslike manner make for chilling reading.  What makes people snap like this, silently hunting down complete strangers?  And why... Read more

Some schemes are so sublimely bizarre and harebrained that I suspect the universe’s sense of humor dictates that they succeed. Building on a Dream – washingtonpost.com On his first drive through this central Virginia town, Noor Naghmi didn’t notice the barns or cow pastures, or the tractors trundling by. He imagined gardens and domes and spires. He pictured arabesque archways reflected in glossy pools. He saw all the grandeur of his home town of Lahore, Pakistan, which he had left... Read more

According to this report in Libération, a British dentist has had his license revoked for unsanitary practices such as cleaning his ears and nails with his “sterilized” medical instruments and–the pièce de résistance–peeing in the little sink that his patients used for rinsing their mouths out. This guy sounds like the worst dentist since Inspector Clouseau went undercover as one in “The Pink Panther Strikes Again”. Un dentiste britannique interdit d’exercice pour manque d’hygiène Un dentiste britannique s’est vu interdire... Read more