I finally rented "Arranged"

I'm getting over the flu, so I went out and rented several movies, including "Arranged"...Lovely movie!! The tagline reads: "Friendship Has No Religion."

It is the story of an Orthodox Jew, Rochel, and a Syrian-American Muslim, Nasira. They are both beautiful young women in their early twenties, teaching together in New York City. They become close friends, and help each other through the prospects of arranged marriages.

It deals with faith in modern America, prejudice, ignorance, and coming-of-age. I highly recommend it!

CNN report on Child Brides in KSA

"The ulama fear that modernization means Westernization"

This is a really unfortunate circumstance--obviously, there are many who want to see change. I don't mean to suggest that most Saudis contradict common sense and support unhealthy practices. But the sad truth is that a few painfuly reactionary leaders hold a disproportioinate amount of authority, resulting in problems like this one.

Palestinian PM Fayyad resigns

(CNN) -- Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has submitted his letter of resignation, the prime minister's office told CNN on Saturday.


Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's resignation may smooth the way for a unity government.

Considered a political independent, Fayyad was appointed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in June 2007 to be prime minister.

Fayyad's decision may help smooth the way for a Palestinian unity government that would be acceptable to both Hamas and Fatah, the region's two main political parties, as well as the international community.

Officials have argued a neutral government would be crucial to getting aid into Gaza to help with reconstruction and humanitarian relief.

Palestinians unsuccessfully tried their hand at a unity government in the spring of 2007, with the mediation of Saudi Arabia. The experiment ended in June of that year with Hamas taking over Gaza, leaving Fatah in charge in the West Bank.

Fayyad, a well-regarded international economist, was finance minister during the short-lived unity government in 2007

"Love and a Headscarf"

Let's Talk.

"It is time for the American people to understand that it is not weakness, but wisdom to talk not just to our friends, but to our enemies,"
-Barack Obama

I am a strong believer in diplomacy. I literally cheered when Obama brought up this point in one of the presidential debates, and he has never let go of his conviction that dialogue and cooperation is a crucial part of maintaining security abroad. It is NOT a weakness, but indeed, wisdom. America doesn't have the military capacity, economic influence, or universal goodwill needed to maintain our security without sincere negotiations. Sure, we can bully, coerce, bribe, and threaten all we want, but the world is a big place, and globalization has made our "enemies" more mobile, remote, and creative.

Anyway, I think Obama's determination to engage the Middle East has certainly been a wise and admirable gesture, and I am encouraged to read that the UK is following suit, opting to open communication with Lebanon's Hezbollah.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2009/03/200935122446775120.html

Now before you cry "COMMI!!" and accuse me of being an un-American, terrorist loving radical, let me explain. I don't support Hezbollah per se, nor do I applaud the methods that this group and others have been implementing in past years. But as the article explains, Lebanon is approaching elections, and Hezbollah may become an even more powerful political presence.

I understand we take moral issue with these groups sometimes. But we can't allow our pride or our sense of ethical superiority to blind us from reality. The reality is that Hezbollah, Hamas, and Ahmedenijad all exist. This reality may be unpleasant and worrisome, but it exists nonetheless. We need to be careful--sometimes it is right to ignore these groups and deprive them of legitimacy. However, many of them are already much more legitmate than we'd like to admit, and it's better to face them sooner, rather than later, when it may be too late.

The Faces of American Idol

My friends and family will tell you, I'm sort of racist.

That is, if given a choice, I will almost always be more attracted to an ethnic or non-Western person/object/concept than a Western/American person/object/concept. (I could go into endless detail about the rationale behind this...maybe some other time.)

My friends of different religions and ethnic minorities think it's hilarious the way I often criticize "white people"--or how I complain about the archetypal "skinny white chicks" in movies or the media. (They find a particular irony in noting that I, myself, am rather thin and VERY white, at least on the outside.)

Anyway, this tendency of mine is very true in this year's season of American Idol. Yes, I am an avid follower of this show--cheesy and commercialized as it is, it's grown on me and is kind of a family tradition.

This year, my heart has been won over by the wonderfully talented Lil Rounds (an African American mother), Anoop Desai (of Indian descent), and Jorge Nunez, a Puerto Rican who has worked tirelessly to bridge the language barrier the judges identified earlier in the competition (even working with a dialect coach until his accent became almost non-existent.)

I just think it's beautiful to see such "diversity" (less white people, that is) on a show entitled "AMERICAN Idol." Truly, no one can really define what it means to be "American," but I think it's wonderful that cultural and racial expectations are widening.

Mmmm. An African-American in the White House, and white people being outsung on Fox Network. Delicious!

"Muslim Food"

So, on campus, the Muslim Student Association is having an "Islam Awareness Week." Today they had an Imam give a lecture entitled, "Jesus in Islam." Yesterday, they had a "Taste of the Faith" presentation/display, where free food was available. The food was familiar to me--filafil, hummus, mamoul, etc.

I didn't attend this luncheon because I was working downstairs (I have a job on campus.) My co-worker, who is a Muslim, graciously brought a heaping plateful of food for the ladies of our office to sample. She just dropped off the food and left. I gratefully devoured several filafil--I miss that stuff! Then I listened as the other women in the office responded to the food.

Coworker A: "Do you want to try some Muslim food?"

Coworker B: "Ahh...What is it?"

Coworker A: "Um, I don't know, the Muslims were giving away food."

Coworker C (entering): "Oh, what's going on? Is it Foreign Culture Food Day or something??"

Coworker A: "No, some Muslim students are doing something...Uhh...Sarah????" (That's my name)

Me: "It's Islam Awareness Week. They started today with some ethnic food and then tomorrow..."

(Cutting me off) Coworker B: "Oh, well, I'm not that hungry. Looks interesting though."

(they all lose interest, food goes uneaten.)

I don't think they are racist, I'm not trying to uncover some ugly prejudice or anything here. But I did think this was yet another example of the awkwardness and involuntary apprehension that accompanies anything vaguely Arab, and, in this case, Muslim. (And that's another pet peeve: "Arab" does NOT always equal "Muslim," or vice versa.)

Anyway, they know that I am the honorary "ambassador to the Muslims." Some of them know I lived in Saudi Arabia, some of them know my dad is Muslim, and some of them just know that I am often present at MSA events and that I am close friends with many of the campus Muslims.

Anyway, there is some sort of tension, some sort of hesitation, that is truly undeniable in so many of my "tolerant" compatriots. It's fascinating and unfortunate.

Iran can "rejoin" the international community, IF...

the drama continues...

The Republican Party Should Consider a Face Lift (click here for story)

Now, I’m not a Republican, and not really a conservative either. I do, however, hold some “conservative” values, such as protection of privacy and the genius of the free market (within proper constraints). I do appreciate the Republican voice in Congress; I believe it is important in tempering what could easily become a Democratic free-for-all. (I greatly value many Democratic policies as well, but I am always aware of the need for balance and moderation.)

Thus, I think it is rather unfortunate that Rush Limbaugh has become the “voice and face” of the Republican party. Yikes! (granted this particular statement was made by Immanuel, but Rush WAS the headline speaker at the CPAC) I have tried to listen to Rush a few times, but I always turn off the radio in disgust. It is impossible for me to respect someone who uses such hateful, subjective language. I’m sorry, but saying repeatedly that you hope our Commander in Chief “fails” is not acceptable to me, no matter the context.

Americans need Obama to succeed. Democrat or not, none of us will benefit from Obama’s downfall, and such a hope is something I can never come to respect. Honestly, we had world leaders all around the world cheering us on when Obama took the Oath of Office. To think that Rush was somewhere fuming and wishing ill upon our newly elected president is an unsettling thought, one that calls to mind an image of an pouting child.