A common misconception among Americans is that because our constitution grants us freedom of speech and freedom of the press, our country must therefore promote that abroad. Therefore to disagree with America in any way is to hate freedom. "So if you don't like that, go ahead and leave!" The fact is, however, America has … Continue reading America: Freedom at Home, Oppression Abroad
Part 1 | Part 2 Afghanistan has always been a country of valleys. Only 12% of Afghan soil is arable, just half of which is actually cultivated due to water scarcity, making Afghanistan one of the driest, roughest patches of territory in the world. What water can be had is usually sourced from the mountains, … Continue reading The Civil War & The Rise of the Taliban: A Brief History of Afghanistan, pt 2
Part 1 | Part 2 Mostly taken from No Good Men Among the Living by Anand Gopal. This is part 1 explaining the context of the Soviet invasion and its resulting civil war which led to the rise of the Taliban, coming up in pt 2. In the 1950s a wave of reforms swept Afghanistan … Continue reading From the Soviets to the Civil War: A Brief History of Afghanistan, pt 1
"Islam is violent" says the American soldier shooting an innocent Iraqi child. [13]"Islam is unjust" says the Colombian working on an American-owned coffee plantation for petty wages. [4]"Islam is evil" says the Han Chinese who's ancestors fought the British in 2 opium wars."Islam spread by the sword" says the Portuguese conquistador giving natives a choice … Continue reading The Hypocrisy Behind Islamophobia
The following is an excerpt from one of my favorite books, The Road to Mecca by Muhammad Asad. (Amazon) (Free PDF 1) (Free PDF 2) I often sat on the stone balustrade below the Jaffa Gate and watched the throng of people going into or coming out of the Old City. Here they rubbed against … Continue reading Palestine in 1922 – Muhammad Asad’s Observations
Halaqa 