Radical Islamism & Jihad *The Taliban Can Be Beaten <http://www.newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1453>*
History is bunk, said Henry Ford. To which another aphorism could be added: literature is literature, and shouldn't be mistaken for reality. Historical and literary precedent is freely and mistakenly being bandied about in a good deal of international commentary on Afghanistan, whose thrust is that modernity is fated to fail in that country (even if the rest of the world has embraced it). Putting material and human resources at Afghanistan's disposal, such 'liberal' opinion claims, is a futile attempt on the part of the international community. ... Obama's Af-Pak strategy, however, brings about a shift of focus that could reverse some of the damage done. What's needed is patient and open-ended engagement with the people of the region, whether in Afghanistan or in Pakistan's tribal areas. They must be provided security, along with help in building roads, schools, hospitals and modern state institutions. That's what it will take to turn the tide against transnational jihadis operating out of the region. Leaving South Asia at peace, while Kipling's ghost could finally be laid to rest. -- *Swagato Ganguly* More...<http://www.newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1453> Current affairs *New Ferment in Zionism, old and new, modest and radical <http://www.newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1452>* Exactly 100 years ago tomorrow, *Isaiah Berlin*, one of the 20th century's most important political thinkers, was born in Riga, Latvia. Berlin, who died in 1997, grappled with the big ideologies of his day - communism, fascism, and democracy - and the centennial of his birth invites reflection on his approach to two big ideologies of our day: Zionism and Palestinian self-determination. .... The crimes of totalitarianism, Nazi and Soviet, made Berlin an implacable foe of utopian projects. He was fond of Immanuel Kant's maxim that, "Out of timber so crooked as that from which man is made, nothing entirely straight can be carved." The sensible but melancholy brand of liberalism Berlin fashioned out of the wreckage of World War II, observed his biographer, Michael Ignatieff, was that of a "Jew forced to meditate on the destruction of his people." ... But Berlin's Zionism was a modest Zionism. He did not regard his deep-felt solidarity with his own Jewish people as superior or different from similar bonds that united other nations. Membership in one community, he insisted, does not preclude "holding a large area of ideals in common with everyone else." Berlin did not limit himself to dual loyalties; he had a multitude of them. Furthermore, he didn't look upon Israel as a metaphysical project, a light unto the nations. Israel is a country, not a cause, he believed. And his observations of the Jewish state were not always charitable. -- *Evan R. Goldstein* --- *"Zionism is cool" * *"What drives them is a highly developed and very profound sense of victimization.* They always claim that they are being delegitimized," says Eli Osheroff. "They complain that we, the Jewish students, are victims of discrimination in the university because we serve three years in the army and the Arabs don't. As a solution to every problem, they always call for taking the law into their hands. For example, ahead of the campus elections, they were initiating the establishment of a student guard that will protect Jewish girls in the dorms near Mt. Scopus against Arabs. If there really is a problem of personal security there, the police or the Civil Guard can solve it, or it can be solved by peaceful means and dialogue. But not by a group of armed students. They are a historic reincarnation of Brit Habiryonim [an extremist Revisionist-Zionist group that was active in Palestine in 1932-1933]. They are Beginist types, gentlemen, intellectuals: They themselves will not lift a hand, but they encourage an atmosphere of violence." -- *Kobi Ben-Simhon in Neo-Zionism 101.*** More...<http://www.newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1452> Islamic Society *India: Affirmative action, not reservation is the answer for Muslims, says Minister <http://www.newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1451>* New Delhi: In contrast to predecessor A R Antulay who maintained a studied silence on the issue of reservation, newly-appointed Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has called quota for Muslims a “double-edged sword” which could create “envy, hostility and resistance”. He has instead advocated affirmative action as a tool to “inject an ability to compete” rather than make them “constant beneficiaries of additional help”. In an interview to The Indian Express, Khurshid said it was time to explore “angles” other than reservation. He said it was his intention to roll out some “quick impact” schemes and fine-tune delivery of recommendations made by the Justice Rajinder Sachar committee. -- *Manoj C G* 3 Comments More..<http://www.newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1451> -- Syed Asadullah --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Asalam o Alaikum, You Are Receiving This Message, Because You Are A Member Of FOCUS ON ISLAM, A Google Group [..:: The Best Group For Nice Islamic Mails ::..] \/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<>\/ You can Post Your Comments and Suggestions to Me [Moderator of this Group] on this email address: [email protected] To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.google.com/group/focusonislam/ To post messages/mails to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] Please forward our Mails to Your friends, and convence them to join our Group. 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