Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Health care voices: Tell your story, Control your life

To register for the event or for more info please click here.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the survey to pick a name for the event. We finally have a name :)

Please visit our event website, give us suggestions and if you are in Michigan please come help or attend.

On a side note, I found this interesting article about the power of social networking.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Vote for a name for the health care service day

Organizing for America in Southfield, MI is planning a health service day. Blood pressure and Diabetes screening will be offered and attendees will be asked to share their stories with the health care system. They will also be offered information about healthy living and a guide to Michigan products to boost the Michigan economy. Please help us choose a name for the event by voting at the link below.

Click Here to take survey

Saturday, June 06, 2009

Obama at “my” Cairo University……and no he’s not Bonaparte

Goose bumps… yes, and tears as well. I read President Obama's speech before I listened to it and each line touched my heart. When he said "I am also proud to carry with me the goodwill of the American people, and a greeting of peace from Muslim communities in my country: assalaamu alaykum." I had goose bumps. He represents me, he knows it and he's proud of it. He is my president. Nothing he said in his introduction, recounting achievements of the civilization of Islam and Muslim Americans, was new to me but it is redeeming to hear it from him as the entire world is listening.

Egyptian as I am, Napoleon Bonaparte popped in my mind. Bonaparte led the French to occupy my country, Egypt, in 1798. As soon as he landed on our shore, he sent a message to the Muslims of Egypt declaring allegiance to the Ottoman Khalifat and he started praying in Azhar while his soldiers were killing Egyptians and his commanders planning the invasion of Palestine. Bonaparte and his soldiers killed many Egyptians and killed many Arabs and Muslims. His emotional trick didn't work and his little escapade in Egypt failed disastrously. Yet Obama is not Napoleon Bonaparte. He was solid in his positions, consistent with his beliefs and blunt with Muslims. My superficial cynicism was definitely an unfortunate moment of injustice to my president. I don't believe that history repeats itself and I don't believe that we can make any change if we remain hostage to our colonial history. We need to be more self-confident; learn from our history but examine the present with an open mind.

As I listened to him addressing the Middle East conflict, I realized that many Muslims would perceive his position as, yet, imbalanced. I am not going to say if I think it was balanced or not. I will, however, remind everyone that Obama's position is consistent with his pragmatic policies. Obama believes in gradual sustained change. He's willing to compromise so that he can make one substantial step forward. He compromised a lot to pass the stimulus bill but as he promised a stimulus bill passed within his first hundred days. This theme of compromise to achieve what's possible is a consistent characteristic of the Obama philosophy since he was in the Illinois legislature. I don't see his Middle East policy any different from his other policies but I could see the steps forward. For the first time, the Palestinian statehood is a right the American president is pledging to support not just a suggestion on the negotiation table. For the first time, the unbreakable ties with Israel are not justifying ignoring the agony of the Palestinian people. And for the first time this is said in public not just behind closed doors.

This speech advanced the Muslim American identity crisis resolution decades forward. Thanks Mr. President. Peace be upon you.

Monday, June 01, 2009

Back to posting, more heresies for everyone :)

Alright, I haven't been posting for bajillion years and I know that's not right. I apologize. Indeed, I haven't been posting but I was definitely thinking and I have a load of heresies to go around. I will try to pace myself and, God willing, post two heresies every week.

As I toned down my work with organizations I was active with and reflected upon my life and my life goals, I realized that what I really think I need is a community with no organizational strings attached. I don't need an organization for my own personal development but I need a healthy environment to live in. I don't fear for my identity or spirituality if I am not part of a bigger organization, to the contrary, being alone helped me great deal but I need a social life that reflects my values. What I need to create is a community for activists to network, exchange ideas and socialize. A community for peer-to-peer support, a healthy one though. I need an all welcoming environment without any "pre-existing conditions". I feel we all need a community, drama-free, that helps fulfill the very basic needs, from prayers, emotional support to marriage and counseling. Such a community can only be created at a local level and these local communities can network with each other nationally. This community of activists energizes them to invest all their activism energy in all different fields.

I believe we should serve our country through existing mainstream organization and if we find that there is a need not served by an existing organization, we should form one but it should be mainstream as well. By mainstream, I mean open for all citizens equally.

That's my dream and my heresy.