It has been some time since I was last able to find the time (read: get off my butt) to type out a few little words to update this blog. As I sat staring at the screen wondering how to reenergize this process, I was struck at the change that has taken place over the last four months. Before Christmas time, I began this blog as a way to reflect on news, politics, art, religion, and otherwise ramble on about incoherent thoughts. But something happened, turning blogging into a painful, unappreciative act, on par with shaving or making a phone-call to cancel plans. In other words, I stopped.

I realized I have nothing to say.

And I realized … that was something. The rush one feels as one first posts a blog into the virtual world, the trepidation of the first negative comment, the first entry to be linked to another’s site, or the thrill of having over one hundred viewers a day fades into relative obscurity, as every day the keyboard reminds me more of the dishes that need cleaning rather then the preverbal junk that demands shooting. However, I have in the meantime become more and more addicted to the Internet, chasing any interesting lead.

And so I recommit. Perhaps I do it because today is the official first day of my new running routine. Perhaps because I will be working in an office this summer, and I need something to fill the time while still appearing productive. Or perhaps I remember how fun it used to be, and imagine it can be just as fun again.

Perhaps.

Some months ago I wrote a posting extolling the virtues and pleasures of Freerice.com. For months, whenever I no longer felt like studying (read constantly), I jumped over to this wonderful little site, and increased my vocabulary while “helping” the poor souls of the world. Only, I kind of stopped thinking about where the animation rice I was winning was going, and concentrated on my score. The rice will get there, I thought, somehow. Magically.

Finally, I decided I would follow some of the links, to see how this program was doing. And I was shocked. Since the launch of the site, in October 2007, when I first posted about this little baby, 26,662,277,870 grains of rice have been donated. The World Food Program has initiated a program in which developed nations from around the world have committed to donate up to one dollar of every 100 of the GDP to alleviating world hunger.

But more important than these obscure facts is the practical realization of these dreams. Here is a video of the delivery of hundreds of tons of rice to Bangladesh. I was not able to get the video embedded on this site, but take a moment to examine the reality of your procrastination. This is one story that will make you feel good, and keep you coming back for more.

First, may I say many thanks to Wikipedia for providing this amazing map illustrating the changing demographics of Imperialism in the North America.

I found this gem below while researching the Basque Nationalist movement in the Basque regions of Spain and France. My curiosity was sparked this morning as I came across an article in Spiegel describing the role sport has played in the Basque region on the collective consciousness of a national identity. While it is clear that athletics cohesively collects passions together, funneling the emotions into a singular embodied version of David versus Goliath, the article highlighted the suppression, and subsequent revitalization of the Basque language as the manifestation of ethnic identity.

The question of the role language plays in collective consciousness inspired me to further research Quebec nationalism, as well as Celtic nationalism. Doing so brought me to the interactive map seen above. It is amazing to have a visual representation of the changing demographics of North America, and of the immediate association between language and empire. With the notable (and debatable) exception of Canada, each growth built their empire on the back of linguistic identity, and literary proficiency.

Therefore, as Globalization continues its long march down the corridors of time, how long can collective identities remain intact in the face of the encroachment of language erosion?

“I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical,     naked …who passed through universities with radiant cool eyes”
Howl – Allan Ginsburg, 1955

How does one quantify a definitive statement, when the statement is so large, so encompassing, as to elicit reactions of awe, anger and disbelief, even from the so-called “liberal” elite? How is one to recognize the enormity of an event, if the medium of the event is alien, disassociated, and even at times, painful? This is the immediate problem raised from the anthology under consideration. The Poem that Changed America: “Howl” Fifty Years Later leaves no room for question. It leaves little room for discussion. It is a definitive assertion, challenging in its’ arrogance. However, this is not all it does. The title also speaks volumes to the assumptions of the editors while simultaneously imposing meaning on the collected anthologies found therein. But it also invites. The stark title, overlaid on the proud American colors, juxtaposed against the facsimile of the original cover of Howl, encourages one to explore the multiple retellings of the influence and power of a singular poem. It was this invitation that I found most interesting. It was the invitation which encouraged me to seek out the “pith and substance” of this work.

“What sphinx of cement and aluminum bashed open their skulls and ate up their     brains and imagination?”

Howl, standing alone as a poem, has indeed caught the imagination of all who have come across its bleakly erotic tones. For all of my blatant rejection of poetry and my obvious ambivalence of the counter culture movement, whether of yesteryear or of today, my imagination was immediately caught up and strangled by the violence, passion and resonance of the work. Ginsburg, in his free flowing method, spoke of the conflict prevalent in society, the cognitive dissonance present in each individual soul. He spoke to the man seeking immediate gratification and release at the local pub. He spoke to the student wading through the seas of mediocrity for a shot at their institutionalized dreams. He spoke to societies amassing material wealth without feeling complete. Ginsburg spoke of the broken dreams and wasted talent of not just a generation, but of a culture, in the rambling, disjointed methods of personal thought. But how could one claim that a poem, even if it resonated, had changed America?

“I am with you in Rockland
where the faculties of the skull no longer admit the worms of the senses”

The collected recollections provide the reader of the anthology with a profoundly enlightening cross section of humanity, tied together with one common string; the fact that Howl had changed the reality of the world of which they, humanity, were invested. It was the completely unrelated nature of each reminiscent reflection on Howl that spoke to the dramatic claim of change in “America.” It was not a change to one particular movement, nor was it a shift from one policy to another. Furthermore, Howl did not alter any one particular cultural phenomenon so dramatically so that that particular aspect would be claimed as solely afected by Ginsbergian theory. Instead, Howl resonated deep within each of the individuals personally. It altered some aspect of their thinking in diverse and unique manners. From Andrei Codrescu’s Transylvania to Bob Dylan’s America to Jane Kramer’s “wholly possible” world , the resonance of Howl’s angst was felt. It was never felt the same, but for those who stumbled upon its’ words, it personified and vocalized an inner nuanced voice. As Robert Polito notes, the poem sought to “create a community” of fellow likeminded individuals.  But while it may have initially intended the few, as Polito implies, it has grasped on the many, the diverse, the unlike likeminded. In a very real manner, it has been recognized by each contributor as the undercurrent for an aspect of change which they have noticed, however dramatically different those changes would appear on the surface. It has achieved what Ginsburg, in later years, had projected as the original intent, “to leave behind … an emotional time bomb”.

“The United States that coughs all night and won’t let us sleep”

There is an obvious counter to this claim, however, that speaks volumes to a society increasingly devoid of attachment to the arts. With just a brief perusal of contributors, the observer would quickly note another common thread found within each. Poetry, it would seem, has come to dominate each of the individuals as they have progressed in the journey of life. Poetry, that common thread, ties each together with a shared historical and epistemological worldview. Therefore, how could Ginsburg’s rancorous poem have anything but a lasting effect on the artistically aloof society? The response is found in their experiences. From the white middle class homosexual to the ghettoized black militant to the academic Jewish feminist, the poem found a commonality beyond the obvious, and resonated as an influence, as an agent of change.

“With mother finally ******, and the last fantastic book flung out of the tenement     window, and the last door closed at 4am and the last telephone slammed at the     wall in reply and the last furnished room emptied down to the last piece of     mental furniture,”

It is a possibility to effect change, without the change being made manifest in dramatic proportion. Each insight from each collaborator manages to provide a window into the worldview of each divers and unique mind, and in process, exposes the imprint of Howl therein. The dramatic effect that Howl once had may be fading in the modern society, due in measure to the liberation and desensitization of all mediums.  It may neither shock nor motivate the reader. It may be institutionalized itself. But for those of whom who heard it in a time of cognitive dissidence, it provided a voice for their change.

Recently a combined effort of the Islamic Studies Fund and the Interfaith Fund of the University of Lethbridge brought distinguished speaker Timothy Gianotti to Lethbridge for an evening of dynamic lectures and frank discussion. Dr. Gianotti, an American born scholar of Islamic Philosophy presently teaching at York University, spent the better portion of two hours delivering a lecture entitled “Where The Breadth of Jesus and the Religious Sciences Meet: al-Ghazali on the Jurisprudence of the Heart (fiqh al-qalb) and the Resuscitation of Islam in the 12th Century”. His discussion was a pithy, open association of academic values, modern misconceptions and medieval philosophy tied together with searing insight.
Dr. Gianotti presented a strong counter argument to of the typical Islamicist thought floating about, such as Bernard Lewis’ call for a modern Islamic reformation or pseudo-reformer Irshad Manji’s call for a movement of Muslim Rufusenik’s. Dr. Gianotti examined the traditional philosophical heritage of 12th Century Islamic thought, particularly al-Ghazali’s, in relation to the more crystallized and less nuanced modern Islamic thought, and found hope as well as fault.
I found his lecture to be particularly refreshing, as it favored the academic discourse over the apologetic rhetoric I constantly hear on popular media and local debates alike. Gianotti instead focused on the scholarly understanding of the tradition, while still remaining a devout and sincere practicing Muslim. While it may seem like this is not a startling revelation, it has been my experience time and again to come across predominantly more apologetic discourses then not. While I do not find this phenomenon harmful, it is neither helpful. True dialogue does not develop from defense, but from frank admission and honest introspection. Dr. Gianotti personified these traits. For him, Islam offers unique insight into different facets of beauty, stimulation and enlightenment. But he is also aware and honest of the damage a crystallized, institutionalized faith that is so prevalent today.

Often we are presented with the overwhelming evidence of the mounting dangers concerning our planets changing weather patterns. From films as overtly propagandistic as “An Inconvenient Truth“, to cute family orientated features such as “An Arctic Tale “, the realities of a warming planet inundate the popular mind.

However, no image of change has as a profound an effect as a BBC short segment I happened to come across this morning. The clip shows the flyover images of a portion of the Antarctic Ice Shelf, the size of the Isle of Man in the British Isles, breaking off of the main shelf in direct result of the raising temperatures. The sheer size and displacement of such a free floating object are astounding to say the least, but also present immediate complications with the earths natural weather patterns.

If for nothing else, the images offer a rare epic glimpse at our changing earth.

Why is my arithmetic incompatible with reality? Allow me to outline the propositions. First, University is hypothetically designed to increase knowledge, expand critical abilities and enable a smooth transition within the public sphere. Secondly, allow me to introduce Religion. Curiously, religion claims to sooth a troubled mind, give direction and motivation, and entrust individuals with an overarching calm and serenity. Now, if one were to add proposition one to proposition two, the rational outcome would no doubt be formulation three: The directed, serine individual.

Reality? Well, I spend 11 hours a day working to ensure I do not have debt at the end of the Education Journey. I immerse myself in the pursuit of knowledge at the temple of investigation, and point that critical gaze at none other then the wonderful world of Religious Thought. The result…

A directionless, complicatedly confused puddle of misfiring neurons.

At least the Amida Buddha thinks it is funny.

“Be Like Others” is an intimate and unflinching look at life in Iran, seen through the lens of those living at its fringes, BE LIKE OTHERS is a provocative look at a generation of young men choosing to undergo sex change surgery.

Short Synopsis
In the Islamic Republic of Iran, a country with strict social mores and traditional values, sex-change operations are legal. Over twenty years ago, Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa (religious edict) making sex change permissible for “diagnosed transsexuals.” Yet homosexuality is still punishable by death. With Iran’s international arms negotiations dominating news headlines worldwide, a very private kind of drama is unfolding behind the scenes. Highly feminine and attracted to members of the same sex, yet forced to live in secret for fear of retribution, a generation of young Iranian men are adopting an identity legally allowed to them—transsexual. In pursuit of what one man calls simply, “a decent life,” they flock to the country’s best-established gender reassignment surgeon, Dr. Bahram Mir Jalali, and are counseled by 24-year-old Vida, a post-op woman who claims to be “reborn” but warns of dangers that still await. Iranian-American filmmaker Tanaz Eshaghian accompanies several young men as they contemplate and prepare for their transformation, then follows them into and out of surgery. Intimate and unflinching, BE LIKE OTHERS is a fascinating look at those on the fringes of Iranian life—those looking for acceptance through the most radical of means.

While this film appears to approach an issue of vital importance in the Islamic Republic of Iran, I could not help but notice the glaring omission present in the clips and synopsis, of any female representation. I wonder if females have the same right as males to undergo gender reorientation surgery in Iran as well? My instinct would lead me to believe that even on this small concession, the rights of “natural females” would be overlooked.

The film is the work of a young American Iranian, Tanaz Eshaghian.

Click here for the Movie Site.

Richard Dawkins’ extremely popular work, “The God Delusion”, is neither afraid of rejecting political correctness nor offending gentile sensibilities. Indeed, Dawkins actively utilizes polarizing statements throughout the book in an effort of shake the foundations of the religious mindset to its’ very core. Beginning with an exposé of the supernatural divine, in which neither the numinous itself nor those who adhere to supernatural claims warrant or deserve unfounded respect , Dawkins articulates a continuous barrage of scientific data and snide observations throughout the book, ending, without cloak and dagger, with “a partial list of friendly addresses, for individuals needing support in escaping from religion.” According to Dawkins, the superstitions of belief present within the cultural worldview of western society are no more outrageous then the “primitive” tribes studied by anthropologist, nor are they any more rational or effective.

Dawkins’ argument can be summed up in three definitive statements. First, the causes and continuation of religion and religious thought are no mystery. Religion is a scientifically explainable phenomenon, and must be studied and understood as such. From the effects of natural selection upon group dynamics, to the psychological impetus of the natural teleological state, to the desire for power, control and authority, religious motivation and adherence may be explained away as a primitive state to be overcome by advancements in society.

Secondly, religion is irrational and, more importantly, irrelevant in a modern society which has discovered scientific analysis with which to dispel the mists of empirical darkness and accompanying shrouds of religious myth. Fundamentally, this is accomplished through an elaboration of the explanatory power of the principles of Darwinian evolution. Dawkins recognizes a common theme of the “creator god” within all religions. It is this creator, from which, he feels, all religious claims hinge, that is made irrelevant through a proper and accurate understanding of evolution and scientific facts.
Third, religion is an unstable and dangerous force which neither modernity nor rational argument can mitigate. Drawn from the religious texts of Judaism, to the fundamentalist actions of Islamic extreme literalists, and reaching down to the lowest common denominator of the “Christian” letter-writing activist, he presents the actuality of the extreme dangers of religious motivations. Associated with this, Dawkins highlights the danger of the religious mindset, which accepts the irrationality of faith and rejects the rational and explanatory reality of science. Finally, drawing on the theory of the homo-sapiens natural teleological state at a young age, Dawkins makes adamant pleas to end the indoctrination and psychological harm that is inflicted onto unknowing children through religious education. Instead, Dawkins advocates a system in which the coming generations are armed with the “facts”.
While the conclusions reached in “The God Delusion” may initially resonate among individuals who consider themselves rational freethinkers, Dawkins often subverts the effectiveness of his own arguments by his glib analysis of situations beyond the domain of science. From his simplistic treatment of the complex philosophical discussions concerning the nature and reality of the divine, to his oversimplification of the mindset of the religious adherent, Dawkins is often dismissive of other domains of knowledge. It is quickly obvious to the scholar of the Humanities or of the Social Sciences, or even the arts, that Dawkins gleefully dismisses their analysis and expertise through his oversimplification and glorification of evolutionary science, his own particular expertise. Furthermore, Dawkins likewise alienates casual readers with his general supposition characterizing religiously minded people as ignorant and willfully blind to the truths of science. Furthermore, Dawkins chooses to dismiss the benefits and accomplishments of religions throughout societal history, and instead dwells exclusively on the atrocities that have been perpetuated through the ideology of the religious.
In reading “The God Delusion” it is clear Dawkins articulates a valid empirical response to the simplistic criticism levied by religionists toward the scientific field. Dawkins explores the cosmological theories against the theories of evolution and finds the cosmological wanting. However, as he extends his gaze beyond the exclusive domain of science, and into socio-economic realities of society, his arguments loose validity as they increasingly attribute societal ills to one exclusive source: Religion.

Since the beginning of the new semester I have been holed up in my office at the University of Lethbridge, writing, rewriting, submitting and marking papers, with the usual flourish of critical stress common in all overly committed individuals. However, this is no excuse for the appalling lack of posting here on this blog. I was struck by how far behind I had fallen, when today, on a uncharacteristically productive break, I finally checked the international news, only to discover that the debate on rescinding the hijab ban, or at least one version of the hijab, had ended in the Turkish Parliament, and had passed the first round of voting to be enacted into law.
The Turkish nationwide ban on hijab’s in universities and other public institutions was enacted during a period of intense attempts, by a newly founded republic, to encourage national cohesion and individual rights in a period of political instability. The first President of the Republic of Turkey, President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, set about enacting reforms, which encouraged a multicultural and inclusive secular state. Some of these reforms sought to disintegrate the social status and stigmas that had caused contention in the previous political government, the Ottoman Caliphate. As a result, the ban on headscarf’s, or hijab, in public institutions was enacted.
However, there have been serious drawbacks to this system. While the elites of society, the secularists, have benefited from these laws, religiously pious underclass’s have remained, partially at least, in the quagmire of poverty. Particularity, the Islamic women of Turkey, who choose to wear the hijab as an outward symbol of their inner submission, have been barred from admission to institutions of higher learning as well as other governmental job. Some have gone as far as to claim that the secularist reforms maintain the dominance of actual power in Turkey in the hands of the educated elite, which make up only one third of the population.

There has been intense debate on both sides of the issue, with the secularists citing Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s original visions of a secular state, as seen here on this video, against the ruling AKP, the moderate Islamicly based “Justice and Development Party”. While AKP has made claims that the reforms in no way seek to rescind the secularist nature of the Republic, many commentators from the nations liberal newspapers foresee a slippery slope to Islamic law.

For now it is a matter of perspective on where these reforms will take Turkey. As I examine these changes I find that I myself am at a crossroads. Turkey struggles to gain membership in the EU while facing escalating pressures from the increasingly xenophobic member nations. At the same time it faces mounting calls for reform from a politically large middleclass, reforms which could begin a process of upheaval, and further alienation from the West. Fundamentally though, the reforms must be viewed as necessary, for the laws, as they presently stand, are discriminatory and facilitate an obvious class structure based on faith.
Perhaps this is the fundamental paradox of a liberal society.