Boston Bureau

Rotarians learn about Muslims in Massachusetts from Bilal Kaleem

Young Muslim Talks to Rotarians about Islam
There are 120,000 Muslims in state and 70,000 in Boston

By Libby Hughes, Boston Bureau of Cape Cod Today

The Rotary Club of Boston meets weekly at the 80-year-old Boston Park Plaza Hotel in the heart of the city. Beneath gold leaf ceilings and ornate chandeliers, history oozes from the footsteps of celebrities and U.S. presidents who have crossed through its lobby. Every meeting room on the fourth floor has the name of some historic personality such as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The Rotarians meet in the Alcott Room, named for the 19th century author and teacher of transcendentalism, Bronson Alcott. His daughter, Louisa May Alcott, was equally famous as an author of the classic novel "Little Women."  These philanthropic and dedicated Rotarians invite speakers of interest and note for its members and visitors.

After a three-course hearty luncheon on April 16, their speaker, Bilal Kaleem (on right), Executive Director of the Muslim American Society, Boston Chapter, gave a brief overview of Islam and Muslims in the Boston area.

Personal biography

With a pronounced American accent, the young and handsome Mr. Kaleem gave a biographical sketch of his life thus far. His parents came from India, He grew up in Zambia and Nigeria before living in New York between the ages of nine and eighteen. He majored in computer science at M.I.T and worked for Oracle and Goldman Sachs briefly before becoming involved with the Muslim American Society.

Muslims in the West

Kaleem gave an honest assessment of Muslims living and working in a Western Society. "Muslims are not engaged in public service. Usually, they are doctors and engineers, but absent from the media or law or politics. Although they are masters of religion, they are struggling to find their identity," he acknowledged.

As Executive Director of the Muslim Society, Kaleem is attempting to change that dynamic by organizing a community for guiding young Muslims under the age of thirty. A Freedom Foundation would engage in civic affairs. Finally, an Outreach Center would be responsible for educating others about Islam, including Hollywood and the media.

What is Islam?

In a short time, Kaleem tackled the big question, "What is Islam?" "There is a Creator that brings meaning and purpose to life and allows us to grow to our full potential-spiritually and morally-by seeking guidance through God. Improving ourselves and serving others is worship. By coming closer to God means complete justice and accountability. Every prophet has brought core teaching within this framework," he said.

Muslims in Massachusetts

After giving this capsulated definition, Kaleem moved on to more localized comments. "In Massachusetts there are 120,000 Muslims and in Boston, 70,000. Some are indigenous-coming as slaves from West Africa. From 20% to 40% of those slaves were Muslims. The rest of Muslims here today are more diverse and come from Pakistan, India, Bosnia, Turkey, and other distant places," he stated.

Muslim desires

Muslims want to be educated and use their talents. "If they work hard, Muslims feel that they can get ahead. Fifty percent of Muslims make over $50,000 in a yearly income and feel they have achieved the American Dream. However, Muslims are very materialistic and want the finest things in life," he admitted. "Only six percent of polled Americans feel they have achieved the American Dream."

Selfless service

"We want to help the elderly, young people, and to become involved in the political process, but we have challenges. In a survey by Gallup,  40% of average Americans feel that Muslims should have ID cards. The public has a lack of perspective about these challenges," he said.

Recommending a book

There were several questions. One questioned whether Muslims educated in the West can be correctly compared to Muslims living in the region of the Middles East."There are no easy answers," he replied. However, he did recommend a book, titled What do a Billion Muslims Really Think by John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed, based on six years of data from Gallup polling.

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Cape book author, cc2day correspondent, knew and wrote about Bhutto

A father's words, “Benazir, never become bitter no matter what happens to me or you.”The news of the death of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan rocked the world in total shock and great sadness for her husband and three children. They had been exiled in London and Dubai for many years. The sorrow also extends to her supporters of the Peoples Party of Pakistan (PPP) and for the cause of democracy, which she and her father long championed in Pakistan. The military and religious leaders were powerful forces for a Muslim woman to challenge, even though the name “Bhutto” is revered in her country.

Her story resembles that of Joan of Arc, who became a martyr in the cause of freedom for her beloved France. Benazir, too, will become a martyr for the cause of freedom in her beloved Pakistan. She was burned at the stake by a suicide bomber on December 27, 2007. When she returned to her country in October, it was a risk. Pakistan was roiled in violence from terrorists, but Bhutto felt invincible and eschewed warnings about personal attacks. Bhutto had planned to challenge Pervez Musharraf and her former rival, Nawaz Sharif, in the January 8, 2008 elections. She had just given a political speech in Rawalpindi—a place where her father had been imprisoned—when the fatal blow happened.

Benazir Bhutto greets fellow Radcliffe alumna Anne Fadiman in front of a portrait of Bhutto's father in this 1989 photo.An arranged but happy marriage 

Upon her release when Zia was killed in an air crash, she agreed to an arranged marriage to Asif Zardari, a wealthy business man from the same province as her family.  It was a very happy marriage, and they had three children. When they married, Asif had to promise to serve his wife who was serving her country. A unique promise in a Muslim country.

Asif was put in jail for eight years for allegedly taking kick-backs for business deals he made with the West. Benazir proved this was not so in a court of law in both Switzerland and Canada. The Pakistani authorities offered to release her husband if she would promise never to re-enter politics. Of course, she would not make such a promise.

Her two terms as Prime Minister of Pakistan
 

   Author Libby Hughes spent 40 minutes with Benazir Bhutto in her office in Islamabad in 1989, asking questions for her biography: Benazir Bhutto: from Prison to Prime Minister.
   Bhutto gave Hughes a Pakistani carpet, which is in her Cambridge office.
   Bhutto also wrote the afterword to the book.

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Kite Runner novelist talks

                                    By Libby Hughes, Boston Bureau of Cape Cod Today

The threat of snow did not discourage the crowd coming to the Performing Arts Center in Duxbury on Sunday afternoon December 2. They were there for two reasons: to raise money for a girls' school on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan and to hear "The Kite Runner" author speak. For $50, a seat was for the balcony; for $100, a seat was in the orchestra; for $250 a place was assured at the dinner table with Khaled Hosseini. And guess what? $54,000 was raised for the school.

Heroic Afghan woman

Who was responsible? The Rotary Club of Duxbury and Razia Jan of Marshfield. Razia is a woman who moved from Afghanistan to America in 1970. She has a tailor and dry-cleaning business in Duxbury. However, her heart has never strayed very far from her homeland, especially for humanitarian purposes since 9/11. She made blankets and care packages for the soldiers and sent 30,000 pairs of shoes to the children of Afghanistan. Who says one person can't make a difference? And the Rotary Club was a big part of it.

Entertainment

The program was full of entertainment before the main speaker appeared. A silent auction preceded the event. At 2:00pm. Razia Jan in traditional Afghani costume welcomed the audience and worked her way through a list of thanks for supporters. She expressed her displeasure at the way the British teacher in Darfur has been treated.

The New Hope Dancers-young girls in bright, colorful Afghani costumes-performed a traditional dance from Afghanistan. Then a composer and singer from Afghanistan, Eisan Aman, brought out his three piece band. They sat cross-legged on a handsome carpet from Afghanistan. One  man was on the keyboard, another on drums, and Aman on the accordion as well as the lead singer. All the music was in original Afghani style, composed by Aman.

Three Muslim kisses were exchanged at greetings and partings.

The author himself

Then it was Khaled Hosseini's turn. The successful author is youngish (early 40s) slight in build, and somewhat shy. He seems more comfortable with words on a page than in front of an eager audience. Hosseini now has two bestselling novels: The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns. In fact, he is a trained medical practitioner.

Liberating Afghan women

His speech had two angles: one for the reason of his coming (fundraiser for the Zabuli School for Girls) and his second novel that deals with the treatment of women. While in Afghanistan in 2003, a man told him how a woman was arrested in 1920 for not wearing her veil in public and was beaten. The story stuck in his mind and was the seed for his second novel. Hosseni traced the history of war and the roller coaster treatment of women in Afghanistan.

1920 King was ahead of his time

In 1920, King Amanullah wanted fair treatment for women. He also wanted to encourage monogamy with a law of protection for women where they could file a claim if they were forced into an unhappy marriage. The King established education for women in 1921-primary education-and also education abroad to show a rising generation of promise. The government had to face the rural countryside where women were faceless and voiceless. By 1929, the backlash against the enlightened king was overwhelming.

In the 1950s and 1960s there was another attempt to liberate women. Under the communists in the 1970s, the Soviets tried to emancipate women, making 16 the legal age for girls to marry and 18 for the men..An Afghan rebellion resulted. The Taliban wanted to return to the old ways and turn tribal life into national law.

Today there is more gender freedom. Women can work in schools and government, but must wear the burqa.

Questions

At question time, this writer asked him if he had any future plans to write a novel about events stemming from the 9/11 event. He replied, "It has been written about so much. I shied away from it. But it is a fascinating topic." I asked how he combined a medical career with a writing career? "I had to put the medical career on hold."

Someone wanted to know how his books were received in Afghanistan? "Overwhelming. I get dozens of emails every week from Afghanistan with positive remarks. Even emails from Europe. I have my attackers, too. But I feel it is the job of the novelist to speak about our lives instead of mass contentment."

Because he is not a woman, a questioner wanted to know how he could write a novel from a woman's viewpoint. "I was crippled by that thought and almost gave up the idea. Then, I looked at women as human beings with hopes and dreams and this helped me."

He was asked who are the people of the Taliban? "There are two types: one group comes out of poverty, may have a grudge against the government, and wants to get paid more. The other group is ideological and virulent. We had never heard of suicide bombing in Afghanistan until 2005."

What inspired The Kite Runner? "I wrote a short story about kite running and it turned into the basis of the novel. The inspiration for the title of the second novel came from a poem."

For anyone who hasn't read The Kite Runner, it will rip your heart out. I read it twice and wept both times. It is perfectly constructed and beautifully written with all the elements of human nature and drama-class distinctions, friendship, betrayal, regrets, family secrets, and love.

In more peaceful times, author Libby Hughes drove from the breathtaking beauty of Kabul through the historic Khyber Pass to Peshawar, Pakistan.

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China goes to Charm School

By Libby Hughes, Boston Bureau for Cape Cod Today

Despite the whoopee for the Red Sox triumph on Tuesday evening's celebration, the Kennedy School of Government attracted a full house for the Forum's Malcolm Wiener Lecture by James Kynge (on right), author of China Shakes the World.

The audience was silent, hanging on every word from the British journalist who has spent 20 years in Asia with both ears attuned to the peaks and valleys of China's Cultural Revolution and evolution.

Journalists in the mid-1980s

Kynge reminisced to the mid-1980s for foreign journalists in China. "There were rituals for them," he said. "There was a lunch to welcome incoming journalists where rules and regulations were explained, accompanied by a warning-their reports would not have the smallest effect on the development of the country. At the farewell lunch, there would be a plate presented to the journalist with a picture of the Great Wall of China engraved across it. The wall symbolized friendship."

Or did the Great Wall symbolize an impenetrable wall to the inscrutable facts of the real China?

Free markets and democracy?

After Dung Shao Ping's rule (1977-1997), China began to open its doors to a freer market. Chinese students were allowed to study abroad; tariffs came down; changes showed economic strength. It became apparent that China wanted to resemble the West. The West misinterpreted these changes by thinking that China was becoming a capitalist country, heading towards democracy and human rights. Oh no, that was not the case. They were clinging to their Communist Party control, but with an appetite for economic expansion.

China becomes a big investment player

In the last few years, according to Kynge, China has been changing and engaging in the world economy, watching the price of the dollar, the future, and Asia's business cycle. China has become a big player in the purchase of banks-specifically, the Standard Bank in South Africa. And yet, their entry into foreign markets is limited because the Chinese don't have a legal system to govern their purchases. Nevertheless, they have $1.4 billion in reserves and are looking for foreign investments. But China is unreformed politically. In fact, James Kynge alleges that the government of China is more powerful today than it was in 1949.

He said that the Communist Party and government manage U.S. relations. They were instrumental in getting North Korea to drop their nuclear power threats. China engages in military exercises with Russia. They are demanding that the United States withdraw from their bases in Asia.

Local disobedience in a big country

Because of growing domestic nationalism in China, young adults are being taught and warned against foreign domination, including Japan. Still, China is dependent on the world to supply them with oil, gas, and technology. Therefore, China is launching a soft power offensive of charm because of hosting the Olympic Games in August of 2008 when a deluge of 20,000 journalists will land in China.

The 15 questions came mostly from Chinese students. Here are some.

• 1. The first questioner asked if the Party Congress still had power. Kynge thought they were important, but not significant since more localities across China are becoming disobedient. He said there had been 87,000 incidents of disobedience.
• 2. The second question dealt with the Olympics and journalists. Again, Kynge noted that journalists are now free to travel anywhere in the country without prior permission. China hopes that the foreign press will show China as much more modern. A big step.
• 3. Another questioner wanted to know if China had any connection to the Middle East. Kynge thought that China's appetite for oil was the driving motive although they were making some attempt to show compassion in Darfur.
• 4. Climate changes affect China? The answer indicated that there is a crisis in pollution. China burns two billion tons of coal a year. Coal is 70% of the country's energy.
• 5. How do the Chinese youth respond to trends? Kynge noted that the Chinese youth are interested in material advancement, but they need spirituality and friendship to balance that against the desire for making money.
• 6. The inevitable question about Taiwan and China was raised. "China has toned down its language against Taiwan and is using charm instead. Taiwan only wants de facto independence. China wants to bring Taiwan back into the fold, but they know America will come to Taiwan's defense. Over time, economic convergence will pressure Taiwan into reunification."
• 7. What about the Chinese stock market? With a slight smile, Kynge stated that the stock market has had a dramatic rise in China, but predicted that it wouldn't fall before the Olympics. Understated laughter.

And so, the Chinese giant wields a club of charm. America, BEWARE.
__________________

Editor's note: Author Libby Hughes lived in Asia for six years.

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Dowd keeps 'em laughing

By Libby Hughes, Boston Bureau for Cape Cod Today

From the press riser at the Kennedy School of Government's Forum, I kept staring at the back of Maureen Dowd's head as she waited to be introduced as the key speaker. Her hair is red (she's Irish) and straight, falling about four inches below her shoulders. The hair isn't a bright red or an auburn red. It is a chestnut roan red --like that of a star race horse. The highlights sparkled under the spotlights around the Forum, filled with an audience of a mature vintage, but mixed with eager students in the bleachers above.

NY Times columnist

Maureen Dowd is a famous, acerbic columnist for The New York Times. Not in the venomous style of Molly Ivins, but more satiric. Often the verbal stabs are swathed in sweet and sour phrases or quips or Dowd word creations. She won a Pulitzer Prize for her commentaries in 1999 about the Clinton/Monica Lewinsky affair. The reason for her presence at Harvard was to give the annual Theodore H. White Lecture on Press and Politics, sponsored by the Joan Shorenstein Center.

Nyhan prize to Dana Priest

Before her speech began, the third David Nyhan prize for political journalism was presented to Dana Priest, reporter for The Washington Post for her coverage of the Walter Reid Hospital scandal in D.C. and for the torture expose in Iraq by the American military. She shyly accepted the framed certificate, said a few words and thank you, and sat down.

Alex Jones introduced Dowd

Alex Jones, a former New York Times reporter and Pulitzer Prize winner, made a lengthy introduction, which told us a little about Maureen Dowd. He told how Arthur Gelb, managing editor, had discovered her unique writing talents in the newsroom. Jones described how she wrote her columns when he was at the Times. "First, she would put her quotes up on the screen. Then, she would sit and sit and sit. She seemed to go into a trance. Finally, the reporting and language would come."

In 1995, she wrote an op-ed piece that scourged the Clintons. She was equally scathing of George W. Bush in later columns. According to Jones, these pieces earned her the nickname of "The Cobra."

Fear of speaking

Finally, Dowd stepped to the podium in a sleeveless black outfit, looking like a model as her long red bangs fell across her right forehead and eye. She promised to talk fast because of the upcoming Red Sox game. She admitted to feeling great dread at coming to speak and felt a little like Marie Osmond. She had heard that Harvard folks ignore visitors and she feared they would "ignore me." Her friend Michael Kinsley told her that he had a fear of no one showing up at his talks and hoped that there would be a no-show. In his stage fright, he said that he couldn't remember the name of the person he had sat next to for two hours at dinner. A far worse thing, however, would be a small introduction by Lee Bollinger. RAUCOUS LAUGHTER.

Declaring herself from the old school of journalism, Dowd told what advice her mother had given her when she became a journalist. "Get on the front page and use the word "allegedly" a lot."

Shakespearean drama at White House

Dowd compared the politics of the White House to a Shakespearean drama, full of sex and envy. She cast Dick Cheney in the role of Iago ( without charm) in the play "Othello." She alluded to Cheney as devious and Rummy as Darth Vader. She noted the political dynasties of the Roosevelts, Kennedys, Bushes, and  probably--Clintons. She wondered whether it will be Hillaryland or Rudyville in 2009. "If Rudy Guiliani is a Red Sox fan, anything is possible." She briefly compared Barack Obama to Adlai Stevenson for his self-image as "no image." Dowd also had taken a swipe in her column at Obama's big ears and discovered she had hit a vulnerable chink in Obama's armor.

Her lines rolled out fast and "trippingly on the tongue" as polite laughter rolled after her one-liners. When the question period came, she was much more effective. Being tied to her written speech was inhibiting or maybe covered up her nervousness.

There were 13 questions. Here are some.

One gentleman wanted to know if she cared whether we win or lose in Iraq and if her Bush-hatred meant she was not patriotic.

A.     Many of the men in my family have been in uniform. My father was a cop and my brothers were in the Coast Guard. My mother is overly patriotic on July 4. Yes, I am patriotic. I challenge government to tell the truth. APPLAUSE.

A student asked if she wrote as an American or as a columnist when on deadline..

A.    A deadline is terrifying. In the last years, the stories have been amazing. George W. and Cheney forgot "We, the people..." They thought they knew best, but journalists keep pressing and pressing.

Another student wondered if we can trust newspapers to endorse candidates?

A.    We as reporters don't endorse although Thomas Friedman often tells whom he is not voting for. Times columnist William Saffire, now retired, said it wasn't fair to kick anyone when he was down. I believe in second chances.

Someone wanted to know if newspapers were partisan and whether they exercised self-restraint.

A.    Sam Donaldson could be rude in asking questions, but Ronald Reagan loved it. You know, journalists are citizens, too. After 9/11, things changed. When British reporters came over here, they were rude. Now the U.S. press is back to their old role.

The next question had to do with the columns of Robert Novak and Dana Priest and whether journalists in the future can protect anonymous sources.

A.    Dowd called on several of her colleagues in the audience from The New York Times to help her with an answer. Perhaps because of their one-time reporter Judith Miller's involvement with Scooter Libby, they were reluctant. Finally, the managing editor stepped forward. "The disclosure of anonymous sources as in the Valerie Plame case is worrisome. To puncture the sources journalists establish in government is disturbing."

One of the final questions came from a young woman who wanted to know if Dowd experienced sexism as a reporter.

A.    I don't like the word sexism. Relations are complicated. One muddles through with humor unless another species comes along. LAUGHTER!

Did the young lady know that Maureen Dowd has written a book called "Are Men Necessary?"

The red-haired polemic fulfilled her duty as speaker and entertainer, putting her verbal sword back in its sheath.

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CPN hosts environmental authors in Cambridge

Not only does Barack Obama have star power, he has promised to spend $150 billion on new sources of energy. Cape Cod’s advocacy group, Clean Power Now (CPN), is in love with this idea. So are the authors of a brand new book, called "Break Through, From The Death of Environmentalism to the Possibility of Politics.” by Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus.

                 Greg Watson
CPN Annual Meeting tonight
Thursday, October 25,
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
   The public is invited to attend Clean Power Now's annual meeting being held tonight, Thursday October 24, 2007 at the Heritage House, 259 Main Street, in Hyannis.
   The keynote speaker is Greg Watson, Undersecretary of Energy and Environment for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Also, William and Dorte Griswold will be speaking about wind power in Denmark.
   Light hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar will be available. What is CPN?

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Mobs Turn out for Obama Rally

By Libby Hughes, Boston Bureau for Cape Cod Today

The Santa Boston winds were blowing hard over the Boston Common under platinum skies. A full moon hung between two skyscrapers with a veil of mist across its round belly.

As I made my way from the T on Tremont Street to the corner of Boylston Street where the rally was to be held, I passed some large banners devoted to Republican (Libertarian), Ron Paul, who seems to have caught the imagination and support of some Americans.

I joined the long line to go through security for Obama's rally in the late afternoon of October 23. Vendors, selling campaign buttons of Obama ( posed against an American flag or in front of the Jefferson Memorial) were showing their wares up and down the line. Staff members were everywhere with clipboards, wanting to sign everyone up. I kept wondering why young men and women, sporting British accents, were such dedicated Obama workers.

A rabid Russian

Then, a rabid Ron Paul supporter approached a young couple behind me. They were independents, willing to listen to anyone. The man who collared them was Russian. He said, "You Americans don't realize that big government leads to tyranny. I've been through socialism and communism, I know. That's where you're going, too. The government will take all your money." By the end of his tirade, he was shouting.

Protesters

There were others handing out leaflets to stop the war. Still others held up placards with "Abortion Murderers," "Same sex marriage is an abomination," and "Jesus Saves" on yellow paper in black lettering. They were quiet and let the words carry their message. One loan supporter was pushing his candidate--Democrat Dennis Kucinich from Ohio. It was like a political circus.

After the security search, I was through and headed for a place near the front. I focused on the podium and managed to get nine rows back. The eager faces were backed up the slope to Beacon Street. Cameras from the media were on tall tripods on the bleachers.

Young people dominated

I was surrounded by young people of every race and dress. One girl had pink hair. The young man next to me had a Mohawk haircut and silver studs screwed into his eyebrow and ears. I asked him if he were a fan of Barack Obama and if he planned to vote for him. "I definitely don't plan to vote for him, but I've come over from Emerson College to listen," he said authoritatively as he continued to text message.

Lights, cameras, action

By now, the rank of bright lights clanked on, filling the platform in a pool of glaring light. The crowd had been standing two hours, waiting patiently for something to happen and for Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Barack Obama to appear.

Governor Patrick endorses Barack

There were two warm up speeches, a chorus to sing a couple of Gospel songs, and FINALLY Deval Patrick approached the mike to an excited crowd. His speech lasted 20 minutes or more. He was there to endorse and introduce his friend and colleague, Barack Obama.

Rock star politician

The moment arrived. The man everyone waited to see and hear, moved in his Henry Fonda style gait to the podium. The reception was deafening--really deafening. The whistles and cheers stamped out Obama's first words of thanks. Obama signs were stabbed into the air. Digital cameras, camcorders, and phone cameras were shoved overhead to click for posterity the man who might be president, 

Senator Obama was impeccably dressed in a charcoal suit, white shirt, covered by a blue and gray striped tie. He flashed his winning smile and the crowd went ballistic. Obama had been in New Hampshire all day, talking, persuading, and earning every vote. By the time he arrived in Boston, his voice was somewhat hoarse, but the crowd energized him. He knows how to deliver a speech and reap applause. They gave it to him.

Obama is a White Sox fan

Briefly, he congratulated the Red Sox, but he confessed, "I am a White Sox fan." The crowd groaned. "You wouldn't want me to PRETEND to be a Red Sox fan." They grudgingly let him wave his magic wand of honesty.

Obama coined a similar phrase to that of Ronald Reagan from the 1964 Republican convention. Instead of "We have a rendezvous with destiny," Obama said, "We have a common destiny."

Loudest applause

The loudest applause and reaction came at the mention of the Iraq War, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, healthcare for everyone, and paying teachers what they deserve. "I am not a perfect person. I will not be a perfect president, but I promise you that I will tell the TRUTH."

Final words

Those were his final words after 50 minutes. A young couple, both musicians, said they liked Obama's honesty and his desire to want to help people in need. As I went home on the T, there was a man in a business suit who saw my sign. "I was there, too," he said. We chatted back and forth and agreed how impressive Obama is. At the same time, neither one of us really knew who would win the election.

Libby Hughes has just written a biography about Obama for young adults. It is called "Barack Obama: Voice of Unity, Hope, and Change" and will be out before Christmas.

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Iraqi Foreign Minister at Harvard

            Restraint and Respect for Iraqi Foreign Minister at Harvard
                       No political hype or booing from students

            By Libby Hughes, Boston Bureau for capecod today

The security was tight, tight-- very tight at the Kennedy School of Government on Monday evening, October 1. Journalists and guests were scrutinized and examined electronically as they entered the Forum to hear Iraq's foreign minister,

 Hoshyar Zebari, on right, speak. It was a ticketed affair. Six or more policemen were stationed on the main floor and the two balconies above, watching every sudden move from the audience. Chairs were backed up to the doors and students were squeezed together on the bleachers.

Before Zebari's entrance, there was a high volume of buzz, filling the Forum. Like an opening night, a hush fell over the audience as the foreign minister was ushered to the platform.

Meghan O'Sullivan, below on right, deputy National Security Adviser, introduced the foreign minister as a man born in Kurdistan, who had been a guerilla fighter against Saddam Hussein. She portrayed him as a resistance fighter on a mule, carrying an AK-47 rifle. Today, he wields the tongue and pen of a diplomat. The Kurds are officially known as Muslims, but are from the shafi school of the Sunni sect.

Iraqis felt betrayed by U.S in 1991

Minister Zebari stepped to the podium and reminded the audience that in 1991 no one was for Iraq, whose people were desperate and felt betrayed by the United States. Although Mr. Zebari did not say this, there were 12 UN resolutions that prevented the U.S. from going into Iraq, even though President George H.W. Bush wanted to remove Saddam Hussein from power. During the first Gulf War, the American mission was only to remove the Iraqis from Kuwait. He also told how thousands were killed by Hussein in the 1980s and 1990s. Today, he said that they are on their third constitution and that their optimism is tempered by interests that are at stake. The motive for freedom and human dignity came from the United States in helping to stop Al Queda.

Importance of the Iraq War

Candidly, Zebari said, "Success in Iraq is important regionally and globally. Failure in Iraq means failure in the region."

Praising Iraq's past

The Minister took a nostalgic look back at Iraq's history as being the "Cradle of Civilization. It embraced all faiths, and Baghdad was at the center of the civilized world. It was the third country to be admitted to the UN and ranked second in the reserves of oil. Iraq was and is strategically located to Africa, Europe, and Turkey. Aggression against the country is external and is a crime against humanity, killing millions."

He remains confident that Iraq will succeed and not be torn apart by its enemies. "We can't afford to let that happen. Many mistakes have been made by all of us, including the UN. Our story can't be told in sound bites."

Security is the key

Security is the biggest issue facing Iraq. Several provinces are safer in the north and south, according to Zebari. Lack of security comes from the enemies in the previous dictatorship. The intent of the enemy is to kill women and children and to foster religious strife. He admitted that the enemy has succeeded in part by creating religious animosity. He pointed to Iraq's Arab neighbors as not being supportive and letting violence grow.

Once the violence is quelled, Iraqi armed forces have to get stronger, the government has to be strengthened, and the country has to improve. There have to be commitments for Iraqis to attain goals. Iraq, he said, had to consult with their neighbors and other countries. He cited the fact that Saudi Arabia and Indonesia will have ambassadors posted to Iraq. Sweden and France want to be engaged. "We need multi-national forces."

"Because of Saddam's downfall, I am confident about the future," was his final statement.

Interesting that President Bush's name was never mentioned-only the generic reference to the United States.

There were ten measured and thoughtful questions.

The most anticipated was about Iraq's future relations with Iran. Obviously, the foreign minister was not happy with Iran's interference in Iraq, but he admitted that they were destined to live together as neighbors. They have already had sessions with Iran for support other than through their militia.

Divide Iraq?

Another questioner wanted to know how Iraq felt about the U.S. Congressional resolution to divide Iraq into three regions. Zebari replied, "This is up to the Iraqis to decide as to what's best for Iraq, although Baghdad has to be supported financially."

To another question, he answered, "If forces are withdrawn, it would lead to a greater civil war. We can't depend on foreign forces forever. You have short memories, forgetting the violence and corruption under Saddam. Don't forget, people risked their lives to come out and vote."

Uniting Iraq?

Zebari pointed to some things that have united all Iraqis. The soccer victory was the obvious one. Intermarriage was another. However, terrorists not only attack churches and mosques; they intimidate and kill. Zebari concluded by saying that the partnership with the United States and other countries would be a long time one for better jobs and improved living conditions.

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Women take the world's reins

^{The head of Emma Willard School, Trudy Hall (seated left), keynote speaker Katty Kay, anchor of BBC World News (seated center), and U.S. Representative Kirsten Gillibrand (speaking at the podium).}  

The 21^st Century Empowers Women says Symposium
Emma Willard School hosts ten Powerhouse Women

            By Libby Hughes, Boston Bureau for capecodtoday

Remember the movie "Scent of a Woman" with Al Pacino and Chris O'Donnell? Well, the filming took place at one of the oldest boarding schools for young teenage women in the country, Emma Willard School. The campus sits among 137 rolling acres on Mount Ida, high above the meandering Hudson River, in Troy, New York.

The School campus

There, students scurry across jade-green triangles and quadrangles to reach classes and to stimulate  the ‘intellectual senses of young women!"  The towers with protruding gray gargoyles and the 1910 collegiate Tudor Gothic buildings have held history and secrets inside and outside their stone walls for almost a century. Emma Hart Willard put her imprint on the power of education for women during the 19^th century. It still continues without any concessions to co-ed education.

Symposium for women

This past weekend, 750 alumnae signed up to hear nine successful women divulge their open secrets to success. Students crowded into the back seats of the Mott Gymnasium to gain some insights into their futures as they face their entry into the world of the 21^st century. They yelled, applauded, and cheered as each woman unveiled her trials and tribulations (and joys) in cracking glass ceilings.

"The Whole New Mind"

The Head of the School, Trudy Hall, has been the spearhead to new and broader ways of thinking and learning for her female students. She has championed the ideas of a new book by author Daniel Pink, A Whole New Mind, which explores the right side of the brain for its creativity as opposed to rigid facts attributed to the left side of the brain. Corporations are enlisting poets and creative people to become their CEOs, where music and math, stories and art are the new ways to promote products and produce money. What will it do for education? Alums offered their ideas.

Keeping abreast of the times, Trudy Hall pioneered the idea of this Symposium: Women Power, and Responsibility for the morning of September 29^th under an autumnal sun and a collage of red, yellow, and pumpkin colored leaves.

In her introduction, Ms. Hall quoted a definition of "power" as the capacity to act with passionate involvement for a vision.

The successful nine women

U.S. Congresswoman, Kirsten Gillibrand (on right), was a 1984 graduate from Emma Willard School and found her way from a lawyer in NYC to public service in our government for the 20th district of New York. She attributes her dedication to public service to her mother and grandmother. Gillibrand introduced a film video from Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, extolling the importance of the Symposium.

The moderator was Lyne Pitts, Vice President of NBC news and a 1972 graduate of Emma Willard School. Pitts asked the first question of the women about gender and power. Almost unanimously, the women replied there would be fewer wars, and the students whooped their approval.

The keynote speaker was Katty Kay, the nightly broadcaster on BBC World News and mother of four. Her parents lived all over the world, giving her a broad perspective of many cultures. The blonde bombshell in black and chartreuse captivated her audience with issues of balancing the personal and professional lives of women. She addressed the issue of worldwide damage to America's image abroad, but her optimism for America to restore that image was positive. "Women bring a unique perspective to the workplace. I am sometimes more skeptical than my male colleagues. I'm also skeptical about whether Americans will actually vote for a woman president when they get in the voting booth."

Marketing guru, Deb Adams, of Just Cause Marketing turned her business into a philanthropic mission to help the less fortunate. She cited RISK as the way to success. In the old days, female chicks were secretaries in the advertising world. Today, there are more women than men in the field of advertising. How did she progress? By keeping her mouth shut and earning a masters degree.

Elizabeth Colton, Founder of the International Museum of Women and a 1966 Emma Willard graduate, lamented the fact that women's historic experiences have not been recorded in books or museums. She has created a virtual museum to capture these stories over the internet and spread them across the internet.

Ann Cotton of Great Britain has founded CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education) in Africa. Her desire is to break the cycle of poverty through educating young girls-there are 120 million that are excluded from education.

Christel DeHaan, a real estate executive for Resorts Condominiums International, has created Christel House as a transformation agent for children. She feels that education can eventually diminish hunger.

Dina Dublon, a powerhouse on Wall Street for JPMorgan Chase, said that she had to stand out while trying to fit in and that it wasn't necessary to use profanity to fit in.

Holding the audience spellbound

The next speaker held the audience in the palm of her hand. Shirley Ann Jackson is president of Rensselear Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. The two most influential events in her life were the desegregation of schools in public education and the milestone of Sputnik in outer space for breaking the barriers in science and technology. "We need talented women in science and research." During question time one of the students asked her how being a woman of color affected her career. (On the right is the author chatting with visiting alumnae. Photos courtesy of the school.)

Jackson told a real life anecdote during her early days as a student at M.I.T. One night she was in the dorm and a group of white female students were discussing physics. Jackson asked if she could join them. They replied, "go away." The audience gasped in horror. Crushed, she turned back into her room and cried. But, she recalled the life of her mother who was orphaned as a child. Her siblings pooled their resources and sent her to a boarding school. She felt alone and lonely, but she never gave up. Jackson leaned on her mother's courage and strength to get through the hard times of discrimination.

The last speaker was Kathy LeMay, an openly gay CEO of Raising Change, a philanthropic organization for non-profits. "Everything is about women-always has been and always will be."

Who are their heroes?

There were nine questions from students. One major one was for the speakers to name their heroes and people who inspired them. Invariably, each one mentioned a parent or grandparent. Others cited Nelson Mandela or Gandhi or Aung San Suu Kyi from Burma or the Indian millionaire, Usef, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for empowering women in Bangladesh to start their own businesses.

Again, it was Shirley Jackson who blew everyone away with her answer, "The people who are never seen and who keep at it are my heroes as well as my parents."

Almost two and a half hours later, the Symposium was over, but not the ideas that lingered long afterwards. The Emma Willard students were polled by this reporter and found that Katty Kay, Shirley Jackson, and Kathy LeMay had the most impact.

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Our Constitution reigns Supreme

          TODAY IS CONSTITUTION DAY
The backbone and guidepost to our individual and collective lives

By Libby Hughes, Boston Bureau for Cape Cod Today

S

eptember 17^th is set aside for Constitution Day across the United States. It was the day in 1787 that the 55 delegates signed the U.S. Constitution and made it effective in 1789. It is claimed to be the oldest constitution that still remains in effect in the entire world.

Harvard lecture on International order

On the outer rim of the Harvard University campus in Lowell Lecture Hall, an hour was spent glancing at the Preamble to the Constitution, but examining "The Constitution and International Order." By order of President George W. Bush in 2004, all educational institutions that receive federal funding must hold instruction about the constitution on September 17.

Preamble isn't a binding law

Thus, an hour-long lecture was given by a young Harvard Law professor, Noah Feldman, who galvanized his sparse audience by his lively commentary. He confided in us that the Preamble is often invoked, but it is not discussed because it is not applicable to the order of law and not a binding law.

Preamble isn't really a perfect union

Feldman lingered over the Preamble to say that "to form a perfect union" was made in the 18^th century to be joined together in a contract-into a union. At the time of its composition, there was a confederation of thirteen states. He said that the framers wanted it closer to a "more perfect union" or a "more complete union" than a "perfect union."

Then, he moved on to regarding the Constitution as an international document that enables a country to exercise its own federative powers in establishing treaties with each other. The debate arises as to whether states have more power to contract treaties with the other twelve states or should the thirteen be considered a unified entity.

ARE YOU CONFUSED?   I WAS.

Could secession be in our future?

What would be the consequences of the federal government versus the states? Could a state secede as many tried to during the Civil War? It is still a live question, according to Feldman. THAT"S KIND OF UNSETTLING!

Treaties with the world.

How does the constitution regard treaties with the world; especially concerning torture? The world wants to see how the treaty was enforced on previous occasions. This document can't limit the powers of the president. It curtails the president. Our constitution comes first before the world. How will the world look at us, except by example and by our behavior? The government can limit rebellions for domestic tranquility, but a state may use force to protect itself.

Iraq Invasion?

The constitution of Iraq in 1924 and 1958 has to be examined to see if either one can justify the United States as occupiers. Could either constitution justify any action taken by the U.S.?

Separation of Church and State?

This reporter asked the professor if there is any place in the Constitution where it states the separation of church and state. Indirectly, he answered "no." But he said that a couple of amendments provide for religious freedom and "freedom of conscience."

Everyone was given a small pocketbook edition of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. A yearly review isn't a bad idea. President Bush may be taking a beating on the Iraq War, but his law for annual instruction on this document will probably go unnoticed.

Hail to the Constitution!

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