Ancient Middle Eastern Religious Communities on the Verge of Extinction

There is no doubt that Iraq, despite considerable efforts made by the Iraqi government, NGO’s and the U.S-led coalition, has nonetheless been a chaotic place for the past three decades.

For much of my life the birthplace of civilization has been the cradle of conflict.  I remember being fascinated when my parents told me about the war between Iraq and Iran. Here was a war that had been going on since before I was even born.  A concept that fascinated me at the time, but that saddens me today … because war in one form or another has raged mostly unbated in Iraq since my birth.

More than anyone else, the religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq have suffered inordinately - losing not only their livelihoods, homes and possessions, but sometimes also their lives.  Their plight is made all the more troubling since many around the world don’t even know that Iraq is home to a diverse set of religious minorities - including some communities (such as the 3,000 Sabean Mandaeans) that have been living in Iraq since pre-Christian times.

Today, many have fled the country, seeking refuge in Europe, the U.S., Kurdish Iraq or in other neighboring Middle Eastern countries.  I have learned a lot about these communities through regular interaction and close friendships with many of those refugees who chose to settle here in the U.S and last week I spoke about their plight at aconference in Toronto.  

If you are interested in helping either by donating time, labor or funds, I urge you to contact me or any of these organizations:

Iraqi Christian Relief

Chaldean Federation of America

Sharing strategies: Strengthen institutions, US policy aide tells Pakistanis

"A policy adviser to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Ehsan Zaffar, has said that Pakistanis need to seriously consider the state of civil society in their country.

'All of the internal mechanisms are only going to work so long in the face of deteriorating social and economic conditions,' Zaffar told The Express Tribune.

He is in Pakistan on a trip to share strategies for engaging government leaders on civil rights issues as well as learning from Pakistani people …

More from my recent interview in The Express Tribune »

Reframing a Load-shedding Civil Society

It’s not easy to fight for rights and human dignity when you don’t have power for half the day.  Punjab Province in Pakistan loses it’s electricity every other hour as part of the “load-shedding” so common now throughout the country.  Computers turn off every other hour.  Air conditioners sputter, and the stifling, wet heat makes it’s way in to every room.  The power company, low on funds and lacking expertise, can’t cope with excessive demand.

Half the talks I have given have been in rooms without power.  Talks where I have spoken about the need for strong civil society, strong government institutions and the importance of fighting for one’s civil rights and liberties.  But how can you fight for your rights, when issues like access to power (and related issues like access to clean water, healthy food and security) haven’t yet been resolved?  How do you even begin to challenge the institutions of power when half your workday is spent doing nothing?

The question has no easy answers.  The natural tendency is to pivot to address the load-shedding problem first, and then worry about problems higher up on Maslow’s hiearchary.  The problem with this “resources first” approach is that people in all societies, especially the young, poor and elderly, continue to have resource issues irrespective of how developed their societies are.  And though these issues may sometimes not be as severe as those in Pakistan, the quest for civil rights and human dignity cannot be paused for the equally important work to obtain access to basic needs.

Many folks in developed countries would die to have 4-5 hours a day away from their computers, facebook and other distractions in order to focus on long-term projects.  Perhaps, load-shedding isn’t just an annoyance and a drain on productivity and morale, but a time to work on a long school paper or complicated project proposal.  Perhaps load-shedding is time to take a break and read a book, or check in with loved ones.  Perhaps load-shedding is, for better or for worse, an imposed fast either to take a break or work harder on those things that matter.  

Muslims in Pakistan and across the world fast once a year during the Holy Month of Ramadan.  During this month, which just passed, they drink no water and eat no food from dawn till dusk. They fast not just to become closer to God and to sympathize with those who have less, but also to gird themselves against temptation and motivate themselves to do good work.  In other words Ramadan is just as much about discipline as it is about spirtuality and good deeds. 

Perhaps load-shedding, though not voluntary, is a societal fast of the same order.  A time for Pakistanis to work harder, or work slower.  A time for them to focus on what matters or take a break.  A time, perhaps, to ask tough questions about load-shedding itself, and through focused work and consultation, begin working on a solution to the problem. 

White House Hispanic Action Summit

I had the honor of participating in the last White House Hispanic Action Summit this past weekend.  It was a great chance to meet over 200 Latino community members from across the Bay Area and also have the chance to share the administration’s new deferred action policy and civil rights protections with the community.

More information about the Summit can be found here.

Law Enforcement and Civil Rights

I recently spoke at a forum in Buffalo regarding law enforcement and civil rights, more information here.

"How far law enforcement should be able to go in breaching civil liberties in order to protect the homeland was the subject of a wide-ranging conversation Tuesday night on the University at Buffalo North Campus.

The discussion, with a panel of federal and local law enforcement officials, was arranged in the wake of a series of Associated Press stories about New York City Police Department surveillance of various Muslim organizations not only in New York City but stretching all the way to Western New York.”

Webchat: Istanbul Process, Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief

I spoke with Ambassador Cook and Kozak on the Istanbul Process as part of a U.S. State Department webchat.  It can be viewed here.

Description from State iiP:

After years of debate, the international community passed an important resolution calling on states to take action to combat religious intolerance without placing bans on speech. As Secretary Clinton stated, “Under this resolution, the international community is taking a strong stand for freedom of expression and worship, and against discrimination and violence based upon religion or belief. These are fundamental freedoms that belong to all people in all places, and they are certainly essential to democracy.” On December 14, join us for a live webchat featuring representatives from the U.S. Department of State, Department of Justice, and the Department of Homeland Security. These speakers will discuss ways the United States will engage representatives from countries and international organizations on best practices in the areas of enforcing anti-discrimination laws and government outreach and training.