Archive for September, 2010
Interpreting Koran as the source of living fatwas
[Note: This article is an example of my attempt in peace-building and creating better understanding in a pluralistic and multicultural society.]
by Jennie S. Bev
In Indonesia, clerics and their “political” organization Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) have been making headlines with their so-called “fatwas.” Even though some fatwas make sense, like forbidding smoking, which is bad for one’s health, other fatwas sound trivial. Read the rest of this entry »
View point: The perils of irrationality and diplomacy
Image source: qualityartprints.co.uk
By Jennie S. Bev, San Francisco
The world is both rational and irrational. Specifically, the world of politics is full of irrationality throughout the history of mankind. Thus, it might attest that men are intrinsically irrational, or at least those with power are.
In Laws, Plato said, “Peace is only a name; in reality, every city is in a natural state of war with every other.” Peace is the rational choice, yet those in politics have been deliberately choosing violence in the name of security and maintaining power status quo. Read the rest of this entry »
