It’s hard to REALLY feel the pain and sufferring that innocent people have endured in torture camps, wether it be [[Auschwitz]], Abu Ghraib or Guantanamo Bay. Opression is opression, and no person deserves to be brutalized mentally or physically… especially when they havent been given any due process. When you watch the film “The Road to Guantanamo” you can’t help but wonder how these kids had so many close calls where they could have been killed before they even made it to Camp X-ray. My sister did her thesis on the legitimacy of the captured individuals being given the status of “enemy combatants” and if that really is enough to evade international standards of the treatment which is to be given to prisoners. After re-reading her paper for her a few times I got to thinking how in the world can we just sit here and discuss these riddiculous claims which implies that we are above all laws, because we are strong enough to break all of them and no one can take us into account. Our rationale as a country is based on arrogance, stubborness, and a dash of racism and religious intolerance.

A film which begins with Dwight Eisenhower’s famous quote warning the American people about the dangers of what he called the “Military Industrial Complex” you know it would be pretty damn relevant. Although the film starts off with his quote, the focus of the film was not 1961. The film shows how his fears came to fruiition and has reached its heights today. For many people who watch political films and documentaries or listen to lefty radio, it will not come as a surprise to them. Although the details which are presented will make you think. For example they make the point that three quarters of a trillion dollars is enough motivation to constantly stay engaged in one military conflict or another. The bottom line is the bottom line.

What happens when a bunch of lefties wih access put together a 3 hour documentary analyzing and then psycoanalyzing the history, purpose, and malfunctions of the modern day corporation?

Here is the synopsis from the official website :

THE CORPORATION explores the nature and spectacular rise of the dominant institution of our time. Footage from pop culture, advertising, TV news, and corporate propaganda, illuminates the corporation’s grip on our lives. Taking its legal status as a “person” to its logical conclusion, the film puts the corporation on the psychiatrist’s couch to ask “What kind of person is it?” Provoking, witty, sweepingly informative, The Corporation includes forty interviews with corporate insiders and critics - including Milton Friedman, Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, and Michael Moore - plus true confessions, case studies and strategies for change.

I purchased this book at ISNA and read it on my plane ride back home. The book is a little less than 100 pages long. I read it in one shot (even though I was super tired from the ISNA Convention/Azmath’s wedding/YM Shura Meeting.

I thought it was well written although there were some typos. If I can catch on to typos then you know that’s bad. It doesn’t seem like an editor proof read this before publishing it. The publisher is a new kid on the block and is clearly trying to put out some good quality works so I will give them support for that. http://www.faithpublications.org/ is their website.

This is easily the best movie that I have seen since City of God (actually since Million Dollar Baby which I saw recently). Similarly to City of God this film is based on a true story. I guess I am a sucker for true stories. In this case it’s not just a story of one man, but of a nation in turmoil. For those who don’t know in 1994 in Rwanda there was a major clash between two ethnic tribes the Hutus and the Tutsis. I won’t get into too many details in case you would rather learn from the film. I would suggest that you watch the film as someone who is educated on the subject. Before watching Hotel Rwanda I suggest that you watch the following PBS Frontline film:

“The method of da’wah employed by Imam Al Banna was unique. His method aimed to build and not destroy, re-conciliate and not divide. Rather than limiting his da’wah to the audiences in the mosques and Islamic gatherings, he chose also to visit the coffee houses, clubs and streets. Imam Hasan Al Banna always avoided entering conflicts, disputes and useless arguments and sought to reconcile parties and explain to them the comprehensive, moderate, balanced and realistic nature of Islam. On one occasion he relates the following:

Before I get to the actual review I want everyone to get a very vivid sneak peak. First check out the opening scene for the cartoon: HERE– tell me this is not cool.

Now for the Review:

First some background info. This new animated series was released in 2003 on MTV. For some odd reason MTV decided to drop it. Season One has 13 episodes.

I think RVD is one of the most creative wrestlers ever. And now a comprehensive 6 hour DVD has been made to document this fact. How many wrestlers have you seen leap across from one corner of the ring to the other? RVD trained as a kick boxer and as a wrestler. Add in a dash of acrobatics, and gutsy risk taking the result is Rob Van Dam. WATCH THIS clip and tell me he is not amazing.

The skinney: This documentary was made to give American viewers an inside look at the controversial news outlet Al Jazeera. Which had become known to the American world when it started broadcasting images that mainstream media was avoiding. There is an underlying theme showing the conflicting analysis between not only the mainstream western Media and that of Al Jazeera but also the conflicting views between the US government and military and that of al Jazeera’s journalists on the issue of Ithe invasion of Iraq.

If you haven’t already heard… Awakening Media has produced an eleven CD set by Imam Suhaib Webb entitled Mothers of the Beleivers which is an in depth look at the lives of the spouses of Prophet Muhammad (S) - Notice how I didnt say.. Lives of the Wives.. (I got annoyed of hearing that over and over again…ha…)

The set overall was excellent mashallah. At the very end of the set Imam Suhaib revealed all the sources he used to prepare his presentations.. most of them were arabic texts.. so I can’t even remember what they were.