"Grace in grief"Regular viewers of the Newshour on PBS are familiar with essayist Anne Taylor Fleming. Her commentaries -- whether about social mores or the problems of aging -- reflect awareness and compassion. On October 6th she spoke about the murder of Amish school girls. Among the thousands of words printed about the subject, nothing comes close to illustrate the goodness and strength of the Amish community. It gives us hope.We have spent our week as heartbroken voyeurs of a way of life foreign to almost all of us, the simple life of the Amish: no cars, no cell phones, no electricity. A life so unfathomably simple to so many of us, quaint, kids in hats, women in bonnets, horse-drawn buggies.But what is most unfathomable of all is something that became apparent this week as the Amish community struggled with the ghastly schoolhouse murder of five young girls by a deranged, distraught father who then took his own life.The modern media world descended en masse into this rural enclave, as if dropped back through time, poking and prodding the grief of the families and the community as a whole. And what they found and what we heard from that community was not revenge or anger, but a gentle, heart-stricken insistence on forgiveness; forgiveness, that is, of the shooter himself. The widow of the shooter was actually invited to one of the funerals, and it was said she would be welcome to stay in the community.The tender face of religionIn a world gone mad with revenge killings and sectarian violence, chunks of the globe, self-immolating with hatred, this was something to behold, this insistence on forgiveness. It was so strange, so elemental, so otherworldly.This, the Amish said, showing us the tender face of religion at a time and in a world where we are so often seeing the rageful face. This was Jesus' way, and they had Jesus in them, not for a day, an hour, not just in good times, but even in the very worst.The freedom contained in Jesus' teaching of forgiveness, wrote the German philosopher Hannah Arendt, is the freedom from vengeance, which includes both doer and sufferer in the relentless automatism of the action process, which by itself need never come to an end.We have seldom seen this in action. So many tribes and sects in a froth of revenge, from Darfur to Baghdad. And, here in this country, so many victims and victims' families crying out in our courthouses for revenge.To this, the Amish have offered a stunning example of the freedom that comes with forgiveness, a reminder that religion need not turn lethal or combative. I, for one, as this week ends, stand in awe of their almost-unfathomable grace in grief.I'm Anne Taylor Fleming.

Storm in a tea cup It is almost funny to see British politicians, media and the Muslim community doing their bit over Jack Straw's remarks about veil-wearing women. Nothing he said called for such over the top reaction.It is a sign of the times when thin-skinned Muslims feel slighted by little or nothing and politicians bend over backward to appease them.No woman should be forced to stop wearing a veil (headscarf, chador, burqa, or whatever) and no woman should be required by law or religious edicts to wear one. It appears that some Muslim women prefer to cover their face in public while others, given a choice, would gladly do without veil. Jack Straw expressed his personal preference. Just because he is a member of the cabinet his comments should not be blown up out of proportion to what actually occurred.It is not always a "personal choice". Not in Britain, not in France, not in today's Iraq, and certainly not in Iran and Saudi Arabia.The GuardianRuth Kelly yesterday defended the wearing of the veil as a 'personal choice' by Muslims that must be respected. She made her comments as the Cabinet began distancing itself from Jack Straw's disclosure that he asked women attending his constituency surgery to uncover their faces.Kelly, the Women's Minister and Communities Secretary, also warned that more serious threats to female freedom must not be 'swept under the carpet', citing the refusal of some Muslim families to let their daughters go to university for fear of exposure to undesirable influences or the failure to confront domestic violence in the Muslim community.Her repositioning of the debate followed three days of uproar over Straw's disclosure. Kelly told The Observer she changed her own views about traditional dress being repressive after speaking to high-profile Muslim women.The Muslims who complain about discrimination ought to pause and consider conditions in Islamic countries where one has no choice. In Saudi Arabia, for example, women do not have full voting right; are not allowed to drive a car; and consumption of alcohol is prohibited. You cannot buy a bottle of beer in Yemen while a large percentage of the Yemenis go about chewing qat and getting high. The hypocrisy is astounding. What position do the Muslims from Pakistan take about Hudood under which a woman needs four male witnesses to file a complaint for being raped -- do they want a similar law adopted in England ?

Headlines on Sunday morningMurder In Moscow"ANNA POLITKOVSKAYA, who was murdered in her apartment building yesterday, knew it was dangerous to be an honest reporter in President Vladimir Putin's Russia. Yet, as he wielded a combination of blandishments and bullying to gradually reimpose authoritarianism on his country, Ms. Politkovskaya, 48 and the mother of two, never yielded. Whether reporting on Mr. Putin's dirty war in the separatist region of Chechnya or on the diminution of freedom at home in Moscow, she remained, if not unafraid, unbowed."Chances are Ms. Politkovskaya's murderer will never be officially identified. At least a dozen other journalists have been murdered in contract-style killings in the past six years, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, and not one of those murders has been solved. Human rights advocates and pro-democracy politicians have been struck down in the same way.Yet it is quite possible, without performing any detective work, to say what is ultimately responsible for these deaths: It is the climate of brutality that has flourished under Mr. Putin. A former KGB agent himself, he inherited an imperfect democracy and systematically undermined its institutions. The media, political parties, local government, private business -- each in turn was neutered. Loyalty to Mr. Putin has become the quality that matters most, and any opponent is labeled an enemy, to be bankrupted, imprisoned or worse. Meanwhile, ugly nationalism was permitted to flourish.Now you can see these same values being applied to foreign policy. The independent nation of Georgia, to Russia's south, has not displayed adequate fealty in Mr. Putin's view; it wants to be a democracy, with normal ties to the West. So the czar has launched an ugly campaign of threats against the country and the hundreds of thousands of ethnic Georgians who live in Russia. It is a dangerous moment.U.S. Casualties In Iraq Reach Two-Year HighSharp rise in numbers of wounded troops grimly reflects the degree to which the United States has taken the lead in staving off a full-scale civil war.–Ann Scott Tyson, Washington PostFoley Consuming GOP As Elections Draw NearVoters may see scandal as a metaphor for party leadership's ethical lapses, strategists believe.–Michael Grunwald and Chris Cillizza, Washington PostA Not So Happy Warrior ReturnsThe vice president emerged from his secret bunker to give one of his standard speeches -- what a great job the Bush Administration is doing and the Democrats cannot be trusted to protect the nation from terrorists. He sounds like a vinyl LP with needle stuck in a groove but what else is there for him to say. Peter Baker in the Post: "Vice President Cheney sometimes starts speeches with a Ronald Reagan quotation about a "happy" nation needing "hope and faith." But not much happy talk follows. Not a lot of hope, either. He does, though, talk about the prospect of "mass death in the United States." Foley Slate Magazine, Ann TelnaesPartisan Woes Slate Magazine, Nick Anderson

The controversy over what Jack Straw said about wearing of veil has grown since publication of initial reports. See "Veil, Burqa, Purdah and Muslim Women" The Post: "Jack Straw, leader of the House of Commons, provoked a mixture of anger and derision on Thursday when he said the wearing of veils made community relations 'more difficult' because they acted as 'a visible statement of separation and difference'. While British newspapers and commentators applauded Straw's stance, which he said was designed to provoke a 'mature debate', many Muslims reacted with anger."Fear of extremists has moved the Moroccan Government to eliminate references to head scarves from school text books.If there are liberals in the Islamic world, their voices remain unheard. They are afraid to speak out. The consequences could be frightful.....think of what Salmon Rushdie went through. The BBC report (see below) states: "Other Arab countries have made similar changes, worrying that the veil could be used as a symbol of extremism." How else can it be described when an individual is forced, directly or indrectly, to adopt a practice by state or religious bodies ?Fundamentalist Christian groups in America would love to have the power and influence that Islamic mullahs have. When it comes to control over women's bodies they are not that far apart. They are trying but things have not gotten that bad here.....yet.Morocco is making major changes to religious education, in particular regarding whether young girls should wear headscarves.A picture of a mother and her daughter wearing headscarves is being removed from the latest editions of a text book.A verse from the Koran that says girls should don veils has already been taken out of the books.Other Arab countries have made similar changes, worrying that the veil could be used as a symbol of extremism.TrustThere are few things that have become such obvious and controversial symbols of Islamic identity as the headscarf.But until now it has not been a controversial issue in Morocco.On Avenue Mohammed V, the main avenue in central Rabat, older women in particular can be seen wearing traditional long robes with full headscarves.But younger women wear everything from that to more modern clothes such as trainers, jeans and T-shirts, with nothing on their heads - except perhaps some expensive designer sunglasses.The variety of clothes and head dresses seems to reflect the fact that Morocco is seen as a liberal country with some pro-western leanings.But for some more conservative people this latest move is an underhand way of undermining Morocco's Islamic roots.Abdelkarim El Houichre from the Association of Teachers of Islamic Education does not trust the government's motives:"I think there is pressure coming from the United States, which believes that teaching about traditional Islam and teaching girls to wear headscarves will somehow encourage extremism and terrorism," he says."But I think Islamic education has to be kept within mainstream teaching in our schools because that way we can control it. If we deny it to them in school then they will only go and find out more outside of school and they are more likely to fall into the wrong hands."DilemmaIn the current climate, the Moroccan government is worried about anything that might fan the flames of Islamic fundamentalism and says it does not want the headscarf to become a rallying cry for extreme organisations.Education ministry official Aboulkacem Samir says the headscarf has political overtones:"This issue isn't really about religion, its about politics," he says."The headscarf for women is a political symbol, in the same way as the beard is for men. But we in the ministry must be very careful that the books are fair to all Moroccans and do not represent just one political faction."Across the Arab world the headscarf issue seems to be gathering momentum.In Tunisia for example, young women who wear veils say they have been harassed by the authorities who are forcing the girls to remove their veils at schools and universities.The veil is perhaps a microcosm of a much broader dilemma - should Arab countries in north Africa turn towards secular democracies or to more traditional Islamist countries for their guidance and inspiration?Morocco is treading a fine line between these competing influences and the headscarf might just be something that trips it up.From BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/5413808.stm*

Jack Straw * Kevin Phillips' "American Theocracy" An unidentified woman wearing a niqab – or full veil – on January 17 2004. Photograph: PA.© Guardian UnlimitedStraw: I'd rather no one wore veils...." Jack Straw, former British Foreign Minister, found himself in the middle of a brouhaha after commenting about veil worn by Muslim women. I am among those who feel that a woman who is not forced to go about covered in a veil (burqa, chador, or any other name) but does so because of her own desire should have the right no matter in which country she lives. However, no one must be compelled to wear a veil because of archaic tradition or on religious grounds.The Muslim society,however, is unlikely to endorse such a position. It observes strange customs, like the hudood under which a woman filing a complaint for being raped is required to produce four male witnesses. Recently, Pakistan's President Musharraf failed in an attempt to amend the hudood.Nakasha Ahmed's 'Unveiling the Veil' presents both sides of the argument.Politics and Evangelical ChristiansHere in America we have our own bigots. Fundamentalist Christian groups have made great strides. For the first time in our history we have a president who claims to be a 'born again Christian' and does all he can to support them. Does he speak in tongues when he communicates with his god.From the book jacket of 'American Theocracy' by Kevin Phillips: "He then turns to the surge of fundamentalist and evangelical religion in the United States, outlining the way a long tradition of radical and sectarian religion has taken an unprecedented political role under George W. Bush, as more and more Republican think in apocalyptic terms and seek to shape domestic and foreign policy around religion." The fundamentalists are waiting for the Second Coming. Personally, I'll be happy when they ascend to heaven. I'll take my chances being left behind and facing horrific punishment for not being among them.More bad news for Republicans. Alan Cooperman writes in the Post about the GOP's waning support among evangelical Christians. "ANOKA, Minn. -- Lynn Sunde, an evangelical Christian, is considering what for her is a radical step. Come November, she may vote for a Democrat for Congress."Sunde, 35, manages a coffee shop and attends a nondenominational Bible church. "You're never going to agree with one party on everything, so for me the key has always been the religion issues -- abortion, the marriage amendment" to ban same-sex unions, she said.That means she consistently votes Republican. But, she said, she is starting to worry about the course of the Iraq war, and she finds the Internet messages from then-Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.) to teenage boys "pretty sickening." When she goes into the voting booth this time, she said, "I'm going to think twice. . . . I'm not going to vote party line as much as to vote issues."Even a small shift in the loyalty of conservative Christian voters such as Sunde could spell trouble for the GOP this fall. In 2004, white evangelical or born-again Christians made up a quarter of the electorate, and 78 percent of them voted Republican, according to exit polls. But some pollsters believe that evangelical support for the GOP peaked two years ago and that what has been called the "God gap" in politics is shrinking.

War Lovers * Hastert, the Ex-Wrestler, Fighting to Save His PositionMore than 'just a comma', Mr. President -- ask the families and friends of dead and wounded soldiers. Peter Baker in the Post: "As he heads out on the campaign trail, haunted by an unpopular war, President Bush has begun reassuring audiences that this traumatic period in Iraq will be seen as "just a comma" in the history books. By that, aides say, he means to reinforce his message of resolve in the long struggle for Iraqi democracy." The champions of the war in Iraq -- President Bush, VP Cheney, Secretary Rice -- never took part in armed combat. The vice president took multiple deferments during Vietnam war. As more and more Americans are questioning our presence in Iraq, the war lovers are beginning to sound shrill in their attempts to justify their position and to spread fear. They are making noise in the hope that fear will again do the trick.FactsAs of October 5th the total for dead American soldiers stands at: 2736 of which 20 died this month.Since President Bush's "Mission Accomplished" appearance, May 1, 2003: 2597Since the president said "'Bring them on" July 2, 2003: ', 2529Since VP Cheney said "......they are in their in their last throes" May 31, 2005: 1070Source: Iraq Coalition CasualtiesDennis Hastert In A FirestormIs he going to survive ? Within the short course of a week, Speaker of the House, Denny Hastert (R-Ill), has become a pitiful figure. The power and glory went up in smoke after revealations about torrid e-mail messages sent to House pages by former Congressman Foley came to light. Now he is spending all his time trying to prove that he did nothing wrong by failing to take action against Mark Foley. His speakership is in jeopardy. In worst case scenario the conservatives might not be satisfied until Hastert gives up his seat.....resigns from Congress. "A longtime chief of staff to disgraced former representative Mark Foley (R-Fla.) approached House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert's office three years ago, repeatedly imploring senior Republicans to help stop Foley's advances toward teenage male pages, the staff member said yesterday."When I think of Hastert I see a buffoon talking in front of tv cameras about changing names of french fries and french toast to 'freedom fries' and 'freedom toast' in the House cafetaria because France refused to join the president's 'coalition forces' for his war against Iraq. Utterly juvenile, but I guess it played well in Peoria. And so it goes.

Deliver Us From Evil The October surprise turned out to be the fallout from Foley scandal. The House Republicans up for reelection are scrambling like chickens with heads cut off. So the president went on the warpath to hype the "Democrats are soft against terrorists" card. It worked for him in the past. Peter Baker writes in the Post: "With his party in serious trouble five weeks before Election Day, Bush shifted into full campaign mode this week, kicking off a month of frenetic barnstorming aimed at drawing disgruntled Republicans back into the fold. As part of the effort, he has escalated the intensity of his attacks with each passing day, culminating with what aides called a "very aggressive" series of speeches Tuesday."Then there is Laura Mallory who wants Harry Potter books to be banned in Gwinnett County,GA, because "..........the popular fiction series is an "evil" attempt to indoctrinate children in the Wicca religion." Seen any witches flying around in your neighborhood ? Newsday.com published the story in "Entertainment" Section. Appropriate.Bush's tough talk Tuesday came after he suggested at a Monday night fundraiser in Nevada that Democrats were content to sit back until terrorists strike again. "It sounds like they think the best way to protect the American people is wait until we're attacked again," he said.

In Falsehood and in Deceit * Vindication of a Tortured Prisoner * Panic In Red LandAmong the gems (there are many) in State of Denial: "According to Woodward, Bush was absolutely certain he was on the right course on Iraq. The writer said that when Bush invited key Republicans to the White House to discuss Iraq, the president told them, 'I will not withdraw even if Laura and Barney are the only ones supporting me,' referring to his wife and Scottish terrier."Well, dogs are said to be man's best friends. Good for Barney to stand by his master. *Anne Mcllroy's article in The Guardian about Canadian citizen Maher Arar's imprisonment and torture (his interrogation was outsourced to Syria under "extraordinary rendition" program of the CIA) makes interesting reading. It has a happy ending -- he is a free man. The memory of what he went through will not be forgotten, it will haunt him for the rest of his life.Excerpts Guardian Unlimited Monday October 2, 2006 Four years ago, Canadian Maher Arar was detained on a routine airport stopover in the United States. He ended up Syria, where he was imprisoned and tortured for 10 months. When he was released by the Syrians and returned to Canada, he started asking how he had been targeted as an Islamist terrorist. His search for answers has made him into a national celebrity, and is likely to end with an apology from the prime minister himself. Late last month, a public inquiry cleared him of any connection to terrorism and criticised the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) for feeding American officials misleading information about him. Last week, RCMP commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli finally offered Mr Arar a full apology: "I wish to take this opportunity to express publicly to you and to your wife and to your children how truly sorry I am for whatever part the actions of the RCMP may have contributed to the terrible injustices that you experienced and the pain that you and your family endured." Sex Scandals and the GOPPanic among Republicans. They are getting a taste of their own medicine and it is sour. Paul Farhi writes in the Post about fallout from the Foley scandal - The Redder They Are The Harder They Fall: "Sex scandals involving politicians are as old as Thomas Jefferson, but the outcome seems to depend on which party you represent. In recent years, for the most part, Democrats have been able to survive their sordid escapades while Republicans have paid with their political lives."Foley's creepy behavior might have done him in even if he'd been the most liberal of Democrats. But that's not assured. With a Republican at the center of the seamy scandal, however, it was almost a slam-dunk that Foley would have to quit.That's how it usually turns out for members of the conservative, traditional-family-values party. Just ask Bob Livingston, Jack Ryan, Bob Packwood, Dan Crane or others in the GOP who've watched their careers go pffft! with salacious disclosures. Or ask Bill Clinton, Gerry Studds, Barney Frank and other Democrats who've withstood embarrassing revelations to govern another day.

Midterm ElectionsWhat a difference a year makes! The erosion of GOP's clout started more than a year ago and accelerated this year. The president's misadventure in Iraq, its escalating costs and mounting casualties are certainly factors that contributed to the Republicans' loss of support. Exposure of corruption and scandals also hurt them but they have become so used (addicted) to favors from PACs that they resist any attempts for reform. About five weeks from midterm elections, the 'October surprise' could still happen; the Bushies will try their damndest to spring one. In the absence of a real one they will increase the tempo on threat of terrorism. From the look of things, Democrats are in a strong position to retake the House. Latest reports indicate that even retaining control of the Senate is no longer a sure thing for Republicans. Encouraging. But a word of caution to Democratic lawmakers. If you act like your counterparts across the aisles -- if you begin grandstanding and treating the voters with contempt, if you sell yourselves to the PACs, then you will not be immune from backlash. It has been a hard, uphill journey to be where we are today. We -- ordinary Americans who are registered Democrats, the liberals, the media which exposed the emperor without his clothes -- are not going to sit back and allow you to lose the ground gained.Are Democratic leaders going to pay any attention to Sebastian Mallaby's column in the Post? "A Party Without Principles" is too harsh a description but Mr. Mallaby makes some valid points.After years of single-party government, the prospect of a Democratic majority in the House ought to feel refreshing. But even with Republicans collapsing in a pile of sexual sleaze, I just can't get excited. Most Democrats in Congress seem bereft of ideas or the courage to stand up for them. They clearly want power, but they have no principles to guide their use of it.On Friday, Harry Reid, the Democratic leader in the Senate, correctly denounced a border-fence bill as a concession "to the radical anti-immigrant right wing" of the Republican Party. It's absurd to fence off 700 miles of the border and leave the other 1,300 miles open; besides, the government lacks the manpower to prevent migrants from defeating the fence with tunnels or ladders. But if blowing billions on this symbolism is a sop to right-wing nuts, why did 26 Senate Democrats vote for the bill while only 17 opposed it?The day before the immigration vote, the majority of Senate Democrats summoned up the courage to oppose the Bush assault on the nation's traditions of justice. Of course they were right; you don't win a war of ideas by abandoning your most appealing ones. But if the Democrats had made common cause with the bill's Republican opponents, they could have filibustered the president's bill. Why vote against something and simultaneously allow it through? On an issue as basic as access to justice, can't Democrats stand on principle?

Dennis Hastert, the "Freedom Fries" Man Failed to Cover-up Earlier reports about GOP leaders in Congress and their knowledge of Mark Foley's prurient interest in young pages have proven to be correct. Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-ILL) was fully aware of the facts months ago and so was House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) . Just think what these champions of moral values would have done if Foley was a Democrat ! They sat on their king-size butts until the proverbial 'shit hit the fan'. And then they tried their best to cover up, find excuses. Too little and too late. Time for them to face the music. The Post: "House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) was notified early this year of inappropriate e-mails from former representative Mark Foley (R-Fla.) to a 16-year-old page, a top GOP House member said yesterday -- contradicting the speaker's assertions that he learned of concerns about Foley only last week."Hastert did not dispute the claims of Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds (R-N.Y.), and his office confirmed that some of Hastert's top aides knew last year that Foley had been ordered to cease contact with the boy and to treat all pages respectfully.Reynolds, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, became the second senior House Republican to say that Hastert has known of Foley's contacts for months, prompting Democratic attacks about the GOP leadership's inaction. Foley abruptly resigned his seat Friday.House Majority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) told The Washington Post on Friday that he had learned in late spring of inappropriate e-mails Foley sent to the page, a boy from Louisiana, and that he promptly told Hastert, who appeared to know already of the concerns. Hours later, Boehner contacted The Post to say he could not be sure he had spoken with Hastert.