Al-Qaida's #3 Killed by Predator Drone Strike

The following is being widely reported today, including by Siobhan Gorman at the Wall Street Journal: Sheik Sa'id al-Masri, al-Qaida's third in command after Osama bin Laden and Ayman Zawahiri,was apparently killed about a week ago by a predator drone strike.

As noted earlier in this blog, the new National Security Strategy deliberately focuses its language on al-Qaida and its affiliates. The United States is not engaged in a civilizational war, even if the commitments of two civilizations--Islam and 'the West'--are brought into bold relief by such news.

June 2 Follow-up: Craig Whitlock and Greg Miller report at the Washington Post that "Al-Qaeda is likely to replace No. 3 leader with ease."

On June 3, 2010, I will post my third (and final) reaction to the NSS.

The U.S. National Security Strategy, Reaction 2

On May 27, 2010, I posted this reaction to the National Security Strategy President Obama transmitted to Congress earlier that day.

In this post, I want to focus on four themes identified by Obama in the strategy's leading letter.

“Time and again in our Nation’s history, Americans have risen to meet—and to shape—moments of transition. This must be one of those moments.” This sentence opens the letter, which offers a quite extraordinary account of the challenges we face. Globalization is changing everything, Obama argues. To succeed in the coming century, we must rise to meet significant challenges. We must do it by relying on American know-how and gusto, but we cannot do it alone. We will need once again to cultivate relationships with our long-standing allies (i.e., those we fought with, and against, in World War II). Here, Obama is repudiating a key element of the Bush presidency, but he is doing so in the context of sharing goals set forth by Bush: to exterminate al-Qa’ida and to continue America's benevolent global hegemony. Obama's claim that this 'must be one of those moments' should be understood as a statement of the perils we are facing. Either we succeed in this moment or catastrophe could roil the globe.

“...renew our focus on Afghanistan  as part of a commitment to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al-Qa’ida and its affiliates…” Al-Qa’ida, put bluntly, would stop at nothing to carry forward its objectives. We must, almost at any material or moral cost, defeat it.

“Moreover, as we face multiple threats—from nations, nonstate actors, and failed states—we will maintain the military superiority that has secured our country, and underpinned global security, for decades.” Here Obama extends the threats we face beyond nonstate actors, to include nations and failed states. The former (e.g., Iran and North Korea) may deliberately or inadvertently draw us into hostilities. Failed states (e.g., Yemen, Chad, Pakistan, Burma) are a breeding ground for terror.

“Our long-term security will not come from our ability to instill fear in other peoples, but through our capacity to speak to their hopes.” We may need to instill fear in their leaders, in order to gain a chance to speak to the hopes of their people. This sort of realism entails many dangers, and we ourselves could easily lose moral compass.

Another prominent theme in the letter is growing the economy, but that seems more foundational (or political) and less analytical and strategic to me.

What, some might ask, does religion have to do with any of this? To which I answer: much. As indicated in the blog of May 27, Obama is seeking to focus on al-Qa’ida so as not to indict Islam as a whole. But to close tonight's blog, I want to think about the vision to which Obama appeals. What inspires this vision? The answer, I think, is a Christian-Western account of the world and the practices developed in light of it. This vision of the world is not neutral; it assumes democracy, rule of law, human rights, and the rest. Arguably, each of these is more consistent with their Christian origins than they are with, say, Islam. They are also quite different from the traditions of government ownership and control in Saudi Arabia, Russia, and China.

To be precise: I believe that Islam has elements that prepare societies to be receptive to these 'Christian-Western' goods, but it also has elements that press against them. My primary point here–limited, to be sure–is that the origins of these practices and ideas are Christian-Western. Thus, focusing hostility on al-Qa’ida and its affiliates while simultaneously extending the olive branch to 'Islam' will be a difficult script to follow. Let's hope we overcome that difficulty.

More to follow this week on the National Security Strategy.

Note: My thanks to Samiur Rahman for pointing me to the Bremmer article.

Blogging at Creedible.com about Outsider Candidates

Join me at Creedible.com to discuss "The Political Culture of Outsider Candidates."

Your opinions and views, as always, are most welcome.

Follow up to Being Gay in Malawi

Homosexuality remains illegal in Malawi, as reported by Reuters and published by the New York Times, but Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika pardoned the gay couple previously sentenced to 14 years in prison for openly celebrating their relationship.

On May 20, 2010, I posted a blog on this topic here at RITN.

I am watching the debate about the U.S. military's 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy.

This site supports gay rights, freedom and equality for all.

The U.S. National Security Strategy, reaction 1

On May 27, 2010, President Barack Obama transmitted the National Security Strategy of the United States to the Congress. Aljazeera reported this story, as did most major newspapers and media outlets. Over the next week or so, I will post several analyses of this strategy. Tonight I want to focus on the language being used to define U.S. efforts against al-Qa’ida. The strategy avoids using incendiary language that would suggest the U.S. is at war with Islam as a whole.

The United States is waging a global campaign against al-Qa’ida and its terrorist affiliates. To disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qa’ida and its affiliates, we are pursuing a strategy that protects our homeland, secures the world’s most dangerous weapons and material, denies al-Qa’ida safe haven, and builds positive partnerships with Muslim communities around the world. Success requires a broad, sustained, and integrated campaign that judiciously applies every tool of American power—both military and civilian—as well as the concerted efforts of like-minded states and multilateral institutions national security strategy.

A report to RITN readers

The first entry was posted to RITN on April 9, 2010. In two months, nearly 50 posts have been made, and approximately 70 comments have been received. In May, the site received about 700 visitors and had about twice that many page views. The New York Times is feeling the heat!

The Top Five Most-Read Blog Posts were as follows:

1. Why I Agree with Sarah Palin
2. Water Fit to Drink
3. Mosque at Ground Zero
4. National Prayer Day
5. Why I Still Agree with Palin

Worth another chance:

1. Vandalizing Christ in Rio
2. The Pope's Penance

Readers have hailed from 14 countries. In declining order, readers come to RITN from these countries: United States, United Kingdom, Pakistan, Australia, Hong Kong, Canada, India, Paraguay, Philippines, Gambia, Germany ,Malaysia, Netherlands, and Italy.

My main purpose in contributing to this site is to reflect on religion in the news. I am persuaded that a religious/theological analysis offers something vital in terms of comprehending what is happening in our world. I would be happy writing these brief pieces simply as an act of reflection without any readers, but I am delighted that some readers are engaged by these topics.

Keep joining me, and bring your ideas--submit possible posts to me by email, or offer comments--to the table for discussion and analysis. Invite your friends; let's make a difference.

Also, join me at Creedible.com, where I post one or two blog entries each week.

Stephen Healey

Difficulties of Dialogue

Join me tomorrow evening (5/26/10) at http://www.creedible.com/blog4/ for a discussion of the Difficulties of Dialogue.

National Security in an Insecure Age

I am reflecting on anxiety in light of President Obama's speech to graduates of the United States Military Academy, as reported by Peter Baker of the New York Times and Michael Sheer at the Washington Post.

This brief video clip from Washington Post's site gives a flavor of the President's remarks.


Tradition. Honor. Love of Country. Putting self in harm's way. These themes are to be expected in such a speech. Early reports also indicate that Obama continues his repudiation of the Bush presidency. Obama is turning from unilateralism to multilateral cooperation. Though he is prosecuting the war in Iraq and an intensified war in Afghanistan, he hopes to exercise increasingly robust diplomacy. More will be gained through alliance building, he argues, than through sheer American power.

Blogging about Grocery Stores at Creedible.com

Tonight I'm blogging about the everyday miracle of food-packed grocery stores over at creedible.com, to wit:

A friend and I were disputing the nature of faith on Facebook. He was stressing internal transformation, and I was focusing on social concern and witness. At one point, he said that “It seems that our Lord does his best work one on one…”. I countered by referring to the Feeding of 5000 in John 6:5ff. [Continues @ creedible.com]

Being Gay in Malawi

Tonight I'm thinking about the report of Barry Bearak in the New York Times about the Gay Couple in Malawi recently sentenced to 14 years in prison. The couple's crime was being openly gay. The country is 80 percent Christian and 13 percent Muslim, according to the CIA World Factbook, which cites Malawi's 1998 Census as the source of its information.

On the whole, Africa is very traditional when it comes to homosexuality. Bearak reports that

The nation’s clergy have been united in condemning the gay couple. “God calls homosexuality an abomination, which is greater than a simple sin,” the Rev. Felix Zalimba, pastor of the All for Jesus Church in Blantyre, said Thursday. He said church and state were aligned in agreement: “These two must repent and ask God’s forgiveness. Otherwise, they will surely go to hell.”

Creeds and Credibility

Tonight I am blogging at creedible.com. Join me for a discussion of belief in God and the nature of public theology.

Warming our hands over Hell's Fire: Terror & Alienation

Tonight I am thinking about us--especially our reaction to horrific news. The occasion of this reflection is news from Thailand about anti-government protesters and the Thai army's reaction. This news called to mind suicide bombs, terror attacks, assassinations, political kidnappings, rapes and assaults, and genocide. These and worse are the daily news.

We are little moved by these horrors.

Answering the Recession

Tonight I am thinking about the recession. Over the last week or so, the markets have gotten jittery, as investors have worried about Greece in particular and the sustainability of the EU in general. A 're-recession' there may cause a 'double dip' here.

The economy has begun 'creating' jobs, but unemployment is shockingly high. It seems that TARP, the Capital Assistance Plan, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and other such initiatives have restored confidence in banks and (at least) prevented the economy from getting worse. It seems that a run on banks will not happen. Consumer confidence and spending seem to be on the mend. Even after a bad week or so, the Dow is at 10,600, up from about 7 grand in February '09. GM just announced a quarterly profit, and Chrysler's parent company recently repaid part of its TARP-funded loan.

Moral Bambinos

Tonight, I am thinking about Moral Bambinos. I am inspired in this undertaking by a Paul Bloom article in the New York Times Magazine entitled "The Moral Life of Babies" (May 3, 2010), and by the reflection of Dima Grozeva, a former student of mine at the University of Bridgeport.

I want to start my reflection by telling a brief story about my younger son. Within an hour or two of his being born, I began cooing to him, "Say hi to Daddy." When he was one-month old, I needed to travel for professional purposes. When I returned after a few days of travel, I joined my wife, who was changing his diaper. I leaned over and said, "Say hi to Poppa."

The Recession & the Moral Life of Babies

Tonight I'm pondering the religious/theological meaning of the recession. I'll post something on this topic in a day or two. I'm also thinking about the moral life of babies. Dima Grozeva, a former student, and I will post a blog tomorrow evening.

Join us.

Religious Absurdities

Tertullian, the late second century Christian father, once said, "Credo quia absurdum." I believe because it is absurd. Critics of religion often point out that religious absurdities abound. They are not wrong. Currently, there's a yogi who claims to have eaten nothing for the last 70 years. Astonished? Well, he's also had nothing to drink during that time, not even a drop. Or so he claims.

All religions have their share of, shall we say, inspirations. Lao Tzu? He was born as an elderly sage. The Buddha? He spoke immediately upon being born.

The Religious Meanings of Oil

Black gold has been on my mind, as it has for many people, because of the oil spill in the gulf. I have written previously in this blog about "Oil Spills & Public Theology," but in this post I want to go in a different direction, to discuss the religious meanings of oil.

Though my thinking about such topics frequently moves in either an ethical or mystical direction, a religious perspective need not be limited to these choices. A judgmental screed about how we are exploiting the planet will accomplish little. Even the former oilman President Bush could say that we are addicted to oil. It's gratifying to denounce the exploitation of natural resources, but how much meaning does that have if we do little or nothing to reduce our energy use? Also, a mystical approach that overstates the meaning of oil--the earth itself is sacred!!--accomplishes little.

RITN News, Big & Small

Tonight's post looks at big and small issues dealing with religion in the news. It's troubling and intriguing to reflect on the fate of our world as it is simultaneously shaped by matters of international significance and petty passions.

Big: Peter Nicholas and Paul Richter report for the Los Angeles Times that "may embrace a plan by his Afghan counterpart to reconcile with certain Taliban leaders." This news is built upon other important news: that U.S. relations with Hamid Karzai, the Afghan President, seem to be improving. Not long ago, Karzai said he was considering joining the Taliban. This issue of global significance is a bit like a game of chess.

Why I Still Agree with Sarah Palin: A Reply to Rick Ungar

Yesterday, I posted this reflection on Sarah Palin's views of America and those of her detractors. The brief reflection was in reply to Rick Ungar, Charles Johnson, and, as I said, "a host of others who treat Sarah Palin as if she is a fool." My main argument--cast as a partial defense of Sarah Palin--is that she's onto something important with respect to the history of America. I argued that her detractors are too quick to dismiss her views, and I encouraged them to 'edit' rather than 'malign' her statements.

Mr. Ungar offered this comment suggesting that I mischaracterized his treatment of Palin and that I did not address his main points. (I am assuming in this world of cyber-realities that the comment is actually Mr. Ungar's and not someone posing as him.) In any event, here are his comments, followed by my replies.

Why I Agree with Sarah Palin

I'm responding to Rick Ungar's "The Palin Principle - Bible Trumps Constitution," Charles Johnson's "Palin's Theocratic Daze," and the host of others who treat Sarah Palin as if she is a fool. Ungar and Johnson miss Palin's deeper points, and mock her ideas without understanding their significance. Such commentators ask with bewilderment, how are the Bible and God relevant to politics? They assume that the separation of Church and state settles this issue once and for all.

For her part, Palin keeps insisting that she knows better than her critics. Frequently, she is right. Don't misunderstand me; I often disagree with Sarah Palin. I disagree with most of her political views and nearly always find her politicized summaries misleading.

But Ungar, Johnson, and many others mistake lampoon for thoughtful analysis. Palin uses colloquial language to make the point that America's political culture and national life draw upon deep aquifers of religious--that is, Christian--meaning. She expresses this in problematic ways, but a better approach would be to 'edit' rather than 'malign' her views.

Palin is correct, I am prepared to argue, that American's core civilization is built upon certain Christian motifs. In the American experience, the foundations of civil society and civic life were built on premises that God is creator, that nature is his work, and that a moral law constrains and guides all. Further, these meaning systems are subject to revival and renewal. Among these are the 'Great Awakening' associated with Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield, which led to significant cultural flourishing and was proto-revolutionary; the 'Second Great Awakening' in the early nineteenth century, which led to the abolition, suffrage, and (fated) temperance movements; and the Social Gospel and Pentecostal renewals of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These revivals--on the left and right, respectively--account for the spiritual architecture, in profound ways, of Obama and Palin.

To be sure, the eighteenth century divines are important 'founding fathers,' and this group--Franklin, Jay, Madison, Paine, Jefferson, and others--was heavily influenced by the rationalistic and individualistic elements of the Enlightenment. To make a case for their own liberty, these liberals claimed that the Puritans came to America seeking freedom, when in fact the Puritans came seeking purity. Arguably that act of creative misinterpretation laid the groundwork for current struggles about the moral and political fabric of our national life. Though Palin is correct, Ungar, Johnson, and the many others like them also grasp something important. The truth, however, must include both kinds of insights. Our history is a tapestry, not a single thread.

Palin (and simultaneously Ungar, Johnson, and others like them) are correct that nowadays America is quite far removed from these foundations. Instead of making fun of each other's claims, we should sponsor reasoned debates about the issues. We might agree about some issues, even if we part ways over how to respond to current challenges. A group of us will stress the need to revise our older traditions, to rethink them in light of new knowledge and religious pluralism, and to make room for people who are not persuaded by these older sources. Another group of us will see that something essential lies in these traditions, that they continue to live in our new circumstance, and that we do well to heed their counsel.

In Creeds, Society, and Human Rights, Max Stackhouse argues that a 'liberal-Puritan synthesis' serves as the foundation of American life. To reinvigorate that synthesis will require people like Palin, Ungar, and Johnson to be involved.

Let me know your thoughts.

Anwar al-Awlaki: Moderate turned Jihadi?

Recommended reading: Scott Shane and Souad Mekhennet’s New York Times piece "Imam’s Path From Condemning Terror to Preaching Jihad."

On some accounts, Anwar al-Awlaki used to be a strong supporter of Islamic moderation, a champion of integration with mainstream American institutions. Following 9/11 he presented Islam to the media as a moderate religion which had been distorted by terrorists. But al-Awlaki now supports jihadi violence against the United States. The Obama administration has authorized his "targeted killing." That's quite extraordinary since he is a US citizen who was born in New Mexico.

A serious question is whether al-Awlaki's turn to jihad is a new development, or whether he was always so inclined.

The Pill: 50 Years Later - Sex | Erectile Dysfunction | Sexual Health - FOXNews.com

The Pill: 50 Years Later - Sex | Erectile Dysfunction | Sexual Health - FOXNews.com
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Of topics frequently addressed by religionists, sex is near the top of the list, alongside other heavy hitter topics such as power and money. One can find celibates in traditions as varied as Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Christianity, and others. Traditions that counsel the practice of celibacy for some recognize the importance of sexuality for all. Tonight we are reflecting on the religious significance of the pill--now in its 50th year of availability.

Homosexuality, Hypocrisy, and Grace

Tonight I am thinking about recent revelations involving George Rekers, the prominent anti-gay activist who apparently hired a male prostitute to 'carry his luggage' on a recent trip. Rekers also recently was paid a large sum to testify in a Florida Court against gays adopting children. I have no interest in what Rekers has or has not done. I am interested only in the larger themes raised by reports of his actions.

Mosque at Ground Zero?

Tonight I am pondering the plans of two Islamic organizations to build a 13-story mosque near Ground Zero. The motives are positive: to educate the West about Islam, to show its profound spiritual riches, and to outflank radical Islamists.  (The term Islamist should not be confused with the term Muslim. An Islamist is a radical, who is committed to violence and terror as a means. A Muslim is one who has submitted to God. Islamists are Muslims--on their own view--but not all Muslims are Islamists.)

Even though the motives for building this mosque are positive, I see storm clouds brewing. That is not necessarily a reason to resist the building of this mosque.

Facebook's Potencies, Various & Serious

Tonight I want to consider themes suggested by Facebook's High Pressure Tactics: Opt-in or Else. Issues arising from Fb use go beyond the (sur)face. But even the surface level is important: the claim is that Fb is coercing its users to link their user accounts with public pages. Gone, the argument goes, is free expression; in, it continues, is submission to Fb's control. From my perspective, it's good that the Fb user community is agitating for autonomy, the right to provide feedback, and the like.

In this entry, however, I want to think about Fb from a different perspective.

National prayer day: Say amen (if you want to) - The Boston Globe

National prayer day: Say amen (if you want to) - The Boston Globe
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For the following reasons, I'm against the concept of a national day of prayer (NDoP).

NDoP's purpose is rhetorical, ideological, and self-congratulatory: O God! A nation at prayer! Look how good we are! There is a tradition in the Hebrew Bible for such prayers, and our Puritan legacy pushes in a similar direction, but our circumstance is radically different from those sources.

Water Fit to Drink

News from Boston, reported by Shahrzad Noorbaloochi for The Epoch Times. A water pipe that brings water from the Quabbin Reservoir to Boston broke. Eight million gallons of water per hour flowed into the Charles River. As an emergency measure, the city's water supply was drawn from an untreated source. The city was placed on a 'boil alert.'

If this news is viewed from a certain perspective, it has an  an illumining, almost revelatory, significance. Creatures of dust that we are, without water, we die.

Iran, the U.N., and Women's Rights

The U.N. has elected Iran to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). To put this in perspective, we need to know something about the CSW and Iran's treatment of women.

The CSW was established in 1946 and has adopted a significant number of 'agreed conclusions' to improve the standing of girls and women. Recent conclusions have urged 'financing gender equality and the empowerment of women' (2008) and 'elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl child' (2007).

Iran's concern for women's rights is not robust.

Religion & Immigrants: Then & Now

Our national story portrays us as a land of immigrants—particularly of religious immigrants. We feel good about that.

We refer to the seventeenth century Puritans but also to Catholic and Jewish immigrants, who came to the U.S. in large numbers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Will Herberg’s Protestant - Catholic - Jew (1955) analyzed elements of common life, and the differences, produced by these three immigrant groups. That work continues to be relevant.

Why I'm Not Laughing

It has been reported widely that a Facebook group, which now claims more than one million members, is based on a purportedly humorous prayer that President Obama will die. If you haven't read about it, see The Huffington Post's brief account.

I don't find this prayer humorous in the least. Here's why:

First, whatever one thinks of Obama, surely there should be recognition that he is at risk. Every president serves at peril to their own lives.This is especially the case for Obama, since he has broken the race barrier and is pursuing an agenda that pushes against powerful interests.