Oppression is a word that gets thrown around everywhere these days – sometimes reasonably, sometimes not. People with a basic sense of decency all over the world agree that oppression is wrong and inhumane. Further, they would agree that oppression should be eliminated from human societies. Yet, if we do not have a clear standard definition, upon which we can measure the existence and non-existence of oppression, how can we eliminate it?… More
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SurādiQ blog
What is Racism?
There are good reasons to define racism. Some people may already know the common definition, and assume it is obvious, and some others are clearly guilty of it but simultaneously claim they are not racist. Generally speaking, people in our age do not want to be labeled as racist, or having racist perceptions, so you will find many who will define racism within comfortable parameters and boundaries that exclude them. … More
Something about Sobukwe
A few months ago, my wife and I visited Robben Island in South Africa. The island is less than 7 kilometers away from the coast of Cape Town, and is only about 5 square kilometer in area. Its fame comes from being the notorious prison island where the racist apartheid system used to hold political prisoners. The most famous person who has been held in that prison island for over a decade is Nelson Mandela, who later became the first president of a democratic South Africa.… More
Saving the Planet
“In a few decades, the relationship between the environment, resources and conflict may seem almost as obvious as the connection we see today between human rights, democracy and peace.”
—Wangari Maathai, 1940-2011(the first Eastern African woman to receive a Ph.D, and the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for “her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace.”)
… More“The human brain now holds the key to our future.
Wealthy, Literate, Religious Fanatics: More than you hoped
A common, empathetic argument that claims to make sense of why a good number of seemingly benign, literate young minds from middle and upper-middle class households, from different parts of the world, end up sympathizing with fanatic violent Islamic groups, such as ‘the Islamic Khalifate State’ (also called Daesh) and Al-Qaeda, and sometimes becoming recruits for them. The argument can be summarized like this: look to the causes of socioeconomic dispossession and political oppression that these young minds were exposed to, first-hand or second-hand (i.e.… More
Options of Life – Options on Life
Option 1: Life is an intelligent force. It is aware of itself and surroundings. It has purpose and methods and it can reveal them upon investigation. Therefore we, as products of that intelligent force, express it and perceive it intelligently. Thus we are capable of being in charge and in concert with that purpose and method. We can literally rule our destiny.
Option 2: Life is not an intelligent force.… More
A short note on modern veganism
I think that plant-based diets are the wave of the future. They are simply more ethical and sustainable because they are less harmful to fellow earthlings and the ecosystem (but not totally, neutrally harmless, which is not even possible for any biological life on earth). I do not think that non-plant-based diets and animal product consumption of all kind will ultimately disappear, but they shall be significantly minimized. … More