[Adopted in Congress 4 July 1776] The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, … Continue reading Declaration of Independence

by Nicolò Machiavelli Written c. 1505, published 1515 Translated by W. K. Marriott 1908 Rendered into HTML by Jon Roland of the Constitution Society Table of Contents Chapter I How Many Kinds Of Principalities There Are, And By What Means They Are Acquired Chapter II Concerning Hereditary Principalities Chapter III Concerning Mixed Principalities Chapter IV Why The Kingdom Of Darius, Conquered By Alexander, Did Not Rebel Against The Successors Of Alexander At His Death Chapter V Concerning The Way To Govern Cities Or Principalities Which Lived Under Their Own Laws Before They Were Annexed Chapter VI Concerning New Principalities Which Are Acquired … Continue reading The Prince

A conceptual framework for liberation Gene Sharp Senior Scholar-in-Residence The Albert Einstein Institution Copyright © by Gene Sharp, 1993. All rights reserved including translation rights. All requests should be addressed in writing to Gene Sharp, Albert Einstein Institution, 1430 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA; FAX: USA + 617-876-7954. They will be sympathetically considered. Gene Sharp From Dictatorship to Democracy   CONTENTS Preface v One Facing Dictatorships Realistically 1 A continuing problem 2 Freedom through violence? 3 Coups, elections, foreign saviors? 4 Facing the hard truth 7 Two The Dangers of Negotiations 9 Merits and limitations of negotiations 9 Negotiated … Continue reading FROM DICTATORSHIP TO DEMOCRACY

The Origins Of Blasphemy Blasphemy has naturally been around since the first hominid created the first gods. It’s not just in regards to the Christian God, but any god, from religions long past, and several different types of mythology from various regions and cultures. Blasphemy can also be taken to mean various different things regarding religion, or just profane language in general. Blasphemy can be one of several things, such as, speaking with intentional disrespect of a god or religion, for example, “I can’t believe Joseph never suggested Mary get a paternity test.” Or it can be using the name … Continue reading No such thing as ‘BLASPHEMY’ in Islam!

Antagonizing religious minorities Endy M. Bayuni, Blasphemy can be a deadly affair in Indonesia and Pakistan, two of Asia’s largest Muslim-majority countries. Triggered by allegations of blasphemy, virulent mob attacks against those perceived to have offended Islam have rocked the two countries in recent months. While Indonesia and Pakistan have laws that specifically address issues of blasphemy, those unfortunate enough to be labeled blasphemers are rarely taken to court. Encouraged by, if not with tacit approval from, conservative Muslim leaders, Indonesian and Pakistani mobs have been taking the law into their own hands instead. On Feb. 5, three Indonesian adherents … Continue reading Blasphemy – A control tool for political Mullahs and Pastors

© Abdal-Hakim Murad, January 2003 Were they pirates, or were they warriors for Islam? For centuries, historians have debated the significance of one of the most stirring episodes in the history of Britain ’s Muslim minority. Men such as Captain John Ward of Kent astounded their compatriots by proudly adopting Islam to fight the Inquisition and the expansionist powers of Europe. Contemporaries called such men ‘corsairs’; they themselves considered themselves mujahidin. Some were among the most pious Muslims this country has yet produced. Others were famous drunkards and lechers. Ward and his likes were described by the adventurer John Smith. … Continue reading Ward the Pirate

British and Muslim? © Abdal Hakim Murad (Based on a lecture given to a conference of British converts on September 17 1997) It is said that the 19th century French poet Mallarmé can only be fully understood by those who are not French, because they read him more slowly. Converts to Islam, the subject of this essay, can perhaps claim the same ambiguous advantage in their reading of the Islamic narrative. Several consequent questions impose themselves: can the clarity of vision brought by novelty outweigh the absence of a Muslim upbringing? Is adoption a more culturally fertile condition than simple … Continue reading British Muslim?

© Abdal-Hakim Murad (This essay is based on a text first given as the Annual World Humanities Lecture, University of Leicester, 3 April 2000) Antisemitism is an ancient European disfigurement whose easing is now underway. The discourse of Jewish ‘threat’ or ‘contamination’ is no longer acceptable in cultivated circles. [Europe] has not yet, however, come to terms with its other historic chauvinism, which is only now being named: ‘Islamophobia’. Islamophobia I take to mean the emotive dislike of the Islamic religion as a whole, rather than of its extreme manifestations; or rather, we might more usefully define it as the assumption that … Continue reading Muslims and the European Right

The brushfire uprisings that are sweeping across the Middle East raise the question: Is democracy replacing Islam as the perceived solution to the problems of Arab societies? The most striking change in the demand of the protesters in all the uprisings, from Libya to Bahrain, deserves emphasis. The demonstrators are not demanding the establishment of an Islamic state. They are not chanting the revered slogan, “Islam is the solution.” Instead, they are calling for democracy. This transformation of popular demand is unprecedented. The credo “Islam is the solution” has been used by Islamists around the world ever since the Muslim Brotherhood first used in … Continue reading Most Islamists are Democrats – let them participate!

CONSTITUTION No people should give government power over them, without first setting conditions on the use of that power. Such is the purpose of Constitution.Contrary to popular legend, King John did not personally sign Magna Carta, but authorised (under pressure) the application of his Great Seal which shows the king enthroned, and bears the legend Johannes Dei Gracia Rex Anglie Dominus Hibernie John by the grace of God King of England and Lord of Ireland.CONTENTS CLICK TITLE TO JUMP Ideals of Constitutionalism The Great Charter of 1215 England after Magna Carta Constitution in the New World Constitutional Government Constitution – … Continue reading No people should give government power over them