Cosby Show and 44th president

Media has often represented a dark face from black people. They are shown either lazy and stupid or criminal, in the best circumstances, they are passive or sport professionals.

The opposite programs, like Cosby Show, that illustrates normal and successful black families, have changed this picture. Cosby show with its sitcoms shows its audiences a different narrative of blacks. It has used the influence of television to affect people's mind and alter the past imaging of this race. It does so by real situations, music, and fun. This series has started airing from NBC in 1984 and now after 25 years is still a favorite program.

According to Pazsaz entertainment network, "The series is about Heathcliff Huxtable, commonly known as Cliff, and his family. Cliff delivers babies for a living and has an office at home. His wife, Clair, is a successful lawyer. They have five children, ranging from the youngest, Rudy, to the oldest, Sondra. Most of the episodes revolved around Cliff dealing with his kids as they went through life, aged, and some eventually moved out."[1]

The question is that are the programs like Huxtable family paved the way for electing Obama? Are these shows preparing people's mind to trust the abilities of blacks and change their attitude regarding degrading them? Although the writer and comedian, Bill Cosby, believes that people would elected Obama anyhow without these propaganda, because people have had Martin Luther King in mind, the question may have other answers too.


[1] http://www.pazsaz.com/cosby.html

American volunteering system

Society has a complicated system which all of its phenomenon have interrelations with each other. The system differs in different countries according to their cultures and values.

One of the interesting parts of American society is volunteering groups. According to its interest or profession, a group of people try to help others by defining various projects. These projects would have a wide variety. Naming its variety, according to what my dear American friend has informed me, I can mention: movements in favor of green plants, adaption of an orphan either in the country or abroad, collecting food, clothing and other essential items to give to those in need, helping at a hospital, humane society (where pets without homes are kept), nursing home (care for elderly), Habitat for Humanity (an organization that uses volunteers to build homes for families who would not be able to afford to buy one), service organizations that help people with household chores or yard work or transportation or shopping if they are unable to do those things independently. Genrally American volunteerism encompasses almost anything.

The background of these volunteering institutions turns back to the beginning of American Revolution. According to Oxford encyclopedia volunteers were "a part‐time military force raised by local initiative during 1778–9. Its original purpose was to guard against invasion and to preserve law and order, at a time when regular troops had been removed to combat the American Revolution, and government lacked the money to revive the militia…. The movement soon took on a wider political importance, both as the expression of an emerging middle‐class consciousness and as the basis of a new kind of organized extra‐parliamentary support for popular causes."[1]

This atmosphere is reinforced by the government and the different states usually wish people to sustain that spirit, its reason may be due to use it in emergencies. The feedbacks of the statemen have been to make people feel proud of that and continue it. For instance there was news from President Obama in Washington Times: "President-elect Barack Obama kicked off a nationwide volunteer program Monday with an advertising campaign aimed at what the Presidential Inaugural Committee characterized as a "new spirit of service in America." He opens the ad saying, "America's greatness was not crafted in skyscrapers alone...But on the ground by those who could see what needed to be done." [2]

Finding causes of doing such kind of social activities would be an interesting topic in sociological, psychological and also political researches. Introducing the findings to other people may help them to increase their activities and make them more organized. It also would serve to remedy its deficiencies.

[1] http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O245-Volunteers.html

[2]http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jan/12/obama-volunteer-campaign-kicks/#s

American Identity

According to Huntington Identity is "an individual's or group's sense of self."[1] Two of the peculiar aspects of the American society' context are multiculturalism, and multi ethnicity and the reason is that this society is shaped upon immigration. People from all continents came to form a single country.

Alex R. Schafer has used humor to put this situation into word:— "The Korean owner of a restaurant in Texas trains Hispanic workers to prepare Chinese- style food for a largely black clientele ordering their food in English."[2]

So the crucial question will be "what culture will be the dominant one?" or in Huntington's definition, whose sense of self will rule the whole country? The answer to this question is not a clear cut one, though everyone keeps his or her nationality, all of them have accepted a new identity as, Americans. This acceptance or as some may say assimilation, began from early days of America. St John Crevecoueur in his Letters From an American Farmer explains what he had observed in 1782:"He is an American, who leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and manners, received new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced, the new government he obeys and the new rank he holds,… here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men."[3]

I think American identity in the sense of a collective identity is somehow unconscious and is hidden in the layers of their thinking. But when a threat comes, Americans become actively aware of their beliefs. This sensitivity could be tracked in the attack to the trading towers in 11th of September in 2001. As Huntington has mentioned in his book, the number of raising flags of the United States before that event, and a few days after that was not as much as in the days of attack. Therefore it can be concluded that the stream of a unique identity still running in the United States like those days of St John Crevecoueur.

[1] .Huntington,Samuel,2000, Who Are We?New York, Simson& Schuster

[2] . Schafer, Alex R.. 2006, A New Introduction to American Studies, Edited by Temperley, Howard, and Bigsby, Christopher, Great Britain, Pearson longman.

[3] . Schafer, Alex R.. 2006, A New Introduction to American Studies, Edited by Temperley, Howard, and Bigsby, Christopher, Great Britain, Pearson longman.

A Muslim Journalist From Canada

Zafar Bangash is a Pakistanian journalist who lives and works in Ontario, Canada. His magazine is Crescent which is the only Islamic magazine in Canada to represent Islam and goes worldwide.

We had two meetings with him. The first one was publicly in conference hall and then on the next day we had him in our class.

In the first meeting which was our first encountering with him, he started his speech friendly and also a bit jokingly asking us "Have you ever heard of Canada?" Then he explained why he asked the question and said according to a survey in some universities in America many of students did not know that Canada is their neighbor.

To continue the interesting lecture, he referred to the meaning of power (the ability to do what you want to do and the ability to influence others to do what you want to do) and then attached it to the recurrent issues. And said Canada has a middle power. And Canada is totally related and dependent on the United State and has a strong trade with it. The government of Canada did not involve officially in Iraq war because the people disagreed and protested, but it supported the United States military and economically anyway. And about 60% of people are opposed to involvement in Afqanistan.

The population of Canada is divided to three category including English, French and the third group which is immigrants from all around the world, like China, eastern Europeans, Pakistanis and Iranians who consist 20 thousands of the population.

Canada is even more extremist than George Bush. The reason why the government of the Canada is taking a hostile side toward Islam is that the Right party which is minority is in power, but the left party which is more moderate has been divided to three group and because of this division they cannot take a united position and win the rival in election.

He described the people of Canada generally decent and good, but asserted that it is the government that has taken a very hostility view to Islam and all of its related concepts like Iran and Hamas and Hizbollah. It supports Israel policy and has a pro- Israel policy. A Canadian journalist, Paul Martin, who had met saied Hassan Nasrollah narrated a false statement on behalf of him, that Hizbollah would attack Israel all around the world and would not confine to the geographic Israel. Then when another journalist, Ian Macdonald, asked him about the evidence of his allegation, Martin was upset and just left the interview.

The other evidence he brought to show the pro-Zionist policy of Canada was when Israel bombarded Khayam camp and the U.N headquarter in Lebanon and the major of the U.N troops, a Canadian officer, was killed. The prime minister instead of attacking the Israel had made an excuse for them and said they were defending themselves and the guilty was the major who shouldn't be in there.

Zafar also said that most of the media are influenced by Zionist lobby like Toronto Star and Toronto Son. They attack Muslims but Muslim community is well stablished and has a better position in compare to other similar organizations in the Europe.

The next day we had him in our Ethnicity class. He talked about Canadian Mosaic, i.e, different colors of people living in that country. One million out of 20 million of the population is native. They have self government but live in very bad conditions. Most of them are alcoholic and smuggling cigars.

A comparison between America and Canada, according to Bangash may lead us to these points:
In the United States you go to a melting pot but in Canada you can keep your own language, religion and culture, e.g if you want to study your own language, government would provide it for you. This is a multi cultural country that by law all ethnic groups are considered equal.
The people of Canada are more relaxed but in the America they are more tensed.

The people of America are arrogant because of the attitude of being super power but in Canada they are not so. Also the violence in American society is more than Canadian fellow.
He said that the government is interested in increasing population, so every new baby to a couple would be welcome and paid for it till 18 years.

About the language, he said all the federal organization should provide their documents both in English and French. Apart from Qubeck, Menetoba, and Novesqushia are French speaking provinces. And for encouraging students to learn French, they are provided with 500 $ to do so.
He concluded that apart from apparent hostility of the state, it is a good place to live.

The Tragedy Of A Slave Man

At 11:30 on Tuesday 6th of October, we met Imam Abdul Alim Musa in the assembly room of World Studies' faculty. He seemed friendly and I inferred that he knew some of our professors from the days of their residence in the U.S.

His way of life was different and I encouraged search about him. I found that he is "a Muslim activist and director of Masjid Al-Islam in Washington, D.C., and a member of the Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought (ICIT),"[1] "an international pro-Iranian, pro-Hezbollah Islamist think tank." [2] The magazine of this institution is Crescent International. He has founded As-Sabiqun. An organization "in Washington, D.C., and has branches in Oakland, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, and Philadelphia.The As-Sabiqun philosophy stresses unity between the various Islamic organizations in the attainment of common goals. Cooperation on domestic social issues with like-minded non-Muslim groups is also encouraged, as long as Islamic ethics and morality are not compromised. Additionally, although As-Sabiqun is a Sunni movement, they have publicly voiced support for Shi’a movements and organizations such as the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran and Hizbullah."[3]

According to the San Francisco Bay View " Alim Musa is "one of the highest-ranking Islamic leaders in the Black community, nationwide and specifically in the Islamic movement."[4]
When I got a bit familiar with him, then I could have a view of his speeches in the faculty. He spoke about Identity crisis among black people in the U.S.. He began his talking with giving a picture of slaves, packing like sardines in ships, brought to the U.S.. There all of their backgrounds were taken from them, including their religion, language and culture, then a new culture and language were introduced to them and the way of their life completely changed. Then he gave a brief summary about leaders and heroes of black people like Martin Luther King and Malcolm X.

I found some interesting points in his speech. What Abdul-Alim Musa set forth was a very important thing and that was self image. He believed as black people have accepted the assumption of the colonists about themselves, it is nearly impossible to change.
The other attractive issue to me was his perception about being minority. He said being minority does not always mean disadvantage. They may have the ability of resilience, so they can remain and reach their goals. I liked to ask him whether it is his own experience or he has conferred it from Quranic verse "Haply a little group who conquered a big group."

About political system of the U.S, he thought that it is shaped in a way that no acceptable person would be able to go up and be president. So either Obama is not a reliable person and prescribed the students not to expect that he would do a great job.

According to the Washington Post, Musa "has been trying for years to build an Islamic community [in D.C.] … that he would like to see replicated nationwide until the United States becomes an Islamic state."[5]



[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdul_Alim_Musa

[2] http://www.adl.org/main_Anti_Israel/sabiqun_anti-semitism.htm?Multi_page_sections=sHeading_3

[3] http://www.sabiqun.net/about_us.html

[4] http://www.adl.org/main_Anti_Israel/sabiqun_anti-semitism.htm?Multi_page_sections=sHeading_3

[5] http://www.islamist-watch.org/blog/2009/05/americas-punk-the-fbi-imam-gets-punked-by-britain

The United States and Internet

What can be inferred from a general survey in cyber space about the history of inventing internet is that many people assume that internet is invented in the United States. But if we wish to be a bit critic, then we should get back and have a look at the history of this modern invention.

According to John Anderson "The answer to the question of 'who invented the internet' is not a single man or company, but instead the involvement of many experts from various fields pooling their knowledge towards a common goal."[1] There is a theory that suggests the launch of Soviet Union's satellite (Sputnik I) in 1957 impulsed the U.S. to accelerate its researches. Then over the time by improvement in transferring data, "technology enabled the creation of a functioning long distance computer network. Larry G. Roberts could be labelled as one of the people who invented the internet because he built its first links: between the University of California and Stanford Research Institute in 1969. Known as ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Networks), the network was gradually expanded to link military, scientific and educational institutions all over the country. It wasn't until 1990 that the internet became available for public usage and stopped being the preserve of the government and research institutions. The development of HTML during this year meant that graphical websites started appearing and the world-wide-web started taking form into how we know it today. "[2]

Since then the usage of internet has grown day by day. Here is a sample of the growing usage of this invention from http://internetworldstats.com/emarketing.htm

Also the statistics of number of users during various years, according to same site which I have summarized it:

December, 1995
16 million
0.4 %

December, 2000
361 million
5.8 %

June, 2009
1,669 million
24.7 %

Although population of internet has a lot advantages for people but also it is its disadvantages that concerns the critics. One of this concerns is the source who supervises the internet. What can be inferred from evidences it is again the father of this creation; the U.S., as we hear the news like " *The Obama administration has just released much documentation about itsnew effort to secure cyberspace."[3]

Monopolizing this vast and great industry has worried some people. One of them is the famous blogger Cory Doctorow who has written on 6/18/2009 about his concerns about mistrust against some search engines; "This may come as a surprise, but I have a lot of sympathy with artists' rights groups and even entertainment companies that mistrust giants like Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) and Google (Nasdaq: GOOG).

Now, it's not that I hate Amazon or Google, but I do understand that they are fast becoming the intermediary between creators and audiences (and vice-versa), and that this poses a danger to everyone involved in the creative industries.

That danger is that a couple of corporate giants will end up with a buyer's market for creative works, control over the dominant distribution channel, and the ability to dictate the terms on which creative works are made, distributed, appreciated, bought, and sold.

And the danger of that is that these corporate giants might, through malice or negligence, end up screwing up the means by which the world talks to itself, carrying on its cultural discourse -- a discourse that ultimately sets the agendas for law, politics, health, climate, justice, crime, education, child-rearing, and every other important human subject."[4]



[1] http://www.catalogs.com/info/gadgets/who-invented-the-internet.html

[2] http://www.catalogs.com/info/gadgets/who-invented-the-internet.html

[3] http://www.wired.com/beyond_the_beyond/2009/06/cyberspace-is-real-declares-president-of-united-states/

[4] http://www.internetevolution.com/document.asp?doc_id=178058&

Surprise

There was our last class on that day. We were waiting for our professor to come and begin the class of "An Introduction on American Studies", but he made us surprised. We were called to go to conference room and there we met a writer and poet from the U.S. His name was Christopher Merrill. "He has published four collections of poetry including Brilliant Water and Watch Fire, for which he received the Peter I. B. Lavan Younger Poets Award from the Academy of American Poets."[1]

He also has some non- fiction books "Things of the Hidden God: Journey to the Holy Mountain (2005) and Only the Nails Remain: Scenes from the Balkan Wars (2001)"[2] , Which the latter is "A chronicle of the writer’s ten war-time journeys to the Balkans"[3]. There he talked nearly briefly about the experience of his trip to Iran. He appreciated hospitality of Iranians and liked foods. Then he talked about his city which grows 3 main things: corn, writer and something else that I didn't get.Then he answered the questions of students. Questions were in different fields, and contained a range from political questions to literary ones.What I write here is my perception from the whole talks. He said after 9/11 Americans motivated to know more about Islam, because if you don't know something you will fear more. He believed that literature of Obama is great in his books, also his team is well organized. About the invasion of America to Iraq and afqanistan, he said the first one had no reason, but the latter was always connected to Ben Laden, so it could have an excuse and justification.His answers to the different literary questions of students could be summed up that in every era, the poets and writers have responded to the needs of their own time.

[1] http://www.english.uiowa.edu/faculty/merrill/index.html

[2] http://www.christophermerrillbooks.com/

[3] . http://www.christophermerrillbooks.com/works.htm

My Concept of America

America has been a multidimensional subject. Some see it as their idol and their desire is to live there, on the other hand some hate special characteristics which are accompanied with it. I have to say that my concept is something between, I believe this country, like other countries, has advantages and disadvantages. I enjoy some of it's traits like the regulation, preserving the civilian rights, scientific progresses, the spirit of collective association, the value of work, the humanitarian groups and activities, and many other positive aspects of it. On the contrary I dislike the spirit of dictatorship which allows it to invade countries or impose its ideas through films and propaganda.

My concept of American Studies

If you are raised in a country with neutral view toward everything, you may spend your time searching your own favorits and hobbies, but if the atmosphere around you is full of extra positive or negative view toward some issue, then you may ask yourself, "ok, why others think so and say so?" It is then that a sence of curiosity ignites inside you and it will drive you toward knowing that specific issue. That curiosity leads you to go and know more about that favoured or hatred question in your mind.

The issue of America is like the situation I mentioned above. We have heard a lot of negative things about it from mass media as we have grown up. But gradually as we heard more about it during time, we found out that it is not a place full of negative things. In fact it is the politics which tries to rule its decision. so it is a need to realize who is this country which has been introduced as enemy.

Perhaps a survey of culture, politics and the people of the u.s in the faculty of North American studies would be helpful to give a wider view as we get familiar with other's attitude.