A 'progressive' Muslim gets excited about English language - The Times of India

Abdul Hameed starts his day with half-a-dozen newspapers, four of which are in English. Later, the 25-year-old logs on to news websites and religiously watches CNN and BBC. Then he sits down to write news reports that he contributes to English news portals and magazines. He hopes that he will end up as a feature writer with an English magazine.

This is not what your standard madrassa graduate dreams of. But Hameed, an aalim (graduate) from the Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband in Uttar Pradesh, represents a modern rivulet watering the mindset of maulvis in Mumbai. In the Deoband school, English was treated like an alien tongue, the currency of the Christian West. But another organisation called Markazul Maarif Education and Research Centre (MMERC), which is devoted to Muslim upliftment, is all for linguistic freedom. In the last decade or so, MMERC's modest 'campus' — a group of rented rooms in an old building near Crawford Market (the school is moving to Jogeshwari) — has trained over 300 maulvis (including Hameed) to speak English, in order to prepare them for jobs in India and overseas. (via Words worth: Mr Maulvi's English August - India - NEWS - The Times of India).

A progressive Mussalman gets excited

Mohammed Wajihuddin is getting very excited about a few hundred 'maulvis' learning English. Possibly, he does not know that in the land of English, there are a 10,000 Muslims in prison. Seen in the light of Muslim demographics of 'Great' Britain, the picture becomes shocking.

If Muslim males between 18-45 are the 'target' population for imprisonment, then we are talking about an 'eligible population of 250,000 people - out of less than 1.6 million UK Muslims. Of then 10,000 are in prison. And yet Britain is the hotbed of Islamic terrorism in the West! So, learning English is not solution Mr.Wajihuddin! In Latin it is called a non-sequitur, Mr.Wajihuddin!

Coming to Deoband

Deoband seminary was set up after the 1857 War, as a religious institution to ‘escape’ British repression. A 75 years later, the Deoband school became famous during Independence due to its strong anti-Jinnah, anti-Partition stand. 60 years later, Mahmud Madani still talks about ‘our’ India. And the Deoband school is in the vanguard against the 'jihadi-Talibani-Wahabbi' propaganda school which is mixing brewing poison in some Muslim minds.

His interview here lays out the land very clearly – without the pussyfooting around the issues. For all those in India, who are onto the Islamic demonization route, this should make them re-think.

For starters, must consider the Indic (by both Hindus and Muslims) fight for the overthrow of British colonialism - from the 1857 War to 1947. The Deoband Seminary, Sheikh Abdullah were all popular Muslim leaders – who did not wish for or support the formation of Pakistan.

And about the root of Islamic terrorism

The problems in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Middle East have their genesis in the cynical intervention by the West – in the last 150 years. These interventions have imbalanced traditional structures – and magnified problems. The US has turned Peshawar into a military arms bazaar. CIA created these Afghan Frankensteins – in pursuit of it own imperial competition with USSR. And then the imprisonment and sidelining of the Frontier Gandhi - Pakistan.

As the 2ndlook post ‘Behind The Web of terror’, on December 17th, 2007, pointed out, the answer to the Pakistani problems in the North West tribal areas was Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan. On October 3rd, 2008, the Frontier Gandhi’s grandson was the target of suicide bomber. The terrorists are obviously worried that Khan Abdul Khan Ghaffar Khan’s sensibility may make a comeback.

The sounds of silence

Instead of making inchoate remarks about English language and linguistic freedom, stiill your mind. When you have an iota of vision, standing and success that Deoband has, then you can talk, Mr.Wajihuddin!

Till then, sit at the feet of the masters at Deoband and learn in silence.

'We needed to make a demon of Jinnah... Let's learn from our mistakes'

How seriously has India misunderstood Jinnah?

I think we misunderstood because we needed to create a demon.

We needed a demon because in the 20th century, the most telling event in the entire subcontinent was the partition of the country.

Your book reveals how people like Gandhi, Rajagopalachari and Azad could understand the Jinnah or the Muslim fear of Congress majoritarianism but Nehru simply couldn't understand. Was Nehru insensitive to this?

No, he wasn't. Jawaharlal Nehru was a deeply sensitive man.

But why couldn't he understand?

He was deeply influenced by Western and European socialist thought of those days. Nehru believed in a highly centralised polity. That's what he wanted India to be. Jinnah wanted a federal polity.

Because that would give Muslims the space?

That even Gandhi understood.

You conclude that if Congress could have accepted a decentralised federal India, then a united India, as you put it, “was clearly ours to attain”. Do you see Nehru at least as responsible for partition as Jinnah?

He says it himself. He recognised it and his correspondence, for example with the late Nawab Sahab of Bhopal, his official biographer and others. His letters to the late Nawab Sahab of Bhopal are very moving.

(via 'We needed to make a demon of Jinnah... Let's learn from our mistakes').

A 'victorious' Congress, ruling for most of the 60 years of post-colonial India, had three clear propaganda imperatives.

1 - TINA, There is no alternative

They needed to prove that it was only the Congress which could 'take on' and 'defeat' the 'glorious and the mighty' British Empire on which the sun never set. The logic went, "what could India(ns) have done without the Congress". This thinking went deeper and dirtier, when a certain Deb Kant Barooah, declared "India is Indira and Indira is India."

Fact is, that Britain was bankrupt and could not hold onto India. Fact is, that for a 150 years - from 1797-1947, many rebellions, wars, individual hits were made against the colonial British Government. The myth of non-violent Indian freedom movement, served both colonial and Congress interests. It showed the British as 'civilized' colonialists - and the Congress as 'enlightened' leadership. Just like most Western literature caricatures African-American characters as hard-working, humble, docile, placid, obedient, gentle!

2 - If you don't have an enemy, create one!

The Congress needed to create an enemy. A demon, who they could blame, use, abuse - and Pakistan fitted the bill perfectly. A failed state (!), a hotbed of terrorism - and to top it all, an Islamic State. What more could the West-Congress combine ask for?

Easily slipping into colonial legacy of 'divide et impera', the Congress went onto a disastrous foreign policy trail of Hindi-Chini bhai bhai. A solid realtionship with Pakistan would have, arguably, saved Tibet from the Chinese maws - which Nehru's foreign policy predicated.

3 - Craven desires

To gain Western approval, acceptance, favours, privileges et al.

Consider the English language policy of the post-colonial Congress Government. It has massively subsidized English education in India so that the children of the elite could 'escape' to the West. The demeaning 'population control theory', the English language education - all, a result of this need of the Congress Party.

The deliberate colonial distortion of Indian history continues unchecked and unhindered. You only have to read Congress Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh's speech at Oxford, praising the Raj, while receiving his honorary doctrate, or Chidambaram's decision to end "abject poverty" in India that he seems to "have known for 5,000 years."

Coming to the BJP

When Advani goes to Pakistan and praises Jinnah, it cannot be an accident, or a slip of the tongue. It had to be a deeply thought out, well considered move - one can say, after watching Advani for nearly 30 years now. The man does not go out and missteps so wrongly. The 'Advani-Jinnah-comments-fracas' was for media consumption - and BJP party workers. If Advani wanted to re-write history (about time too), that was one way!

And if there were any doubts, then Jaswant Singh's book, seals the argument.

PS -

1. Dutifully, within 48 hours, the BJP decided to 'expel' Jaswant Singh from the party, for his pro-Jinnah book on 19th August, 2009.


2. Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, promptly banned the book, in Gujarat. I see good sales for Jaswant's book - and rehabilitation of Jinnah in India, BJP willing.


3. On 23rd August Arun Shourie, 'tore' into the BJP leadership on the subject of Jaswant's Singh's book. India Today reported that he said, "Jaswant Singh's book is a scholarly work. It deserves to be read,", criticising the party for pulling the Jinnah remark out of context of the entire book.


4. One day later, on 24th August, KS Sudarshan, the former head of RSS weighed in on Jaswant Singh's side. It was reported that

"Jinnah had many facets. If you read history then you will come to know that Jinnah was with Lok Manya Tilak and was totally dedicated to the nation. And when Gandhi started the Khilafat movement, with the idea that currently we are opposing the British and if Muslims join in then their support will help gain independence. But at that time Jinnah opposed it saying that if the Caliph in Turkey has been dethroned, what has India got to do with it. That time nobody listened to him, which saddened him. So he quit the Congress and left for England and only returned in 1927," Sudarshan said.

Pakistan on Frontier of Fight Against Terrorism - Asif Ali Zardari - washingtonpost.com

The West, most notably the United States, has been all too willing to dance with dictators in pursuit of perceived short-term goals. The litany of these policies and their consequences clutter the earth, from the Marcos regime in the Philippines, to the Shah in Iran, to Mohammed Zia ul-Haq and Pervez Musharraf in Pakistan. Invariably, each case has proved that myopic strategies that sacrifice principle lead to unanticipated long-term consequences. (via Asif Ali Zardari - Pakistan on Frontier of Fight Against Terrorism - washingtonpost.com).

December 17, 2007

More than 18 months ago, the 2ndlook blog, traced the source of all terror in the modern world to the very door-step of the US of A.

In today’s world, behind all terror you will similarly see another baleful influence. No, it is not Osama bin Laden. The source of modern terrorism is the USA. (Decemeber 17th 2007 - from Behind The Web Of Terror).

October 6, 2008

The 2ndlook blog did a Quicktake on the commendable, new Pakistani attitude - best represented by Asif Ali Zardari.

Zardari’s vision (first time, during an interview on Times Now), was for a Pakistan which would serve as a facilitator for good Indo-China relations on one hand – and a Pakistan that is ‘lucky’ to share common borders with the world’s two emerging economies – India and China.

This is the kind of vision that India-China and Pakistan must share and work with. Of course, India needs to be motivated by these statements on one side! On the other India must keep consolidating gains at each step. We cannot let paranoia come between us – and blind faith in human goodwill, blind us to realities of Pakistani politics.

After all, Musharraf did a Kargil after the Lahore Accord – and Zardari questioned the validity of a signed agreement. (from A New Beginning! by 2ndlook).

We must take up Zardari's offer

Zardari's most valuable statement is an echo of Indic values was made to Pakistani bureaucrats, "For power to be effectively used for long lasting public good, it must be dispersed as widely as possible''. It is America and Britain which created the border problems, funded and armed these countries and stoked the rivalries.

Hillary Clinton on Humanitarian Aid to Pakistan - The White House, Press Office

it is fair to say that our policy toward Pakistan over the last 30 years has been incoherent. I don't know any other word to use. We came in in the '80s and helped to build up the Mujahideen to take on the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. The Pakistanis were our partners in that. Their security service and their military were encouraged and funded by the United States to create the Mujahideen in order to go after the Soviet invasion and occupation.

The Soviet Union fell in 1989, and we basically said, thank you very much; ... Their democracy was not secure and was constantly at risk of and often being overtaken by the military, which stepped in when it appeared that democracy could not work.

And so I think that when we ask that question it is fair to apportion responsibility to the Pakistanis, but it's also fair to ask ourselves what have we done and how have we done it over all of these years, and what role do we play in the situation that the Pakistanis currently confront.

... our new approach toward Pakistan is qualitatively different than anything that has been tried before. ... we support the democratically elected government, but we have to have a relationship where we are very clear and transparent with one another; where we have the kind of honest exchanges that have come out of our trilateral meetings, where we're sitting across the table and we're saying, what do you intend to do about what we view as an extremist threat to your country, which by the way, also threatens us.

... it is our responsibility to support the democratically elected government, to be a source of advice and counsel where requested, but also to step in with aid that can try to make this government as successful as possible in delivering results for the people of Pakistan. (via The White House - Press Office - Briefing by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Humanitarian Aid to Pakistan).

So much excitement ...

Is admission of 'truth' something that merits a celebration? Does obfuscation and cover-ups for the last 50 years, get 'white-washed' by an admission of 'guilt' - and a some paltry million dollars in 'aid' - outlined many times in many 2ndlooks and Quicktakes?

The Indian media is agog with this 'story'! And a section of the US media is worried about what all Hillary will 'admit'?

Not what the US does - but what will Pakistan do ...

That is important.

Will the Pakistan nation take charge. Will the Pakistani establishment ‘admit' the truth. Will they remove the cobwebs of self delusion? There is some ambivalence in Pakistan about their attitude towards India.

Modern Pakistan

The Pakistan nation is actually 5 parts – The army, the ISI, the politicians, the 22 families and then there are the rest. Some may want to add the fundamentalist clergy as the sixth element. And now there are fringe terrorist groups – like LeT also on this list. Mahbub ul Haq’s “22 families” speech in Karachi in 1968 highlighted the power and wealth of a few families in Pakistan.

No one in Pakistan talks to anyone. Each has contempt for the other four. And all five have separate agenda.

With Or Without The West

For 60 years, India has grown steadily - slowly, and in spite of the West.

India’s defense production, its nuclear program or its space program and its India’s software success are homegrown. As are its successes in industry, stockmarkets, education, films and television programming, its democracy and the rise of its middle class. In the nuclear industry, India’s thorium approach to nuclear energy design will possibly open new realms in nuclear arena. At various times, when India has been stuck, it has been the West that has pushed India further into a corner. Even in matters of foodgrain, when India was a user of PL-480 grain. Or for instance, the Kaveri jet engine or the cryogenic engines.

While our Manubhai is chasing the chimera of Western approval and panting and drooling to ’sit at the high table in the global comity of nations,’ the back yard, Manubhai is burning.

And Pakistan should possibly learn this one thing from India.

India’s Pakistan Fixation

Of course, the Indian part of the equation needs looking at, also.

September 11th, 2008. US President George Bush permitted US troops to take offensive actions against its ally, Pakistan – in the US War against terror! Indian news channels were elated – and it must have taken Arnab Goswami (of Times Now) a lot of self-restraint not to do a gig. It took 4 generations of Indian (and now part of Pakistan) leaders to throw out the West from the sub-continent. 60 years later, India is celebrating the return of the West, to the sub-continent. The most potent symbol of this is India’s Pakistan Fixation.

The Pakistan Fixation is a a cover-up of India’s laziness or lack of resolve. I don’t really believe that Pakistan has the focus or the persistence to do half the things that India imagines Pakistan is doing. In the last 20 years, India has lowered its guard – and has become further fixated on the Pakistan bogey. The Pakistan Fixation hides Indian ineptness at confronting the root of Pakistani problem – USA, amongst others.

Western Adventurism - The Imperative

Without slavery, the West does not enjoy the manpower edge that it had till 1900. The loss of colonies from 1900-1950 has taken away the resource base and captive markets for Western dominance. Now with the collapse of Bretton Woods, the opacity in financial systems is diminished. The welfare state has put a significant burden on an aging Western population.

With fading prowess on one side, and a resurgent Asia on the other, the US and EU are now at the cross roads. Is the West prepared to quietly fade away in the sunset?

Unlikely.

What Have We Achieved

60 years on, there is nothing to show for these border disputes. Dutifully, the Indians, Pakistanis and the Chinese glare at each other – over colonial border issues. These border issues are less than peripheral to our nations. We have allowed the past to hold our future as a hostage.

The past is extracting a ransom that we cannot afford to pay. Let us recognize our past for what it is – empty ballast that is dragging us down. Having achieved nothing on this front for the last 60 years, why do we wish to continue down that path? We need to see that going downhill is always easier than climbing the Himalayas.

The Detritus

As various colonial powers were forced out of various colonies, left behind was the garbage of colonialism. This post-colonial debris has become the ballast, that is dragging down many newly de-colonized countries.

Vietnam suffered from a prolonged war (1956-1976) – and finally peace had a chance after 20 years of war. Korea remains divided. The Cyprus problem between Turkey, Greece and the Cypriots has been simmering for nearly 100 years. The role of the Anglo Saxon Bloc, in Indonesia, the overthrow of Sukarno, installation of Suharto and finally the secession of East Timor is another excellent example. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict (1935 onwards) will soon enter its 75th year. The entire Arab-Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a creation of the Anglo-French-American axis. The many other issues in the West Asia and Africa are living testimony of the Western gift to the modern world.

Closer home is the Kashmir problem. After 60 years of negotiations, India-Pakistan relations have remained hostage to the Kashmir issue. Similarly, between China and India, the border issues remain 60 years after the eviction of Britain from India.

India and Pakistan must remember that the Pakistani armies and the Indian armies at the time of the 1948 Indo-Pak War, were under the command of British Generals. India’s Governor General , in 1948 was Mountbatten, who was removed after this mischief was done.

Pakistan special effects

Things become more difficult when leaders like Asif Ali Zardari dismiss written agreements with his coalition partners, PML (N) headed by Nawaz Sharf, claiming agreements were not”holy like the holy Koran.” Or when General Musharraf starts a Kargil War with a rogue army that is no longer under the command of the civilian authority.

2ndlooks and Quicktakes on Pakistan

Pakistan – a nation in fidayeen mode?

What should India’s counter terrorism plan look like …

Mumbai Massacre – The real blame and real culprits

India’s Pakistan Fixation

Terrorists And Counterfeit Indian Currency

For More Than 60 Years …

Indo Pak Relations – What Will It Take

India Lowers Guard

New Empire Builders – Neo-Cons Sneaking In

The Carving Of The Middle East

British Empire & The Anglo Saxon Bloc

Behind The Web Of Terror

Reclaiming America’s Soul - NYTimes.com

For the fact is that officials in the Bush administration instituted torture as a policy, misled the nation into a war they wanted to fight and, probably, tortured people in the attempt to extract “confessions” that would justify that war. And during the march to war, most of the political and media establishment looked the other way.

For the fact is that officials in the Bush administration instituted torture as a policy, misled the nation into a war they wanted to fight and, probably, tortured people in the attempt to extract “confessions” that would justify that war. And during the march to war, most of the political and media establishment looked the other way.

It’s hard, then, not to be cynical when some of the people who should have spoken out against what was happening, but didn’t, now declare that we should forget the whole era — for the sake of the country, of course. (via Op-Ed Columnist - Reclaiming America’s Soul - NYTimes.com).

Paul Krugman in his true and real colours

I liked this Op-Ed peice by Paul Krugman. It shows him in his best colours - as a hypocrite, psuedo-moralist, with patently false concerns.

His concern is about the use of torture or 3rd degree methods, in a nation that "used to be, a nation of moral ideals". He wants to do this "not just for the sake of our position in the world, but for the sake of our own national conscience".

Much before the elections it was clear that all the three candidates were on the same side. Their wrangling was all a wrangling for the spoils of power.

A simple question?

Who exactly did the US of A use torture against? Reading Krugman, you cannot ever make-out that the victims were NOT American citizens.

Squeamish, or evasive? Or just a plain affliction of false delicacy? Krugman, you are not being escapist, are you? No "I" word at all. God forbid, but Krugman does not mention, not once - Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Islam, Muslim. Not even once. Good fer ya, Paul!

Krugman signing off ...

what we really should do for the sake of the country is have investigations both of torture and of the march to war. These investigations should, where appropriate, be followed by prosecutions — not out of vindictiveness, but because this is a nation of laws. We need to do this for the sake of our future. For this isn’t about looking backward, it’s about looking forward — because it’s about reclaiming America’s soul.

Says Krugman!

I dont know much about 'investigations,' 'America's Soul,' or 'the nations of laws' - but what I know is that the Rest of the World should do something about a rampant American gone horribly wrong.

And the answers are simple

Just do two things.

Go out and buy gold. If all the readers of this blog bought one kg of gold, the US dollar (and all other paper currency systems) will crash. Phoooos! Yes that the sound of escaping air from the punctured dollar.

Second!

Just stop drinking Pepsi and Coke - and dont step into a McDonald's. If Coke and Pepsi sales in China, India, Brazil and Russia collapsed, it will start a domino effect.

Just this!

Church goes on damage control

The powerful Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) headquartered in New Delhi and the Archbishop's house in Mumbai are both going ahead with clarifications on the issue.

Cardinal Vithayathil's controversial remarks came at a ceremony recently to mark the publication of his biography, Straight from the Heart, in Kochi. Catholic circles point out that the timing of the news reports, during the Lok Sabha elections, has led to concern among the clergy. Cardinal Vithayathil is president of CBCI. (via Church goes on damage control - India - The Times of India).

The Vatican is a Nation

An Indian Cardinal is well within his rights, as an individual, to advice his followers, on political matters . But the representative body of the foreign country, the Vatican, which administers, the Catholic religion in India, cannot interfere in political matters. How welcome would be political fatwas from the association of holy mosques of Middle East be in Europe, Your Holiness?

The Indian Government allows a foreign Government, like the Vatican, to interfere in the political matters of India? What gives the religious representative of the Holy See, the right to advice Indian Christians, on political matters? Would the Indian Government accept if the Association of Ayatollahs, Muftis and Imams were to issue political fatwas to Indian Muslims …! Would the EU accept Association of Ayatollahs, Muftis and Imams giving political advice to 10 million Muslims in Europe? His Holiness would see crimson …

It is this interference in religious practices of Indians that makes the missionaries suspect, in Indian eyes. Now it is political advice also. What further aggravates the Indian is the apparent disinterest by the Indian Government in such meddling by foreign authorities in the lives of Indians! And then to listen to them teaching us about religious tolerance …?

How can any foreign organization, interfere in temporal matters of India.

In India, we must clearly eliminate all ‘foreign authority’ - which is implicit with religious freedom. The same Pope will of course not allow such a freedom to any foreign religious authority, in any Catholic country - to believers in any other religion. You have only to look at Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the last decade.

The saga continues

And what is the Indian Government doing? Siesta Manubhai …

How the US dismembered Pakistan

The division of Pakistan has unfortunately legitimised the rule and role of two institutions in the politics of Pakistan; its religious extremists and its army and can be seen as a consequence of the US engagement with Pakistan post 9/11.

To understand this situation and the initial US response, we must deconstruct the ‘war on terror’ policy of the US and analyse one of its key components: the engagement of the US with its ally Gen Pervez Musharraf. This engagement was political as it had the effect of demoralising the democratic presence in Pakistan. (via When the US dismembered Pakistan- Opinion-The Economic Times).

Excellent analysis of how the US and the West is creator of the Pakistani Frankenstein!

Casting the U.S. as Parent in a Teenage World - Thomas P. M. Barnett - NYTimes.com

“It took us 89 years to free the slaves and 189 years to guarantee African-Americans the right to vote,” he writes. “Women waited 144 years before earning suffrage. If a mature, multiparty democracy was so darn easy, everybody would have one.” (via Review of Book - ‘Great Powers’ by Thomas P. M. Barnett - Casting the U.S. as Parent in a Teenage World - NYTimes.com).

Maybe, Mr.Barnett, before you build a case for more intervention by the 'adult' US in the lives of immature Rest, he should look at the American record again!

The writer forgets how the disenfranchisement laws still work in the US. The disenfranchisement laws came into effect by the 1890’s - that continue till today. This ensured that the disproportionate numbers of Blacks could not vote - and George Bush became the President of the USA for the 2nd time. After some 60,000 Black Voters were disenfranchised, George Bush technically, won by less than 1000 votes (most of the disenfranchised voters were expected to vote against George Bush).

Or that in the Police Republic of The US has the largest number of people in prisons - disproportionately African Americans. USA, with a population of 30 crores (300 million), has a criminal population of 70 lakhs (7 million) - behind bars, on probation or on parole. US Government estimates a figure of 20 lakhs (2 million) people serving prison sentences.

Though US women have the vote, they cannot elect their own. Where is the US woman as a President?

Though, maybe the reviewer may be right, when the reviewer claims in the closing line, “it is hard to disagree with his ... observation that “the world desperately wants America back.”

Especially looking at the Middle East, that US propaganda may be working. Maybe, the Middle East does want its Unca Sam fix.

Or that Indians may want 'freedom' - US style.

Euro Zone Adds Slovakia, excludes Turkey - WSJ.com

To the sound of midnight fireworks and pealing church bells, Slovakia joined the euro zone, putting it under the shared currency's protective umbrella amid a world financial downpour _ and underscoring the former Soviet bloc nation's economic progress.

The small alpine nation on Thursday became the 16th country to adopt the euro, a European Union project which also celebrates its 10th birthday this New Year's Day. With Slovakia, the currency will be used by 330 million people with an annual gross domestic product of more than four trillion euros ($5.6 trillion). (via Euro Zone Adds Slovakia As Its 16th Country - WSJ.com).

For 10 years, Turkey has been struggling to join the EU - and they have been given a 10 year time table, after which they may be able to join the EU. In the meantime, two-bit countries like Slovakia has been fast-tracked into the EU.

Any guesses, why?

Did I hear anyone say Islam?

Bank Funding of Christianity in USA - WSJ.com

Some lenders believe more churches than ever have fallen behind on loans or defaulted this year. Some churches, and at least one company that specialized in church lending, have filed for bankruptcy. Church giving is down as much as 15% in some places, pastors and lenders report.

The financial problems are crimping a church building boom that began in the 1990s, when megachurches multiplied, turning many houses of worship into suburban social centers complete with bookstores, gyms and coffee bars. Lenders say mortgage applications are down, while some commercial lenders no longer see churches as a safe investment. (via In Hard Times, Houses of God Turn to Chapter 11 in Book of Bankruptcy - WSJ.com).

This is something that is beyond comprehension (at least mine). The US Govt., the Anglo Saxon bloc, specifically claims, (and the West in general) that it does not 'support' any religion.

By routing money through the Federal Reserve, (through excessive printing by 'Helicopter Ben') to the banks, does maintain the argument of separation between the State and the Church. But then, why cavil when the Saudi Government supports Wahabbist Islam?

Though one thing is clear - I cannot imagine going to an Indian bank for a loan to build a Hindu temple. I can hear hoots of raucous laughter - and screams of merriment. More ominously, I can hear bank managers making phone calls to the nearest mental hospital.

Western leaders turn to Catholicism ... What gives ...?

For centuries the monarch has constitutionally been the supreme governor of Church in England, the main emblems of establishment. Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, suggested that he could see a day when the British monarch is removed as head of the Church of England. It would not be "the end of the world" if the Church of England was "disestablished," he told the 'New Statesman' magazine. (via Labour party mulls ouster of Queen from Church of England).

A trial balloon ...?

Sometime back another trial balloon was floated - when,

Justice Minister Jack Straw said in March that the government was “certainly ready to consider” reviewing the “antiquated” ban on Catholic monarchs.

The Bill of Rights 1688, the Act of Settlement 1700 and the Act of Union 1706 state rules, that the monarch must be a Protestant, and any royal who marries a Catholic is barred from the line of succession. (from’Britain mulls allowing Catholic monarchs: report in Hindustan Times).

Conversion of Western political leaders to Catholicism ...

What was the reason for Tony Blair to convert to Catholicism? Is that ‘dog-whistle’ religiosity with a unified Christian army against the ‘evil forces of Islamic Fundamentalists?’ Jeb Bush, brother of George Bush has already converted to Catholicism - and will George Bush follow?

Daniel Burke writes Washington Post thus,

Bush attends an Episcopal church in Washington and belongs to a Methodist church in Texas, and his political base is solidly evangelical. Yet this Protestant president has surrounded himself with Roman Catholic intellectuals, speechwriters, professors, priests, bishops and politicians. These Catholics — and thus Catholic social teaching — have for the past eight years been shaping Bush’s speeches, policies and legacy to a degree perhaps unprecedented in U.S. history.

The British split from the Roman Church was definitely a political move. The Vatican's refusal to grant Henry VIII's a divorce was itself a political decision.

Is this another political decisions? What is the political logic behind this decision?