Posted on 10/16/2006 9:31:00 AM PDT by Valin
In light of the desecration of the image of Islam by fanatical groups who completely deviate off its following, it comes as a pleasant relief to see a graceful and virtuous example of a true Muslim. Those were my thoughts when I watched the news in which Muhammed Yunus and his Grameen Bank were being jointly awarded the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. Born in 1940 in Bangladesh, Muhammed Yunus was a university professor who taught economics, and was the pioneer behind the innovative model [micro-credit lending schemes] where the economy is put to its best use to serve the poor. Introducing a unique prototype for microfinance, he established what has come to be known as the poor people's bank – an idea that took shape after watching his mother never sending away those stricken by poverty from their doorstep. This strengthened and formed his personal conviction that everyone should have a mission in life.
After graduating, he tried to assist 42 women, giving them interest-free personal loans, and without setting a return date for repaying the loan. Succeeding at his experiment, he approached banks and tried to get support for the idea, however the central bank and the commercial banks ridiculed him saying that the poor do not deserve support. Later, he personally borrowed a loan and distributed it among a group of 500 families, and once again, his experiment saw an overwhelming success.
In 1979 the central bank adopted his idea and the Grameen Bank was born, literally ‘village’ bank. The experiment soon expanded to include other areas, raising the bank’s employees to 59,000 people in 1983, servicing in 86 branches. During this time, Muhammed Yunus decided to end his academic career and dedicate himself to this unique economic innovation. A remarkable experiment, the crux of its principles and values guarantee the poor the right for a decent life, enabling them and necessitating their right to borrow money equally and justly while creating suitable conditions for the needy to be able to help themselves. Moreover, the system emphasizes the belief that improving the living conditions for poor families can also be achieved through improving the status of women, empowering them to be a productive and an active work force, including utilizing domestic skills to provide income. This extraordinary paradigm saw the world's admiration and was implemented successfully and with positive results in more than one country such as in the United States, the Philippines, Bolivia, Malaysia, Peru and Tanzania.
Muhammed Yunus epitomizes the civility of the true face of Islam, embodying the religion’s humane quality and its compassionate attitude that creates opportunities for others to help them lead a decent life. This is a far cry from the practices of some people in the Arab world who do not help others and can only offer unkindness and cause strife. Muhammed Yunus has gone against that reality to become a positive figure who respects his place in the world, recognizing man’s role to develop the earth as God's representative without heeding the voices that undermined or lacked faith in his ideas. We offer our sincerest congratulations to Muhammed Yunus, a wonderful role model for Muslims, and someone who has restored hope to millions of youth in desperate search of a role model to respect and admire.
TAQQIYA! TAQQIYA! TAQQIYA!
There. I summed up the opposition argument which will be coming in about 3 seconds.
Yep, he's a Muslim, and therefore cannot be believed.
No, my argument is KUQQUIYA, BURRUIYA, PUPPUIYA. What's opposition?
One Muslim makes not a majority me thinks.
That's interesting, I just wrote up a paper about this guy for my Microeconomics class last quarter. He has quite some amazing accomplishments in his microcredit banks. And for Muslim, most of his credit is provided to women (which he's received trouble over from his Mulsim brothers).
Perhaps not, but just as there was the Protestant Reformation, there can be a Moslem Reformation.
And, when ou get right down to it, the Old Testament includes some pretty harsh stuff. IF we can develop beyond that, maybe there's hope for the Moslems.
You're absolutly right. That's why the entire Islamic world has flocked to OBLs banner.
145. Yunus, M.:
Grameen - Eine Bank für die Armen der Welt, Lübbe, 1999
[Yunus, M.: Grameen - a bank for the poor. Grameen Bank. Dhaka,1986]
http://www.globalmarshallplan.org/
These pages were removed from the GMP website. I saved them 2 years ago. I have much more. This is but a snippet.
Executive Summary: Considerations on a Global Marshall Plan
As a consequence of rapid globalization, the world is in a difficult situation. Global growth dynamics are sizable, and the rate of innovations is higher than ever. But at the same time, the worldwide situation concerning the environment, poverty and distribution issues, as well as the balance between cultures, becomes increasingly unsustainable. It was against this background that the Initiative for World Peace, Sustainability and Equity (www.initiative-weltfrieden.org) started the campaign "Global Marshall Plan", which aims at changing this unfavorable situation. The reflections on the topic have been inspired by Al Gore’s "Earth in the Balance” [35], Mikhail Gorbachev’s "My Manifesto for the Earth“ [34], Hans Küng’s "World Ethos“ [62], the document
"Crossing the Divide. Dialogue among Civilizations“ initiated by Kofi Annan[3], and by the Earth Charter [117].
All of these comprehensive reflections and positions contain crucial points of orientation and organizing principles for the positioning of the Initiative for a Marshall Plan for the World. In the Initiative’s view, the already globalized economy has to be provided with an adequate global organizing frame for the markets, working towards World Peace, equity and sustainability and allowing for the realization of an open society
[109].
Today, the contrary is the case. Our long-term perspective is an Eco-Social World Market Economy [87,93] which links markets and competition to high standards ensuring the welfare of all human beings. Key to reaching a consensus on such standards - and at the same time, to overcome worldwide
poverty - are adequately framed co-financing measures provided by the rich countries for the benefit of the poor.
This requires that in return, the developing countries prove willing to adopt respective standards despite having to give up current competitive advantages. In particular better
standards implicate better governance structures in these countries, i.e. improved local governance.
The approach pursued here corresponds to the logic behind the EU enlargement processes, but also to that of the US Marshall Plan for Europe after World War II.That a
respective step is taken for the entire world is deemed urgent and long-overdue by the initiators of the campaign, especially with regard to the incidents of September 11, 2001, the obvious problems encountered by the current US policy, e.g. in Iraq, the devastations on global financial markets and the „Bubble“ of the New Economy, the increasing environmental problems and the ever more apparent collision of cultures resulting from an insufficiently regulated
Globalization of the Economy.
The aim of the Initiative is that the EU convenes an advisory board after the EU parliamentary elections in summer 2004, due to develop a respective position the EU
can adopt as its strategy for future World Summits, and as its vision for the future of the globe. A Marshall Plan for the World is regarded as an intermediate step towards a
worldwide Eco-Social Market Economy.
The material goal currently pursued is the implementation of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (www.un.org/millenniumgoals/) until 2015, which have gained broad international approval. The funding requirements are based on analysis by the United Nations (Zedillo Report,www.un.org/reports/financing/full_report.pdf), on the
European position expressed by British Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown for the World Summit Rio+10 in Johannesburg 2002
[www.globalpolicy.org/socecon/ffd/2002/1216brown.htm], as well as on the analysis G. Soros provides in his pursuit of an open society (Open Society Initiatives, G. Soros, www.soros.org) [109].
The Muslims need good modern role models. Instead of blaming the plight of the poor on the Western infidels and Jews, he's actually doing something about it.
And making a profit, too. Gotta love capitalism.
About sums up some FReepers' position. The people espousing for independence of thought, freedom of religion, and the doctrine of presumed innocence all drop these ideals when the dreaded M people or I religion comes a knocking.
No longer are they humans. They are Borg. No longer is it okay to pray a certain direction. The "moderate" ones only want to ship all of them home (regardless of where the hell home actually is) or harass them with pork bits and intimidating their religious leaders. The more, ahem, strident ones are calling for liberal usage of nuclear missiles, detention centers, death squads, and gas chambers. And of course, EVERYONE is guilty of the crime of Jihad by virtue of being in the same religion. Everything is deception, backstabbing, conquests, or oppression. Every action is suspect even though too many have given the ultimate sacrifice, some even from our own soil. Every word is Taqqiya even when Muslims blow the lid open on terror plots, jihadist orgs, and deception by slimy jihadis pretending to be one of the good guys.
For God's sake, it's a veritable jihad in Thailand. I can absolutely assure you, neither my mom, my cousins, or my friends are wearing burkas.
Next thing you know, some poor Imam will get the snot beat out of him and they'll stand up and cheer.
Oh, wait....
Ain't collective guilt grand?
Sounds like an Arab fruit salad. I'm game. :)
Sounds to me like Christianity.
What in the name of HaShem is Taqqiya and why do you sound so agitated. This could be an interestin subject to discuss but you scare people away with the words nobody understands and intensity of your expostulations.
Taqqiya is a sanction allowed by the Quran for Muslims to lie to safeguard Islam. It's a caveat of sorts because normally lying is a sin. In case of persecution, they can lie and say they are not Muslims and remain right with God.
Unfortunately, it is a tool used by Jihadis to hide themselves among the good/neutral guys and a bludgeon for some people to condemn the words and actions of all Muslims as mercenary or committed for ulterior motives, no matter how noble these actions are.
That is precisely why you can not trust a Muslim. If he is true to the scripture, his duty is to convert, enslave or kill Infidels; he will lie to do so.
If he is true to the scripture, his duty is to convert, enslave or kill Infidels; he will lie to do so.
Really? Then someone really should tell the members of (say) the Iraqi Army this. The problem is what you say does nit jibe with the real world.
Islam is run by Social psychopaths that are Comedians..
With followers that are social psychopaths with no sense of humor..
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