Physicians and Execution

The New England Journal of Medicine published an important editorial today, voicing its opposition to the involvement of physicians in state executions. I totally agree with the editorial, I don't think it is the role of physicians to facilitate death, whether it is in the setting of capital punishment or assisted suicide (admittedly, a separate issue). The Journal states:

Physicians and other health care providers should not be involved in capital punishment, even in an advisory capacity. A profession dedicated to healing the sick has no place in the process of execution.

The editorial was issued in response to the Supreme Court's decision to hear the case Baze v. Rees about the constitutionality of lethal injection. I am not, in theory, opposed to capital punishment for certain crimes, but I do have a problem with the way it is practiced, because I think there are racial and economic factors that allow injustice to creep too easily into the system.

It will be interesting to see how the Court rules on this important issue.

Girl Scouts - American Muslim style

Scouting helps Muslims feel closer to American society

By Neil MacFarquhar | New York Times News Service
January 2, 2008

Scouting is a way of celebrating being American without being any less Muslim, Hakeem said.

Celebrating Rumi, Islam's Poet of Peace

Celebrating Rumi, Islam's poet of peace
The Sufi mystic's message of love still reverberates on the 800th anniversary of his birth.
By Nicole Itano | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor

from the January 2, 2008 edition

In his own lifetime, Rumi attracted a wide following outside his own sect of Sufi Islam, with his message of universal love and tolerance. At his funeral, according to his biographer Mohamed el-Fers, a Greek monk said: "Mevlana was like bread. Nobody can keep himself away from needing bread. Have you ever seen a hungry man who refused to eat bread?"

Brother Ali

Brother Ali: Even for a Muslim albino rapper, he stood out

2007 was the year of his audaciously autobiographical album "The Undisputed Truth"

By CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER, Star Tribune
Last update: December 28, 2007 - 3:55 PM

Mosque Designs

An interesting article in the LA Times, discussing the architectural designs of mosques in America and England. He references a lot of architects and I've posted links to some of their works. In doing so, I came across a site called ArchNet, which features Islamic architecture around the world.

Zlatko Ugljen - White Mosque in Bosnia
Paolo Portoghesi (co-designed with Sami Mousawi) - Mosque of Rome
Ali Mangera - Abbey Mills Mosque (new architects have since been commissioned)
Islamic Society Boston Cultural Center Picture 2