Daughters of the soil (Part I) Changes in society are most sustainable when they come from within. It's more organic, addresses issues that truly matter and affects changes in a way that the society in question can relate to and absorb.

In what may be among the all time low points in American political strategy, now there is a move afoot to link Obama with Muslim ties (with the assumption that he is somehow therefore attached to terrorist interests). After all, the demonizing of all Muslims is becoming a shameful national tradition among those who find fear-mongering to be a helpful political posture.

Ramadan, the holy month in the Muslim calendar, began this week. This holy time recalls the transmission of the Qur’an, the Muslim scriptures. Ramadan is marked by prayer and daily fasting (called sawm ). Every day during the month of Ramadan, Muslims around the world get up before dawn to eat and pray. Between sunup and sundown they do not smoke, drink any liquid or eat any food. They break their fast at the fourth prayer of the day (which is said at sunset).

Pakistan and India have turned 60. On August 14 (Pakistan) and 15 (India), the two countries celebrated six decades of independence from the British (and each other, following a bloody partition).