This Week's Post

USAID wins fight against book bans

By
Image
I don’t think Michela Wrong was comparing me to the devil (or at least I hope not). But I was responsible for helping an accomplished author distribute a book, helping her to let go, and as a bonus, having her eat crow!  What Other People Said "[Galeeb] was already hard at work, pulling together a multi-pronged distribution operation to bypass a gagged retail industry… As a devout atheist and hardened aid sceptic, I’m aware of the acute irony of being thus beholden both to the churches of Kenya and a US development agency. But I’m happy to eat crow. My critics will no doubt mutter darkly about CIA plots, but I wouldn’t mind if the Devil himself wanted to distribute It’s Our Turn to Eat. I am rather more concerned about the agenda of those who were determined to ensure no Kenyan ever got to read a book on sale across the globe. But knowing that 5,200 copies of my book—for that is what it will be—have reached the wananchi will allow me to let go." Source: Michela Wrong, “Advent...
Post a Comment

America Just Did The Right Thing (as I asked for in December)

By

On December 9, 2024, I published this post that was really focused on whether or not America would do the right thing and allow Syria to reboot. This week, I am excited and proud to acknowledge that America set off in the direction I was hoping for.

We have begun the complex process of lifting four decades of sanctions and gulf states have offered to pay off some of Syria's debt.


Image designed by freepik.com

What I said in December:

Title: Mistakes: Can we correct, repent, offer reparations, and remember?
Today I explore whether we can and do forgive past leaders for their mistakes.

“The American administration made many mistakes against other peoples. Will every American citizen, every American soldier be asked: “Why were you with them? Why were you with them?” He will respond, saying that there was an administration, and there were inherent circumstances unique to this time and place that imposed on me to be here. Administrations are making bad decisions. The American people cannot all bear the responsibility.” Foreign Leader, 2021

What I think

Unfortunately, as individuals, communities, and nations, we make mistakes—only God is perfect. Sometimes, hopefully, we acknowledge them, learn from them, and take meaningful steps to repent, make amends, and remember. The alternative is to ignore and forget, to follow the ostrich policy. 

I don’t enjoy visiting the Washington State Fairgrounds. The venue proudly boasts on its website, “The Washington State Fair Events Center is the largest event center in the state. The event center produces five signature events annually, including the end-of-summer 20-day Washington State Fair, one of the largest in the country.”

But this site only reminds me of a terrible mistake in U.S. history. In 1942, during World War II, we forcibly interned over 7,000 American Japanese from the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. This was part of the broader internment program authorized by President Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066 and reinforced by Congress through Public Law 503. After several months, these individuals were moved to camps in Idaho, where they remained for up to three years. 

In 1944, the Supreme Court upheld the internment of American Japanese in Korematsu v. United States. The majority opinion argued that Executive Order 9066 was not based on racial prejudice but rather on a perceived strategic need to protect the U.S.—particularly the West Coast, the region closest to Japan—from the threat of invasion. Justice Frankfurter concurred, stating that the “martial necessity arising from the danger of espionage and sabotage” justified the military’s evacuation orders. (source: oyez.org).

I agree with the foreign leader quoted above; as an American citizen, I cannot bear personal responsibility for the mistakes of any current or past administration. This perspective aligns with the sentiment expressed by both Congress and the President in 1988, when they passed and enacted the Civil Liberties Act—44 years after the internments. 

The purposes of this Act are to— (1) acknowledge the fundamental injustice of the evacuation, relocation, and internment of United States citizens and permanent resident aliens of Japanese ancestry during World War II; (2) apologize on behalf of the people of the United States for the evacuation, relocation, and internment of such citizens and permanent resident aliens”, Public Law 100-383, Civil Liberties Act, August 10, 1988.


Congress took a significant step in publicly acknowledging the government’s grave mistake. The Civil Liberties Act also established a public education fund to ensure that future generations would learn about the internment. Additionally, it offered $20,000 in restitution to individuals of Japanese ancestry who were interned.

When signing the bill, President Reagan emphasized its historical importance, stating, “Here we admit a wrong; here we reaffirm our commitment as a nation to equal justice under the law.” Two years later, President George H.W. Bush, in sending reparations payments and letters of apology to survivors, reiterated this sentiment, recognizing that nothing could fully compensate for past mistakes:

"A monetary sum and words alone cannot restore lost years or erase painful memories; neither can they fully convey our resolve to rectify injustice and uphold the rights of individuals. We can only hope that in some small way, this redress will underscore our commitment to liberty and justice for all."


Today, a permanent exhibition can be found at the Washington State Fairgrounds. 


During the same period, the U.S. also interned Italian American and German American, though fewer in number and less well known. In 2000, the U.S. apologized to Italian American when President Clinton signed the Wartime Violation of Italian American Civil Liberties Act. Unfortunately, German American, have yet to receive a similar acknowledgement or apology.

Why should you care:

When we confront our past mistakes, we must either acknowledge, correct, repent, provide reparations, remember or ignore and forget. Let me know what you think we have done in each of the following cases: 

American Japanese, Italian, and German WWII internments, American Indian boarding school policy, Slavery, Abu Ghraib, U.S. missile attack of an Iranian Air passenger plane in 1988 that killed 280 passengers; invasion of Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti, or the Philippines?

The quote I opened with is from Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, who led the surprise revolution that toppled former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Let us see what and how he responds to his own past mistakes as he attempts to facilitate Syria's recovery. 

References:


What do others say? "Galeeb Kachra truly is one of a kind. A unique combination of optimism, can-do determination and relentless energy, he has the wiliness and moral integrity required to shake up sclerotic systems and sweep away logjams." (Michela Wrong, 2021)

Comments

  1. GaleebMarch 16, 2025 at 12:47 PM

    Update March 15: “President Trump has filed a presidential action invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a seldom-used law that gives the president authority to detain or deport nationals of an enemy nation during wartime. It's only the fourth time in American history a president has used the act — and the first since World War II.“
    https://www.npr.org/2025/03/15/nx-s1-5246028/trump-alien-enemies-act-tren-de-aragua-deportation

    ReplyDelete
  2. Galeeb June 30, 2025 at 8:48 PM

    And on June 30, 2025, the President issued the Executive Order terminating sanctions. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/06/providing-for-the-revocation-of-syria-sanctions/

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Please comment on the post or propose another topic for me to articulate my thoughts.

Popular posts

Obituary. USAID (1961-2025). An Introspection and Prediction

By
Image
I mourn USAID the way we knew it. The agency that I worked for a decade has essentially disappeared, with only a fraction of it reincarnated and subsumed into the State Department. I empathize with all my former USAID colleagues, contractors, grantees, sub-grantees, recipients, project beneficiaries, vendors, and suppliers in the United States and around the world. All of you are economically and emotionally harmed. The battle will ensue in the Courts and in the end, Congress will have no choice but to act (see my January 4 post explaining this locus of power). The next incarnation of US Foreign Assistance will be skinny, laser-focused, more intertwined with U.S. Peace and Security, and obviously A.I.-driven. Disclaimer: the views expressed in this post are solely my own, published under my first amendment rights, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Government or any of its current or former federal agencies. What Other People Say Designed by  Freepik “Aft...
Read more

Should Muslims have a Christmas Tree?

By
“Galeeb, with your background in Islamic Studies, please explain to my spouse why we, as Muslims, should not be putting up a Christmas tree and celebrating Xmas.”  What Do I Think I used to inwardly wince when I saw decorated Christmas trees in the homes of my western Muslim friends or family. Sure, to each their own—but can you explain why you are bringing a core symbol of a Christian religious holiday into your home? Do you also celebrate the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday ? Is your tree reflecting your religious beliefs, or is it driven by social, cultural, national, or capitalist norms? I am a firm believer in intentionality. Act and speak with explicit intention—understand “what” and “why” behind your actions, articulate your reasoning to yourself and others, and remain steadfast in your beliefs. Thus, when someone asked me to explain why a Christmas tree should not belong in a Muslim household, I had to pause. My gut reaction would not suffice; I needed to validate it with logic...
Read more

My US military encounters with women of Djibouti

By
Image
  Djibouti is not a country commonly known to the average person—unless they, or someone close to them, is a United States military service member. Nestled in the Horn of Africa, this small nation left a lasting imprint on my heart when I deployed there in September 2023. A Glimpse into Djibouti A former French colony, Djibouti has a population of approximately 994,974 people. The nation is 94% Sunni Muslim, with minorities practicing Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism. Its ethnic composition includes 60% Somali, 35% Afar, and 5% other groups, such as Yemeni Arabs, French, Ethiopians, and Italians. While the Afar people speak Saho-Afar, a Cushitic language, Djibouti’s official languages are French and Arabic. As of 2024, women comprised 50.39% of the population and the men comprise 45.30%. During my deployment, I was eager to understand Djibouti’s society and culture. As a Muslim woman, deeply invested in supporting and educating women worldwide, I longed to learn about ...
Read more

Federal Workers Are People Too

By
Image
I was released from the federal workforce twice in the past 2 months. How did this happen? Thoughts and musings from a federal employee who technically doesn't have a job. DISCLAIMER: This is the experience and views of myself alone, published under my first amendment rights. It does not reflect the beliefs or views of any one federal agency nor the United States Government as a whole.  What Other People Say " A majority (56%) say government is “almost always wasteful and inefficient,” while 46% say it often does a better job than people give it credit for"- Pew Research Center, January 7, 2025 "The employees who have so far survived the Trump administration's federal defenestration project are morose. For some, the new workload is untenable. For others, chaos reigns. Scientists have been unable to purchase mice for research, while human-tissue samples have sat on dry ice, unsent, thanks to worker layoffs. Lawyers at the Education Department are racing though a ...
Read more

Consider invisible disabilities before judging others

By
“Why is your husband rude, aloof, and anti-social? I called out to him at our community center and he ignored me”. What Do I Think?  I often feel antisocial, aloof, and alone in noisy, crowded spaces. It’s not by choice—I have a disability that makes these situations incredibly difficult. For a long time, I thought I was the only one until I discovered a Facebook group of 5,400 others with the same condition: Single-Sided Deafness (SSD) . For many of us, this condition came on suddenly and without explanation. My right ear stopped functioning between 2 and 4 a.m. on July 1, 2012. The cause? Idiopathic—medical jargon for “we have no clue.” One member of the Facebook group summarized our shared struggles perfectly: “No one can see the fact that I have no idea who is talking to me or where any sound is coming from. No one can see how hard my brain is working to make sense of what I hear. No one can see how exhausted I am.” Single-Sided Deafness often comes with a cruel two-for-one sp...
Read more

It’s Over. Now can we get to really know each other

By
Breathe. It’s over. We have a new president-elect. As I reflect on the campaigns, the rhetoric, personalities, attitudes, and language, certain words linger in my mind—words that resonate with my background, interests, and beliefs. Words like African, Indian, civil servant, immigrant, garbage, environmentalist, climate change believer, Muslim, migrant, brown, Ivy League. They’re just some of the many times I heard myself being called out during the campaign. What I Think To move this country forward, we all have to make a genuine effort to learn about, understand, and embrace the other. Why does that person think the way they do? What influences their beliefs? In what ways are we similar and different? The Qur’an, according to Muslims like myself, is the word of God as revealed to Prophet Muhammad. In Sura (Chapter) 4, Ayat (Verse) 1, God reminds us that we were all created from a single being or soul. (If you're curious, you can find several translations of this verse here , keepi...
Read more

A World in Crisis: Losing Sight of the Human Bond

By
Image
The world feels like it's in crisis. We live in an age marked by deep anxiety and disorientation, where it often seems that everyone is out for themselves. The moral lessons we were taught in childhood—that kindness matters, that community is sacred, that we are all connected—now feel hopelessly idealistic, even quaint. At worst, they seem like relics of a fairy tale no one believes in anymore. As adults, we find ourselves in a society that doesn't seem especially caring or communal. We are measured and judged as isolated individuals—through exams we sit alone, performance reviews that magnify our personal wins and failures, and a culture where the most self-interested often rise the highest. It's as if we know, deep down, what an ideal society could look like—but it remains just out of reach, elusive in practice. A Philosopher’s Answer: Nasir Khusraw and the Universal Soul At this juncture, I’ve found unexpected solace in the writings of the 11th-century philosopher-poet N...
Read more

Analyzing Bob Marley’s 'Buffalo Soldier'

By
Image
In my opinion, the infamous Bob Marley, singer extraordinaire, sent us astray with this song Buffalo Soldier.   “Said he was a Buffalo Soldier - Win the war for America - Buffalo Soldier, dreadlock Rasta -Fighting on arrival, fighting for survival” -- Bob Marley, Buffalo Soldier, posthumous release, 1983 What Do I Think? What is the “stench” he refers to, and why do we often overlook its devastating irony?  As with his other songs—War, Exodus, Zimbabwe, Get Up-Stand Up, and Africa Unite—Marley calls attention to the struggles of Africans, urging post-colonial unity. Buffalo Soldier, narrows down on the African American regiments of the U.S. Army. These regiments, created by Congress in 1866, served across the Western U.S., Hawaii, and even Alaska. I think Marley’s lyrics speak directly to the soldiers and their descendants, lambasting them to understand their past. "If you know your history,  Then you would know where you coming from,  Then you wouldn't have to ...
Read more

State Department slams its own Ambassador to Kenya

By
Image
This post presents verbatim excerpts of a Department of State Office of Inspector General Inspection Report on Kenya in 2012. I did not make them up. Please visit the page https://www.stateoig.gov/reports , enter Kenya in the first field (Keyword of Phrase), select “inspection” in the Category drop down, and open the August 2012 ISP-I-12-38A report (not the 2018 report). Enjoy. The Ambassador has lost the respect and confidence of the staff to lead the mission. Of more than 80 chiefs of mission inspected in recent cycles, the Ambassador ranked last for interpersonal relations, next to last on both managerial skill and attention to morale, and third from last in his overall scores from surveys of mission members. The inspectors found no reason to question these assessments; the Ambassador’s leadership to date has been divisive and ineffective. The Ambassador has damaged the cohesion of Embassy Nairobi’s country team by underscoring differences between offices working directly with Kenya...
Read more

Contact Form - Subscribe to updates or provide a quote for me to respond to

Name

Email *

Message *