Politics & Society

Inside the Uniform, Under the Hood, Longing for Change

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Fahed is one of 122 prisoners held in Guantanamo.
Bitter cold had gripped Washington D.C. during most days of our fast and public witness. Clad in multiple layers of clothing, we clambered into orange jumpsuits, pulled black hoods over our heads, our “uniforms,” and walked in single file lines, hands held behind our backs.
Inside Union Station’s enormous Main Hall, we lined up on either side of a rolled up banner. As readers shouted out excerpts from one of Fahed’s letters that tell how he longs for reunion with his family, we unfurled a beautiful portrait of his face. “Now that you know,” Fahed writes, “you cannot turn away.”

Christianity

American Sniper: Chris Hedges' "Killing Ragheads for Jesus"

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While we at Tikkun do not feel it’s fair to blame Christianity or imply that all Christians somehow implicitly support the kind of Christianity that leads some American Christians to feel that their murdering of Arabs or Muslims is doing Jesus’ work, we do think that Hedges’ powerful critique of the move American Sniper should be read by those who are too willing to forgive the American media for its implicit and sometimes explicit glorification of the US military.

Politics & Society

A Future in Prison

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For someone like me, very nearly saturated in “white privilege,” my experience will likely depend on attitude. But, for many of the people I’ll meet in prison, an initial arrest very likely began with armed police surrounding and bursting into their home to remove them from children and families. This unsettling experience is shared by innocent citizens in both the Middle East and the United States.

Politics & Society

Uncomplicated, in Afghanistan

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On November 7, 2014, while visiting Kabul, The Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, noted that NATO will soon launch a new chapter, a new non-combat mission in Afghanistan. But it’s difficult to spot new methods as NATO commits itself to sustaining combat on the part of Afghan forces.

Healing Israel/Palestine

Two Dreams for 2015

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As Israelis and Palestinians, it’s easy for us to become disillusioned and lose the vision for peace. Tensions have continued to simmer and it seems that even the optimists have lost the ability to hope or dream. Because of this, we feel compelled to share two short dreams for 2015 and beyond.

GMP

A Last Word for 2014

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As 2014 draws to a close, I’m happy to offer some upbeat news about developments in the Network of Spiritual Progressives, the activist and supporter network associated with Tikkun and Tikkun Daily.

Culture

Releasing “The Interview” on Christmas: What Would Jesus Say?

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Judging from the enthusiastic response on social media, Sony’s decision to release the movie “The Interview” on Christmas day seems to be a victory for the American way of life, but there is a tragic irony in the very truth of that view. For the “way of life” thus vindicated is addicted to a view of freedom as the right to say and do anything one wants, indifferent to the substance of what is actually being said in freedom’s name.