The Pain of Becoming is Essential to the Joy of Being

The Prophet,
by Khalil Jibran,

And a woman spoke, saying, "Tell us of Pain."
And he said:

Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.
Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart may stand in the sun, so must you know pain.
And could you keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracles of your life, your pain would not seem less wondrous than your joy;
And you would accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted the seasons that pass over your fields.
And you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief.
Much of your pain is self-chosen.
It is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self.
Therefore trust the physician, and drink his remedy in silence and tranquillity:
For his hand, though heavy and hard, is guided by the tender hand of the Unseen,
And the cup he brings, though it burn your lips, has been fashioned of the clay which the Potter has moistened with His own sacred tears.

The uprooting of an olive tree

The destruction and uprooting of an olive tree “inflicts pain that is almost as searing as the pain for human causalities”. As a Palestinian woman explains, the tree is “like raising a child for 12 years and suddenly he is gone, someone killed him". The Israeli Defense Force has uprooted thousands of trees in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. !!!!!!!!!!

Vote For Omar Turani

Vote For Omar Turani May 2006

Omar Turani, 12 years old, goes to the American International School. This is his speech he delivered as he nominated himself to the presidency of the Student Council. It was not what he said, it was how he said it that granted him the highest number of votes, and he became the President of the Student Council in 2005 .

Omar's Speech:

Hello, I am Omar Turani,

Leadership to me is ... to extend a hand and help ...!!

How am I going to help? I will lead by example, I will be a good student, I will live the pillar of characters, and I will be kind, helpful, and responsible.

Why do we need a leader from the students? we need a leader from the students, so he or she can listen to the students to understand their needs and requirements, the big guys do not seem to understand us all the time, they can not relate to us. Vote for me, and when I am president, I will convince the school Admin to meet those requirements; for example we need to put nets for the soccer and basketball, the school admin needs to hear this.

Some of you may ask, why is Omar Turani running for president?, Let me tell you why: I am running for president because I feel great about helping other students and making the school a better place for learning and for fun. If we practice the pillar of characters, the school well be a better place, the students will be happy, the teachers will be happy, the principle will be happy, and even Dr. Larkin himself will be happy. When I am the president, I will help to live and practice the pillar of characters. So, vote for me.
In case you wonder how am I going to help? I will mention here few things that I will do:

Make the students voice heard,
Celebrate the multi traditions and occasions for the different nationalities and religions at schools; example, Ramadan, Eid, Hunted House, Christmas, Saint Patrick's days ...etc.
Have Soccer referee, basket referee, nets for the soccer
Have a prayer room
And I will need your creativity to give me other ideas later on.

I have been at the AIS-R for six years, since KG2, since 1998, and I am a good citizen, good student, I have been getting A’s and B’s. I am a team player, as I have been playing sport for many many years.

Where have I learned leadership?, well, have been the big brother to Ibrahim and Faisal; I have all along taken good care of them. I am very loving and caring; you do not believe me? they both go to AIS-R, who knows my brothers?, hey go and ask my them.
All the students in all grades will be my brothers and sisters, and I will care about them and do things for them the same way I care about my own two brothers. I am eager to be the president, so I can work for you, Vote for Omar Turani !!!!!!!!!!.
Good luck for the other candidates that are running for president and vice president.

In praise of Islamic Civilization

A speech by Carly Fiorina, ex CEO of Hewlett-Packard.
In praise of Islamic civilizationIn the immediate aftermath of September 11, Carly Fiorina, CEO of Hewlett-Packard, addressing an IT conference in Minnesota, extolled the importance of innovation and ideas to the technology industry she represents. She spoke of a civilization whose language became the universal language of much of the world….., here is what she ad to say:
There was once a civilization that was the greatest in the world. It was able to create a continental super-state that stretched from ocean to ocean, and from northern climes to tropics and deserts. Within its dominion lived hundreds of millions of people, of different creeds and ethnic origins.
One of its languages became the universal language of much of the world, the bridge between the peoples of a hundred lands. Its armies were made up of people of many nationalities, and its military protection allowed a degree of peace and prosperity that had never been known. The reach of this civilization’s commerce extended from Latin America to China, and everywhere in between.
And this civilization was driven more than anything, by invention. Its architects designed buildings that defied gravity. Its mathematicians created the algebra and algorithms that would enable the building of computers, and the creation of encryption. Its doctors examined the human body, and found new cures for disease. Its astronomers looked into the heavens, named the stars, and paved the way for space travel and exploration.
Its writers created thousands of stories. Stories of courage, romance and magic. Its poets wrote of love, when others before them were too steeped in fear to think of such things.
When other nations were afraid of ideas, this civilization thrived on them, and kept them alive. When censors threatened to wipe out knowledge from past civilizations, this civilization kept the knowledge alive, and passed it on to others.
While modern Western civilization shares many of these traits, the civilization I’m talking about was the Islamic world from the year 800 to 1600, which included the Ottoman Empire and the courts of Baghdad, Damascus and Cairo, and enlightened rulers like Suleiman the Magnificent.
Although we are often unaware of our indebtedness to this other civilization, its gifts are very much a part of our heritage. The technology industry would not exist without the contributions of Arab mathematicians. Sufi poet-philosophers like Rumi challenged our notions of self and truth. Leaders like Suleiman contributed to our notions of tolerance and civic leadership.
And perhaps we can learn a lesson from his example: It was leadership based on meritocracy, not inheritance. It was leadership that harnessed the full capabilities of a very diverse population–that included Christianity, Islamic, and Jewish traditions.
This kind of enlightened leadership — leadership that nurtured culture, sustainability, diversity and courage — led to 800 years of invention and prosperity.
In dark and serious times like this, we must affirm our commitment to building societies and institutions that aspire to this kind of greatness. More than ever, we must focus on the importance of leadership– bold acts of leadership and decidedly personal acts of leadership.

6 Pillar of Characters

Trustworthiness:
Be honest • Don’t deceive, cheat or steal • Be reliable — do what you say you’ll do • Have the courage to do the right thing • Build a good reputation • Be loyal — stand by your family, friends and country

Respect:
Treat others with respect; follow the Golden Rule • Be tolerant of differences • Use good manners, not bad language • Be considerate of the feelings of others • Don’t threaten, hit or hurt anyone • Deal peacefully with anger, insults and disagreements

Responsibility:
Do what you are supposed to do • Persevere: keep on trying! • Always do your best • Use self-control • Be self-disciplined • Think before you act — consider the consequences • Be accountable for your choices

Fairness:
Play by the rules • Take turns and share • Be open-minded; listen to others • Don’t take advantage of others • Don’t blame others carelessly
Caring: Be kind • Be compassionate and show you care • Express gratitude • Forgive others • Help people in need

Citizenship:
Do your share to make your school and community better • Cooperate • Stay informed; vote • Be a good neighbor • Obey laws and rules • Respect authority • Protect the environment