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In the midst of violent polarization in the political landscape of the United States, one fact many people can agree on is that monuments are a part of history. Tearing down white bronze casts of dead white men will not erase enslavement and war in the past. But it can be a step towards making room for the stories these men fought to erase — not only in the U.S., but every place that is home to the African diaspora. These invisibilized stories reveal the legacy behind the racialized oppression still seen across the world today. The Caju Cemetery in Rio de Janeiro, built over the bodies of enslaved Africans, is one of the largest in Brazil, and its 180-year history is symbolic of the relentless erasure of Black bodies and stories that persists today.
In Brazil, where the African diasporic population is higher than that of the U.S. (and is the largest in the world), a cemetery of enslaved people was landfilled to accommodate other bodies, including the notable graves of enslavers and fascists. Many, if not all, of these “notables” adhered to the scientifically racist European view that Black people had no history, because history moves “West like the sun” toward its most advanced stage — “Germanic” civilization. Such ideas shaped the institutional structure on which the Brazilian government was built, and its forefathers still have their legacy set in stone. Furthest from Germanic civilization were not only Africans, but also Indigenous peoples.
History books and encyclopedias still perpetuate the false idea that Brazil was “discovered” by Europeans, as if it didn’t exist before. This New York Times travel feature, for example, not only describes Brazil as having been “discovered,” it soon after mentions the Indigenous people that were already there. This “History of Brazil” somehow begins in 1500, not thousands of years earlier with sophisticated civilizations of Indigenous peoples who carefully crafted forests and coastlines, and built monuments that were routinely land-filled and built over.
It was only when Brazil acquired a king that it became a sovereign nation, and therefore put on the map. A prominent figure behind this acquisition, José Clemente Pereira, rests in peace at the Caju Cemetery, and still receives praise for helping “to establish political subordination on the basis of Men’s universal reason” on this land.
Influential men from the period of independence have been immortalized by much more than just the space they occupy in this cemetery. They have also left a historical footprint by administering Black people’s role in society, with the purpose of extracting the most profit from it.
The interred Baron Antônio Pereira Passos, an enslaver coffee grower, witnessed a slow but steady movement toward the abolition of slavery, a system he was heavily dependent on for building his wealth. The baron’s son, Francisco Franco Pereira Passos, went on to become mayor of Rio de Janeiro in 1902. His main accomplishment was a massive urban planning endeavor to smooth this “work-force” transition into the industrial era. Inspired by a rapidly industrializing Paris and the interests of the coffee industry, he demolished homes and built roads to accommodate the increasing European immigrant population. But by doing that, Francisco Passos essentially displaced countless freed families and laid the groundwork for what we today call favelas.
The “freeing” of enslaved people was a scrupulous process concocted by powerful white men for at least half a century. Although abolition became official in Brazil in 1888, Black families were used as pawns in negotiations between Western countries and American colonies soon after these colonies proclaimed themselves “free” and independent. This independence threatened the former colonizers, who were losing access to cheap colonial labor and didn’t want to have to compete with the less expensive prices of merchandise coming from Brazil.
Also buried in the Caju Cemetery is José Maria da Silva Paranhos, the viscount known for negotiating a slow plan for abolition, in order to satisfy the British without threatening the Brazilian monarchy’s grasp on power, which was in the interest of neither of them. This plan was the “Law of Free Birth,” which gave enslavers “the choice to either deliver children, born after 1871, whose mothers were slaves to the state or keep them in their power and educate them.” Certainly, the law was not as humane as it sounds. As a legal loophole, it did nothing more than guarantee that elites didn’t lose wealth or power as the system transitioned from a colonialist system fueled by chattel slavery to a capitalist one fueled by industrial workers. This brings us to the next wave of problematic monuments — the fascists.
20th Century Dictatorships and Nameless Graves
With industrial capitalism came the anti-capitalist resistance, which marked most of the 20th century. Brazil found itself with one iconic anti-communist dictatorship for each half of that century. While some of those who resisted simply disappeared, others got mausoleums. In the Caju Cemetery, there is a Mausoleum of Integralistas, where the remains of members of a fascist movement inspired by Italy’s Benito Mussolini can be found. Their opposition to the first dictatorship of that century certainly put Brazil between a rock and a hard place — a nationalist dictatorship opposed by a failed fascist uprising.
Meanwhile, the disappearance of several anarchists responsible for the General Strike of 1917 remained unsolved until more than 70 years later, with the discovery of a clandestine mass grave in a São Paulo cemetery. The Perus Cemetery was founded during Brazil’s second dictatorship of the 20th century (in the 1970s) and was known for burying the poor, unidentified and homeless. Dozens of unnamed bodies were buried there daily. Today, the cemetery has a graffiti monument to honor the dead and missing militants. Many of the bodies that were found there are still unidentified, and it’s painfully clear that impunity is largely due to the blatant lack of respect for the bodies of poor people — which made it possible for dead militants to remain missing for this long. This lack of respect for Black, poor or homeless bodies is consistent throughout the centuries. It continuously robs people of their history, and of their place in the collective psyche. It would be naive to think this condition has not been carried with us into the 21st century.
For nearly 150 years, the Caju Cemetery was run by Santa Casa de Misericórdia (Holy House of Mercy), a 15th-century Portuguese charity organization. In 2015, it changed hands after a highly televised corruption scandal involving tax evasion, illicit real estate transactions, irregular constructions and labor rights infringements. The new administration, Concessionária Reviver (Revive Concessionaire), has not shown much improvement, since it’s involved in nearly 300 lawsuits, including a class action over improper charging of maintenance fees. While cemetery administrators collected these maintenance fees, a child worked maintenance for tips.
Throughout the last four months, Brazilian photographer Fabio Teixeira followed the work of a 14-year-old boy, Josué Vicente Pereira (nicknamed “Fumaça”), at the Caju Cemetery. The resulting photographic essay, called Entre a Cruz e a Infância (Between the Cross and the Youth), shows the child cleaning the graves, painting crosses and exchanging flowers. He has done this work since he was 7 years old in exchange for tips from visiting families. During the coronavirus pandemic, his income (which his younger siblings also depend on) dropped significantly, but he continues to work even with a tremendous risk of COVID-19 infection.
“I’m afraid of the coronavirus, but I can’t stop working here,” Fumaça said. “My mother lost her baby two months ago; we receive the state’s family allowance, but I have two younger siblings, and my mother is sick with depression. My stepfather could not get government assistance, he was denied, so I need to work.”
This type of corruption and exploitation is a modern-day expression of the racial oppression that remains throughout time — low-wage labor for the profit of land-owners. A century and a half after the passing of the “Law of Free Birth,” poor Black children are still not born free. They cannot be born free when the wealth their family produced has been hoarded by other families for centuries, and they are still forced to work under deplorable conditions to survive. A nameless body that is tossed in a mass grave, robbed of its history, cannot be free either. When the names and bodies of free people are forged into matter that resists the test of time — and it’s called history — it makes sense that those who don’t see themselves in this history feel compelled to show that it’s time to resist.
Paradoxically, it has been commonplace in history to erase the history of a people. The monuments of “great statesmen” can attempt to erase the history of not only the U.S., but of all the African diaspora. As the longest-running enslavist regime in Latin America, Brazil went through its own version of the Civil War. Brazilian nationalists defended slavery as if it symbolized political sovereignty from Western European states, the same way U.S. Southerners proclaimed states’ rights. Our rejection of these distorted narratives of history rooted in white supremacy is long overdue.

domain: sociology


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Taylor has syndicated over $200 million of multifamily and residential deals, mainly focused on large-scale off-market multifamily repositioning projects in secondary to primary markets with value-add opportunity. He has over 50 multifamily projects across multiple markets completely renovated and rent repositioned under his leadership.
Bad Axe Throwing, the world’s largest urban axe throwing club, is opening its first venue in Nashville, Tennessee. With multiple locations across the United States and Canada, Bad Axe Throwing-Nashville is set to be a flagship location.
Catalyst Capital, affiliated with local real estate investor Tyler Cauble, has acquired 4013 Travis Drive. Built in 1969, the approximately 12,000 square foot office building is currently undergoing extensive renovations.
Growing up in Nashville, I’ve witnessed this city change quite a bit over the years. We’ve come a long way from the small town where everyone knew each other but have been able to maintain that small-town feel. I’ve always loved this city and how people you haven’t met yet are quick to treat you like family. There truly is no place like home. My passion for Nashville lead me to a career in real estate, where I am able to positively impact our city’s growth every day.

domain: geography


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A 48 year old suspect has been arrested after three Palestinian students were shot in the U.S. state of Vermont on Saturday night.
Police in the city of Burlington said that they received a report of a shooting attack on Saturday evening and found three university students injured at the scene who were on their way to a family dinner.
Local media reported that the students were receiving treatment at Vermont Medical Hospital and that they were not in any life-threatening condition.
Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said Jason J. Eaton, 48, was detained Sunday afternoon after agents encountered him while conducting a canvass at the location of the shooting.
Husam Zomlot, the head of the Palestinian Mission in the UK, said on the social media platform X: “Three young Palestinian men, Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Ali and Kenan Abdulhamid, students at Brown and other US universities, were shot last night on their way to a family dinner in Burlington, USA. Their crime? Wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh. They are critically injured. The hate crimes against Palestinians must stop.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) had offered a reward of $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrator or perpetrators of the attack.
CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said: “We welcome the arrest of a suspect in this shooting, and we encourage law enforcement to file state and federal hate crime charges if the evidence confirms that anti-Palestinian racism motivated this attack. We also call on elected officials to reject and condemn the rise in anti-Muslim bigotry and anti-Palestinian racism that has led to hate crimes, discrimination, and censorship targeting everyone from students to workers to protestors who dare to speak up for Palestinian human rights.”
The shootings come weeks after the murder of a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy and the wounding of his mother who were “targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis.”
These incidents come as Muslims, Arabs, and Palestinians across the country report a surge in anti-Muslim and anti-Arab hate since the escalation of violence in Palestine and Israel last month.
Earlier this month, CAIR released new data indicating a 216 percent surge in complaints, including reported incidents of bias, reported to its offices since the start of the crisis on October 7th.

domain: law


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Hybrids are a key part of Toyota's effort to reduce the automotive industry's dependence on foreign oil, said Jim Press, the company's North American president and COO.
The company is also developing vehicles that use clean diesel, natural gas and hydrogen power.
Good news from Toyota
Toyota announced today that it plans to add 10 new hybrid cars to its lineup. They expect that 25% of their sales in the next decade will be hybrids. Toyota is trying to be the environmentally friendly car-maker just like BP (Remember when it was British Petroleum instead of Beyond Petroleum?) is trying to be our oh-so-friendly "energy provider."

domain: economics


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Around the country, attitudes about retirement are shifting.
Have A Question About This Topic?
For women, retirement strategy is a long race. It’s helpful to know the route.
Knowing the rules may help you decide when to start benefits.
A number of questions and concerns need to be addressed to help you better prepare for retirement living.


St. Petersburg City Council members will consider whether to take the first step in privatizing management of its downtown marina at a meeting on Aug. 5.
The St. Petersburg Municipal Marina has been publicly owned and operated since it was constructed in the 1970s. Now, the city wants to hand off management of the 650 boat slip property to a private contractor, Safe Harbor Development, which, if approved, would take on a 25-year lease under the entity St. Pete Marina, LLC.
Because the property, located within Demens Landing, is considered a waterfront city park, any lease exceeding five years requires voter approval, a move made decades ago to preserve the quality of St. Pete’s downtown waterfront park system.
City Council is required to sign off on the ballot question in two readings.
The first on Aug. 5 will take place at 9 a.m. The second reading would occur on Aug. 12 at 3 p.m. If approved, the question of whether to allow Safe Harbor Development to take on the marina management lease would go before voters on the Nov. 2 ballot, concurrent with the city’s municipal General Election.
Voter approval requires a simple majority vote of 50% plus one vote.
Safe Harbor Development’s lease would include renovations to the half-century-old marina. A master plan of the marina adopted in 2017 found that structural elements were nearing the end of their useful life and would require renovation or replacement.
As a result of that finding, the city received an unsolicited proposal from a private marina development entity for the lease, which prompted the city to invite alternative developers to submit proposals. The city ultimately selected Safe Harbor Development, according to a document obtained by Florida Politics.
Under the proposed lease, Safe Harbor Development would be required to manage and operate the marina and fund capital improvements identified in the 2017 master plan. It would include a series of benchmarks, including sustainability and resiliency requirements. Safe Harbor Development would also have to pay an undisclosed amount in rent to the city.
Some prescribed improvements include dock replacement, support facilities replacement or remodeling, and installation of wave attenuation systems — breakwater devices that prevent coastal erosion.
The lease would also include a requirement for Safe Harbor Development to coordinate and contract for repairs or replacement of sea walls, to be funded by the city.


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To attract new gamers and retain existing ones, JDBXR Online provides a selection of perks and also promos. While these promotions can be enticing, customers are suggested to examine the terms thoroughly, as betting demands as well as other limitations might use.
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domain: hobby


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Dear Integral Meditators,
How resilient are you to the pressures of life? What are the factors that you can introduce into your mind in order to increase your mental resilience? This weeks article looks at how mindfulness can help with this.
Yours in the spirit of mindful resilience,
Developing Your Mindful Resilience
Back in the days when I was a Buddhist monk, one of the things that myself and many of my ‘colleagues’ noticed after going on meditation retreat was that it was quite startling how quickly we reverted to our normal habitual behaviours and consciousness level upon returning to the ‘real world’ and our daily routine, after all the work we had put into our retreat and meditation, it sometimes seemed like in everyday terms little had changed.
I’ve thought about this a lot in the years since, and it has really inspired me to try and create what I think is a truly well rounded and resilient mindfulness training that is truly going to enable people to change their lives for the better through mindfulness and meditation practice.
So what is mindful resilience? Here is a working definition – “Mindful resilience is the capacity to remain actively aware, creatively productive, constantly learning, happy and effective in life and at work, even when faced with pressure, stress and tension from both within our mind and from our external environment”.
What then are the skills that you need to be able to develop mindful resilience as a way of life? Below I list what I believe from my practical experience are key practices:
1. An understanding of the three experiential levels of our consciousness
What is it within us that we are trying to create mindful resilience within? Within our mind. There are three domains of our mind, each of which has a particular type of resilience that we can leverage upon.
The first is our sensory-physical awareness, the second is our mental awareness and the third is our experience of awareness itself. Each of these levels or aspects of our mind has a particular type of resilience that we can leverage upon. A practitioner of mindful resilience needs to know how to access each of these levels of mindful resilience.
2. The capacity to relax into tension and other forms of stress
For your mind to be resilient under the pressure of real life situations you need to understand how you can relax into tension and other forms of stress. The first stage of this is learning how to relax into tension so that it does not prevent you functioning effectively, the second level involves learning to actually redirect the stress so that you are actually making use of it. (See for example my article on stress transformation )
3. The ability to create and sustain a positive inner dialog with yourself
We have an inner conversation going on within our mind all the time. For sustainable peace of mind, inner resilience and creativity you need to be able to make that dialog positive and productive where possible, but also know how to deal with the negative, difficult challenging aspects of that conversation when it arises (please note; repressing it or pretending it is not there will not create resilience!).
4. A commitment to appreciating the good and the challenging in your life
A practitioner of mindful resilience commits to both noticing and dwelling upon the good in your life whilst also learning how to appreciate and genuinely value learning and growth facilitated by the challenges, friction and difficulty. As Jim Mclaren would say “Don’t waste your suffering!”
To be resilient you need to train your mind to be strong, to focus and concentrate, both when the object of mindful concentration is just one thing and also when the situation demands that you be aware of multiple factors at the same time. In reality this means learning that there are different types of focus, and know how to apply them appropriately.
6. Being truly comfortable with silence, uncertainty, open spaces
Undoubtedly one of the most enjoyable aspects of a mindfulness and meditation practice is developing the capacity to relax into a deep and regenerative experience of stillness and silence when we are sitting in formal meditation practice.
In order to bring this truly and deeply into our daily life there also needs to be the capacity to relax into the open spaces of un-certainty, un-predictability and un-knowing that come up time and again in our everyday real time reality . The purpose of getting comfortable with these three “un-s” is not so that we become a victim of them, but so that we can learn from them and take the opportunities they have to offer us.
Want to get started with your own mindful resilience practice?
There is obviously a lot contained within each of the points above, but here is a very short way to get started.
Stage 1: Consider the definition of mindful resilience: “Mindful resilience is the capacity to remain aware, creatively productive, constantly learning, happy and effective in life and at work even when faced with pressure, stress and tension from both within our mind and from our external environment”. Take a little time to dwell upon it.
Stage 2: What sort of images and symbols come to mind when you contemplate this definition? Select an image from your imagination that represents the energy and experience of mindful resilience as you understand it. Take that image as a focus point for your attention for short periods at regular intervals during the day, reminding and encouraging you to explore your capacity for mindful resilience.
© Toby Ouvry 2014, you are welcome to use or share this article, but please cite Toby as the source and include reference to his website www.tobyouvry.com

domain: psychology


President Sarkissian Tells Lawmakers to Unite Behind National Interests. Alen Simonyan Elected Speaker
The inaugural session of Armenia’s new parliament convened on Monday as tensions rose when the opposition Armenia Alliance demanded the release of two of its members who were arrested in June. The Armenia Alliance called the arrests politically motivated.
The Armenian Alliance, led by former president Robert Kocharian and including Armenian Revolutionary Federation, argued that procedural rules were being violated since two of their members were not in attendance because they have been remanded into custody.
The former mayors of Meghri and Sisian in the Syunik Province, Mkhitar Zakaryan and Artur Sargsyan, were arrested last month for alleged abuse of power and fraud. They ran in the June 20 elections as part of the Armenia Alliance and were included in the list to fill the 29 seats won by the bloc. Two other former mayors from Syunik and Armenia Alliance supporters have also been arrested, in what has been criticized as the government’s crackdown and suppression of the opposition ahead of Monday’s parliament session.
The Armenia Alliance lawmakers wore T-shirts emblazoned with the pictures of the four arrested Syunik leaders as a sign of protest for their incarceration.
Armenia Alliance members argued that Zakaryan and Sargsyan were being deprived of their rights as lawmakers to take part in discussions on the election of the Parliament Speaker and other legislative leaders.
“It is an unusual situation,” said Armenia Alliance lawmaker Armen Rustamyan, who is also the president of the ARF Bureau.
“There has never been an inaugural [parliament] session where two members are under arrest and are unable to participate in the session and fulfill their duties,” added Rustamyan who insisted that as a result of the “gross violation procedural rules” the legislature should not move forward with its agenda.
Rustamyan said the absence of his Armenia Alliance colleagues is not only an infringement against the lawmakers but disrespect toward the parliament because during this session the committees and the leadership of the legislative are expected to be formed. He said the jailed lawmakers thus were being deprived of the opportunity to vote or be elected if they are not participating.
“Mr. Zakaryan and Mr. Sargsyan are not absent [from the parliament] but they are being held hostage,” said Armenia Alliance member Aram Vardevanyan. “They want to attend the parliament session just like you do, but they are not allowed to do so.”
Ruling Civil Contract lawmaker Vladimir Vardanyan countered the opposition arguments by saying that Zakaryan and Sargsyan were arrested prior to the convening the parliament, thus the matter of parliamentary immunity, which is guaranteed to lawmakers, was moot.
Former president Serzh Sarkisian’s and former National Security Advisor Artut Vanetsyan’s “I Have Honor” alliance, which occupies seven seats in parliament, joined the Armenia Alliance in demanding the release of the two former mayors.
The two opposition parties nominated Zakaryan and Sargsyan as candidates for parliament speaker.
“Our colleagues must be here and present their views on their nomination,” said Armenia Alliance bloc secretary and ARF Supreme Council of Armenia member Artsvik Minasyan. Or else, he said, the opposition will regard the election of the new speaker as “illegitimate and illegal.”
Following a recess and a snafu with ballots, the parliament elected controversial Civil Contract member Alen Simonyan as Speaker of the National Assembly. His was elected only by the 71 lawmakers in the Civil Contract party.
Soon after the inaugural session was called to order, President Armen Sarkissian signed a decree appointing Nikol Pashinyan as prime minister, in accordance to Armenia’s Constitution, which stipulates: “immediately after commencement of the term of powers of the newly-elected National Assembly, the President of the Republic shall appoint as Prime Minister the candidate nominated by the parliamentary majority…”
In his remarks to parliament, Sarkissian emphasized the need to find solutions for the multi-faceted and severe collectively, saying the new legislature has the opportunity to develop and implement future-oriented, real, strategic programs.
“Citizens of the Republic of Armenia expect that solutions to existing problems will be found and that you will display the will to guide Armenia toward advancement and the future,” said the president.
“That future must be shaped around a vision of a strong, balanced and progressive state. The future does not stem from the interest of any one individual or political party. All of us are the future as one entirety, united by a common historical memory, as well as our obligations before our children and our ancestors who for many centuries fought to have their own independent state. We are obligated to expressly realize and value the fact of the existence of our statehood,” said Sarkissian.
He said that everything must be done to defend and protect Armenia’s statehood. He said the essence of effective governance is being honest and responsible.
“Only honest and fair governance can change the situation and overcome despair, instill optimism, restore and strengthen the connection between the citizen and the state,” said Sarkissian. “Any attempt to present what suits [an individual or a party] as reality, demagogy and populism will lead to a dead-end.”


MUMBAI: Actor Sidharth Malhotra feels romantic and action films are lucky for him.
"I have been getting a wide range of different offers. I get more of romantic and action films, I consider myself lucky in the zone," Sidharth told reporters.
But the former model-actor admits it is painful to get different kind of exciting roles.
"Actors shouldn't look at films or roles in a selfish manner. The more good stories you do, the better your library (filmography). I better be part of good films even though I have small parts in it," he said.
However, the 31-year-old actor believes in breaking the stereotypes and taking risks in career.
"I don't want to do things that earlier actors used to do. Initially heroes used to play heroes only. I want to carve my own niche. I don't want to commit to one genre or style," Sidharth said.
"It is not a norm (to stick to one genre) so it seems risky, but the endeavour is to do something new and not be the same in every film. This adds novelty and freshness to my work," he said.
Since their debut film "Student of the Year", Sidharth has been linked to fellow actress Alia Bhatt. Now that the duo has come together for their next outing "Kapoor And Sons", the gossip mills are again abuzz about their closeness.
The "Ek Villain" star revealed initially he used to get annoyed with such reports.
"Now we have trained ourselves to chose what we want to give importance to (stories) and what not. Sometimes you can't get stressed and waste your energy on these (rumours) things," Sidharth said.


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Perfect dip for Nachos/chips, Tastes good with grilled Basa/Chicken. Easy to make and is flavorsome!
Chop the onions, green chillies and corainder finely
Microwave the mango on high for 2 min. (helps in getting more pulp out of the fruit) Take out the pulp in a bowl
Mix all ingredients, blend it roughly using a hand blender. Serve Chilled.
Share your version with a Cooksnap photo

domain: food


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Ways to support Bristol Playbus
Playbus offers attractive and varied work experience opportunities for
- Play work and social work students, plus newly qualified workers.
- Volunteer Playworkers – come and help out on a community booking.
- Volunteer fundraisers – ongoing support to raise money to deliver play services to children and families suffering from economic or social deprivation
Volunteer – Trustee
Corporate volunteering /partnership
We are happy to discuss ways in which we can work with your company to be of mutual benefit.
SENSORY BUS CAMPAIGN
Just Giving/ Just Text giving – The quickest and easiest way to support the good work we to is to Text -BPP1
And pledge £2 towards keeping the bus on the road for another year.
Leave a bequest
Do you have fond memories of Bristol Playbus in your community?
Did you used to come onto the Playbus when you were a child ?
Or do you remember your children playing on the bus and maybe they even send their own children now?
Your kind donations would allow us to continue our good work to ensure that future generations of
children continue to grow up with fond memories of their times on the Bristol Playbus.
Scrap your car-donation
DONATE via PAYPAL
£5 will pay for refreshments for one session
£10 will pay for arts & crafts materials for a Playranger session
£20 will pay for fuel to a Playranger session
£40 will pay for fuel for one session on the Sensory Truck
£100 will pay for a one-to-one session for a disabled child on the Sensory Truck
£250 will pay for one session for 16 children on the bus.


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This is the type of investment property that you have been looking for. Solid, concrete block construction that is a true three bedroom, two bath home. It won't last. Do your homework prior to submitting an offer.
Visit this property in ST PETERSBURG:
6957 GEORGE M LYNCH DRIVE N, ST PETERSBURG FL 33702
Wonderful 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage home located on the 4th hole of the Timber Greens Golf Course. This home features an updated kitchen, updated master bath, and boasts a Lanai that is perfect for entertaining. The home is just a block away...
Visit this property in NEW PORT RICHEY:
6513 COUNTRY RIDGE LANE, NEW PORT RICHEY FL 34655
Location, Location, Location. This home sits just seconds off US 19 and only minutes to the Pinellas County line. Security system is in place and conveys with the sale of the home. Washer and Dryer also convey.
Visit this property in HOLIDAY:
1217 HONOR DRIVE, HOLIDAY FL 34690
Situated adjacent to the Brass Monkey restaurant, this studio condo is in the HEART of Pass-a-Grille where gathering for sunset is a treasured past-time. This sweet studio bungalow comes mostly furnished and is a RARE BEACH INVESTMENT OPPORUNITY -...
Visit this property in ST PETE BEACH:
709 GULF WAY # 10, ST PETE BEACH FL 33706


Best Time to Visit Mahale
The best time to visit is during the dry season (May to October). During this time, chimps are more likely to be seen in large groups, the sun illuminates the fish in the lake, and the beach is a welcoming place to unwind. Mahale Mountains National Park, on the other hand, is open all year. A visit during the rainy season can also be a memorable experience, enhanced by views of neighboring DR Congo across the water and incredible lightning storms that light up the lake at night.


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Easy cheesy broccoli rice casserole is a classic and comforting side dish that’s great with a weeknight meal or holiday buffet.
- 1–1/2 cups quick cooking white rice (about 4 cups cooked)
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- 4 cups fresh broccoli, large stems removed and broken into small pieces
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
- 8 ounces processed American cheese, divided (such as Velveeta)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/3 cup crushed potato chips
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cook rice according to package directions.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and broccoli and cook until onion is transparent. Add soup, 4 ounces cheese and milk. Stir until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and stir in cooked rice. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 8×8-inch casserole dish. Crumble remaining 4 ounces cheese over the top of the mixture and then sprinkle with the crushed potato chips.
- Bake for 30 minutes until cheese on top is melted and casserole is bubbly.


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Darina Neyret PortraitVancouver, WA
I am a portrait photographer, print artist, visual craftsperson. I provide a safe space for you to come to... to help you raise your confidence, self-esteem and body image through a personalized magazine-style photoshoot experience. I create unforgettable experiences and beauty adventures for today's women. Women these days are badass and bold. Women today are overcoming obstacles, forging new paths to self acceptance, and self love... and women now want to see their TRUE selves. This invigorates my business so much because it makes me love what I do more and more every day.

domain: artistic


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Aspects of the orchestra and symphony, 1700–1830
This resource examines Classical and early Romantic developments in orchestral instruments and the symphony.
Vocal music was central to the western classical tradition in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. During the Baroque period, instrumental music occupied composers’ attention much more, until in the late 18th century there was a truly remarkable flowering – well over 10,000 symphonies have been identified, for example. This was made possible partly by developments in instrument-building, which in its turn prompted further improvements and refinements. The rise of instrumental music was partly connected with the church’s decline as patron, but composers seem to have enjoyed emancipation from word-setting for its own sake.

domain: library


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A top art gallery rejected a Banksy painting submitted anonymously under a pseudonym – but then personally invited him to put an artwork on display.
Banksy posted a snap of the Brexit-themed painting, which mocks the ‘Vote Leave’ motto and changes it to ‘Vote to Love’, on his Instagram account.
He submitted it to the prestigious Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition using the name Bryan S Gaakman – an anagram of ‘banksy anagram’ – but had the work rejected.
The painting, featuring a poster saying ‘Vote to Love, EU Referendum Thursday June 23,’ shows a metallic heart-shaped balloon covered in plasters.
But a month later, fellow artist Grayson Perry, curator of the exhibition, personally invited him to submit an artwork – and the painting was put on display.
Banksy wrote: “I entered an early version of this into the RA summer exhibition under the pseudonym Bryan S Gaakman – an anagram of ‘Banksy anagram’.
“It was refused.
“Then a month later I got a mail from the co-ordinator Grayson Perry asking me to submit something so I sent it again. It’s now hanging in gallery 3.”


June 14 event answers Pope Francis' call for such a day.
As they begin their customary spring meetings, US bishops will gather in Indianapolis for a Mass of Prayer and Penance for survivors of sexual abuse within the Church.
The Mass is in response to Pope Francis’ call “that National Bishops Conferences choose an appropriate day on which to pray for the survivors and victims of sexual abuse as part of a Universal Day of Prayer initiative,” as the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors reported last year.
The Mass will be at Sts. Peter and Paul on June 14, at 5:00 p.m.
“The bishops will gather together in solidarity to pray for victims and to acknowledge the pain caused by the failures of the Church in the past,” a statement from the bishops’ conference said.
The Mass will mark the opening of the June Plenary Assembly taking place June 14-15 in Indianapolis.
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, will be the principal celebrant. Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of Atlanta, former president of the conference, will be the homilist.
“In an act of penance and humility, the bishops will also kneel and recite a commemorative prayer that has been written for survivors of abuse in their healing,” the bishops’ statement added.
Prayers of the Faithful for these intentions have been provided to all dioceses and eparchies, many of which are scheduling or have scheduled their own Masses and events.
The bishops’ Mass is scheduled to be livestreamed. The livestream link will be available on the USCCB website.
READ: The Pope’s preface to new book by sexual abuse victim


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Academy praises “Laal Singh Chaddha” by Aamir Khan
The official version of Forrest Gump, “Laal Singh Chaddha,” by Aamir Khan, has received praise from many, including The Academy, despite its modest box office earnings so far. You did read that correctly. On Saturday, a video using clips from “Forrest Gump” and “Laal Singh Chaddha” was posted on The Academy’s official Twitter account. The Academy lauded “Laal Singh Chaddha” as a “faithful adaptation” of “Forest Gump” in a tweet. The tweet stated, “Advait Chandan as well as Atul Kulkarni’s ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ featuring. Aamir Khan in the character made famous by Tom Hanks’ receives a true Indian version of Robert Zemeckis and Eric Roth’s magnificent story of a person who changes the world with kindness.”
The Academy also tweeted, “1994’s ‘Forrest Gump’ was nominated for 13 Oscars, winning six of them for Best Actor (Tom Hanks), Best Picture (Wendy Finerman, Steve Tisch, and Steve Starkey, Producers), Adapted Screenplay (Eric Roth), and Directing (Robert Zemeckis).” Producer Ajit Andhare of Viacom18 Studios wrote in response to the article published by The Academy “A proud accomplishment is discovering a piece of academia and history through an Indian version. Everyone at @AKPPL Official @Viacom18Studios should be happy. @atul kulkarni, #AdvaitChandan #AamirKhan #KareenaKapoorKhan, and the wonderful cast and crew of #LaalSinghChadha deserve special recognition.” Laal Singh Chaddha, directed by Advait Chandan, debuted on August 11.
The movie also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan, Naga Chaitanya, and Mona Singh in addition to Aamir. According to industry insider Ramesh Bala, “Laal Singh Chaddha” made almost Rs 12 crore at the box office on its first day. “Yesterday’s #LaalSinghChaddha opening was low. All-India Nett Day 1 Early Estimates are approximately Rs 12 Cr “Tweeted Bala. The movie competed with Akshay Kumar’s “Raksha Bandhan,” which earned Rs 8.20 crores on day one, at the box office.

domain: news


Samsung has introduced Galaxy Grand Duos in Luxury Brown and Wine Red colours for the Indian consumers.
Samsung has announced to offer the Galaxy Grand Duos GT-I9082 smartphone in two more colour options for the Indian consumers. Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos is already available in Metallic Blue and Elegant White options. The two new colours of the smartphone are Luxury Brown and Wine Red. SammyHub reported about the listing of two new colours at the Samsung India estore.
Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos is a dual-SIM smartphone running Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean with Nature UX running on top of it. This smartphone supports 3G network SIM and 2G network SIM modules together. Samsung uses dual-core 1.2 GHz mobile processor with Broadcom Videocore graphic chip. It packs 1 GB RAM and offers only 8 GB on-board storage with memory card slot.
The Galaxy Grand Duos has a 5-inch LCD display with 480x800 pixel resolution. At the back, Samsung has placed 8 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED Flash. This camera can record 1080p HD video. In the front it has 2 megapixel camera. This smartphone packs 2100 mAh battery.
Samsung is offering the two new variants at Rs 20,800 including two flip covers worth Rs 2798 for free. This phone is set to get the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean update anytime soon.
Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo Plus looks like an upgraded version of Galaxy Grand Neo. It will be based on Android KitKat and will have a 5 inch WVGA display.
After poor sales of Samsung Galaxy S5, all eyes are now on Samsung's upcoming flagship smartphone - the Galaxy S6.
As of now it will be very difficult to comment who's philosophy is better simply because Android has to a large extent proved it with its low-cost devices.
Samsung Galaxy A3 and Galaxy A5 smartphones are being sold for Rs 20,500 and Rs 25,500 respectively.
All the four handsets come with quad core processor, 16 GB internal storage, 64 GB expandable storage slot and are priced below Rs 25,000
The highlight of the phone is its unique curved edge screen that provides quick access to frequently used apps, alerts and device functionality.
The S6 is expected to be launched early next year during the CES event.
The highlight of the phone is its Edge unique curved Edge screen that provides quick access to frequently used apps, alerts and device functionality.
Samsung Z1 Tizen is expected to be launched in India in January via both offline and online stores.
Samsung Galaxy Note Edge has a unique curved display that provides quick access to frequently used apps.


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Draw result has been announced for Low Cost Dwelling Units for BPL Families under Ashiana Scheme, Sector – 17, Jagadhri. Draw result has been declared in presence of HUDA Officials at 12:00 (Noon) on 26th April 2017. Earlier draw result was to be held on 12th April 2017 but result was cancelled due to some reason.
Haryana Urban Development Authority has conducted draw result to allot flats to 190 eligible applicants. Houses has been allotted to 168 eligible applicants at
Meeting Hall, Room No. 203
Mini Secretariat, (DC Office)
You may check list of eligible candidates who applied for flats under Ashiana Housing Scheme.
All applicants are suggested to check their name in draw result held on 26th April 2017. To check draw result for allotment of Low Cost Dwelling Units under Ashiana Scheme, Jagadhri click on below link:


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Aisalkyn Botoeva’s research interests address socio-economic developmental paths, moralized markets, Islamic economy, and the role of imagined futures in economic action.
Botoeva received her doctorate in sociology from Brown University. Her dissertation addresses the fundamental question of why certain socio-economic development projects take hold in a given context among competing alternatives. With the support of the Aga Khan Foundation and a Hazeltine fellowship from the Business, Entrepreneurship and Organizations Program at Brown University, Botoeva conducted over fifteen months of fieldwork in the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. She examined why and how state officials in these former Soviet republics turned to the “alternative” model of socioeconomic development offered by Islamic business in the wake of the global financial crisis of 2008. Botoeva’s project addresses gaps in the literature by examining how market actors orient their activities to moral futures – imagined future states of society. She examines how entrepreneurs, state officials, and other actors in the emerging market for Islamic commodities and services imagine better futures, and work to enact these cognitive frames through commerce, legislation, halal certification, and other activities that shape the market.
Most recently, Botoeva worked as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Sociology Department of Providence College. Before starting her academic career in the US, Botoeva worked in her home country of Kyrgyzstan as a lecturer at the American University of Central Asia.
While at ILSP: Law and Social Change, Botoeva will work on a book manuscript, tentatively titled Moral Futures: Islamic Businesses at the Intersection of Commerce, Law, and Politics. She will be in residence at ILSP: LSC during the 2017–2018 academic year.
Navid Fozi is a sociocultural anthropologist whose research explores minorities, migration, and emergent forms of pluralism and nationalism in Iran and its diasporas. Fozi has conducted fieldwork with and published on ethnoreligious minorities in Iran, including his book on the Zoroastrians entitled Reclaiming the Faravahar: Zoroastrian Survival in Contemporary Tehran, (Leiden University Press, 2014), and on the Ahl-e Haqq community entitled “The Hallowed Summoning of Tradition,” (Anthropological Quarterly, 2007). He has also published on contemporary Iranian politics, including “Governmentality and Crises of Representation, Knowledge and Power in the Islamic Republic of Iran,” (Asian Politics & Policy, 2015); and “‘Neo-Iranian Nationalism,’” (The Middle East Journal, 2016).
Fozi’s main work during his tenure at ILSP: LSC from September 2017 to May 2018 consists of a book project based on his recent field research among Iranian asylum seekers in Turkey. He has conducted this ethnographic research during two years (2015–2016) that he served as a fellow of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) at the Middle East Technical University of Ankara. Tentatively entitled “Diasporic Counterpublics: Multiplicities, Challenges, and Trajectories of Iranian Asylum Seekers in Turkey,” this project explores issues that range from Islamic Shiʿi Jurisprudence, citizenship rights, border crossing, and right of asylum, to transit processes, international politics, and transnational practices.
Fozi holds a PhD and a Master of Arts in sociocultural anthropology from Boston University and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, respectively, a Master of Arts in applied sociology and a Bachelor of Arts, both from University of Texas, Dallas. Fozi has been awarded a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad for fieldwork in Iran, a Fulbright-US Scholarship based in University of Malaya for fieldwork with Iranian Diaspora in Kuala Lumpur, as well as a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore.
Havva G. Guney-Ruebenacker received her SJD from Harvard Law School and her dissertation is titled “An Islamic Legal Realist Critique of the Traditional Theory of Slavery, Marriage and Divorce in Islamic Law.” Her research and teaching areas include Islamic law, American family law, contracts, international human rights law, comparative law, European Union law, gender and law, legal history, legal theory, religion and law.
Guney-Ruebenacker’s doctoral research focused on classical Islamic law and modern Islamic legal reforms in the area of slavery and family law with a comparative examination of modernization of American family law in the area of no-fault divorce and its economic consequences. In particular, her work examines the ways in which the institution of slavery influenced the structure and content of traditional Islamic legal theory of marriage and divorce, develops a new theory of Islamic Legal Realism that challenges the historical legitimacy of both slavery and women’s inequality in traditional Islamic law, and advances a concrete reform proposal for divorce and post-divorce economic rights of women in Islamic law.
As a Visiting Assistant Professor, Guney-Ruebenacker taught comparative family law and Islamic law at Boston University School of Law, and was a teaching fellow at Harvard College, Harvard Law School and Harvard Divinity School for classes in American constitutional history, comparative family law and Islamic law. She worked as a researcher for the honorable judge Lucius Caflisch at the European Court of Human Rights and at the International Commission of Jurists in Geneva. Havva served as a fellow at the Oxford Center for Islamic Studies at University of Oxford and at Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard.
Guney-Ruebenacker studied both major schools of Islamic law (Sunni and Shiite) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and received a BA in Law from the University of Tehran. She holds an LLM degree from Harvard and also an LLM in European Union law and European legal history from University of Cambridge. She is fluent in English, Turkish, Arabic, and Farsi.
While at ILSP: LSC, Guney-Ruebenacker’s research will focus on the development of a novel approach to the analysis of the cases of Islamic marriage contracts and mahr agreements in American courts, as a remarkable case of interaction of Islamic and western law that entails significant implications for legal and social change in the areas of divorce and property in Islamic law. She will be in residence at ILSP: LSC September 2017–May 2018.
Andrew F. March taught for ten years in the Political Science Department at Yale University, and has taught Islamic Law at Yale and NYU law schools. His research and teaching interests are in the areas of political philosophy, Islamic law and political thought, religion, and political theory. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Marshall Scholar. His book, Islam and Liberal Citizenship (Oxford University Press, 2009), is an exploration of the Islamic juridical discourse on the rights, loyalties, and obligations of Muslim minorities in liberal polities, and won the 2009 Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion from the American Academy of Religion. He has published articles on religion, liberalism, and Islamic law in, amongst other publications, the American Political Science Review, Philosophy & Public Affairs, Journal of Political Philosophy, European Journal of International Law, and Islamic Law and Society. During his fellowship year, he will be working on a book on the problem of divine and popular sovereignty in modern Islamic thought, titled The Caliphate of Man. March is a Berggruen Fellow at the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics and also is a Visiting Fellow with the Islamic Legal Studies Program: Law and Social Change at Harvard Law School.
Dominik M. Müller specializes in the political and legal anthropology of Muslim societies in contemporary Southeast Asia (esp. Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore), Islamic law and institutions, classificatory power, popular culture, and the social negotiation of normative change.
Müller is Head of the Research Group “The Bureaucratization of Islam and its Socio-Legal Dimensions in Southeast Asia” at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Department of Law and Anthropology, in Germany (2016–2021). His group is funded by the German Research Foundation’s prestigious Emmy Noether Program. He is also a Fellow at the Centre for Asian Legal Studies (CALS) at the National University of Singapore (2017–2020), and holds a Post-Doctoral Scholarship from the Daimler and Benz Foundation (2018–2019). He received his PhD from Goethe-University Frankfurt’s Cluster of Excellence “Formation of Normative Orders” in 2012, where he also has been post-doctoral researcher until 2016. He has held a German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Post-Doc Fellowship at Stanford University (2013), and served as a visiting scholar at the University of Brunei Darussalam (2014), the University of Oxford (2015), and the National University of Singapore (2016). In Germany, he has taught seminars at the universities of Frankfurt, Heidelberg, Mainz, Halle and Leipzig. Beyond academia, he has conducted research for the Jakarta-based Human Rights Resource Centre (HRRC) in the context of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration.
His PhD thesis on the rise of “pop-Islamism” in the Shari’a-discourse and everyday practices of the Islamic Party of Malaysia received the Frobenius Society Research Award as Germany’s best anthropological dissertation of 2012 and was published by Routledge in 2014. Since completing his PhD, he has conducted regular fieldwork on Islamization policies, national ideology (Melayu Islam Beraja) and social change in the Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam.
Müller studied Socio-Cultural Anthropology (major), Law and Philosophy in Frankfurt and Leiden (2003–2008). Since then, he has conducted extensive research in Malay-speaking Southeast Asia, beginning with fieldwork for his M.A. thesis in Brunei in 2007.
While at ILSP: Law and Social Change, Müller will be working on the manuscript for his second monograph that explores social dimensions of Islamic governance in Brunei. He will also work on two invited entries for the Encyclopedia of Islam (Brill, third edition) and finalize an edited volume on the Bureaucratization of Islam in Southeast Asia for the Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs. He will be in residence at ILSP: LSC February 2018–April 2018.
Erum Sattar Visiting Fellow, ILSP: LSC
Erum Khalid Sattar, SJD 2017, received her Doctorate in Juridical Sciences from Harvard Law School where her dissertation committee consisted of Professors Mark Tushnet, James Salzman (of UCLA and UC Santa Barbara) and Amartya Sen. Her research focuses on issues of water federalism in the Indus Basin. Before coming to Harvard, she qualified to become a Barrister-at-Law from Lincoln’s Inn. She is the past Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Asia Quarterly, the journal of the Harvard Asia Center. She is also the co-founder of the Water Law Study Group at Harvard Law School.
Her research focuses on the institutional architecture of development and explores the linkages between current structures of Pakistan’s rural agricultural economy based on the historical control of natural resources, water and land, in the Indus river system. As part of her research, she is also focused on studying trans-boundary water sharing in the Indus Basin. She has recently co-authored a paper comparing the Indus to the Colorado River Basin, Sattar, Erum and Robison, Jason Anthony and McCool, Daniel, Evolution of Water Institutions in the Indus River Basin: Reflections from the Law of the Colorado River (August 21, 2017). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3023589 and has previously published Condon, Madison; Kriens, Don; Lohani, Anjali; Sattar, Erum, Challenge and Response in the Indus Basin, 16 Water Policy 58 (2014).
During the ILSP: LSC Fellowship, she will focus on developing a paper tentatively titled, From the Moors to the New World: Lessons from Dynamic Water Sharing for a Colonial-Era System in the Indus. The paper explores the very different legal and institutional regimes created by the Moors in Spain and the British in India and assesses them for their relevance to the time of extreme weather and water stress in which civilizations, particularly in semi-arid environments, currently find themselves.
Ahmed El Shamsy Senior Scholar, ILSP: SHARIAsource
Ahmed El Shamsy is an Associate Professor of Islamic thought at the department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago, focusing on the evolution of the classical Islamic disciplines and scholarly culture within their broader historical context. His research addresses themes such as orality and literacy, the history of the book, and the theory and practice of Islamic law. His first book, The Canonization of Islamic Law: A Social and Intellectual History, traces the transformation of Islamic law from a primarily oral tradition to a systematic written discipline in the eighth and ninth centuries. He is now at work on his second book, a study of the reinvention of the Islamic scholarly tradition and its textual canon via the printing press in the early twentieth century.
Ebrahim Afsah Policy Fellow, ILSP: SHARIAsource
Ebrahim Afsah is an associate professor of international law at the University of Copenhagen, where he teaches international, European Union, constitutional and Islamic law. He has been trained at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, Trinity College Dublin, the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, and the Max Planck Institute for International Law in Heidelberg. Before joining the faculty in Copenhagen, he worked for a decade as a management consultant in the Middle East and Central Asia, primarily on administrative and legal reform, counter-narcotics, prisons and legal training.
His areas of interest are public international law, especially the law of armed conflict; public law, especially administrative and constitutional law in post-conflict settings; and Islamic law, again especially its (underdeveloped) public law. Ebrahim has been a Fernand Braudel Fellow at the European University Institute in Florence, a senior fellow at the Centre for Advanced Study in Oslo and will be in residence at Harvard during the spring semester 2018.
During this period, he will compare the Islamic instrument of waqf and the related Western concept of a (landed) trust. He is interested in examining the methodological and theoretical foundations of the waqf and its integration into modern state bureaucracies and legal systems, which have been heavily characterised by borrowings from Western law. He seeks to investigate three related aspects in contemporary Muslim legal systems: first, how the modern Ministries of Charitable Endowments, which exist in one way or other in virtually all Muslim nations, operate; second, the legal basis in the modern period under which foundations operate in the Muslim world, especially the extremely influential bonyads in the Islamic Republic of Iran; and, thirdly, the manner in which certain institutions that historically have been key beneficiaries of charitable endowments – especially schools, universities, seminaries – have been legally incorporated in the modern period.
Mansurah Izzul Mohamed’s research interests include Southeast Asian studies that address the political aspects, as well as the socio-economic implications of Shariah introduction and subsequent legal implementation in a country. Mohamed is also interested in areas where human rights and the different cultural understandings intersect; as well as the use of negotiation studies to further understand crisis management situations, and she has explored these in her Masters and Bachelors dissertations.
Mohamed holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) from the Fletcher School, Tufts University (2017) and a Master of Arts in Political Studies from Auckland University (2011), respectively and a Single Honors Bachelor Degree in International Relations from Keele University (2006). She has been awarded a Brunei Government In-Service Training (LDP) Scholarship to undergo graduate level studies.
Before commencing her postgraduate studies in New Zealand and the United States (US), Mohamed worked in Brunei Darussalam as a Research Officer and then Assistant Director at the Department of International Organizations (DIO), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT).
While at the Islamic Legal Studies Program (ILSP), Mohamed will work on a on a paper pertaining to the introduction and evolution of Shariah law in Southeast Asian countries, with particular emphasis on its impact to countries in the region. The research will address several perspectives, including but not limited to human rights, political and economic standpoints. Mohamed is also involved in the SHARIAsource Digitization Project undertaken by the Harvard Law School Library particularly concerned with the Brunei sources in the Pilot Project. Her role will be to translate relevant documents in Malay and advise on relevant and important sources to be introduced and digitized. She will be in residence at ILSP during the 2017-2018 academic year.
Rodrigo Adem Visiting Fellow, ILSP: SHARIAsource
Rodrigo Adem Alvarez studies pre-modern Muslim thought as an intellectual and social historian. He is particularly interested in how scholarly networks mediated social and epistemic authority within the urban and political development of the Near East and Mediterranean over the 8th to 14th century. He hopes to further current understanding of how paradigmatic scholarly traditions of law, theology, historiography, philosophy, mysticism, and political thought came to be codified during this period, and persist in key facets of Muslim thought to the present day.
Professor Seval Yildirim received her J.D. and LL.M. from New York University School of Law and her Masters in International Affairs from the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. She joins ILSP from UC Berkeley School of Law where she was a Visiting Professor teaching Islamic Law during the Spring 2017 semester. Professor Yildirim has been the Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Professor of Law at Whittier Law School and a Visiting Associate Professor at Villanova University School of Law. Her research and scholarship center on secularism and Islamic law in comparative contexts, focusing on Turkey, India and the United States.
Professor Yildirim is the past chair of the Association of American Law Schools, Section on Islamic Law, chair of the AALS Section on Comparative Law and the past chair of the Islamic Law Committee of the Association of International Law- American Branch. Prior to joining the legal academy, Professor Yildirim was a Visiting Scholar at New York University’s Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies.
Professor Yildirim has served as pro bono attorney and legal consultant in free exercise and Establishment Clause cases in California, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
While at ILSP, Professor Yildirim will be working on her manuscript, The M Word: Muslims, Minorities and the American Experience.


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Thinking it's a little more illustrative than some of my paintings, yet I feel, it still
retains the flavour of my jazzy furniture style.
This one is a personal favourite! It's available for sale.
Thanks for viewing : )
"Prodigy" - 24" x 24" acrylic on canvas
by Karen Sloan


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Sevenoaks barn hit by deadly blaze as 100 tonnes of straw go up in flames
By kentsussex | Sunday, February 24, 2013, 11:52
Firefighters battled a serious barn blaze in Sevenoaks Weald last night.
Firefighters battled a serious barn blaze in Sevenoaks Weald last night - stock image by Flickr's 28704869
Crews were called to the Dutch barn in Hubbards Hill at around 10pm on Saturday after 100 tonnes of straw caught fire.
Livestock, including four cows, in an adjacent building had to be moved to safety.
Four fire crews tackled the blaze overnight, with two still on the scene on Sunday morning.
The fire was being allowed to burn out in controlled conditions.
A small amount of asbestos on the site was dealt with safely.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.


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Jaguar Transport Holdings on May 2 began operating the 13-mile Charlotte Western Railroad, its eighth short line.
Joplin, Mo.-based Jaguar said that it acquired leasehold rights to the track owned by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). Previously, the Piedmont and Northern Railroad, LLC (PNRW) operated the line under a lease with NCDOT.
Charlotte Western connects with Norfolk Southern at Gastonia, N.C., and CSX at Mount Holly, N.C. (see map above), and offers transloading and warehousing services.
Transportation and logistics firm Jaguar—in partnership with OPTrust, one of Canada’s largest pension plans—began operating the Missouri Eastern Railroad (Missouri) on March 1. It also runs the Cimarron Valley Railroad (with service in Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado); Washington Eastern Railroad (Washington state); Texas and Eastern Railroad (Texas); Southwestern Railroad (New Mexico); and Oregon Eastern Railroad (Oregon), which were acquired in November 2020 from rail transportation services company TWG. Additionally, it operates the West Memphis Base Railroad (Arkansas) and tourist line Texas State Railroad.
“We are excited for the opportunity to establish our first operation in North Carolina and the southeastern U.S.,” Jaguar CEO Stu Towner said. “The railroad’s location, in a growing metro with access to both Norfolk Southern and CSX, along with the acquisition of a rail-served warehouse, provides us with an excellent opportunity to serve current and future customers and earn the right to grow alongside them and the local community. We will immediately move forward with a large project in partnership with NCDOT to build a new multi-commodity and multi-mode transload facility on our warehouse property, which will create highly efficient solutions for the customers we are bringing to the property. This project, along with our focused commercial efforts to build sites along the railroad that are ready for new customers, makes this a fantastic solution for customers in the Charlotte market.”


Archbishops highlight plight of persecuted Christians
The leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales has used his Christmas message to highlight the plight of Christians being persecuted for their faith.
Archbishop Vincent Nichols said many, especially in the Middle East, were risking their lives to go to church - a belief echoed by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who gives his first Christmas sermon today.
Robert Piggot reports.
25 Dec 2013
- From the section UK