Florida Times Union, April 27, 2010
Support from UNF
Representing faculty and the senior administration of the University of North Florida, we want to go on record as supporting the nomination of Professor Parvez Ahmed to the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission.
Ironically, much of the controversy around Ahmed's nomination proves just how urgently we need to appoint men and women like him to this commission.
Regrettably, to be "different from" too often is regarded as being "less than" or "more dangerous or threatening than."
When that is the case, an occasion for learning is supplanted by fear, prejudice and stagnation.
Since first moving to Jacksonville and the University of North Florida, Ahmed has worked tirelessly to help open dialogue about such differences.
He has met with numbers of community and church organizations, helping many of us understand the similarities between Christianity, Judaism and Islam, and the differences between Islam and Muslim extremists.
When we have looked behind the quotes taken out of context that have been offered in opposition to Ahmed's nomination, we found a message of respect and a belief in honest dialogue among all parties.
These are the characteristics that would make him an incredible and much needed asset to the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission.
JOHN A. DELANEY,
president,
University of North Florida,
and
KATHERINE M. ROBINSON,
president,
UNF Faculty Association
Florida Times Union April 23, 2010
An excellent choice
Having concluded eight years as a member of the Human Rights Commission, I speak with some experience in writing that Jacksonville needs commissioners like Parvez Ahmed to serve this city.
The commission is concerned about the human rights of the entire community - blacks and whites, women and men, young and old, Asian and Latinos, Arabs and Jews, gays and straights, religious and non-religious.
Ahmed is uniquely qualified. He is a man of Indian birth, Muslim faith and American citizenship.
He will join with other commissioners of diverse backgrounds to support freedom and justice for all.
Like many Jacksonville residents, I regret the narrow-minded views of a few council members who fail to appreciate the larger patriotism that Ahmed expresses.
As a student of Jacksonville history, I am hopeful that these views increasingly are outside the mainstream in this city.
My 38 years here have seen a growth of tolerance, greater acceptance of diversity and a realization that there are no real alternatives.
Our city remains an imperfect expression of human rights and social justice, but in Mayor John Peyton's appointment and City Council's confirmation of Ahmed, Jacksonville will have taken a small step toward becoming a world class city.
JAMES B. CROOKS
Jacksonville
Intolerant statement
The comments by Jacksonville City Council member Clay Yarborough in The Times-Union are not only troubling because they reflect an intolerance for individuals of a different religion, but because they reflect an increasing trend that endangers a core strength of our nation.
Yarborough indicated that he would consider opposing an individual, not based on qualifications, experience and philosophy, but whether that individual was a member of a particular religion.
Yarborough and other members of the City Council should set an example of the importance of the Constitution in every day American life.
They should approve the appointment of Parvez Ahmed to the Human Rights Commission rather than give credence to groups that advocate intolerance.
DAN DUNDON
Jacksonville
Minister supports Ahmed
I have been a resident of Jacksonville for the past 12 years, serving as both a minister and a community volunteer.
I know many teachers, community volunteers, religious leaders, police officers, parents, students and individuals in our city who work hard to create an environment of peace, progress, and prosperity for Jacksonville.
I am a fan of Jacksonville and have consciously chosen to raise my family in this fine town.
Yet, I am deeply saddened and disturbed by the overt, blatant, intentional and unapologetic religious discrimination by some on the Jacksonville City Council toward Parvez Ahmed and his appointment to the Human Rights Commission.
Councilman Clay Yarborough's "moral vetting" of Ahmed represents an attitude of discrimination, profiling, stereotyping and extreme narrow-mindedness.
Although I do not know Ahmed well, I do know him to be a person who is deeply committed to both education and human rights.
In my opinion, he is a much-needed asset to the Human Rights Commission, and would bring a great deal of experience, wisdom, and compassion to the commission.
For our city to continue to be a place of peace, progress and prosperity, we've got to acknowledge, accept and appreciate religious and racial diversity and call out those who fight against it.
BRETT FOSTER,
Baptist minister,
Jacksonville
Florida Times Union Editorial - Rhetoric tops reality
Human rights board: Rhetoric tops reality
Source: Florida Times Union, Editorial, April 25, 2010.
The biggest contract in city history awaits a City Council vote Tuesday. Hard choices on budget cuts and city fee hikes of all kinds loom because of next year's $58 million budget gap.
But the hottest issue facing council right now is whether members should put University of North Florida finance professor Parvez Ahmed on an unpaid board that most city residents probably don't know exists: The Jacksonville Human Rights Commission.
Ahmed is many things: A Ph.D., a recent Fulbright Scholar and a Muslim from India who speaks to groups locally, nationally and overseas about resolving ethnic and religious conflicts through dialogue and mutual respect. He is a husband and father of two children.
He's also a former national board chairman of the Council for American-Islamic Relations, a national Muslim civil rights group that's a lightning rod for controversy.
He left that group in 2008 after a fallout over its direction and leadership. Nevertheless, his ties with CAIR have prompted detractors to depict Ahmed as an extremist and terrorist sympathizer.
For those who know him as a soft-spoken, professorial type, the characterization as an extremist simply does not compute.
Same man, different views
The state chapter of the Anti-Defamation League says Ahmed's views are divisive and he has defended anti-Israeli terrorist groups. ACT! for America, a group concerned about threats from radical Islamic terrorists, says Ahmed's past associations, views and positions make him an unacceptable choice for the commission.
Even Adam Hasner, Florida House majority leader from Delray Beach, has called local Jacksonville officials regarding concerns about Ahmed's appointment.
Meanwhile, an all-star cast of local supporters - including OneJax, the Community Foundation Inc., the NAACP and UNF President John Delaney - touts him as a highly respected voice of reason who promotes understanding, unity and tolerance among people of different religions, cultures and ethnic backgrounds.
Ahmed denies he has supported terrorism or advocated violence in any way, either before, during or after his involvement with CAIR. He was its volunteer board chairman from 2005-2008 and the state CAIR's board chairman from 2002 to 2005.
He said he condemns all violence, that his positions have been taken out of context and distorted.
Talking about terrorism or seeking to understand its dynamics does not make Ahmed a bad guy, nor is that the same as endorsing or advocating it.
In the same sense, the mere questioning of Ahmed's past associations and positions do not necessarily make critics into bigots or haters.
This issue's spiraling emotional rhetoric overshadows reality.
Consider the position
Ahmed isn't being pitched for secretary of state or ambassador to the United Nations.
Mayor John Peyton nominated him to be one of up to 20 volunteer board members of a commission that typically meets once a month.
Its job isn't to tackle Middle East conflicts. Its main business is to promote fair treatment and equal opportunity for all local residents regardless of their race, religion, national origin, sex, age or disability.
It investigates and helps settle discrimination complaints about jobs, housing and businesses.
Actions of the board require a majority vote of board members.Its power is mostly advisory.
Background checks
Anyone who serves on any public board should be of good character and, preferably, have relevant experience.
We have seen no evidence that Ahmed has condoned violence or terrorism. There is plenty of evidence he has been involved in many positive community activities, from helping local charities to speaking at local places of worship about mutual understanding.
Delaney said UNF has not received any subpoenas, requests for documents or other inquiries from any investigating authorities about Ahmed during his years there.
Deputy Chief General Counsel Cindy Laquidara said she found no criminal complaints against Ahmed and just a few "garden variety" civil complaints involving national CAIR during Ahmed's leadership. Those involved services the group provided and were not directed at Ahmed.
She said she did not do a complete background check on him, but that the city doesn't do one for any nominee to a city board.
City Council member John Crescimbeni said he called a former veteran FBI agent who headed the Jacksonville office, who was "astounded" at some of the allegations against Ahmed and had seen no evidence to support them.
Crescimbeni said a call to the U.S. Attorney's Office "provided comfort to me as well."
It should be noted that the FBI has severed its ties with CAIR. But Ahmed did, as well. And he has worked with the FBI and law enforcement on diversity issues.
The council has haggled over Ahmed's appointment for weeks, with Councilman Clay Yarborough going far as asking him whether he would support, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, if he were appointed.
"Absolutely, yes," said Ahmed, a U.S. citizen.
CAIR is a controversial group. Middle East conflicts are the world's thorniest. Ahmed's opinions about them won't appeal to everyone.
But those aren't relevant in regard to serving on this commission.
One appointment is not going to make or break this board and its mission.
And the noise surrounding Ahmed's appointment should not keep City Council from confirming him.
Source: Florida Times Union, Editorial, April 25, 2010.
The biggest contract in city history awaits a City Council vote Tuesday. Hard choices on budget cuts and city fee hikes of all kinds loom because of next year's $58 million budget gap.
But the hottest issue facing council right now is whether members should put University of North Florida finance professor Parvez Ahmed on an unpaid board that most city residents probably don't know exists: The Jacksonville Human Rights Commission.
Ahmed is many things: A Ph.D., a recent Fulbright Scholar and a Muslim from India who speaks to groups locally, nationally and overseas about resolving ethnic and religious conflicts through dialogue and mutual respect. He is a husband and father of two children.
He's also a former national board chairman of the Council for American-Islamic Relations, a national Muslim civil rights group that's a lightning rod for controversy.
He left that group in 2008 after a fallout over its direction and leadership. Nevertheless, his ties with CAIR have prompted detractors to depict Ahmed as an extremist and terrorist sympathizer.
For those who know him as a soft-spoken, professorial type, the characterization as an extremist simply does not compute.
Same man, different views
The state chapter of the Anti-Defamation League says Ahmed's views are divisive and he has defended anti-Israeli terrorist groups. ACT! for America, a group concerned about threats from radical Islamic terrorists, says Ahmed's past associations, views and positions make him an unacceptable choice for the commission.
Even Adam Hasner, Florida House majority leader from Delray Beach, has called local Jacksonville officials regarding concerns about Ahmed's appointment.
Meanwhile, an all-star cast of local supporters - including OneJax, the Community Foundation Inc., the NAACP and UNF President John Delaney - touts him as a highly respected voice of reason who promotes understanding, unity and tolerance among people of different religions, cultures and ethnic backgrounds.
Ahmed denies he has supported terrorism or advocated violence in any way, either before, during or after his involvement with CAIR. He was its volunteer board chairman from 2005-2008 and the state CAIR's board chairman from 2002 to 2005.
He said he condemns all violence, that his positions have been taken out of context and distorted.
Talking about terrorism or seeking to understand its dynamics does not make Ahmed a bad guy, nor is that the same as endorsing or advocating it.
In the same sense, the mere questioning of Ahmed's past associations and positions do not necessarily make critics into bigots or haters.
This issue's spiraling emotional rhetoric overshadows reality.
Consider the position
Ahmed isn't being pitched for secretary of state or ambassador to the United Nations.
Mayor John Peyton nominated him to be one of up to 20 volunteer board members of a commission that typically meets once a month.
Its job isn't to tackle Middle East conflicts. Its main business is to promote fair treatment and equal opportunity for all local residents regardless of their race, religion, national origin, sex, age or disability.
It investigates and helps settle discrimination complaints about jobs, housing and businesses.
Actions of the board require a majority vote of board members.Its power is mostly advisory.
Background checks
Anyone who serves on any public board should be of good character and, preferably, have relevant experience.
We have seen no evidence that Ahmed has condoned violence or terrorism. There is plenty of evidence he has been involved in many positive community activities, from helping local charities to speaking at local places of worship about mutual understanding.
Delaney said UNF has not received any subpoenas, requests for documents or other inquiries from any investigating authorities about Ahmed during his years there.
Deputy Chief General Counsel Cindy Laquidara said she found no criminal complaints against Ahmed and just a few "garden variety" civil complaints involving national CAIR during Ahmed's leadership. Those involved services the group provided and were not directed at Ahmed.
She said she did not do a complete background check on him, but that the city doesn't do one for any nominee to a city board.
City Council member John Crescimbeni said he called a former veteran FBI agent who headed the Jacksonville office, who was "astounded" at some of the allegations against Ahmed and had seen no evidence to support them.
Crescimbeni said a call to the U.S. Attorney's Office "provided comfort to me as well."
It should be noted that the FBI has severed its ties with CAIR. But Ahmed did, as well. And he has worked with the FBI and law enforcement on diversity issues.
The council has haggled over Ahmed's appointment for weeks, with Councilman Clay Yarborough going far as asking him whether he would support, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, if he were appointed.
"Absolutely, yes," said Ahmed, a U.S. citizen.
CAIR is a controversial group. Middle East conflicts are the world's thorniest. Ahmed's opinions about them won't appeal to everyone.
But those aren't relevant in regard to serving on this commission.
One appointment is not going to make or break this board and its mission.
And the noise surrounding Ahmed's appointment should not keep City Council from confirming him.
City looks at stance on human rights
Source URL: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-04-25/story/city-looks-stance-human-rights
The Jacksonville City Council Rules Committee recommended on Monday that UNF professor Parvez Ahmed be confirmed to the city Human Rights Commission despite opposition from the anti-Islamist group ACT! for America. The full council will take up the issue Tuesday. Ahmed participated in a live discussion on Jacksonville.com's Talk of the Town on Thursday, answering questions about the Human Rights Commission as well as his association with the American Muslim advocacy group the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). Here are excerpts from that live online chat.
[Comment From David West]: The JHRC serves the same purpose as the Florida Commission on Human Relations. Why do we need such commissions at both the state and the local levels? Does Jacksonville really need the JHRC?
Ahmed: There are issues at the city level that are best resolved locally. It also allows us local mediation before either federal or state agencies can review any complaint.
Jeff Reece-moderator: Could you give us an example of an issue better resolved at the local level?
Ahmed: Issues related to city employees for example. Or issues related to reasonable accommodation of religious practices can be best resolved locally because they will take into account local customs and practices.
[Comment From Bill Graham]: Dr. Ahmed, I want to say first of all that I appreciate your willingness to serve. I feel, as you do, that the JHRC is necessary if only to serve issues that are of local importance to us. What do you feel are the most important issues to Jacksonville?
Ahmed: Right now, I do not know all of the issues that are in front of the commission. Once I'm confirmed by the City Council, I intend to find out.
Jeff Reece-moderator: What do you think are some of the issues in Jacksonville that the commission should be dealing with?
Ahmed: Some of the conversations surrounding my nomination suggests that there is an opportunity to do more dialogues and conversations on issues related to racial or religious stereotyping. I view my current situation as a teachable moment. I hope the commission will enhance its outreach efforts related to education and inter-group harmony.
JeffReece-moderator: Much has been made of your association with CAIR. Some want to know what led you to join CAIR and what you hoped to accomplish through that organization. Can you speak to this?
Ahmed: CAIR was at that time and is now perhaps the only Muslim civil rights organization in America. After the tragic events of 9/11 there was an unfortunate backlash against American Muslims. An organization that was dedicated to defending the rights of American Muslims was necessary, not only for the sake of American Muslims, but also for the greater good of America itself. It is in this spirit I joined CAIR.
[Comment From S.P.]: Dr. Ahmed, Once nominated, how will you educate the Jax community on issues related to Human Rights?
Ahmed: I have been speaking at churches, synagogues, temples, schools and civic organizations around the city. I will continue doing that. I will also try to find new partners who can enhance the cause of human rights for all.
[Comment From Claire]: Currently, the only thing the commission does that is not a duplication of services is outreach. Why shouldn't we cut most of the commission, and only leave the outreach department? (Taking care of the city's employee's issues is currently under the JHRC umbrella, but sectioned off).
Ahmed: It is difficult for me to comment on this without knowing the full scope and impact of the commission. But I do know from experience that the commission has been an effective mediator in many human rights-related conflict situations.
[Comment From Claire]: Within the community, but that is outreach. Most of the taxpayer money goes toward paying the JHRC to do the same thing as the EEOC and Florida Commission
Ahmed: The JHRC is a first line of defense before matters escalate to federal or state levels. So it does not duplicate resources, it actually streamlines the process.
Jeff Reece-moderator: There is great fear in the U.S. about the radicalization of Muslims. Is this a legitimate concern?
Ahmed: It is a concern, but we should not be hysterical. There is a report that was put out by Duke University that expresses some concern, but also commends the American Muslim community for taking positive steps toward mitigating this problem. More can be done. It requires cooperation and understanding across all religious communities and also our civic and political leaders.
Jeff Reece-moderator: When T-U columnist Mark Woods asked Councilman Clay Yarborough, "Do you believe Muslims should be able to hold any public office in Florida?" his response was "I don't know." When asked "Do you think homosexuals should be able to hold a public office in Florida?" his response was "I would prefer they did not." What is your reaction to his answers?
Ahmed: It is disappointing to see an elected official so fundamentally misinformed about our constitution and the Bill of Rights.
[Comment From Bill Graham]: What would you like to leave as your legacy for Jacksonville?
Ahmed: A bridge-builder and a peacemaker.
Jeff Reece-moderator: Some Americans believe that Islam teaches that women don't have as many rights as men. As a Muslim, do you see this as a human rights issue and what is your personal stance on the issue?
Ahmed: Women have the same rights in Islam as men. Some cultures do have institutional discrimination against women. This is more cultural than religious. The rights of all human beings is a human rights issue. I have advocated for greater expansion of women's rights within Muslim communities, both here and abroad.
The Jacksonville City Council Rules Committee recommended on Monday that UNF professor Parvez Ahmed be confirmed to the city Human Rights Commission despite opposition from the anti-Islamist group ACT! for America. The full council will take up the issue Tuesday. Ahmed participated in a live discussion on Jacksonville.com's Talk of the Town on Thursday, answering questions about the Human Rights Commission as well as his association with the American Muslim advocacy group the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). Here are excerpts from that live online chat.
[Comment From David West]: The JHRC serves the same purpose as the Florida Commission on Human Relations. Why do we need such commissions at both the state and the local levels? Does Jacksonville really need the JHRC?
Ahmed: There are issues at the city level that are best resolved locally. It also allows us local mediation before either federal or state agencies can review any complaint.
Jeff Reece-moderator: Could you give us an example of an issue better resolved at the local level?
Ahmed: Issues related to city employees for example. Or issues related to reasonable accommodation of religious practices can be best resolved locally because they will take into account local customs and practices.
[Comment From Bill Graham]: Dr. Ahmed, I want to say first of all that I appreciate your willingness to serve. I feel, as you do, that the JHRC is necessary if only to serve issues that are of local importance to us. What do you feel are the most important issues to Jacksonville?
Ahmed: Right now, I do not know all of the issues that are in front of the commission. Once I'm confirmed by the City Council, I intend to find out.
Jeff Reece-moderator: What do you think are some of the issues in Jacksonville that the commission should be dealing with?
Ahmed: Some of the conversations surrounding my nomination suggests that there is an opportunity to do more dialogues and conversations on issues related to racial or religious stereotyping. I view my current situation as a teachable moment. I hope the commission will enhance its outreach efforts related to education and inter-group harmony.
JeffReece-moderator: Much has been made of your association with CAIR. Some want to know what led you to join CAIR and what you hoped to accomplish through that organization. Can you speak to this?
Ahmed: CAIR was at that time and is now perhaps the only Muslim civil rights organization in America. After the tragic events of 9/11 there was an unfortunate backlash against American Muslims. An organization that was dedicated to defending the rights of American Muslims was necessary, not only for the sake of American Muslims, but also for the greater good of America itself. It is in this spirit I joined CAIR.
[Comment From S.P.]: Dr. Ahmed, Once nominated, how will you educate the Jax community on issues related to Human Rights?
Ahmed: I have been speaking at churches, synagogues, temples, schools and civic organizations around the city. I will continue doing that. I will also try to find new partners who can enhance the cause of human rights for all.
[Comment From Claire]: Currently, the only thing the commission does that is not a duplication of services is outreach. Why shouldn't we cut most of the commission, and only leave the outreach department? (Taking care of the city's employee's issues is currently under the JHRC umbrella, but sectioned off).
Ahmed: It is difficult for me to comment on this without knowing the full scope and impact of the commission. But I do know from experience that the commission has been an effective mediator in many human rights-related conflict situations.
[Comment From Claire]: Within the community, but that is outreach. Most of the taxpayer money goes toward paying the JHRC to do the same thing as the EEOC and Florida Commission
Ahmed: The JHRC is a first line of defense before matters escalate to federal or state levels. So it does not duplicate resources, it actually streamlines the process.
Jeff Reece-moderator: There is great fear in the U.S. about the radicalization of Muslims. Is this a legitimate concern?
Ahmed: It is a concern, but we should not be hysterical. There is a report that was put out by Duke University that expresses some concern, but also commends the American Muslim community for taking positive steps toward mitigating this problem. More can be done. It requires cooperation and understanding across all religious communities and also our civic and political leaders.
Jeff Reece-moderator: When T-U columnist Mark Woods asked Councilman Clay Yarborough, "Do you believe Muslims should be able to hold any public office in Florida?" his response was "I don't know." When asked "Do you think homosexuals should be able to hold a public office in Florida?" his response was "I would prefer they did not." What is your reaction to his answers?
Ahmed: It is disappointing to see an elected official so fundamentally misinformed about our constitution and the Bill of Rights.
[Comment From Bill Graham]: What would you like to leave as your legacy for Jacksonville?
Ahmed: A bridge-builder and a peacemaker.
Jeff Reece-moderator: Some Americans believe that Islam teaches that women don't have as many rights as men. As a Muslim, do you see this as a human rights issue and what is your personal stance on the issue?
Ahmed: Women have the same rights in Islam as men. Some cultures do have institutional discrimination against women. This is more cultural than religious. The rights of all human beings is a human rights issue. I have advocated for greater expansion of women's rights within Muslim communities, both here and abroad.
Despite shrill critics, Ahmed an ideal appointee
Source: Florida Times Union, April 25, 2010.
Despite shrill critics, Ahmed an ideal appointee
By Ron Littlepage. From the editorial page
Some are upset that the terms "bigoted" and "intolerant" have been used in the debate over Parvez Ahmed's nomination to the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission.
Here's just one example of why those descriptions are accurate. An e-mail I received read:
"It is not bigotry to protect our country. We are in a war against muslims (small m because these people do not deserve to be capitalized.)
"We do not need any more muslims in our government setting policy. We have one in
the white house and that's more than enough.
"Yes, he is a muslim. He attended their schools as a child and why do [you] think he and his family have not chosen to attend church?
"Thank God for Webb and Yarborough who are trying to protect this country."
It would be one thing if such uninformed sentiments were rare, but they weren't rare in e-mails and telephone calls I received after writing about Ahmed's nomination.
One motivation for the anti-Muslim rhetoric often mentioned was the despicable actions of Army psychiatrist Nidal Malik Hasan at Fort Hood in Texas.
I'm guessing those detractors never read what Ahmed wrote after that tragedy.
"Muslims in America do face the problems of discrimination and many feel dismayed about America's policy towards hot spots like Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and Palestine," he wrote on Huffington Post.
"But those issues cannot be solved by acts of terror or random violence.
"Terror in the name of Islam has only brought more misery to Muslims at home and abroad. Terrorism is morally bankrupt and strategically unsuccessful."
Such condemnations of terrorism is a constant theme in Ahmed's writings and speeches.
Others are promoting peace and understanding, and bridging divides among different religions.
The goals of the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission include promoting "mutual understanding and respect among members of all economic, social, racial, religious and ethnic groups" and eliminating "discrimination against and antagonism between religious, racial and ethnic groups."
In a city with a population that's becoming more diverse, Ahmed's voice would be a welcome addition to the 20-member commission.
As disturbing as some of the bigoted and intolerant comments have been, there have been the numerous e-mails and calls supporting Ahmed's nomination.
Much of that support comes from people who actually know and work with Ahmed, unlike those who are railing against him.
The Jacksonville City Council is set to take up Ahmed's nomination during its regular meeting on Tuesday night.
Council members Clay Yarborough and Jack Webb, who wants to be the next council president, already have said they will vote against Ahmed's nomination.
One voice that has not been heard in this debate - at least not as loudly as those of Webb and Yarborough - is that of Mayor John Peyton.
Peyton would do well to go before the council and remind council members that the action they take will say a lot about our city.
Despite shrill critics, Ahmed an ideal appointee
By Ron Littlepage. From the editorial page
Some are upset that the terms "bigoted" and "intolerant" have been used in the debate over Parvez Ahmed's nomination to the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission.
Here's just one example of why those descriptions are accurate. An e-mail I received read:
"It is not bigotry to protect our country. We are in a war against muslims (small m because these people do not deserve to be capitalized.)
"We do not need any more muslims in our government setting policy. We have one in
the white house and that's more than enough.
"Yes, he is a muslim. He attended their schools as a child and why do [you] think he and his family have not chosen to attend church?
"Thank God for Webb and Yarborough who are trying to protect this country."
It would be one thing if such uninformed sentiments were rare, but they weren't rare in e-mails and telephone calls I received after writing about Ahmed's nomination.
One motivation for the anti-Muslim rhetoric often mentioned was the despicable actions of Army psychiatrist Nidal Malik Hasan at Fort Hood in Texas.
I'm guessing those detractors never read what Ahmed wrote after that tragedy.
"Muslims in America do face the problems of discrimination and many feel dismayed about America's policy towards hot spots like Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and Palestine," he wrote on Huffington Post.
"But those issues cannot be solved by acts of terror or random violence.
"Terror in the name of Islam has only brought more misery to Muslims at home and abroad. Terrorism is morally bankrupt and strategically unsuccessful."
Such condemnations of terrorism is a constant theme in Ahmed's writings and speeches.
Others are promoting peace and understanding, and bridging divides among different religions.
The goals of the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission include promoting "mutual understanding and respect among members of all economic, social, racial, religious and ethnic groups" and eliminating "discrimination against and antagonism between religious, racial and ethnic groups."
In a city with a population that's becoming more diverse, Ahmed's voice would be a welcome addition to the 20-member commission.
As disturbing as some of the bigoted and intolerant comments have been, there have been the numerous e-mails and calls supporting Ahmed's nomination.
Much of that support comes from people who actually know and work with Ahmed, unlike those who are railing against him.
The Jacksonville City Council is set to take up Ahmed's nomination during its regular meeting on Tuesday night.
Council members Clay Yarborough and Jack Webb, who wants to be the next council president, already have said they will vote against Ahmed's nomination.
One voice that has not been heard in this debate - at least not as loudly as those of Webb and Yarborough - is that of Mayor John Peyton.
Peyton would do well to go before the council and remind council members that the action they take will say a lot about our city.
Bigotry rears its ugly head in Jacksonville City Council committee
Jacksonville.com
Submitted by Ron Littlepage on April 20, 2010 - 1:30am
Good people came to the City Council Rules Committee meeting Monday in support of Parvez Ahmed, Mayor John Peyton's nominee to the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission.
Their presence and words will help erase some of the stain placed on this community by the bigotry and intolerance that have surfaced in opposition to Ahmed, a Muslim.
But the stain will remain, and it was reinforced by the actions of two committee members - Jack Webb and Clay Yarborough.
One who spoke in favor of Ahmed was former Mayor John Delaney, now the president of the University of North Florida where Ahmed, a Fulbright scholar, is a professor.
"This is a man of peace," Delaney said.
Ahmed has worked to bridge divides, Delaney said, and he certainly isn't a supporter of terrorism, as some on the fringe have claimed.
They, not Ahmed, were the ones who stomped out of the council chambers when their motives were questioned.
It would have been better for Webb and Yarborough if they had stomped out as well.
Webb, who had recommended at last week's council meeting that Ahmed's nomination go back to Rules, went into some hard-to-follow riff about the Irish Republican Army.
Then after challenging Ahmed, he happened to be out of the room when a majority of the committee voted to recommend that the full council approve Ahmed's nomination.
Afterward, Webb insisted that he wasn't "ducking" a vote and that he had gone to get a diet soda.
I must admit that I chuckled. Webb shot back that he will vote against Ahmed at Tuesday's council meeting because of his concerns.
Yarborough's position was predictable.
He asked Ahmed a couple of questions:
Would Ahmed uphold and support the U.S. Constitution?
"Absolutely."
Did Ahmed think the Constitution should be replaced with other laws?
"No."
Well, Yarborough said, he would still vote against Ahmed because of concerns that were raised during his "research."
Councilman John Crescimbeni put Webb's and Yarborough's questions into the proper perspective. He had done some research as well.
Crescimbeni said he had talked to a retired FBI agent with 31 years in the agency, including serving as the agent-in-charge in Jacksonville, who knows Ahmed.
The retired agent, Crescimbeni said, was "astounded" by the allegations.
The councilman said he also talked with a member of the U.S. Attorney's Office about Ahmed, and what he was told "provided comfort to me, as well."
"I can't imagine a better candidate," Crescimbeni said. "Thank you for enduring this process."
As for his part, Ahmed said those opposing him "have never met me. They have never spoken to me."
While those supporting him, he said, have worked along side him as he condemned terrorism and violence, and pushed for peace and justice and diplomacy.
Crescimbeni was right: Ahmed is the right kind of candidate needed for the Human Rights Commission.
ron.littlepage@jacksonville.com,(904) 359-4284
Submitted by Ron Littlepage on April 20, 2010 - 1:30am
Good people came to the City Council Rules Committee meeting Monday in support of Parvez Ahmed, Mayor John Peyton's nominee to the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission.
Their presence and words will help erase some of the stain placed on this community by the bigotry and intolerance that have surfaced in opposition to Ahmed, a Muslim.
But the stain will remain, and it was reinforced by the actions of two committee members - Jack Webb and Clay Yarborough.
One who spoke in favor of Ahmed was former Mayor John Delaney, now the president of the University of North Florida where Ahmed, a Fulbright scholar, is a professor.
"This is a man of peace," Delaney said.
Ahmed has worked to bridge divides, Delaney said, and he certainly isn't a supporter of terrorism, as some on the fringe have claimed.
They, not Ahmed, were the ones who stomped out of the council chambers when their motives were questioned.
It would have been better for Webb and Yarborough if they had stomped out as well.
Webb, who had recommended at last week's council meeting that Ahmed's nomination go back to Rules, went into some hard-to-follow riff about the Irish Republican Army.
Then after challenging Ahmed, he happened to be out of the room when a majority of the committee voted to recommend that the full council approve Ahmed's nomination.
Afterward, Webb insisted that he wasn't "ducking" a vote and that he had gone to get a diet soda.
I must admit that I chuckled. Webb shot back that he will vote against Ahmed at Tuesday's council meeting because of his concerns.
Yarborough's position was predictable.
He asked Ahmed a couple of questions:
Would Ahmed uphold and support the U.S. Constitution?
"Absolutely."
Did Ahmed think the Constitution should be replaced with other laws?
"No."
Well, Yarborough said, he would still vote against Ahmed because of concerns that were raised during his "research."
Councilman John Crescimbeni put Webb's and Yarborough's questions into the proper perspective. He had done some research as well.
Crescimbeni said he had talked to a retired FBI agent with 31 years in the agency, including serving as the agent-in-charge in Jacksonville, who knows Ahmed.
The retired agent, Crescimbeni said, was "astounded" by the allegations.
The councilman said he also talked with a member of the U.S. Attorney's Office about Ahmed, and what he was told "provided comfort to me, as well."
"I can't imagine a better candidate," Crescimbeni said. "Thank you for enduring this process."
As for his part, Ahmed said those opposing him "have never met me. They have never spoken to me."
While those supporting him, he said, have worked along side him as he condemned terrorism and violence, and pushed for peace and justice and diplomacy.
Crescimbeni was right: Ahmed is the right kind of candidate needed for the Human Rights Commission.
ron.littlepage@jacksonville.com,(904) 359-4284
Letters of Support From OneJax, CAHR/FSU, NAACP, Community Foundation
FROM ONEJAX
April 15, 2010
Dear Jacksonville Friends and Supporters,
We at OneJax, an interfaith organization whose mission is to promote respect and understanding among people of different religions, races, cultures and beliefs, must go on record to express our dismay and disappointment at the actions of the City Council regarding the delay of a vote to approve the Mayor's nomination of Dr. Parvez Ahmed to the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission.
Dr. Ahmed, a UNF professor, Fulbright Scholar and longtime Board member of our organization, works tirelessly in this community to unify people across cultures, races, and religions. His human relations track record locally, nationally and internationally speaks volumes about his integrity, dedication, and competence. Dr. Ahmed embodies the guiding principles of our organization:
Respect: We respect and value every person's human dignity.
Unity: We celebrate our common humanity and honor our differences.
Courage: We stand together and speak out when oppression hurts people.
Integrity: We live the principles we talk about in our everyday lives.
Accountability: We act accountably with those we serve and with those who support us.
We ask that our City Council embrace these principles, refuse to give further credence to attempts at cultural stereotyping, and approve the nomination of Dr. Ahmed to the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission.
If you agree, take action and contact the members of City Council today. Make your voice heard and support Parvez Ahmed.
We appreciate your commitment to helping us make Jacksonville an inclusive community.
Brenda B. Ezell
Board Chair
Celeste Krueger, Ed.S.
Executive Director
From Center for Advancement of Human Rights, Florida State University
*Open message to the Council regarding Mayor John Peyton’s nomination of Dr. Parvez Ahmed…
April 15, 2010
I write in support of Mayor John Peyton’s nomination of Dr. Parvez Ahmed, Fulbright Scholar and Associate Professor of Finance, Department of Accounting and Finance, Coggin College of Business, University of North Florida, to the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission.
More specifically, I write given my understanding that the Council recently voted to refer his nomination back to the rules committee for further consideration in response to certain accusations that Dr. Ahmed has ties to extremist groups -- which presumably refer to his prior role as national chair of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR).
From my perspective, that course of action is perplexing given that Dr. Ahmed is widely recognized as a highly regarded commentator on the American Muslim experience and consistently has been an eloquent voice of moderation. Moreover, I understand that Dr. Ahmed has garnered wide-ranging support for this appointment.
For context, I serve as senior program director for The Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights (FSU/CAHR) in Tallahassee. I am a lawyer with almost two decades of policy experience and have served as senior staff in the Florida’s Governor’s Office, the White House and the U.S. State Department. Of particular note, I directed the Center's Liberty in the Balance Project -- a two-year initiative that FSU/CAHR launched several months after 9/11 with partial support from the Office of the Florida Attorney General in an effort to help facilitate an appropriate balance between law enforcement imperatives and civil liberties interests in a post-9/11 environment.
My initial interaction with Dr. Ahmed dates back to the aforementioned project. Simply put, his contributions proved to be invaluable. We have worked together on various other issues over the course of the past several years.
The irony in this instance is compelling… Several weeks ago, against the backdrop of Ft. Hood, Flight 253 and recent reporting relating to activities by certain Christian Militia groups in Michigan, Dr. Ahmed, Bob Cromwell (a former FBI Special Agent in Charge within the Bureau’s Jacksonville, FL, Division… who I am aware has developed a strong working relationship with Dr. Ahmed) and I concluded that there was ample cause to reengage on these issues in Florida. Accordingly, the three of us resolved to pilot a renewed version of the Liberty in the Balance Project, which FSU/CAHR plans to launch in the near term. Once again, Dr. Ahmed will play a key role.
I am confident that Dr. Ahmed’s background, experience and insights will serve the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission and thereupon the people of Jacksonville well. I encourage Council members to take favorable action on his nomination without further delay.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you would like clarification regarding any element of this message.
Respectfully,
Mark Schlakman
Note1: Before I joined FSU’s faculty in early 2002, I had the privilege of serving in several senior government positions at the state and federal levels including, special counsel to Governor Lawton Chiles, special advisor to Governor Jeb Bush during his first several months in office, senior advisor to Governor "Buddy" MacKay amidst his tenure as White House Special Envoy for the Americas during the final two years of the Clinton administration, and as a special advisor to U.S. Senator Bob Graham toward the end of my tour in Washington, D.C.
I also served as a Foreign Affairs Officer for the U.S. Department of State where I received its Superior Honor Award in recognition of my service within the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs while assigned to the White House. I subsequently served as Alternate Representative for the US Permanent Mission to the Organization of American States (OAS).
Note2: I have copied Dr. Ahmed, The Honorable Mayor John Peyton, Talbot "Sandy" D'Alemberte (President Emeritus, The Florida State University and former president of the American Bar Association), Terry Coonan (Executive Director, FSU/CAHR), Derick Daniel (Executive Director, Florida Commission on Human Relations) and Bob Cromwell (former Special Agent in Charge, FBI -- Jacksonville, FL, Division) on this message.
FROM NAACP - Jacksonville Branch
April 19, 2010
The Honorable Richard Clark
President, Jacksonville City Council
11 7 W. Duval St., Ste 425
Jacksonville, FL 32202
RE: Dr. Parvez Ahmed
Dear President Clark:
This letter is written in support of Mayor John Peyton's nomination of Dr. Parvez Ahmed, an associate professor of finance at the University of North Florida, to the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission. As the President of the Jacksonville Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and speaking for the Branch, we support Dr. Ahmed's confirmation. The NAACP has a long standing history of fighting for human rights of all people and we consider these circumstances no different.
Dr. Ahmed, a United States Fulbright Scholar, brings this community outstanding experiences with his nomination as the first Muslim representative to the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission. His service on the Commission would truly expand its diverse representation. His long standing commitment and his valuable contributions to the Jacksonville community helps our essential development. Dr. Ahmed is not new to Jacksonville. He is an advocate for human rights. In order to embrace the diversity that is destined for this city, we must have a Human Rights Commission that is socially and racially inclusive. We have seen what happens over the years when Jacksonville excludes rather than includes.
The cultural characteristics and the fabric of all races shape our nation. Jacksonville is merely a small microcosm of our country and this nomination is crucial to shaping the thoughts we must embrace in our diversity. We must begin to accept and understand all people. The Jacksonville City Council should not condemn Dr. Ahmed before all facts are presented. A person's religious affiliations, color of their skin, and ethnic background should not be a precursor for elimination.
We support Dr. Parvez Ahmed and the valuable and extensive knowledge and perspectives he brings to the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission.
Mr. President, if the Jacksonville City Council aspires to carry Jacksonville to loftier heights through its leadership; then you should not allow the denial of Dr. Ahmed's nomination, and the obvious appearance of racism and discrimination, further tarnish the image of Jacksonville.
Sincerely,
Isaiah Rumlin
President, Jacksonville Branch NAACP
From Community Foundation in Jacksonville
Earned our respect
As a nation, the United States is committed to the notion of equal opportunity, regardless of gender, race, creed or national origin.
At The Community Foundation in Jacksonville, we share that commitment.
Therefore, we are particularly offended and appalled by the decision of certain City Council members to obstruct the nomination of Parvez Ahmed to serve on the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission.
Ahmed has earned the respect of his peers locally and nationally. The University of North Florida professor is the recent recipient of a coveted Fulbright grant and has received the Outstanding Researcher Award three times from Coggin College of Business at UNF as well as the Outstanding Teacher Award.
More importantly, he has been a steady voice for reason and understanding among people of different faiths in the community.
In short, he is ideally suited for service on the Human Rights Commission.
We urge the reasoned and responsible representatives on City Council not to be hijacked by hysteria and misinformation, hatred and intolerance.
We urge them to support the nomination of Ahmed to the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission.
CINDY EDELMAN,
chairman, The Community Foundation in Jacksonville
April 15, 2010
Dear Jacksonville Friends and Supporters,
We at OneJax, an interfaith organization whose mission is to promote respect and understanding among people of different religions, races, cultures and beliefs, must go on record to express our dismay and disappointment at the actions of the City Council regarding the delay of a vote to approve the Mayor's nomination of Dr. Parvez Ahmed to the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission.
Dr. Ahmed, a UNF professor, Fulbright Scholar and longtime Board member of our organization, works tirelessly in this community to unify people across cultures, races, and religions. His human relations track record locally, nationally and internationally speaks volumes about his integrity, dedication, and competence. Dr. Ahmed embodies the guiding principles of our organization:
Respect: We respect and value every person's human dignity.
Unity: We celebrate our common humanity and honor our differences.
Courage: We stand together and speak out when oppression hurts people.
Integrity: We live the principles we talk about in our everyday lives.
Accountability: We act accountably with those we serve and with those who support us.
We ask that our City Council embrace these principles, refuse to give further credence to attempts at cultural stereotyping, and approve the nomination of Dr. Ahmed to the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission.
If you agree, take action and contact the members of City Council today. Make your voice heard and support Parvez Ahmed.
We appreciate your commitment to helping us make Jacksonville an inclusive community.
Brenda B. Ezell
Board Chair
Celeste Krueger, Ed.S.
Executive Director
From Center for Advancement of Human Rights, Florida State University
*Open message to the Council regarding Mayor John Peyton’s nomination of Dr. Parvez Ahmed…
April 15, 2010
I write in support of Mayor John Peyton’s nomination of Dr. Parvez Ahmed, Fulbright Scholar and Associate Professor of Finance, Department of Accounting and Finance, Coggin College of Business, University of North Florida, to the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission.
More specifically, I write given my understanding that the Council recently voted to refer his nomination back to the rules committee for further consideration in response to certain accusations that Dr. Ahmed has ties to extremist groups -- which presumably refer to his prior role as national chair of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR).
From my perspective, that course of action is perplexing given that Dr. Ahmed is widely recognized as a highly regarded commentator on the American Muslim experience and consistently has been an eloquent voice of moderation. Moreover, I understand that Dr. Ahmed has garnered wide-ranging support for this appointment.
For context, I serve as senior program director for The Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights (FSU/CAHR) in Tallahassee. I am a lawyer with almost two decades of policy experience and have served as senior staff in the Florida’s Governor’s Office, the White House and the U.S. State Department. Of particular note, I directed the Center's Liberty in the Balance Project -- a two-year initiative that FSU/CAHR launched several months after 9/11 with partial support from the Office of the Florida Attorney General in an effort to help facilitate an appropriate balance between law enforcement imperatives and civil liberties interests in a post-9/11 environment.
My initial interaction with Dr. Ahmed dates back to the aforementioned project. Simply put, his contributions proved to be invaluable. We have worked together on various other issues over the course of the past several years.
The irony in this instance is compelling… Several weeks ago, against the backdrop of Ft. Hood, Flight 253 and recent reporting relating to activities by certain Christian Militia groups in Michigan, Dr. Ahmed, Bob Cromwell (a former FBI Special Agent in Charge within the Bureau’s Jacksonville, FL, Division… who I am aware has developed a strong working relationship with Dr. Ahmed) and I concluded that there was ample cause to reengage on these issues in Florida. Accordingly, the three of us resolved to pilot a renewed version of the Liberty in the Balance Project, which FSU/CAHR plans to launch in the near term. Once again, Dr. Ahmed will play a key role.
I am confident that Dr. Ahmed’s background, experience and insights will serve the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission and thereupon the people of Jacksonville well. I encourage Council members to take favorable action on his nomination without further delay.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you would like clarification regarding any element of this message.
Respectfully,
Mark Schlakman
Note1: Before I joined FSU’s faculty in early 2002, I had the privilege of serving in several senior government positions at the state and federal levels including, special counsel to Governor Lawton Chiles, special advisor to Governor Jeb Bush during his first several months in office, senior advisor to Governor "Buddy" MacKay amidst his tenure as White House Special Envoy for the Americas during the final two years of the Clinton administration, and as a special advisor to U.S. Senator Bob Graham toward the end of my tour in Washington, D.C.
I also served as a Foreign Affairs Officer for the U.S. Department of State where I received its Superior Honor Award in recognition of my service within the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs while assigned to the White House. I subsequently served as Alternate Representative for the US Permanent Mission to the Organization of American States (OAS).
Note2: I have copied Dr. Ahmed, The Honorable Mayor John Peyton, Talbot "Sandy" D'Alemberte (President Emeritus, The Florida State University and former president of the American Bar Association), Terry Coonan (Executive Director, FSU/CAHR), Derick Daniel (Executive Director, Florida Commission on Human Relations) and Bob Cromwell (former Special Agent in Charge, FBI -- Jacksonville, FL, Division) on this message.
FROM NAACP - Jacksonville Branch
April 19, 2010
The Honorable Richard Clark
President, Jacksonville City Council
11 7 W. Duval St., Ste 425
Jacksonville, FL 32202
RE: Dr. Parvez Ahmed
Dear President Clark:
This letter is written in support of Mayor John Peyton's nomination of Dr. Parvez Ahmed, an associate professor of finance at the University of North Florida, to the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission. As the President of the Jacksonville Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and speaking for the Branch, we support Dr. Ahmed's confirmation. The NAACP has a long standing history of fighting for human rights of all people and we consider these circumstances no different.
Dr. Ahmed, a United States Fulbright Scholar, brings this community outstanding experiences with his nomination as the first Muslim representative to the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission. His service on the Commission would truly expand its diverse representation. His long standing commitment and his valuable contributions to the Jacksonville community helps our essential development. Dr. Ahmed is not new to Jacksonville. He is an advocate for human rights. In order to embrace the diversity that is destined for this city, we must have a Human Rights Commission that is socially and racially inclusive. We have seen what happens over the years when Jacksonville excludes rather than includes.
The cultural characteristics and the fabric of all races shape our nation. Jacksonville is merely a small microcosm of our country and this nomination is crucial to shaping the thoughts we must embrace in our diversity. We must begin to accept and understand all people. The Jacksonville City Council should not condemn Dr. Ahmed before all facts are presented. A person's religious affiliations, color of their skin, and ethnic background should not be a precursor for elimination.
We support Dr. Parvez Ahmed and the valuable and extensive knowledge and perspectives he brings to the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission.
Mr. President, if the Jacksonville City Council aspires to carry Jacksonville to loftier heights through its leadership; then you should not allow the denial of Dr. Ahmed's nomination, and the obvious appearance of racism and discrimination, further tarnish the image of Jacksonville.
Sincerely,
Isaiah Rumlin
President, Jacksonville Branch NAACP
From Community Foundation in Jacksonville
Earned our respect
As a nation, the United States is committed to the notion of equal opportunity, regardless of gender, race, creed or national origin.
At The Community Foundation in Jacksonville, we share that commitment.
Therefore, we are particularly offended and appalled by the decision of certain City Council members to obstruct the nomination of Parvez Ahmed to serve on the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission.
Ahmed has earned the respect of his peers locally and nationally. The University of North Florida professor is the recent recipient of a coveted Fulbright grant and has received the Outstanding Researcher Award three times from Coggin College of Business at UNF as well as the Outstanding Teacher Award.
More importantly, he has been a steady voice for reason and understanding among people of different faiths in the community.
In short, he is ideally suited for service on the Human Rights Commission.
We urge the reasoned and responsible representatives on City Council not to be hijacked by hysteria and misinformation, hatred and intolerance.
We urge them to support the nomination of Ahmed to the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission.
CINDY EDELMAN,
chairman, The Community Foundation in Jacksonville
Jacksonville panel votes again to recommend Ahmed for commission
Video of Rules Committee Meeting, April 19, 2010
Florida Times Union, April 20, 2010
By Tia Mitchell
University of North Florida President John Delaney said he decided to speak up in public for Parvez Ahmed not just because he is an employee but because he felt an upstanding man was being vilified.
"He's a person of peace," Delaney said after speaking at Monday's City Council Rules Committee meeting. "He's about love, and he's about mutuality and reconciliation.
He's never been a militant or rabid in interpersonal dealings, and the faculty here will tell you that."
The Rules Committee agreed with the former two-term mayor and voted 4-1 to uphold its previous decision to recommend Ahmed for confirmation to the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission. The full council will now take up the issue at its April 27 meeting.
Voting in favor of recommending Ahmed were Art Shad, John Crescimbeni, Denise Lee and Bill Bishop.
Councilman Clay Yarborough voted "no" - changing his stance from two weeks earlier. Yarborough said the recent allegations that Ahmed, a UNF professor and a Muslim, has ties to terrorism were enough to change his mind.
"I have too much of a reasonable doubt based on the research I've done over the last week and a half," he said.
Council Vice President Jack Webb left the room before the vote was taken. He told The Times-Union he stepped out to get a soft drink and then ran into Delaney, who wanted to talk about Ahmed's nomination.
Webb said he was surprised that the vote came so soon and would have voted against Ahmed's nomination. Asked why he didn't ask the committee to reopen the ballot so he could cast his vote on the record, Webb said, "I probably should have in retrospect."
At least two unidentified men walked out of the meeting, including one who had an angry outburst during Delaney's statements. As Delaney described the opposition campaign as fueled by hate, the man shouted his disagreement.
"I am not a racist! I am not going to be called a racist! It's not going to happen!" the man yelled as security officers followed him out of the council chambers.
After the vote, members of ACT! for America - the anti-Islamist group that has been most vocally opposed to Ahmed's nomination - and others expressed their disappointment. Randy McDaniels, leader of the organization's Jacksonville chapter, said he felt the council was ignoring troubling facts.
"With this many allegations and this much controversy, should someone like this be nominated?" McDaniels asked.
Ahmed, a Fullbright Scholar, professor at UNF and a Muslim, said the committee's vote was vindication not only for him as an individual but for the city as a whole.
"The city needed an outcome that demonstrated courage," he said, "that demonstrated moral clarity."
tia.mitchell@jacksonville.com,
(904) 359-4425
Florida Times Union, April 20, 2010
By Tia Mitchell
University of North Florida President John Delaney said he decided to speak up in public for Parvez Ahmed not just because he is an employee but because he felt an upstanding man was being vilified.
"He's a person of peace," Delaney said after speaking at Monday's City Council Rules Committee meeting. "He's about love, and he's about mutuality and reconciliation.
He's never been a militant or rabid in interpersonal dealings, and the faculty here will tell you that."
The Rules Committee agreed with the former two-term mayor and voted 4-1 to uphold its previous decision to recommend Ahmed for confirmation to the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission. The full council will now take up the issue at its April 27 meeting.
Voting in favor of recommending Ahmed were Art Shad, John Crescimbeni, Denise Lee and Bill Bishop.
Councilman Clay Yarborough voted "no" - changing his stance from two weeks earlier. Yarborough said the recent allegations that Ahmed, a UNF professor and a Muslim, has ties to terrorism were enough to change his mind.
"I have too much of a reasonable doubt based on the research I've done over the last week and a half," he said.
Council Vice President Jack Webb left the room before the vote was taken. He told The Times-Union he stepped out to get a soft drink and then ran into Delaney, who wanted to talk about Ahmed's nomination.
Webb said he was surprised that the vote came so soon and would have voted against Ahmed's nomination. Asked why he didn't ask the committee to reopen the ballot so he could cast his vote on the record, Webb said, "I probably should have in retrospect."
At least two unidentified men walked out of the meeting, including one who had an angry outburst during Delaney's statements. As Delaney described the opposition campaign as fueled by hate, the man shouted his disagreement.
"I am not a racist! I am not going to be called a racist! It's not going to happen!" the man yelled as security officers followed him out of the council chambers.
After the vote, members of ACT! for America - the anti-Islamist group that has been most vocally opposed to Ahmed's nomination - and others expressed their disappointment. Randy McDaniels, leader of the organization's Jacksonville chapter, said he felt the council was ignoring troubling facts.
"With this many allegations and this much controversy, should someone like this be nominated?" McDaniels asked.
Ahmed, a Fullbright Scholar, professor at UNF and a Muslim, said the committee's vote was vindication not only for him as an individual but for the city as a whole.
"The city needed an outcome that demonstrated courage," he said, "that demonstrated moral clarity."
tia.mitchell@jacksonville.com,
(904) 359-4425
My Ordeal with Jacksonville City Council
I was nominated by Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton to serve on the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission. The nomination needed to voted by the Rules Committee of City Council. In advance of this meeting, one of the Council members named Clay Yarborough sent me a bunch of irrelevant questions asking me about my views on "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance and gay marriage. Although I was not required to answer such irrelevant questions, I went ahead and answered them in the spirit of respectful dialog and mutual understanding.
The Rules Committee met and approved by nomination 4-0. The local newspaper (Times Union) found out about this and wrote a story.
Yarborough quizzes Jacksonville commission nominees on gay marriage, God, Islamic ties
A hate group called ACT got wind of this issue through the news report and started to bombard city hall with spurious allegations stemming from my time with the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), where I first served as its Florida Chairman from 2002-05 and then as the National Chairman from 2005-2008. I resigned from the organization after a public fallout over its direction and leadership.
Click here to learn more about ACT.
Next day the newspaper ran yet another story.
Anti-Muslim group opposes professor's appointment to Jacksonville commission
When the turn came for the full city council vote, instead of confirming the nomination as is the usual practice, they voted to refer the issue back to the Rules Committee for a re-vote.
Muslim's slot on Jacksonville human rights panel opposed
Following the city council's vote, I received a lot emails from a diverse group of people expressing outrage at the council's action and extending their support to me.
Times Union columnist Ron Littlepage wrote, "Any council member who has paid even the smallest amount of attention to what's going on in the world around them would know that charge is a crock. Ahmed has been a voice of reason and peace in these troubled times. But I guess paying attention isn't high on some council members' agendas."
On Thu, April 15, I was interviewed on Jacksonville's NPR station WJCT 89.9FM. To listen to the show click here.
When you listen to the interview, you will notice the overwhelming positive response that came from ordinary citizens of Jacksonville. I was gratified by this response.
Americans do not know much about Islam and Muslims. A recent Gallup Poll shows, "More than 4 in 10 Americans (43%) admit to feeling at least "a little" prejudice toward Muslims -- more than twice the number who say the same about Christians (18%), Jews (15%) and Buddhists (14%)." Hate groups like ACT, exploit this fear. Sometimes unfortunately they succeed. In the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King let me remind ourselves that our finite disappointments should not make us give up on the infinite hope of equality for all people.
One final note, during the public comment section of the city council meeting on Tuesday, April 13, a bunch of ACT folks stood up and railed against the Quran, Islam and me. Their free speech rights allow them to make those comments uninterrupted. However, it is also the moral duty of our leaders to stand up to such hate and bigotry. It is also a duty of ordinary citizens to condemn such rhetoric particularly when such hate speech is uttered in a citizen funded public building. What kind of message does such ranting send around the country and the world to people and businesses who want to relocate to Jacksonville?
To view the city council meeting visit click here. Scroll down to city council meeting 4/13/2010. The public comment section begins around the 45 minute mark.
I still hold out hope that the City Council members will do the right thing when the matter comes for re-voting.
In a letter to all members of the City Council I wrote, "ACT believes that Muslim-Americans shouldn't be allowed to hold public office and instructs people to contact the FBI if they see a mosque being built in their neighborhood. Their leader also said, "Every practicing Muslim is a radical Muslim." Educational materials available on ACT's website makes ridiculous claims such as "Islam does not coexist well with other religions," "[Islam] Co-opts the moon god Allah," "Islam was spread by the sword, not conversion."
If the words Muslim in those quotes were replaced by the words African-American or Jewish or Buddhist will the Council treat information from such a source with credibility?"
In addition, I said, "By now you have heard a lot about me, but from others. Some of the people you heard from have had years of associations with me. I am thankful that my work and views have made a positive impression on them. While others who wrote or spoke using snippets of disjointed information gathered from the internet painted a distorted picture of my record and views. The irony is not lost on anyone that those who never met me seemed loudest in their condemnation."
The Rules Committee met and approved by nomination 4-0. The local newspaper (Times Union) found out about this and wrote a story.
Yarborough quizzes Jacksonville commission nominees on gay marriage, God, Islamic ties
A hate group called ACT got wind of this issue through the news report and started to bombard city hall with spurious allegations stemming from my time with the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), where I first served as its Florida Chairman from 2002-05 and then as the National Chairman from 2005-2008. I resigned from the organization after a public fallout over its direction and leadership.
Click here to learn more about ACT.
Next day the newspaper ran yet another story.
Anti-Muslim group opposes professor's appointment to Jacksonville commission
When the turn came for the full city council vote, instead of confirming the nomination as is the usual practice, they voted to refer the issue back to the Rules Committee for a re-vote.
Muslim's slot on Jacksonville human rights panel opposed
Following the city council's vote, I received a lot emails from a diverse group of people expressing outrage at the council's action and extending their support to me.
Times Union columnist Ron Littlepage wrote, "Any council member who has paid even the smallest amount of attention to what's going on in the world around them would know that charge is a crock. Ahmed has been a voice of reason and peace in these troubled times. But I guess paying attention isn't high on some council members' agendas."
On Thu, April 15, I was interviewed on Jacksonville's NPR station WJCT 89.9FM. To listen to the show click here.
When you listen to the interview, you will notice the overwhelming positive response that came from ordinary citizens of Jacksonville. I was gratified by this response.
Americans do not know much about Islam and Muslims. A recent Gallup Poll shows, "More than 4 in 10 Americans (43%) admit to feeling at least "a little" prejudice toward Muslims -- more than twice the number who say the same about Christians (18%), Jews (15%) and Buddhists (14%)." Hate groups like ACT, exploit this fear. Sometimes unfortunately they succeed. In the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King let me remind ourselves that our finite disappointments should not make us give up on the infinite hope of equality for all people.
One final note, during the public comment section of the city council meeting on Tuesday, April 13, a bunch of ACT folks stood up and railed against the Quran, Islam and me. Their free speech rights allow them to make those comments uninterrupted. However, it is also the moral duty of our leaders to stand up to such hate and bigotry. It is also a duty of ordinary citizens to condemn such rhetoric particularly when such hate speech is uttered in a citizen funded public building. What kind of message does such ranting send around the country and the world to people and businesses who want to relocate to Jacksonville?
To view the city council meeting visit click here. Scroll down to city council meeting 4/13/2010. The public comment section begins around the 45 minute mark.
I still hold out hope that the City Council members will do the right thing when the matter comes for re-voting.
In a letter to all members of the City Council I wrote, "ACT believes that Muslim-Americans shouldn't be allowed to hold public office and instructs people to contact the FBI if they see a mosque being built in their neighborhood. Their leader also said, "Every practicing Muslim is a radical Muslim." Educational materials available on ACT's website makes ridiculous claims such as "Islam does not coexist well with other religions," "[Islam] Co-opts the moon god Allah," "Islam was spread by the sword, not conversion."
If the words Muslim in those quotes were replaced by the words African-American or Jewish or Buddhist will the Council treat information from such a source with credibility?"
In addition, I said, "By now you have heard a lot about me, but from others. Some of the people you heard from have had years of associations with me. I am thankful that my work and views have made a positive impression on them. While others who wrote or spoke using snippets of disjointed information gathered from the internet painted a distorted picture of my record and views. The irony is not lost on anyone that those who never met me seemed loudest in their condemnation."
India’s Invisible Minority
This article is based on a lecture given at the Press Club in Kolkata (Calcutta), India on September 24, 2009. The lecture was sponsored by the American Center in Calcutta, India.
First Published by AltMuslim. October 23, 2009
This year due to a coincidence of the lunar calendar, Eid-ul-Fitr and Durga Puja, two major religious festivals of India, were celebrated within a week of each other in late September. After twenty-two years, I was able to witness both in my birth city of Kolkata (Calcutta, India). One common thread between the Pujas and Eids is the propensity amongst the faithful to shop for new clothes and gifts with the same fervor and joy as Christmas shoppers in my adopted homeland of United States. The area colloquially called New Market is the nexus of this buying spree in Kolkata. I had a few things to shop for my family and quite naturally gravitated towards where all Kolkata roads seemed to meet.
Fighting the heat and humidity of a late September afternoon and amidst the crushing crowds, I could not help but notice that the overwhelming majority of the signs strewn across the myriad of shops were Puja greetings, well-wishing those celebrating Durgautsov. Conspicuous in their absence were well wishes to the Muslim community on the occasion of their Eid. Muslims who make up over twenty percent of the population in Kolkata, have become its invisible minority, increasingly squeezed out of the public square in Kolkata and beyond.
In 1947, after India’s bloody and tragic partition, many Muslims, particularly the elites, migrated to Pakistan leaving behind a political and social vacuum. Those who chose to remain Indian outnumbered those who opted for Pakistan. Yet Indian Muslims have been stigmatized as India’s fifth column. The subsequent rise of the Hindu political identity marked by the Hinduvta movement, the lack of creative ideas in the Muslim community towards self-empowerment, the post-independence educational curriculum depicting Muslims as outsiders, Islamophobia, and violence in the name of Islam; all have contributed to marginalize India’s Muslims.
Writing a book review in The Hindu, A.G. Noorani commented, “It (the Muslim problem) must be treated urgently and seriously as one of the national problems. Discrimination against Muslims has been a blot on India's record as a democracy. That blot must be erased with determination and speed by all Indians who cherish the Great Indian Ideal.” Thus, the idea behind empowering Muslims in India should not be viewed as either appeasement to a voting block or solely an altruistic program to uplift one of India’s most downtrodden socio-religious communities.
Persistent religious discrimination and recurring communal violence have marred India’s ideals and values. It has diminished India’s narrative of a secular state where multi-ethnic and multi-religious communities can safely and freely reside. The erosion of the constitutionally protected fundamental rights has been especially disillusioning for India’s Muslim youth. The repeated failure of governments, both local and national, to take appropriate measures to protect the rights of minority citizens has prompted the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to put India on its 2009 Watch List.
Despite the obvious need to correct the problem, religious fanatics and fundamentalists have espoused the notion that Muslim empowerment is a zero-sum game. In particular the Hinduvta movement has cultivated a mistaken notion that any gain to the Muslim community is a loss for the Hindus. But in today’s globalized society, power resides not so much in unilateralism (shown to be glaringly ineffective by George W. Bush) but rather in effective mutuality and sharing between all who have a stake in a nation’s future. Thus, the issue of Muslim empowerment should be as much a Hindu concern as it is a Muslim aspiration.
Empowering Muslims in India requires a three pronged effort with all of the parts working together in a holistic manner to convert today’s challenge into tomorrow’s opportunities. The first prong undoubtedly lies on the shoulders of India’s Muslim community. Instead of succumbing to the political rhetoric being espoused by self-appointed leaders, Muslims must leave aside their cynicism and engage in the Indian political, social and cultural life with vigor and positivity. The Civil Rights movement in America can serve as an inspirational model. Integration will be more effective if Indian Muslims harmonize their Islamic identity with their Indian one.
Such integrative steps can happen only if India’s state, local and central governments come forward with bold new proposals to correct the glaring deficiencies pointed out by the Sachar Committee Report. Although much of the grievances in the report were well known to Muslims, the Sachar Report is an eye opener to those who assumed away the Muslim problem or blamed it on some foreign conspiracy. The Sachar Report is poignant in its pathos that the disempowerment of India’s Muslims is an Indian problem created by decades of neglect and abuse, which hangs as an albatross on India’s otherwise vibrant democracy. Quite ironically, states like West Bengal and Kerala that boasted the most liberal governments were just as culpable in their lack of attention to Muslim empowerment as regions that hosted more religiocentric governments, like Gujarat. I was shocked to learn that in my birth state of West Bengal, Muslim representation in state public sector undertakings is exactly zero percent!
Other statistics are equally grim - less than 4 percent Muslims graduate from school; 1 in 25 undergraduate students and 1 in 50 post graduate students in premier university and colleges are Muslims; although Muslims are nearly 14 percent of India’s population their share in government employment is 4.9 percent; in India’s security agencies, Muslim representation is 3.2 percent; only 2.1 percent of Muslim farmers own tractors; just 1 percent own hand pumps for irrigation; if Muslims do outnumber majority Hindus in anywhere, it is predictably as a proportion of the prison population (much like Blacks in America).
It will be a mistake to leave the task of Muslim empowerment to the goodwill of governments alone. As India transforms itself into a market economy, it is the private sector that will play a bigger role in both the economic and social transformation of India. India’s big-business community can, if they choose to, play a positive role in empowering India’s Muslim minority. One mechanism for creating an Indian corporate workforce that is reflective of India’s socio-religious communities is through the voluntary adoption of the UN Global Compact. Launched in the year 2000 the Global Compact is an effort by the United Nations to usher-in a more sustainable, just and inclusive global economy.
To achieve this goal, the Global Compact outlined ten principles broadly classified in the areas of human rights, labor, the environment and anti-corruption. If the business community takes the necessary steps to apply these principles, it will inevitably lead to not only preserving the profit margins for the businesses but to a general well being of the society. By ending all overt and covert discriminations in labor practices, businesses can assist in empowering India’s minorities. By adhering to higher environmental standards businesses can also help the poor (including but not limited to Muslims) who are usually the disproportionate victims of environmental degradation.
The issue of Muslim empowerment is not so much about the Muslim community as it is about India’s future. A more educated Muslim community will constitute a more enlightened Indian work force leading to better business opportunity and a more sustainable growth for India’s economy. The next step in India’s economic evolution will likely not come on the backs of call centers and outsourcing. Rather it will come as result of higher paying service oriented jobs that require a large educated work force. An empowered Muslim community will also mean fewer security headaches and lesser social tension.The Sachar commission recommends that 15 percent of all government funds be allocated to Muslim welfare and development. While this may work in the short run, in the long run Muslims need equal opportunities not quotas or handouts. This can come about via the establishment of “Equal Opportunities Commission” much like the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in the United States. Such a commission, armed with judicial powers, can greatly aid in empowering India’s Muslim much like the EEOC continues to do for America’s minority communities. These suggestions, among the many made by the Sachar report, are not difficult to implement provided governments and citizens alike make a commitment to change their mindset that for too long has regarded the issue of Muslim empowerment as a zero-sum game relegating them to become India’s invisible minority.
Bangladesh's future rests on development of ethical financial markets
The Financial Express, October 7, 2009
A recent Bangladesh Bank (BB) policy paper asserts that moving into the future, Bangladesh will have to rely heavily on capital markets to raise the necessary money to fund capital expansion projects. Capital expansion projects need a lot of money and relying solely on banks to raise that money is inefficient. In Bangladesh, financing via debt market is generally small and stock markets are in their infancy, albeit growing rapidly. Stock market capitalisation has grown at an average annual rate of 77 per cent from 2003 to 2008.
Despite such positive signs, Bangladesh has an Achilles' heel as it has been consistently cited by Transparency International (TI) as one of the countries with the highest levels of corruption. Transparency International, a civil society organisation, cites the economic cost of corruption as, "Corruption leads to the depletion of national wealth. It is often responsible for the funneling of scarce public resources to uneconomic high-profile projects, such as dams, power plants, pipelines and refineries, at the expense of less spectacular but fundamental infrastructure projects such as schools, hospitals and roads, or the supply of power and water to rural areas. Furthermore, it hinders the development of fair market structures and distorts competition, thereby deterring investment." The benefits from the development of the financial markets can easily be undone by the general pervasiveness and permissiveness of corruption.
The centrality of ethics in economic development is easily discerned from the fact that the three largest economies of the world US, Japan and Germany all rank among the top 20 (least corrupt) in the Corruption Perception Index. In developed countries like the US, business school curriculums and professional organisations are accelerating the integration of ethics. The hope is that effectively integrating ethics and social responsibility into pedagogy will allow the grooming of professionals who will avoid the ethical pitfalls that have become the hallmark of the many financial scandals in the recent past. Bangladesh should not wait to address the issue of ethics after some scandal rocks its markets. Rather a proactive strategy can avoid major scandals allowing Bangladesh to sustain its economic development.
The solution lies in a pursuing a two-pronged strategy. First, ethics has to be integrated in the business curriculum so that tomorrow's business leaders graduate armed with the motivation and knowledge about why ethics matter. The second strategy requires major businesses to voluntarily adopt the principles of the UN Global Compact.
Popular text books in finance and business state that the goal of the financial manger is, "to maximise the current value per share of the existing stock," fostering a notion that shareholder wealth maximisation is devoid of any moral concern. Such ambiguity leaves students unsure about the role of ethics in business. At worst, practitioners may treat ethics and shareholder wealth maximisation as a zero-sum game, more of one leading to less of the other. Effective integration of ethics will come about if students are convinced that shareholder wealth maximisation is indeed consistent with the pursuit of ethics and social responsibility.
Ethics need not be exclusively policed using paternalistic mechanisms. Rather, the marketplace can moderate the urge to be self-centered. This is possible so long as media and civic society accept their responsibility of naming and shaming ethical violators. Take for example the well publicised controversy regarding American talk show host Don Imus. On the April 4, 2007, he said referred to the players in the women's basketball team at Rutgers University as "nappy-headed hoes," a description deemed offensive to the teams' Black players. This was not the first time Imus had used derogatory language to insult minorities. A few days later, facing a surge of protests, Imus' show was cancelled and later he was fired from his position by CBS, although Imus had not violated any law.
Was CBS' action consistent with shareholder wealth maximisation? NGOs made appeals to advertisers withdraw their support of Imus' show. Customers threatened advertisers with economic sanctions. By firing Imus, CBS acted as a conduit for the ethical beliefs of the stakeholders. CBS did not need to become expert on the US. Constitution nor did it need to conduct a shareholder referendum to determine their moral beliefs. CBS made an ethical decision but within the framework of what is called the marketplace of morality.
In Bangladesh, purveyors of Islamic finance are assuming prominence. Islamic universities are competing side-by-side with established secular institutions. Scholars dating back to Adam Smith and Max Weber have argued that religion plays a fundamental role in shaping economics. The development of a stronger ethical foundation for Bangladesh's financial markets can be aided by understanding the consistency between normative Islam and modern theories of virtue ethics.
The comparable word for ethics in Islam is 'akhlaq' or 'khuluq'. The issue of "internal good" is best captured in the two Islamic concepts of 'taqwa' (piety) and 'ihsan' (excellence). Having 'taqwa' allows a person to be aware of God's omnipresence and attributes, serving to remind believers of their responsibility towards God. 'Ihsan' pertains to obtaining perfection or excellence in worship, morals, manners, attitudes and social interactions.
The idea of "moral judgment" is best exemplified by two Islamic concepts of justice (adl) and trusteeship (khilafa). In pursuing wealth maximisation, people should not lie or cheat; they must uphold promises and fulfill contracts. Usurious dealings are prohibited. Excessive speculation is shunned. In the Islamic hermeneutics, the rich are not the real owners of their wealth; they are only the trustees. Thus, justice requires that the rich spend their wealth in accordance with the terms of the trust, one of the most important of which is fulfilling the needs of the poor. Islam views human beings as God's vicegerent or trustee (khalifa) on earth, implying that there is no conflict between the morality and the pursuit of economic success. Given the right motivation and means, all economic activity can assume the character of worship.
The second leg in the effective integration of ethics in finance rests with businesses voluntarily adopting the UN Global Compact. On July 26, 2000 the United Nations launched an innovative public-private partnership (PPP), calling it the UN Global Compact. The idea was to foster "social responsibility," amongst corporations. It was a call to the business community that their goal in managing businesses should not be exclusively focused on profit margins but in addition take steps to realise a more sustainable, just and inclusive global economy.
To achieve this goal, the Global Compact outlined ten principles broadly classified in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. The Global Compact requires participating businesses to annually report their progress on the ten principles. If the business community takes the necessary steps to apply these principles, it will inevitably lead to not only preserving their profit margins but to a general well-being of the society. In particular, principle 10 of the Global Compact asks businesses to strive against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery. Only 25 Bangladeshi companies have signed on to the UN Global Compact. Unfortunately, over half of them are classified as "non-communicating", having failed to comply with the reporting requirements. Eight Bangladeshi small and medium enterprises (SME) have signed on the UN Global Compact but only three have complied with all the reporting requirements. More businesses need to voluntarily adopt the UN Global Compact and this will come about only if civic society uses the marketplace of morality to demand business practices adhere to standards, which can ensure a more sustainable globalization.
Adam Smith defines "internal good" as "the man who acts according to the rules of perfect prudence, of strict justice, and of proper benevolence." Attaining "internal good" is necessary not just for altruistic reasons but also for profit making purposes. Providing profit by harming society perverts the purpose of business. An effective marketplace of morality, Dobson asserts will make financial markets truly ethical. He goes on to say, "Dishonesty and deceit would be anathema, because honesty and integrity are themselves internal goods. A truly ethical individual, pursuing internal goods, would never sacrifice honesty for material gain, but only too readily sacrifice material gain for honesty."
A recent Bangladesh Bank (BB) policy paper asserts that moving into the future, Bangladesh will have to rely heavily on capital markets to raise the necessary money to fund capital expansion projects. Capital expansion projects need a lot of money and relying solely on banks to raise that money is inefficient. In Bangladesh, financing via debt market is generally small and stock markets are in their infancy, albeit growing rapidly. Stock market capitalisation has grown at an average annual rate of 77 per cent from 2003 to 2008.
Despite such positive signs, Bangladesh has an Achilles' heel as it has been consistently cited by Transparency International (TI) as one of the countries with the highest levels of corruption. Transparency International, a civil society organisation, cites the economic cost of corruption as, "Corruption leads to the depletion of national wealth. It is often responsible for the funneling of scarce public resources to uneconomic high-profile projects, such as dams, power plants, pipelines and refineries, at the expense of less spectacular but fundamental infrastructure projects such as schools, hospitals and roads, or the supply of power and water to rural areas. Furthermore, it hinders the development of fair market structures and distorts competition, thereby deterring investment." The benefits from the development of the financial markets can easily be undone by the general pervasiveness and permissiveness of corruption.
The centrality of ethics in economic development is easily discerned from the fact that the three largest economies of the world US, Japan and Germany all rank among the top 20 (least corrupt) in the Corruption Perception Index. In developed countries like the US, business school curriculums and professional organisations are accelerating the integration of ethics. The hope is that effectively integrating ethics and social responsibility into pedagogy will allow the grooming of professionals who will avoid the ethical pitfalls that have become the hallmark of the many financial scandals in the recent past. Bangladesh should not wait to address the issue of ethics after some scandal rocks its markets. Rather a proactive strategy can avoid major scandals allowing Bangladesh to sustain its economic development.
The solution lies in a pursuing a two-pronged strategy. First, ethics has to be integrated in the business curriculum so that tomorrow's business leaders graduate armed with the motivation and knowledge about why ethics matter. The second strategy requires major businesses to voluntarily adopt the principles of the UN Global Compact.
Popular text books in finance and business state that the goal of the financial manger is, "to maximise the current value per share of the existing stock," fostering a notion that shareholder wealth maximisation is devoid of any moral concern. Such ambiguity leaves students unsure about the role of ethics in business. At worst, practitioners may treat ethics and shareholder wealth maximisation as a zero-sum game, more of one leading to less of the other. Effective integration of ethics will come about if students are convinced that shareholder wealth maximisation is indeed consistent with the pursuit of ethics and social responsibility.
Ethics need not be exclusively policed using paternalistic mechanisms. Rather, the marketplace can moderate the urge to be self-centered. This is possible so long as media and civic society accept their responsibility of naming and shaming ethical violators. Take for example the well publicised controversy regarding American talk show host Don Imus. On the April 4, 2007, he said referred to the players in the women's basketball team at Rutgers University as "nappy-headed hoes," a description deemed offensive to the teams' Black players. This was not the first time Imus had used derogatory language to insult minorities. A few days later, facing a surge of protests, Imus' show was cancelled and later he was fired from his position by CBS, although Imus had not violated any law.
Was CBS' action consistent with shareholder wealth maximisation? NGOs made appeals to advertisers withdraw their support of Imus' show. Customers threatened advertisers with economic sanctions. By firing Imus, CBS acted as a conduit for the ethical beliefs of the stakeholders. CBS did not need to become expert on the US. Constitution nor did it need to conduct a shareholder referendum to determine their moral beliefs. CBS made an ethical decision but within the framework of what is called the marketplace of morality.
In Bangladesh, purveyors of Islamic finance are assuming prominence. Islamic universities are competing side-by-side with established secular institutions. Scholars dating back to Adam Smith and Max Weber have argued that religion plays a fundamental role in shaping economics. The development of a stronger ethical foundation for Bangladesh's financial markets can be aided by understanding the consistency between normative Islam and modern theories of virtue ethics.
The comparable word for ethics in Islam is 'akhlaq' or 'khuluq'. The issue of "internal good" is best captured in the two Islamic concepts of 'taqwa' (piety) and 'ihsan' (excellence). Having 'taqwa' allows a person to be aware of God's omnipresence and attributes, serving to remind believers of their responsibility towards God. 'Ihsan' pertains to obtaining perfection or excellence in worship, morals, manners, attitudes and social interactions.
The idea of "moral judgment" is best exemplified by two Islamic concepts of justice (adl) and trusteeship (khilafa). In pursuing wealth maximisation, people should not lie or cheat; they must uphold promises and fulfill contracts. Usurious dealings are prohibited. Excessive speculation is shunned. In the Islamic hermeneutics, the rich are not the real owners of their wealth; they are only the trustees. Thus, justice requires that the rich spend their wealth in accordance with the terms of the trust, one of the most important of which is fulfilling the needs of the poor. Islam views human beings as God's vicegerent or trustee (khalifa) on earth, implying that there is no conflict between the morality and the pursuit of economic success. Given the right motivation and means, all economic activity can assume the character of worship.
The second leg in the effective integration of ethics in finance rests with businesses voluntarily adopting the UN Global Compact. On July 26, 2000 the United Nations launched an innovative public-private partnership (PPP), calling it the UN Global Compact. The idea was to foster "social responsibility," amongst corporations. It was a call to the business community that their goal in managing businesses should not be exclusively focused on profit margins but in addition take steps to realise a more sustainable, just and inclusive global economy.
To achieve this goal, the Global Compact outlined ten principles broadly classified in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. The Global Compact requires participating businesses to annually report their progress on the ten principles. If the business community takes the necessary steps to apply these principles, it will inevitably lead to not only preserving their profit margins but to a general well-being of the society. In particular, principle 10 of the Global Compact asks businesses to strive against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery. Only 25 Bangladeshi companies have signed on to the UN Global Compact. Unfortunately, over half of them are classified as "non-communicating", having failed to comply with the reporting requirements. Eight Bangladeshi small and medium enterprises (SME) have signed on the UN Global Compact but only three have complied with all the reporting requirements. More businesses need to voluntarily adopt the UN Global Compact and this will come about only if civic society uses the marketplace of morality to demand business practices adhere to standards, which can ensure a more sustainable globalization.
Adam Smith defines "internal good" as "the man who acts according to the rules of perfect prudence, of strict justice, and of proper benevolence." Attaining "internal good" is necessary not just for altruistic reasons but also for profit making purposes. Providing profit by harming society perverts the purpose of business. An effective marketplace of morality, Dobson asserts will make financial markets truly ethical. He goes on to say, "Dishonesty and deceit would be anathema, because honesty and integrity are themselves internal goods. A truly ethical individual, pursuing internal goods, would never sacrifice honesty for material gain, but only too readily sacrifice material gain for honesty."
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