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Islamic fundamentalism
A movement that has gained momentum in recent decades within several Muslim nations. Islamic fundamentalists oppose the infiltration of secular and Westernizing influences and seek to institute Islamic law, including strict codes of behavior. They also target political corruption in Muslim nations. Severely repressed by the governments of their own nations, such as Algeria, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, they nevertheless target the United States as the “Great Satan,” chant “Death to America,” and provide ready recruits for terrorist networks such as Al Qaeda. (See terrorism.)
Mus·lim
n.
1 also Mos·lem A believer in or adherent of Islam.
2 A member of the Nation of Islam; a Black Muslim.
the·oc·ra·cy
n., pl. -cies.
1 A government ruled by or subject to religious authority.
2 A state so governed.
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Crusades
A series of wars fought from the late eleventh through the thirteenth centuries, in which European kings and warriors set out to gain control of the lands in which Jesus lived, known as the Holy Land. At that time, these areas were held by Muslims. The Crusaders conquered Jerusalem in 1099 but failed to secure the Holy Land, and they were driven out by the late thirteenth century. Nevertheless, the Crusades had several lasting results, including the exposure of Europeans to the goods, technology, and customs of Asia.
The Crusades left a legacy of bitterness against Europeans and Christians among Muslims.
jihad
The word jihad actually means "struggle, strive." The Arabic root of the word is jahada "to strive for." (The Arabic word for war is "harb.") Of the two types of jihad, the lesser type is the struggle against religious or political oppression, the second and greater is the soul's struggle with evil. Moderates think that while "jihad" might refer to an active war against an oppressive regime, such a war may be waged only against that regime, not innocent people. Radical Islamic fundamentalists assume that a jihad is a war without constraints.
Aspen Institute
The Aspen Institute is a U.S. nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1950 dedicated to "fostering enlightened leadership and open-minded dialogue." The institute is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and has campuses in Aspen, Colorado (its original home), New York City, Santa Barbara, California, and Queenstown, Maryland. The institute holds regular seminars, policy programs, conferences and leadership development initiatives, with the goal of promoting nonpartisan inquiry and "an appreciation for timeless values."
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Taliban Militia
Talib is an Arabic word meaning "one who is seeking" but the word has evolved to mean "someone who is seeking religious knowledge".
The Taliban Militia (Students of Islamic Knowledge Movement) rules approximately two thirds of Afghanistan. It was established in 1994, shortly after the Pakistani government announced its intention to establish a trade route through Afghanistan to Central Asia. At this time, Afghanistan was in a state of chaos and under mujahideen rule. The Taliban Militia's aim was to disarm Afghan warlords, return law and order to the country and enforce Islamic law over a united Afghanistan. By February 1995 the Taliban Militia had captured half of the southern provinces of Afghanistan from mujahideen rebels and in September 1996 it took Kabul, the capital city, establishing a strict Islamic rule of law.
Initially, Taliban Militia rule was welcomed. It was successful at restoring law and order and reducing corruption. However, the Taliban Militia has no desire to mold Afghanistan into a centralized state. It has no established foreign, economic or infrastructure policies. As a result, Afghanistan's standard of living has declined. There are high levels of unemployment, hunger, malnutrition and disease. A high percentage of the population, especially those in urban areas, rely on foreign aid provided by the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations for their daily existence. Furthermore, the United Nations and other international communities have condemned the Taliban Militia's enforcement of their extreme interpretation of Islamic law and subsequent human rights violations. These violations include banning television, music and cinema, (considered Western decadences), public amputations and executions; closure of girls' schools; imposing restrictions on women's work, freedom of movement and dress. The Taliban Militia's rule in Afghanistan is recognized only by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. On October 10, 1999, the United States government imposed political and economic sanctions on Afghanistan for the Taliban Militia's refusal to extradite Osama Bin Laden, the Saudi billionaire thought to be the mastermind behind the August 7, 1998 bombings of the American embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and the September 11, 2001, bombings of the World Trade Center in New York, and the Pentagon building in Washington, D.C.
Mullah Mohammed Omar, a 35-year-old cleric who fought against the mujahideen, founded the Taliban Militia in the Maiwand district of Southern Afghanistan. Influential traders in Pakistan financed their early campaigns. The initial membership of the Taliban Militia was approximately 30 former students of madrassahs (Islamic religious seminaries, located in central Asia) who had fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan. The Taliban militia was also supported by the madrassahs in the Afghani refugee camps, businessmen and religious leaders with connections to the Pakistani religious party, Jamiat-I-Ulema Islami. The Taliban Militia has grown to approximately 10,000-15,000 men.
While the Taliban Militia came into existence in 1994, the Taliban are a group of Islamic fundamentalists who live in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Central Asia. Their origins have been traced back to the eighth century A.D.
Representative Barbara Lee
Democrat, California
Longworth House Office Building, 1724
Phone: 202-225-2661
Fax: 202-225-9817
Email: barbara.lee@mail.house.gov
Web Site: www.house.gov/lee
Staff
• Chief of Staff: Sandre Swanson
• Legislative Assistant: Julie Little
• Scheduler: Phyllis Khaing
• Press Secretary: Stuart Chapman
Personal Information
• Year Elected: 1998
• Percentage of Vote: 81
• Born: 7/16/1946 in El Paso, TX
• Home City: Oakland
• Marital Status: divorced
• Children: 2 children
• Religion: no affiliation
• Undergraduate degree: B.A., Mills College
• Graduate degree: M.S.W., University of California, Berkeley
• Profession: state senator
• Profession 2: state representative
• Profession 3: congressional aide
Other Information
• Committees: Financial Services
International Relations
• Term: 4th Term
• Term Expires: 2005
District Offices
• District Name: 9th
• Oakland Office (District 1)
Phone: 510-763-0370