In October of 2007, 138 Muslim clerics, scholars, and intellectuals addressed a letter, A Common Word Between Us and You, to Pope Benedict XVI and other Christian leaders. This historic letter invited the Christian community to join Muslims in constructive dialogue.
For details, please refer to the official website of A Common Word.
This blog has no formal or institutional connection with A Common Word; rather, it reflects the attempt of one American Christian psychologist to participate in this dialogue in a personal way.
The content here is aimed at two different audiences. First, it is oriented to Christian and Muslim psychologists and philosophers. One goal, that is, is to consider the psychological implications of this dialogue: how can Christian and Mulsim religious culture, by examining their two spiritual traditions, improve our modern understanding of human nature psychologically and philosophically?
I am also an American citizen, however — and, at that level, am extremely concerned about improving the social and political climate of the US, about putting and end to war, about improving cultural and economic ties with the rest of the world, and about joining with other religious cultures to jointly work to solve pressing world problems. In this sense I write as an ordinary American citizen for other citizens.
These two themes are related, but also somewhat separate. I hope that it will not prove too distracting to readers of either group that posts on both themes here are mixed.
For information about me, please consult my home page or my other websites.
You can go directly to my Existential Psychology website here.
I can be reached by email at: jsuebersax followed by the ‘at‘ sign, followed by gmail.com .
John S. Uebersax PhD
Dr. Uebersax,
I am compiling data for a topical research paper about the tribal superstructure of contemporary Afghanistan. I am attempting to contact the author of the following remarks, posted on Stormwarning’s Counterterrorism Blog, March 31, 2006:
“there is a serious lack of understanding in the West about the many tribes, factions, feuds, financial and territorial interests, etc.
For example, why Pashtuns from the Mangal clan do not get along with those from the Zadran clan or most other Pashtun tribes?
Or why the Afridi tribal leaders control the opium smuggling routes through the Kyber Pass between Jalalabad and Peshawar?” – Satyagraha
Is this your remark? I would very much like to find more data concerning blood-feuds, debts of honor, and the tribal factionalization in present day Afgahnistan. It is the crux of my research, and I am having an extremely difficult time acquiring any data beyond the interviews of local nationals I have already conducted.
My apologies if I have contacted you in err; but if the above quote is indeed yours, I would appreciate any guidance you would be willing to provide. Thank you for your time and attention.
Respectfully,
Jaremy Leach
Hi Jaremy,
I just saw your question for the first time. Sorry for not replying sooner.
No, this quote is not from me.
John