Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert

This is basically my new favorite book.

Depressed Liz divorces the husband who is making her unhappy, losing everything. She falls in love with another man during this time, but he can't keep her out of depression all the time. Learning Italian has made her feel better, so she wants to go to Italy for a few months. She loves Italian because it sounds beautiful, not because there is a practical reason for knowing the language. She has been following a yogi guru, and want to explore her spirituality at the ashram. She had been to Indonesia once before, and a medicine man told her to return and stay with his family for four months. So she decides to spend the year abroad in those countries. She gets an advance for the book she plans to write.
In Italy, she learns the art of pleasure. She gains a lot of weight, takes Italian classes, uses her favorite word to cross the street a lot, and meets people. She also goes off her mood-altering medication. Food is basically what these 36 chapters are about.
In India, she meditates for hours, does selfless service, and does yoga. She finds it hard to meditate at first, but the more she does it, the easier it becomes. She becomes comfortable with her thoughts, and occassionaly has experiences where she transcends this world. She befriends some Indian natives, and also Richard From Texas. These 36 chapters have a completely different feel from the Italy chapters.
In Indonesia she manages to find her medicine man, Ketut Liyer, and she witnesses how much he gives. She loves how cheap and beautiful everything in Indonesia is. She still meditates a lot, as she is looking for balance. She meets Wayan, who she starts spending a lot of her day with. Wayan prays for her to find a man. Wayan discovers she needs to move out (she is a divorced mother), and doesn't know what to do. So Liz raises $18,000 to buy a house for her. Unfortunately, land is super expensive in Bali. Liz meets Felipe, an older Brazillian man. They spend a lot of time together. Wayan is being slow about buying land, but after Liz threatens to take the money back, she buys it. Felipe and Liz sleep together. She found balance in Bali.

And the best part is that it is a true story! Looks like you can have a good time when you don't have to do real work for a year. It's being made into a movie with Julia Roberts.

A Necessary Engagement: Reinventing America's Relations with the Muslim World - Emile Nakhleh

This book has a purpose.

First, it identifies political Islam and the factors contributing to "Islamization". Nakhleh writes with years of experience working for the CIA as a scholar. He talked to hundreds of scholars, imans, religious men, government workers, everyday people, and some radicals to come to the conclusions he has come to. He discusses Islamic political parties, and how they gain voters by focusing on "bread and butter" issues, not by enforcing holy law (Sharia) on the land. These politicians are often willing to make deals and compromise. Mainstream activists and jihadists can not be put in the same category.

Most Muslims are open to democracy, however, they can not believe that America stands for these ideals when they support corrupt governments, and don't recognize legitimately elected governments (Hamas in Palestine).

Education in Islamic countries is focused on the accomplishments of Muslims and their maps don't recognize Israel.

Shia vs. Sunni fighting and activism were discussed. Traditionally, Iran was the only Shia country, but there is a lot of tension in Iraq.

There was a lot of talk about Sunnis and Shia trying to convert and recruit people to their "division".

The CIA briefed all the senior policymakes on major developments, but they were often ignored. The CIA was accused by the White House of being anti-security and against the grain of the government. The CIA was gaining knowledge about the Middle East through scholars. The CIA tried to coroporate with college professors who were hesitant to deal with the government because there had been bad experiences in the past. These conferences went very well.

The country is more at risk now than it was on the eve of September 11 because there are more radicals now. The War is not keeping Americans safe. Many Americans desired Sadam Hussein to be out, but didn't want the Americans to say. Most Arabs are conflicted. They want American help, but do not want it, all at the same time. Opinion polls of America in the Middle East are incredibly low. The invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan have increased sectarianism and terrorism.

Salafi Wahhabi (conservative Saudis) - Look to the pious ancestors, the first four Caliphs for faith guidance, conservative thinking.

Muslims all over the world are speaking Arabic to connect them to fellow Muslims and so that they are "as good as" their Arab counterparts. Many non-Arab Muslims dislike Arab Muslims, but they still learn Arabic.

To succeed, phrases like "The Global War on Terror" should not be used, and instead, the war should be portrayed as Americans and Arabs going after criminals.

There are many suggestions to make the program better:

• It has to be easier to get a job with the intelligence because the people who have traveled the most in the Middle East, know important Muslims and speak the languages find it a cumbersome process to get the necessary clearance.
• Appoint an ambassador to the Muslim world.
• Recognize and deal with mainstream Islamic political parties (Hezbollah, Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, AKP)
• Moral and financial support for democracy.
• Parliamentarians exchange program so that our senators and their senators can see what works and doesn't in senates.
• Expand programs so that students, teachers, and professionals can learn Arabic and more about countries with significant Muslim populations.
• American universities could build campuses in Muslim countries. These universities are well attended and respected by Muslims who live in the countries where American universities are already present. There have been occasions where university presidents have been killed, but also the people have protected the universities at other times when they have been under attack.
• Establish a Imamate University in the United States. This way, not all imams would have to be educated abroad. Open "American Houses" with libraries, language classes, andevents on American holidays.
• Get every level of government involved in homeland security.