Muslims praying

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A Muslim, also spelled Moslem,^[1] is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the Qur'an—which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad—and, with lesser authority than the Qur'an, the teachings and practices of Muhammad as recorded in traditional accounts, called hadith. "Muslim" is an Arabic word meaning "one who submits to God".

Muslims believe that God is eternal, transcendent, absolutely one (the doctrine of tawhid, or strict or simple monotheism), and incomparable; that he is self-sustaining, who begets not nor was begotten. Muslim beliefs regarding God are summed up in chapter 112 of the Qur'an, al-Ikhlas, "the chapter of purity".^[2][3] Muslims also believe that Islam is the complete and universal version of a primordial faith that was revealed at many times and places before, including through the prophets Abraham, Moses and Jesus.^[4] Muslims maintain that previous messages and revelations have been partially changed or corrupted over time,^[5] but consider the Qur'an to be both unaltered and the final revelation from God—Final Testament.^[6]

Most Muslims accept as a Muslim anyone who has publicly pronounced the Shahadah (declaration of faith) which states, "I testify that there is no god except for the God [Allah], and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of the God." Their basic religious practices are enumerated in the Five Pillars of Islam, which consist of daily prayers (salat), fasting during Ramadan (sawm), almsgiving (zakat), and the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) at least once in a lifetime.^[7][8]

Currently, the most up-to-date reports from an American think tank and PBS have estimated 1.2 to 1.57 billion Muslims populate the world, or about 20% of an estimated 2009 world population of 6.8 billion.^[9][10]

Etymology[link]

The word muslim (Arabic: مسلم‎, IPA: [ˈmʊslɪm]; English /ˈmʌzlɨm/, /ˈmʊzlɨm/, /ˈmʊslɨm/ or moslem /ˈmɒzləm/, /ˈmɒsləm/^[11]) is the participle of the same verb of which islām is the infinitive, based on the triliteral S-L-M "to be whole, intact".^[12][13] A female adherent is a muslima (Arabic: مسلمة‎). The plural form in Arabic is muslimūn (مسلمون), and its feminine equivalent is muslimāt (مسلمات). The Arabic form muslimun is the stem IV participle^[14] of the triliteral S-L-M.

[edit] Other words for Muslim

The ordinary word in English is "Muslim". It is sometimes transliterated as "Moslem", which is an older spelling.^[15] The word Mosalman (Persian: مسلمان‎) is a common equivalent for Muslim used in Central Asia.

Until at least the mid-1960s, many English-language writers used the term Mohammedans or Mahometans.^[16] Although such terms were not necessarily intended to be pejorative, Muslims argue that the terms are offensive because they allegedly imply that Muslims worship Muhammad rather than God.^[17]

Meaning[link]

Afghan Muslims praying inside Gardens of Babur in Kabul, Afghanistan.

In defining Muslim, the mystic Ibn Arabi said:

"A Muslim is a person who has dedicated his worship exclusively to God...Islam means making one's religion and faith God's alone.^[18]

Used to describe earlier prophets in the Qur'an[link]

The Qur'an describes many prophets and messengers as well as their respective followers as Muslim: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses and Jesus and his apostles are all considered to be Muslims in the Qur'an. The Qur'an states that these men were Muslims because they submitted to God, preached His message and upheld His values, which included praying, charity, fasting and pilgrimage. Thus, in Surah 3:52 of the Qur'an, Jesus’ disciples tell Jesus, "We believe in God; and you be our witness that we are Muslims (wa-shahad be anna muslimūn)." In Muslim belief, before the Qur'an, God had given the Torah to Moses, the Psalms to David and the Gospel to Jesus, who are all considered important Muslim prophets.

Demographics[link]

Muslim population by percentage worldwide

About 13% of Muslims live in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country,^[19] 25% in South Asia,^[19] 20% in the Middle East,^[19][20] 2% in Central Asia, 4% in the remaining South East Asian countries, and 15% in Sub-saharan Africa.^[19] Sizable communities are also found in China and Russia, and parts of the Caribbean. Converts and immigrant communities are found in almost every part of the world.

See also[link]

• Islamic schools and branches
• Lists of Muslims
• Muslim holidays
• Muslim world
• Musulman

References and notes[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Muslims

• Islamic directory for Muslims Find Muslim Owned businesses, Masjids (Mosques) and Islamic Centers all over the world.
• Muslim Population in Countries with different Alphabets

John Louis Esposito (born 19 May 1940, Brooklyn, New York City) is a professor of International Affairs and Islamic Studies at Georgetown University. He is also the director of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University.

Early life[link]

Esposito was raised a Roman Catholic in an Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City, and spent a decade in a Catholic monastery. After taking his first degree he worked as a management consultant and high-school teacher.^{[citation needed]} He then studied and received a masters in theology at St. John's University. He earned a PhD at Temple University, Pennsylvania in 1974, studying Islam and held postdoctoral appointments at Harvard and Oxford. He is well known as a promoter of strong ties between Muslims and Christians and has challenged the Vatican to make greater efforts to encourage such ties ^{[1][citation needed]}

Academic career[link]

For nearly twenty years after completing his PhD, Esposito had taught religious studies (including Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam) at the College of the Holy Cross, a Jesuit college in Massachusetts. At Holy Cross, Esposito held the Loyola Professor of Middle East Studies position, was the chair of the Department of Religious Studies, and the director of college's Center for International Studies.^[2] At Georgetown University, Esposito holds the position of University Professor and teaches as both Professor of Religion and International Affairs and Professor of Islamic Studies.^[3] Esposito also works as a Senior Scientist at the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, where he co-authored Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think, which was published in March 2008.

He published Islam and Politics in 1984, and Islam: The Straight Path in 1988. Both books sold well, going through many editions. In addition to more than 35 books, he is editor-in-chief of a number of Oxford reference works including The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World, The Oxford History of Islam, The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World (six vols.), and Oxford Islamic Studies Online.^[2]

In 1988, he was elected president of the Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA). He has also served as president of the American Council for the Study of Islamic Societies. He served as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Center for the Study of Islam & Democracy from 1999 to 2004 and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Council of 100 Leaders and the High Level Group of the U.N. Alliance of Civilizations. He was an advisor to the award-winning, PBS-broadcast documentary Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet (2002), produced by Unity Productions Foundation. A recipient of the American Academy of Religion’s 2005 Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion and of Pakistan’s Quaid-e-Azam Award for Outstanding Contributions in Islamic Studies, in 2003 he received the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University Award for Outstanding Teaching.^[2]

He is currently Vice President (2012) and President Elect (2013) of the American Academy of Religion and a member of the E. C. European Network of Experts on De-Radicalisation and the board of C-1 World Dialogue and an ambassador for the UN Alliance of Civilizations.^{[citation needed]}

Esposito founded the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University and is its current director. The center received a $20 million endowment from Saudi Arabian Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal "to advance education in the fields of Islamic civilization and Muslim-Christian understanding and strengthen its presence as a world leader in facilitating cross-cultural and inter-religious dialogue."^[4]

Following the September 11 attacks, Campus Watch^[5][6] repeatedly accused Esposito of being an Islamist apologist who downplayed the threat of terrorism. Campus Watch cited Esposito's remarks in early 2001 that "focusing on Usama bin Laden risks catapulting one of the many sources of terrorism to center stage, distorting both the diverse international sources and the relevance of one man."^[5] Esposito claims that he does not condone terrorist violence and has supported the Fatwa on Terrorism and Suicide Bombings issued by Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri. This fatwa, for which Esposito and Joel Hayward wrote the introductory sections, is one of the strongest condemnations of terrorism ever issued by a senior Islamic cleric.^[7]

Selected bibliography[link]

Reference Works[link]

• "The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World", as editor (2009, 5 volume set) ISBN 0-19-530513-5
• "Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think", coauthored with Dalia Mogahed (2008) ISBN 978-1-59562-017-0
• "The Oxford History of Islam", as editor (2004) ISBN 0-19-510799-3
• "The Islamic World: Past and Present", as editor (2004, 3 volume set) ISBN 0-19-516520-9
• "The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World", as editor (1995, 4 volume set) ISBN 0-19-506613-8
• "The Oxford Dictionary of Islam", as editor (1994) ISBN 0-19-512559-2

Nonfiction books[link]

• "What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam" (1st edition: 2002. 2nd edition: 2011) ISBN 0-19-979413-3
• "The Future of Islam" (2010) ISBN 0-19-516521-7
• "Islam: The Straight Path" (1st edition: 1988, 3rd edition: 2004) ISBN 0-19-518266-9
• "Unholy War: Terror in the Name of Islam" (2002) ISBN 0-19-515435-5
• "Women in Muslim Family Law", coauthored with Natana J. Delong-Bas (2nd edition: 2002) ISBN 0-8156-2908-7
• "Makers of Contemporary Islam", coauthored John Voll (2001) ISBN 0-19-514128-8
• "The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality?" (3rd edition: 1999) ISBN 0-19-513076-6
• "Political Islam: Radicalism, Revolution or Reform" (1997) ISBN 1-55587-168-2

Academic collections[link]

• "Islamophobia: The Challenge of Pluralism in the 21st Century" as coeditor with Ibrahim Kalin (2011) ISBN 0-19-975364-2
• "Islam in Asia: Religion, Politics, & Society", as editor (2006) ISBN 0-19-504082-1
• "Turkish Islam and the Secular State: The Gulen Movement", as coeditor with M. Hakan Yavuz (2003) ISBN 0-8156-3040-9
• "Modernizing Islam: Religion in the Public Sphere in the Middle East and Europe", as coeditor with Francois Burgat (2003) ISBN 0-8135-3198-5
• "Iran at the Crossroads", as coeditor with R.K. Ramazani (2000) ISBN 0-312-23816-9
• "Islam, Gender and Social Change", as coeditor with Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad (1997) ISBN 0-19-511357-8
• "Islam and Politics", as editor (1st edition: 1984, 4th edition: 1998) ISBN 0-8156-2774-2
• "Islam and Democracy", as coeditor with John Voll (1996) ISBN 0-19-510816-7

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: John Esposito

• Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding
• John Esposito's CV
• John Esposito's Homepage
• Oxford Islamic Studies Online, edited by Dr. John L. Esposito
• Islam and Democracy, Article by John Esposito
• Political Islam: Beyond the Green Menace, Article by John Esposito
• Muslim true/false, Article by John Esposito and Dalia Mogahed
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Works by or about John Esposito in libraries (WorldCat catalog)

Interviews

• John Esposito on Charlie Rose
• John Esposito Radio Interview, NPR's All Things Considered
• Bill Moyers Talks with Dr. John Esposito, PBS

Soledad O'Brien
O'Brien at Marquette University, February 7, 2008
Born	María de la Soledad Teresa O'Brien (1966-09-19) September 19, 1966 (age 45) St. James, New York, United States
Education	Harvard University (B.A.)
Occupation	Broadcast journalist
Notable credit(s)	Anchor of CNN In America Author of Latino in America (2009)
Spouse	Bradley Raymond (1995–present)
Children	2 daughters, 2 sons
Awards	Local Emmy Award
Website
Soledad O'Brien on CNN

María de la Soledad Teresa O'Brien^[1] (born September 19, 1966) is an American broadcast journalist. She is the anchor of CNN's morning news program Starting Point which premiered on January 2, 2012 and airs weekdays from 7:00 am to 9:00 am ET.^[2]

Along with Early Start, Starting Point replaced American Morning, which aired from 2001 to 2011. O'Brien co-anchored American Morning from July 2003^[3] to April 2007, with Miles O'Brien. Their common surname is coincidental.

After leaving the morning anchoring position, O'Brien worked with the "In America" documentary unit on CNN.

Personal life[link]

O'Brien's parents, both immigrants, met at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland in 1958.

My parents were both immigrants—my mother from Cuba, my father from Australia. Both attended daily Mass at the church near campus. Every day my father would offer my mother a ride. Every day, she declined. Finally she said yes. One year later, the day after Christmas, the two of them were married.^[4]

O'Brien's parents married in 1958 in Washington, D.C. Her father Edward, an Australian (from Toowoomba, Queensland)^[5] of Irish descent, was a mechanical engineering professor.^[6] Her mother, Estella, who is Afro-Cuban, was a French and English teacher.^[6] O'Brien is the fifth of six children, who all graduated from Harvard College; O'Brien attended Harvard from 1984 to 1988, but did not obtain a degree until she returned in 2000.^[7] Her siblings are law professor Maria (born 1961); corporate lawyer Cecilia (born 1962), businessman Tony (born 1963) - who heads a documents company;^[5] eye surgeon Estela (born 1964); and anesthesiologist Orestes (born 1967).^[6][8]

At the time, interracial marriage in Maryland was illegal, so O'Brien's parents married in Washington, D.C. where marriage laws were less restrictive.^{[citation needed]} The newly wedded O'Briens then moved to the Long Island community of St. James, on the affluent North Shore, where O'Brien was born and raised. O'Brien graduated from Smithtown High School East in 1984.^[9] On the NPR quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, O'Brien explained that in Spanish her full name means, "The Blessed Virgin Mary of Solitude". When she started working in TV, many people recommended that she change her name, but she refused.^[10]

Despite her Hispanic heritage, O'Brien does not speak Spanish fluently. That has resulted in some awkward exchanges with people who assume she does, including former US Vice President Al Gore.^[11] Since 1995, O'Brien has been married to Bradley Raymond, co-head of investment banking at Thomas Weisel Partners. Together they have two daughters and twin sons.^[12]

Television career[link]

Soledad O'Brien began her career as an associate producer and news writer at WBZ-TV, then the NBC affiliate in Boston. She joined NBC News in 1991, and was based in New York as a field producer for the Nightly News and Today. O'Brien then worked for three years as a local reporter and bureau chief for San Francisco NBC affiliate KRON. At KRON she was a reporter on "The Know Zone." The program later moved to CNET without O'Brien.

O'Brien was featured on a regular segment of the Discovery Channel program The Next Step, holding the position of "Sun Microsystems Infogal."

NBC News[link]

O'Brien then anchored MSNBC's weekend morning show and the cable network's award-winning technology program The Site, which aired weeknights from the Spring of 1996 to November 1997.

O'Brien co-anchored Weekend Today with David Bloom beginning July 1999. During that time, she contributed reports for the weekday Today Show and for weekend editions of NBC Nightly News, and covered such notable stories as John F. Kennedy Jr.'s plane crash and the 1990s school shootings in Colorado and Oregon.

CNN[link]

[edit] American Morning

O'Brien moved to CNN where she joined Miles O'Brien to co-anchor CNN's flagship morning program American Morning from New York City in July 2003. In 2005, she covered the Hurricane Katrina aftermath in New Orleans, where she interviewed then head of FEMA Michael Brown. On April 16, 2007, reportedly due to lagging ratings, O'Brien was replaced by former Fox News anchor Kiran Chetry (O'Brien's co-host at the time, Miles O'Brien, was replaced as well; former co-host Bill Hemmer had previously moved to Fox News).

[edit] Post-American Morning

O'Brien has recently completed a documentary entitled Latino In America documenting the lives of Latinos living in America. She continues to work as a reporter for CNN,^[13] mainly hosting "In America" documentaries and occasionally filling in for Anderson Cooper on Anderson Cooper 360. She also anchored exit poll coverage during CNN's coverage of the primaries and caucuses in the 2008 United States presidential race. She also has filled in for Paula Zahn on Paula Zahn Now whenever Zahn was unable to make the broadcast (Zahn has since stopped working for CNN as of August 2, 2007).

O'Brien anchored a CNN special, Black in America, in July 2007. The program documented the successes, struggles and complex issues faced by black men, women and families forty years after the death of Martin Luther King Jr. In the first installment, O'Brien investigated how James Earl Ray, an armed robber and escaped convict, had already spent a year on the run just a month before his path collided with Dr. King in Memphis, Tennessee. In "The Black Woman & Family," O'Brien explored the varied experiences of black women and families and investigated the disturbing statistics of single parenthood, racial disparities between students and the devastating toll of HIV/AIDS.

[edit] Starting Point

In 2011, CNN canceled American Morning and replaced it with two new programs, Early Start and Starting Point. O'Brien began anchoring Starting Point on January 2, 2012.^[14]

Honors and recognitions[link]

O'Brien's work has been honored several times, including a local Emmy for her work co-hosting the Discovery Channel's The Know Zone.

In 2007, O'Brien was awarded the NAACP President's Award.

She is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, which named her the Journalist of the Year 2010 ^[15] and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. She is a member of the Board of Directors of The After-School Corporation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding educational opportunities for all students.She also serves on the board of directors of The Harlem School of the Arts.

She was named to Irish American Magazine's "Top 100 Irish Americans" on two occasions. She is also on Black Enterprise magazine's 2005 Hot List. Also in 2005, she was awarded "Groundbreaking Latina of the Year" award by Catalina magazine.

O'Brien has given several keynote speeches over the years, including the undergraduate commencement at Bryant University in May 2007, where she was presented with a Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree,^[16] the convocation speech at Cornell University's Commencement in May 2007, a speech at Binghamton University commencement in December 2007, and the keynote speech at the 2008 annual National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Conference in Boston, MA in March 2008.

In April 2008, she became the first recipient of the Soledad O’Brien Freedom’s Voice Award, an award created in her name by Morehouse School of Medicine. "The award was created to recognize her accomplishments and willingness to be a voice for the voiceless in our society, and her determination to cover stories that might otherwise go untold. It will be given annually to mid-career professionals who serve as catalysts for social change in their given fields."

She has been named in People's 50 Most Beautiful in 2001 and in People en Español's 50 Most Beautiful in 2004.

In November 2008, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health awarded CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien the Goodermote Humanitarian Award for her efforts while reporting on the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina and the 2004 Asian Tsunami.^[17]

“Ms. O’Brien has shown the world tragedies of human conflict, natural disasters, chronic and infectious diseases,” said Michael J. Klag, MD, MPH, dean of the Bloomberg School of Public Health. “In addition to focusing attention on the people impacted, she has shed a light on how humanitarian efforts can help alleviate suffering and where current efforts have fallen short. Ms. O’Brien has challenged all of us to think and act in ways that offer humanitarian answers to the problems of the moment and the problems of the century, including public health issues.”

During a panel discussion for the 50th National Convention for Delta Sigma Theta sorority in New Orleans, LA, O'Brien announced that she would be inducted as an honorary member of the sorority in February 2011. She was inducted on February 7, 2011 during the Sorority's 22nd Annual Delta Days in the Nation’s Capital.

Criticism[link]

O'Brien drew criticism from FactCheck.org on September 8, 2008, for falsely asserting, during an interview with a McCain campaign spokesperson, that vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, as Governor of Alaska, had slashed the special education budget by 62%,^[18][19] when, in fact, she had increased it.^[20][21][22] O'Brien was also criticized for these claims by other sources,^{[23][24][25][26][27]} including the McCain/Palin campaign.^[28]

O'Brien has also been criticized for using democratic election campaign talking points during CNN interviews. ^[29] While interviewing the former Governor of New Hampshire John Sununu, she was accused of excessive focus on Donald Trump's inquiries regarding President Obama's foreign birth to the detriment of other pressing issues. ^[30]

Career timeline[link]

• July 1999–July 2003: Weekend Today co-anchor^[31]
• July 2003–April 2007 American Morning co-anchor^[31]

November 2010 The Next Big Story: My Journey Through the Land of Possibilities written by Soledad O'Brien and Rose Marie Arce published.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Soledad O'Brien, CNN.com biography
• Soledad O'Brien at the Internet Movie Database
• Convocation 2007 Preview Cornell Daily Sun, May 24, 2007 - Interview with O'Brien
• Soledad O'Brien Interview

Arsalan Iftikhar (born September 1, 1977 in Norfolk, Virginia) is an American international human rights lawyer, global media commentator and author of the book Islamic Pacifism: Global Muslims in the Post-Osama Era. Arsalan is the founder of www.TheMuslimGuy.com and also a regular weekly commentator for the National Public Radio (NPR) show "Tell Me More" with Michel Martin. In addition to published columns and articles worldwide, he is also a regular contributing writer for CNN.com and Esquire Magazine (Middle East edition).

Arsalan Iftikhar on The Doha Debates on BBC World Television in March 2008 (From 9/11/08 Christian Science Monitor profile, photo courtesy of Arsalan Iftikhar, used with permission.)

Biography[link]

Arsalan Iftikhar is an international human rights lawyer of Pakistani descent^[1] and Contributing Editor for Islamica magazine,^[2] a contemporary global affairs magazine headquartered in Los Angeles and with editorial offices in London, Amman and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Arsalan is a contributing writer for DiversityInc^[3] magazine and a regular weekly contributor on the Barbershop^[4] segment for the National Public Radio (NPR) show ‘Tell Me More’ with Michel Martin.^[5] Arsalan is also the former National Legal Director of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR).

Arsalan's interviews, commentaries and analyses have regularly appeared in virtually every major media outlet in the world including: CNN, BBC World News, The TODAY Show, National Public Radio (NPR), Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Associated Press, C-SPAN, Voice of America (VOA), Al-Jazeera, Agence France Press (AFP), USA TODAY, NBC Nightly News, The Washington Post, ABC World News Tonight, Los Angeles Times, CBS News Up to the Minute, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, TIME, The Economist, and Newsweek magazine (among dozens others worldwide).

He is also a regular contributor to CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 blog at AC360.com ^[6] and his opinion columns have appeared in major publications such as: CNN.com, USA TODAY, Houston Chronicle, Detroit Free Press, The Providence Journal, San Diego Union-Tribune, Charlotte Observer, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Kansas City Star, Miami Herald and many more.

In March 2008, Arsalan was one of four international debaters selected to participate in The Doha Debates on BBC World Television.^[7] The Doha Debates are broadcast to over 300 million people worldwide on BBC World Service Television and its stage has been shared with the likes of Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former United States President Bill Clinton. Arsalan and his debate partner argued for the motion: "This House believes that Muslims are failing to do enough to combat extremism." (He and his partner won the debate).^[8]

^[9] In addition to The Doha Debates, some of Arsalan’s other international speaking venues have included: Harvard University, Stanford University, Georgetown University, Mount Holyoke College, Washington University in St. Louis, Johns Hopkins University, University of Pennsylvania, The George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs, University of Michigan School of Law, The Rockefeller Foundation, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and The British Museum in London.^[10]

Additionally, Arsalan was cast as a movie extra in the Warner Brothers spy movie thriller Body of Lies (October 2008) starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe.^[11] Arsalan was also a contributing author to Taking Back Islam (Rodale Press), winner of the 2003 Wilbur Communications Award for Religion Book of the Year.^[12] In 2006, the French Ambassador to the United States personally selected Arsalan for the Personnalites d’Avenir (Personalities of the Future) World Leader Program in Paris sponsored by the French Foreign Ministry.

Arsalan graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 1999 and received his Juris Doctor law degree from Washington University School of Law in 2003. A native of Chicago, he specializes in international human rights law and is licensed to practice law in Washington DC.^[13]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Arsalan Iftikhar

• Official personal website
• Arsalan on BBC Doha Debates
• Christian Science Monitor Article on Arsalan on September 11, 2008
• Arsalan's YouTube Channel.

References[link]

The word asshole, a variant of arsehole, which is still prevalent in British and Australian English, is a vulgar to describe the anus, often pejoratively used to refer to people.

History[link]

The word arse in English derives from the Germanic root *arsaz, which originated from the Proto-Indo-European root *ors — meaning buttocks or backside.^[1] The combined form arsehole is first attested from 1500 in its literal use to refer to the anus. The metaphorical use of the word to refer to the worst place in a region, e.g., "the arsehole of the world") is first attested in print in 1865; the use to refer to a contemptible person is first attested in 1933.^[2] In the ninth chapter of his 1945 autobiography, Black Boy, Richard Wright quotes a snippet of verse that uses the term: "All these white folks dressed so fine / Their ass-holes smell just like mine ...". Its first appearance as an insult term in a newspaper indexed by Google News is in 1965.^[3] As with other vulgarities, these uses of the word may have been common in oral speech for some time before their first print appearances. By the 1970s, Hustler magazine featured people they did not like as "Asshole of the Month."^[4] In 1972, Jonathan Richman's Modern Lovers recorded his song "Pablo Picasso," which includes the line "Pablo Picasso was never called an asshole."

Until the early 1990s, the word was considered one of a number of words that could not be uttered on commercial television in the United States. Comedian Andrew Dice Clay caused a major shock when he uttered the word during a televised MTV awards show in 1989.^[5] However, there were PG-13 and R rated films in the 1980s that featured use of the word, such as the R-rated The Terminator (1984), the PG-13-rated National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989), and the PG-rated Back to the Future (1985). By 1994, however, vulgarity had become more acceptable, and the word was featured in dialog on the long-running television series NYPD Blue, though it has yet to become anything close to commonplace on network TV. In some broadcast edits (such as the syndication airings of South Park), the word is partially bleeped out — ironically, as "assh—", with the profane half of the word intact.

Semantics[link]

The word is mainly used as a vulgarity, generally to describe people who are viewed as stupid or incompetent or detestable.^[6]

This word or its literal translation is found in colloquial speech in a number of cultures (in both English and other languages).^[7] This is because it describes an organ of elimination that is considered a taboo region (since it belongs to the intimate parts) of the body in many societies.^[8]

The English word ass (meaning donkey, a cognate of its zoological name Equus asinus) may also be used as a term of contempt, referring to a silly or stupid person. In the United States, and, to a lesser degree, in Canada, the words arse and ass have become synonymous; however, in the rest of the English-speaking world, ass still only refers to the donkey, rather than the arse (buttocks). It is worth noting that speakers of some varieties of English "drop their Rs" before consonants, leading to a pronunciation of arse that is quite similar to ass.^[9]

Political usage[link]

In 2000, during a Labor Day event, then candidate George W. Bush made an off-hand remark to his running mate, Dick Cheney, that New York Times reporter Adam Clymer was a "major league asshole." The gaffe was caught on microphone and led to a political advertisement chiding Bush for "using expletives ... in front of a crowd of families," produced for Democratic opponent Al Gore.^[10]

In February 2004, American media reported that during a rally of supporters, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called Bush "an asshole" for believing his aides in supporting a coup against Chavez in 2002.^[11] The word in the original Spanish was "pendejo", and in news coverage the word was widely, though incorrectly, translated as "asshole"; the meaning of the word varies substantially in Latin America, and in Venezuela its meaning is closer to "fool".^[12] The following year, in September, Nightline host Ted Koppel said to Chavez on national television, "I'm going to perhaps shock you a little, but these are your words. You called President Bush an asshole," to which Chavez replied, "I've said various things about him. I don't know if I actually used that word."^[13]

See also[link]

• Arse
• The No Asshole Rule
• Sexual Slang
• Profanity

References[link]