On Being

Program Particulars
*Times indicated refer to web version of audio

(1:50–3:38) Music Element
"The Multiples of One"
from Awakening,
performed by Joseph Curiale

(01:55) Report of Iraq Study Group
The Iraq Study Group is an independent panel created by Congress in March 2006. Led by former Secretary of State James Baker III and former Congressman Lee Hamilton, the bipartisan panel was charged with evaluating the war in Iraq and recommending policy changes for the United States. The Iraq Study Group Report: The Way Forward — A New Approach (PDF) was released in December 2006. If you'd like to read the read the report in greater context, check out an annotated edition by historians, generals, and politicians who provide clarification and commentaries to the panel's 79 recommendations.

(02:42) International Center for Religion and Diplomacy
The International Center for Religion and Diplomacy (ICRD) is a non-governmental organization whose mission is to "address identity-based conflicts that exceed the reach of traditional diplomacy by incorporating religion as part of the solution."

Based in Washington, DC, the organization is focusing on a variety of peacemaking efforts: working with madrassas in Pakistan (see "Myth and Reality of a Pakistani Madrassa" for an interesting perspective from India). In Kashmir, the ICRD is conducting reconciliation seminars aimed at breaking the cycle of revenge among Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims. Johnston and the Center's work on creating the Sudan Inter-Religious Council helped bring about a peace agreement between factions in the North and South after 21 years of civil war.

(03:30) Graduation from Annapolis
Annapolis, Maryland is home to the United States Naval Academy. The term "Annapolis" is commonly used as shorthand when referring to somebody who graduated from the academy. The institution is the premier training center for young students trained to be officers and groomed for command of U.S. naval vessels. At age 27, Johnston was the youngest commissioned officer to qualify for command of a nuclear submarine.

(3:40) Center for Strategic and International Studies
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a foreign policy think tank originally established as part of Georgetown University. Founded at the height of the Cold War in 1962, the organization strategizes about global security issues through economic and political policy initiatives. Former Senator Sam Nunn serves as the chairman of the board, and other notable names serving on the board are Henry Kissinger, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Brent Snowcroft, and Richard Cohen.

(6:55) CENTCOM
USCENTCOM, short for the United States Central Command, is a unified command jurisdiction that is under the operation of the Department of Defense. The command unit oversees military planning for 27 countries located between Europe and the Pacific Ocean, including the Middle East, Central Asia, and Northeast Africa. President Carter established the command in 1983 as a means of rapid deployment in the region. USCENTCOM is responsible for past operations in Iraq and Kuwait and continues to lead military activities in Iraq today.

(7:47) Krista's Conversation with Young Iraqi-American
Krista cites her conversation with Iraqi-American scholar Ahmed al-Rahim in the 2004 Speaking of Faith program, "A Perspective on Islam in Iraq."

(8:33) Reference to Grand Ayatollah 'Ali al-Sistani
Ayatollah 'Ali al-Sistani, one of the leading Muslim clerics in Iraq, was a defining voice in the formation of a new Iraqi government. Sistani comes from a quietist tradition — that is, a conscious distancing of oneself from politics — but reserves the right to critique political and social events.

(09:28) Work with Pakistani Madrassas
Madrassas are centers of higher learning that grew out of Islam's expansion outside of the Arabian peninsula. The first known madrassa is thought to have been established in the early 11th century in Egypt. Before the spread of Islam, most learning was carried out in mosques. The combination of tribal traditions and mosque-based knowledge served as a functional governing structure. But, Islam's expansion introduced a variety of interpretations because of non-Arabic languages and new cultural customs. Initially, the madrassa tradition was established to create conformity and continuity through uniform teachings of Islam. And, eventually madrassas became centers of "earthly" learning in secular fields such as the sciences, philosophy, and public administration producing renowned scholars who contributed significant achievements to these fields.

In most parts of the Middle East and Asia, the number of madrassas and their influence declined (PDF) during European colonialism in the 19th and 20th centuries. Western forms of education systems were introduced that courted attendance of the elite and a separation of state and religion — the wealthy and the elite received a secular education, and the poor and disenfranchised primarily received a religious education.

As a result, more fundamentalist and radical forms of Islam commandeered new forms of madrassas, particular in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The Deobandi movement teaches a strict form of Islam: Western influences and modern culture are disdained; women cannot interact with men in public; learning is primarily reserved for men. Darul Uloom, the largest madrassa located 90 miles northeast of New Delhi, India, does not endorse overtly militant Islam but supported the Taliban in Afghanistan. More than 4,000 Deobandi madrassas exist in Pakistan.

(12:14–13:42) Music Element
"Sarinda II" from Tresors du Pakistan, performed by various artists

(16:11) Verses from the Qur'an Committed to Memory
Johnston memorized two verses from the Qur'an. The first, Qur'an 5:48, reads: "If God had willed he would have made you one nation. But He did not do so, that he may try you in what has come to you [as guidance]. So, compete with one another in good works; Unto God shall you return; altogether; and he will tell you the Truth about what you have been disputing." And, the second, Qur'an 49:13, which he recites in this program: "O Mankind! We have created your from a male and a female, and made you into separate nations and tribes, that you may know one another."

In the SOF program, "Religion and Our World in Crisis," Khaled Abou El Fadl talks about this passage in more detail. He also writes about it in The Place of Tolerance in Islam:

The Qur'anic discourse, for instance, can readily support an ethic of diversity and tolerance. The Qur'an not only expects, but even accepts the reality of difference and diversity within human society: "O humankind, God has created you from male and female and made you into diverse nations and tribes so that you many come to know each other. Verily, the most honored of you in the sight of God is he who is the most righteous." Elsewhere, the Qur'an asserts that diversity is part of the divine intent and purpose in creation: "If thy Lord had willed, He would have made humankind into a single nation, but they will not cease to be diverse.. And, for this God created them [humankind]." The classical commentators on the Qur'an did not fully explore the implications of this sanctioning of diversity, or the role of peaceful conflict resolution in perpetuating the type of social interaction that would result in people "knowing each other."

(17:54–18:24) Music Element
"Drum Solo: Kabul, Afghanistan" from Music in the World of Islam, Vol. 3: Reeds & Bagpipes

(21:22–25:17) Music Element
"Dastgah-e Mahur" from Music of Iran, Vol. 1,
performed by various artists

(25:45) Defining Realpolitik
The term realpolitik, borrowed from the German, describes an approach to policy that takes a tough-minded, realistic approach to political, economic, and security factors. It's a politics of power that often ignores religious and cultural concerns. Realpolitik views countries as entities that seek to increase power for its own sake and will use any means necessary, whether the methods be economic or military.

One of the most vested adherents to realpolitik in world history is former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who acknowledged that "in the long run it does more harm than good."

(25:50–26:55) Music Element
"Mwashah" from Eclipse,
performed by Hamza El Din

(26:06) Backdrop of Sudan
Since 1955, two civil wars between the governing Islamic North and the Christian, tribal South of Sudan have claimed over two million lives. During the second civil war, Sudan's Islamic regime imposed strict sharia law on the entire country, including the Christians of the south.

In the SOF program, "Conservative Politics and Moderate Religion," former senator and the presidentially appointed Envoy for Peace John Danforth discusses his dealings with the Sudanese parties and European nations involved in the negotiation process. Danforth indicated four necessary conditions for the parties to pursue peace and end the bitter civil war. The government based in Khartoum was Islamic and the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) of the south were backed by Christians and animists:

• Their ability to achieve a cease-fire in the highly-contested Nuba Mountains region
• Their willingness to cooperate with an internationally-sponsored commission to investigate the ongoing practice of slavery in Sudan
• Their agreeing to the establishment of "zones of tranquility" to allow for emergency humanitarian interventions, and
• Their agreeing to allow international monitors to investigate attacks on civilians.

In January 2005, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed and formally ended Africa's longest civil conflict of 21 years. SPML/A leader John Garang de Mabior was elected as vice-president of the new Republic of Sudan but died in a helicopter crash three weeks later.

The ongoing crisis in the Darfur region — an intra-Muslim conflict — continues to capture world attention.

(26:23) Sharia Law
The word sharia means "the path to a watering hole." More than a system of criminal justice, sharia law is a religious code for living that is adopted by most Muslims to some degree. This code for living governs all elements of a Muslim's daily life — practices of prayer and fasting, charity and justice. And, although it is a code of ethics that serves to instruct much like the Bible, it can be formally instituted as law by a nation and enforced by its court system. Many Islamic countries, particularly in the Middle East, have adopted particular elements of sharia law, governing areas such as inheritance, banking, and contract law.

In the Speaking of Faith program, "Violence and Crisis in Islam," Muslim scholar Vincent Cornell says the tradition of Islamic jurisprudence has an equally developed history expressed by the related terms of sharia — meaning the "way" or method set out by God — and fiqh — the "understanding" or the practice of this method of understanding. Theoretically, all Islamic law is divine because it is inspired by the word of God in the Qur'an; experientially, most Islamic legal decisions are based on the hadith of the Sunna. Informed Muslims, Cornell writes, use the term sharia to connote the sacred law as a global ideal, while the word fiqh connotes the evolving interpretation through the schools of jurisprudence.

Sharia law coupled with the practice of fiqh allows for a multiplicity of views and applications. Fiqh is considered an interpretive science that was first developed in the seventh century. Fiqh is the application of the sharia, the model of the Islamic way of life, to specific cases. Listen to Cornell discuss the importance of fiqh.

(33:10–34:00) Music Element
"Ollin Arageed" from Eclipse,
performed by Hamza El Din

(33:53) Statement by Commission on International Religious Freedom
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom maintains a "watch list" of countries where religious freedoms do not meet or exceed an established threshold of acceptability as determined by them. Eleven countries do not meet their level of acceptability, including Iran, Pakistan, and Sudan.

(34:16) Crusade in Khartoum
Reinhard Bonnke is a German-born evangelist who has lived in Africa for nearly 20 years. The Pentecostal minister organizes Christian crusades — which he calls Great Gospel Crusades — around Africa. In July 2006, he led a mission to Sudan that culminated with a crusade in Khartoum, Sudan's capitol. It's estimated that more than 100,000 people attend end the crusade.

(35:14–35:45) Music Element
"Mwashah" from Eclipse,
performed by Hamza El Din

(36:14–37:01) Music Element
"Saraab"
from Blue Flame,
performed by Simon Shaheen

(37:10) Reading Johnston's Dispatches from Iran
The International Center for Religion and Diplomacy has a complete archive of all the dispatches from all the places mentioned in this program, and then some.

(37:38) Abrahamic Delegation to Iran
Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick led a group of advisors from the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy in 2003. The group traveled to Iran as part of a delegation of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian leaders to improve relations and understanding between the United States and Iran.

The next year high-level religious leaders and scholars from Iran met with a United States delegation of Congresspersons for open dialogue. The Center's plan is to create a "peace game" that political, religious, academic, and professional leaders from the U.S. and Iran could map a new way of achieving peace and open dialogue. None of these leaders would be directly involved in the nations' governments.

(38:19) Friday Prayer at Tehran University
The muezzin is the person who calls out for Muslims to perform salat — the daily prayer at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and nightfall. The muezzin, chosen for his good character, will call out from the top of a mosque's minaret or at the mosque's door. He faces each of the four directions: east, west, north, and south and recites: "Allah is most great. I testify that there is no God but Allah. I testify that Muhammad is the prophet of Allah. Come to prayer. Come to salvation. Allah is most great. There is no God but Allah."

The Friday prayer at the University of Tehran is held exclusively by conservative, high-ranking members of Iran's ruling Shiite clergy. More than 10,000 men regularly gather to hear a speaker appointed by Iran's supreme religious leader. Women are welcome to listen, but must do so in a separate area from the men. Listen to prayers and a speech by former Iranian president Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani or see Kevin Sites' report about a regular day of Friday prayer in Tehran.

(41:20) War Game on Iran
In July 2004, the United States and the United Kingdom organized a mock scenario at Fort Belvoir, a U.S. military base in Virginia codenamed "Hotspur 2004." The war game simulated an invasion of a fictitious Middle Eastern country named Korona, whose borders mapped similar coordinates to Iran's borders and characteristics of the opposing military. As of 2006, Iran has been conducting similar exercises.

James Fallows explains what the phrase "war game" entails as The Atlantic Monthly prepared to conduct their own exercise in Fall 2004:

"War game" is a catchall term used by the military to cover a wide range of exercises. Some games run for weeks and involve real troops maneuvering across oceans or terrain against others playing the role of the enemy force. Some are computerized simulations of aerial, maritime, or land warfare. Others are purely talking-and-thinking processes, in which a group of people in a room try to work out the best solution to a hypothetical crisis. Sometimes participants are told to stay "in role"-to say and do only what a Secretary of State or an Army brigade commander or an enemy strategist would most likely say and do in a given situation. Other times they are told to express their own personal views. What the exercises have in common is the attempt to simulate many aspects of conflict-operational, strategic, diplomatic, emotional, and psychological-without the cost, carnage, and irreversibility of real war. The point of a war game is to learn from simulated mistakes in order to avoid making them if conflict actually occurs.

(44:21–44:45) Music Element
"Dastgah-e Mahur" from Music of Iran, Vol. 1,
performed by various artists

(46:20) Religion Attache in Embassies
Johnston's argues in his essay, "The Case for a Religion Attaché," that the United States needs to appoint religion attachés for a select group of 30 embassies around the world so that a more effective and informed foreign policy may be developed.

(49:30) Citation of Matthew 5:9
Johnston cites an often quoted verse from the New Testament gospel of Matthew. The following passage is excerpted from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible:

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

"You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.
"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."

(48:29–52:36) Music Element
"Nothing Really Blue" from Concert Program (live), performed by The Penguin Cafe Orchestra