This week I received the tragic news of the death of Professor Hassan Murad, founder and chair of Pakistan's esteemed University of Management and Technology (UMT), in a fatal car accident as he returned from a conference at the Khunjrab border with China, the highest international border crossing in the world, where the roads are … Continue reading Pakistan Loses a Hero; I Lost a Friend
Tribute to Dr. Hasan Murad by Junaid Ahmad
A Tribute to Dr. Hasan Murad By Junaid Ahmad Director, Center for Global Dialogue Lahore, Pakistan A visionary has returned to his Creator, and I feel orphaned for a second time. Dr. Hasan Murad was like a father figure for me after my father, Dr. Mumtaz Ahmad, one of Dr. Murad's dearest friends, passed away … Continue reading Tribute to Dr. Hasan Murad by Junaid Ahmad
QAnon and You
In the early 2000’s when I was Communications Director for the United Church of Christ, I was often asked, “what is the greatest challenge facing the UCC?” Expected responses included: world peace, systemic racism, nuclear non-proliferation, the environment. But I’d often confound people with the response: “to develop tools of discernment.” The internet was emerging … Continue reading QAnon and You
How Wonderfully Strange
When I was a freshman in college, I first heard Simon and Garfunkel’s ground-breaking album Bookends. In addition to iconic songs like “America” and “Mrs. Robinson,” there was a lesser known track, “Old Friends” that contained the words: Can you imagine us years from today, Sharing a park bench quietly How terribly strange to be … Continue reading How Wonderfully Strange
Breaking the Log Jam at the Border
The images and sounds emerging from the southern border are gut wrenching and heart breaking. You don’t need to have kids of your own to empathize with these young families and to understand the trauma of separating children from their parents in a strange, chaotic land. Unanswered questions about the zero-tolerance process being enacted on … Continue reading Breaking the Log Jam at the Border