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In the Name of God بسم الله
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About this blog

This blog covers the same contemporary issues as the main Contemporania blog but the entries in this blog are co-written with GenAI. The entries disclose the prompts used to generate the narrative.

The main picture is the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral in Florence, because ultimately so much of current global conflict depends on where we stand in relation to St. Mary ((صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)). The image is not AI-generated; I took it from the Piazzale Michelangelo hill around sunset.

Entries in this blog

Migration

'Penniless' East African Indian Migrants coming to the UK

Summary Over the past decades I had observed reference to the word penniless when the UK media referred to Indian migrants who came to the UK in the 1970s. The anomaly was the fact that in subsequent years I had seen their increasing purchase of retail stores (often corner shops and pharmacies) in Britain. How can penniless people get into businesses that require capital? First off some evidence for the penniless trope:   Now the ChatGPT analysis   Why the “pe
Haji 2003

Haji 2003 in Migration

0
Ideology

The ideology of railways

Railways vs. cars - an ideological The former is more communitarian and the latter favours personal independence. In this post, I examine the idea that railways are the most efficient means of moving around large numbers of people and a sine qua non for a society that is built upon the welfare of the many, rather than the few. This has possible implications for the design of an Islamic society, in my opinion. The first reply to this post includes a Twitter thread in which the auth
Colonialism

Trump's Arab deals - the beginning of the end?

Trump announces billions of dollars of deals with Arab states following a visit in May 2025 But is this the win that he thinks it is? The historical precedent from the British Empire suggests that, at best, it is delaying the inevitable (decline of American economic power) and, at worst, it is making American industry too reliant on countries that are not buying on a commercial basis, but for other reasons, and thereby speeding up the decline. When Arabs are no longer able to invest in
Colonialism

British Colonialism and Minority Collaborators

Background We are familiar with the concept of divide and rule. I wanted to explore the specific context of leveraging minority groups vs. the majority and I wanted reference to a wider array of examples than what I am familiar with (Muslims and Hindus in India). The prompts given to ChatGPT are in the first reply. Note that this was the Deep Research model that I was using. Introduction British colonial governance frequently employed a “divide and rule” strategy, wherein colonial

Returning factory jobs to the US

Prompt to chatGPT The Fetishisation of the Tool Shop: Blue-Collar Nostalgia in American Culture and Politics The American cultural imagination has long romanticised blue-collar labour, particularly the imagery associated with factories, workshops, and tool benches. From Norman Rockwell’s wartime paintings of riveters to modern television portrayals like American Chopper or Dirty Jobs, the aesthetics of physical labour are celebrated as the backbone of national identity. Yet this symb

Dogs, anthropomorphism and societal implications

Introduction I asked the reasoning version of ChatGPT the following two questions (in the quotation box). The answer to the latter question is presented below. This issue is one of many that contrasts the social and economic implications of Islamic injunctions vs. those of other religions. In summary, the Islamic notion of dogs as religiously impure focuses Muslims' attention towards other humans for social and emotional support. I believe that is superior to a society that redire
Haji 2003

Haji 2003

0

Religion and cultural resilience

I gave ChatGPT the following prompt:   The text below is provided by ChatGPT.   The proposition that Islamic societies have been particularly successful in maintaining their cultural heritage since the 16th-century expansion of European power is complex and nuanced. While many Islamic societies have indeed preserved significant aspects of their cultural, religious, and linguistic traditions, the extent of this preservation varies across regions and historical contexts
Haji 2003

Haji 2003

0

Alien encounters

My prompt: Could it be proposed that for a theist an alien encounter can't possibly lead to a wipeout of the human race (unless the aliens themselves were theists). Whereas for an atheist this is a possibility?   GPT Answer: This proposition could be framed as a hypothesis grounded in the fundamental differences between theistic and atheistic worldviews. Let's unpack this:   ---    Theistic Perspective: 1. Belief in Divine Providence:    - For many t
Haji 2003

Haji 2003

0

Culture and colonialism

I came across the following about the British poet Basil Bunting:   https://academic.oup.com/res/article/74/315/389/7103434?login=false   I pasted that into Chatgpt and asked, "Are there other people who simultaneously interacted with middle eastern culture while at the same time aiding Britain's colonial enterprise?"   It came back with the following: Yes, several notable individuals interacted with Middle Eastern cultures while contributing to Britain
Haji 2003

Haji 2003

5

Downsizing the Empire

The proposition that the British Empire "never really went away" but instead "downsized" reflects a view of post-colonial influence that suggests continuity between the British Empire's formal rule and its present-day economic and political ties, particularly with the rich Arab Gulf states. While the British Empire as a formal political entity dissolved in the mid-20th century, this perspective argues that Britain's influence persisted, transforming from direct colonial rule to a more subtle but
Haji 2003

Haji 2003

2

Would Palestinian passivity have led to a different outcome?

What follows below, starting with "Historical Context" is chatgpt's analysis. My initial prompt is in the next post. The analysis starts with a statement of historical 'facts', framed pretty much in the way you would expect a western source to analyse the issue.  But the section that chatgpt titles, "Hypothetical outcomes ..." and the "Conclusion" are not exactly what I would have expected such a source to say, perhaps it's the result of how I wrote the original prompt?   The
Haji 2003

Haji 2003

2

The fall of the Berlin Wall - not so much of a victory for the West

[The Berlin Wall today is home to various artistic pieces. I took this image of the last East German leader, Erich Honecker, portrayed as a Roman emperor.]   The reply I received from chatgpt. The original query is in the next post and after that the original framing query.   The proposition that the fall of the Berlin Wall was seen as a massive victory over communism, but has since led to the rise of China as a more formidable challenge, is an interesting perspective that wa
Haji 2003

Haji 2003

2
Economics

Addressing Chinese dominance

Summary This post is about investigating possible non-military courses of action open to China's adversaries. I have previously argued that the conflict in Ukraine is a precursor to muscular action against China. In this post I am going to analyse how China stands on various metrics and pursue a line of enquiry that investigates the possibilities for economic rather than military action. To be clear about my overall stance, I prefer a multi-polar world, which no one country domina
Haji 2003

Haji 2003 in Economics

3
Management

The problem with beliefs is one that is not specific to religion

Despite the prevailing data indicating that the majority of journeys undertaken by drivers in the United States span 50 miles or less, there persists a notable hesitation among many to embrace electric vehicles (EVs). This reluctance is largely attributed to "range anxiety," a term used to describe the fear that an EV will not possess sufficient battery life to cover long distances on a single charge. This phenomenon serves as a compelling example of how beliefs, often diverging from empirical r
Haji 2003

Haji 2003 in Management

0
Management

Nahjul Balagha for Managers - Chapter One - Leadership

The following text is AI generated, based on prompts that I provided. The text is based on an English translation of Nahjul Balagha uploaded to chatpdf.   Chapter 1: Leadership   Leadership is a critical component of effective management, and Nahjul Balagha offers valuable insights into the qualities and characteristics of effective leaders. According to Imam Ali ((عليه السلام).), true leadership is not about power or authority, but about service and humility. In t
Haji 2003

Haji 2003 in Management

2
Management

Nahjul Balagha for Managers - Introduction

The following text was written by AI, which was prompted to generate these insights based on an uploaded translation of Nahjul Balagha. Subsequent posts will pick up on the different topics identified below.   Introduction In today's fast-paced and ever-changing business world, managers face a wide range of challenges and complexities. From managing teams and projects to navigating organizational politics and dealing with uncertainty and ambiguity, the demands of modern management
Haji 2003

Haji 2003 in Management

0

Money, markets and minorities Pt2

Background In the following blog post, I argued that minorities can economically outperform majorities in a society and that this may require actions to protect the interests of the majority. Overall this discussion picks up issues around Islamic regulations around the rights and obligations of minority communities in an Islamic society, where minorities are referred to as 'dhimmis'. In contemporary Western society where there is an overarching interest in 'equality' these regulations
Haji 2003

Haji 2003

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