Hameedeh

This was the first version, which was subsequently edited for additional detail and language.
It's tempting to think of human experiences, especially those which involve other people and groups in terms of gains or losses. Some exchanges lend themselves to this calculus e.g. trade or war. However, a focus on the material element of the equation can often ignore the intangible aspects of the encounter or the trade. The latter can often have longer-term and more profound consequences.
For believers faced with what can seem to be a loss in the material world, it's worth reflecting on what has been gained in the spiritual world. At the moment, in the Middle East there is a dynamic movement of politics and people being played out. Certain groups are gaining power, others are losing. Some people are dying and others are killing them. It's easy to construct the balance sheet in terms of human casualties, square kilometres of land and who holds power.
But this ignores the bigger picture.
What is also happening is the surfacing of opinions, standpoints and most importantly behaviours. In a world at equilibrium, peoples' discourse can often hide their true beliefs and avoid engaging in behaviours which makes explicit where they stand. 
However, standing as we are in a world where there is disequilibrium, where the stakes are high for a reconfiguration of the Middle East as the tectonic plates shift, so people become more willing to disclose who they really are.
This is a win for the believers. This is where Satan's mask drops,and reality becomes evident. Knowing the objective reality of this world can often be quite difficult, it's usually shrouded by our own limitations and weaknesses.
But now we can see the people who would typically protest about human rights as part of their overall 'belief system' but are utterly silent about genocide. And it's not just silence there's active subterfuge on their part to protect the aggressor. We can see the people who claim leadership of Muslims but who show none when world events demand it.
It's at times like this that we might be saddened by the loss of people and places. But at the same time, our faith is reinvigorated by the knowledge that what others believe is false, whose hypocrisy is made manifest and most importantly whose ethical and moral position is so weak that it requires extreme violence to uphold.

Everyone should read this blog. 

Everyone should read this blog. 

Everyone should read this blog. 

Thank you. I would be interested to read further detail about the above mentioned people as well as Henry Corbin. Also Richard Nelson Frye who was reported to be a teacher of Annemarie Schimmel. 

That was chatgpt asking me. But if anyone has any follow-up questions, I could add them to the conversation I was having with it.

Salam, Brother. Did you ask this question of ShiaChat members or guests or did Chatgpt ask you the question?

My prompt:
I want you to write me a short story of 500 words about three artists. The first one interrupts an existing conversation between the other two and ruminates about how his hand drawn and coloured works were supplanted by works created by hand on computers. It slowly emerges that the previous conversation was between an artist who draws on computers and who sees their employment being curtailed by wholly AI generated drawings. The irony of the story is how the fears of one generation are mimicked by the people who immediately follow them.

Non-fiction professional writer. The text in the main post is Gen AI. My contribution was the prompt in the first comment afterwards.

Write me a 500 word short story about the state of Palisrael which is taking legal action in international courts against foreign influencers, journalists and politicians for inciting settlers towards territorial overreach in their appropriation of indigneous peoples' lands. The people being charged are accused of having a colonialist and racist mindset that reflected 19th century views of ethnic superiority.

Well dogs are najis. Keeping one as a pet and keeping a clean household would be complicated, I think. This goes back to the point made in the article above that even in non-Muslim countries, dogs had historically been kept outside the house.
AFAIK there have been all sorts of reasons given for why dogs are najis, e.g.:
https://www.al-islam.org/ask/why-is-a-dog-considered-impure-and-not-allowed-to-be-kept-inside-a-house/sayyed-mohammad-al-musawi
So here's a hypothesis. Without denying the validity of the parasite argument, what if the reason for that ruling was precisely because of the social and psychological aspect of human and dog relationships? And God wanted us to limit the extent to which these could be formed, given the negative impact that they can have on human-human relationships?

When animals did work for humans (cow=milk, cat=catch mice, dog=guard sheep), they were allowed. To have an animal as a pet, just to pet it, is where the Islamic scholars disagree. If we "use" a pet for companionship, then don't get married or if we ignore our spouse and give all the attention to the pet, this can cause relationship problems. Androids are a whole new thing. Stay tuned.   

When animals did work for humans (cow=milk, cat=catch mice, dog=guard sheep), they were allowed. To have an animal as a pet, just to pet it, is where the Islamic scholars disagree. If we "use" a pet for companionship, then don't get married or if we ignore our spouse and give all the attention to the pet, this can cause relationship problems. Androids are a whole new thing. Stay tuned.   

This newspaper story highlights the evolving relationship between pets and humans in the West and highlights exactly the issues I am picking up above:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/jul/27/he-chose-the-dog-over-me-the-pets-that-ruined-relationships-from-pups-interrupting-sex-to-aggressive-pigs

The chatgpt answer has a number of issues and I have picked up on one. 
I subsequently asked it:
To this chatgpt replied:
You're correct that the dynamics leading to the 1947 UN Partition Plan were heavily influenced by the lobbying and diplomatic efforts of various parties, particularly Zionist leaders. Here’s a more nuanced exploration of the factors that shaped the UN Partition Plan and the subsequent events:
### Pre-1947 Context and Lobbying
1. **Zionist Diplomacy and Lobbying**:
   - Jewish leaders, particularly those associated with the Zionist movement, had been actively lobbying key international powers for decades before 1947. This included efforts during the British Mandate period to secure support for the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine.
   - The Jewish Agency, under leaders like Chaim Weizmann and David Ben-Gurion, engaged in extensive diplomatic efforts, including lobbying members of the United Nations and leveraging connections in influential countries like the United States and the United Kingdom.
2. **Lack of Equivalent Palestinian Representation**:
   - In contrast, Palestinian Arabs lacked a unified and equally influential representation on the international stage. The Arab Higher Committee, which represented Palestinian interests, was less organized and had fewer resources compared to the Zionist organizations.
   - The Palestinian leadership was also fragmented, with internal divisions and less access to the corridors of power in major world capitals. This disparity in political influence affected the ability of Palestinian leaders to shape international opinion and policy effectively.
### The UN Partition Plan
1. **Influence of International Powers**:
   - The 1947 UN Partition Plan (Resolution 181) was influenced by the geopolitical interests of major powers, particularly the United States and the Soviet Union, both of which supported the partition. Their support was partially a result of effective Zionist lobbying.
   - The British, who held the mandate over Palestine, also played a significant role, though their policies and interests were complex and often conflicted.
2. **Asymmetry in International Advocacy**:
   - The Zionist movement’s ability to present a coherent, persuasive case for a Jewish state, coupled with effective lobbying and public relations campaigns, contributed to the plan's formulation.
   - Palestinian and broader Arab advocacy was less effective in countering these efforts, partly due to internal divisions and a lack of comparable international influence.
### Post-Partition Plan Realities
1. **Rejection of the Plan by Arab Leaders**:
   - Arab leaders, including those representing Palestinian interests, rejected the UN Partition Plan, viewing it as unjust and biased in favor of the Jewish community. They argued that it violated the principle of self-determination for the indigenous Arab population.
   - The rejection was based on both the perceived inequity of the territorial division and the demographic implications, as well as broader regional politics.
2. **Outbreak of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War**:
   - The immediate aftermath of the plan’s approval led to escalating violence between Jewish and Arab communities in Palestine, culminating in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The war resulted in the establishment of the State of Israel and the displacement of a significant portion of the Palestinian population (the Nakba).
### Conclusion
The contention that the 1947 UN Partition Plan was influenced by extensive Zionist lobbying and lacked equivalent Palestinian representation is well-founded. This asymmetry in political influence and international advocacy played a significant role in shaping the plan and the subsequent trajectory of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The plan's perceived bias and the resultant rejection by Arab leaders underscore the complex interplay of international diplomacy, lobbying, and local realities that have historically characterized this conflict. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for a comprehensive analysis of why the conflict evolved the way it did and continues to persist.

My prompt.
Address the contention that given current claims made by Israeli leaders about the extent of their claims over the land of Palestine, there is nothing the Palestinians could have done that would have led to an outcome different to what it is today. Specifically, if an undivided Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Israel, how could Palestinian passivity led to any other outcome other than what we have today, given Israeli military superiority.

My prompt:
Write me a short story 500 words. The scenario is a planning meeting at a business school about their syllabus. The discussion centres around topics and issues that they can cover and also aspects of what they cannot. The latter would include material dealing with things like interpersonal relationships with stakeholders, aspects of lobbying (and any other things you can think of) that affect business success but which cannot be codified for a business degree.

Foreign actors could leverage China's corporate and local government debt to create economic and financial challenges for the Chinese government through various strategies, without resorting to warfare. Here are some potential methods:
 
 1. Capital Flight and Currency Manipulation
- Encourage Capital Flight: Foreign actors could encourage Chinese businesses and wealthy individuals to move their capital out of China. This could be done through policy measures in foreign countries that make it easier for Chinese capital to flow out, such as relaxed investment regulations or attractive investment opportunities.
- Currency Speculation: Speculative attacks on the Chinese yuan (CNY) could lead to currency depreciation, increasing the cost of debt repayment for Chinese entities with foreign-denominated debt.
 
 2. Trade Policies and Sanctions
- Impose Targeted Sanctions: Sanctions on specific Chinese industries or key companies could strain their financial resources, leading to higher default risks.
- Tariffs and Trade Barriers: Increased tariffs or trade barriers on Chinese goods would reduce export revenues, impacting corporate profitability and local government revenues, which are often dependent on local businesses' success.
 
 3. Financial Market Manipulation
- Short Selling: Foreign investors could engage in short selling of Chinese stocks and bonds, driving down their prices and increasing borrowing costs for Chinese companies.
- Credit Rating Downgrades: Lobbying credit rating agencies to downgrade China’s sovereign and corporate credit ratings would increase the cost of borrowing for Chinese entities.
 
 4. Investment Withdrawal and Divestment
- Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Reduction: Reducing or halting FDI into China would slow economic growth, reducing revenues for both corporations and local governments.
- Divestment Campaigns: Encouraging institutional investors to divest from Chinese assets can create liquidity issues and reduce market confidence.
 
 5. Legal and Regulatory Pressure
- Enforce Stringent Regulations: Apply stringent regulatory measures on Chinese companies operating abroad, increasing their operational costs and legal liabilities.
- Intellectual Property (IP) Enforcement: Strengthening IP enforcement and litigation against Chinese companies could lead to significant financial penalties and restrictions on key technologies.
 
 6. Promote Alternatives
- Supply Chain Diversification: Encourage global companies to diversify their supply chains away from China, reducing Chinese corporate revenues.
- Competing Trade Agreements: Establish and promote trade agreements that exclude China, redirecting trade flows and investment to other countries.
 
 7. Public Diplomacy and Information Warfare
- Negative Publicity Campaigns: Spread negative information about China’s economic stability and debt levels to reduce investor confidence and cause market panic.
- Support for Opposition Groups: Financially support groups within China advocating for greater transparency and reforms, potentially leading to political and economic instability.
 
 8. Cyber Operations
- Cyber Attacks on Financial Systems: Conduct cyber operations to disrupt Chinese financial institutions and markets, causing temporary chaos and loss of confidence.
- Theft of Financial Data: Steal sensitive financial information to undermine the confidence of investors and creditors in the stability of Chinese markets.
 
 Potential Consequences
- Economic Slowdown: Reduced investment and higher borrowing costs could slow economic growth, increasing unemployment and social unrest.
- Financial Instability: Increased defaults on corporate and local government debt could lead to a banking crisis.
- Political Pressure: Economic difficulties could increase domestic pressure on the Chinese government, potentially leading to political instability.
 
 Conclusion
Foreign actors have multiple non-military avenues to leverage China’s corporate and local government debt to cause significant economic and financial challenges. These strategies focus on undermining confidence, increasing borrowing costs, and reducing revenue streams for Chinese entities. While effective, these measures could also have global economic repercussions, given China's central role in the world economy.

This was the prompt I used:
I want you to write a short story about how a country adopts measures such as reducing the use of plastic bags for reasons of sustainability and the values that are reinforced thereby lead to perceptions of cultural superiority over those nations that do not practice these methods. The view grows that war is an acceptable price to pay to encourage more widespread adoption of sustainability values and practices amongst those who have not evolved to this elevated reasoning.

Mashallah, time flies!!

A theory, but nonetheless.
 

What a coincidence?
As we all know, one of the faiths covered above has its international HQ in Israel. Although the Ba'hais have a deal with the Israelis that they won't proselytise to Jewish people.
What I did not know was the presence of Ahmadiyyas (founded in colonial India) in Israel.
 

Aga Khan I
I asked chatgpt
Q. What help did Aga Khan I render the British Empire?
The answer was:
 
This was interesting because I was unaware of the support chatgpt says he gave the British during the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. So I searched on Google Scholar and nothing obvious came up!
So I went back to chatgpt and asked:
What is the evidence that Aga Khan I mobilised troops to help the British suppress the mutiny in 1857?
The answer was as follows, somewhat more nuanced than the answer above, but chatgpt does make reference to specific texts which can be tracked down.
 

Mirza Ghulam Ahmed
A couple of questions that I asked of chatgpt worth posting here in addition to the answers.
Q. Does the Ahmadiyya movement have beliefs supportive of the British occupation of India?
A. 
 
I tried again and this time got the answer I was looking for. Text below that is relevant to my argument is underlined.
 
Q. Did Mirza Ghulam Ahmad instruct followers not to attack the British in India?
 

@Gaius I. Caesar - salaam brother.
As promised.