THE MUFTIC FORUM

This site serves as column archives, footnotes, sources of information and facts and cited in columns and blogs. It is also links to twitter and facebook.

For a personal comment on the current controversy about women's rights, go to the Muftic Forum Blog page  and link to the blog.  Some columns of interest to the Hispanic community are also :...en espanol        www.mufticforumespanol.blogspot

Felicia often writes about her Balkan background.  From the page: ABOUT US is

"

In a blog, posted  March 29, 2011, Felicia laid out her special background in a topic  about which she often writes: the conflict between western civilizations and the Muslim world. 

"Since my university studies in Europe in the late 1950's, I have been fascinated by the interface between the Western  and the Muslim cultures.  Having met a medical student from the Balkans, whom I contemplated marrying (and we have been married now for over 50 years), I travelled extensively there to understand his family and his roots. I  returned to Northwestern University and devoted my classroom  and independent studies to try to get a handle on the history and ethnic conflicts that made the Balkans such a laboratory of religious and ethnic strife . In fact, the conclusion of our seminars and professor in 1960 was that there would be a revolt against the modern world resulting in a counter revival of  a more conservative and militant Islam.
   These experiences  inspired my life long quest   to gain  a better understanding of Islam and the Muslim world outside the Balkans.  However, much of the current interpretation of Islam held by both some  in the Muslim world and  the criticism of the  religion itself by some  Americans  in no way resembles the practice of the religion by traditional  Muslims I have known in the Balkans. My 30 years of activities in the Institute of International Education  providing hospitality to many many Muslim women from all over the world visiting the US under State Department  sponsorship confirms my impression that the practice of  Islam
varies greatly from country to country.

My view of this cultural and religious conflict has not been fossilized in the 1950's.   I  have had the unique opportunity to visit the Balkan  region nearly every couple of years since then , before and after the ethnic  cleansing wars of the 1990's. My interaction has not been at the official level...just with family, relatives and many ordinary people. I have  admittedly been influenced by some writings: Karen Armstrong's "The Battle for God" comparing the roots of radicalization and politicization of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism and CNN producer Peter Bergen's book of an often first hand accounting of  the history of Al Qaeda and Afghanistan, "The Longest War".

I am not a partisan of  the religions in conflict...Catholics, Orthodox, Jews, or
Muslim. I am a practicing  Protestant with an ecumenical and tolerant outlook. I find these conflicts based on ethnic and religious identification to be self defeating and a disaster for those caught up in it, not only resulting in the death of innocents, but relegating them to economic and cultural isolation and having to play catch up with the rest of the technologically advanced world. "



. 

Columns translated into Croatian are on this site.

All translations from English to Croatian and Spanish are done through Google Translate

Editor: Felicia Muftic

• Columnist. Pragmatic, fact based,
• reasoned views on current events

The Muftic Forum is an outlet for sharing thoughts about politics in America.  Felicia Muftic , the editor, is a columnist with the Sky Hi Daily News, Grand County, Colorado.  The Muftic Forum Blog, The Muftic Forum Facebook page, and The Muftic Forum Twitter site are all companions of sites of the Muftic Forum.

Muftic Forum Blog can be accessed at  http://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com

Current addtional commentary can be found on the blog and will not be posted on this site.

To receive columns by email or by facebook, groups have been formed but you must indicate if you would like to join by emailing: feliciamuftic@yahoo.com and indicating which group you would like to join...email or facebook

Facebook groups require that you also become a friend of the Muftic Forum first but also email me so that you want to be part of the group.  Be sure to be a friend of the muftic forum page (not the felicia muftic page).

Caution about Facebook: I maintain two. The Muftic Forum and Felicia Muftic. The Muftic Forum is for political commentary; the other is strictly a social network for non-political communication.

Comments can be made on the Muftic Forum facebook, blog,  or in the comment section of the newspaper, if the column appeared in either the print or online edition. www.skyhidailynews.com

If twitter is your thing, follow me @feliciamuftic

There is now a page in Croatian. The reason for that as for our strong personal and family ties in Croatia and that Felicia's husband, Dr. Mike Muftic, is originally from Croatia and has been forwarding the columns to Croatia on a frequent basis. Not every column will be translated and posted on the page, but those which may be of interest to those in Croatia will be translated and posted.  All translations are courtesy of Google Translate and may not be exactly correct.

MISSION STATEMENT

An interpretation of news  from the perspective of a senior who is connected with and concerned about the future well being of her children and grandchildren. Sometimes you will hear about their thoughts and concerns, my advice to them and dialogs with them, and sometimes about what I am reading or hearing. I enjoy civil discourse and debate, philosophical, factual, and reasoned. Those who substitute those with name calling and hate based accusations are those who have withno other tools at their command to make their points or to convince readers.

Joining in from time to time will be Ted Muftic and Tanya Muftic-Streicher, Dr.Michael Muftic,  and others whose expertise is especially relevant.  They provide helpful background and serve often as my editorial board.

Often the column, blog, and tweets will bring the impact of national and international events, issues and politics  home to Grand County, Colorado residents.

POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

Felicia Muftic writes from a pragmatic moderate left of center viewpoint in the paper,  sometimes differentiating herself from the far left of the political spectrum.She believes  that government has a role in improving kitchen table finances, but only as needed . She believes  in a capitalistic, free market system with government regulation that is needed to make the system function better as it was intended.  In foreign policy, Felicia believes in smart defense and diplomatic policies that are pragmatic and  look out after our national interests. Her view of the world  is based upon personal experience with the conflicts of Europe, ranging from the Cold War to the Balkan horrors of the 90's.

On social and religious issues, Felicia believes that it is an individual's responsibility to follow moral and religious beliefs. However, she believes the source of current world conflicts is the politicalization of religion.  She does not believe that organized religion should use political methods to impose their beliefs on others. She is not opposed to individuals using their own standards to make political decisions..

By choice, Felicia is a Presbyterian, and ecumenical.  Both Dr. Mike and Felicia are active in the Church of the Eternal Hills in Tabernash, Colorado. 

Their  grandchildren and great nieces and nephews on both sides of the Atlantic are Catholic.