It was able to create a continental super-state that stretched from ocean to ocean, and from northern climes to tropics and deserts. Within its dominion lived hundreds of millions of people, of different creeds and ethnic origins.

One of its languages became the universal language of much of the world, the bridge between the peoples of a hundred lands. Its armies were made up of people of many nationalities, and its military protection allowed a degree of peace and prosperity that had never been known. The reach of this civilisation’s commerce extended from Latin America to China, and everywhere in between.

And this civilisation was driven more than anything, by invention. Its architects designed buildings that defied gravity. Its mathematicians created the algebra and algorithms that would enable the building of computers, and the creation of encryption. Its doctors examined the human body, and found new cures for disease. Its astronomers looked into the heavens, named the stars, and paved the way for space travel and exploration.

Its writers created thousands of stories. Stories of courage, romance and magic. Its poets wrote of love, when others before them were too steeped in fear to think of such things.

When other nations were afraid of ideas, this civilisation thrived on them, and kept them alive. When censors threatened to wipe out knowledge from past civilisations, this civilisation kept the knowledge alive, and passed it on to others.

While modern Western civilisation shares many of these traits, the civilisation I’m talking about was the Islamic world from the year 800 to 1600, which included the Ottoman Empire and the courts of Baghdad, Damascus and Cairo, and enlightened rulers like Suleiman the Magnificent.

Although we are often unaware of our indebtedness to this other civilisation, its gifts are very much a part of our heritage. The technology industry would not exist without the contributions of Arab mathematicians. Sufi poet-philosophers like Rumi challenged our notions of self and truth. Leaders like Suleiman contributed to our notions of tolerance and civic leadership.

And perhaps we can learn a lesson from his example: It was leadership based on meritocracy, not inheritance. It was leadership that harnessed the full capabilities of a very diverse population–that included Christianity, Islamic, and Jewish traditions.

This kind of enlightened leadership — leadership that nurtured culture, sustainability, diversity and courage — led to 800 years of invention and prosperity.

In dark and serious times like this, we must affirm our commitment to building societies and institutions that aspire to this kind of greatness. More than ever, we must focus on the importance of leadership– bold acts of leadership and decidedly personal acts of leadership.

With that, I’d like to open up the conversation and see what we, collectively, believe about the role of leadership.

HP

If you’re interested, below is the video of the song ‘Grenade’

As lightning strikes and thunder pounds,
Over the grey skies of East London town,
Prophecy K returns from the underground,
Signified by the peoples crying, trumpet sounds,
Yeah the system it tried to shut me down,
But I been on my ting before Onyx was flinging guns around,
Blood, sweat, and tears for years,
It feels like my careers been in the dumping ground,
Yeah, this is how hunger sounds,

And I’m the hunter now, ‘Lash the lion heart,
A.K.A. the man behind the iron mask
For ten years straight, I’ve been raising the iron bar
Tryna breathe the life back into this dyin’ art
So why try and par? When you’ll meet the same fate as that lion Scar
This game is fake; full of two-faced lying ras.
Who would sell their soul and arse just to climb the charts
Yea, but me, I put in too much time in the graft
Refinin’ my craft for labels to sign me for a minor advance
Picture K’Lash, mimin’ on Trance
Now picture Dr. Dre beats/’Lash rhymin’ with Stars
It’s all fate and I got mine in my grasp
They’re all snakes, let ‘em die in the past
But who knows what the future holds?
These N.W.O. soldiers will probably shoot me cold
All because the truth was told
You should know I did it from the heart.

[Hook x2]

I’m still here, pushing after several years,
I’m still here, standing strong, never in fear,

I’ll be still here after the dust settles and clears,
I’ll be still here after the blood, sweat and the tears,

[Verse 2: Lowkey]

I don’t do this for the happy ravers or the aggy haters
I do this for the warriors and the gladiators
Do this for those whose lives you never cared about
Can’t pronounce their names, their origins or their whereabouts
Those brought up around tragedy and sadness
Who adjusted and found normality in the madness
Fight the power ’til I’m out of breath like Malcolm X
You empower the powerful, I empower the powerless
They’ll play you on the radio if you rap about a Gucci belt
But rap about the government; you might as well shoot yourself
Industry fairies say I rap about conspiracy theories
Just to hide the fact that they lyrically fear me
Got that eye of a tiger, the heart of a lion
The mind of a lifer, my stance is defiant
I rise like a phoenix, immediate from the ashes
My existence is inconvenient for the masses
Though we are equal, I despise an imitation
I live for my people and die for liberation
I stand as a visionary; some have got plans of killin’ me
To literally vanish me physically like Aborigines
Hannibal with the mask, an animal with the bars
I’m grappling with my shackles, I channel it through my art
Feel it in the ambience, champion, heavyweight
My life is nothin’ but my pride is somethin’ that you can never take
They think I’m elusive or think I’m a nuisance
I swear these major labels must think that I’m stupid
Keep your 360′s you’re convincing these dudes with
Like I’ll give you the blueprint for pimpin’ my music…

I say that like K’Lash, he’s another lion,
Every hardship from getting scarred to my brother dying,
Spit all of it with or without a big audience,
Through the Blood, Sweat & Tears I stand victorious!

[Hook x2]

I’m still here, pushing after several years,
I’m still here, standing strong, never in fear,

I’ll be still here after the dust settles and clears,
I’ll be still here after the blood, sweat and the tears,

Surely people should have learnt not to meddle with other peoples internal affairs, especially when previous experiments have caused hundreds of thousands of lives to date.

Technically the UK and USA are responsible for all the attacks committed or alleged by Al-Qaeda, as they fed, cultured and created this monster called ‘Al-Qaeda’.

Here are some quotes from the report:

“So long as they remained in forward positions, they would need some defensive equipment, possibly including surface to air missiles to defend themselves against air attack.”

It was said at the meeting: “If one of the objectives of the West in this crisis was to keep the Islamic world aroused about the Soviet invasion, that would be served by encouraging a continuing guerrilla resistance.”

Sir Robert said although a border war should be avoided, “so long as Afghans were ready to continue guerrilla resistance, and Pakistan was prepared at least to acquiesce in Pakistani territory being a base for such activity, the West could hardly refuse to provide support, where it could do so with suitable discretion”.

The Germans were legally unable to supply arms, but the US, UK and France agreed to help the Mujahideen.
Soon afterwards Dr Brzezinski visited Pakistan and wrote to the Cabinet Office: “I was impressed by the determination of the Pakistanis, and also with the Afghan resistance fighters – the Mujahidin – whom I encountered during my visit to a refugee camp on the frontier.

“I am convinced we have something solid to work with in frustrating Soviet ambitions toward the south.”

“We trust the Western leaders are prepared for the enormous beneficial possibilities that could just possibly open up if the Afghan rebellion were to succeed.”

Read the full article here