Some decades ago, Albert
Einstein noticed that, since the day the atom was split and its power
unleashed, the whole world had changed except for one thing: the way we
think. And he advised that if we want to ensure peace and the survival
of mankind in the face of this new unleashing of power, we must learn
to "think anew." It was these words that Hamza Yusuf Hanson evoked at
Bristol University in Bristol, England in front of an audience of
several hundred people, including Lords and Ladies, University
professors, and students.
In this impassioned yet very wise lecture, Hamza Yusuf examines the
state of affairs in our communities and the political conflict we see
in our world today. Criticizing our tendency to treat the symptoms of
our social breakdowns rather than address their root problems, he
offers insight and suggestions on how we can restore peace in our
world, creating an environment whereby each individual is respected and
his human dignity honored. Echoing the words of Einstein, he stresses
that only when we begin to change the patterns in our thinking and
break out of our reactionary mindsets, will we begin to transform the
strenuous circumstances around us.
Hamza
Yusuf's poignant message was more than well received. This is no
clearer than in the closing comments of Professor Phila de Parslo,
Chairman of the Governors of the Alamden Center at Bristol University,
who, perhaps speaking for the audience, offered Hamza Yusuf her many
thanks and disclosed her feeling of eagerness yet inadequacy about the
challenge he reminded the audience that lay ahead of them. This lecture
is a must for any person searching for insight into our precarious
times and solutions for dealing with them.