text:
Australia was the only country outside the EU and NATO to support the international campaign to expel Russian diplomats in response to a chemical attack in Salisbury. It caused a significant squall of criticism from the Russian side. The Russian Embassy in Canberra accused the Australian side of destroying the "the relatively small but substantial positive asset in relationship, which was created by a joint effort during the last years." Russia expelled two Australian diplomats in response.
Despite the fact that Canberra consistently supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, there are many Putin's apologists in Australia. Ukrinform spoke with leading Australian expert on Eastern Europe, Research Fellow of the Australian National University's Center for European Studies Dr John Besemeres about why it happens, what attitude to Ukraine and Russia prevails in Australian society today, and how Australia tackles Russian propaganda.
Q: Mr Besemeres, I'd like to start the interview with your assessment of how Australia, the most distant continent, now assesses world events and Russia's role in them?
A: Before answering your question, I'd like to make some introductory remarks, which hopefully will also serve to address your question.
Q: Yes, of course, I'm sure it will be interesting for our audience.
A: Australia traditionally had a very Eurocentric view of the world, following closely the views and national/imperial interests of the United Kingdom. Though Australian people of Irish origin sometimes took a negative view of the UK, most Australians thought of it as "home" up until roughly World War II. But since World War II, Australian policy-makers look primarily to the U.S. as our key ally, and primary security guarantor. In recent decades, and particularly since the Paul Keating government of the 1990s, the Australian foreign policy establishment sees Asia as its main security priority, sometimes to the point of neglecting our important, indeed vital continuing links with Europe.
Indeed in recent decades, Europe has become almost "unfashionable" in this country. Australians' knowledge of Europe and European issues, despite the huge postwar influx of European migrants, has fallen away markedly. Their knowledge of Russia and its neighbors in particular has declined from inadequate to something much worse.
Q: Is the situation so bad indeed?
A: Some of the already few and modest university departments devoted to Russia and its western neighbors were closed down or starved of funds. And Australian intellectuals of the left (few Australian intellectuals these days confess to being right-wing) tend to have a residual sympathy for Russia as the natural adversary of right-wing governments in Australia, a sympathy not coupled with any clear picture of the reality of Putinist Russia. Such was the backdrop against which many Australian intellectuals viewed Russia's illegal seizure and annexation of Crimea, and its violent subversion of parts of the Donbas: a poor understanding, with a tendency sometimes to see Russia as a victim of resurgence of "Cold-War" attitudes.
A prominent ABC journalist interviewing me in the early phase of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, which I was depicting and criticizing, responded by saying something like: "But wasn't that all our fault for trying to take away their ally, Ukraine?" I replied by saying that Ukraine since independence was not an "ally" of Russia, but had rather sought to keep some distance from Moscow, while building better relations with the West, so as to have a hedge against any Russian pressure or aggression. I was not invited back to her program again. Our ABC, the national broadcaster, often has apologists for Putin's Russia on its programs, both Russian and non-Russian, and at best tends to favor "balance" - avoiding making judgements about conflict situations, but rather reporting what each side said as though they were equally to blame for any violence that was occurring. This doctrine of "balance" is a problem in Western journalism more broadly.
Despite the above, as a result of Moscow's continuing aggression against Ukraine and its military intervention in Syria in support of the brutal Assad regime, Australians have started to gain a better understanding of the nature of Kremlin policy. The shooting down of Malaysian flight MH17, in which some 39 Australian citizens and permanent residents perished, sharpened both Australia's perceptions and its policies. Even so, some Australian "realists" still saw then PM Tony Abbott's public comment that he would "shirt-front" (a rough tackle in Australian football) Mr Putin at the G20 summit in Brisbane as reckless, and ill-advised. Prime Minister Turnbull seemed to take a more "moderate" approach to Russia that his predecessor, Abbott. But over time, he too has hardened his line, and the Skripal case has had the effect of further strengthening Australia's policy towards Russia, as in other Western countries.
Q: In your recent comments to ABC News, you said that "the West has been too soft on Russia" for too long and the recent response of the international community to the attack in Salisbury is an "unprecedented show of strength." Do you think that at last we are witnessing the turning point in global policy when the world realized that the concept of resetting relations with Russia at this historic stage is hopeless?
A: I do indeed think the West has for far too long been pitifully inadequate in its responses to Russia's aggression against many countries of Western orientation. Well-off democracies tend to be pacific by inclination, though they have in recent decades embarked on military interventions, sometimes ill-judged. That liberal international system was finally solidified, as it seemed, by the fall of communism in 1990-91. Western countries have reduced their military establishments radically, and downsized many of their soft-power institutions aimed at reaching the populations of aggressive tyrannies like Russia, China and Iran. As a result most Western countries are now politically and militarily ill-prepared to deal with external aggression. The USA, with its worldwide interests and commitments, has of course retained a great military capacity, though under the eight-year Obama administration, that capacity was seldom used, even when the president's own words suggested that it would be. But Putin's serial aggression against the Western strategic community has finally provoked more robust responses, even from the Trump administration, whose leader has been repeatedly emphasizing his heartfelt desire for a warm relationship with Putin's Russia.
Europe, for its part, has been going through a series of enervating crises, which accentuate the self-imposed military weakness it has chosen for itself since the end of the Cold War. Its leader is now Germany, a country which for historical reasons has chosen to become a programmatically pacifist country. Some German leaders have continued repeatedly to call for "dialogue" with Russia despite Moscow's aggressive behavior.
But the Skripal outrage and the barrage of lies and threats with which Russia responded to being called upon to explain itself seem to have mobilized the West into a surprisingly vigorous and unified response. UK Prime Minster May handled the situation with skill and leadership, Macron contributed vigor and decisiveness, Trump offered an unexpectedly high number of expulsions, and Merkel contained, as she often succeeds in doing, any impulse by some of her fellow-countrymen to adopt a more accommodating position towards Moscow. Then soon afterwards, the reaction to yet another clear case of chemical weapon use by Assad with Russian support and complicity evoked a similarly unified and robust response from many of the same players.
Q: How long and strong can this unified policy of Western countries towards Russia be?
A: Recent response of the western countries to the policy of the Russian Federation gives me reason to assume, the end of the period of Western passivity and disunity in the face of Russia's increasingly impudent acts of aggression. But a big question mark remains on whether the new resolve and solidarity can be sustained, as Russia probes further, and tries to divide wedges into the Western alliance. President Trump has again abandoned the further sanctions which were in active preparation by his administration, and which had been publicly foreshadowed by the US ambassador to the UN in New York. Despite Russia's totally unjustified "retaliatory" expulsions, no further such action has been taken by any Western countries. Moscow has in fact now expelled nearly double the number of UK diplomats as London had expelled Russians from London. And we all know that the proportion of KGB and GRU operatives among the Russian expellees would have been close to 100%, and nothing remotely like it in the case of Russia's supposed counteractions.
The West should have had painful follow-up measures ready to impose on Moscow, but there is no sign of them. Instead we have President Trump again publicly longing for a lovely relationship with Putin. Any significant boycott of the World Cup, for example, seems out of the question. For Western leaders, producing surprising and damaging responses is, of course, far more difficult politically than for Putin. And trying to deprive democratic voters of their footy, it seems, is more than most Western leaders are prepared to risk. Most of them have given up on yet another reset for the time being. But the number of Russlandversteher we have in leading positions in the Western alliance is disheartening.
Q: Let us now switch to Ukraine. You are known to the Ukrainian audience first of all due to your book "A Difficult Neighborhood" published last year. At that time you wrote that the Russian-Ukrainian conflict was a turnsole of European and world's ability to respond adequately to current challenges. What is the perception of Russian aggression against Ukraine in Australia today?
A: I continue to believe that Ukraine is the central challenge that the West faces from Moscow, and for the West to become distracted and fail to hold the line on Ukraine would be a major disaster, not only for Ukraine, but also for the West as a whole. Any attempt to carry through some grand deal at Ukraine’s expense would be even worse. That said, I have been for the most part encouraged by the way in which the West has reacted in the last year or two. Minsk was not a well-drafted agreement, but both Kyiv and its Western supporters have interpreted it and stuck to it in such a way as to make it more difficult for Moscow to embark on fresh territorial grabs. But its military aggression against Ukraine continues, and the Kremlin clearly has the capacity and the intention to ramp it up when they judge that to be advantageous. Western support for Ukraine on the ground, though expanding, is still not sufficient. And the Western reactions to such issues as Nord Stream 2 and Russia's abusive response to the recent Stockholm decision on Gazprom are still much too weak.
As for Australian attitudes to these matters, I think we are now seeing broadly sensible responses from the government and most of the public. Unfortunately the coverage of Ukraine in the Australian media is less than it used to be, as other issues have impinged more on the public's attention. There is also a tendency as in other Western countries, for more criticism of Ukrainian internal developments to surface, not all of it balanced or well-informed. Nor do such voices always remember to make the rather basic point that for a country to have a difficult corruption problem for example, is not reason for the West to accept that a much larger country with a much more toxic corruption problem which, moreover, it actively exports to its neighbors, is any the more entitled on that account to continue to attack those neighbors. And we still have an irritating number of Putin apologists, including many imported from abroad, being granted access to our media spaces to spread Moscow's messages. But nonetheless there is a growing awareness of the threat Russia poses to the international system, including through its "strategic partnership" with China. The government's attitude to Moscow now seems appropriately robust. The Skripal case did much to bring greater clarity on that front. On these issues, our national policy is essentially bipartisan.
Q: In your publications, as well as in your book, you pay significant attention to antecedent facts and describe historical background of the events that antecede this or that decision of the Russian government. Do you consider that your audience has a misconception of Russian intentions and behavior, or you deliberately "knock out" the opportunity to spread Russian propaganda slogans from under the feet of Western elites?
A: In whatever I write or say, I do always try to give Australian readers a tutorial on basic historical facts, as even university-educated Australians are unlikely to know much about the history of Russia's neighbors, unless they themselves have family links to one of them; and even then, their knowledge may be restricted to that one country, with limitations and biases regarding the rest. They may have some basic knowledge of Russia, and because of Russia's recent prominence in the news, that knowledge may be growing. But even a basic grasp of Russia can't be taken for granted.
Now we are being overwhelmed by waves of identity politics, gender wars, at the expense of what was once the basic curriculum. And what students do know about Russia's neighbors is often affected by a Russocentric approach to these matters. Many Australian Russia specialists lack a sufficient grounding in the neighbors' perspectives on Russian history and behavior. If I were a benevolent dictator in these matters, I would require all students of Russian language, literature or history to spend at least a few months in one of the former colonies - Ukraine, Poland, the Baltic states, Georgia, etc. And incidentally, it is in Ukraine's long-term interests, that it should become more of a center of Russian studies itself, where such a perspective would be obtained by a natural osmosis, with lasting effects on the student, and potentially lasting benefits for Ukraine and international understanding.
Q: This is a very interesting idea, and I think we should take advantage of it. How would you describe Australian experts and their perception of Russia? Do you feel the efforts of Russian propaganda machine in Australia? How does Australia resist that?
A: I have already commented on the shortcomings of the Australian expert milieu as regards Russia and Ukraine. We have too few genuine experts on either country, especially on Ukraine. By contrast, the eruption of Russian violence against Ukraine in 2014 suddenly revealed that we had an unexpected abundance of instant experts who understood the situation perfectly in their own estimation; Russian patriots who sometimes had a startlingly weak understanding of Ukrainian realities, even whether Ukrainians existed, but seemingly felt no need to correct this deficiency; "realists" who argued that Russia is bound to dominate Ukraine, and that we should simply capitulate unresistingly to that fait accompli; anti-Western tribunes who say that anything Russian does now that we don't like is our own fault because we were so mean to Russia and didn't let it keep its empire etc. All of these types are present in our mix of commentators. Australia has a relatively small community of students of the region, and standards are perhaps accordingly not as high as they should be. The Russian propaganda machine does indeed operate in Australia, aided by what are sometimes unkindly described as useful idiots, some of whom still feel that loving Putin is a more legitimate position than supporting Washington, or even their own elected government. Our very own Julian Assange, hiding away from Swedish justice in a leftist embassy in London, and Moscow resident, Edward Snowden, both of whom almost unfailingly serve Putinist interests are still viewed as heroes by an uncomfortably large number of people in Australia as in the West generally. One resists all this (Russian propaganda) as best one can.
Q: In your book, you mentioned that because of Russia's devastating policy towards its neighbors and itself during the last decades, Russia has become an expelled country on an international level. Taking into account recent world events, don't you think that it is not bad governance but essence of Russia? Given an old European "record of sickness" and collisions between the closest neighbors, given West dependence on social media and democratic openness, has Russia been able to succeed in dividing the world and strengthen its positions?
A: At the launch of my book, I drew attention to the remarkable disjuncture between Russia's immense contribution to most fields of European intellectual and cultural life, and its dismally negative role in governance and international relations. Most of its history since 1917 has been deeply regrettable. Even the event it celebrates as its crowning achievement, the victory over Nazi Germany, was a task undertaken against the will of its leadership. Even that victory was in per capita terms more the achievement of Ukraine and Ukrainians (and some other captive peoples of the Soviet empire). Its contribution to European culture is often severely distorted by its perverse governance. As Guy Verhofstadt has said, the internet was devised and many of its greatest applications were developed by the West, whilst Russia's current regime, and other regimes like it, have reduced it to a cesspool of disinformation.
But while a country's political culture can often be highly durable, countries can and do often change rapidly for the better as well as for the worse. Gorbachev and the early Yeltsin-era reformers fell in large part because of the movements in oil and gas prices. People who know ordinary Russian people are always aware of the difference between the official anti-Western xenophobia that they may partly reflect in conversation and the warm hospitality and interpersonal generosity that they otherwise display. There is therefore brittleness to Putin's stability, partly for these very reasons, which is something that Russia's adversaries can affect deeply if they summon the resolution to do so. The more that Russia's largest neighbor, Ukraine, can succeed in its post-Maidan project, the greater will be the pressure on Russia to reform itself. None of this is pre-ordained, though the legacy of the Bolsheviks and the Stalinists, and now the neo-Stalinist Putinists holding it back from progress, modernization and normality is a very heavy one.
Q: In conclusion, I cannot refrain from asking you to predict the development of events in Europe. As an expert of world politics, who had been shaping the world's tendencies for so many years, how do you see the future of Europe, in particular, Ukraine?
A: You've saved up the easiest question till last. Despite its enormous post-war achievements, Europe's social cohesion and democratic culture are under serious threat. President Putin sees Russia and himself simultaneously as the main source of that threat and the embodiment of all that is worth saving in European civilization. He is wrong on both counts, though the danger his neo-Stalinism poses is certainly a very real one. But Europe and the global West must also and above all overcome problems, which are basically of their own making, for all that they are often exploited by the Kremlin's hybrid warfare. I will mention a few that strike me. Despite your kind words, I must confess that I am not an expert on all these matters.
Europe, like the West generally must address such problems as high unemployment, especially among young people, as well as extremes of inequality, which alienate the poor, providing ready targets for populist politicians, and which, incidentally, technological advances threaten to make much worse.
Europe should check and perhaps partly reverse its tendency to excessive centralization. It can be argued that the only priority areas really demanding coordinated and centralized decision-making and enforcement at all costs are internal and external security, and loyalty to basic European values, above all the principles of democracy. These should ipso facto rule out the emergence of rulers determined to bend the rules to achieve total control and interminable periods in office. They should also exclude any flirtation with, as opposed to necessary communication with the Kremlin under present management, or any other government which declares itself the enemy of European institutions.
It must humanely but with determination regain full control of its borders (and accept some consequential modifications of Schengen internally) so that the existing European populations and cultures know they will be protected from uncontrolled influxes that cannot be integrated. Failure to achieve this leads to situations like the current configuration of German politics, where suddenly the largest opposition party is an overt admirer of President Putin.
More generally it must it must somehow check the rising tide of populism in its politics, caused in large measure by the failure to protect its borders.
That will probably involve dealing with the deadly constraint on freedom of speech posed by political correctness. Europe's political culture, which has devised so many altruistic ideologies, above all Christianity (though all, including Christianity may be vulnerable to perverted distortion) must somehow place checks on the me-now tendencies which are now so rampant in Western society.
It must also try at least to slow down the tendency for Western countries to abandon many of their traditional values and apologize for ever having held them. To take one example, Christian observance and the language of Christian observance should not be virtually abandoned in deference to the supposed sensitivities of non-Christian immigrants.
If these and other issues can be ameliorated, Mr Putin and his allies will have far less material with which to work.
Unfortunately, none of these "ifs" are small "ifs."

lowercased:
australia was the only country outside the eu and nato to support the international campaign to expel russian diplomats in response to a chemical attack in salisbury. it caused a significant squall of criticism from the russian side. the russian embassy in canberra accused the australian side of destroying the "the relatively small but substantial positive asset in relationship, which was created by a joint effort during the last years." russia expelled two australian diplomats in response.
despite the fact that canberra consistently supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of ukraine, there are many putin's apologists in australia. ukrinform spoke with leading australian expert on eastern europe, research fellow of the australian national university's center for european studies dr john besemeres about why it happens, what attitude to ukraine and russia prevails in australian society today, and how australia tackles russian propaganda.
q: mr besemeres, i'd like to start the interview with your assessment of how australia, the most distant continent, now assesses world events and russia's role in them?
a: before answering your question, i'd like to make some introductory remarks, which hopefully will also serve to address your question.
q: yes, of course, i'm sure it will be interesting for our audience.
a: australia traditionally had a very eurocentric view of the world, following closely the views and national/imperial interests of the united kingdom. though australian people of irish origin sometimes took a negative view of the uk, most australians thought of it as "home" up until roughly world war ii. but since world war ii, australian policy-makers look primarily to the u.s. as our key ally, and primary security guarantor. in recent decades, and particularly since the paul keating government of the 1990s, the australian foreign policy establishment sees asia as its main security priority, sometimes to the point of neglecting our important, indeed vital continuing links with europe.
indeed in recent decades, europe has become almost "unfashionable" in this country. australians' knowledge of europe and european issues, despite the huge postwar influx of european migrants, has fallen away markedly. their knowledge of russia and its neighbors in particular has declined from inadequate to something much worse.
q: is the situation so bad indeed?
a: some of the already few and modest university departments devoted to russia and its western neighbors were closed down or starved of funds. and australian intellectuals of the left (few australian intellectuals these days confess to being right-wing) tend to have a residual sympathy for russia as the natural adversary of right-wing governments in australia, a sympathy not coupled with any clear picture of the reality of putinist russia. such was the backdrop against which many australian intellectuals viewed russia's illegal seizure and annexation of crimea, and its violent subversion of parts of the donbas: a poor understanding, with a tendency sometimes to see russia as a victim of resurgence of "cold-war" attitudes.
a prominent abc journalist interviewing me in the early phase of russia's aggression against ukraine, which i was depicting and criticizing, responded by saying something like: "but wasn't that all our fault for trying to take away their ally, ukraine?" i replied by saying that ukraine since independence was not an "ally" of russia, but had rather sought to keep some distance from moscow, while building better relations with the west, so as to have a hedge against any russian pressure or aggression. i was not invited back to her program again. our abc, the national broadcaster, often has apologists for putin's russia on its programs, both russian and non-russian, and at best tends to favor "balance" - avoiding making judgements about conflict situations, but rather reporting what each side said as though they were equally to blame for any violence that was occurring. this doctrine of "balance" is a problem in western journalism more broadly.
despite the above, as a result of moscow's continuing aggression against ukraine and its military intervention in syria in support of the brutal assad regime, australians have started to gain a better understanding of the nature of kremlin policy. the shooting down of malaysian flight mh17, in which some 39 australian citizens and permanent residents perished, sharpened both australia's perceptions and its policies. even so, some australian "realists" still saw then pm tony abbott's public comment that he would "shirt-front" (a rough tackle in australian football) mr putin at the g20 summit in brisbane as reckless, and ill-advised. prime minister turnbull seemed to take a more "moderate" approach to russia that his predecessor, abbott. but over time, he too has hardened his line, and the skripal case has had the effect of further strengthening australia's policy towards russia, as in other western countries.
q: in your recent comments to abc news, you said that "the west has been too soft on russia" for too long and the recent response of the international community to the attack in salisbury is an "unprecedented show of strength." do you think that at last we are witnessing the turning point in global policy when the world realized that the concept of resetting relations with russia at this historic stage is hopeless?
a: i do indeed think the west has for far too long been pitifully inadequate in its responses to russia's aggression against many countries of western orientation. well-off democracies tend to be pacific by inclination, though they have in recent decades embarked on military interventions, sometimes ill-judged. that liberal international system was finally solidified, as it seemed, by the fall of communism in 1990-91. western countries have reduced their military establishments radically, and downsized many of their soft-power institutions aimed at reaching the populations of aggressive tyrannies like russia, china and iran. as a result most western countries are now politically and militarily ill-prepared to deal with external aggression. the usa, with its worldwide interests and commitments, has of course retained a great military capacity, though under the eight-year obama administration, that capacity was seldom used, even when the president's own words suggested that it would be. but putin's serial aggression against the western strategic community has finally provoked more robust responses, even from the trump administration, whose leader has been repeatedly emphasizing his heartfelt desire for a warm relationship with putin's russia.
europe, for its part, has been going through a series of enervating crises, which accentuate the self-imposed military weakness it has chosen for itself since the end of the cold war. its leader is now germany, a country which for historical reasons has chosen to become a programmatically pacifist country. some german leaders have continued repeatedly to call for "dialogue" with russia despite moscow's aggressive behavior.
but the skripal outrage and the barrage of lies and threats with which russia responded to being called upon to explain itself seem to have mobilized the west into a surprisingly vigorous and unified response. uk prime minster may handled the situation with skill and leadership, macron contributed vigor and decisiveness, trump offered an unexpectedly high number of expulsions, and merkel contained, as she often succeeds in doing, any impulse by some of her fellow-countrymen to adopt a more accommodating position towards moscow. then soon afterwards, the reaction to yet another clear case of chemical weapon use by assad with russian support and complicity evoked a similarly unified and robust response from many of the same players.
q: how long and strong can this unified policy of western countries towards russia be?
a: recent response of the western countries to the policy of the russian federation gives me reason to assume, the end of the period of western passivity and disunity in the face of russia's increasingly impudent acts of aggression. but a big question mark remains on whether the new resolve and solidarity can be sustained, as russia probes further, and tries to divide wedges into the western alliance. president trump has again abandoned the further sanctions which were in active preparation by his administration, and which had been publicly foreshadowed by the us ambassador to the un in new york. despite russia's totally unjustified "retaliatory" expulsions, no further such action has been taken by any western countries. moscow has in fact now expelled nearly double the number of uk diplomats as london had expelled russians from london. and we all know that the proportion of kgb and gru operatives among the russian expellees would have been close to 100%, and nothing remotely like it in the case of russia's supposed counteractions.
the west should have had painful follow-up measures ready to impose on moscow, but there is no sign of them. instead we have president trump again publicly longing for a lovely relationship with putin. any significant boycott of the world cup, for example, seems out of the question. for western leaders, producing surprising and damaging responses is, of course, far more difficult politically than for putin. and trying to deprive democratic voters of their footy, it seems, is more than most western leaders are prepared to risk. most of them have given up on yet another reset for the time being. but the number of russlandversteher we have in leading positions in the western alliance is disheartening.
q: let us now switch to ukraine. you are known to the ukrainian audience first of all due to your book "a difficult neighborhood" published last year. at that time you wrote that the russian-ukrainian conflict was a turnsole of european and world's ability to respond adequately to current challenges. what is the perception of russian aggression against ukraine in australia today?
a: i continue to believe that ukraine is the central challenge that the west faces from moscow, and for the west to become distracted and fail to hold the line on ukraine would be a major disaster, not only for ukraine, but also for the west as a whole. any attempt to carry through some grand deal at ukraine’s expense would be even worse. that said, i have been for the most part encouraged by the way in which the west has reacted in the last year or two. minsk was not a well-drafted agreement, but both kyiv and its western supporters have interpreted it and stuck to it in such a way as to make it more difficult for moscow to embark on fresh territorial grabs. but its military aggression against ukraine continues, and the kremlin clearly has the capacity and the intention to ramp it up when they judge that to be advantageous. western support for ukraine on the ground, though expanding, is still not sufficient. and the western reactions to such issues as nord stream 2 and russia's abusive response to the recent stockholm decision on gazprom are still much too weak.
as for australian attitudes to these matters, i think we are now seeing broadly sensible responses from the government and most of the public. unfortunately the coverage of ukraine in the australian media is less than it used to be, as other issues have impinged more on the public's attention. there is also a tendency as in other western countries, for more criticism of ukrainian internal developments to surface, not all of it balanced or well-informed. nor do such voices always remember to make the rather basic point that for a country to have a difficult corruption problem for example, is not reason for the west to accept that a much larger country with a much more toxic corruption problem which, moreover, it actively exports to its neighbors, is any the more entitled on that account to continue to attack those neighbors. and we still have an irritating number of putin apologists, including many imported from abroad, being granted access to our media spaces to spread moscow's messages. but nonetheless there is a growing awareness of the threat russia poses to the international system, including through its "strategic partnership" with china. the government's attitude to moscow now seems appropriately robust. the skripal case did much to bring greater clarity on that front. on these issues, our national policy is essentially bipartisan.
q: in your publications, as well as in your book, you pay significant attention to antecedent facts and describe historical background of the events that antecede this or that decision of the russian government. do you consider that your audience has a misconception of russian intentions and behavior, or you deliberately "knock out" the opportunity to spread russian propaganda slogans from under the feet of western elites?
a: in whatever i write or say, i do always try to give australian readers a tutorial on basic historical facts, as even university-educated australians are unlikely to know much about the history of russia's neighbors, unless they themselves have family links to one of them; and even then, their knowledge may be restricted to that one country, with limitations and biases regarding the rest. they may have some basic knowledge of russia, and because of russia's recent prominence in the news, that knowledge may be growing. but even a basic grasp of russia can't be taken for granted.
now we are being overwhelmed by waves of identity politics, gender wars, at the expense of what was once the basic curriculum. and what students do know about russia's neighbors is often affected by a russocentric approach to these matters. many australian russia specialists lack a sufficient grounding in the neighbors' perspectives on russian history and behavior. if i were a benevolent dictator in these matters, i would require all students of russian language, literature or history to spend at least a few months in one of the former colonies - ukraine, poland, the baltic states, georgia, etc. and incidentally, it is in ukraine's long-term interests, that it should become more of a center of russian studies itself, where such a perspective would be obtained by a natural osmosis, with lasting effects on the student, and potentially lasting benefits for ukraine and international understanding.
q: this is a very interesting idea, and i think we should take advantage of it. how would you describe australian experts and their perception of russia? do you feel the efforts of russian propaganda machine in australia? how does australia resist that?
a: i have already commented on the shortcomings of the australian expert milieu as regards russia and ukraine. we have too few genuine experts on either country, especially on ukraine. by contrast, the eruption of russian violence against ukraine in 2014 suddenly revealed that we had an unexpected abundance of instant experts who understood the situation perfectly in their own estimation; russian patriots who sometimes had a startlingly weak understanding of ukrainian realities, even whether ukrainians existed, but seemingly felt no need to correct this deficiency; "realists" who argued that russia is bound to dominate ukraine, and that we should simply capitulate unresistingly to that fait accompli; anti-western tribunes who say that anything russian does now that we don't like is our own fault because we were so mean to russia and didn't let it keep its empire etc. all of these types are present in our mix of commentators. australia has a relatively small community of students of the region, and standards are perhaps accordingly not as high as they should be. the russian propaganda machine does indeed operate in australia, aided by what are sometimes unkindly described as useful idiots, some of whom still feel that loving putin is a more legitimate position than supporting washington, or even their own elected government. our very own julian assange, hiding away from swedish justice in a leftist embassy in london, and moscow resident, edward snowden, both of whom almost unfailingly serve putinist interests are still viewed as heroes by an uncomfortably large number of people in australia as in the west generally. one resists all this (russian propaganda) as best one can.
q: in your book, you mentioned that because of russia's devastating policy towards its neighbors and itself during the last decades, russia has become an expelled country on an international level. taking into account recent world events, don't you think that it is not bad governance but essence of russia? given an old european "record of sickness" and collisions between the closest neighbors, given west dependence on social media and democratic openness, has russia been able to succeed in dividing the world and strengthen its positions?
a: at the launch of my book, i drew attention to the remarkable disjuncture between russia's immense contribution to most fields of european intellectual and cultural life, and its dismally negative role in governance and international relations. most of its history since 1917 has been deeply regrettable. even the event it celebrates as its crowning achievement, the victory over nazi germany, was a task undertaken against the will of its leadership. even that victory was in per capita terms more the achievement of ukraine and ukrainians (and some other captive peoples of the soviet empire). its contribution to european culture is often severely distorted by its perverse governance. as guy verhofstadt has said, the internet was devised and many of its greatest applications were developed by the west, whilst russia's current regime, and other regimes like it, have reduced it to a cesspool of disinformation.
but while a country's political culture can often be highly durable, countries can and do often change rapidly for the better as well as for the worse. gorbachev and the early yeltsin-era reformers fell in large part because of the movements in oil and gas prices. people who know ordinary russian people are always aware of the difference between the official anti-western xenophobia that they may partly reflect in conversation and the warm hospitality and interpersonal generosity that they otherwise display. there is therefore brittleness to putin's stability, partly for these very reasons, which is something that russia's adversaries can affect deeply if they summon the resolution to do so. the more that russia's largest neighbor, ukraine, can succeed in its post-maidan project, the greater will be the pressure on russia to reform itself. none of this is pre-ordained, though the legacy of the bolsheviks and the stalinists, and now the neo-stalinist putinists holding it back from progress, modernization and normality is a very heavy one.
q: in conclusion, i cannot refrain from asking you to predict the development of events in europe. as an expert of world politics, who had been shaping the world's tendencies for so many years, how do you see the future of europe, in particular, ukraine?
a: you've saved up the easiest question till last. despite its enormous post-war achievements, europe's social cohesion and democratic culture are under serious threat. president putin sees russia and himself simultaneously as the main source of that threat and the embodiment of all that is worth saving in european civilization. he is wrong on both counts, though the danger his neo-stalinism poses is certainly a very real one. but europe and the global west must also and above all overcome problems, which are basically of their own making, for all that they are often exploited by the kremlin's hybrid warfare. i will mention a few that strike me. despite your kind words, i must confess that i am not an expert on all these matters.
europe, like the west generally must address such problems as high unemployment, especially among young people, as well as extremes of inequality, which alienate the poor, providing ready targets for populist politicians, and which, incidentally, technological advances threaten to make much worse.
europe should check and perhaps partly reverse its tendency to excessive centralization. it can be argued that the only priority areas really demanding coordinated and centralized decision-making and enforcement at all costs are internal and external security, and loyalty to basic european values, above all the principles of democracy. these should ipso facto rule out the emergence of rulers determined to bend the rules to achieve total control and interminable periods in office. they should also exclude any flirtation with, as opposed to necessary communication with the kremlin under present management, or any other government which declares itself the enemy of european institutions.
it must humanely but with determination regain full control of its borders (and accept some consequential modifications of schengen internally) so that the existing european populations and cultures know they will be protected from uncontrolled influxes that cannot be integrated. failure to achieve this leads to situations like the current configuration of german politics, where suddenly the largest opposition party is an overt admirer of president putin.
more generally it must it must somehow check the rising tide of populism in its politics, caused in large measure by the failure to protect its borders.
that will probably involve dealing with the deadly constraint on freedom of speech posed by political correctness. europe's political culture, which has devised so many altruistic ideologies, above all christianity (though all, including christianity may be vulnerable to perverted distortion) must somehow place checks on the me-now tendencies which are now so rampant in western society.
it must also try at least to slow down the tendency for western countries to abandon many of their traditional values and apologize for ever having held them. to take one example, christian observance and the language of christian observance should not be virtually abandoned in deference to the supposed sensitivities of non-christian immigrants.
if these and other issues can be ameliorated, mr putin and his allies will have far less material with which to work.
unfortunately, none of these "ifs" are small "ifs."


text:
For the last month, just as I thought I was nearing the finish line or reaching a milestone where I could catch my breath, another deadline or commitment loomed, both at work and at school. I spent last weekend binge-grading grant projects submitted by other teams in my Digital Preservation and Archiving class, reading an article, drafting a critique of said article, and drafting a research proposal. The grant info was due Monday, the critique due Wednesday, the proposal due Friday. Ho ho, thought I, can I turn in the proposal on Wednesday and avoid a commute to campus on Friday?
Well, no. The grant stuff and critique got done, but the proposal was a disaster. I just finished it tonight, printed it out, and after tomorrow morning, Christmas shopping can finally begin.
Start early. Crucial to me, since I had to junk my entire first draft and start over from scratch.
Get a fellow student to read your paper and critique it for you. I'd read about this idea in other blogs, but this was the first time I'd done it. She was supportive but put her finger on a key weakness that I couldn't write or think around. She also knew what he liked to see in papers and student work and provided good advice. Hence, my need to scrap it and start over.
Go back and read the professor's directions. The weakness she pointed out was clearly delineated in his instructions for the proposal, had I but re-read them. Be a lawyer and read the fine print.
Don't research forever--timebox it. The danger here is that I had left myself so little time that I barely skimmed the articles I found. No time for fancy research techniques; scan, skim, ingest. But the earlier you can do this, the more facts you can feed your brain so it can go to work in the background.
I used InstantBoss (freeware), set for the standard 10 + 2 * 5 routine. By focusing for just that 10 minutes on writing and not diverting myself with editing, I got a good two pages done my first night. Tonight, I worked about 45 minutes total to finish it.
The key is not to finish the paper; the key is to keep starting. Eventually, you'll reach the end.
I also decided that it's OK to relax and do B-level work on this proposal. My class participation and other work have been more than up to the mark. No need to torque myself into a perfectionist knot.
It's OK to feel like the slow kid in class. Three of my fellow students had finished their proposals early and I was disappointed that I couldn't be a member of their club. Oh well--next time.

lowercased:
for the last month, just as i thought i was nearing the finish line or reaching a milestone where i could catch my breath, another deadline or commitment loomed, both at work and at school. i spent last weekend binge-grading grant projects submitted by other teams in my digital preservation and archiving class, reading an article, drafting a critique of said article, and drafting a research proposal. the grant info was due monday, the critique due wednesday, the proposal due friday. ho ho, thought i, can i turn in the proposal on wednesday and avoid a commute to campus on friday?
well, no. the grant stuff and critique got done, but the proposal was a disaster. i just finished it tonight, printed it out, and after tomorrow morning, christmas shopping can finally begin.
start early. crucial to me, since i had to junk my entire first draft and start over from scratch.
get a fellow student to read your paper and critique it for you. i'd read about this idea in other blogs, but this was the first time i'd done it. she was supportive but put her finger on a key weakness that i couldn't write or think around. she also knew what he liked to see in papers and student work and provided good advice. hence, my need to scrap it and start over.
go back and read the professor's directions. the weakness she pointed out was clearly delineated in his instructions for the proposal, had i but re-read them. be a lawyer and read the fine print.
don't research forever--timebox it. the danger here is that i had left myself so little time that i barely skimmed the articles i found. no time for fancy research techniques; scan, skim, ingest. but the earlier you can do this, the more facts you can feed your brain so it can go to work in the background.
i used instantboss (freeware), set for the standard 10 + 2 * 5 routine. by focusing for just that 10 minutes on writing and not diverting myself with editing, i got a good two pages done my first night. tonight, i worked about 45 minutes total to finish it.
the key is not to finish the paper; the key is to keep starting. eventually, you'll reach the end.
i also decided that it's ok to relax and do b-level work on this proposal. my class participation and other work have been more than up to the mark. no need to torque myself into a perfectionist knot.
it's ok to feel like the slow kid in class. three of my fellow students had finished their proposals early and i was disappointed that i couldn't be a member of their club. oh well--next time.


text:
Waratahs women's coach Matthew Evrard has named a strong starting XV to face a winless Melbourne Rebels outfit this weekend. The Waratahs can secure a home grand final with a round five victory.
The Waratahs take on the Rebels in Bathurst on Sunday March 24, kicking off at 3pm AEDT, LIVE on RUGBY.com.au and Kayo.

lowercased:
waratahs women's coach matthew evrard has named a strong starting xv to face a winless melbourne rebels outfit this weekend. the waratahs can secure a home grand final with a round five victory.
the waratahs take on the rebels in bathurst on sunday march 24, kicking off at 3pm aedt, live on rugby.com.au and kayo.


text:
General Renovations | Construction Syme Prestige inc.
At first glance, renovations can seem simple, but let’s not forget the many standards that regulate this activity. This is why it’s important to work with a certified contractor that’s registered with the Régie du Bâtiment du Québec. Servicing the Vaudreuil-Soulanges and West Island, we also work in Laval and both the North and South shores. Construction Syme Prestige is a professional, general renovation contractor that helps you complete those projects that are important to you. With peace of mind, guaranteed.
When you entrust a general renovation project to Construction Syme Prestige, rest assured that every detail and every step will be meticulously evaluated, mapped out, planned and executed, per your budget and expectations. Needs, style, budget, investment, deadline, desires: everything is carefully revised.
Perhaps your basement has space for that extra bathroom you’d need, or maybe the kids need a playroom or the grown-ups want a sports or entertainment room. A well renovated space becomes an attractive enhancement for your home, and makes everyone happy. Sylvain Paradis’ team has all the tools and know-how to set-up exactly what you need and want. From demolishing to restructuring and dividing new space, thru flooring and finishing, all details are handled with experience, skill and respect for the strictest industry guidelines. Results are impeccable, every time. Need a more functional kitchen where it’s fun to spend time, hang out, cook and chat? Want to finally finish that basement? Wait no more. It’s possible, it’s affordable and it will look and feel great.
Sometimes, revamping your home is as simple as changing the look and feel of its exterior. While sprucing the exterior of your home, it’s good to check insulation, making it more energy efficient. Construction Syme Prestige can do this, turnkey. Sylvain Paradis, owner and meticulous inspector, makes sure everything is well coordinated and that end results are exactly what you hoped for. Want to make a change, but don’t know where to start? Put Sylvain’s knowledge to good work. He can advise on product differentiation, innovative solutions and the right combinations, so your project is both aesthetic and durable.
Need some specialized help with building stairs, ramps or balconies? Construction Syme Prestige offers a wide range of materials that can meet your needs.
Transform the exterior of your home by installing vinyl, fiber-cement or tainted wood (Canexel, Goodfellow and others). These siding options combine durability, aesthetics and performance, while also improving insulation and being simple to clean. Add natural, organic beauty to your home by enhancing with masonry: stone walls, brick, lintel or light replacements, chimney, and more. For fast, worry-free installation, turn to Construction Syme Prestige.
Windows and doors add character and distinction to a home. These architectural elements are not only aesthetic, but essential for a functional home. Regardless of model or style, Construction Syme Prestige can install your new windows or doors, while guaranteeing you won’t have water or air infiltration. Proper installment makes a very big difference and we know how to do it right!
All projects, big or small, are delivered with the same attention to detail and care.

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general renovations | construction syme prestige inc.
at first glance, renovations can seem simple, but let’s not forget the many standards that regulate this activity. this is why it’s important to work with a certified contractor that’s registered with the régie du bâtiment du québec. servicing the vaudreuil-soulanges and west island, we also work in laval and both the north and south shores. construction syme prestige is a professional, general renovation contractor that helps you complete those projects that are important to you. with peace of mind, guaranteed.
when you entrust a general renovation project to construction syme prestige, rest assured that every detail and every step will be meticulously evaluated, mapped out, planned and executed, per your budget and expectations. needs, style, budget, investment, deadline, desires: everything is carefully revised.
perhaps your basement has space for that extra bathroom you’d need, or maybe the kids need a playroom or the grown-ups want a sports or entertainment room. a well renovated space becomes an attractive enhancement for your home, and makes everyone happy. sylvain paradis’ team has all the tools and know-how to set-up exactly what you need and want. from demolishing to restructuring and dividing new space, thru flooring and finishing, all details are handled with experience, skill and respect for the strictest industry guidelines. results are impeccable, every time. need a more functional kitchen where it’s fun to spend time, hang out, cook and chat? want to finally finish that basement? wait no more. it’s possible, it’s affordable and it will look and feel great.
sometimes, revamping your home is as simple as changing the look and feel of its exterior. while sprucing the exterior of your home, it’s good to check insulation, making it more energy efficient. construction syme prestige can do this, turnkey. sylvain paradis, owner and meticulous inspector, makes sure everything is well coordinated and that end results are exactly what you hoped for. want to make a change, but don’t know where to start? put sylvain’s knowledge to good work. he can advise on product differentiation, innovative solutions and the right combinations, so your project is both aesthetic and durable.
need some specialized help with building stairs, ramps or balconies? construction syme prestige offers a wide range of materials that can meet your needs.
transform the exterior of your home by installing vinyl, fiber-cement or tainted wood (canexel, goodfellow and others). these siding options combine durability, aesthetics and performance, while also improving insulation and being simple to clean. add natural, organic beauty to your home by enhancing with masonry: stone walls, brick, lintel or light replacements, chimney, and more. for fast, worry-free installation, turn to construction syme prestige.
windows and doors add character and distinction to a home. these architectural elements are not only aesthetic, but essential for a functional home. regardless of model or style, construction syme prestige can install your new windows or doors, while guaranteeing you won’t have water or air infiltration. proper installment makes a very big difference and we know how to do it right!
all projects, big or small, are delivered with the same attention to detail and care.


text: 1958 - 1959 Chevy truck A/C system. Heat air and defrost system. This kit will mount on the passenger side of the firewall, it will not interfere with the glove box. The kit requires the removal of the factory heater box from inside the vehicle. The kit comes with 3 vents of your choice or you can use the vents pictured. Several upgrade options are available.

lowercased: 1958 - 1959 chevy truck a/c system. heat air and defrost system. this kit will mount on the passenger side of the firewall, it will not interfere with the glove box. the kit requires the removal of the factory heater box from inside the vehicle. the kit comes with 3 vents of your choice or you can use the vents pictured. several upgrade options are available.


text:
This hadith is clear. It does not require much of an explanation. The Prophet (peace be upon him) applied this principle in his practical calling to Islam. He stayed in Makkah for thirteen years to teach the people iman and to educate his Companions on this point and to correct the beliefs of the people. That is the pattern upon which the Companions were brought up.
Jundub Ibn Abdullah al-Bajaly said, "We learned iman (faith) and then we learned the Quran and it increased our iman."
Abdullah ibn Umar said, "We lived during an instant of time in which one of us would receive faith first before receiving the Quran and when the surahs were revealed we would learn what they permitted and what they prohibited and what they forbade and what they ordered and what should be the stance towards them. But I have seen many men from whom one is given the Quran before iman and he reads it from the opening of the Book to its closing and he does not know what it orders and what it forbids and what should be his stance towards it. He is like someone who is just throwing out dates (i.e., he does not get any benefit from his recital)."
That is the manner in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) brought up his companions: Iman first and then the Quran. This is similar to what Imam Abu Hanifa pointed out: Understanding in the religion first (i.e. tauheed) and then understanding in the science (i.e. the shariah).
And Imam Ash-Shafi`i said, "That a servant meets Allaah with every sin except Shirk is better say than meeting Him upon any of the innovated beliefs."
"And break not oaths after the assertion of them." [An-Nahl, 91] .
If one says, "Aqadtu such and such," it means his heart is firm upon such and such.
Therefore, al-aqeeda or al-itiqad according to the scholars of Islam is: "The firm creed that one's heart is fixed upon without any wavering or doubt. It excludes any supposition, doubt or suspicion."
Imam Abu Hanifa called this great subject al-Fiqh al-Akbar ("The Greater Understanding") and the understanding of the religion. He called the science of law (Ar., shariah) the understanding of the science. Many scholars of Islam use the word tauheed for all matters that a person must believe in. This is because the most important of these matters is the basic tauheed that is contained in the phrase, "There is none worthy of worship except Allah."
Tauheed of cognition and affirmation is the tauheed of the Oneness of the Creator and the tauheed of His Names and Attributes (i.e. He is Unique in His being the only Creator and the only One with His names and attributes). Tauheed of purpose and deeds is tauheed of lordship or that none should be worshipped except Allah (i.e., He is the only One worthy of worship).
What is the name the Quran gives to this matter?
"And thus We inspired in You (Muhammad) a Spirit of Our command. You did not know what the Scripture was, nor what the Faith was. But we have made it a light whereby We guide whom We will of our bondmen..." [Al-Shura, 52] .
The general concepts that the heart of the believer must be firm about are the 'pillars' of this faith. But one will not be called a believer just by knowing and understanding these pillars but he must come to the level where he submits and implements what is described, in the hadith of Gabriel, as Islam.
Iman, in this manner, incorporates Islam.
If iman was simply knowing the facts in one's heart, then its companion would be equal to Satan and Pharaoh (Note: The Satan was the most knowledgeable of his Lord but he was destroyed because of his pride and envy. And Pharaoh, even though he claimed to be the lord, knew that the lord is Allah and that none has the right to be worshipped but Him. Allah says, "He said: In truth you know that none sent down these portents save the Lord of the heavens and the earth as proofs..." [al-Isra, 102] . - Although they knew the truth, they did not put it in practice by turning their `ibadah to Allah Alone).
In the hadith of Gabriel, the Prophet (peace be upon him) explained the pillars of this faith in which every human must believe, when he was asked, "What is iman?", he said, "To believe in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers and the Last Day and predestination of good and evil."
It is a must for every person to know these pillars and to learn them with a correct understanding and to believe in them in the manner that he pious forefathers understood and believed in them, in the same manner that the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) believed and understood them, as well as their Followers and those who followed on their path. This includes the four imams, Sufyan Al-Thauri, Sufyan ibn Uyaina, Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak and others similar to them, as well as Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari, Muslim ibn Al-Hajjaj, Shaikh al-Islam ibn Taymiya and al-Hafedh ibn al-Qayyim. And scholars similar to them who followed the same manner of understanding and believing in these pillars.
This is the first obligation upon the responsible human being. There is no difference of opinion on this question among the scholars whose opinions are worth following.
Imam Abu-Hanifa said, "The understanding of faith is better than understanding of the science." What he meant by faith is tauheed and what he meant by science is the shariah. He put the understanding of tauheed before the understanding of the shariah.
And Shaikh al-Islam al-Haruwi al-Ansari (d. 481 AH) stated at the beginning of his book, Itiqad ahl al-Sunnah, "The first obligation upon the slave is the knowledge of Allah. This is proven by the hadith of Muadh, when the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him, 'You will come to a people from the People of the Book. The first thing that you should call them to is the worship of Allah. If they gain the knowledge of Allah, then tell them that Allah obligates upon them five prayers during the day and night..."
From this premise did the great scholars of Islam precede. Ponder, for example, what Imam Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari did in his book al-Jami al-Sahih, which is the most authentic book after the Book of Allah; one will see that from his detailed knowledge and understanding of this religion, this great Imam began his book with "The Beginning of Revelation" and then he followed it with chapters on faith, followed by the chapters on knowledge. As if he means, may Allah have mercy on him, to point out that the first obligation upon a human being is faith or Iman and the way to attaining faith is knowledge. And the source of faith and knowledge is revelation. So he began by showing how the revelation occurred and what it was like. Then he followed by mentioning faith and knowledge. This arrangement is no accident; by it he makes some important points.
This is the sum of what we wish to mention and what we wish to raise our voices about. The matter of aqeeda is the first priority. Faith and knowledge are the means of attaining it. And the source of knowledge and faith is the Book and Sunnah.

lowercased:
this hadith is clear. it does not require much of an explanation. the prophet (peace be upon him) applied this principle in his practical calling to islam. he stayed in makkah for thirteen years to teach the people iman and to educate his companions on this point and to correct the beliefs of the people. that is the pattern upon which the companions were brought up.
jundub ibn abdullah al-bajaly said, "we learned iman (faith) and then we learned the quran and it increased our iman."
abdullah ibn umar said, "we lived during an instant of time in which one of us would receive faith first before receiving the quran and when the surahs were revealed we would learn what they permitted and what they prohibited and what they forbade and what they ordered and what should be the stance towards them. but i have seen many men from whom one is given the quran before iman and he reads it from the opening of the book to its closing and he does not know what it orders and what it forbids and what should be his stance towards it. he is like someone who is just throwing out dates (i.e., he does not get any benefit from his recital)."
that is the manner in which the prophet (peace be upon him) brought up his companions: iman first and then the quran. this is similar to what imam abu hanifa pointed out: understanding in the religion first (i.e. tauheed) and then understanding in the science (i.e. the shariah).
and imam ash-shafi`i said, "that a servant meets allaah with every sin except shirk is better say than meeting him upon any of the innovated beliefs."
"and break not oaths after the assertion of them." [an-nahl, 91] .
if one says, "aqadtu such and such," it means his heart is firm upon such and such.
therefore, al-aqeeda or al-itiqad according to the scholars of islam is: "the firm creed that one's heart is fixed upon without any wavering or doubt. it excludes any supposition, doubt or suspicion."
imam abu hanifa called this great subject al-fiqh al-akbar ("the greater understanding") and the understanding of the religion. he called the science of law (ar., shariah) the understanding of the science. many scholars of islam use the word tauheed for all matters that a person must believe in. this is because the most important of these matters is the basic tauheed that is contained in the phrase, "there is none worthy of worship except allah."
tauheed of cognition and affirmation is the tauheed of the oneness of the creator and the tauheed of his names and attributes (i.e. he is unique in his being the only creator and the only one with his names and attributes). tauheed of purpose and deeds is tauheed of lordship or that none should be worshipped except allah (i.e., he is the only one worthy of worship).
what is the name the quran gives to this matter?
"and thus we inspired in you (muhammad) a spirit of our command. you did not know what the scripture was, nor what the faith was. but we have made it a light whereby we guide whom we will of our bondmen..." [al-shura, 52] .
the general concepts that the heart of the believer must be firm about are the 'pillars' of this faith. but one will not be called a believer just by knowing and understanding these pillars but he must come to the level where he submits and implements what is described, in the hadith of gabriel, as islam.
iman, in this manner, incorporates islam.
if iman was simply knowing the facts in one's heart, then its companion would be equal to satan and pharaoh (note: the satan was the most knowledgeable of his lord but he was destroyed because of his pride and envy. and pharaoh, even though he claimed to be the lord, knew that the lord is allah and that none has the right to be worshipped but him. allah says, "he said: in truth you know that none sent down these portents save the lord of the heavens and the earth as proofs..." [al-isra, 102] . - although they knew the truth, they did not put it in practice by turning their `ibadah to allah alone).
in the hadith of gabriel, the prophet (peace be upon him) explained the pillars of this faith in which every human must believe, when he was asked, "what is iman?", he said, "to believe in allah and his angels and his books and his messengers and the last day and predestination of good and evil."
it is a must for every person to know these pillars and to learn them with a correct understanding and to believe in them in the manner that he pious forefathers understood and believed in them, in the same manner that the companions of the prophet (peace be upon him) believed and understood them, as well as their followers and those who followed on their path. this includes the four imams, sufyan al-thauri, sufyan ibn uyaina, abdullah ibn al-mubarak and others similar to them, as well as muhammad ibn ismail al-bukhari, muslim ibn al-hajjaj, shaikh al-islam ibn taymiya and al-hafedh ibn al-qayyim. and scholars similar to them who followed the same manner of understanding and believing in these pillars.
this is the first obligation upon the responsible human being. there is no difference of opinion on this question among the scholars whose opinions are worth following.
imam abu-hanifa said, "the understanding of faith is better than understanding of the science." what he meant by faith is tauheed and what he meant by science is the shariah. he put the understanding of tauheed before the understanding of the shariah.
and shaikh al-islam al-haruwi al-ansari (d. 481 ah) stated at the beginning of his book, itiqad ahl al-sunnah, "the first obligation upon the slave is the knowledge of allah. this is proven by the hadith of muadh, when the prophet (peace be upon him) said to him, 'you will come to a people from the people of the book. the first thing that you should call them to is the worship of allah. if they gain the knowledge of allah, then tell them that allah obligates upon them five prayers during the day and night..."
from this premise did the great scholars of islam precede. ponder, for example, what imam muhammad ibn ismail al-bukhari did in his book al-jami al-sahih, which is the most authentic book after the book of allah; one will see that from his detailed knowledge and understanding of this religion, this great imam began his book with "the beginning of revelation" and then he followed it with chapters on faith, followed by the chapters on knowledge. as if he means, may allah have mercy on him, to point out that the first obligation upon a human being is faith or iman and the way to attaining faith is knowledge. and the source of faith and knowledge is revelation. so he began by showing how the revelation occurred and what it was like. then he followed by mentioning faith and knowledge. this arrangement is no accident; by it he makes some important points.
this is the sum of what we wish to mention and what we wish to raise our voices about. the matter of aqeeda is the first priority. faith and knowledge are the means of attaining it. and the source of knowledge and faith is the book and sunnah.


text:
Welcome to EW3D. Started in 1996, the company provides website hosting, development, marketing and consultation to a variety of businesses. Explore our website to learn more. Still have questions? Give us a call at 877-777-1407.
New: Link your booking engine from your mobile website!
We’ve just published a video featuring some basics of using our content management system. Whether you’re a current user or simply interested in how the software works, be sure to check it out!

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welcome to ew3d. started in 1996, the company provides website hosting, development, marketing and consultation to a variety of businesses. explore our website to learn more. still have questions? give us a call at 877-777-1407.
new: link your booking engine from your mobile website!
we’ve just published a video featuring some basics of using our content management system. whether you’re a current user or simply interested in how the software works, be sure to check it out!


text:
A few easy things to do in 2018 that will change your life for the better.
We all know the saying “new year, new me”, right? Which means we also all know how improbable it is to do a personality 180 in a matter of a single night.
This is why it’s best to start small, with baby steps that don’t drastically alter your day-to-day activities, but rather get you in the habit of doing smaller, everyday rituals that will leave a lasting impact on your quality of life.
Here, I’ve compiled a cheat sheet of beauty/health related resolutions that should be incorporated into everyone’s lives, regardless of age or gender.
In 2018, it’s time to start being kinder to your body and mind, even if that only means you adopt just one of these small lifestyle tweaks.
It’s been said over and over again, yet I still see people prancing around sporting yesterday’s makeup like it’s still fresh.
Not only does sleeping in your makeup lead to premature wrinkling of your sensitive facial skin, but there are so many complex chemicals in makeup that I wouldn’t dare leaving a face full of that stuff on for more than 10 hours. There just haven’t been enough studies on wearing makeup for that long to deem it totally safe for your skin.
Pro tip: if you know you’re going to be having a late night out, leave some makeup wipes on your bed before you head out. That way you can swipe and hit the sheets in two seconds flat. No excuses!
Using a gentle cleanser in the am and pm will remove dirt and grime that collects in your face and in your pores while you go about your day and even while you sleep.
I’ve noticed a dramatic decrease in the number of breakouts I’ve had since starting this new face routine, and my skin no longer feels dull or tired.
No matter your skin type, find a cleanser that works for you and follow it up with a nice moisturizer that hydrates without greasing up your skin.
If you already do this, I salute you. Some of us just aren’t yet up to snuff when it comes to skincare routines.
Yet again, I know you’ve heard this a thousand times before, but that doesn’t mean you’ve listened in the past.
I too am sick of hearing people suggesting that water is a cure-all elixir that turns your skin into glowing perfection and amps your energy levels way up, even though they’re completely right.
I noticed that when I drink a lot of water my skin is always less dry and my feelings of lethargy seem to slip away. So why don’t we drink water more? Beats me!
Find a system that works for you in 2018 that forces you to notice how much water you are drinking versus how much you should be. I love water bottle tricks like this one and that one, that are easy to replicate yet are extremely effective. There are also some great apps like Plant Nanny that turn drinking water into a fun game!
May your 2018 be hydrated!
We all fall into ruts. Fashions ruts, food ruts, routine ruts, etc. that make life feel a little less exciting.
My challenge to you in the new year is to try more new stuff with beauty and makeup. Try your hand at a cut crease, or whip out some electric blue eyeliner on a Tuesday. You have no idea the impact that small changes in your routine have on your overall life.
And this doesn’t just have to apply to makeup, it can apply to really anything. Try a new dish at your favorite restaurant, or try a new dish at a new restaurant. The possibilities are endless!
Step out of your comfort zone in 2018 and I guarantee you’ll have more stories to tell the grandkids. You might even discover a new favorite beauty look.
Aaaand here’s the part where we get sappy. Yes, it’s important to drink water and take care of your health and skin, but what’s equally important (if not more important) is to take care of your mind and soul.
Remind yourself every day that with or without makeup, you’re exquisitely unique and positively gorgeous.
Recall your myriad of strengths more and dwell less on your weaknesses.
Compliment yourself and others, not because you have to for some silly New Years resolution, but because it’s the truth.
Vow to put yourself down less in 2018, even as a joke.
Do all these things, and happiness and beauty will radiate out of you like you’re the sun and the stars combined.
Here’s to 2018 being the best year yet! Cheers!

lowercased:
a few easy things to do in 2018 that will change your life for the better.
we all know the saying “new year, new me”, right? which means we also all know how improbable it is to do a personality 180 in a matter of a single night.
this is why it’s best to start small, with baby steps that don’t drastically alter your day-to-day activities, but rather get you in the habit of doing smaller, everyday rituals that will leave a lasting impact on your quality of life.
here, i’ve compiled a cheat sheet of beauty/health related resolutions that should be incorporated into everyone’s lives, regardless of age or gender.
in 2018, it’s time to start being kinder to your body and mind, even if that only means you adopt just one of these small lifestyle tweaks.
it’s been said over and over again, yet i still see people prancing around sporting yesterday’s makeup like it’s still fresh.
not only does sleeping in your makeup lead to premature wrinkling of your sensitive facial skin, but there are so many complex chemicals in makeup that i wouldn’t dare leaving a face full of that stuff on for more than 10 hours. there just haven’t been enough studies on wearing makeup for that long to deem it totally safe for your skin.
pro tip: if you know you’re going to be having a late night out, leave some makeup wipes on your bed before you head out. that way you can swipe and hit the sheets in two seconds flat. no excuses!
using a gentle cleanser in the am and pm will remove dirt and grime that collects in your face and in your pores while you go about your day and even while you sleep.
i’ve noticed a dramatic decrease in the number of breakouts i’ve had since starting this new face routine, and my skin no longer feels dull or tired.
no matter your skin type, find a cleanser that works for you and follow it up with a nice moisturizer that hydrates without greasing up your skin.
if you already do this, i salute you. some of us just aren’t yet up to snuff when it comes to skincare routines.
yet again, i know you’ve heard this a thousand times before, but that doesn’t mean you’ve listened in the past.
i too am sick of hearing people suggesting that water is a cure-all elixir that turns your skin into glowing perfection and amps your energy levels way up, even though they’re completely right.
i noticed that when i drink a lot of water my skin is always less dry and my feelings of lethargy seem to slip away. so why don’t we drink water more? beats me!
find a system that works for you in 2018 that forces you to notice how much water you are drinking versus how much you should be. i love water bottle tricks like this one and that one, that are easy to replicate yet are extremely effective. there are also some great apps like plant nanny that turn drinking water into a fun game!
may your 2018 be hydrated!
we all fall into ruts. fashions ruts, food ruts, routine ruts, etc. that make life feel a little less exciting.
my challenge to you in the new year is to try more new stuff with beauty and makeup. try your hand at a cut crease, or whip out some electric blue eyeliner on a tuesday. you have no idea the impact that small changes in your routine have on your overall life.
and this doesn’t just have to apply to makeup, it can apply to really anything. try a new dish at your favorite restaurant, or try a new dish at a new restaurant. the possibilities are endless!
step out of your comfort zone in 2018 and i guarantee you’ll have more stories to tell the grandkids. you might even discover a new favorite beauty look.
aaaand here’s the part where we get sappy. yes, it’s important to drink water and take care of your health and skin, but what’s equally important (if not more important) is to take care of your mind and soul.
remind yourself every day that with or without makeup, you’re exquisitely unique and positively gorgeous.
recall your myriad of strengths more and dwell less on your weaknesses.
compliment yourself and others, not because you have to for some silly new years resolution, but because it’s the truth.
vow to put yourself down less in 2018, even as a joke.
do all these things, and happiness and beauty will radiate out of you like you’re the sun and the stars combined.
here’s to 2018 being the best year yet! cheers!


text: 'Logomania' - the trend that was born in the 1990s is now back in full force, with designers boldly showcasing their iconic branding across clothing and accessories. Leading the look are Dolce & Gabbana and this logo band hoodie is an instant style hit. Fashioned from a cotton blend, this grey hoodie features a drawstring hood, long sleeves, fitted cuffs, horizontal stripes at the hem, a zip detail at the hood and an oversized fit.

lowercased: 'logomania' - the trend that was born in the 1990s is now back in full force, with designers boldly showcasing their iconic branding across clothing and accessories. leading the look are dolce & gabbana and this logo band hoodie is an instant style hit. fashioned from a cotton blend, this grey hoodie features a drawstring hood, long sleeves, fitted cuffs, horizontal stripes at the hem, a zip detail at the hood and an oversized fit.


text:
Leon says: Nelson only cares for the most trivial little things, such as to have working brakes or to not starve on the way. He’s threatened my life far more often that he saved it, and since I’m still alive I figure he’s somewhat trustworthy.
Jorge says: The culprit of all this utter nonsense, the person who can dwell in the same proportion (and, what is worse, in the same length!) on the amount of food he is able to eat and the amount of women he would love to see, the epitome of crazy adventure, the supreme barefoot wanderer, the seeker of restless activity… Do you realize, dear reader, who is the one in charge of this web page?
Nelson says: Leon is an utterly careless person. If there’s anything you find important, he’ll find absurd to worry about it to a point of a terrible murder desire. An efficient German, at least when surrounded by Spaniards, he compensates his annoyance with his navigation skills and a nasty sense of humour.
Jorge says: A person who likes spaghetti ice creams, and who even justifies this aberration when questioned! I certainly have nothing else to add, every sensible being ought to see what does not deserve to be said. However, for the sake of nuance and the innocence presumption (after all, we are friends), we have to admit that he is the real brain behind the bike trip, the person with the millenarian maps of Europe and the navigation prowess, the calligraphy maestro and the ink and wax seals producer, le grand connoisseur… and the one who still likes spaghetti ice creams.
Nelson says: Jorge is a true old-times friend. He who was there with me when I claimed my first bike trip nonsense, now joins with a worse cycling background than I had, but he tormented me to no end about his enlistment. Now it’s all about pros and cons. A very well-educated humanist to guide, a very good friend to travel with, and an undoubtely strong will; but a tourist of the worst kind.
Leon says: I don’t know Jorge very well yet. Well, last time I went on a two-months bike trip that was with a guy with whom I’ve spent five days and exchanged a few postcards. Jorge is a profoundly educated and knowledgeable guy, which may complicate my job as a navigator: He might come up with own ideas which places to visit and relentlessly enforce them.
This blog saw its birth for several reasons. Leon just underwent too many voices pushing him to have one where he could write his saunters. Nelson is the guy from the future who dreamt of a digital project. Jorge simply wanted to write something new. Plus some other inputs, we finally came up with this output.
Last trip, when just superficially updating our social media about our adventures, a friend just mentioned that we should have a blog to keep up with the anecdotes. Leon just complained that such a project would steal the time to have something to write about. After a year of preparations and more inputs, we accepted the challenge.
In the mean time: where are we and what are we doing now?
Contact us at [email protected], we will love to know your thoughts.

lowercased:
leon says: nelson only cares for the most trivial little things, such as to have working brakes or to not starve on the way. he’s threatened my life far more often that he saved it, and since i’m still alive i figure he’s somewhat trustworthy.
jorge says: the culprit of all this utter nonsense, the person who can dwell in the same proportion (and, what is worse, in the same length!) on the amount of food he is able to eat and the amount of women he would love to see, the epitome of crazy adventure, the supreme barefoot wanderer, the seeker of restless activity… do you realize, dear reader, who is the one in charge of this web page?
nelson says: leon is an utterly careless person. if there’s anything you find important, he’ll find absurd to worry about it to a point of a terrible murder desire. an efficient german, at least when surrounded by spaniards, he compensates his annoyance with his navigation skills and a nasty sense of humour.
jorge says: a person who likes spaghetti ice creams, and who even justifies this aberration when questioned! i certainly have nothing else to add, every sensible being ought to see what does not deserve to be said. however, for the sake of nuance and the innocence presumption (after all, we are friends), we have to admit that he is the real brain behind the bike trip, the person with the millenarian maps of europe and the navigation prowess, the calligraphy maestro and the ink and wax seals producer, le grand connoisseur… and the one who still likes spaghetti ice creams.
nelson says: jorge is a true old-times friend. he who was there with me when i claimed my first bike trip nonsense, now joins with a worse cycling background than i had, but he tormented me to no end about his enlistment. now it’s all about pros and cons. a very well-educated humanist to guide, a very good friend to travel with, and an undoubtely strong will; but a tourist of the worst kind.
leon says: i don’t know jorge very well yet. well, last time i went on a two-months bike trip that was with a guy with whom i’ve spent five days and exchanged a few postcards. jorge is a profoundly educated and knowledgeable guy, which may complicate my job as a navigator: he might come up with own ideas which places to visit and relentlessly enforce them.
this blog saw its birth for several reasons. leon just underwent too many voices pushing him to have one where he could write his saunters. nelson is the guy from the future who dreamt of a digital project. jorge simply wanted to write something new. plus some other inputs, we finally came up with this output.
last trip, when just superficially updating our social media about our adventures, a friend just mentioned that we should have a blog to keep up with the anecdotes. leon just complained that such a project would steal the time to have something to write about. after a year of preparations and more inputs, we accepted the challenge.
in the mean time: where are we and what are we doing now?
contact us at [email protected], we will love to know your thoughts.


text:
This film came out almost forty years before Anthony Minghella's "The Talented Mr. Ripley," but age has not worn down its value.
The basic plot is the same: Tom Ripley must convince Phillipe Greenleaf to return home to the U.S. Ripley eventually kills Greenleaf and assumes his identity, living the life he always felt he deserved.
Rene Clement's direction has tons of Hitchcockian overtones. The location shooting is just as impressive as the 1990's version. Both films do a lot with mirrors in different scenes, some enterprising film studies student could do a term paper on that. Delon's Tom Ripley is very suave and debonair, unlike Damon's characterization. Any homosexual element has been removed, with Tom's motivation for murder being his love for Marge. Oddly enough, Delon looks like "TMR"'s Jude Law more than anyone else.
I wish this film had thrown caution to the wind, however, and really broke loose from censorous chains. I felt the film makers did not have the same liberties the "TMR" film makers had, and the film sometimes comes off as a little unfeeling and withdrawn. The final ironic end is a hilarious shocker.
Combined, "Purple Noon" and "The Talented Mr. Ripley" would be one great film. I recommend "Purple Noon."
2/09/10 Craig D. Best Ripley film. Blows "The Talented Mr. Ripley" out of the water.
9/26/04 NJ Cup Winner 95-00-03 The first and by miles the superior telling of this story. Alain dreamy, oui??

lowercased:
this film came out almost forty years before anthony minghella's "the talented mr. ripley," but age has not worn down its value.
the basic plot is the same: tom ripley must convince phillipe greenleaf to return home to the u.s. ripley eventually kills greenleaf and assumes his identity, living the life he always felt he deserved.
rene clement's direction has tons of hitchcockian overtones. the location shooting is just as impressive as the 1990's version. both films do a lot with mirrors in different scenes, some enterprising film studies student could do a term paper on that. delon's tom ripley is very suave and debonair, unlike damon's characterization. any homosexual element has been removed, with tom's motivation for murder being his love for marge. oddly enough, delon looks like "tmr"'s jude law more than anyone else.
i wish this film had thrown caution to the wind, however, and really broke loose from censorous chains. i felt the film makers did not have the same liberties the "tmr" film makers had, and the film sometimes comes off as a little unfeeling and withdrawn. the final ironic end is a hilarious shocker.
combined, "purple noon" and "the talented mr. ripley" would be one great film. i recommend "purple noon."
2/09/10 craig d. best ripley film. blows "the talented mr. ripley" out of the water.
9/26/04 nj cup winner 95-00-03 the first and by miles the superior telling of this story. alain dreamy, oui??


text: This simply classic true A true two tone wedding band has two different colors of solid gold. This means that it is not plated.two-tone mens wedding band has a brushed satin finish center design, center precision cut groove and is completed with polished edges. It is made of solid 10k gold and is made in the USA.

lowercased: this simply classic true a true two tone wedding band has two different colors of solid gold. this means that it is not plated.two-tone mens wedding band has a brushed satin finish center design, center precision cut groove and is completed with polished edges. it is made of solid 10k gold and is made in the usa.


text:
London : William Pearson for Richard Mears and Allexander Livingston, 1712.
Publication Details: London : William Pearson for Richard Mears and Allexander Livingston, 1712.
Notes: The first edition was published in 1659 under the title: The division-violist.
Shelfmark(s): Music Collections DRT Digital Store g.299.

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london : william pearson for richard mears and allexander livingston, 1712.
publication details: london : william pearson for richard mears and allexander livingston, 1712.
notes: the first edition was published in 1659 under the title: the division-violist.
shelfmark(s): music collections drt digital store g.299.


text:
We are seeking Board certified EM Residency trained Physicians to join our well established group at St. Elizabeth Boardman Health Center, voted a top hospital in the Valley by US News & World Reports!
Boardman is an upscale, affluent community in a growing demographic area that is ideal for beginning and/or raising a family. Located in Northeastern Ohio, 2 miles South of Youngstown in Mahoning County, the Boardman Local School System is dedicated to quality education, which meets the needs of all students within a safe and caring learning environment. Their mission is to nurture personal development and to graduate into society responsible, contributing citizens who are prepared to adapt and grow in an ever-changing world.

lowercased:
we are seeking board certified em residency trained physicians to join our well established group at st. elizabeth boardman health center, voted a top hospital in the valley by us news & world reports!
boardman is an upscale, affluent community in a growing demographic area that is ideal for beginning and/or raising a family. located in northeastern ohio, 2 miles south of youngstown in mahoning county, the boardman local school system is dedicated to quality education, which meets the needs of all students within a safe and caring learning environment. their mission is to nurture personal development and to graduate into society responsible, contributing citizens who are prepared to adapt and grow in an ever-changing world.


text:
Raúl castro a la hora de las decisiones - Download this document for free, or read online. Document in PDF available to download.
GLOBALONEY FANTASY - Wilton Ivie - February 1944 - Technocracy Inc.

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raúl castro a la hora de las decisiones - download this document for free, or read online. document in pdf available to download.
globaloney fantasy - wilton ivie - february 1944 - technocracy inc.


text:
The layout of this office space you can enjoy an open planned work environment with conference and meeting facilities all on the same level. The availability of onsite parking allows you to drive in and out of the building and not have to worries about finding a park when you return.
617m2 ex car display yard with 9 x 3 office /showroom and 6m x 6m work shed.
High exposure with location at City Gates.
Call our office for an inspection (07) 4963 2500.
Ideal storage of trucks, machinery, building supplies and equipment, cars, mining equipment.
Fully secure yard and available use of office and amenities.
Areas From 1,000m2 ,2,000m2, 5,000m2 and 10,000m2 or greater.
Small, Medium & Large Storage Sheds plus Short & Long Term Parking for cars, caravans, boats, trailers, etc.
- Bistro & Commercial Kitchen.
- Large Drive-Thru Bottle Shop.
- Function Room with own bar.
- Full TAB & Keno facilities.
- Backpacker Accommodation for 80.
The Hotel/Backpacker is very well established and has been operated by the same family for the past 10 years.

lowercased:
the layout of this office space you can enjoy an open planned work environment with conference and meeting facilities all on the same level. the availability of onsite parking allows you to drive in and out of the building and not have to worries about finding a park when you return.
617m2 ex car display yard with 9 x 3 office /showroom and 6m x 6m work shed.
high exposure with location at city gates.
call our office for an inspection (07) 4963 2500.
ideal storage of trucks, machinery, building supplies and equipment, cars, mining equipment.
fully secure yard and available use of office and amenities.
areas from 1,000m2 ,2,000m2, 5,000m2 and 10,000m2 or greater.
small, medium & large storage sheds plus short & long term parking for cars, caravans, boats, trailers, etc.
- bistro & commercial kitchen.
- large drive-thru bottle shop.
- function room with own bar.
- full tab & keno facilities.
- backpacker accommodation for 80.
the hotel/backpacker is very well established and has been operated by the same family for the past 10 years.