Thinking Anew

Some decades ago, Albert Einstein noticed that, since the day the atom was split and its power unleashed, the whole world had changed except for one thing: the way we think. And he advised that if we want to ensure peace and the survival of mankind in the face of this new unleashing of power, we must learn to "think anew." It was these words that Hamza Yusuf Hanson evoked at Bristol University in Bristol, England in front of an audience of several hundred people, including Lords and Ladies, University professors, and students.

In this impassioned yet very wise lecture, Hamza Yusuf examines the state of affairs in our communities and the political conflict we see in our world today. Criticizing our tendency to treat the symptoms of our social breakdowns rather than address their root problems, he offers insight and suggestions on how we can restore peace in our world, creating an environment whereby each individual is respected and his human dignity honored. Echoing the words of Einstein, he stresses that only when we begin to change the patterns in our thinking and break out of our reactionary mindsets, will we begin to transform the strenuous circumstances around us.

Hamza Yusuf's poignant message was more than well received. This is no clearer than in the closing comments of Professor Phila de Parslo, Chairman of the Governors of the Alamden Center at Bristol University, who, perhaps speaking for the audience, offered Hamza Yusuf her many thanks and disclosed her feeling of eagerness yet inadequacy about the challenge he reminded the audience that lay ahead of them. This lecture is a must for any person searching for insight into our precarious times and solutions for dealing with them.