Frank Islam – entrepreneur, philanthropist and an alumnus of the Aligarh Muslim University – is a Non-Resident Indian based in the US. He and his wife Debbie, have used their fortune to provide targeted financial assistance to educational causes in India. In a conversation with DNA’s Smitha Rajan, Islam, talks about why education is the game changer. On his education initiatives A high-quality education is the only investment that can level the playing field for all. It … [Read more...]
Articles
Frank blogs regularly for the Huffington Post and writes occasional columns and articles for publications such as the International Business Times and The Economic Times of India.
Frank writes on a wide variety of topics that are critical to shaping the future of America and the American dream and to making the United States and the world a better place. These include: Business; education; poverty and inequality; politics and public policy; immigration; manufacturing; innovation; leadership; citizenship; and social commentary.
Frank’s most recent blogs are highlighted on this page. To read other blogs or articles by Frank, click on the categories or publications links on the left.
Frank Islam column in India Life and Times on US India relationship
Since the late 1990s, bilateral ties between India and the United States have blossomed under successive Republican and Democratic administrations. They have strengthened and deepened to such an extent that, on his first visit to India in 2009, President Barack Obama characterised the relationship between the two great nations as “one of the defining partnerships for the 21st century”. Because of Donald Trump’s unexpected election as US President in November of 2016, … [Read more...]
Trump’s First Year in Retrospect: Taxing Us
It now appears that the Republicans will get a tax bill to President Trump to sign before the holidays. The bill will be a gift for a few. But, because of its serious inequalities, for most Americans it will be a lump of coal in their stockings. The tax plan was purportedly going to cut taxes for the many. The hard truth is this is not the case. The plan is just an extension of the Trump approach to governing in his first year - which is doing so in a manner which taxes … [Read more...]
Article on Frank Islam in India Abroad on speech at JFK Library
The Tax Plan: A Victory for Republicans. A Loss for the Country.
When victory is more important than values democracy suffers. In the early morning hours on December 2nd the Senate Republicans in passing their tax bill sacrificed our country on a partisan cross. The Senate will now meet with the House in a conference committee to reconcile the many substantial differences between its version of a tax bill with the House’s version. The outcome of this process is uncertain at this point in time. What is certain is that no matter what the final … [Read more...]
Our Fatal American Obsession With Guns
In the world of international affairs, a classic trade-off question is guns or butter. In domestic affairs in the United States of America today, there is no question: the answer is more guns and more butter. In the period from 2003 to 2013, consumption of butter in the U.S. increased by 25 percent. That’s a significant growth rate until it is compared to the growth rate of guns. Between 1994 and 2015, the number of guns grew by more than 70 million to a total of … [Read more...]
Immigrants are ‘future of America’
An eminent Indian-American philanthropist has described immigrants as "the future of the United States", which he said, is a nation of inclusion, openness, opportunity, democracy and freedom. Frank Islam made these remarks during a ceremony where some 200 foreign nationals took the oath of citizenship. Islam borrowed a quote from Former President John F. Kennedy: In a democracy, every citizen regardless of his interest in politics or holds office, every one of us is in a position of … [Read more...]
Put Indian women entrepreneurs first, tap their potential
On November 28-30 in Hyderabad, India and the US will jointly host the Global Entrepreneurship Summit. This is the eighth annual summit which was the brainchild of former US President Barack Obama. It has been held in other locations such as Istanbul, Dubai and Silicon Valley. The theme for this year’s Summit is “Women First, Prosperity for All”. The Summit provides India and Hyderabad an excellent opportunity to showcase the exceptional progress and achievements that have been made by Indian … [Read more...]
Our American Dilemma: Is it a Gun Control or a Mental Health Problem?
Shortly after the mass shooting of 26 people in a church in Sunderland Springs, Texas by a single person with a gun, President Trump provided his “informed” diagnosis of this tragedy from Japan, on the first leg of his 12-day Asian trip. He proclaimed “I think that mental health is your problem here.” Trump added “This isn’t a guns situation.” In response to a reporter’s question, one day later in Korea, Trump reinforced his “expert” opinion stating that gun … [Read more...]
Critical Need to Ensure Freedom of India’s Free Press
As an Indian American, I have had the privilege of living in the two largest democracies in the world. One of those, the United States of America, came into being in part because of the free press. The other, India, has the reputation of having the most vibrant and free press in the developing world. Since its establishment as a free nation, the free press in India has grown substantially and contributed significantly to the evolution of Indian democracy. Sadly, in recent times, the … [Read more...]