In Kenya in the last couple of days, political tension has arisen from election results in which one ethnic party has seized control of the presidency over another ethnic group. Hundreds have died as protesters have taken to the streets including a number of Kenyans being killed when a church was burned.
In regards to the Kenyan conflict, most media coverage has focused on the political tension and the perceived rigging on the election moreso than ethnicity in the majority Non-Muslim nation. If Kenyan Muslims had been the leaders of the protests and the burning of the church, most media outlets would have simplified the matter that "Islamist radicals" are causing political tension.
Now in Pakistan with the recent months of protests to the murder of Benazir Bhutto, the media focus has been on the religion of Pakistanis, not that there are deep political tensions in Pakistan and that there are also ethnic tensions among the Punjabis and Muhajirs there. No, the majority of the focus has been on Islam even though Musharraf is a staunch secularist, the lawyers that protested him are more Western aligned and Bhutto was a secularist. But, the poltical unrest is somehow 100% related to Islam.
Go figure!
Showing posts with label Opinion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Opinion. Show all posts
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
No Friday message in lieu of murder of Bhutto
G'd says in the Qur'an in the first chapter:
1)With the name of G'd, the Merciful Benefactor, the Merciful Redeemer
2)The Praise/Thanks belongs to G'd, the Evolver, Guardian & Sustainer of the Worlds
3)The Merciful Benefactor, the Merciful Redeedem
4)Master of the Day of Judgement
5)You alone do we worship, and you alone to we ask for assistance
6)Guide us on the straight path
7)The path of those who have been favored, not of those who have earned your wrath and have gone astray.
I decided to postpone my normal Friday message in lieu of today's political assassination of Benazir Bhutto, a Pakistani opposition leader.
It's truly ashame that the political environment within Pakistan has deginerated to the level where political candidates are murdered in cold blood, especially a female candidate.
As much as one disagrees with her political views or anyone's political views for that matter, resorting to violence as a means to express political discontent or to quell opposition is completely uncivilized.
May G'd grant comfort to her family during this trying time, and may He guide the Pakistani people aright. AMEEN!
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Eid Mubarak!
The pilgrims have left Mt. Arafat in Saudi Arabia, which will mark tomorrow morning, the observance of Eid Al-Adha in that land. The pilgrims will proceed to have their busiest day of the Hajj.
Just as in Metro Detroit, I have just come to learn that in the Washington DC area, people will be starting the Eid on 3 different days. The bulk of the community will be observing Eid tomorrow, praying at the Washington DC Convention center (3 prayer times). Some will be starting Eid on Thursday like at the masjid where Imam Musa is the leader based upon the lunar calendar in North America and not following what takes place in Saudi Arabia. Shi'is will be observing on Friday based upon their lunar calculation and sighting.
So it seems that the differing on the Eid day's starting is a nationwide situation in probably all major cities in America.
Be that as it may, the Eid is a blessed time to remember and thank G'd for His countless blessings and for us to also be thankful to the prophets (AS) and all of the faithful, who sacrificed so much for us.
Have a blessed, abundant and joyous holiday!
Just as in Metro Detroit, I have just come to learn that in the Washington DC area, people will be starting the Eid on 3 different days. The bulk of the community will be observing Eid tomorrow, praying at the Washington DC Convention center (3 prayer times). Some will be starting Eid on Thursday like at the masjid where Imam Musa is the leader based upon the lunar calendar in North America and not following what takes place in Saudi Arabia. Shi'is will be observing on Friday based upon their lunar calculation and sighting.
So it seems that the differing on the Eid day's starting is a nationwide situation in probably all major cities in America.
Be that as it may, the Eid is a blessed time to remember and thank G'd for His countless blessings and for us to also be thankful to the prophets (AS) and all of the faithful, who sacrificed so much for us.
Have a blessed, abundant and joyous holiday!
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Fatwa against terrorism rementioned
The fatwa that was issued by the Fiqh Council of North America a couple of years of has received renewed press attention.
SEE: http://www.theledger.com/article/20071208/NEWS/712080502/1326
One of the questions that we're always asked is "Why don't we hear the 'moderate Muslims' speaking out against terrorism?" The irony of this question is that Muslims in America have been speaking out against extremism and political violence against civilians until becoming blue in the face since 9/11.
In fact not only have American Muslims been doing this, but Muslim leaders worldwide have been speaking out against extremism and Al-Qaeda in particular.
SEE: http://www.juancole.com/2005/07/friedman-wrong-about-muslims-again-and.html
Will these same people who question Muslims about denouncing terorism speak out againt the injustices and oppression that help breed extremism and political violence in the "developing world?"
SEE: http://www.theledger.com/article/20071208/NEWS/712080502/1326
One of the questions that we're always asked is "Why don't we hear the 'moderate Muslims' speaking out against terrorism?" The irony of this question is that Muslims in America have been speaking out against extremism and political violence against civilians until becoming blue in the face since 9/11.
In fact not only have American Muslims been doing this, but Muslim leaders worldwide have been speaking out against extremism and Al-Qaeda in particular.
SEE: http://www.juancole.com/2005/07/friedman-wrong-about-muslims-again-and.html
Will these same people who question Muslims about denouncing terorism speak out againt the injustices and oppression that help breed extremism and political violence in the "developing world?"
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Clarification regarding Sufism and Extremism
The Christian Science Monitor today published an article called "Sufism May Be Powerful Antidote to Islamic Extremism." Although well meaning, the article advances a couple of misconceptions:
1) The article implies that Sunnis and Shi'ahs, who are not Sufis lack spirituality. In other words, it inaccurately implies that Muslims who are not followers of a Sufi order (tariqah) are adhering to a form of Islam that lacks spirituality. This is false.
2) The article also implies that Sufis heighten level of spirituality makes them immune to extremism, which connotes that Sufism is non-violent. Extremism among Muslims can take on many shades. If a Muslim, for instance, divorces himself from their socio-political environment and the Islamic mandate to establish social justice for all and practices a sanctimonious form of religion, this would be a form of extremism although non-violent. Physical struggle against tyranny is not absent among Sufis either. Uthman Dan Fodio, a West African Sufi, was a leader in the struggle against corruption in 19th century Hausaland. The Sanusis in Libya also took up struggle against colonialists, who occupied Libya. The Chechen resistance against the Russians, which peaked in the 90s also had Sufis amongst its ranks.
Portion of CSM article below:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1205/p13s02-lire.html?page=1
Sufism may be powerful antidote to Islamic extremism
With its spiritual tradition, 'the Sufi way' is an age-old alternative for radicals and modernists alike.
By Jane Lampman | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
from the December 5, 2007 edition
Images of Islam have pervaded the news media in recent years, but one aspect of the faith has gotten little attention – Islamic spirituality. Yet thousands in America and millions in the Muslim world have embarked on the spiritual path called Sufism, or the Sufi way. Some see its appeal as the most promising hope for countering the rise of extremism in Islam.
In recent weeks, celebrations in cities on several continents have marked the "International Year of Rumi." Sept. 30 was the 800th anniversary of the birth of Muslim mystic Jelaluddin Rumi, who is a towering figure in Sufi literature and, paradoxically, the bestselling poet in the United States over the past decade.
In the West, Sufism has appealed to seekers attracted by its disciplined spiritual practices as well as its respect for all faiths and emphasis on universal love.
"I was searching, and the writings struck me – particularly the poetry," says Llew Smith, a TV producer in Boston who has joined a Sufi order. "It's direct and consistent about turning you away from the self, but also being connected deeply to the Divine and to other people."
Across the Muslim world, Sufism has been an influential force throughout Islamic history, though it has frequently come under attack by more orthodox Muslims. Some consider it an Islamic heresy because Sufis go beyond the faith's basic tenets and pursue a direct union with God.
Many Muslims today, however, see the spiritual tradition as the potential answer to the extremism that has hijacked the faith and misrepresented it to the world.
"In the Islamic world, Sufism is the most powerful antidote to the religious radicalism called fundamentalism as well as the most important source for responding to the challenges posed by modernism," says Seyyed Hossein Nasr, professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Nasr has written a new book, "The Garden of Truth," to present Sufi teaching in contemporary language.
"Its influence is immense," Nasr adds. "Sufism has kept alive the inner quality of ethics and spiritual virtues, rather than a rigid morality ... and it provides access to knowledge of the divine reality," which affects all other aspects of one's life.
But Sufi practice faces intense pressures in Islam's internal struggle. "What the Western world is not seeing," says Akbar Ahmed, a renowned Pakistani anthropologist who teaches at American University in Washington, "is that there are three distinct models in play in the Muslim world: modernism, which reflects globalization, materialism, and a consumer society; the literalists, who are reacting, sometimes violently, against the West and globalization; and the Sufis, who reject the search for power and wealth" in favor of a more spiritual path.(MORE)
1) The article implies that Sunnis and Shi'ahs, who are not Sufis lack spirituality. In other words, it inaccurately implies that Muslims who are not followers of a Sufi order (tariqah) are adhering to a form of Islam that lacks spirituality. This is false.
2) The article also implies that Sufis heighten level of spirituality makes them immune to extremism, which connotes that Sufism is non-violent. Extremism among Muslims can take on many shades. If a Muslim, for instance, divorces himself from their socio-political environment and the Islamic mandate to establish social justice for all and practices a sanctimonious form of religion, this would be a form of extremism although non-violent. Physical struggle against tyranny is not absent among Sufis either. Uthman Dan Fodio, a West African Sufi, was a leader in the struggle against corruption in 19th century Hausaland. The Sanusis in Libya also took up struggle against colonialists, who occupied Libya. The Chechen resistance against the Russians, which peaked in the 90s also had Sufis amongst its ranks.
Portion of CSM article below:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1205/p13s02-lire.html?page=1
Sufism may be powerful antidote to Islamic extremism
With its spiritual tradition, 'the Sufi way' is an age-old alternative for radicals and modernists alike.
By Jane Lampman | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
from the December 5, 2007 edition
Images of Islam have pervaded the news media in recent years, but one aspect of the faith has gotten little attention – Islamic spirituality. Yet thousands in America and millions in the Muslim world have embarked on the spiritual path called Sufism, or the Sufi way. Some see its appeal as the most promising hope for countering the rise of extremism in Islam.
In recent weeks, celebrations in cities on several continents have marked the "International Year of Rumi." Sept. 30 was the 800th anniversary of the birth of Muslim mystic Jelaluddin Rumi, who is a towering figure in Sufi literature and, paradoxically, the bestselling poet in the United States over the past decade.
In the West, Sufism has appealed to seekers attracted by its disciplined spiritual practices as well as its respect for all faiths and emphasis on universal love.
"I was searching, and the writings struck me – particularly the poetry," says Llew Smith, a TV producer in Boston who has joined a Sufi order. "It's direct and consistent about turning you away from the self, but also being connected deeply to the Divine and to other people."
Across the Muslim world, Sufism has been an influential force throughout Islamic history, though it has frequently come under attack by more orthodox Muslims. Some consider it an Islamic heresy because Sufis go beyond the faith's basic tenets and pursue a direct union with God.
Many Muslims today, however, see the spiritual tradition as the potential answer to the extremism that has hijacked the faith and misrepresented it to the world.
"In the Islamic world, Sufism is the most powerful antidote to the religious radicalism called fundamentalism as well as the most important source for responding to the challenges posed by modernism," says Seyyed Hossein Nasr, professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Nasr has written a new book, "The Garden of Truth," to present Sufi teaching in contemporary language.
"Its influence is immense," Nasr adds. "Sufism has kept alive the inner quality of ethics and spiritual virtues, rather than a rigid morality ... and it provides access to knowledge of the divine reality," which affects all other aspects of one's life.
But Sufi practice faces intense pressures in Islam's internal struggle. "What the Western world is not seeing," says Akbar Ahmed, a renowned Pakistani anthropologist who teaches at American University in Washington, "is that there are three distinct models in play in the Muslim world: modernism, which reflects globalization, materialism, and a consumer society; the literalists, who are reacting, sometimes violently, against the West and globalization; and the Sufis, who reject the search for power and wealth" in favor of a more spiritual path.(MORE)
Monday, December 03, 2007
Brit pardoned by Sudanese President for teddy bear fiasco case
Thank G'd! The British school teacher, who allowed her elementary class to name a teddy bear "Mohammed" was pardoned and apologized to by Sudanese President Omar El-Beshir.
I've found extremely interesting the readers' posts on CNN International relating to the imprisonment of the teacher. The comments have ranged from one reader that is going to name a pig "Mohammed" to others stating that it was her fault for entering into a Muslim country without understanding the sensitivities of the land.
One thing is for sure. We need level minded religious people to discuss these issues instead of emotional wing-nuts, who seek to advance their causes or vent their frustrations upon others.
US evangelist Bill Keller is one such "gentleman" that has already seize the opportunity to name a pig "Mohammed." I'm sure this will go over quite well with his constitutents, who will say that they have the freedom to insult Muslims under the 1st Amendment.
SEE: http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58996
May G'd help us all!
I've found extremely interesting the readers' posts on CNN International relating to the imprisonment of the teacher. The comments have ranged from one reader that is going to name a pig "Mohammed" to others stating that it was her fault for entering into a Muslim country without understanding the sensitivities of the land.
One thing is for sure. We need level minded religious people to discuss these issues instead of emotional wing-nuts, who seek to advance their causes or vent their frustrations upon others.
US evangelist Bill Keller is one such "gentleman" that has already seize the opportunity to name a pig "Mohammed." I'm sure this will go over quite well with his constitutents, who will say that they have the freedom to insult Muslims under the 1st Amendment.
SEE: http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58996
May G'd help us all!
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Travesty in Sudan, British teacher should be released ASAP
The inappropriate 15 day jail sentencing of the British school teacher for ALLOWING her students to name a teddy bear "Mohammed" gave off residual stench yesterday in Khartoum, a protest after the Friday sermon calling for her death.
Besides the fact that the naming allowance appears to have been perfectly innocent and not an insult, it is also telling that the shaykh, who called for her death and the marchers from yesterday have a disregard for their own rule of law.
How in the world can the marchers go to the streets with knives and clubs calling for death in response to a 15 day sentence that was excessive? With this type of mentality, there is no wonder why Sudanese people have been slaughtering themselves for over a decade.
Hopefully, the two British Muslims from Britain's upper house that are in Sudan calling for the teacher's release will be successful in their mission. She needs to get out of jail and Sudan ASAP.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Expectations low for upcoming summit in Maryland
Political division within Palestine and Iranian-Saudi jockeying for position and influence in the Middle East are the backdrops for the lifeless "Peace Summit" in Annapolis, Maryland that is about to take place between the Arabs and Israelis.
A meeting without clear objectives that has the agenda of bringing people together to agree to possibly meet in the future is a waste of time.
There can be no peace in the region as long as the occupied lands are not returned to the Lebanese, Palestinian and Syrian peoples. Freedom of access to Jerusalem and the right of religious groups to be custodians of their own holy sites without outside interference must be addressed. The right of return and/or payment of reparations for confiscated land is another issue that must be addressed head on.
Likewise, Israel will never accept to have armed militias on its borders that operate outside of the authority of the central governments of those nations. Surely, Israel wants the Lebanese Army and the Palestinian Security Forces to be the sole militaries in their lands, not Hizbullah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad with the capability to fire rockets anywhere within Israel proper.
SEE article below how the summit is being discussed in Iran.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/11/26/africa/ME-GEN-Iran-Mideast-Summit.php
Iran's supreme leader calls upcoming Mideast peace conference a failure
The Associated Press
Published: November 26, 2007
TEHRAN, Iran: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the upcoming Mideast peace conference in the U.S. a failure on Monday, claiming it was meant to salvage America's reputation in the region rather than realize the rights of Palestinians, state television reported.
"Today, all politicians in advance know that this conference has already failed," Khamenei said in a speech broadcast by state TV. "The U.S. and its accomplices hope to preserve their reputation by this conference and compensate past failures of the fake Zionist (Israeli) regime." *He's implying that Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan are the accomplices*
Khamenei's comments came on the heels of a telephone call late Sunday between President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah in which the Iranian president expressed disappointment at Saudi's participation in the conference, which is scheduled for Tuesday in Annapolis, Maryland.
"I wish the name of Saudi Arabia was not among the participants at the Annapolis conference," the official news agency IRNA quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.
The Iranian president said the U.S. could not be a legitimate host for the conference because "it is an accomplice to Zionist (Israeli) crimes." He urged Arab countries to be watchful of Israeli plots and deception, IRNA reported.
Also Sunday, Ahmadinejad said in a public speech that the peace conference would help Israel and "has no benefit for the oppressed Palestinian nation."
He questioned the intelligence of the representatives attending the meeting, accusing them of making concessions to Israel — an apparent reference to Arab neighbors like Saudi Arabia and Syria who are sending senior officials to the conference.(MORE)
A meeting without clear objectives that has the agenda of bringing people together to agree to possibly meet in the future is a waste of time.
There can be no peace in the region as long as the occupied lands are not returned to the Lebanese, Palestinian and Syrian peoples. Freedom of access to Jerusalem and the right of religious groups to be custodians of their own holy sites without outside interference must be addressed. The right of return and/or payment of reparations for confiscated land is another issue that must be addressed head on.
Likewise, Israel will never accept to have armed militias on its borders that operate outside of the authority of the central governments of those nations. Surely, Israel wants the Lebanese Army and the Palestinian Security Forces to be the sole militaries in their lands, not Hizbullah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad with the capability to fire rockets anywhere within Israel proper.
SEE article below how the summit is being discussed in Iran.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/11/26/africa/ME-GEN-Iran-Mideast-Summit.php
Iran's supreme leader calls upcoming Mideast peace conference a failure
The Associated Press
Published: November 26, 2007
TEHRAN, Iran: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the upcoming Mideast peace conference in the U.S. a failure on Monday, claiming it was meant to salvage America's reputation in the region rather than realize the rights of Palestinians, state television reported.
"Today, all politicians in advance know that this conference has already failed," Khamenei said in a speech broadcast by state TV. "The U.S. and its accomplices hope to preserve their reputation by this conference and compensate past failures of the fake Zionist (Israeli) regime." *He's implying that Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan are the accomplices*
Khamenei's comments came on the heels of a telephone call late Sunday between President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah in which the Iranian president expressed disappointment at Saudi's participation in the conference, which is scheduled for Tuesday in Annapolis, Maryland.
"I wish the name of Saudi Arabia was not among the participants at the Annapolis conference," the official news agency IRNA quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.
The Iranian president said the U.S. could not be a legitimate host for the conference because "it is an accomplice to Zionist (Israeli) crimes." He urged Arab countries to be watchful of Israeli plots and deception, IRNA reported.
Also Sunday, Ahmadinejad said in a public speech that the peace conference would help Israel and "has no benefit for the oppressed Palestinian nation."
He questioned the intelligence of the representatives attending the meeting, accusing them of making concessions to Israel — an apparent reference to Arab neighbors like Saudi Arabia and Syria who are sending senior officials to the conference.(MORE)
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Peace activist's trial to begin in Ann Arbor regarding Iran
Tomorrow, jury selection will start for the trial of Dr. Catherine Wilkerson, an American who was arrested at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor last year for voicing her objections to a speech by Prof. Ray Tanter, co-founder of the Iran Policy Committee, who has openly stated on more than one occassion that nuking Iran wouldn't be a bad idea.
Does Tanter want to start World War III? Does he even recognize that not only would a preemptive nuclear attack against Iran be immoral but that it would provoke the entire Muslim World, Russia and perhaps China to take military action? Does he want Armageddon?
The most prominent scholar among Sunnis, Shaykh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi in Qatar, by the way, issued a statement that Muslims, Sunnis and Shi'is, should defend Iran if it was attacked. This is scary stuff.
SEE: http://www.presstv.com/Detail.aspx?id=27058§ionid=351020101
Going back to Dr. Wilkerson's trial, our nation prides itself regarding our right to voice dissenting views in public and to disagree on university campuses under the guise of Freedom of Speech. We'll patiently wait and view the outcome of this trial to see if this same standard applies to those who are against war-mongering in The Middle East with those who are in favor of preemptive nuclear attacks against a sovereign nation.
In the meantime, we should all pray for peace and hope that our nation and our "allies" in the region refrain from any preemptive attacks against Iran. Iran is not like Iraq; it would be 10 times uglier than Iraq and Afghanistan combined.
Visit defendwilkerson.org.
Does Tanter want to start World War III? Does he even recognize that not only would a preemptive nuclear attack against Iran be immoral but that it would provoke the entire Muslim World, Russia and perhaps China to take military action? Does he want Armageddon?
The most prominent scholar among Sunnis, Shaykh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi in Qatar, by the way, issued a statement that Muslims, Sunnis and Shi'is, should defend Iran if it was attacked. This is scary stuff.
SEE: http://www.presstv.com/Detail.aspx?id=27058§ionid=351020101
Going back to Dr. Wilkerson's trial, our nation prides itself regarding our right to voice dissenting views in public and to disagree on university campuses under the guise of Freedom of Speech. We'll patiently wait and view the outcome of this trial to see if this same standard applies to those who are against war-mongering in The Middle East with those who are in favor of preemptive nuclear attacks against a sovereign nation.
In the meantime, we should all pray for peace and hope that our nation and our "allies" in the region refrain from any preemptive attacks against Iran. Iran is not like Iraq; it would be 10 times uglier than Iraq and Afghanistan combined.
Visit defendwilkerson.org.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Have a Happy Turkey Day!
Muslims! We know that some of us believe that we shouldn't celebrate Thanksgiving because it's not an Islamic holiday. We also know that Thanksgiving is not a special day to thank G'd because we thank Him no less than five times per day in our prayers. Furthermore, we know that the tragic end of the Thanksgiving myth relating to the pilgrims and the Native Americans is that the Natives eventually were ethnically cleansed and were victims of genocide by the European settlers.
Thanksgiving, however, is a national holiday and a time for us to spend special time with family. For indigenous Muslims, it is a time for us to travel to visit family members and show kindness to our parents. It is our obligation to spend time with our parents and to obey them, even if they are Non-Muslims, as long as they do not call us to disobey G'd. Also, it is a time to display Islamic manners and share the religion of Islam with our Non-Muslim family and friends. Yes, Muslims are allowed and do have Non-Muslim friends.
So enjoy your family, friends, good food and deserts, the Detroit Lions vs the Green Bay Packers football game and movies on Turkey Day.
Thanksgiving, however, is a national holiday and a time for us to spend special time with family. For indigenous Muslims, it is a time for us to travel to visit family members and show kindness to our parents. It is our obligation to spend time with our parents and to obey them, even if they are Non-Muslims, as long as they do not call us to disobey G'd. Also, it is a time to display Islamic manners and share the religion of Islam with our Non-Muslim family and friends. Yes, Muslims are allowed and do have Non-Muslim friends.
So enjoy your family, friends, good food and deserts, the Detroit Lions vs the Green Bay Packers football game and movies on Turkey Day.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
French "charity" workers attempted kidnapping was an attempt to convert?
As demonstrators in Chad take to protests regarding the twarted attempt of European aid workers to kidnap Muslim kids, Sudan's president leveled charges that the kidnapping was a plot to convert these African children into Christians to then send them back into Africa to convert Muslims once they became adults.
SEE: http://www.smc.sd/en/artopic.asp?artID=20589&aCK=EA
Although President ElBashir has no solid proof that this was the case, there is a long, disturbing history of evangelical prostelyzing in Africa under the banner of "relief work."
The political conflict in the Central African Republic, Chad and Darfur will not be helped in anyway by prostelyzing Muslims.
Again, this might not have been the case in the Zoa's Ark kidnapping case in Chad; they may have just been old fashion European kidnappers, who were going to exploit African children and turn them into servants in France. However, it is safe to say that if those kids had arrived in France, they would not have been sent to live with fellow African Muslims!
SEE: http://www.smc.sd/en/artopic.asp?artID=20589&aCK=EA
Although President ElBashir has no solid proof that this was the case, there is a long, disturbing history of evangelical prostelyzing in Africa under the banner of "relief work."
The political conflict in the Central African Republic, Chad and Darfur will not be helped in anyway by prostelyzing Muslims.
Again, this might not have been the case in the Zoa's Ark kidnapping case in Chad; they may have just been old fashion European kidnappers, who were going to exploit African children and turn them into servants in France. However, it is safe to say that if those kids had arrived in France, they would not have been sent to live with fellow African Muslims!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Defend Catherine Wilkerson
Provided by Saja Raoof
The Committee to Defend Catherine Wilkerson was formed in April, 2007, to help Catherine Wilkerson, MD, fight back against political repression, police brutality, and apparent retaliatory misconduct by the University of Michigan (UM), Ann Arbor Police Department (AAPD), and Washtenaw County Prosecutor Brian Mackie.
Last year, the American Movement for Israel invited Ray Tanter, PhD, to speak at the UM. In his 1998 book, Rogue Regimes, Tanter admitted to being an unindicted co-conspirator in the illegal Iran-Contra arms deal. It was against this backdrop that an informal group of local peace and justice activists, including Dr. Wilkerson, decided to stage a nonviolent protest. On January 23, 2007, Dr. Wilkerson was charged by Mackie's office with two counts of attempting to assault/resist/obstruct "a person à performing his or her duties" in connection with a police disturbance at Tanter's talk last November on the University of Michigan campus. In fact, Dr. Wilkerson's only 'crimes' were to take responsibility for the well-being of a peaceful activist who was apparently rendered unconscious by UM police and to file a written complaint about the police brutality she suffered at the hands of AAPD Officer Kevin Warner.
Dr. Wilkerson's trial is coming up in the last week of November. For further information, see a video of the incident, and suggestions on how to help and/or donate, please visit www.defendwilkerson.org.
***
11/10/2007 Committee to Defend Catherine Wilkerson Update
In this update:
1. Sign the online petition
2. Contact Prosecutor Mackie
3. Rally for justice and peace
4. Trial dates and times
5. New endorsers
6. Other things you can do to help
1. Sign the online petition
The Committee to Defend Catherine Wilkerson now has an online petition to University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman and Washtenaw County Prosecutor Brian Mackie for you to sign. Read the petition and sign-on at: http://www.ipetitio ns.com/petition/ defendwilkerson The trial starts soon (see below), so please add your name and let others know about the petition as soon as possible.
2. Contact Prosecutor Mackie
If you haven't already done so, it's not too late to make a call or send a letter and an e-mail to Washtenaw County Prosecutor Brian Mackie. You can find the contact information and a sample letter at: http://defendwilker son.org/sampltr. html You can also contact University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman
President Mary Sue Coleman
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
presoff@umich. edu
3. Rally for justice and peace
As we have done for the last two weeks, for the next two Fridays supporters of the Committee to Defend Catherine Wilkerson will join the folks who rally in Ann Arbor every weekday rush hour to protest the war in Iraq. Defend Wilkerson signs and a banner will be provided.
When: Friday, November 16 & 23, 5PM - 6PM
Where: Corner of Fifth & Liberty, Ann Arbor (in front of the Federal Building)
4. Trial dates and times
Jury selection is 11/19/07 at 1:30 PM. Trial is currently scheduled for 11/26/07 at 1 PM and on 11/27, 11/28, & 11/30 at 8:30 AM . All events take place in the courtroom of 15th District Court Judge Elizabeth Pollard-Hines. The court is located at 101 E. Huron St. (corner of Main St.) in downtown Ann Arbor. For directions go here. The court phone number is (734) 222-3380. We'll try to keep you apprised of scheduling changes but if you're coming in from out-of-town then you may want to call first.
5. New endorsers
Thanks to the efforts of Paul L., the Committee to Defend Catherine Wilkerson has two new Florida-based endorsing organizations: Bolivarian Youth and the Broward AntiWar Coalition. Welcome and thanks to our friends and allies in Florida for joining with our earlier endorsers: National Lawyers Guild, Detroit & Michigan Chapter; Council on American Islamic Relations, Michigan Chapter; Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality; Huron Valley Greens; Green Party of Michigan; Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice; and, the Gray Panthers of Huron Valley.
6. Other things you can do to help
I was recently asked by an activist in Los Angeles what he could do to help. Here's a revised version of the list I sent him:
a. Spread the word to friends and fellow justice and peace activists by e-mail
b. Phone or send a letter to the prosecutor urging him to drop the charges
c. Let friends and allies in southeast Michigan know about the case and the Committee and encourage them to get involved
d. Hold a fund raising event--Dr. Wilkerson could teleconference or maybe send a video--or make a donation to the Committee.
e. Get organizational endorsements of our work.
f. Write an article or do an interview on the case.
g. If you have connections to any high-profile political figures who might send a letter of support then please let us know.
The Committee to Defend Catherine Wilkerson was formed in April, 2007, to help Catherine Wilkerson, MD, fight back against political repression, police brutality, and apparent retaliatory misconduct by the University of Michigan (UM), Ann Arbor Police Department (AAPD), and Washtenaw County Prosecutor Brian Mackie.
Last year, the American Movement for Israel invited Ray Tanter, PhD, to speak at the UM. In his 1998 book, Rogue Regimes, Tanter admitted to being an unindicted co-conspirator in the illegal Iran-Contra arms deal. It was against this backdrop that an informal group of local peace and justice activists, including Dr. Wilkerson, decided to stage a nonviolent protest. On January 23, 2007, Dr. Wilkerson was charged by Mackie's office with two counts of attempting to assault/resist/obstruct "a person à performing his or her duties" in connection with a police disturbance at Tanter's talk last November on the University of Michigan campus. In fact, Dr. Wilkerson's only 'crimes' were to take responsibility for the well-being of a peaceful activist who was apparently rendered unconscious by UM police and to file a written complaint about the police brutality she suffered at the hands of AAPD Officer Kevin Warner.
Dr. Wilkerson's trial is coming up in the last week of November. For further information, see a video of the incident, and suggestions on how to help and/or donate, please visit www.defendwilkerson.org.
***
11/10/2007 Committee to Defend Catherine Wilkerson Update
In this update:
1. Sign the online petition
2. Contact Prosecutor Mackie
3. Rally for justice and peace
4. Trial dates and times
5. New endorsers
6. Other things you can do to help
1. Sign the online petition
The Committee to Defend Catherine Wilkerson now has an online petition to University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman and Washtenaw County Prosecutor Brian Mackie for you to sign. Read the petition and sign-on at: http://www.ipetitio ns.com/petition/ defendwilkerson The trial starts soon (see below), so please add your name and let others know about the petition as soon as possible.
2. Contact Prosecutor Mackie
If you haven't already done so, it's not too late to make a call or send a letter and an e-mail to Washtenaw County Prosecutor Brian Mackie. You can find the contact information and a sample letter at: http://defendwilker son.org/sampltr. html You can also contact University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman
President Mary Sue Coleman
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
presoff@umich. edu
3. Rally for justice and peace
As we have done for the last two weeks, for the next two Fridays supporters of the Committee to Defend Catherine Wilkerson will join the folks who rally in Ann Arbor every weekday rush hour to protest the war in Iraq. Defend Wilkerson signs and a banner will be provided.
When: Friday, November 16 & 23, 5PM - 6PM
Where: Corner of Fifth & Liberty, Ann Arbor (in front of the Federal Building)
4. Trial dates and times
Jury selection is 11/19/07 at 1:30 PM. Trial is currently scheduled for 11/26/07 at 1 PM and on 11/27, 11/28, & 11/30 at 8:30 AM . All events take place in the courtroom of 15th District Court Judge Elizabeth Pollard-Hines. The court is located at 101 E. Huron St. (corner of Main St.) in downtown Ann Arbor. For directions go here. The court phone number is (734) 222-3380. We'll try to keep you apprised of scheduling changes but if you're coming in from out-of-town then you may want to call first.
5. New endorsers
Thanks to the efforts of Paul L., the Committee to Defend Catherine Wilkerson has two new Florida-based endorsing organizations: Bolivarian Youth and the Broward AntiWar Coalition. Welcome and thanks to our friends and allies in Florida for joining with our earlier endorsers: National Lawyers Guild, Detroit & Michigan Chapter; Council on American Islamic Relations, Michigan Chapter; Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality; Huron Valley Greens; Green Party of Michigan; Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice; and, the Gray Panthers of Huron Valley.
6. Other things you can do to help
I was recently asked by an activist in Los Angeles what he could do to help. Here's a revised version of the list I sent him:
a. Spread the word to friends and fellow justice and peace activists by e-mail
b. Phone or send a letter to the prosecutor urging him to drop the charges
c. Let friends and allies in southeast Michigan know about the case and the Committee and encourage them to get involved
d. Hold a fund raising event--Dr. Wilkerson could teleconference or maybe send a video--or make a donation to the Committee.
e. Get organizational endorsements of our work.
f. Write an article or do an interview on the case.
g. If you have connections to any high-profile political figures who might send a letter of support then please let us know.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Pakistani dictator uses extermism as an excuse to impose martial law
Yesterday's announcement that Gen. Pervez Musharraf was imposing martial law upon Pakistan was not a major surprise. Dictator Musharraf claimed the title "President" for himself after deposing the democratically elected government of Pakistan in a military coup. Musharraf has imprisoned opposition and attempted to censor journalists, who have spoken out against him. Currently, Pakistan has been under a 3 day news blackout.
Also what was very predictable was that Musharraf would use the excuse that the Constitution of Pakistan needed to be suspended due to the threat of extremists, which is the excuse that other nations have used to quell political dissent where Muslims reside. In this imposition, Musharraf dissolved the judiciary branch of government. In other words, Musharraf wants ZERO checks and balances.
The judges as well as the lawyers of Pakistan are hardly extremists or Taliban types. In fact, many of the lawyers, who protested the firing of Pakistan's Chief Judge Iftikher Chaudry and are taking to the streets now are SECULARISTS. They are not marching for increasing the role of Islamic Law in Pakistan; they are marching that the CURRENT constitution of the nation be adhered to.
Realistically, Musharraf cannot last. Even sadder is that our administration supported this dictator, who overthrew the elected president of Pakistan, and the people of Pakistan partially blame our nation for propping up this dictator. Our President, however, will tell us that they don't like us because of "our freedom."
Do you wonder why Anti-Americanism is rising in the so called "developing world?"
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
The Armenian - US Congress Irony
In today's Flint Journal, there is an article regarding Flint area Armenians, who are lobbying the US Congress to pass a non-binding resolution that would declare that Turkey committed "genocide" against Armenians in 1915.
SEE: http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/flintjournal/index.ssf?/base/features-6/1193667628176460.xml&coll=5
Turkish people also claim that Armenians committed "genocide" against their people and Jews as well. Maybe Turks will start their own lobbying campaign as well if they haven't already in this regard.
SEE: http://www.tbmm.gov.tr/yayinlar/yayin3/arm111_150.pdf (Warning - some pictures are of corpses)
The irony of the US Congress and the Armenian bill is that our Federal legislature is contemplating passing a resolution, which has little to nothing to due with America, yet the US Congress has yet to pass a resolution, which apologizes for one of the greatest crimes against humanity that our Federal government sanctioned at one time. That would be the chattel slavery of African-Americans.
How many hundreds of thousands of Africans perished while crossing the "Middle Passage" from West Africa to America? How many African-Americans were killed and raped by their masters? How many of the "Founding Fathers" such as Washington and Jefferson were slave owners?
Our representatives would appear more sincere if the Congress apologized to their fellow Americans about slavery before passing non-binding resolutions related to events that were outside our Nation's actions or control.
Monday, October 29, 2007
MSU to hold conference on America's top selling poet
Want to take a guess at who Publishers Weekly named America's top selling poet? Ralph Waldo Emerson? Edgar Allan Poe? Robert Frost perhaps?
Many are surprised that America's top selling poet was not an American or of Anglo-Saxon background. In fact, he was a Muslim of Persian ethnicity.
His name is Jalal ad-Din Rumi, the world famous mystical poet, whose works have influenced mystics and philosophers of various faiths to current Hollywood actors and pop artists such as Madonna.
UNESCO named 2007 the Year of Rumi in commemoration of his birthday 800 years ago.
Yesterday in Iran, a two day international conference began on the works of Rumi and Shams of Tabriz, another Persian who influenced Rumi.
Like many writers of his time as in other times, some works have been attributed to Rumi that were not his. Some of these false attributions have made some wonder if Rumi was even a Muslim or if Rumi was lost in the sea of nothingness, not practicing any formal religion.
However, some things to note regarding Rumi are:
1) He followed the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence, one of the four Sunni schools of thought.
2) He performed the 5 daily ritual prayers.
3) He made Hajj, pilgrimage to Makkah.
4) His "Diwan" and "Mathnawi" contain some 6,000 verses that are direct translations of the Qur'an from Arabic to Persian. Likewise, his poems also contain sayings (hadith) of Prophet Muhammad (SAAS).
5) His book "Majlis-e-Saba'" is a book containing seven Islamic sermons that he delivered.
To learn more about Rumi, Michigan State University will be holding a conference on Rumi on November 3, 2007.
SEE: http://rumi.history.msu.edu/schedule.php
Poem below is translated from Farsi (Persian) into English entitled "How Jesus Fled From Fools."
The escaping of Jesus, (may the) peace (of G-d) be upon him,
to the top of a mountain (to flee) from fools.
Jesus, (the son) of Mary, was running away to a mountain.
You might say (that) a lion was wanting to spill his blood.
Someone ran behind (him) and said, "(May you be) well! There
isn't anyone following you, (so) why are you fleeing like a bird?"
(But) he kept running in the same manner, bound to urgency, (so)
that he didn't answer him, because of his own haste.
(The man) pressed forward following Jesus (for) one or two
(more) fields. Then he called (out) to Jesus with great seriousness,
Saying, "For the sake of G-d's approval, stop for a moment! --
since I have a problem in (understanding this) fleeing of yours.
"O noble and generous one! Who are you running from (in)
this direction? (There's) no lion or enemy following you, and no
fear or dread."
He answered, "I am escaping from a fool. Go (away)! I'm
rescuing myself, (so) don't restrain me!"
(The man) said, "But aren't you the Messiah, by whom blind
and deaf (people) become normal?"
"Yes," he replied. (The man) asked, "Aren't you the (spiritual)
king who (is) the dwelling place for mysterious spells and
incantations? --
"(So that) if you recite a spell upon a (man's) corpse, he leaps up
(joyfully) like a lion (who has) brought back prey."
"Yes," he answered, "I am that one." (The other) said, "O
beautiful faced one! Don't you make (living) birds out of clay?"
"Yes," he replied. (The other) said, "O pure spirit! Then you can
make (happen) whatever you wish-- (so) who are you afraid of?
"With evidence such as this, who is there in the world who
wouldn't be among your (devoted) slaves?"
Jesus said, "By the Holy Essence of G-d, the Originator of the
body, the Creator of the soul in (its) superiority!
"(And in) reverence for His Holy Essence and Attributes, (for)
whom the collar of the heavens is torn (in ecstasy):
"(I affirm) that those incantations, as well as the greatest
Name (of G-d), which I spoke over the deaf and over the blind,
were beneficial.
"I recited (the words) over the rocky mountain (and) it became
split, tearing the robe (which was) upon itself (down) to the navel.
"I spoke (the words) over a dead body (and) it became alive. I said
(them) over a point of nothingness (and) it became something.
"(But) I said those (words) a hundred thousand times with
loving-kindness over the heart of a fool and it was not a cure.
"(Instead), it became a hard rock and didn't change from that
habit; it became sand, from which no seed grows."
The man) said, "(Then) what is the wisdom that the Name of
G-d was beneficial in those places, (but) here it had no
superiority?
"That is also (a case) of disease, and this is an affliction. (So) why
was it a cure for that (but) not for this?"
(Jesus) replied, "The affliction of foolish stupidity is (caused by)
the overwhelming anger of God. (Normal) afflictions and
blindness are not (from God's) anger-- those are tests and trials."
Trials and hardships are an affliction which [eventually] brings
(Divine) Mercy. (But) ignorant foolishness brings blows and
wounds.
That which is his scarring has been produced by His seal,
(and) no supporting hand can bring a remedy to it.
Therefore), escape from foolish people just as Jesus escaped.
(For) companionship with fools has spilled so much blood!
The air steals water very gradually, (and) the fool steals
religion from you also in the same way.
He steals your warmth and gives you cold (in its place), just like
one who puts a rock under (your) bottom.
The escaping of Jesus is not because of (real) fear, (for) he is
secure (from such). (But) is for the sake of teaching (a lesson).
Even if intense cold filled (all) the horizons of the world,
what grief would there be for the radiant sun?
Many are surprised that America's top selling poet was not an American or of Anglo-Saxon background. In fact, he was a Muslim of Persian ethnicity.
His name is Jalal ad-Din Rumi, the world famous mystical poet, whose works have influenced mystics and philosophers of various faiths to current Hollywood actors and pop artists such as Madonna.
UNESCO named 2007 the Year of Rumi in commemoration of his birthday 800 years ago.
Yesterday in Iran, a two day international conference began on the works of Rumi and Shams of Tabriz, another Persian who influenced Rumi.
Like many writers of his time as in other times, some works have been attributed to Rumi that were not his. Some of these false attributions have made some wonder if Rumi was even a Muslim or if Rumi was lost in the sea of nothingness, not practicing any formal religion.
However, some things to note regarding Rumi are:
1) He followed the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence, one of the four Sunni schools of thought.
2) He performed the 5 daily ritual prayers.
3) He made Hajj, pilgrimage to Makkah.
4) His "Diwan" and "Mathnawi" contain some 6,000 verses that are direct translations of the Qur'an from Arabic to Persian. Likewise, his poems also contain sayings (hadith) of Prophet Muhammad (SAAS).
5) His book "Majlis-e-Saba'" is a book containing seven Islamic sermons that he delivered.
To learn more about Rumi, Michigan State University will be holding a conference on Rumi on November 3, 2007.
SEE: http://rumi.history.msu.edu/schedule.php
Poem below is translated from Farsi (Persian) into English entitled "How Jesus Fled From Fools."
The escaping of Jesus, (may the) peace (of G-d) be upon him,
to the top of a mountain (to flee) from fools.
Jesus, (the son) of Mary, was running away to a mountain.
You might say (that) a lion was wanting to spill his blood.
Someone ran behind (him) and said, "(May you be) well! There
isn't anyone following you, (so) why are you fleeing like a bird?"
(But) he kept running in the same manner, bound to urgency, (so)
that he didn't answer him, because of his own haste.
(The man) pressed forward following Jesus (for) one or two
(more) fields. Then he called (out) to Jesus with great seriousness,
Saying, "For the sake of G-d's approval, stop for a moment! --
since I have a problem in (understanding this) fleeing of yours.
"O noble and generous one! Who are you running from (in)
this direction? (There's) no lion or enemy following you, and no
fear or dread."
He answered, "I am escaping from a fool. Go (away)! I'm
rescuing myself, (so) don't restrain me!"
(The man) said, "But aren't you the Messiah, by whom blind
and deaf (people) become normal?"
"Yes," he replied. (The man) asked, "Aren't you the (spiritual)
king who (is) the dwelling place for mysterious spells and
incantations? --
"(So that) if you recite a spell upon a (man's) corpse, he leaps up
(joyfully) like a lion (who has) brought back prey."
"Yes," he answered, "I am that one." (The other) said, "O
beautiful faced one! Don't you make (living) birds out of clay?"
"Yes," he replied. (The other) said, "O pure spirit! Then you can
make (happen) whatever you wish-- (so) who are you afraid of?
"With evidence such as this, who is there in the world who
wouldn't be among your (devoted) slaves?"
Jesus said, "By the Holy Essence of G-d, the Originator of the
body, the Creator of the soul in (its) superiority!
"(And in) reverence for His Holy Essence and Attributes, (for)
whom the collar of the heavens is torn (in ecstasy):
"(I affirm) that those incantations, as well as the greatest
Name (of G-d), which I spoke over the deaf and over the blind,
were beneficial.
"I recited (the words) over the rocky mountain (and) it became
split, tearing the robe (which was) upon itself (down) to the navel.
"I spoke (the words) over a dead body (and) it became alive. I said
(them) over a point of nothingness (and) it became something.
"(But) I said those (words) a hundred thousand times with
loving-kindness over the heart of a fool and it was not a cure.
"(Instead), it became a hard rock and didn't change from that
habit; it became sand, from which no seed grows."
The man) said, "(Then) what is the wisdom that the Name of
G-d was beneficial in those places, (but) here it had no
superiority?
"That is also (a case) of disease, and this is an affliction. (So) why
was it a cure for that (but) not for this?"
(Jesus) replied, "The affliction of foolish stupidity is (caused by)
the overwhelming anger of God. (Normal) afflictions and
blindness are not (from God's) anger-- those are tests and trials."
Trials and hardships are an affliction which [eventually] brings
(Divine) Mercy. (But) ignorant foolishness brings blows and
wounds.
That which is his scarring has been produced by His seal,
(and) no supporting hand can bring a remedy to it.
Therefore), escape from foolish people just as Jesus escaped.
(For) companionship with fools has spilled so much blood!
The air steals water very gradually, (and) the fool steals
religion from you also in the same way.
He steals your warmth and gives you cold (in its place), just like
one who puts a rock under (your) bottom.
The escaping of Jesus is not because of (real) fear, (for) he is
secure (from such). (But) is for the sake of teaching (a lesson).
Even if intense cold filled (all) the horizons of the world,
what grief would there be for the radiant sun?
Monday, October 22, 2007
Civilian children and clergy killed in raid, Kurds & Turks calling for war in Iraq
Picture above is of a dead Iraqi boy, who was one of the 15 Iraqi civilians ("collateral damage") killed yesterday in a US raid against "insurgents"
Today, Turkey is deploying more troops to the Iraqi border, and Kurdish and Turkish ultra-nationalists are protesting in the streets calling for war against ech other.
Sorry Mr. President, someone in Iran "knowing how" to make nukes will probably not be the cause of World War III. The mess started by our occupation in Iraq and the regional tension between the Arabs, Kurds and Turks may be a greater potential reason!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Yesterday's Islamophobia/Islamophilia conference at U of M
The European Studies Department at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor on Friday and Saturday hosted a conference entitled "Islamophobia/Islamophilia: Beyond the Politics of Enemy and Friend."
SEE: http://www.ii.umich.edu/umich/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=bca5ce9ec64a5110VgnVCM100000a3b1d38dRCRD&vgnextchannel=c937d8d398e42110VgnVCM10000096b1d38dRCRD
What was most interesting about this conference from my vantage point was that although there are some likenesses between the Islamophobia in Europe in comparison to here, there are some social dynamics in play here that are absent in Europe.
One of them is that unlike Europe, a Germany specifically, America has a large indigenous Muslim population, which also has a connection to the struggles of the civil rights movement. Europe has no civil rights movement in their history in regards to ethnic and religious minorities. Hence, Islam is not a recognized religion by many states in Europe including Germany. Also, white reverts (converts) to Islam in America were raised in a society that was extremely more religious than Europe. Their reversion to Islam, primarily via Sufi orders is less of a rejection of their American identity unlike White Germans, who have primarily join the ranks of Islam through the Salafi movement, which includes adopting the dress code of Gulf Arabs. Also, the immigrant Muslims who are in America are highly educated and economically well off as a whole unlike immigrant Muslims in Europe. All of these factors leads to a different social dynamic regarding interaction in society and how Islamophobia should be addressed.
It was also highly interesting to learn that like in America but to a greater degree, Malay/Indonesian Muslims and also German Muslims have rejected Arabs and have also gone into an anti-Arab mode or Arab-phobia mindset in their attempts to distance themselves from the problems of the Arab world that have concretized the discussions about Islam in the post-9/11 era.
Interestingly as most well traveled Muslims know, the Saudis have funded universities throughout the world such as in Indonesia that are not ran by Salafis. In fact, one university, which was discussed during the conference that was funded by Saudis is ran by Sufis whom Salafis deem as creeping into polytheism due to their reverance for saints.
There were conflicting views or rebuttals presented as well regarding the misnomer that "Wahhabis" are a driving force behind terror. Beside there being no sect that calls itself "Wahhabi," Prof. Juan Cole brought up the point that not only have the Saudi religious authorities funded schools ran by Sufis but that being a "Wahhabi" aka Salafi does not equal one who ascribes to a creed of violence.
In fact, Salafis are apolitical Muslims, who by their creed abhor the overthrowing of corrupt governments by violence. Hence, Bin Laden's call to overthrow the Salafi supported Saudi monarchy is totatlly against the Salafi understanding. The Al-Qaeda doctrine is more a misunderstanding of the deceased Ikhwani scholar Syed Qutb teachings than Salafi docrtine. Al-Qaeda follows the doctrine of the Khawarij.
The conference may have been more insightful if there was a better balance of American Muslim academics that were presenters of papers vice discussants.
SEE: http://www.ii.umich.edu/umich/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=bca5ce9ec64a5110VgnVCM100000a3b1d38dRCRD&vgnextchannel=c937d8d398e42110VgnVCM10000096b1d38dRCRD
What was most interesting about this conference from my vantage point was that although there are some likenesses between the Islamophobia in Europe in comparison to here, there are some social dynamics in play here that are absent in Europe.
One of them is that unlike Europe, a Germany specifically, America has a large indigenous Muslim population, which also has a connection to the struggles of the civil rights movement. Europe has no civil rights movement in their history in regards to ethnic and religious minorities. Hence, Islam is not a recognized religion by many states in Europe including Germany. Also, white reverts (converts) to Islam in America were raised in a society that was extremely more religious than Europe. Their reversion to Islam, primarily via Sufi orders is less of a rejection of their American identity unlike White Germans, who have primarily join the ranks of Islam through the Salafi movement, which includes adopting the dress code of Gulf Arabs. Also, the immigrant Muslims who are in America are highly educated and economically well off as a whole unlike immigrant Muslims in Europe. All of these factors leads to a different social dynamic regarding interaction in society and how Islamophobia should be addressed.
It was also highly interesting to learn that like in America but to a greater degree, Malay/Indonesian Muslims and also German Muslims have rejected Arabs and have also gone into an anti-Arab mode or Arab-phobia mindset in their attempts to distance themselves from the problems of the Arab world that have concretized the discussions about Islam in the post-9/11 era.
Interestingly as most well traveled Muslims know, the Saudis have funded universities throughout the world such as in Indonesia that are not ran by Salafis. In fact, one university, which was discussed during the conference that was funded by Saudis is ran by Sufis whom Salafis deem as creeping into polytheism due to their reverance for saints.
There were conflicting views or rebuttals presented as well regarding the misnomer that "Wahhabis" are a driving force behind terror. Beside there being no sect that calls itself "Wahhabi," Prof. Juan Cole brought up the point that not only have the Saudi religious authorities funded schools ran by Sufis but that being a "Wahhabi" aka Salafi does not equal one who ascribes to a creed of violence.
In fact, Salafis are apolitical Muslims, who by their creed abhor the overthrowing of corrupt governments by violence. Hence, Bin Laden's call to overthrow the Salafi supported Saudi monarchy is totatlly against the Salafi understanding. The Al-Qaeda doctrine is more a misunderstanding of the deceased Ikhwani scholar Syed Qutb teachings than Salafi docrtine. Al-Qaeda follows the doctrine of the Khawarij.
The conference may have been more insightful if there was a better balance of American Muslim academics that were presenters of papers vice discussants.
Irrational policy regarding PKK
The Kurdish Workers Party, a socialist organization, also known as the PKK is an party that has been listed as a terrorist organization by the US State Department.
Turkey, which is one of our NATO "partners" has been attacked for years by the PKK. Fresh attacks being launched by the PKK from the Kurdish area of Iraq into Turkey have resulted in numerous casualities including deaths of Turks just today.
Oddly, the PKK during the time of Saddam was able to operate partly due to the No-Fly Zone enforced by NATO over the Kurdish region of Iraq and the autonomy that Kurds were able to exercise in the area with the support of our nation.
Last week with popular public support from Islamic and secular forces within Turkey, their legislature passed a resolution giving permission to their army to cross into Iraq to fight the PKK. Turkey has already amassed troops on the Iraqi-Turk border.
Obviously, a Turkish invasion into Northern Iraq would not only cause further death and destruction within Iraq's most stable region, but it could provoke neighboring powers to enter into the fray to assert their interests in the region. This would be a total disaster for the region and would drive crude oil prices sky high, which will negatively affect our economy.
How is it then that the "coalition forces" are not tracking down the PKK, which is labeled as a terrorist organization, yet these same forces are hunting down the Mahdi Army, which we haven't declared to be a terrorist group?
I guess being a NATO member does not mean what it used to.
Turkey, which is one of our NATO "partners" has been attacked for years by the PKK. Fresh attacks being launched by the PKK from the Kurdish area of Iraq into Turkey have resulted in numerous casualities including deaths of Turks just today.
Oddly, the PKK during the time of Saddam was able to operate partly due to the No-Fly Zone enforced by NATO over the Kurdish region of Iraq and the autonomy that Kurds were able to exercise in the area with the support of our nation.
Last week with popular public support from Islamic and secular forces within Turkey, their legislature passed a resolution giving permission to their army to cross into Iraq to fight the PKK. Turkey has already amassed troops on the Iraqi-Turk border.
Obviously, a Turkish invasion into Northern Iraq would not only cause further death and destruction within Iraq's most stable region, but it could provoke neighboring powers to enter into the fray to assert their interests in the region. This would be a total disaster for the region and would drive crude oil prices sky high, which will negatively affect our economy.
How is it then that the "coalition forces" are not tracking down the PKK, which is labeled as a terrorist organization, yet these same forces are hunting down the Mahdi Army, which we haven't declared to be a terrorist group?
I guess being a NATO member does not mean what it used to.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Message for Friday - Some food for thought
Instead of posting a verse from the Qur'an or a saying of the Prophet Muhammad (SAAS) to elaborate on, I figured that I'd just pose a few questions for us to ponder.
1) Why do Shi'i and Sufi brothers and sisters refer to Saudis or Salafis as Wahhabis when no one in Saudi Arabia calls themself Wahhabi and a large combined percentage of Saudis follow the Shafi'i, Ja'fari and Zaydi schools of thought that are not aligned with the Salafi movement?
2) If the traditions of the Sufi orders and their chains of knowledge are complete deviations from "mainstream Islam," why were the major classical scholars of ahadeeth including the knowledge of narration chains those who were followers of Sufism such as As-Suyuti, Ibn Hajar and Ibn Rajab?
3) If all Jews and Christians are disbelievers, why would we call all of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad (SAAS) the "Mothers of the Believers" when there is no sound evidence that his Jewish wife and Christian wife ever accepted Islam?
4) If using prayer charts is acceptable based upon science since most of us do not judge prayer times upon viewing the position of the sun and looking at shadows, why is there so much resistance regarding using science for calling the month of Ramadan?
5) If Sunni Muslims are wrong for pronouncing "takfeer" over Shi'is, is it not wrong when some Shi'i Muslims pronounce "takfeer" over Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman or Ayesha especially when Imam Ali (KW) did not pronouce them as heathens?
Just a few things of us to think about. I'm pondering over two of them myself still.
1) Why do Shi'i and Sufi brothers and sisters refer to Saudis or Salafis as Wahhabis when no one in Saudi Arabia calls themself Wahhabi and a large combined percentage of Saudis follow the Shafi'i, Ja'fari and Zaydi schools of thought that are not aligned with the Salafi movement?
2) If the traditions of the Sufi orders and their chains of knowledge are complete deviations from "mainstream Islam," why were the major classical scholars of ahadeeth including the knowledge of narration chains those who were followers of Sufism such as As-Suyuti, Ibn Hajar and Ibn Rajab?
3) If all Jews and Christians are disbelievers, why would we call all of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad (SAAS) the "Mothers of the Believers" when there is no sound evidence that his Jewish wife and Christian wife ever accepted Islam?
4) If using prayer charts is acceptable based upon science since most of us do not judge prayer times upon viewing the position of the sun and looking at shadows, why is there so much resistance regarding using science for calling the month of Ramadan?
5) If Sunni Muslims are wrong for pronouncing "takfeer" over Shi'is, is it not wrong when some Shi'i Muslims pronounce "takfeer" over Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman or Ayesha especially when Imam Ali (KW) did not pronouce them as heathens?
Just a few things of us to think about. I'm pondering over two of them myself still.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Happy Eid from the Empire State Building
For the first time in history, the Empire State Builing went green in honor of the Islamic holiday, Eid Al-Fitr.
Attention Islamophobes and bigots! Islam is here to stay in America, G'd willing!
Muslims have been here since the slaves were brought here from Africa. And now, Islam is the fastest growing religion in America, especially among Blacks and Latinos.
Islamophobes, the more you knock Islam, the more the Islamic community grows.
Eid Mubarak!
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