http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2007/08/10/news/081107lrmohammed.txt
Muslim Americans Setting Example For Muslims Abroad, Leader Says
This article was published on Friday, August 10, 2007 6:52 PM CDT in News
By Jason Wiest
THE MORNING NEWS
LITTLE ROCK -- The leader of the largest Muslim community in America said Friday that Muslims here live in harmony overall with people of other religious backgrounds and Muslim nations abroad are taking note.
"I believe that Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, and perhaps many other Muslim nations, are really studying (Muslim) life here in America to see how they can benefit from what's our strategies over here and our embracing one another over here," Imam W. Deen Mohammed said Friday at the Clinton Presidential Center.
Mohammed is the son of the late Elijah Muhammad, who led the Nation of Islam until his death in 1975. While his father's teachings included the belief white people are "devils," Mohammed publicly opposed his father and after his death dissolved the organization. He established a new Muslim American Society, declared it part of the orthodox worldwide Sunni Islamic community and taught tolerance.
Since then, Louis Farrakhan has re-established the Nation of Islam under its original teachings, but Mohammed said the organization is starting to shed its intolerance and align with orthodox Muslims.
"The time for those leaders who had that hate rhetoric has come and passed and they know it," Mohammed told reporters after a question-and-answer session with the audience.
His appearance was part of the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service fall lecture series.
"I think there's a merger coming," Mohammed said, noting that student ministers in the Nation of Islam have been studying with orthodox Muslims. "A quiet merging of leaders of the Nation of Islam and leaders in my community."
Calls to a number of Islamic mosques and centers in Little Rock and around the state went unanswered Friday, as did a call to the Houston office of the Southwest Region of the Nation of Islam, which includes Arkansas.
Today, Mohammed is a Muslim elder statesman leading approximately 2.5 million American Muslims. He is a member of the World Supreme Council of Mosques, the Peace Council and an international president of the World Conference of Religion and Peace.(MORE)
Friday, August 10, 2007
Walid gives sermon regarding intellect's role in Islam
Today's sermon was given at Masjid Wali Muhammad in Detroit, MI.
Cut & paste to listen:
http://www.twango.com/media/DawudWalid.public/DawudWalid.10009
Cut & paste to listen:
http://www.twango.com/media/DawudWalid.public/DawudWalid.10009
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Message for Friday - Islam is the religion of intellect
لا فقر أشد من الجهل و لا مال أنفع من العقل
It is narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (SAAS) said, "There is no poverty worse than ignorance, and there is no wealth more beneficial than intellect."
Last year, there was serious tension between the Muslim world and the Vatican over a speech given by the Pope, which inferred that Islam is a religion of slavish submission, not of rationale. From this speech and the reactions that it invoked, some of them being irrational ironically, Muslims were summoned to rehash history of how Islamic scholars assisted Jewish and Christian scholars with their reconciliation of faith with reason.
In the 8th century CE, Muslim scholars were conducting vigorous research and engaging in robust debates about the nature of creation and its relationship to all sciences. From this period which extended for centuries into Muslim Spain, Muslims revived the classical works of pagan Greek philosophers such as Aristotle and advanced the world's understanding of not only mathematics, astronomy, chemistry, and medicine, but also on the relationship of these scientific endeavors within the master plan of the Divine. In other words, scientific inquiry and critical thinking were viewed as acts of worship by Muslims in respecting and utilizing the blessing of intellect. In this context, it can be easily understood why early Islamic philosophers said that "Al-Islam is the religion of intellect."
G'd in His ultimate mercy blessed the prolific Jewish theologian Maimonides and the Catholic theolgian Thomas Aquinas to reconcile faith with reason. Prior to Muslims coming to Europe and Christians being exposed to the likes of the great Muslim theologian Ibn Rushd aka Averroes, formal studying of medicine was void, bathing was considered sinful and physics was an unknown science.
Taliban style Muslims, who reject the use of critical thinking and do not encourage the advancement of the sciences for men and women have forgotten their own Muslim heritage. So the advancements of Western civilization should not be seen by Muslims as antithetical to Islamic tradition; those advancements should be seen as an extension of Islamic civilization and sanctioned within the decree of the Divine.
And surely G'd knows best.
It is narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (SAAS) said, "There is no poverty worse than ignorance, and there is no wealth more beneficial than intellect."
Last year, there was serious tension between the Muslim world and the Vatican over a speech given by the Pope, which inferred that Islam is a religion of slavish submission, not of rationale. From this speech and the reactions that it invoked, some of them being irrational ironically, Muslims were summoned to rehash history of how Islamic scholars assisted Jewish and Christian scholars with their reconciliation of faith with reason.
In the 8th century CE, Muslim scholars were conducting vigorous research and engaging in robust debates about the nature of creation and its relationship to all sciences. From this period which extended for centuries into Muslim Spain, Muslims revived the classical works of pagan Greek philosophers such as Aristotle and advanced the world's understanding of not only mathematics, astronomy, chemistry, and medicine, but also on the relationship of these scientific endeavors within the master plan of the Divine. In other words, scientific inquiry and critical thinking were viewed as acts of worship by Muslims in respecting and utilizing the blessing of intellect. In this context, it can be easily understood why early Islamic philosophers said that "Al-Islam is the religion of intellect."
G'd in His ultimate mercy blessed the prolific Jewish theologian Maimonides and the Catholic theolgian Thomas Aquinas to reconcile faith with reason. Prior to Muslims coming to Europe and Christians being exposed to the likes of the great Muslim theologian Ibn Rushd aka Averroes, formal studying of medicine was void, bathing was considered sinful and physics was an unknown science.
Taliban style Muslims, who reject the use of critical thinking and do not encourage the advancement of the sciences for men and women have forgotten their own Muslim heritage. So the advancements of Western civilization should not be seen by Muslims as antithetical to Islamic tradition; those advancements should be seen as an extension of Islamic civilization and sanctioned within the decree of the Divine.
And surely G'd knows best.
Hamtramck Muslim politicians in the mainstream
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070808/NEWS02/70808042/0/NEWS02
Muslims garner 2 of top 3 spots on Hamtramck council ballot
August 8, 2007
By NIRAJ WARIKOO
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
In a display of their emerging political power, Muslims were two of the top three vote-getters in Tuesday’s primary election in Hamtramck for City Council.
Shahab Ahmed, an incumbent, received 574 votes, the most out of 12 candidates on the ballot. Delawar Mohamed Hussain came in third, with 428 votes...
“It’s very noteworthy because not only does it reflect the changing demographics, but it also shows that Muslim politicians can appeal to voters outside their religious group,” said Dawud Walid, head of the Michigan branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “A Muslim can’t be elected in Hamtramck just by depending on Muslims alone supporting them.”(MORE)
Muslims garner 2 of top 3 spots on Hamtramck council ballot
August 8, 2007
By NIRAJ WARIKOO
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
In a display of their emerging political power, Muslims were two of the top three vote-getters in Tuesday’s primary election in Hamtramck for City Council.
Shahab Ahmed, an incumbent, received 574 votes, the most out of 12 candidates on the ballot. Delawar Mohamed Hussain came in third, with 428 votes...
“It’s very noteworthy because not only does it reflect the changing demographics, but it also shows that Muslim politicians can appeal to voters outside their religious group,” said Dawud Walid, head of the Michigan branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “A Muslim can’t be elected in Hamtramck just by depending on Muslims alone supporting them.”(MORE)
Blog on African-Americans in Islam on BET
This week, Black Entertainment Network (BET) began a blog called "Meet the Faith", which is featuring African-Americans in Islam. Writing on the blog this week is Precious Rasheeda Muhammad, who is a scholar of Islamic history pertaining to Islam in America and student of Imam WD Mohammed.
SEE: http://betintroduces.com/shows/meetthefaith/
SEE: http://betintroduces.com/shows/meetthefaith/
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