Since umoja means unity/oneness I also wanted to build on the Islamic notion of tawhid (oneness) as well. One of the most straightforward, eloquent and coherent descriptions of the Islamic concept of tawhid can be found in Abul A'La Mawdudi's well-publicized work, Towards Understanding Islam. The book unpacks and elaborates on the meaning of tawhid in such a way that it becomes the foundation of an entire way of life, an entire way of looking at the world.
One longish excerpt which describes this really nicely can be found at: Effects of Tawhid on Human Life. And you can also find a free online version of Towards Understanding Islam as well. The book is rather short as far as books go but it presents the subject matter in a really nice way and is well worth reading.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Monday, December 26, 2005
black and hispanic
Having been born in New York to a Puerto Rican family, Ronald Flecha is, at the same time, Hispanic and black. Since the African heritage is especially strong in the Caribbean, Flecha thought that his genes and his ancestry would save him from being discriminated by other blacks. But he was wrong.Full story in the Havana Journal
When I was in the Army's basic training, back in 1968, I got caught in the middle of two discriminatory feelings. I was chastised by both ends of the spectrum: the African Americans were not agreeable with me, and the anglo Americans weren't either. There was a kind of two-way racism in there.
umoja
Today is the first day of Kwanzaa. And the principle for the first day is umoja or unity. More specifically, according to Maulana Karenga umoja means "To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race."
At nearly every Kwanzaa related-event I've attended, it has been claimed that Kwanzaa is neutral as far as religion is concerned and that people of any belief should feel free to particpate. In my opinion that is more true now, but I don't believe that was the original intent of Karenga and the US (United Slaves) organization.
In Amiri Baraka's colleciton of writings "Raise, race, rays, raze" he has an entire essay on the deeper significance of the 7 principles of Kwanzaa (the Nguzo Saba) as the core and foundation of a new values system:
Personally, I think the whole idea is pretty provocative. It would be interesting if there were a positive group which actually tried to flesh out and develop the 7 prinicples in a serious and thoughtful way and put them into practice.
Tomorrow's principle: Kujichagulia or Self-Determination
At nearly every Kwanzaa related-event I've attended, it has been claimed that Kwanzaa is neutral as far as religion is concerned and that people of any belief should feel free to particpate. In my opinion that is more true now, but I don't believe that was the original intent of Karenga and the US (United Slaves) organization.
In Amiri Baraka's colleciton of writings "Raise, race, rays, raze" he has an entire essay on the deeper significance of the 7 principles of Kwanzaa (the Nguzo Saba) as the core and foundation of a new values system:
The 7 principles are the spine and total philosophy of the US organization. They are simple in what they say, but total in that they evoke all the levels of meaning associated with philosophical systems.
The 7 principles are "10 commandments" yet more profound to us - US because they are pre and post 10 commandments at the same time. If there is UMOJA, for instance thou cannot kill, steal, bear false witness, commit adultery, or any of the things the western world thrives on. The commandments are fulfilled by the initial need of blackness for unity- oneness.
Personally, I think the whole idea is pretty provocative. It would be interesting if there were a positive group which actually tried to flesh out and develop the 7 prinicples in a serious and thoughtful way and put them into practice.
Tomorrow's principle: Kujichagulia or Self-Determination
Sunday, December 25, 2005
2nd annual brass crescent awards
And the categories are:
BEST MIDDLE-EAST/ASIAN BLOGGER - The Islamsphere is truly a global phennomenon. In Iraq, despite the chaos and uncertainty, there is a sea change of free speech and expression, the vanguard of which are blogs. There are also bloggers in India, in Pakistan, in Jordan, and most other countries that host muslims, all of whom have their own perspectives on faith, culture, and politics.
BEST GROUP BLOG - which multiple group blog in the Islamsphere has the best diversity of writers and the most interesting debate on Muslim issues?
MOST DESERVING OF WIDER RECOGNITION - Which blog is a true diamond in the rough, one that everyone should be reading but who most just haven't heard of (yet) ?
BEST THINKER - Who is the most stimulating, insightful, and philosophically wise among us? This category is intended to highlight a blogger who may not post daily, but when they do post, they really make an impact.
BEST FEMALE BLOG - The woman's voice in Islam is equal to the man's, and in the Islamsphere we seek to make sure the female perspective is highlighted and given its rightful due. Which muslim woman's blog has done the most to explore the role that women play within Islam and society?
BEST POST OR SERIES - Which single post or group of posts in the Islamsphere was the most original and important, above all the others?
BEST NON-MUSLIM BLOG - Which blog writen by a non-muslim is most respectful of Islam and seeks genuine dialog with muslims?
BEST BLOG - the most indispensable, muslim-authored blog there is. Period.
kwanzaa
So tomorrow marks the beginning of Kwanzaa, the seven-day period of reflection and celebration founded by the controversial figure Maulana Karenga, as an expression of African-American heritage. I figure that no matter what people have to say about Karenga, we can do worse things with our time than spend the next seven days thinking deeply and conscientiously about our principles and values and where we are headed as a people.
As a matter of fact, I've never actually "celebrated Kwanzaa" (in the 'proper' way, over 7 days, lighting candles, etc.) In my opinion, it would be improper for a Muslim to do so. But I have been present at a number of Kwanzaa celebrations over the years. What happens on many colleges and universities is that since Kwanzaa itself (December 26 to January 1) typically occurs when school is not in session, students and faculty would tend to have a one-day year-end event which serves as a chance for the Black community to come together one last time before the holiday break.
This year, I still don't plan on "officially" celebrating Kwanzaa but I think it would be valuable and interesting for me to use the seven principles of the Nguzo Saba as a springboard for blogging for the next seven days.
To start this off, tomorrow's principle is Umoja or Unity. And I'll try to have an entry finished by the end of the day.
Wikipedia: Kwanzaa
Official Kwanzaa Website
As a matter of fact, I've never actually "celebrated Kwanzaa" (in the 'proper' way, over 7 days, lighting candles, etc.) In my opinion, it would be improper for a Muslim to do so. But I have been present at a number of Kwanzaa celebrations over the years. What happens on many colleges and universities is that since Kwanzaa itself (December 26 to January 1) typically occurs when school is not in session, students and faculty would tend to have a one-day year-end event which serves as a chance for the Black community to come together one last time before the holiday break.
This year, I still don't plan on "officially" celebrating Kwanzaa but I think it would be valuable and interesting for me to use the seven principles of the Nguzo Saba as a springboard for blogging for the next seven days.
To start this off, tomorrow's principle is Umoja or Unity. And I'll try to have an entry finished by the end of the day.
Wikipedia: Kwanzaa
Official Kwanzaa Website
evelio grillo
For a while now I've been thinking of blogging some on Evelio Grillo, the Afro-Cuban American veteran whose published the autobiographical work Black Cuban, Black American: A Memior a few years ago. His life exemplifies one likely trajectory for Afro-Latinos, namely to join the Black American community and get "African-Americanized" so to speak.
But for those who don't have the time to read his memoir, I recently found a "clipping" of a newspaper interview with Grillo about his experiences. Enjoy!
But for those who don't have the time to read his memoir, I recently found a "clipping" of a newspaper interview with Grillo about his experiences. Enjoy!
black hispanics and the census
By John Moreno Gonzales
Staff Writer
NY Newsday
July 15, 2003
Hispanics who identify themselves racially as black take on economic and social characteristics that more closely mirror those of African-Americans than of other Hispanics, according to a study on the often overlooked group released Monday.
The findings by the Lewis Mumford Center of SUNY Albany said that the nearly 1 million black Hispanics identified by the 2000 U.S. Census are more educated than other Hispanics, less likely to be immigrants and less likely to speak a language other than English.
Yet their economic performance is worse, with a lower median household income than other Hispanics, as well as higher unemployment and poverty rates.
John R. Logan, the author of the study and director of the Mumford Center, attributed the economic disparity between black Hispanics and other Hispanics to the "very strong color line in the United States."
"The opportunity structure here is that when people decide who to hire, or to rent to, when it comes right down to it, race does make a difference," he said.
The most intense concentration of black Hispanics in the United States was by far in the New York metropolitan area, with 9.2 percent of Hispanics calling themselves black, according to the census.
The national origin of black Hispanics was largely Dominican and to a lesser extent Puerto Rican, with Cubans and Central Americans also showing significant numbers of Hispanics who identified themselves racially as black.
Rosina Pearsall, 36, who lives in Garden City and is a instructor at the Westbury Language Center, said her black skin and Latino heritage has led to little direct segregation.
"But when I am with Caucasian people they look at me differently," said the English as a Second Language teacher from Costa Rica. "They are asking themselves 'How come a black girl is Spanish?' And they can't understand that."
The study found that 28 percent of black Hispanics were immigrants, compared with 41 percent of all Hispanics. Sixty-one percent of black Hispanics spoke a language other than English in the home compared with 79 percent of all Hispanics. The mean education level of black Hispanics was 11.7 years, compared with 12.5 for non-Hispanic blacks and 10.5 years for all Hispanics.
The median household income of black Hispanics was $35,000, closer to the $34,000 of non-Hispanic blacks than to the $38,500 of all Hispanics.
Their unemployment rate was 12.3 percent, compared with 11 percent for non-Hispanic blacks and 8.8 percent for all Hispanics. Their poverty rate was 31.5 percent, compared with the 29.7 percent of non-Hispanic blacks and 26 percent for all Hispanics.
Black Hispanics tend to marry non-Hispanic blacks at a higher rate than they do other Hispanics, the report said. Nearly half the black Hispanic children had a parent who is a non-Hispanic black.
Pearsall married Milton Pearsall last year, an Army warrant officer who is African-American. "African-Americans are a little more open to accept me because I look like them," Rosina Pearsall said.
Faced with such a mixture of racial backgrounds, the report also found that Hispanics are increasingly choosing to not identify themselves as either black or white. In the 1980 Census, only 33.7 percent of Hispanics chose to forgo any racial classification. In 2000, 47.4 percent did not choose a race.
Logan acknowledged, however, that the bulk of Hispanics may not call themselves white or black simply because they factually are neither. The dominate Hispanic group in the United States, those of Mexican heritage, are often of both Spanish and indigenous blood and their skin is neither black nor white.
© 2003, Newsday, Inc.
To see the full Mumford Center report, "How Race Counts for Hispanic Americans"
Click Here
Staff Writer
NY Newsday
July 15, 2003
Hispanics who identify themselves racially as black take on economic and social characteristics that more closely mirror those of African-Americans than of other Hispanics, according to a study on the often overlooked group released Monday.
The findings by the Lewis Mumford Center of SUNY Albany said that the nearly 1 million black Hispanics identified by the 2000 U.S. Census are more educated than other Hispanics, less likely to be immigrants and less likely to speak a language other than English.
Yet their economic performance is worse, with a lower median household income than other Hispanics, as well as higher unemployment and poverty rates.
John R. Logan, the author of the study and director of the Mumford Center, attributed the economic disparity between black Hispanics and other Hispanics to the "very strong color line in the United States."
"The opportunity structure here is that when people decide who to hire, or to rent to, when it comes right down to it, race does make a difference," he said.
The most intense concentration of black Hispanics in the United States was by far in the New York metropolitan area, with 9.2 percent of Hispanics calling themselves black, according to the census.
The national origin of black Hispanics was largely Dominican and to a lesser extent Puerto Rican, with Cubans and Central Americans also showing significant numbers of Hispanics who identified themselves racially as black.
Rosina Pearsall, 36, who lives in Garden City and is a instructor at the Westbury Language Center, said her black skin and Latino heritage has led to little direct segregation.
"But when I am with Caucasian people they look at me differently," said the English as a Second Language teacher from Costa Rica. "They are asking themselves 'How come a black girl is Spanish?' And they can't understand that."
The study found that 28 percent of black Hispanics were immigrants, compared with 41 percent of all Hispanics. Sixty-one percent of black Hispanics spoke a language other than English in the home compared with 79 percent of all Hispanics. The mean education level of black Hispanics was 11.7 years, compared with 12.5 for non-Hispanic blacks and 10.5 years for all Hispanics.
The median household income of black Hispanics was $35,000, closer to the $34,000 of non-Hispanic blacks than to the $38,500 of all Hispanics.
Their unemployment rate was 12.3 percent, compared with 11 percent for non-Hispanic blacks and 8.8 percent for all Hispanics. Their poverty rate was 31.5 percent, compared with the 29.7 percent of non-Hispanic blacks and 26 percent for all Hispanics.
Black Hispanics tend to marry non-Hispanic blacks at a higher rate than they do other Hispanics, the report said. Nearly half the black Hispanic children had a parent who is a non-Hispanic black.
Pearsall married Milton Pearsall last year, an Army warrant officer who is African-American. "African-Americans are a little more open to accept me because I look like them," Rosina Pearsall said.
Faced with such a mixture of racial backgrounds, the report also found that Hispanics are increasingly choosing to not identify themselves as either black or white. In the 1980 Census, only 33.7 percent of Hispanics chose to forgo any racial classification. In 2000, 47.4 percent did not choose a race.
Logan acknowledged, however, that the bulk of Hispanics may not call themselves white or black simply because they factually are neither. The dominate Hispanic group in the United States, those of Mexican heritage, are often of both Spanish and indigenous blood and their skin is neither black nor white.
© 2003, Newsday, Inc.
To see the full Mumford Center report, "How Race Counts for Hispanic Americans"
Click Here
he knows when you are awake...
And we haven't been...
In Spying and Lying by Katrina vanden Heuvel points out how the media has been complicit in the recent spying scandal and how the government convinced the New York Times sit on the story for about a year before making it public.
And it would be bad enough if it were just an action of the government, but according to Tom Daschle, who was Senate Majority leader after 9/11 Congress Never Authorized Spying Effort and so the spying was actually illegal.
As a protest against these revelations Judge James Robertson resigned from the Foreign Intelligence Surveilance Court or FISA. In "normal" circumstances, FISA is the body set up to approve eavesdropping and last year out of 1,758 requests for warrants, they approved all but 4. FISA even has the ability to approve warrants after the fact. Nevertheless, the administration still wanted to bypass even this much oversight. And gave rather weak reasons for doing so.
Initially it was claimed that only communications between US citizens and foreign nationals were subject to surveilance, but in reality there are indications that the scope of the surveilance was much more extensive than admitted to at first. [2]
Looks like the country is getting coal this year.
In Spying and Lying by Katrina vanden Heuvel points out how the media has been complicit in the recent spying scandal and how the government convinced the New York Times sit on the story for about a year before making it public.
And it would be bad enough if it were just an action of the government, but according to Tom Daschle, who was Senate Majority leader after 9/11 Congress Never Authorized Spying Effort and so the spying was actually illegal.
As a protest against these revelations Judge James Robertson resigned from the Foreign Intelligence Surveilance Court or FISA. In "normal" circumstances, FISA is the body set up to approve eavesdropping and last year out of 1,758 requests for warrants, they approved all but 4. FISA even has the ability to approve warrants after the fact. Nevertheless, the administration still wanted to bypass even this much oversight. And gave rather weak reasons for doing so.
Initially it was claimed that only communications between US citizens and foreign nationals were subject to surveilance, but in reality there are indications that the scope of the surveilance was much more extensive than admitted to at first. [2]
Looks like the country is getting coal this year.
Saturday, December 24, 2005
he knows when you are sleeping...
From Alt.Muslim:
Santa Doesn't Watch Muslims, But The FBI Does
Following last week's revelations that the Bush administration approved of warrantless tapping of phone conversations made by US citizens, the FBI and US Department of Energy's Nuclear Emergency Support Team (NEST) have confirmed that it conducted hundreds of warrantless searches at US Muslim sites (mosques, homes, businesses, etc.) over the last few years.
Santa Doesn't Watch Muslims, But The FBI Does
the son of mary
From the Quran 19:16-34
Relate in the Book (the story of) Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place in the East. She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent her our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects.
She said: "I seek refuge from thee to (Allah) Most Gracious: (come not near) if thou dost fear Allah."
He said: "Nay, I am only a messenger from thy Lord, (to announce) to thee the gift of a holy son.
She said: "How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, and I am not unchaste?"
He said: "So (it will be): Thy Lord saith, 'that is easy for Me: and (We wish) to appoint him as a Sign unto men and a Mercy from Us':It is a matter (so) decreed."
So she conceived him, and she retired with him to a remote place. And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree: She cried (in her anguish): "Ah! would that I had died before this! would that I had been a thing forgotten and out of sight!"
But (a voice) cried to her from beneath the (palm-tree): "Grieve not! for thy Lord hath provided a rivulet beneath thee; And shake towards thyself the trunk of the palm-tree: It will let fall fresh ripe dates upon thee. So eat and drink and cool (thine) eye. And if thou dost see any man, say, 'I have vowed a fast to (Allah) Most Gracious, and this day will I enter into not talk with any human being'"
At length she brought the (babe) to her people, carrying him (in her arms). They said: "O Mary! truly an amazing thing hast thou brought! O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a man of evil, nor thy mother a woman unchaste!"
But she pointed to the babe. They said: "How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?"
He said: "I am indeed a servant of Allah. He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet; And He hath made me blessed wheresoever I be, and hath enjoined on me Prayer and Charity as long as I live; (He) hath made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable; So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)"!
Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary: (it is) a statement of truth, about which they (vainly) dispute.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
rage and race in latin america
From Open Democracy: The time of the underdog: rage and race in Latin America by Ivan Briscoe takes a broad look at how traditional oppressed groups seem to be gaining more of a voice and representation in several different Latin American nations.
i'm dreaming of a...
From Alternet: A Whiter Shade of Christmas
I don't mean to be a Grinch but this is a rather scary post on how normal the white nationalist movement seems to have gotten lately. It is isn't just rural, southern, uneducated and poor. And they don't just have cross-burnings but also put together cookbooks and run Aryan clothing drives.
Also on white supremacists:
race and sex
prussian blue
I don't mean to be a Grinch but this is a rather scary post on how normal the white nationalist movement seems to have gotten lately. It is isn't just rural, southern, uneducated and poor. And they don't just have cross-burnings but also put together cookbooks and run Aryan clothing drives.
[...] white supremacists are not a monolithic group. During research for her 2002 book, "Inside Organized Racism: Women and the Hate Movement," Blee found that the public's preconceptions about racist activists, and specifically about racist women, were skewed. After interviewing 34 white nationalist women, she wrote that "many did not fit common stereotypes about racist women as uneducated, marginal members of society raised in terrible families and lured into racist groups by boyfriends and husbands." In fact, most of Blee's research subjects were educated middle-class women with decent jobs, and many came to racist activism on their own.
Also on white supremacists:
race and sex
prussian blue
afrocuba.org
At the moment, it is not quite as extensive as AfroCuba Web which has been in my permanent link section from the beginning, but http://www.afrocuba.org seems to be shaping up to be another decent site (It also seems rather apolitical and more "cultural" than the former)
big brother is watching you
To be honest, I feel a bit overwhelmed by what I've been finding in the news these days. The NSA is spying on U.S. citizens. The government is planting favorable stories in the Iraqi press. Secret prisons in other countries. Less than convincing disavowals of torture. We were nearly going to bomb Al-Jazeera. What is the world coming to? Right now it feels like it is too hard to compartmentalize and sum everything up while throwing in some nice links. A free press is absolutely essential to making sure that our leaders act responsibly, but recently the media has been letting us down. In certain respects Congress has as well. There is some hope in John Conyers and others. But still, where does that leave us? What can we do?
"we shall change them for fresh skins"
One of the more vivid passages in the Quran (for me anyway) describes how in the afterlife some individuals will continually be given new skins. By contrast, in the here and now, most of us tend to keep the skins we have along with with all the positive and negative consequences which are attached to them.
The Sunni Sister recently revised and posted on her blog: White Privilege, White Muslim which has some really thought-provoking comments on how white converts to Islam don't magically stop being white. Plus she includes ALOT of useful links on white privilege generally, and related subjects.
The Sunni Sister recently revised and posted on her blog: White Privilege, White Muslim which has some really thought-provoking comments on how white converts to Islam don't magically stop being white. Plus she includes ALOT of useful links on white privilege generally, and related subjects.
invisibility blues
The invisibility of Black Hispanics is a theme which comes up so often it sometimes seems like a cliche (to me anyway). Why aren't there more Blacks in Spanish-language magazines? Why aren't there more Blacks on Spanish television? (Although I have to admit, we are appearing more on Spanish-language talkshows recently... but not necessarily in ways which make me well with pride.) And when I visited the Prado art museum in Madrid several years ago I felt like Buggin' Out from Do the Right Thing, asking myself "Why aren't there any brothers on the wall?"
On that note, George at Negrophile has recently pointed to some pieces dealing with Afro-Latin "invisibility". Where Did Mexico's Blacks Go? deals with Mexico while Blacks in Argentina and Long-Unclaimed African Roots discuss the mystery behind the "disappearance" of the Afro-Argentine population.
On that note, George at Negrophile has recently pointed to some pieces dealing with Afro-Latin "invisibility". Where Did Mexico's Blacks Go? deals with Mexico while Blacks in Argentina and Long-Unclaimed African Roots discuss the mystery behind the "disappearance" of the Afro-Argentine population.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
john coltrane
From: The Jazz Church by Gordon Polatnick:
For a while now I've been meaning to include some links on these folks, they are a religious organization inspired by the music and spirituality of jazz great, John Coltrane. I've never been to a serice, but I'm still kind of impressed by the idea of being able to find sanctity and mystery in the midst of something which most folks would view from a more mundane perspective.
Saint John Coltrane African Orthodox Church
The Aspiration of John Coltrane by Richard Carlson
http://www.johncoltrane.com/
Sometimes I think I'm the only one who understands what true religion is. It's that cozy state of mind where nothing is more apparent than the unassailable fact that each of us belongs here on Earth, and is deeply loved by an enduring spirit. If you've got that kind of religion, you want to share it. If you've really got that kind of religion nobody will mistake you for a used god salesman. That's your litmus test, my proselytizing friend, turn one person off and it's back to the pew for you. True religion is the light bulb that just has to be flicked on to attract a flock of worshipping moths. Amen. That light bulb doesn't have to convince the moths that it's burning bright (those moths can tell and they
come a' runnin').
On Divisadero Street there is a pretty bright light bulb that first appeared over the head of Franzo King in 1971 when he had the idea to organize the "One Mind Temple Evolutionary Transitional Body of Christ," which would soon evolve into Saint John's African Orthodox Church.
For a while now I've been meaning to include some links on these folks, they are a religious organization inspired by the music and spirituality of jazz great, John Coltrane. I've never been to a serice, but I'm still kind of impressed by the idea of being able to find sanctity and mystery in the midst of something which most folks would view from a more mundane perspective.
Saint John Coltrane African Orthodox Church
The Aspiration of John Coltrane by Richard Carlson
http://www.johncoltrane.com/
monkey business
Any movie that features white people sailing off to the Third World to capture a giant ape and carry it back to the West for exploitation is going to be seen as a metaphor for colonialism and racism.
Or so says Newsday columnist James P. Pinkerton in his recent piece which tries to thoughtfully wrestle with the question: Is King Kong racist? (With a discussion of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness to boot). Haroon at Avari/Nameh deals with similar issues in his timely post: the martyrdom of king kong
For my part, I agree whole-heartedly with Pinkerton's comment above and I don't think anyone should have to work very hard to view King Kong through a racial/political lens. Shoot, I have a friend who reads Curious George in the same way! Both are stories of apes taken out of Africa to the West. In the case of King Kong, the strong giant ape is blatantly exploited and when he rebels the story has to end violently and tragically. On the other hand, the Curious George stories are meant for young children so George is allowed to survive and is treated paternalistically, rather than harshly, by the Man in the Yellow Hat. (is there a "field ape" / "house ape" issue here?)
But to be honest, I never really got into Curious George or King Kong. I'm more a Planet of the Apes fan (And I'm only talking about Pierre Boule's original novel and the first 5-film cycle, not the television series or Tim Burton's remade pile of monkey s---)
In fact, one of my favorite all-time movies is Conquest of the Plant of the Apes largely because of the more interesting political content and the non-tragic ending where the apes (i.e. slaves) rebel and take over. Here the racial symbolism is perhaps too blatant for some tastes. The human characters who are most sympathetic to the ape cause are clearly Armando (played by Ricardo Montalban, a Hispanic) and Macdonald (played by Hari Rhoades, an African-American). And in the early 70's when the film came out, in the wake of the Watts riots, it would be hard to miss the connection between the political events of the day and the final climactic scene of the film when the apes have started to violently rise up against their human (i.e. white) oppressors, and Macdonald (the Black man) is arguing about revolutionary principles with Caesar, the ape leader:
MacDonald: Caesar... Caesar! This is not how it was meant to be.
Caesar: In your view or mine?
MacDonald: Violence prolongs hate, hate prolongs violence. By what right are you spilling blood?
Caesar: By the slave's right to punish his persecutor.
MacDonald: I, a decedent of slaves am asking you to show humanity.
Caesar: But, I was not born human
MacDonald: I know. The child of the evolved apes.
Caesar: Whose children shall rule the earth.
MacDonald: For better or for worse?
Caesar: Do you think it could be worse?
MacDonald: Do you think this riot will win freedom for all your people? By tomorrow...
Caesar: By tomorrow it will be too late. Why a tiny, mindless insect like the emperor moth can communicate with another over a distance of 80 miles..
MacDonald: An emperor ape might do slightly better?
Caesar: Slightly? What you have seen here today, apes on the 5 continents will be imitating tomorrow.
MacDonald: With knives against guns? With kerosene cans against flamethrowers?
Caesar: Where there is fire, there is smoke. And in that smoke, from this day forward, my people will crouch and conspire and plot and plan for the inevitable day of Man's downfall--the day when he finally and self-destructively turns his weapons against his own kind. The day of the writing in the sky, when your cities lie buried under radioactive rubble! When the sea is a dead sea, and the land is a wasteland out of which I will lead my people from their captivity! And we will build our own cities in which there will be no place for humans except to serve our ends! And we shall found our own armies, our own religion, our own dynasty! And that day is upon you... NOW!
(This is how the movie ends in the original script, but it was a bit too militant for some folks... go figure... so the content was later toned down when the film was released)
But to go back to the original question, I'm not sure how interesting it is to ask "Is King Kong a racist film?". Even if the title figure may be a stand-in for Black or Third World humanity (which is likely) the film's content is relatively easy to unpack and analyze and we can decide for ourselves who the heroes and villans are, and whether the ending is comic or tragic. The real question isn't whether the film is racist or not, the real question is who will we be rooting for?
Planet of the Apes (scripts for films and series)
Those Damn Dirty Apes! by Anthony Leong
Slate: The Apes of Wrath: The radical political history of Planet of the Apes.
Monday, December 19, 2005
latin left
The times, they are a chagin'.. in Bolivia...
In These Times: Evo Morales Has Plans for Bolivia
BBC News: Profile: Evo Morales
Common Dreams: Bolivia's Charge to the Left
Common Dreams: Bolivia's Hero Vows to Break US Shackles
Mercury News:Bolivia's presidential election could widen already deep divisions
also:
Vivir Latino: Hugo Chávez is Awarded Unesco José Martí Prize
In These Times: Evo Morales Has Plans for Bolivia
BBC News: Profile: Evo Morales
Common Dreams: Bolivia's Charge to the Left
Common Dreams: Bolivia's Hero Vows to Break US Shackles
Mercury News:Bolivia's presidential election could widen already deep divisions
also:
Vivir Latino: Hugo Chávez is Awarded Unesco José Martí Prize
Saturday, December 17, 2005
yup, we definitely all look alike
From La Voz de Aztlan: Air Marshals lied about slain Latino passenger saying "I have a bomb" Maybe they should profile people who look like air marshals?
islam and the blackamerican: finally finished
I actually finished Islam and the Blackamerican: Looking toward the Third Resurrection well over a week ago but I've been letting it marinate in my head some before coming up with any kind of final blog entry on it. It is funny but with all the other info I've already included about this book and Sherman (Abdul-Hakim) Jackson's ideas, by now I feel like I have almost nothing left to say. I liked the book. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to say anthing about Islam and race relations in America. From a certain perspective, the point of the book is really simple to state: Blackamerican Muslims need to figure out how to be Black (e.g. anti-racist, culturally authentic) AND American (e.g. claiming and owning all the rights and privilieges of citizenship and nationality) AND Muslim (e.g. orthodox, a full part of the world community of Muslims) and hold down jobs, all at the same time. And if we give up struggling to affirm and claim any part of that task, then we end up paying too high a price. Everything else is details.
Has anybody else read the book and would like to share their thoughts?
Has anybody else read the book and would like to share their thoughts?
imprisoned intellectuals
In the course of trying to repair a link in my Dhoruba bin Wahad entry I found an online draft of the book Imprisoned Intellectuals: US Political Prisoners and Social Justice edited by Joy James.
This larger work not only includes a section on Dhoruba bin Wahad but also Jalil Muntaqim, Safiya Bukhari, and many other activists coming from a wide range of perspectives (Muslim, Latino, Native American, former Black Panthers etc.)
This larger work not only includes a section on Dhoruba bin Wahad but also Jalil Muntaqim, Safiya Bukhari, and many other activists coming from a wide range of perspectives (Muslim, Latino, Native American, former Black Panthers etc.)
Friday, December 16, 2005
malik rahim
Ihasan Podcast: Malik Rahim speaks out on Katrina
Washington Post: For a Former Panther, Solidarity After the Storm
Social Resistance: 'This is criminal'
www.indybay.org: Malik Rahim running for mayor of New Orleans
Common Ground: Common Ground Collective (Malik Rahim founder)
A.N.S.W.E.R.: Katrina Survivors Struggle for Justice
Democracy Now!: Malik Rahim Demands Inquiry into Hurricane Katrina Deaths and Amnesty for “Looters” (interview)
Other Ihsan Podasts (good stuff on Tookie Williams, Million Family March, etc.)
black cats who became muslim
Some time ago, a Sunni African-American Muslim blogger had asserted that African-American Sunnis weren't doing as much in Black communities as Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam. And to be honest, the fact that he said so kind of annoyed me.... not just because I thought he was wrong, but because of the nagging suspicion that he might be right. So I felt compelled to try to disprove him by trying to point to Black Sunni activists and doing entries on them at Planet Grenada.
In the process, what I found is that there are alot of Sunni individuals and organizations quietly doing alot of positive work in the Black community. But because they don't seek out controversy, they don't get the same kind of media attention which Farrakhan or the Nation do.
In particular, I found a group of African-American Muslims who were all former Black Panthers and it made me really curious to see how many African-American Muslims came to Islam along that particular trajectory. It would be good if someone could do more research on the phenomena. Perhaps some Panthers are left unsatisfied by Marxist materialism and so they feel a need for more spirituality and become Muslim. That would be my guess, but to be honest I really don't know.
I've been mulling this subject over for a while, but it came up again for me recently because I've reading about, and working on a blog entry for, Malik Rahim who has been in the news lately. He is a (you guessed it) former Black Panther but is still very much involved in community activism. He lives in New Orleans and is running as the Green Party candidate for mayor. I'm tentatively assuming that he's probably Muslim but I'm trying to find out more information about him online.
remember imam jamil al-amin
nuh washington
dhoruba bin wahad
interview with safiya bukhari
jalil abdul muntaqim
mustafa ibn talib
prison islam
another piece on prison islam
young lords
a really nice black panther page
(i may need to fix some links)
In the process, what I found is that there are alot of Sunni individuals and organizations quietly doing alot of positive work in the Black community. But because they don't seek out controversy, they don't get the same kind of media attention which Farrakhan or the Nation do.
In particular, I found a group of African-American Muslims who were all former Black Panthers and it made me really curious to see how many African-American Muslims came to Islam along that particular trajectory. It would be good if someone could do more research on the phenomena. Perhaps some Panthers are left unsatisfied by Marxist materialism and so they feel a need for more spirituality and become Muslim. That would be my guess, but to be honest I really don't know.
I've been mulling this subject over for a while, but it came up again for me recently because I've reading about, and working on a blog entry for, Malik Rahim who has been in the news lately. He is a (you guessed it) former Black Panther but is still very much involved in community activism. He lives in New Orleans and is running as the Green Party candidate for mayor. I'm tentatively assuming that he's probably Muslim but I'm trying to find out more information about him online.
remember imam jamil al-amin
nuh washington
dhoruba bin wahad
interview with safiya bukhari
jalil abdul muntaqim
mustafa ibn talib
prison islam
another piece on prison islam
young lords
a really nice black panther page
(i may need to fix some links)
Thursday, December 15, 2005
mustafa ibn talib
Another brief profile of a brother on death row at San Quentin.
CCADP: Writings by Mustafa Ibn Talib
Al-Fath al-Mubin: More writings
CCADP: Biography of Mustafa Ibn Talib/ Andrew Lancaster
CCADP: Writings by Mustafa Ibn Talib
Al-Fath al-Mubin: More writings
CCADP: Biography of Mustafa Ibn Talib/ Andrew Lancaster
jalil abdul muntaqim
Jalil A. Muntaqim was born October 18, 1951, in Oakland, California, the first of four children in his family. His early years were spent in San Francisco. In his junior high school years he obtained a summer scholarship to attend an advanced high school math and science program; and while in high school he obtained a summer scholarship to attend an advanced college summer math and engineering program. During the civil rights movement, he participated in NAACP youth organizing and was one of many who engaged in street riots against racism and police brutality in San Francisco.
In high school, he became a leading member of the Black Student Union and later became involved with Ron Karenga's "House of Umoja". After the assassination of Rev. King, Jalil began to believe a more militant response to national oppression and racism was necessary and began to look towards the Black Panthers for Self-Defense for leadership. He became affiliated with the BPP when he was 18 years old. Having moved back to San Francisco from San Jose, Jalil was recruited into the Black underground by elementary school friends who had since become Panthers.
Less than two months from his twentieth birthday, on August 28, 1971, Jalil was captured along with Albert Nuh Washington (deceased) in a midnight shoot-out with San Francisco police. (It has been alleged that Jalil and Nuh attempted to assassinate a S.F. police sergeant in retaliation for the August 21, 1971 assassination of George Jackson.) Subsequently, Jalil was charged with a host of revolutionary underground activities, including the assassination of NYC police officers for which he is currently serving a life sentence.
When he was arrested in 1971, he was a high school graduate and employed as a social worker for the California State Employment Office. Having been imprisoned since 1971, Jalil is one of the ten longest held Black political prisoners in the world. He states, "I came to prison an expectant father and will leave prison a grandfather."
PARC: Jalil Abdul Muntaqim
Kersplebedeb: Jalil Abdul Muntaqim
IIPI: Jalil Abdul Muntaqim
Prison Activist Resource Center
Innocent in Prison International
Can't Jail the Spirit
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
straight thuggin'
Black students at the University of Chicago are calling for campus wide discussions on racial sensitivity following a controversial party held at a campus dorm last month. Under the theme “Straight Thuggin,” partygoers – all of whom were white, according to Chicago’s local ABC news affiliate – followed instructions to dress, act and speak as if they were part of the hip-hop culture while listening to rap music throughout the event. The students said they were also offended with pictures from the party showing participants dressed in baggy clothes, wearing sideways baseball caps, exposed underwear, bandanas and other accessories.
"I don't think that it was meant in a racist way, but I think it was just sort of ignorant in not knowing it would offend people," said Brittany Hamelers, UIC student.
Yes Brittany.
And what is really weird is that this sort of thing isn't an isolated event. From time to time, I've read about similar events on college campuses (often in the context of the Greek system). And for years, white youths in Brooklyn have been attending similar regular "kill whitey" parties. What is going on? At first I was thinking that there needed to be some kind of healthy cautious revival of real white pride. But now I don't really know. Where is this all coming from?
Black News: Straight Thuggin’ at The University of Chicago
Chicago Maroon: “Ghetto”—themed dorm party offends students
Black Entertainment: Themed night by white U of Chicago students deemed racially insensitive
Planet Grenada: "kill whitey"
what i would do with the rest of my life?
Of course, the timing makes this piece more than a bit sad. But for me it helps raise all sorts of questions about the Tookie Williams case. Is he sincere about being redeemed? How important is it that he still proclaimed his innocence in spite of the weight of evidence against him? Is it possible to do enough good deeds to make up for taking a life. What is the purpose of capital punishment and the criminal justice system in general? Is it to balance some kind of moral calculus (punish the guilty)? Deterrence? Rehabilitation? Protecting society from dangerous people? Something else entirely different? Redemption?
My name is Stanley "Tookie" Williams. I've been residing on San Quentin's condemned row for over 24 years. As a death row prisoner, my testament to redemption has been met at times with condemnation and misinformation. Fortunately, it is God who anoints with the oil of redemption. The forgiving God to whom I pray has sublimated me, humbled me and vicariously works through me.
In the beginning, redemption was an alien concept to me. However, while in solitary confinement, during 1988 to 1994, I embarked upon a transitional path toward redemption. I underwent disciplined years of education, soul-searching, edification, spiritual cultivation and battling my internal demons. Though I was loathed for being the co-founder of the Crips, my redemption caused me to repudiate my gang leadership role, to repudiate any affiliation with the Crips or other gangs.
Redemption has resurrected me from a mental and spiritual death. It symbolizes the end of a bad beginning, as well as a new start. Being redeemed has enabled me to reunite with God, reclaim my humanity, find inner peace and discover my raison d'tre, my reason to exist.
Recently, I was asked if I am prepared to die. I responded, "I'm prepared to live." Though execution looms like poisonous toxins, God's gift of redemption [revives] my life. I inhale redemption and exhale joie de vivre. That's why I do not fear death. Socrates stated while defending his life before court judges, "A man who is good for anything should not calculate the chance of living or dying. He should only consider whether in doing anything, he is doing right or wrong, and acting the part of a good man or of bad." I opted for good to assist the hopeless.
Consequently, my spirit deeds are exhibited in my nine children's books; my memoir "Blue Rage, Black Redemption"; my educational website www.tookie.com; my Internet Project for Street Peace; and my Peace Protocol. All of my work is predicated on persuading youths and adults to not follow in my footsteps. Still, my desire is to do more.
Recently, I met with Bruce Gordon, president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). From that extraordinary meeting came an historic partnership. Each NAACP chapter will be working with me to create and implement a violence prevention curriculum for at-risk youths throughout America. The partnership with this nation's oldest civil rights organization will provide me with the structure and support to carry out my vision of a gang-free America.
I know that to whom much is given, much is expected. If Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger grants me clemency, I will accept it as an obligation to society to spend the rest of my life working to reverse the cycle of youth violence. It is my desire to help save society from producing more victims.
Here and now, I bear witness that God's bequest of redemption has replenished me with a mission and revealed that the impossible is possible.
Final Call
better out than in
It’s Easier to Fuel A Movement from the Streets Than from A Jail Cell by Tonyaa Weathersbee. On the Oakland vandalism cases.
stanley tookie williams (1953-2005)
From: "Democracy Now! interview"
Stanley Williams gained world-wide attention and praise for his work in prison, including the publication of children's books advocating non-violence and alternatives to gangs, an autobiography, and Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story a Hollywood movie honoring him, starring Jamie Foxx. In 1997, Williams wrote an apology, posted on his website, for his role in creating the Crips. In 2004, he helped broker a peace agreement (called the Tookie Protocol For Peace) for what had been one of the deadliest and infamous gang wars in the country, between the Bloods and the Crips, in both the state of California and the city of Newark, New Jersey. Williams received a letter from President George W. Bush commending him for his social activism.
Williams was reportedly nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize every year from 2001 to 2005; nominations came from Mario Fehr, a member of the Swiss Parliament; four times by Notre Dame de Namur University Philosophy and Religion Professor Phil Gasper; William Keach, a Brown University Professor of English Literature, nominated Williams for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Wikipedia: Stanley Tookie Williams
Well, my interpretation of redemption, it differs from the theological or the academical rendition. I believe that my redemption symbolizes the end of a bad beginning and a new start. It goes beyond, in a sense of being liberated from one's sins or atonement in itself. I feel that my redemption mostly or primarily encompasses the ability to reach out to others.
-Stanley Tookie Williams
Stanley Williams gained world-wide attention and praise for his work in prison, including the publication of children's books advocating non-violence and alternatives to gangs, an autobiography, and Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story a Hollywood movie honoring him, starring Jamie Foxx. In 1997, Williams wrote an apology, posted on his website, for his role in creating the Crips. In 2004, he helped broker a peace agreement (called the Tookie Protocol For Peace) for what had been one of the deadliest and infamous gang wars in the country, between the Bloods and the Crips, in both the state of California and the city of Newark, New Jersey. Williams received a letter from President George W. Bush commending him for his social activism.
Williams was reportedly nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize every year from 2001 to 2005; nominations came from Mario Fehr, a member of the Swiss Parliament; four times by Notre Dame de Namur University Philosophy and Religion Professor Phil Gasper; William Keach, a Brown University Professor of English Literature, nominated Williams for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Wikipedia: Stanley Tookie Williams
Monday, December 12, 2005
richard pryor (1940-2005)
Richard Pryor describing his trip to Africa in 1982: Excerpt from Live on Sunset Strip
Wikipedia: Richard Pryor
IMDB: Richard Pryor
"I was sitting in the hotel lobby, right? And a voice says, 'What do you see? Look around.' And I looked around, and I saw people of all colors and shapes. And the voice said, 'Do you see any niggers?' I said no. 'You know why? Cause there aren't any. Cause I'd been there three weeks, and I hadn't said it. And it started making me cry, man. That's a devastating fucking word. That has nothing to do with us. We are from a place where they first started people."
Wikipedia: Richard Pryor
IMDB: Richard Pryor
the african presence in caribbean poetry
The African Presence in the Caribbean: An analysis of African-Antillean poetry by Elsa M. Calderón is meant to be a guide for Spanish teachers, but still serves as a useful outline and resource for anyone interested in Afro-latin poetry.
word association
Here is the famous Saturday Night Live routine between Richard Pryor and Chevy Chase. Pryor plays the role of Mr. Wilson and Chevy Chase is the interviewer.
transcript
Interviewer: Alright, Mr. Wilson, you've done just fine on the Rorshact.. your papers are in good order.. your file's fine.. no difficulties with your motor skills.. And I think you're probably ready for this job. We've got one more psychological test we always do here. It's just a Word Association. I'll throw you out a few words - anything that comes to your mind, just throw back at me, okay? It's kind of an arbitrary thing. Like, if I say "dog", you'd say..?
Mr. Wilson: "Tree".
Interviewer: "Tree". [ nods head, prepares the test papers ] "Dog".
Mr. Wilson: "Tree".
Interviewer: "Fast".
Mr. Wilson: "Slow".
Interviewer: "Rain".
Mr. Wilson: "Snow".
Interviewer: "White".
Mr. Wilson: "Black".
Interviewer: "Bean".
Mr. Wilson: "Pod".
Interviewer: [ casually ] "Negro".
Mr. Wilson: "Whitey".
Interviewer: "Tarbaby".
Mr. Wilson: [ silent, sure he didn't hear what he thinks he heard ] What'd you say?
Interviewer: [ repeating ] "Tarbaby".
Mr. Wilson: "Ofay".
Interviewer: "Colored".
Mr. Wilson: "Redneck".
Interviewer: "Junglebunny".
Mr. Wilson: [ starting to get angry ] "Peckerwood!"
Interviewer: "Burrhead".
Mr. Wilson: [ defensive ] "Cracker!"
Interviewer: [ aggressive ] "Spearchucker".
Mr. Wilson: "White trash!"
Interviewer: "Jungle Bunny!"
Mr. Wilson: [ upset ] "Honky!"
Interviewer: "Spade!
Mr. Wilson: [ really upset ] "Honky Honky!"
Interviewer: [ relentless ] "Nigger!"
Mr. Wilson: [ immediate ] "Dead honky!" [ face starts to flinch ]
Interviewer: [ quickly wraps the interview up ] Okay, Mr. Wilson, I think you're qualified for this job. How about a starting salary of $5,000?
Mr. Wilson: Your momma!
Interviewer: [ fumbling ] Uh.. $7,500 a year?
Mr. Wilson: Your grandmomma!
Interviewer: [ desperate ] $15,000, Mr. Wilson. You'll be the highest paid janitor in America. Just, don't.. don't hurt me, please..
Mr. Wilson: Okay.
Interviewer: [ relieved ] Okay.
Mr. Wilson: You want me to start now?
Interviewer: Oh, no, no.. that's alright. I'll clean all this up. Take a couple of weeks off, you look tired.
transcript
torture in the homeland
In These Times: Torture in the Homeland by Salim Muwakkil. It's not just "over there" but "over here" in our own communities.
amexem
Amexem Times and Seasons is an ecclectic collection of articles, mainly on proto-Islamic and early Islamic activities in the United States.
klingon language
The most extreme example I know of a fictional cultural element taking on a life of its own is the Klingon language. It was made up for a movie so that the aliens could have a more realistic feel to their lines and now people actually speak it in their daily life. You can take classes in it. Shakespeare and Gilgamesh have been translated into it. (I've heard some folks are working on the Bible).
islam and science fiction
Yes, I'm a big geek. Here is a page I recently found on the connection between Islam and Science Fiction called: von Aurum's Islam in Sci-fi
And some obligatory past entries:
star wars: an islamic perspective
a coincidence you think this is?
so i finally saw it
only human
And some obligatory past entries:
star wars: an islamic perspective
a coincidence you think this is?
so i finally saw it
only human
arab and african culture
From IPOAA: Arab Culture and African Culture: ambiguous relations by Prof. Helmi Sharawy
(This paper is extracted from the book 'The Dialogue between the Arab culture and other cultures', published in Tunis in 1999 by the Arab League, Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation)
(This paper is extracted from the book 'The Dialogue between the Arab culture and other cultures', published in Tunis in 1999 by the Arab League, Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation)
ipoaa: precolumbian muslims
Since I started Grenada, I've probably post a couple of slightly different pieces on this subject. This one is from the IPOAA (Indigenous People of Africa and America) Magazine: Precolumbian Muslims in the Americas by Dr. Youssef Mroueh
whiteness and other lies
From The Black Commentator: "Whiteness" and Other Lies: An interview with David Roediger deconstructs the concept of whiteness and points out how it is not as "natural" as some people assume.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
"if money is the root i want the whole damn tree"
For some reason I've been thinking about the issue of Islamic economics and happened to stumble across a couple of recent articles on some recent events in modern-day Islamic finance.
Black Electorate: Answering to a Higher Authority by Ahmed Namatalla is on the growth of the Islamic banking sector.
This article is about a recent gathering of the World Islamic Banking Conference in Bahrain with over 500 participants from 31 countries.
And finally, On The Prohibition of Riba (Interest) and its Implications for Optimum Economic Performance by A. S. Mika'ilu is a discussion of some of the theoretical economic principles behind an interest-free economy.
Black Electorate: Answering to a Higher Authority by Ahmed Namatalla is on the growth of the Islamic banking sector.
This article is about a recent gathering of the World Islamic Banking Conference in Bahrain with over 500 participants from 31 countries.
And finally, On The Prohibition of Riba (Interest) and its Implications for Optimum Economic Performance by A. S. Mika'ilu is a discussion of some of the theoretical economic principles behind an interest-free economy.
Friday, December 09, 2005
white muslims
By some strange coincidence, two of my favorite bloggers have recently written posts on the experiences of white Muslims
From Umar's blog is the very comprehensive and aptly named entry: The White Muslim and from Sunni Sister (Umm Zaid) is the more specific, but no less interesting or relevant: Marriage & The White Skinned Convert
Grenada's Past:
so white they named white people after them
white muslims and moorish science
From Umar's blog is the very comprehensive and aptly named entry: The White Muslim and from Sunni Sister (Umm Zaid) is the more specific, but no less interesting or relevant: Marriage & The White Skinned Convert
Grenada's Past:
so white they named white people after them
white muslims and moorish science
islam in latin america
The Murabitun have come up on Grenada before, mainly in the entries islam and mexico and laughing lions as well as several of the links in my link section. Here is a more recent piece which mentions the activities of the Murabitun and other Muslims in Latin America.
Islam in Latin America
Latin America is home to a sizeable and diverse Muslim population with deep roots throughout the region. Most Muslims are of Arab descent, typically of Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian origin, although Christian Arabs from the Levant far outnumber their Muslim kin. There are also sizeable South and Southeast Asian Muslim communities with roots in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Indonesia in Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and elsewhere in the Caribbean Basin. The region is also experiencing a steady stream of migration from the Middle East and South Asia in recent years, especially in vibrant free-trade zones such as Iquique, Chile and Colon, Panama.
As a result of intermarriage and conversion, Islam is becoming one of the fastest growing religions in Latin America. There is evidence to suggest that Muslim missionaries based in Spain and their regional affiliates are making inroads into disenfranchised and underserved indigenous communities that were once the target of evangelical Christian sects for conversion [6]. The competition between Muslim and Christian missionaries for prospective converts has even led to confrontation and violent clashes in the Mexican state of Chiapas.
Spain’s al-Murabitun (The Almoravids, after the African Muslim dynasty that ruled North Africa and Spain in 11th and 12th century) is believed to be the most prolific missionary movement operating in Latin America [7]. The group is an international Sufi order founded in the 1970s by Sheikh Abdel Qader as-Sufi al-Murabit, a controversial Scottish Muslim convert born Ian Dallas. Although no hard evidence has surfaced tying the group to international terrorism, let alone al-Qaeda, Dallas has been accused of harboring extremist leanings. Aurelino Perez heads the Murabitun’s campaign in Chiapas, where he competes with Omar Weston, a British-born Muslim convert who resides in Mexico City and heads the Centro Cultural Islamico de Mexico (CCIM), for adherents in Chiapas and the rest of Mexico. Known locally as Muhammed Nafia, Perez is a Spanish convert to Islam who hails from the southern Spanish city of Granada in Andalusia.
The Murabitun’s ambitious efforts to gain adherents in Mexico include an unsuccessful attempt to forge an alliance with Subcommandante Marcos and his Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), following the group’s armed rebellion in Chiapas in 1994 [8]. The Murabitun are comprised predominantly of Spanish and European converts to Islam. There are also reports that Muslim missionaries are finding adherents among indigenous peoples in Bolivia and elsewhere in Latin America [9].
In an effort to win over converts in Latin America, the Murabtiun emphasize the cultural links between the Arab world and Latin America through Spain’s Moorish heritage. In doing so, the Murabitun and like-minded movements advocate a collective reversion to Islam, which in their view signifies a return to the region’s true heritage, as opposed to what many see as conversion to the Muslim faith. In this sense, Islam not only represents an alternative to the colonial traditions imposed on the indigenous and mestizo peoples of Latin America, namely the Roman Catholic Church, but is also a nativist tradition that has been suppressed. The Murabitun also claim that Islam is not tainted by European and Western colonialism and imperialism, but instead serves as a remedy for the oppression and destruction brought about by the Spanish conquest.
Given al-Qaeda’s documented successes in recruiting Muslim converts in Europe and the U.S. to its cause, many observers worry that Muslim converts in Latin America provide fertile ground for new recruits due to their perceived ability to circumvent travel restrictions and blend into Western cities more effectively.
There is no evidence to suggest that the recent trend toward conversion to Islam in Latin America stems from a turn to political and religious radicalism. On the contrary, most Muslim converts see Islam as a vehicle for reasserting their identity. They also see conversion as a form of social and political protest in societies where they are marginalized and experience discrimination [10]. In this context, it is no surprise that groups such as the Murabitun, with their message of social, political, and cultural empowerment, are making inroads into disenfranchised and impoverished indigenous communities. The group also supports local education, social welfare, and other projects that include Arabic language instruction and the publication of the Qur’an in Spanish and other local languages.
From, Radical Islam in Latin America by Chris Zambelis
Thursday, December 08, 2005
here is not like there
"What happened in France would never happen here, not because the United States is less racist, but because the class and demography of the Muslim community here bear almost no resemblance to its counterpart in Europe." -Ali Moossavi
Detroit Free Press: Metro Detroit Arabs don't feel France's alienation
NewAmericaMedia.org: American Muslims Not Like Those of France
The above two pieces are careful to distinguish the Muslim community in America from the rioting Muslims in France. To me it is pretty clear that they are motivated by a desire to reassure the American public that "we're okay" but that doesn't make the claims any less factual. Objectively, the demographics of the Muslim populations on each side of the Atlantic are rather different. In the United States, much of the Muslim population is highly educated; lawyers, engineers, doctors, etc. Many have grown up in the US, or have traveled here from abroad in search of training, education, or good jobs.
In Europe, the Muslim population is generally less educated, and less affluent than their counterparts in the US. They play a much different role in the European economy. In fact, I had a conversation with some Germans about a year ago and when they got around to discussing the Muslim (in this case, mostly people from Turkey and also some North Africans) I was struck by how much their stereotypes were reminiscent of those attributed to Mexicans and African-Americans in the US.
So the riots are pretty clearly not the result of religion or a clash-of-civilizations. In this case race and class are more salient.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
are muslims a race?
The Production of the Muslim Race by Nassim Mobasher is an excellent piece, also from Hot Coals, on how Orientalism "racializes" Muslims.
Once "Muslim" becomes a "race", you can then go on to make sweeping generalizations about Muslims as a whole regardless of class, culture, education, or even level of observance. The move also tends to justify profiling as well as the oxymoronic construction of "secular Muslim".
"pretty sneaky, Sis"
Books such as The Arab Mind authored by anthropologist Raphael Patai, and used by the Pentagon as a comprehensive source of information about Arabs/Muslims, depict ‘Muslimness’ as an ontological and inescapable way of existing. In the logic of orientalists like Patai (and the neo-conservatives who read his book ‘like a bible’ ), ‘Islam the culture’ is passed on and inherited, from generation to generation, impervious to change and essentially inferior. This racial conception of culture, codified in pseudo-biological terms, produces the ‘Muslim’ as a racial category.
Once "Muslim" becomes a "race", you can then go on to make sweeping generalizations about Muslims as a whole regardless of class, culture, education, or even level of observance. The move also tends to justify profiling as well as the oxymoronic construction of "secular Muslim".
"pretty sneaky, Sis"
willie perdomo online
From Norton Poets Online: Willie Perdomo, one of the first writers to even give me a hint that a space like "Grenada" existed.
third resurrection blog
Okay, to all those who want to participate in Third Resurrection (or whatever this Blackamerican Muslim group blog will end up being called), could you e-mail me at abdul.halim2005@gmail.com. I have ideas but would prefer to get input and have a discussion before just diving in.
islam and the black american: still reading...
So this is a continuation of: islam and the blackamerican: finally reading it. As I'm getting more into the book I'm starting to feel that it would be too hard to summarize what I'm reading and do it justice. So I'll just pull out one nugget which seems worth pointing out, especially in the light of the recent events in Oakland.
In most religious conversations, debates and discussions in which I find myself, I often take the position of holding up an idealized Islam which contrasts with the various imperfect practices, vices, flaws and scandals which exist in the Muslim world. And so any flaws are attributed to culture, economic conditions, educational levels, political manipulation, lingering effects of colonialism, neo-colonialism and globalization, etc. Islam is perfect, but its implementation is always a work in progress.
Many Muslims make the extra step of identifying an idealized universal Islam with the particular understanding of Islam which they have from "back home" in Muslim countries, and this becomes the scale against which Islam in America is measured. (And of course, the American understanding of Islam will necessarily be found wanting. I've even heard the comment from one person: "There is no Islam in America, just good intentions"). But as Jackson points out, this way of thinking fundamentally sets up immigrant Muslims from "over there" (even medical doctors and engineers) as religious authority figures while it disadvantages American Muslims (no matter how well-read). Ethnicity and immigrant status can effectively become a proxy for religious learning.
Jackson goes on to suggest that instead of speaking of a single universal Islam, it makes more sense to think in terms of multiple culturally and historically conditioned Islams. More specifically, just as one can speak of Black Religion which is born out of Blackamerican history one can also speak of Post-Colonial Religion which comes out of the formerly colonized developing world's experiences with the West. And where Black Religion has been a liberating force and a form of resistance to domination, according to Jackson, Post-Colonial Religion "seeks first and foremost to reverse the sociocultural and psychological influences of the West, either by seizing political power as a means of redirecting society or through and ideological rejection of all perceived influences of the West." And so immigrant Islam isn't more pure or more universal, it is just conditioned by a different set of circumstances.
(to be continued...)
In most religious conversations, debates and discussions in which I find myself, I often take the position of holding up an idealized Islam which contrasts with the various imperfect practices, vices, flaws and scandals which exist in the Muslim world. And so any flaws are attributed to culture, economic conditions, educational levels, political manipulation, lingering effects of colonialism, neo-colonialism and globalization, etc. Islam is perfect, but its implementation is always a work in progress.
Many Muslims make the extra step of identifying an idealized universal Islam with the particular understanding of Islam which they have from "back home" in Muslim countries, and this becomes the scale against which Islam in America is measured. (And of course, the American understanding of Islam will necessarily be found wanting. I've even heard the comment from one person: "There is no Islam in America, just good intentions"). But as Jackson points out, this way of thinking fundamentally sets up immigrant Muslims from "over there" (even medical doctors and engineers) as religious authority figures while it disadvantages American Muslims (no matter how well-read). Ethnicity and immigrant status can effectively become a proxy for religious learning.
Jackson goes on to suggest that instead of speaking of a single universal Islam, it makes more sense to think in terms of multiple culturally and historically conditioned Islams. More specifically, just as one can speak of Black Religion which is born out of Blackamerican history one can also speak of Post-Colonial Religion which comes out of the formerly colonized developing world's experiences with the West. And where Black Religion has been a liberating force and a form of resistance to domination, according to Jackson, Post-Colonial Religion "seeks first and foremost to reverse the sociocultural and psychological influences of the West, either by seizing political power as a means of redirecting society or through and ideological rejection of all perceived influences of the West." And so immigrant Islam isn't more pure or more universal, it is just conditioned by a different set of circumstances.
(to be continued...)
the pre-columbian presence of muslim africans
From Hot Coals (a new blog I found about recently and I'm getting into): THE PRE-COLUMBIAN PRESENCE OF MUSLIM AFRICANS IN AMERICA IS NO MYTH! by Imām Al-Hājj Tālib ‘Abdur-Rashīd. It is an interesting contribution to an ongoing historical debate about what was going on this side of the pond before Columbus.
vamos a rapiar: latinos and hip-hop
From a blog called The Fallout Shelter: Vamos A Rapiar: Latinos and Hip-Hop Music A survey of the contribution of Latinos to the genre along with interesting discussions of the line(s) and connections between black, white and Latino identity.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
more hispanics turning to islam
From NewAmericaMedia.org courtesy of Hispanicon:
El Diario/La Prensa, Nov 29, 2005
NEW YORK, New York -- Islam, the religion with the most followers after Christianity, is growing rapidly in the United States – and the majority of new followers are minorities, especially Hispanics, according to New York’s El Diario/La Prensa. In 1997 the American Muslim Council counted approximately 40,000 Hispanic Muslims. Recent studies estimate there are 75,000 followers most of them in big cities like New York and Miami.According to Juan Galván, vicepresident of the Latin American Dawah Organization and Census Bureau, the majority of Hispanics practicing Islam in the New York metropolitan area are Puerto Rican and Dominican.
El Diario/La Prensa, Nov 29, 2005
NEW YORK, New York -- Islam, the religion with the most followers after Christianity, is growing rapidly in the United States – and the majority of new followers are minorities, especially Hispanics, according to New York’s El Diario/La Prensa. In 1997 the American Muslim Council counted approximately 40,000 Hispanic Muslims. Recent studies estimate there are 75,000 followers most of them in big cities like New York and Miami.According to Juan Galván, vicepresident of the Latin American Dawah Organization and Census Bureau, the majority of Hispanics practicing Islam in the New York metropolitan area are Puerto Rican and Dominican.
dave chappelle is alive and well
Originally From the New York Times: Dave Chappelle Is Alive and Well (and Playing Las Vegas). If you recall from on the beach with dave chappelle recently converted Muslim comedian Dave Chappelle walked away from his show on comedy central and turned up in South Africa getting spiritual guidance. Now he's apparently touring and playing comedy clubs.
Saturday, December 03, 2005
ecological crisis
The Truth Laid Bear blog ecosystem is in the middle of being revamped. On the one hand, Grenada seems to be getting more traffic, more links, and my rankings have actually gone up (currently #1538... but think about how many blogs are out there). And what is really amazing to me is finding out that when I do a Google search on certain topics I'm interested in, it is not infrequent that a Planet Grenada post will be in the top 10! But on the other hand, I still went from a Large Mammal to an Adorable Little Rodent. Confusion.
insignificant microbe?
intelligent design
waiting for the sun to set
on the truth laid bear
insignificant microbe?
intelligent design
waiting for the sun to set
on the truth laid bear
new blog idea
An idea recently occured to me: Start a Blackamerican Muslim group blog. It could be called "Third Resurrection" after Sherman Jackson's use of the term. The first resurrection occured when the Nation of Islam and similar groups appeared and offered Blacks an alternative to mainstream Christianity. The second resurrection occured after Elijah Muhammad passed away and Warithdeen Muhammad brought the Nation of Islam more in line with the teachings of Sunni Islam. The third resurrection is occuring now as Blackamerican Muslims continue to negotiate their relationship with Black Religion, the immigrant Muslim community in the US, and the broader traditions and movements of the Muslim world.
The different groups which look to Elijah Muhammad (The various incarnations of the Nation of Islam and the Five Percenters) definitely have a strong virtual presence. It is odd to me that African-American Sunnis, in spite of having larger numbers, don't have that same identifiable presence online.
Thoughts? Interested?
The different groups which look to Elijah Muhammad (The various incarnations of the Nation of Islam and the Five Percenters) definitely have a strong virtual presence. It is odd to me that African-American Sunnis, in spite of having larger numbers, don't have that same identifiable presence online.
Thoughts? Interested?
which makes more sense, a muslim-owned liquor store or a rastafarian barbershop?
In recent news, in at least two Oakland liquor stores, a group of African-American men wearing suits and bowties have gone into the stores and commited acts of vandalism. But the story is like an onion, with several layers.
Firstly, the liquor stores are owned by Arabs/Muslims but obviously Islam prohibits buying and selling alcohol.
Secondly, the African-American men were at first assumed to be from the Nation of Islam, but it turned out that they were from a different group of black Muslims (who may or may not be believers in Elijah Muhammad).
So thirdly you have the irony that orthodox Muslims often accuse certain "Black Muslim" groups of being disbelievers on theological grounds (for believing in a prophet after Muhammad or for believing that Fard was God) but now the Black Muslim group is criticizing the immigrant Muslim group for not following a basic element of Islamic practice.
Fourthly, this could just be seen in racial terms, just another non-Black group making a profit by selling harmful/low-quality/negative products in the Black community. The fact that its being done by Muslims who according to their own religion shouldn't be selling this stuff anyway is basically just salt in the wound.
Fifthly, I don't want to sound like a vigilante, but there is crime and then there is crime. This reminds me of past occasions when I'd hear news of some frustrated but well-intentioned community member burning down their local crack den... or Rev. Pfleger, a white (but very "down") priest in Chicago who has been arrested in the past for vandalizing alcohol and tobacco billboards in Black neighborhoods (but aquitted of the charges by the jury). The case in Oakland is definitely more severe since it involved kidnapping as well as arson. But still, not everything which is legal is right. And not everything which is right, is legal.
Sixthly, I would say the ultimate responsibility (or at least complicity) for all this rests in a number of different places. Obviously, the brothers who vandalized the store are responsible for their actions. But (from a religious and social perspective) the brothers who owned the store should have made different business decisions. But at the same time, the zoning laws and economic and financial conditions are set up so that setting up such stores in poor communities is an attractive proposition (from a profit-making perspective).
And finally, the seventh layer I would want to mention is the question of tactics. Even if we can sympathize and understand the feelings of the people who vandalized the store, what should the most constructive effective response have been? I honestly don't have a perfect answer. But it should be possible to organize collectively and more peacefully to address some of those other levels. Work through the political system to work change zoning laws and liquor licensing. Work on the community level and perhaps organize boycotts. And also locate, create, and nurture alternatives. For example, if a Muslim opens a halal grocery store (or other kind of business) in the community, make sure to support them.
That's basically all I have to say about it, right now. But you might also want to look at...
what other bloggers have said about the issues:
Izzy Mo: racial tensions in the ummah... again
Adisa Banjoko: Hip-Hop Predicted Liquor Store Trashings Long Ago
Ihsan:Alcohol smashed in Oakland, California
Sunni Sister: Pops
what news sources have reported:
ABC NEWS: Nation Of Islam Furious With Police
Inside Bay Area: Oakland liquor stores under siege
San Francisco Chronicle: Nation of Islam, store owners slam vigilantes
San Francisco Chronicle: Liquor store owner's ordeal- Arson, kidnapping in Oakland -- 6 sought in previous attack
MSNBC: 2 surrender to police in liquor-store vandal case
Kron4: Police Arrest Two Men in Liquor Store Attacks (videos)
MIPT: Two arrested in attacks on Oakland liquor stores
MIPT: Liquor store clerk found safe after kidnapping; shop had been vandalized for selling to blacks
why you bringing up old stuff? (some previous Grenada posts loosely related to the Black/immigrant divide in the United States):
racial tensions in the american ummah
in the ghetto
arab-american demographics
arabs and the racial lessons of 9/11
racial jujitsu or the more things change...
new spirit in the mosque
"asalam-alaikum , akhi. could you get me a lottery ticket?"
Firstly, the liquor stores are owned by Arabs/Muslims but obviously Islam prohibits buying and selling alcohol.
Secondly, the African-American men were at first assumed to be from the Nation of Islam, but it turned out that they were from a different group of black Muslims (who may or may not be believers in Elijah Muhammad).
So thirdly you have the irony that orthodox Muslims often accuse certain "Black Muslim" groups of being disbelievers on theological grounds (for believing in a prophet after Muhammad or for believing that Fard was God) but now the Black Muslim group is criticizing the immigrant Muslim group for not following a basic element of Islamic practice.
Fourthly, this could just be seen in racial terms, just another non-Black group making a profit by selling harmful/low-quality/negative products in the Black community. The fact that its being done by Muslims who according to their own religion shouldn't be selling this stuff anyway is basically just salt in the wound.
Fifthly, I don't want to sound like a vigilante, but there is crime and then there is crime. This reminds me of past occasions when I'd hear news of some frustrated but well-intentioned community member burning down their local crack den... or Rev. Pfleger, a white (but very "down") priest in Chicago who has been arrested in the past for vandalizing alcohol and tobacco billboards in Black neighborhoods (but aquitted of the charges by the jury). The case in Oakland is definitely more severe since it involved kidnapping as well as arson. But still, not everything which is legal is right. And not everything which is right, is legal.
Sixthly, I would say the ultimate responsibility (or at least complicity) for all this rests in a number of different places. Obviously, the brothers who vandalized the store are responsible for their actions. But (from a religious and social perspective) the brothers who owned the store should have made different business decisions. But at the same time, the zoning laws and economic and financial conditions are set up so that setting up such stores in poor communities is an attractive proposition (from a profit-making perspective).
And finally, the seventh layer I would want to mention is the question of tactics. Even if we can sympathize and understand the feelings of the people who vandalized the store, what should the most constructive effective response have been? I honestly don't have a perfect answer. But it should be possible to organize collectively and more peacefully to address some of those other levels. Work through the political system to work change zoning laws and liquor licensing. Work on the community level and perhaps organize boycotts. And also locate, create, and nurture alternatives. For example, if a Muslim opens a halal grocery store (or other kind of business) in the community, make sure to support them.
That's basically all I have to say about it, right now. But you might also want to look at...
what other bloggers have said about the issues:
Izzy Mo: racial tensions in the ummah... again
Adisa Banjoko: Hip-Hop Predicted Liquor Store Trashings Long Ago
Ihsan:Alcohol smashed in Oakland, California
Sunni Sister: Pops
what news sources have reported:
ABC NEWS: Nation Of Islam Furious With Police
Inside Bay Area: Oakland liquor stores under siege
San Francisco Chronicle: Nation of Islam, store owners slam vigilantes
San Francisco Chronicle: Liquor store owner's ordeal- Arson, kidnapping in Oakland -- 6 sought in previous attack
MSNBC: 2 surrender to police in liquor-store vandal case
Kron4: Police Arrest Two Men in Liquor Store Attacks (videos)
MIPT: Two arrested in attacks on Oakland liquor stores
MIPT: Liquor store clerk found safe after kidnapping; shop had been vandalized for selling to blacks
why you bringing up old stuff? (some previous Grenada posts loosely related to the Black/immigrant divide in the United States):
racial tensions in the american ummah
in the ghetto
arab-american demographics
arabs and the racial lessons of 9/11
racial jujitsu or the more things change...
new spirit in the mosque
"asalam-alaikum , akhi. could you get me a lottery ticket?"
zaid shakir and adisa banjoko
From Holla at a Scholar: An interview of Imam Zaid Shakir with Adisa Banjoko.
Friday, December 02, 2005
the revolution won't have a video
Don't Believe the Hype by John McWhorter, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, is an LA Times Op-ed piece which makes the long overdue point that hip-hop (whether "conscious" or not) is not a substitute for real serious political activism.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
but that's the story y'all
I told the niggaz please let us pass, friend
I said please cause I don't like killing Africans
but he wouldn't stop and I ain't Ice Cube
but I had to take the brother out for being rude
and like I said before I was mad by then
It took three or four cops to pull me off of him
But that's the story y'all of a black man
acting like a nigga and get stomped by an African
"People Everyday", by Arrested Development
more on arrested development
From The Black Commentator: Knowing the Difference between a Conscious Black, a Negro and a Ni**a by Anthony Asadullah Samad.
In a similar vein, also from The Black Commentator is: Pro-Black Thugs, Pimpin' Revolutionaries & Alien Conspiracies: Navigating the Underbelly of the 'Conscious' Community by Morpheus Reloaded
Both are necessary exercises in healthy self-criticsm. Who is a thug? Who is "conscious"? Or more precisely, how do we all manifest a little bit of both?
I'm just in that kind of mood.
I said please cause I don't like killing Africans
but he wouldn't stop and I ain't Ice Cube
but I had to take the brother out for being rude
and like I said before I was mad by then
It took three or four cops to pull me off of him
But that's the story y'all of a black man
acting like a nigga and get stomped by an African
"People Everyday", by Arrested Development
more on arrested development
From The Black Commentator: Knowing the Difference between a Conscious Black, a Negro and a Ni**a by Anthony Asadullah Samad.
In a similar vein, also from The Black Commentator is: Pro-Black Thugs, Pimpin' Revolutionaries & Alien Conspiracies: Navigating the Underbelly of the 'Conscious' Community by Morpheus Reloaded
Both are necessary exercises in healthy self-criticsm. Who is a thug? Who is "conscious"? Or more precisely, how do we all manifest a little bit of both?
I'm just in that kind of mood.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
the life and legacy and malcolm x
By Any Means Necessary: The Life and Legacy of Malcolm X is a brief talk given by Manning Marable at Metro State College, Denver, Colorado, February 21, 1992.
white mexican racism rears its ugly head
From The Black Commentator: White Mexican Racism Rears its Ugly Head Again by Abdul Karim Bangura is a brief but fresh and up-to-date article which discussing the African (Afrikan) presence in Mexican culture and society. It also includes a number of good links to materials (many of which have appeared on Planet Grenada before).
afro-peruvians
From The Black Commentator: In Peru, Afro-Descendants Fight Ingrained Racism, Invisibility by Angel Paez
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
harry potter and the scorpion sister
I just felt I should give a heads-up to Sister Scorpion's two recent Harry Potter entries:
First there is Harry Potter which gives Yassir and I a shout-out and also includes a link to the Hogwarts MSA (Muslim Students Association).
And then there is You know I had to go there... which includes a number of links with more commentary about Harry Potter and various cultural/political/racial issues. Some are "new", and some have already been included in the recent Grenada entries on implications of Harry Potter, namely:
harry potter and the last review
bell hooks v. harry potter
harry potter and the magic of whiteness
First there is Harry Potter which gives Yassir and I a shout-out and also includes a link to the Hogwarts MSA (Muslim Students Association).
And then there is You know I had to go there... which includes a number of links with more commentary about Harry Potter and various cultural/political/racial issues. Some are "new", and some have already been included in the recent Grenada entries on implications of Harry Potter, namely:
harry potter and the last review
bell hooks v. harry potter
harry potter and the magic of whiteness
living islam out loud
The book Living Islam Out Loud is a refreshing collection by 16 American Muslim women who are contributing to public life in extraordinary ways and willing to share honestly about the experiences that have shaped their lives.
A number of them like Suheir Hammad and Mohja Khaf have previously been mentioned at Planet Grenada. [1] [2] [3] [4]
I'm also going to take this opportunity to draw attention to Su’ad Abdul-Khabeer another black latina Muslim poet, who is currently a graduate student at Princeton and is also featured in the book. (This is also a chance to check if she is reading my blog...lol)
And finally, a review from Alt.Muslim: The Diverse Feminism of "Living Islam Out Loud"
the willie lynch letter
For many years now, I've seen the Willie Lynch speech/letter circulated in different Black publications. It alleges to be the text of a speech given in 1712 by Willie Lynch to his fellow slave-holders on how to use divide-and-conquer tactics to control Black slaves. I've actually suspected this for a while, but in the Death of the Willie Lynch Speech Prof. Manu Ampim gives a detailed and logical argument for why the speech is probably not authentic.
From the point of view of historical accuracy I think it is certainly important to "debunk" the letter. But I would also say that, even if it is not "authentic" the letter is nevertheless "true" (i.e. one of the biggest obstacles to political/economic progress is a lack of unity and we won't get very far if we keep getting caught up in petty squables over stupid s---)
The full text of the Willie Lynch letter is included in Ampim's article.
From the point of view of historical accuracy I think it is certainly important to "debunk" the letter. But I would also say that, even if it is not "authentic" the letter is nevertheless "true" (i.e. one of the biggest obstacles to political/economic progress is a lack of unity and we won't get very far if we keep getting caught up in petty squables over stupid s---)
The full text of the Willie Lynch letter is included in Ampim's article.
Monday, November 28, 2005
public enemy no. 43,527
From Slate: Public Enemy No. 43,527 takes an insightful Big Picture view on the Jose Padilla situation. And Umar Lee makes similar comments in his own blog entry: Padilla Indictment a Complete Joke; Media Duped Again
strange rumblings at the center of our galaxy
Strange Rumblings at the Center of our Galaxy is an interesting speculation from La Voz de Aztlan about how modern astronomical observations may match up with Mayan cosmology. I would tend to take such speculation with a healthy amount of salt, but the piece is interesting nevertheless.
Saturday, November 26, 2005
interview with willie perdomo
An interview with Willie Perdomo, Black Nuyorican poet, and author of the anthology Where a Nickel costs a Dime. His most well-known poem is a piece called Nigger-reecan blues.
the mahdi
Ever since joining the Su-Shi Webring I've felt like I should do more to try to consciously promote the goals of the group. Here's my contribution for November...
Recently Svend White at Akram's Razor wrote an entry: Rejecting a "Mahdi" vs. rejecting the idea of the Mahdi which discusses how some people claiming that Harun Yahya may be the Mahdi, but that we should be careful to distinguish between questioning the validity of any individual who might claim to be the mahdi, and questioning the concept of mahdi overall.
Recently Svend White at Akram's Razor wrote an entry: Rejecting a "Mahdi" vs. rejecting the idea of the Mahdi which discusses how some people claiming that Harun Yahya may be the Mahdi, but that we should be careful to distinguish between questioning the validity of any individual who might claim to be the mahdi, and questioning the concept of mahdi overall.
harry potter and the last review
So some other bloggers have also touched on Harry Potter from a Muslim perspective:
Firstly, there is Arafat at Anthology (who has been on my blogroll for a good long while now... *cough*... hint, hint... *cough*) with two entries:
Orientalism: Alive and Kicking, Harry Potter Style and Harry Potter's Bangladeshi Date
And then there is Reformist Muslim with Muslims At Hogwarts???
And finally, if you are still intrigued by this whole idea of watching movies for their political content and not just for their visceral entertainment value, I also found reviews for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on the Maoist Internationalist Movement's Movie Review Page.
Firstly, there is Arafat at Anthology (who has been on my blogroll for a good long while now... *cough*... hint, hint... *cough*) with two entries:
Orientalism: Alive and Kicking, Harry Potter Style and Harry Potter's Bangladeshi Date
And then there is Reformist Muslim with Muslims At Hogwarts???
And finally, if you are still intrigued by this whole idea of watching movies for their political content and not just for their visceral entertainment value, I also found reviews for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on the Maoist Internationalist Movement's Movie Review Page.
Friday, November 25, 2005
bell hooks v. harry potter
From The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love by bell hooks:
While feminism may ignore boys and young males, capitalist patriarchal men do not. It was adult, white, wealthy males in this country who first read and fell in love with the Harry Potter books. Though written by a British female, initially described by the rich white American men who "discovered" her as a working class single mom, J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books are clever modern reworkings of the English schoolboy novel. Harry as our modern-day hero is the supersmart, gifted, blessed, white boy genius (a mini patriarch) who "rules" over the equally smart kids, including an occasional girl and an occasional male of color. But these books also glorify war, depicted as killing on behalf of the "good".
The Harry Potter movies glorify the use of violence to maintain control over others. In Harry Potter: The Chamber of Secrets violence when used by the acceptable groups is deemed positive. Sexism and racist thinking in the Harry Potter books are rarely critiqued. Had the author been a ruling-class white male, feminist thinkers might have been more active in challenging the imperialism, racism and sexism of Rowling's books.
Again and again I hear parents, particularly antipatriarchal parents, express concern about the contents of these books while praising them for drawing more boys to reading. Of course American children were bombarded with an advertising blitz telling them that they should read these books. Harry Potter began as national news sanctioned by mass media. Books that do not reinscribe patriarchal masculinity do not get the approval the Harry Potter books have received. And children rarely have an opportunity to know that any books exist which offer an alternative to patriarchal masculinist visions. The phenomenal financial success of Harry Potter means that boys will henceforth have an array of literary clones to choose from.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
harry potter and the magic of whiteness
I've already added a couple of "Thanksgiving" entries so I don't feel like I need to say anymore about the subject. But I also saw the new Harry Potter movie recently and had some Grenada-esque comments about the series.
I don't know if it has been written yet, but there is enough rich material in the Harry Potter books/movies for someone to write a serious work on the ways in which race and ethnicity (especially in the form of Orientalism) are represented in the Harry Potter series. From the alchemical references and turban-wearing villan of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to the multiple (superficial? objectifying?) inter-racial romantic pairings in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, identity politics abound.
The two main points one could cover are firstly the way the "Orient" is exoticized and objectified, and secondly the way that White European experience is central and made the norm. We can, and should describe the situation with more detail, complexity, subtlety and nuance. But the above gives the outline. And some of that detail is fleshed out over several articles and blog posts.
Arabworld Books: The Eastern Influence in Harry Potter
Hyphen: Harry Potter's Girlfriend
The Age: Potter Spell Broken
Model Minority: Harry Potter and the Asian American Image in Media
Sepia Mutiny: Hari Puttar - Attack of the Clones
Mahiram.com: Southasian flavor in Harry Potter film
Poynter Online: Harry Potter and the Imbalance of Race
Asia Times: Harry Potter and the Decline of the West
Washington Times: Harry Potter and the Guantanamo Detainees
Ed Strong: Harry Potter - Whitewashing Western Imperialism and Capitalism
Previous Planet Potter posts:
harry potter and the book-burning benedict
the magic of not reading
I don't know if it has been written yet, but there is enough rich material in the Harry Potter books/movies for someone to write a serious work on the ways in which race and ethnicity (especially in the form of Orientalism) are represented in the Harry Potter series. From the alchemical references and turban-wearing villan of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to the multiple (superficial? objectifying?) inter-racial romantic pairings in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, identity politics abound.
The two main points one could cover are firstly the way the "Orient" is exoticized and objectified, and secondly the way that White European experience is central and made the norm. We can, and should describe the situation with more detail, complexity, subtlety and nuance. But the above gives the outline. And some of that detail is fleshed out over several articles and blog posts.
Arabworld Books: The Eastern Influence in Harry Potter
Hyphen: Harry Potter's Girlfriend
The Age: Potter Spell Broken
Model Minority: Harry Potter and the Asian American Image in Media
Sepia Mutiny: Hari Puttar - Attack of the Clones
Mahiram.com: Southasian flavor in Harry Potter film
Poynter Online: Harry Potter and the Imbalance of Race
Asia Times: Harry Potter and the Decline of the West
Washington Times: Harry Potter and the Guantanamo Detainees
Ed Strong: Harry Potter - Whitewashing Western Imperialism and Capitalism
Previous Planet Potter posts:
harry potter and the book-burning benedict
the magic of not reading
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
we didn't land on plymouth rock
One of the reasons that it is bad for us to continue to just refer to ourselves as the so-called Negro, that's negative. When we say so-called Negro that's pointing out what we aren't, but it isn't telling us what we are. We are Africans, and we happen to be in America. We are not Americans. We are a people who formerly were Africans who were kidnapped and brought to America. Our forefathers weren't the Pilgrims. We didn't land on Plymouth Rock; the rock was landed on us. -Malcolm X (full speech)
For me personally, it was important to go through a stage of not feeling very American. And if an individual feels so alienated from this society that they need to go somewhere else (Ethiopia, Cuba, Arabia, Israel, Liberia, France, Canada etc.) to feel more at home or feel free, then more power to them. I have alot of respect for people who are willing to make that move based on their convictions.
But for most of us, truthfully speaking, I would say we just need to find ways to identify as American without identifying with a long history of racism and oppression and while remaining critical of anti-human foreign and domestic government policies. Those things are not a part of what it means to be American. American culture is more than just a narrow medley of European culture with non-Western accents. And patriotism is not an uncritical acceptance of government policy, but rather it means having enough love for this country to fix what is broken.
national day of mourning
The United American Indians of New England (UAINE) plan on commemorating tomorrow as a National Day of Mourning in Plymouth, MA.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
thanksgiving: a native american view
From Alternet: Thanksgiving: A Native American View by Jacqueline Keeler gives a balanced perspective on the approaching holiday.
the truth about thanksgiving
The Final Call: The Truth about Thanksgiving by Yo'Nas Da Lonewolf-McCall Muhammad
coming together
I feel like for the past week especially, my entries have been really ecclectic. But now I have an urge to synthesize a whole range of ideas, to come down from the mountaintop and explain how everything fits. I want to show how to connect the dots. Reveal the connections. Make regions and categories blend and melt into one another. Blur the boundaries. The trouble is, it is sometimes hard to articulate how things should come together.
Ok, but what's the next step? If Asians are fighting against Blacks, and Blacks are fighting against Latinos, and Latinos are fighting against Arabs how are the different elements going to combine?
Islam is at the heart of an emerging global anti-hegemonic culture, which post-colonial critic Robert Young would say incarnates a "tricontinental counter-modernity" that combines diasporic and local cultural elements, and blends Arab, Islamic, black and Hispanic factors to generate "a revolutionary black, Asian and Hispanic globalization, with its own dynamic counter-modernity...constructed in order to fight global imperialism. *
Ok, but what's the next step? If Asians are fighting against Blacks, and Blacks are fighting against Latinos, and Latinos are fighting against Arabs how are the different elements going to combine?
buy nothing day
Adbusters is promoting the Friday after Thanksgiving as Buy Nothing Day.
Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but I think it is kind of deep how even secularists are still feeling a basic urge to reject materialism and perhaps implicitly affirm some kind of spirituality. At the very least, alot of folks are clearly recognizing that being greedy for the dunya isn't enough. We need to live a different kind of life.
Wikipedia on Buy Nothing Day
For 24 hours, millions of people around the world do not participate -- in the doomsday economy, the marketing mind-games, and the frantic consumer-binge that's become our culture. We pause. We make a small choice not to shop. We shrink our footprint and gain some calm. Together we say: enough is enough. And we help build this movement to rethink our unsustainable course.
Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but I think it is kind of deep how even secularists are still feeling a basic urge to reject materialism and perhaps implicitly affirm some kind of spirituality. At the very least, alot of folks are clearly recognizing that being greedy for the dunya isn't enough. We need to live a different kind of life.
Wikipedia on Buy Nothing Day
the new color of british racism
The Guardian: The new colour of British racism is on the recent conflicts between the Afro-Caribbean and Asian (Pakistani) communities in England, especially Birmingham.
For more pieces on Afro-Asian relations in different contexts, see also:
racial tension in birmingham turns deadly
racial jujitsu or the more things change...
afro-asian crosscurrents in contemporary hip-hop
two pieces on islam and american culture
and finally, a paper on some of the racial/religious issues raised by the music scene in England: ISLAMIC HIP-HOP vs. ISLAMOPHOBIA: AKI NAWAZ, NATACHA ATLAS, AKHENATON
For more pieces on Afro-Asian relations in different contexts, see also:
racial tension in birmingham turns deadly
racial jujitsu or the more things change...
afro-asian crosscurrents in contemporary hip-hop
two pieces on islam and american culture
and finally, a paper on some of the racial/religious issues raised by the music scene in England: ISLAMIC HIP-HOP vs. ISLAMOPHOBIA: AKI NAWAZ, NATACHA ATLAS, AKHENATON
we are leading the pack
From The Voice: African-Caribbeans in the UK are moving up the social and economic ladder faster than white people says new survey. Read article.
jose padilla indicted
Jose Padilla, a U.S. citizen held by the Bush administration for three years without charges as an enemy combatant plotting a "dirty bomb" attack in the United States, has been indicted on charges unrelated to any potential terrorist attack in this country.
Washington Post
BBC News
Washington Post
BBC News
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