anniversary of the 1977 dc "hanafi" muslim siege

These few days are the 31st anniversary of the DC "Hanafi" Muslim Siege (March 9-11, 1977) led by Hamaas Abdul Khaalis. I started a blog entry on this subject ages ago but never finished it before now. Basically the points I wanted to hit were:

1. The "Hanafis" are yet another piece in the history of Blackamerican Muslims outside of the Nation of Islam.

2. Kareem Abdul-Jabaar entered into Islam (at least in part) through contact with Abdul Khaalis and the Hanafis.

3. Like Malcolm X, Abdul Khaalis was a prominent former member of the Nation of Islam, who was became a critic, and suffered greatly at their hands, although in his case, he was left alive while members of the Nation killed his five children, and his infant grandson. (see also Black Mafia) On a much more negative note, there was some indication that Abdul Khaalis was mentally disturbed even before this incident while the tragedy with his family probably pushed him over the edge.

4. Those injured in the siege included the, then councilman, yet-to-be-infamous-mayor of DC, Marion Barry.

5. On another negative note, this time in terms of how Islam is portrayed in popular culture, I thought it was rather bizarre and out of proportion how some descriptions of the thousand plus year old Hanafi school would toss in a casual mention of the siege is if it were something typical or representative of the teachings of Abu Hanifah. (e.g. GlobalSecurity.org's article on Hanafi Islam)

6. The siege was apparently resolved mainly through the efforts of certain ambassadors from Muslim countries who were able to remind the hostage-takers of the merciful and compassionate side of Islam.

The Hanafi siege certainly wasn't the highest point in Blackamerican Muslim history, but it does provide some food for thought and reflection.

Grenada's past:
radical african-american muslims
nommo

toward an anti-authoritarian islam

I'm posting this article for a couple of reasons. Firstly, my tracking service "told me" that it seemed like someone found their way to Planet Grenada looking for this article or one like it. Secondly (and this is related to the first) I had already linked to the article previously (natural islam) but I realized that the original link had died. Thirdly, a recent conversation in the comments section of hisham aidi got me thinking again about the connection between Islam and certain leftist ideas and so I thought an article from a self-identified Muslim anarchist would provide interesting food for thought along these lines. Also, another bit of data which I noticed after rereading the article is that the author claims to be a follower of the teachings of Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa`i (A Shii Muslim scholar who laid the groundwork for the Bahai faith).

Sorel Prison, Quebec
September, 2004


Natural Islam
By Salim



In the Name of the Divine, the Creator (bismillah al-khaliq)


We are all products produced and cultivated to have a value a
commodity society has only one interest in each individual

and that interest is commercial. Only the crazy one’s are defective and lose out on this commodification. The one’s that think differently are able to understand how society uses individuals for profit. The modern oppression is not solely economic; the modern oppression is sociological and pathological. It is not a question of the haves and the have nots anymore. A former luxury item like a television can now be bought at any thrift store. The modern cake is a $4 value meal at McDonalds or Burger King engineered to make the consumer fat. The modern idea is competing logos on super hero physiques between Adidas and Nike. Hercules is not simply a mythic typo today Hercules is a pitchman for a corporate body. The future of Aldus Huxley’s “Brave New World” is here. Except we are not birthed in factories but our minds are. The collective consciousness of our society is engineered solely for the purpose to produce and consume within a feudalistic system governed by rich corporations which may even have a revolving door in the board room where even the elites perform a temporary duty before being replaced by a apparatchik that is of the latest, fastest and smartest product line of CEOs.

Production and Consumption is the Yin and Yang of the modern society. The fatal flaw in the modern mantra is that only mass suffering will be next in line through ecological devastation, capitalism will collapse on itself there is no ethical endogeny built into the system a product is not more valuable because it produces a good or better social or ecological outcome. A product has more value because it is more desirable. We live in a system based on animalistic desires not on intellectual intelligibles. Our system in Christian eschatological terminology is a system based on the sign of the Beast, people are sociologically conditioned to now “choose” with their “freedom” such things as driving SUVs rather then ecologically sustainable alternatives. To choose to eat factory farmed animals rather then healthy alternatives. We are sociologically conditioned to choose comfort over sustainable living. Where freedom even includes choosing to destroy the natural offspring of human life in the name of “freedom” of the person to participate in this modern pathology of a culture of death and consumer “freedom” where capitalist want to give you the “choice” of consumerism.

This culture of production and consumption is not limited to what is known as the West. Even those that have cloaked themselves in holy garments like the Saudi Royal Family daily participate in the unbridled ecological destruction of the earth through it’s Oil exports. Likewise those that carry out life destroying terrorist attacks are just participating in another brand of oppression, control and consumption. Al-Qaeda has no mutually beneficial plan for sustainability rather they seek to replace one brand of oppression with another. Violence is just another aspect of the culture of death. War is a direct result of the need for control and competing elites engaged in competition for market share no matter what the market is, land, oil, shoes, televisions, peoples minds, etc.

The real question is, “Is change possible?” And there is no simple yes or no answer to this question. I would say there are only two routes possible for change to happen and those are:

A) Direct Action [see end note 1]

B) Autonomy [2]

Of course to most people what is really missing from this answer is Democratic Reform and to a small minority the other answer may be Armed Rebellion [3], differentiated from “self-defense” which is always a right. And I will answer the negative solutions before expounding on the positive solutions of Direct Action and Autonomy.

There are some, usually having no military training, that believe you can fight the system with arms this is pure foolishness and just another brand of social conditioning by the oppressive system that says violence is liberation. The system will always be able to raise a larger force; this system already possesses the means to destroy the entire earth with nuclear weapons. You cannot fight the system in armed combat head on.

There is a large majority of people that say you can change the system through democratic reform. They say that we live in a democracy and through the mechanisms of the state change can be brought. Although there is some instances where this is true and it varies from state to state depending on the structure of the government (i.e. US, Canada) in the US this is less true then in Canada, for instance Canada is moving toward proportional representation and has four major political parties from conservative , liberal, socialist and green. The problem is corruption [4] and bureaucratization of governments. The corruption has occurred with policy being decided by economic powers of large corporations and their conservative and neo-liberal benefactors. The bureaucratization has occurred with the increase in size of governments with the decision making occurring at higher and higher levels rather then locally where people live their lives. The combination of corruption and bureaucratization has made democracy vulnerable to undemocratic practices at hierarchical levels of government. With the governments corrupt the rule by the people is no longer a working reality so what we have is the word “democracy” but whose meaning is lost in corruption.

If democracy is no longer a valid source of change then the people are left with only a handful of options and chief among these options is Direct Action or what is also known as Civil Disobedience. When corporations are passing laws literally writing laws to put the commercial interests of a minority over those of the common peoples altering society to turn every citizen into a producer-consumer devoid of individuality then the individual citizen is obliged to disobey those laws through civil struggle like that of Martin Luther King until the laws reflect the will of the people informed by objective facts rather then commercial interests and their propaganda.

In tandem with Direct Action is the need for Autonomy from the culture of death and destruction. We must, by any means, first by legal means, construct alternatives to the culture of destruction such as sustainable development, cooperative enterprises, ecological manufacturing and the use of co-empowering technology. There are some of us that refuse to participate in the culture of destruction no matter what, many of us are labeled crusty punks, but we are not punks we are individuals that desire revolutionary change from the culture of destruction and oppression. But putting a label on something is just another means of branding of merchandise saying a set of people are “crusty punks” is just a matter of demarcating the good product, “producer-consumer” [5], form a bad product, a autonomous individual. This is the destructive, un-natural and de-humanizing effect of living in this system where packaging is more important then understanding the individual attributes of the member of a community.

Today in prison on the television news Msr. Dumat of the ADQ, the regional conservative party in Quebec, proposed that Quebec have its “autonomy” from the Canadian federation: Autonomy is not such a strange concept. The ADQ has been making gains electorally. Of course this in a way does prove how much more sophisticated the Canadian parliamentary system is from the US system—the fact a separatist party or parties can exist within the Canadian federation which would not be permitted in the US, this can be traced back to the different perspective Canada and the US have on citizenship, one is multi-ethnic and the US is uniformist and assimilationist. But what will this Autonomy be, will it allow Quebecois to live free of corporate control, provide sustainable and ecological alternatives or is it just the introduction of a new brand, a new flavor with the same old recipe: “Buy Quebec, 100% more French!”

Branding is everywhere in our society and all segments of society engage in it because of the sociology and pathology of our modern society even Anarcho-Punks are just another brand within our communities. The Anarcho-Punks, of which I am sometimes a member of, engage in the producer-consumer mentality. You have to have the right kind of packaging to belong, the right clothes, the right behavior (usually swearing and drinking 40ozers and knowledge of riding trains, hitch-hiking, petty crimes and squatting). And if you do not conform to this then you will be ostracized usually under a pretext of a being a “manarchist” a “infiltrator”, a “reformist”. Everyone in this society is being socially engineered to act in a competitive and destructive manner, checking out from the dominant brand does not change this behavior.

The means of fighting the sociology, this social engineering of individuals into producer- consumers is not political; every political ideology from religious fundamentalist to communist (did you buy your Che shirt for $15?) can be co-opted and turned into another brand. The means of fighting this socio-pathology is fundamentally a spiritual path—which is distinct from a religious ideology or organized institutional religion. It is not based on a materialism or socio-scientific praxis, it is based on seeking values and expressions which at their source are as non-material as the earliest shaman traditions which eventually transformed into prophetic traditions. It is based on transcendental praxis and motivations that which goes beyond the individual or what is within the individual. I am not saying that we should all be blindly obedient (taqlid) to prophets [6] and shaman, we need a thoughtful and disciplined, even scientific understanding of religious or shamanistic psychology, but the core values of naturalism are embodied in the spiritual psyche not the sociology of the producer-consumer. Some of these values are communal consultation (shura), stewardship of the Creator’s creation (istikhlaf), equality (`adl), non-aggression (salam), mutually beneficial economics [7] (mudarabat), sharing and giving (sadaqa wa zakat).

I, personally, have found the best defense against the producer-consumer sociology in my personal interpretation of Islam. Many will doubt, given the modern gross depiction in the West from both Muslim [8] and non-Muslim, of what Islam is able to be an anti-oppression path. However, to me it is the basis of resistance to the consumer-producer ideology and sociology. I am not saying it is the only means of resistance to the culture of destruction but one that I have found that has inspired my resistance in what I have come to understand as Islam al-fitrah (natural Islam) [9]. I have received death threats from conservative Americans and I have received death threats from reactionary Muslims. What beliefs could generate such viciousness from people that are sworn enemies of each other? My understanding of Islam is what they view as threatening, I have even been called an apostate [10] and unbeliever (kafir) by other Muslims even though I observe the pillars of Islam, according to Jafari fiqh, in my personal life. Similarly, I have been called un-American even though I am a veteran of the US Navy and served on anti-terrorist missions in the Middle East.

I suppose first and foremost I should address the question of authority .[11] Traditionally speaking in Islam religious authority has been inter-twined with the state. First in the role of the Prophet [12], then in the role of the rightly guided Caliphs and for those of us that believe in rightly guided Imams in the Wiliyat of `Ali and his descendants (a.s.) This role became perverted in Sunni Islam with the introduction of the `Umayyad clans control over the state where innovations were introduced, innovations which have been fought by the guided Sunni reformers which have appeared from time to time. This same usage by rulers of states to use religion as a means of control also occurred in Shi’a Islam when the Ilkhanid Mongol rulers of Iran forced the populace to convert to Shi’ism and transformed the cleric class into the primary means of controlling the populace. In both Sunni and Shi’a Islam the state and the religious clerics have been intertwined as a means of control over the populace [13]. I am not saying all clerics are corrupt there have been many inspired laity. I am simply pointing out the traditional corruption of the role of religion and of rulers.

However, Allah [14] (the divinity) has not left the people without vision (kashf) specifically in Shi’a Islam is the conception of Hikmat (wisdom) which has been a guiding principle in such schools as the Illuminationist tradition, the school of Mulla Sadra [15], the teachings of Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa`i [16]. I am an adherent of these teachings. Hikmat is another source of interpreting law aside from textual deduction. Roughly it is inspiration or unveiling. Mulla Sadra taught that to come to philosophical deductions as well as legal deductions via rationality (`aqli) was not enough rather one must confirm deductions with inspiration, which is a transcendent source. Also, such unveiling of truth can come in the form of dreams or visions. Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa`I had a vision of Imam al-Mahdi which he claimed to derive his authority to make judgments from. The point is that in Islam we can have continuing guidance aside from the textuality or usuli deductions as practiced by the clerical elite. I would argue that we all have the ability and responsibility to make intelligent reflections in concert with good intentions and form our own opinions on religious matters. Using shuratic principles we can come to common communal well being through our differing views.

My understanding of Islam is based in a mystical understanding it is based in gnosis (ma`rifat) not just fiqh (jurisprudence). Authority in Islam is not confined to the ruling clerics. Even in Shi`a Islam, guidance form the hidden Imam is open to all. Thus, in my understanding of Islam we are all equal and our affairs should be governed by communal consultation (shura) [17], there can be no hierarchy of the “righteous” no need for a Guardian Council as it exists in the Iranian political system. So what is the meaning of what I have termed Islam al-fitrah [18] (natural Islam)?

The Islamic belief in stewardship of the Creator’s creation is known as Istikhlaf. This is the concept that humanity has the obligation to uphold the natural order as created by the Creator (it is not necessarily anthropocentric), humanity must not alter this natural order as it is currently doing for example the global warming caused by mass industrialization. Additionally, this is seen in factory farming, the Prophet taught that you must not be brutal or over consume. In fact the Prophet taught it is better to eat vegetables with a minimum of animal consumption, today we have alternative protein sources to eating animals. At the base of Istikhlaf is the Prophetic hadith:

“I [al-lah] have forbidden oppression to Myself. Therefore it is forbidden to you.”

Plainly we can see how the current rulers of this world, the United States does engage in oppression, by continuing to pollute and destroy the natural ecology [19] and by waging aggressive warfare to further their global aspirations of economic dominance over all. According to Islam a Muslim is not permitted to engage in aggressive warfare, nor is a Muslim to live in a war state (dar al-harab) such as the US. A Muslim must immigrate to a land of peace (dar al-salam). Yet, how many Muslims continue to do business in the US pay the US government taxes and engage in non-Islamic economic practices.

The US is an oppressor it uses military means to acquire it’s goals not the power of ideas. Oppression is forbidden to a Muslim, including oppressing the earth, the animals, the natural order (fitrah al-nazm) as created by al-Lah. Ecological devastation is no different from any other form of oppression, yet the US, the largest polluter and consumer of natural resources [20] continues to deny that global warming is real, that human industrialization is the single greatest source of this ecological oppression.

There are many forms of oppression, Islam is a natural religion, it is organic and can adapt to new circumstances and conditions. Islam is a source of universal empowerment to all that are oppressed regardless of what that oppression is natural Islam is opposed to racism, sexism [22], classism and all forms of oppression, even anthropocentrism.

The United States has demonstrated its opposition through its actions to universally recognized standards of basic rights. How can any Muslim say I am a Muslim and ally themselves with such a government? The US is a racist state [22], a military belligerent, an ecological devastator, a supporter of global feudalism through economic institutions it controls and directs such as the World Bank and IMF. The US seeks not to work in cooperation with other governments and peoples but to dominate. The United States government has systematically eliminated any meaningful dissent by Americans with COINTELPRO [23], the PATRIOT Act [24] and superfluous criminalization of dissent and free speech-- with the criminalization of dissent and it’s subsequent ability to imprison the opposition, the US Government uses non-violent tactics to accomplish the same ends as the European Fascists did in the 1930s. With the criminalization of free speech such as at the Miami, Boston and NYC protests Americans have lost all meaningful instruments of dissent. More and more activists are being branded as terrorists with FBI security bulletins labeling non-violent educational gatherings as terrorist threats [25]. The elimination of all national opposition parties has also led to a further devolution of dissent in the US. Only capitalist inspired political parties and unions are able to function in the US. The corporate dominance of the US political system is total and complete any opposition to this is eliminated even to the point of assassinating ecological activists.

It is for some of these reasons I am sitting in a Canadian prison today. I committed no acts of violence. I walked through a field seeking freedom in Canada and was hunted by the US Border Patrol on Canadian soil. My non-violent political activities were branded as a terrorist threat [26] and openly associated with terrorist groups on no grounds whatsoever by the US government. My friends and loved ones systematically arrested and taken off the streets, their homes raided, their cars broken into and tracking devices installed on them, not for what they were doing but for what they were saying. I have watched Muslim institutions, some of whom I organized with, labeled with no evidence, terrorist fronts, religious gathering raided, innocent people wrongly imprisoned, systematically destroyed by neo-Conservatives abusing their new found unbridled powers, even charities which are the sole life line for suffering Muslims living under ruthless military aggression eliminated. For these and other reasons I have sought refuge in Canada. I urge all people to take a stand for freedom, for true peace, for liberation. Their jails cannot contain the truth anymore then their institutions can contain the Creator.

About the Author:

Salim is a libertarian socialist. He is a member of the Shi’a Muslim Sufi Community. His academic papers on Islamic Philosophy have been published in the United States and Iran.




------------------------------------------------------

END NOTES:

[1] On the theory and background of direct action see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_action

[2] Autonomy is directly related to being Autonomous, which is self-organized, see http://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Self-organization On Autonomy see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomy

[3] Many Muslims claim that jihad is armed rebellion, such as espoused by al-Qaeda. However, what is ignored is that the Prophet himself (s.a.s.) engaged in Direct Action passive resistance tactics in the early days of Islam. This resistance involved non-violent tactics as well as self-defense. The need for armed struggle only came later after the Hejira when the Muslims were part of a city-state and only under limited conditions. Passive Resistance, to me, is part of the greater Jihad (jihad al-akbar) that every Muslim engages in on a daily basis in her life against a globalized neo-liberal world with non-Islamic economic systems dictating it’s terms to the rest of the world.

[4] For a major industrialized western democratized nation the United States finished only 18th in terms of least corrupt governments, see report at http://www.corporatecrimereporter.com/corruptreport.pdf

[5] Some may say that “consumer-producer” is another brand, however there is a difference between branding and naming.

[6] In Islam the Prophet is not absolute ruler, the Prophet is a spiritual guide and in matters concerning the community, in political matters, all members have equal say in the matter. See Qur`an 3:159


[7] In Islamic economics the concept of collective ownership is know as mudarabat, see
http://www.failaka.com/Library/Articles/Usmani%20-%20Modes%20of%20Finance.pdf Obviously for anarchists this concept is a loose analogy for our views on collectivism and can be a basis for a new interpretation of Islamic economic laws. One attempt at modernizing Islamic economics is by Prof. Choudhury, see http://faculty.uccb.ns.ca/mchoudhu/ipe.htm whose work is secularised under the heading of “humanomics”.

[8] A new politically more correct brand of Muslim is now forming, with progressive values, http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:ojlsqSavC78J:www.progressivemuslims.com/+progressive+muslims&hl=en

[9] On Naturalism and Islam see an orthodox interpretation from a jurisprudential perspective,
http://www.islamonline.net/fatwa/english/FatwaDisplay.asp?hFatwaID=64315

[10] see a study of the political use of the term apostate in Islam at http://www.exorthodoxforchrist.com/islam_-_apostasy.htm

[11] for an interesting discussion of authority from a Muslim feminist perspective see http://www.crescentlife.com/spirituality/religious_authority_in_islam.htm For a more comprehensive discussion of authority In Islam see http://www.csss-isla.com/IIS/archive/2001/july.htm

[12] For a Muslim essay on the political legacy of the Prophet, including his pluralism, see http://www.ispi-usa.org/muhammad/muhammad10.html

[13] Priests are condemned in the Qur’an see 9:30-31.

[14] In Islam, the divinity, usually translated as God, has no sex and any anthropomorphic characteristics associated with the Divinity is to be avoided, the attribution of calling the Divinity “He” is not correct, what is more correct is to call the Divinity is “It”.

[15] Mulla Sadra was an Islamic existentialist (wujudi), more info at http://www.mullasadra.org. He is recognized as the greatest Shi’a philosopher of all time by the orthodox Mullahs of Iran.

[16] Information on Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa`I can be seen at http://www.alahsai.net/ the site is in Arabic.

[17] Shura is akin to the consensus process used by many anti-capitalist groups.

[18] For a reading on “deep ecology” in Islam see http://www.islamonline.net/english/Contemporary/2003/02/Article02.shtml or
http://www.islamonline.net/english/Contemporary/2002/08/Article02.shtml or
http://www.islamonline.net/fatwa/english/FatwaDisplay.asp?hFatwaID=60686

[19] One must recognize that the US is deliberately destroying the environment to maximize capitalization. The Muslim majority state of Bangladesh will loose 44% of it’s territory due to global sea levels rising directly from global warming caused, in most part, by US pollution. It is hard to predict how many will be displaced and how many thousand will die as a direct result from this US oppression of the natural creation. See related story http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/04/0420_040420_earthday.html

[20] For a story on the US impact on the global environment see http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0109-02.htm for academic discussion of human impact on global warming see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attribution_of_recent_climate_change

[21] I include queer liberation under the heading of sexism. There are Muslim based queer liberation groups, like Al-Fatiha, http://www.al-fatiha.net. I disagree with many of the interpretations being espoused by people to justify homosexuality. I believe a Muslim can be queer and be Muslim because the textual arguments are based on a bad analogy: that ancient homosexual rape used as a political tool or the practice of temple prostitution (http://www.worldpolicy.org/globalrights/sexorient/bible-gay.html) is not the same as a modern same sex partnership based on mutual attraction or love. Marriage Laws in Islam primarily were concerned with protecting the rights of the children brought forth between heterosexual coupling. I believe these laws need re-interpreting in the context of the modern needs of our pluralistic society. For a discussion of Islamic Feminism see http://www.geocities.com/pmndc/ExploringIslamicFeminism.htm. I think it should be noted you cannot determine a persons beliefs based on whether they wear a hijab or beard or not.

[22] One example: the 13th Amendment only conditionally eliminated slavery, slavery is still valid as a penalty for committing a crime. A vast disproportionality exists between white and black prisoners in the US.

[23] for information on COINTELPRO see http://www.icdc.com/~paulwolf/cointelpro/cointel.htm

[24] For information on how the PATRIOT Act takes away civil liberties see http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=12126&c=207

[25] The FBI released a terrorist alert regarding educational workshops relateing to Jeff Luers (see http://www.freefreenow.org), a corporate media report on the alert is here, http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,122290,00.html

[26] see this report on FBI intimidation of activist groups, http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=17098&c=207 and this report http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/081704V.shtml also see “Save Our Civil Liberties”
http://www.saveourcivilliberties.org/en/2004/12/830.shtml

dr. sultana afroz

Dr Sultana Afroz is a researcher who has been documenting the presence and role of African Muslims in the West Indes during slavery. Here is a brief sample of some of her work. from the oddly-named blog, All history as reconstruction of the past is, of course, myth. She is a Lecturer in History at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Jamaica. She completed her doctoral degree in American History with a specialization in US Foreign Policy in South Asia. She is the co-author of The Political Economy of Food and Agriculture in the Caribbean, and is working on a manuscript entitled Invisible Yet Invincible: The History of the Muslim Umma in Jamaica.)

It includes:
1. THE MUSLIM MAROONS AND THE BUCRA MASSA IN JAMAICA
2. Islam and Slavery through the Ages: Slave Sultans and Slave Mujahids
3. The Ummah Slowly Bled: A Select Bibliography of Enslaved African Muslims in the Americas and the Caribbean
4. The Jihad of 1831–1832: The Misunderstood Baptist Rebellion in Jamaica

should john mccain reject and denounce minister john hagee?

The American Muslim: Should John McCain reject and denounce Minister John Hagee? by Anisa Abd El Fattah

imam zaid shakir: should muslims use the “n” word?

From Should Muslims Use The “N” Word? by Imam Zaid Shakir

Do not call each other by demeaning nicknames: How foul is a name connoting vileness… Al-Qur’an 49:11

...

Words in this regard are part of the forces that engender a healthy human consciousness in us. Furthermore, individual words do not stand alone, in terms of the reality they define. They are part of a system of meaning that informs a conceptual worldview. In affirming the acceptability or even the desirability of freely using the term “nigger” we are not endorsing a single term, we are endorsing a verbal culture that collectively works to dehumanize our youth. For example, popularizing the term “nigga’” has been accompanied by the enhanced acceptability and widespread usage of bi_, ho’ (whore), dog, motherf__, sh__ and a host of other terms that historically were associated with vulgar lan-guage. Collectively, they are part of an integrated culture characterized by nihilism, hedonism, self-hatred, and an increasingly alienated disconnection from mainstream society.

God declares in the Qur’an, You are the best people raised up to benefit humanity. You enjoin the right, forbid the wrong and believe in God. (3:110) Enjoining right and forbidding wrong are part of the mission of the Muslims. Doing so requires a well-established standard of right and wrong. Part of the effort to undermine religion lies in the undermining of revealed or widely accepted moral standards. In the ensuing confusion, many things long held to be blameworthy and in many instances almost universally condemned become acceptable. Illegitimate children, foul language, uncouth and slothful comportment, open displays of sexual affection (both heterosexual and homosexual) and sloppy dressing have all become acceptable or even encouraged behavior, as we move ever further down a slippery slope in what amounts to a moral race to the bottom.

From Grenada's past:
niggers are scared of revolution
"it makes my teeth white" - paul mooney
"i like a little salt on my cracker"
but that's the story y'all
a soldier's story
deep cover
what's my name, fool?
richards' racist rant
richards' racist rant (part 2)
richards' racist rant (epilogue)
with apologies to jesse jackson
accepting the slurs

negro bembon

Mataron al negro bembón
Mataron al negro bembón
Hoy se llora noche y día
Porque el negrito bembón
Todo el mundo lo queria
Porque el negrito bembón
Todo el mundo lo queria

Y llegó la policia
Y arrestaron al maton
Y uno de las policias
Que tambíen era bembón
Le toco la mala suerte
De hacer la investigación
Le toco la mala suerte
De hacer la investigación

Y saben la pregunta
que le hizo al maton
Porque lo mato
Diga usted la razon
Y saben la respuesta
que le dio el maton :
yo lo mate
por ser tan bembón
El guardia escondio
la bemba y le dijo :
Eso no es razon



I was recently thinking about the ways in which race shows up in Latin music when the song "Negro Bembon" by Ismael Rivera popped into my head. The song makes me think of how Afro-Latinos in Latin America didn't really undergo US-style civil rights / Black power movement. So instead of making a loud and angry statement like NWA's "F*** tha Police" or a righteous and defiant statement like Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff", "Negro Bembon" gives us the muted and insufficient "Eso no es razon" from a Black cop who, even with a gun and badge, is still not strong or brave enough to truly challenge a racist system. Occasionally I wonder if the song's refrain is deliberately understated as way of making a powerful social critique, but most of the time I tend to think that the voice of protest is so muted because certain white supremacist assumptions are pervasive and taken for granted in Latin culture, even in the music of Afro-Latino artists like Ismael Rivera.

tego calderon: latin america needs its own civil rights movement
a rising voice: afro-latin americans

ya husayn (no, not about obama)

Especially after the last post, I feel like asking the following question: Over at the Ihsan group blog, the latest entry is titled Ya Husayn Ya Husayn and features a video of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan performing a piece about Hussein at Karbala. So my question is whether it is possible for a Sunni to embrace the lyrics of that piece or do they go outside the parameters of what is permissible for a member of Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jamaat?

"i'm sushi"

Since I am actually on the Su-Shi (Sunni-Shia) blogring but it's been over a year since I have made any sushi-related posts, the following seems overdue.

In the article Sunni & Shia: I’m “Sushi”, Dr. Hesham A. Hassaballa gives a description of the "su-shi" position, at least as it relates to himself:

In fact, there was no such thing as “Shia” or “Sunni” throughout the period of the four Caliphs. The first time the term “Shia,” was even used was during the civil war between Ali (r) and Mu’awiyah (r). Those who supported the claim of Ali (r) to the Caliphate were termed Shiat Ali, or the “Party of Ali.” Yet, it was not a “sect,” as we understand it today. In fact, it took decades, if not centuries, for the “doctrines” (for lack of a better term) of Shi’ism and Sunnism to fully develop.

Nevertheless, at its essence, the difference between Sunni and Shi’i is jurisprudential: Sunnis believe that political (and by extension religious) leadership can reside with anyone in the larger community, as long as the community accepts said person’s qualifications. For Shi’is, however, political (and religious) leadership must be within the House of the Prophet (pbuh). Another important distinction between Sunnis and Shi’is is the issue of the probity, or upright character, of all of the Companions. It is a fundamental part of Sunni doctrine, whereas some Shi’is do not necessarily ascribe to this. That is it.

Now, over time, these two “philosophical” differences developed into distinct schools of thought, especially with respect to matters of Islamic law. But, again, that took centuries to develop. Furthermore, many people associate with Shi’is an intense love for the House of the Prophet (pbuh). Yet, is this not an essential aspect of Sunni belief as well? Could one be Muslim and not love the family of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)? Both Imam Malik (r) and Imam Abu Hanifah (r), two stalwarts of the Sunni community, were ardent supporters of the House of the Prophet (pbuh). In fact, they could be called “Political Shi’is” because of this support.

[...]

Now, technically, I am a Sunni, of Maliki/Hanafi (or “Malifi") leanings. But, I have a deep and profound love of the House of the Prophet (pbuh). Even though I will not be pounding my chest on Ashura, like many Shi’is do, the murder of Imam Hussein was extremely painful for me. He is my Imam, too. All of the Imams of the House of the Prophet (pbuh), in fact, are my Imams. So, I am proud to call myself a “Sushi,” as well. And I don’t even like fish.

Grenada's past:
egypt and the shias

latinos and obama

To be honest, although I thought will.i.am's "Yes We Can" was incredibly inspiring, I initially thought that the "Si se puede" line seemed like a mere tacked-on token gesture towards the Latinos which Obama needs in order to win the Democratic nomination. In that light, it is gratifying to see the Obama camp seriously court Latino voters, but more importantly it is good to see pro-Obama efforts which are more organically connected to the Latino community.

In These Times: Why Have Latinos Started Voting For Obama?
Khalil Al-Puerto Rikani: Will Puerto Rico Have the Final Say in Obama Vs. Clinton?

reggaeton for obama
para votar pa' obama (la bamba)
latinos for obama: "si se puede cambiar" by andres useche
grenada-esque politics
obama and black latinos
obama: yes we can
will.i.am: we are the ones

deobandi scholars say terrorism is anti-islam

I wouldn't call myself a card-carrying Deobandi (and I certainly wouldn't pick sides in the whole Deobandi/Barelwi issue) but I do like Tablighi Jamaat enough to get defensive when they are attacked and I do have a couple of "Deobandi" books on my bookshelf which I occasionally consult as references. In short, I certainly didn't need this fatwa to know that terrorism was wrong, but in spite of the fact that mainstream Muslim organizations and scholars often issue statements denouncing terrorism, it is slightly more satisfying/relevant coming from this particular movement.

more on deobandis (and barelwis)
under suspicion
what is the islamic stance on the london bombings?



Darool-Uloom Deoband says terrorism is anti-Islam
Tue Feb 26, 2008 2:35pm IST

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Darool-Uloom Deoband, a radical Muslim seminary said to have inspired the Taliban has denounced terrorism as against Islam, calling it an unpardonable sin, in an effort to distance itself from religious violence.

Tens of thousands of clerics and students from around India attended a meeting at the 150-year-old Deoband, north of New Delhi, on Monday, and agreed to take a stand against acts of terrorism.

"There is no place for terrorism in Islam," Maulana Marghoobur Rahman, the ageing rector of Deoband, told Reuters on Tuesday. "Terrorism, killing of the innocent is against Islam. It is a faith of love and peace, not violence."

Thousands of smaller Islamic seminaries, or madrasas, are affiliated to the Deoband school in India alone, and Indian security services say some have provided recruits for radical Islamist groups in India and neighbouring Pakistan.

Its teachings, and its strict interpretation of Islamic law, have spread to many other countries, including Britain and Afghanistan, where they are said to have inspired the Taliban.

Rahman's comments are seen as significant as they betray a deep sense of anxiety among India's 140 million Muslims that a violent interpretation of Islam was finding root in the country and tarnishing the reputation of the entire community.

Indian Muslims were implicated in bomb attacks on packed commuter trains in Mumbai in 2006 and in a failed attack in Britain last year.

But Rahman said it was unjust to equate Islam with terrorism, to see every Muslim as a suspect or for governments to use this to harass innocent Muslims.

"There are so many examples of people from other communities being caught with bombs and weapons, why are they never convicted?" said Qazi Mohammed Usman, deputy head of Deoband.

The meeting defined terrorism as any action targeting innocent people, whether committed by an individual, an institution or a government.

Rahman's sermon will be circulated to all madrasas affiliated to his seminary.

Muslims make up about 13 percent of India's officially secular but predominantly Hindu population -- giving it the third largest Islamic population after Indonesia and Pakistan.

other news articles on the same event:
Greater Kashmir: Deoband declaration evokes mixed reaction
Clerics against Terrorism by Ali Eteraz
Dawn: 20,000 scholars term terrorism un-Islamic: Declaration issued at Darul-Uloom Deoband

reggaeton for obama

From Amigos de Obama:



Oye mi gente este es un hombre preparado.
La esperanza ha llegado.
Como Se Dice…Como Se llama?
OBAMA! OBAMA!
Dicen que no contamos…
Invisibles porque no votamos…
Pero aqui estamos y todo esto va cambiar…
We did the marchas y ahora vamos a votar.
Listen to me gente, es tiempo para algo diferente..
What we need is un nuevo presidente…
Como Se Dice…Como Se llama?
OBAMA! OBAMA! (Repeat)
Mexicanos como se llama?
OBAMA! OBAMA!
Puerto Rique_os, como se llama?
OBAMA! OBAMA!
Peruanos, como se llama?
OBAMA! OBAMA!

En esta gran nacion ya no existe una buena educacion,
Dicen que todo el dinero va a la imigracion
Es facil culpar el que no vota
El gigante Latino esta que brota
Despierta!
Vamos a eligir alguien que de veras entienda…
Colombianos, como se llama?
OBAMA! OBAMA!
Dominicanos, como se llama?
OBAMA! OBAMA!
Los Cubanos, como se llama?
OBAMA! OBAMA!
Los Brasilieros, como se llama?
OBAMA! OBAMA!
Salvadore_os, como se llama?
Latinos!!!
Es un Hombre preparado…
La esperanza ha llegado…
Obama! Obama!*

will.i.am: we are the ones

para votar pa' obama (la bamba)

And you can go over to Elenamary's blog to check out the Mariachi tune: Viva Obama!

another famous non-muslim

After thinking about my earlier post this is what a non-muslim us presidential candidate looks like and seeing how many conservative bloggers (e.g. David Duke) were using similar pictures of Obama I thought it would be worthwhile to really underline the point that just because someone wears traditional Muslim (or African, or Middle Eastern clothing) in a photo-op it doesn't make them a sleeper agent for Al Qaeda:

obama, farrakhan, hillary and islam

This is mostly a clip from the recent debate between Hillary and Obama and shows Obama giving a rather thorough response on his non-relationship to Farrakhan and antisemitism. (There is also a bit about Congressman John Lewis, one of Hillary's early supporters, switching sides to Obama).




Associated Press: Obama Fights False Links to Islam

As I watched the clip, and saw the sequence of the questions and answers, I really started to see how Jewish hypersensitivity about Farrakhan and antisemitism is really about Israel/Zionism more than about ethnic/religious prejudice. The accusations of antisemitism then become a convenient tool to delegitimize the person who is not sufficiently pro-Israel. For a vivid example of how this dynamic works, check out the case of Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu. (A , B , C)

Grenada's Past:
why don't they talk about bennett the way they talk about farrakhan?
farrakhan steps back
millions more marching
john mccain: "i hated the gooks. i will hate them as long as i live."
spilling the beans

see also:
Garvey's Ghost: Black Folks: America's Charlie Brown

latinos for obama: "si se puede cambiar" by andres useche

this is what a non-muslim us presidential candidate looks like

andre carson for congress

Andre Carson for Congress Webpage

Muslim running for Congress wants to combat ignorance about his faith

Associated Press - February 15, 2008 6:04 AM ET

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Democratic Congressional candidate Andre Carson could become the second Muslim elected to Congress and a role model for a faith community seeking to make its mark in national politics.

Carson is the Democratic nominee in a March 11th special election to succeed his late grandmother, Julia Carson, representing Indiana's 7th District.

If Carson wins, he would join Minnesota Democrat Keith Ellison as the only Muslims elected to Congress.

The 33-year-old Carson says he doesn't believe his religious identity hurts him politically.

Carson says his faith doesn't drive his stands on issues, other than instilling the values that have shaped his life and led him to public service.

He converted to Islam more than a decade ago and attends prayers at a predominantly African-American Sunni mosque in Indianapolis.

Third Resurrection and Keith Ellison

stuff white people like

I found a link for Stuff White People Like over at Ali Eteraz's blog. After less than 2 months of existence it has apparently blown up and is getting massive numbers of hits. Apparently white people really like #12 Non-Profit Organizations, #18 Awareness, #22 Having Two Last Names, #32 Vegan/Vegetarianism, #33 Marijuana, #42 Sushi, #48 Whole Foods and Grocery Co-ops, #70 Difficult Breakups, and #69 Mos Def (Who knew that Ms. Fat Booty was becoming a white wedding standard?). What do people out there think. Funny? Interesting? Offensive? True? Would the list be any less funny, offensive or more true if "white people" were replaced with "educated liberal yuppie"? Do educated liberal yuppies of color have a way of life which is significantly different from that described in the list?

Also, more generally, what are the limits of edgy racial humor? About a month or so ago I was flipping channels and discovered Stephen Lynch on Comedy Central who seems to be a kind of male version of Sarah Silverman (who is herself #52 on the Stuff White People Like website). Like Silvermna, he manages to really push the edges of taste by packaging the content of his act in a really disarming and cute style. "Vanilla Ice Cream" is about the only song of his I feel like linking to on here. I'm curious about what other folks thoughts are?

Grenada's Past:
a day in the life of damali ayo
black people love us!
damali ayo

islam latino

Say hello to the new blog: Islam Latino

dearabization of islam

Over at Alt.Muslim, Fatemeh Fakhraie recently published an article The Arabization of Islam which cautions Muslims against simplistically equating Arab culture with Islamic authenticity. A similar point was made more thoroughly in Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah's Islam and the Cultural Imperative. More generally, I'd like to think that in some way many of the posts here on Planet Grenada are full of examples of how one can push the cultural limits of being Muslim. I would argue that it is vitally important for the ummah to "de-arabize" Islam in order to maintain Islam's universality. Otherwise, we might be left with alternatives like the Salafi Imam mentioned over at Abdur Rahman Muhammad’s Weblog who preaches Arabs are the master race?!?!?

"god gave noah the rainbow sign..." (part four)

I've been recently getting into conversations about Noah and rainbows which inspired me to revisit this old topic. Since the last time I wrote on this, many of the music links have died, so I thought I'd share some updated ones.

First, here is a recording of Georgia field hands singing Mary, Don't You Weep (March 21, 1929) And secondly, here is a clip of Aretha Franklin singing Mary Don't You Weep (which I mentioned before but didn't find at the time). Bruce Springsteen doing an energetic Oh Mary Don't you Weep And finally, the Sessions Voices doing Oh Mary Don't you Weep.

Again, the reason why the traditional song is topical is that it arguably would make a good Noachide/Ashurah hymn. Something which struck me about the song, especially when I first heard Aretha Franklin's version was that although it has some Biblical material not explicitly found in Islamic sources (e.g. the raising of Lazarus) the theological content wasn't positively objectionable from a Muslim perspective so it was possible to "get into it" more easily than many other such hymns.

"god gave noah the rainbow sign..." (part one)
"god gave noah the rainbow sign..." (part two)
"god gave noah the rainbow sign..." (part three)

mos def & cornel west on the new world order

why don't they talk about bennett the way they talk about farrakhan?

The last piece on McCain made me want to dust off this link from Slate: Natural Unborn Killers: The bigotry of Bill Bennett's low expectations. My point isn't to attack or defend any of Farrakhan's comments of the past. But what is frustrating to me is the extent to which prominent white polititians can make really offensive comments about Blacks, Latinos and Asians and still be basically okay while Blacks who make racially offensive comments are subject to more thorough forms of exclusion from the political conversation. (e.g. in response to Amiri Baraka's poem Someboy Blew Up America, the New Jersey governor had legislation passed which gave him the right to abolish the position of poet laureate altogether).

millions more marching
al sharpton and strom thurmond
reaction mixed to schwarzenegger remarks
when is a bigot not a bigot?
roger bonair-agard
what if she was condoleezza jenkins?

john mccain: "i hated the gooks. i will hate them as long as i live."

This is an old article but still rather timely given that McCain is running again. I also can't help but wonder what kind of impact his experiences in Vietnam will have on his dealings with North Korea or China. More recently, in March of 2007 McCain also got into a bit of "trouble" for using the term "tar baby". (Around the same time, Romney was also caught using the term in a similar fashion.) Apparently in neither case was "tar-baby" meant in a racial sense, but the fact the term came so naturally to them does reveal something about the kind of circles these Republican candidates travel in. To be honest, what really boggles my mind when it comes to this story is the kind of double-standard it reveals. I'm old enough to remember how Jesse Jackson's presidential aspirations were severely damaged on account of some racially insensitive comments so I'm surprised that McCain's political career is basically unaffected by the incident(s). I think I'm forced to come to the rather cynical conclusion that the impact of making racially offensive comments will depend a great deal on the political power of the group being addressed and the personal power of the person making the comment.


Thursday, March 2, 2000

By KATIE HONG
SPECIAL TO THE POST-INTELLIGENCER

On his campaign bus recently, Sen. John McCain told reporters, "I hated the gooks. I will hate them as long as I live." Although McCain said he was referring only to his prison guards, there are many reasons why his use of the word "gook" is offensive and alarming.

It is offensive because by using a racial epithet that has historically been used to demean all Asians to describe his captors, McCain failed to make a distinction between his torturers and an entire racial group.

It is alarming because a major candidate for president publicly used a racial epithet, refused to apologize for doing so and remains a legitimate contender.

Contrary to McCain's attempt to narrowly define "gook" to mean only his "sadistic" captors, this term has historically been used to describe all Asians. McCain said that "gook" was the most "polite" term he could find to describe his captors, but because it is simply a pejorative term for Asians, he insulted his captors simply by calling them "Asians" -- a clearly disturbing message. To the Asian American community, the term is akin to the racist word "nigger." A friend of mine, a white male Vietnam veteran, pointed out that veterans, especially Vietnam veterans, know how spiteful the term "gook" is. It has everything to do with labeling someone as "other," the enemy and yellow. McCain sent the message that all Asians are foreigners and remain forever the "other" and the enemy.

The perception of Asians as "foreigners" or "the other" isn't new. This sentiment is what led to passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the Japanese American internment during World War II. The internment of Japanese Americans is now recognized as one of the worst civil rights violations in our country's history and a powerful lesson in what can happen when race alone is used as a test for loyalty or who is defined as an American.

We've made tremendous progress as a nation in overcoming racism. That is why it is so disturbing that a major candidate for the U.S. president can perpetuate the stereotype of Asians as permanent foreigners, hurtling us backward to a time and a place where such racial epithets were an acceptable part of mainstream discourse.

What makes this incident even more disturbing is how neither the media nor the other presidential candidates have highlighted that his use of a racist term is unacceptable.

Asian Americans are one of the fastest growing minority populations in the United States. And the media's choice to ignore or excuse McCain's behavior is a painful reminder that Asians remain outsiders on the back steps of national American politics.

McCain's main campaign message is inclusion. What his actions have told me, however, is that his inclusion does not include people who look like me.

I love this country just as much as McCain does, and I am committed to serving my community and my country. That is the reason I have entered a career in public service and why I am committed to making America a great country where equal opportunity and justice for everyone is a reality and not just a vision.

This is also why I am so hurt by McCain's comment: He has reminded me that despite my commitment to serving my country, there are still some people in this country who would first perceive me as the enemy.

Katie Hong is a Korean American woman who lives in Seattle and works for Washington state government.

muslim convert seeks a seat in congress

Washington Times: Islam convert seeks a seat in Congress

By Ken Kusmer
February 16, 2008

NDIANAPOLIS -- A convert to Islam stands an election victory away from becoming the second Muslim elected to Congress and a role model for a faith community seeking to make its mark in national politics.

Political newcomer Andre Carson is the Democratic nominee in a March 11 special election to succeed his late grandmother, Julia Carson, representing Indiana's 7th District. She died in December of lung cancer, and her grandson is seeking to fill out the rest of her sixth term, which expires at year's end.

If Andre Carson wins the Democratic-leaning Indianapolis district over a freshman Republican lawmaker and a longshot Libertarian candidate, he would join Rep. Keith Ellison, Minnesota Democrat, as the only Muslims elected to Congress.

Mr. Carson, 33, said he doesn't believe his religious identity hurts him politically even while American Muslims struggle to gain acceptance. Polling last summer by the Pew Research Center and Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found 29 percent of Americans held unfavorable views of Muslim Americans, a higher percentage than shortly after September 11, 2001.

"I think it's more of an advantage," Mr. Carson said. "It's a platform to address ignorance. It's a platform to really show that this campaign is about inclusion of all races and religions."

However, Mr. Carson said his faith doesn't drive his stands on issues, other than instilling the values that have shaped his life and led him to public service. He said his decision-making is based on his constituents' needs.

"For me, the religion piece, it informs me. You need to respect people" regardless of their race, religion or gender, said Mr. Carson, who is black. "That is the foundation I go by."

Mr. Carson's grandmother raised him in a Baptist church and enrolled him at an inner-city Catholic school, where he entertained the idea of becoming a priest. As he grew older, he became interested in Islam, reading the poetry of the Sufi mystic Rumi and "The Autobiography of Malcolm X."

He converted to Islam more than a decade ago and began attending prayers at Nur-Allah Islamic Center, a predominantly African-American Sunni mosque.

"For me, what appealed to me about Islam was the universal aspect of Islam," he said. "All faiths teach universality. But with Islam, I saw it regularly in the [mosques], the praying, the different races."

After Julia Carson died Dec. 15, Louis Farrakhan delivered a eulogy at her funeral, leading some local political bloggers to question Andre Carson's ties to the controversial Nation of Islam leader.

He said the ties barely exist: His mosque is not affiliated with the Nation of Islam. He said he approves of some of the group's work, including fighting drug use in Indianapolis.

Unlike many U.S. Muslims, Mr. Carson said his faith rarely has become an issue for others in his civic life or law enforcement career that included a stint with an anti-terrorism unit of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.

Mr. Carson and Mr. Ellison spoke by telephone recently, and the Minnesota congressman who took office 13 months ago said he advised Mr. Carson to emphasize broad concerns such as the economy, the war in Iraq and global warming.

"These things don't have any particular religion or color or race," Mr. Ellison said.

Salam Al-Marayati, executive director of the Los Angeles-based Muslim Public Affairs Council, said both men built their political base by gaining the confidence of Democratic leaders, not by running on their religion.

However, he said they need to demonstrate their faith to Muslim youth and show that civic engagement among Muslims is healthy.

"It counters any sense of isolation or alienation," Mr. Al-Marayati said.

Corey Saylor, legislative director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said Mr. Ellison's 2006 election marked a breakthrough for U.S. Muslims seeking national office.

"Post-9/11, there was a sense in the community that it would be hard for a Muslim to get elected," Mr. Saylor said.

He predicted immigrant Muslims will join black Americans like Mr. Ellison and Mr. Carson on the national political scene. Sons and daughters of Muslims who arrived in the United States from Asia and Africa are energized politically and working on campaigns, he said.

"We see people starting to build up the civic resume that will get them elected to public office," Mr. Saylor said. "Give them five or 10 years."

Even if Mr. Carson wins the special election next month and serves the remainder of his grandmother's term, he almost immediately will face a challenge to hold the seat. The May 6 Democratic primary for the seat's next full term has attracted several candidates.

more from zaid shakir

Imam Zaid Shakir, the orthodox Muslim leader who is often called the "new" Malcolm X has some rather timely articles which came out recently on the New Islamic Directions website.

In Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Barack Obama, and the Fate of America Zaid Shakir reflects on a theme which has frequently appeared here on Planet Grenada; the idea that especially towards the end of his life Martin Luther King Jr. was a much more radical critic of American society and government then is suggested by his sanitized publically-approved image. Imam Zaid goes on to suggest that even today, America is not yet ready to tolerate the "real" King's message, and certainly would not elect him president were he alive today.

Herein lays Dr. King’s legacy, an uncompromising struggle against the “giant triplets of racism, materialism and militarism.” That aspect of his work and teachings is unmentioned in the mainstream media. Instead his baritone refraining of “I have a dream” fills the airwaves. After his death, the struggle against those evil “triplets” was not allowed to exist as his enduring legacy. Instead, that legacy has been whitewashed, sanitized and rendered “acceptable” for white middle class sensitivities.

What does all of this have to do with Obama? Obama is a viable African American candidate because he has steadfastly refused to deal with the issues Dr. King was dealing with at the end of his life, even though they are just as relevant today as they were forty years ago. That refusal has seen him distance himself from his activist pastor, Minister Jeremiah Wright. It has seen him avoid any public identification with Rev. Jesse Jackson, a fellow Chicagoan, or similar leaders who are identified with African American civil rights advocacy, and it has seen him ignore issues of relevance to African Americans and the urban and rural poor today.

That he has taken such positions is not an indictment against Obama. It is an indictment against American society which has deemed that an open advocate for such issues is unfit to lead this nation.

In his second article Reflections on Black History Month Zaid Shakir looks at the current situation of Muslims in the United States and suggests that American Muslims (especially African-American Muslims) rather than looking towards violent Third World liberation struggles should look back to the example of enslaved African Muslims in the Americas as role models in the struggles.

The question for us is, “How can we best address the oppressive mechanisms facing us, and those facing our co-religionists in so many redoubts scattered around the globe?” In answering this question, we can gain valuable insight from the lives and struggles of our African Muslim forebears. Superior erudition was the key to the liberation of Job Ben Solomon. Herein is a sign for us. As American Muslims we have been blessed to reside in the most intellectually dynamic society in history. Also, the primal command in our religion is to read. We should enthusiastically pursue the mandate created by these twin facts and push ourselves to become the most educated community on Earth –in religious and worldly knowledge. In so doing, the miracles which were so clearly manifested in the life of Job Ben Solomon will surely bless our lives.

mccain: no you can't

It looks like the success of Obama's "Yes We Can" video has inspired two similar creative efforts "from" the McCain camp. Both of them mimic the style and sound of the Obama video.

The first, titled "No You Can't" touches on McCain's views with regard to a range of issues both foreign and domestic, and extensively uses visuals and captions to get its point across.



The second clip (produced by someone calling himself John.he.is) claims to be the original inspiration for the Obama video. It seems to have higher production values than the above McCain video and does a better job of incorporating McCain's words from various speeches. And as you can see for yourself, this video focuses almost exclusively on McCain's stance regarding the Iraq War.

In the (not unlikely) scenario that McCain gets the Republican nomination, I'm so tempted to get a bumper sticker which says

McCain: Like Hope But Different.

Will.i.am totally stole this idea from us, we've been thinking for a long time that earnest people reacting to a candidate is the future of music video.

By Election08 On Youtube
Andy Cobb, Josh Funk, Nyima Funk, Marc Evan Jackson, Mark Kienlen, David Pompeii, Marc Warzecha with Special guests: Beth Farmer, Matt Craig, Rebecca Allen, Kai Pompeii, Kevin Douglas and Victor Lopez

The work that we face in our time is great
in a time of war
and the terrible sacrifices it entails
the promise of a better future is not always clear
there's gonna be other wars
I'm sorry to tell you there's gonna be other wars
there's gonna be a lot of combat wounds
and my friends it's gonna be tough
and we're gonna have a lot to do
That old Beach Boys song, Bomb Iran?
Bomb Bomb Bomb, Bomb...
I'm still convinced that withdrawal means chaos
and if you think that things are bad now
if we withdraw--you ain't seen nothing yet
was the war a good idea, worth the price in blood and treasure?
It was a good idea
President Bush talked about our staying in Iraq for 50 years
Maybe a hundred, that's fine with me
I don't think Americans are concerned if we're there for a hundred years, or a thousand years, or ten thousand years.

no, the obama campaign did not embrace che guevara

Carpetbagger Report: No, the Obama campaign did not embrace Che Guevera by Steve Benen

sherezada

Say hello to Sherezada, a blog by a Spanish-speaking Muslimah living in the UK.

obama wins maine and a grammy

The Times of India: Obama wins Grammy and the whitest US state

islam and dreadlocks

I recently found an interesting blog called Islamically locked. which reminded me of how way back in the day, around the time I first became Muslim, I toyed with the idea of growing dreadlocks. At the time I thought that dreadlocks were "cool" but questionable for a couple of reasons:

1. Firstly (and this is probably the most nitpicky argument) If you go all out and take some version of the Nazrite vow, you would have to break it when you went on Hajj.

2. Even without dreads, when I would go out at night, random people would occasionally ask me for weed. (although I should probably add that I would sometimes wear a big poofy red, black, yellow and green "rasta" hat). In any case, I thought that if I went further and actually had dreads, the requests probably would have gotten ridiculous.

3. In Islam, there is a basic principle of not imitating the practices of non-Muslims and dreadlocks are pretty distinvely associated with Rastafarianism.

4. Dreads make it harder to do the ablutions for prayer (salat).

5. Dreads make it harder to wear a normal-sized kufi.

On the other hand, (to address 3) there are some indications that the prophet (saaws) may have had his hair in some sort of braid. And memebrs of the Baye Fall Sufi order are known to wear dreads. While the other considerations don't necessarily mean one shouldn't grow dreads, just that they come with certain burdens which one must be willing to accept if you want to grow them. (e.g. grow dreads but trim them after hajj, get a bigger kufi, take the extra effort to wash them, etc.)

I you really want to reflect more on the subject, I would suggest that you check out the above blog.

obama: yes we can

This reminds me of how Bob Marley took Haile Selassie's speech to the UN and turned it into the song "War" (see until the color of a man's skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes). Apparently will.i.am took a recent OBama speech and quickly transformed it into the song "Yes we can" (complete with a video directed by Bob Dylan's son, Jesse Dylan, and starring John Legend, Kate Walsh, Aisha Tyler, Amber Valletta, Taryn Manning, Nicole Scherzinger, Common, Scarlett Johansson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tatyana Ali, Herbie Hancock, Nick Cannon and many others.



Lyrics:
It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.
Yes we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom.
Yes we can. Yes we can.
It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.
Yes we can.
It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballots; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.
Yes we can to justice and equality.

Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.
Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.
Yes we can heal this nation.
Yes we can repair this world.
Yes we can. Yes we can.

We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.
We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics. They will only grow louder and more dissonant.
We've been asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.
But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.

Now the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea...
Yes. We. Can.


And here's the longer clip which inspired the song, Obama's speech on the evening of the New Hampshire primary:



For hundreds of other Obama-related clip's check out BarackObamadotcom on YouTube.

grenada-esque politics

After coming back from a shaykh-imposed blogging break, Ali Eteraz shares some of his thoughts on Obama and American-Muslims and Why Muslims shouldn't Support Ron Paul.

On NPR, Earl Ofari Hutchison, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Farai Chideya and Rober Lovato consider the question: Is there really a Black/Latino divide? (Ans: Not really)

On his own blog, Robert Lovato starts to unpack some of the complexities of the Latino population and the shortcomings of non-Latino pundits talking about the same in Everyone’s an Expert on the Latino Vote, Except Latinos.

And finally, on Indypendent, Al Giordano's article Divide and Conquer: Clintons Exploit Black-Latino Tensions.

bits of grenada

A couple of new Grenada-esque links out there in cyberspace:

Yusuf Sanchez recently started a rather informative blogspot blog on Latino Muslims.

A myspace page called BFN Latino deals with Afro-Latino and it appears as if it will give way to www.bfnlatino.com which also strives to be "an international portal to Afro Latin America"

And finally, IslamCrunch announced a community forum in Oakland, CA with the unfortunate title Should Muslims use the N word? My hope is that whoever named the forum was simply trying to stir up attendance and was not imagining that the affirmative position should be seriously considered.

radicalism is the realization of marginalization

“Radicalism is the realization of marginalization” is a new interview between Imam Zaid Shakir and Wajahat Ali at the alt.muslim website. The conversation touches on the invasion of Panama, the Darfur crisis, Obama's candidacy and U.S politics, the need for a revolution of values, the clash of civilizations, color prejudice within the Muslim community and the invasion of (the island nation of) Grenada.

(global) southern girl

More signs of "an emergic global anti-hegemonic culture" with Islam at its heart (Not that I'm making any declarations on the Islamic identity of Badu or Farrakhan... but there is obviously enough of a "family resemblance" for them to be included in the mini-manifesto at the top of the blog):

Sporting a huge, billowing afro and a T-shirt with an anti-Iraq war slogan, Erykah Badu expressed her support of black leader Louis Farrakhan and the Palestinian cause Thursday before a crowd of Israeli fans and journalists in Tel Aviv.

The Grammy-award winning neo-soul vocalist, 36, is in Tel Aviv to perform on Saturday night. She has also won acclaim for her acting roles in "Cider House Rules" and "House of D."

"I come from across the water bringing light and hope," said Badu in her deep, languid voice. She commissioned a poster design especially for her visit to Israel, featuring a large hamsa - a traditional Middle Eastern good luck charm _ that appears to be growing out of her hair. At the bottom, the words for peace in Hebrew and Arabic appear side by side.

(For the rest of the story: Visiting hip hop artist defends Farrakhan, Palestinian cause

sweetest day / millions more march / erykah badu
an african american muslim convert as the founder of chinese hip-hop