muslims against sharia? (part three)

The following is a rehash of an exchange which was originally in the comment section of Planet Grenada under mccain's spiritual advisor hates muslims and islam between myself "A" and someone using the username Muslims Against the Sharia "B". I'm reposting it mainly because the person behind the username apparently disappeared along with their comments (fortunately they were preserved in e-mail). Also, since that initial exchange, I've learned that Pamela Geller is one of the main people behind Muslims Against Sharia and she has also been popping up in the news for various Islamophobic activities (trying to stop Cordoba House, putting anti-Islamic messages on buses in major cities, etc). Another figure behind the site is named Khalim Massoud who serves as president of the organization. I'm not sure who exactly is the person behind the username in this exchange.

see also:
muslims against shariah? (part one)
muslims against sharia? (part two)

A: Isn't Muslims against the Sharia kind of like saying Jews for Pork?

B: No. "Muslims Against Sharia" is more like "Christians Against the Inquisition".

A: I understand that that may be the intention but the term "shariah" basically refers to the commandments of Islam, even when they are not also enforced by the state.

B: And which commandments would they be, Abdul-Halim V.?

A: All of them.

B: Could you be more specific? "All of them" is an answer of the person who has no idea what he is talking about.

A: [online definitions deleted]

So the Shariah includes all the commandments of Islam, dietary restrictions, rules about fasting, prayer, the rest of the pillars, inheritance law, performing dhikr, hygine etc.

So even a "liberal"/"progressive" Muslim who views religion as a fundamentally private affair and prays and fasts on their own is still following part of "the shariah"

So to say you are against the Shariah suggests a rather thorough kind of anti-nomianism.

B: Do those commandments include "kill them [infidels] wherever you find them"?

A: well here's a little bit more of the passage:

[2.190] And fight in the way of Allah with those who fight with you, and do not exceed the limits, surely Allah does not love those who exceed the limits.
[2.191] And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from whence they drove you out, and persecution is severer than slaughter, and do not fight with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it, but if they do fight you, then slay them; such is the recompense of the unbelievers.
[2.192] But if they desist, then surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

So if you see more of the context, this passage is definitely not telling Muslims to fight against peaceful non-Muslims who are minding their own business. It is talking about fighting back against non-Muslims who have attacked the Muslims and driven them from their homes.

If you check out
http://www.twf.org/Library/Violence.html

You could see more discussion of the verses which Islamophobes typically cite on the issue of violence and Islam.


B: What a bunch of crap! How about 9.5? What context is that in?

A: same thing. In my experience, every single time a non-Muslim points to an isolated verse which seems to command towards violence, all one has to do is read a couple of verses before and a couple of verses after and it becomes clear that the verse is talking about the Muslims protecting themselves from a group which has already attacked the Muslims. There is no Quranic justification for attacking peaceful tax-paying non-Muslims who mind their own business.

9:4 says to keep ones treaties with the pagans who have not attacked the Muslims or helped their enemies.

9:5 says one can attack the other pagans but if they repent the Muslism should leave them alone.

9:6 says: If one amongst the Pagans ask thee for asylum, grant it to him, so that he may hear the word of Allah. and then escort him to where he can be secure. That is because they are men without knowledge.

9:13 gives more description of the pagans being described whom the Muslims have permission to fight:
Will ye not fight people who violated their oaths, plotted to expel the Messenger, and took the aggressive by being the first (to assault) you? Do ye fear them? Nay, it is Allah Whom ye should more justly fear, if ye believe!

So given the tone of your response I have to wonder if you are even Muslim?

B: I don't know what Koran you have, but 9.5 is the infamous Verse of the Sword: "Once the Sacred Months are past, you may kill the idol worshipers when you encounter them, punish them, and resist every move they make. If they repent and observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) and give the obligatory charity (Zakat), you shall let them go. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful."

A: Yes, I read that and summarized that previously. But what kind of pagans. Does it talk about pagans who are peacefully living with the Muslims minding their own business. No. That's clarified by the later verse.

9:13
Will ye not fight people who violated their oaths, plotted to expel the Messenger, and took the aggressive by being the first (to assault) you?

So is Muslims Against Sharia not really run by Muslims?

B: Again, that's a bunch of crap. Anything non-Muslims do can be interpreted as an attack on Islam. Mere presence of non-Muslims in the Arabian Peninsula is often interpreted as such.
Muslims Against Sharia consists of Muslims, but we let anyone become our blog contributors.

A: So in other words, you are actually a non-Muslim and opposed to Islam per se.

B: That's another one of your idiotic assumptions. Every MASH blogger who has "Muslim" in his/her screen name is a Muslim. Every MASH blogger whose screen name is "Muslims Against Sharia" is a member of Muslims Against Sharia. I hope the explanation is not too complicated for you.

A: So you are actually a Muslim and believe that the Quran is a revelation from God?

B: Yes / Most of it

A: So which passages would you not consider revelation from God?

B: http://www.reformislam.org/verses.php

A: I don't know what it would mean to claim to be Muslim and at the same time reject several whole surahs and other passages from the Quran. What makes you a Muslim and not just some Unitarian.

B: My parents are Muslim, I believe in Five Pillars, and , most importantly, I consider myself Muslim.

A: I would say your parents don't matter. And believing in pillars is nice. But if there are whole sections of the Quran which you don't just question or doubt, but actually kick to the curb that's a more serious issue.

B: The whole point is that we DO question those sections. Perhaps you should read our our Manifesto before continuing this discussion.

A: No, you don't understand. It would be one thing if you believed that the entire Quran were valid as revelation and then struggled to understand it. You've apparently stopped struggling and have decided to reject some of it.

I was raised Christian but when I reached the point of actually rejecting parts of the Bible, I knew it was time to shop for a new religion.

Also, your manifesto is incorrect. There are definitely passages in the Bible which clearly call for genocide of certain ethnic groups and capital punishment for certain religious violations.


B: "I was raised Christian but when I reached the point of actually rejecting parts of the Bible, I knew it was time to shop for a new religion."

So you were smart enough to find inconsistencies in the Bible, but you're too dumb to find inconsistencies in the Koran?

The Bible does not call for murder of people based solely on the infidel status.

A:
Deuteronomy 13
[6] "If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son, or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, entices you secretly, saying, `Let us go and serve other gods,' which neither you nor your fathers have known,
[7] some of the gods of the peoples that are round about you, whether near you or far off from you, from the one end of the earth to the other,
[8] you shall not yield to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him, nor shall you conceal him;
[9] but you shall kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.

[...]

[12] "If you hear in one of your cities, which the LORD your God gives you to dwell there,
[13] that certain base fellows have gone out among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of the city, saying, `Let us go and serve other gods,' which you have not known,
[14] then you shall inquire and make search and ask diligently; and behold, if it be true and certain that such an abominable thing has been done among you,
[15] you shall surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword, destroying it utterly, all who are in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword.

So I'd invite you to reconsider your claims about the Bible. And also remember that there are some Reconstructionist Christians who actually do consider these old commandments to be valid even though they are in the OT.

To be honest though, this wasn't the worst aspect for me. The most objectionable commands (from my perspective) are the genocidal ones:

Deuteronomy 7

[1] "When the LORD your God brings you into the land which you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites, the Gir'gashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Per'izzites, the Hivites, and the Jeb'usites, seven nations greater and mightier than yourselves,

[2] and when the LORD your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them; then you must utterly destroy them; you shall make no covenant with them, and show no mercy to them.
[3] You shall not make marriages with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons.
[4] For they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods; then the anger of the LORD would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly.
[5] But thus shall you deal with them: you shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and hew down their Ashe'rim, and burn their graven images with fire.
[6] "For you are a people holy to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, out of all the peoples that are on the face of the earth.

And then you can read about how these commands were implemented later on in the Bible in the historical sections. For example most of the Book of Joshua.

In that last verse note that it says to totally eliminate those particular nations. It doesn't even give them a chance to convert. Whatever else you may say about the Quran, it certainly doesn't justify genocide. Interestingly enough, Jewish rabbis have actually come up with a detailed list of all the commandments in the Torah (the traditional list itemizes 613 commandments) and the genocidal ones are still there.

And again, if you look at the verses in context, the Quran does not justify attacking peaceful tax paying non-Muslims who mind their own business.

For example (4:90) "...if they withdraw from you and do not fight you and offer you peace, then Allah has not given you a way against them."

Your comment regarding the Bible seemed odd. Are you sure you are not Christian?

B: Deuteronomy 13 - my bad. Apparently the Bible also calls for murder of infidels. That must have been the basis for the Inquisition. However, I haven't heard this verse recited by either Jewish or Christian religious figures, while Koran 2.191 or 9.5 are repeated constantly.

"Your comment regarding the Bible seemed odd. Are you sure you are not Christian?"

If I were, wouldn't I know what Deuteronomy 13 says?

A: I make very few assumptions about how well people know the books of their own traditions. And in particular, I've seen a wide variation in how well Christians know the Bible.

So are you going to correct what your Manifesto says about the Bible?


B: Absolutely. "While neither Testament calls for mass murder of unbelievers, the Koran does." will be removed.


A: It's unfortunate (for you) I think. I probably shouldn't even give you advice but your group would have been a lot better off not talking about the Judeo-Christian aspect at all. Instead you went over the top in defending the Bible and you ended up putting things in your manifesto which you've basically acknowledged are not true (which then speaks to the integrity of your organization). It also makes it easier to make the claim that you don't just want Muslims to be better Muslims, but you actually would like for Muslims to convert to believing in the Bible.


B: "you've basically acknowledged are not true (which then speaks to the integrity of your organization)."

It does. If we were assholes like you, we'd never acknowledge to making a mistake. We'd keep pressing on that something like 2.191 or 9.5 or Deuteronomy 13 is an acceptable concept for the Holy Text.


A "hypocrite" rather than an "asshole" would be a better description.


A: [20.44] Then speak to him a gentle word haply he may mind or fear.

in any case, hypocrisy isn't an issue. I'm actually following the Quranic verses in question as I understand them. (i.e. I haven't been subject to violent attacks, I have the right to practice my religion freely, so I have no reason to fight) I just think that you are misinterpreting those verses uncharitably for your own reasons.

In terms of the Biblical verses, I'm not sure why you are being difficult. It seems like an easy fix. *You* as an individual have admitted that the verses are problematic (which is great) but since the manifesto hasn't been changed, your organization still isn't "acknowledging mistakes" (to borrow one of your slogans) If you had said to me "We have to have a Muslims Against Sharia committee meeting before changing the manifesto but we are considering it" that would have been fine, at least for a while.

Also, no need for name calling (I've noticed that, not just here but in other blogs where you or other group members have been posting)

Also I think I've given you explanations for 2:191 and 9:5 by bringing in the surrounding context. If you disagree, just say why. Otherwise just let the matter drop.


B: "We have to have a Muslims Against Sharia committee meeting before changing the manifesto but we are considering it"

As we wrote before, that line will be removed, because it is factually incorrect. There is no reason for considering that. If you can't keep your panties on, there is nothing we can do.

As for 2.191 and 9.5 you can't e more full of shit even if you tried. However, there is a distinct possibility that you're really THAT stupid and don't see anything wrong with them. I that case, we'd see no reason for trying to show you the light either.

"Also, no need for name calling"

Don't flatter yourself. Calling you a "hypocrite" or "full of shit", is an accurate description.

A: For a decent discussion of 4:90 which I already mentioned, and which provides a context for the verses you've been mentioning, we could check out:

http://www.juancole.com/2006/03/quran-quote-of-day-on-peace-fourth.html

If you are really serious about reading the Quran intelligently, a big part of that is to not just cherrypick verses, but to actually read the different verses together.

B: Yeah, that's exactly what we need, to consider an opinion of another degenerate apologist for radical Islam. Let's skip Cole and go straight to al-Zawahiri for interpretations. At least we won't get apologetic bullshit from him.

A: Juan Cole's credentials and experience when it comes to Middle Eastern history and current events are pretty considerable and you can't easily dismiss him.

Also, he's never been a Muslim. In fact, for many years he was a Bahai. And if you knew anything about the Bahai faith you would realize that the Bahai faith, in some respects, is more radical than Muslims Against Shariah in the sense that the Bahais will openly say that the laws of Islam are no longer valid and have already been replaced by other codes of law.

B: "Juan Cole's credentials and experience when it comes to Middle Eastern history and current events are pretty considerable and you can't easily dismiss him."

One dumbshit is prasing another. What a surprise!

"Also, he's never been a Muslim."

So what? Neither has John Esposito. Or Gordon England. Or Jeremiah Wright. Or Noah Feldman. Or Jonathan Powell. Etc. You don't have to be an Islamist to be an apologist for radical Islam. You can be a Christian, a Jew, or anything else. Degenerates come in all shapes and sizes.

If you had enough brains to make judgments based on several articles, rather than a single one, you wouldn't be coming off dumber than you look.

A: articles?!? Sometimes I even read books. And again, you still haven't given an actual counter-argument.

B: "counter-argument"? Arguing with Cole's ideas is like arguing with a person who claims that humans have three legs. It's just a waste of time. Which we have done enough here.

A: Cole was just a convenient reference. The basic argument is clearly there in the Quran. If you just read wholistically instead of taking verses in isolation it is obvious that the Quran puts all sorts of caveats and conditions and constraints on the use of force.

For example (4:90) "...if they withdraw from you and do not fight you and offer you peace, then Allah has not given you a way against them."

That's not a matter of credentials or being an "apologist for radical Islamism". It's just a matter of reading comprehension.

reyes de las calles - el mundo va acabarse

Just some amusing Afro-Cuban, Afro-futuristic, anti-racist, apocalyptic hip-hop. If I had more patience I would transcribe the lyrics along with the translation. (And I'm actually surprised and a little disappointed that no one else out there seems to have done it already.) The group's name means "Kings of the Streets" and the song's title means "The world is going to end". The lyrics tell the story of what happens when God (and the Martians) come down to Earth to set things right.

steele and afghanistan round-up

I have to admit that I like Michael Steele a bit more than I "should". It's not just the entertainment value of his gaffes but I actually think adding his voice to the mix is healthy for the Republican Party and, in the very long term, for the country as a whole. Don't get me wrong... he's Republican, so on average I'm going to not like his positions. But I also wholeheartedly agree with Earl Ofari Hutchinson's observation:

For now though the RNC still needs Steele for the very reason he was plucked for the lead role in the first place. In the wake of Obama's smash White House win, he was the best hope to prevent a battered, beaten, and demoralized GOP had from being shoved to the netherworld of national politics. The GOP is still widely sneered at and dismissed as an insular party of unreconstructed bigots, Deep South, rural and, non-college educated blue collar whites. Steele gives the party an image sheen that is anything but white, rural and Deep South.

I would even say I'm slightly optimistic that the growing prominence of Black (and also Indian-American) conservatives might help turn the image into a reality. In the healthiest case, the Republicans would dump their race-baiting, Southern-Strategy-playing xenophobic elements and morph into an honest pro-business libertarian party.

I would also mention that this episode shows how Ron/Rand Paul style libertarianism is not uniformly scary but is more of a mixed bag. Yeah, they have their reservations about the Civil Rights Act (which is not a trivial problem) but they are also more critical of the US various "adventures" in the Muslim world and elsewhere (which is also not a negligible thing).

Earl Ofari Hutchinson: Steele got it Right about Afghanistan, But for the Wrong Reason
Fareed Zakaria Criticizes 'Disproportionate' Afghanistan War On CNN
Ron Paul Praises Embattled RNC Chief Michael Steele For 'Leadership' On Afghanistan
Jon Fleischman Is Latest GOP Official To Criticize Afghan War
Steele Summoned to Limbaugh's (Extremely) White House
Steele's Resignation Would Be a Catastrophe for Obama
Rethink Afghanistan

danny glover asks "what to the slave is the fourth of july"

I've referenced this speech by Frederick Douglass before (see below) but here is a performance of an abridged version by Danny Glover:



"when in the course of human events..."
"patriotism" is a way of saying "women and children first"

christian book touting manly aggression inspires violent fundamentalist meth trafficking cult

To be fair, John Eldredge, the author of the book Wild At Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man’s Soul is probably not happy that his book has become required reading for a "a ruthless cultic Christian paramilitary fundamentalist crime syndicate that controls most of the Crystal Meth traffic in the US and is fond of tossing severed heads into Mexican discos". Furthermore, it isn't as if the meth gang (La Familia) had been selling Girl Scout cookies before Eldredge's book came out.

On the other hand, the book does say things like:

Aggression is part of the masculine design, we are hardwired for it. If we believe that man is made in the image of God, we would do well to remember that “the LORD is a warrior, the LORD is his name.” (Ex. 15:3)

and

The kingdom of heaven suffers violence,” Jesus said, and violent men take it by force.” (Matt 11:12 NASB) Is that a good thing or a bad thing ? Hopefully by now you see the deep and holy goodness of masculine aggression and that will help you understand what Christ is saying.

and

(quoting Tremper Longman, author of God is a Warrior) Virtually every book of the Bible–Old and New Testament–and almost every page tells us of God’s warring activity… what would Miss Manners have to say about taking the promised land ? Does wholesale slaughter fit under “Calling on Your New Neighbors.”

In a lot of ways Eldredge is a fairly mainstream evangelical who happens to be less apologetic than most about the patriarchal and martial aspects of the Bible. In any case, even apart from Eldredge's influence, the cartel also has ties to a Traditionalist Catholic community called New Jerusalem with its own history of latent sectarian violence which bubbles to the surface from time to time.

The Arizona Republic: Government, leader deaths reshape apocalyptic sect in Mexico
NarcoGuerraTimes: More on The Faith-Based Cartel
Alternet: Christian Book Touting Manly Aggression Inspires Violent Fundamentalist Meth Trafficking Cult

see also:
all terrorists are muslims... except the 94% that aren't
on joe (joseph) stack
claim that all terrorists are muslims ignores history
the murder of george tiller
thoughts on the hutaree

maybe michael steele just really likes the princess bride?

Michael Steele on Obama's shifting the focus from Iraq to Afghanistan:
Well, if he is such a student of history, has he not understood that you know that’s the one thing you don’t do, is engage in a land war in Afghanistan? Alright, because everyone who has tried over a thousand years of history has failed.

Huffington Post: Michael Steele Says Afghanistan Was 'War Of Obama's Choosing,' Not Something The U.S. 'Wanted To Engage In'

i'm more of a buffy/angel fan myself...

Al-Qaeda Calls Off Attack On Nation's Capitol To Spare Life Of 'Twilight' Author

more on the ex-muslim industry

In the current political and cultural climate it has become lucrative for many individuals from Muslim backgrounds (and the corresponding cache, authenticity and authority which comes with that) to become critics of Islam and the Muslim world. Recently some of my fellow bloggers have commented on some recent events regarding the ex-Muslim industry.

Marc Manley over at the Manrilla blog, in his entry "Oh, if only I were Dust!" shares a clip of an interview of Ayaan Hirsi Ali by Tavis Smiley. In a refreshing change of pace, Tavis refused to endorse Ali's generalizations about Islam and counter-balanced her comments with violence carried by Christians in the West. To watch or read the transcript for the entire interview, click here.

The blog Islamicate also had a recent post simply titled: the ex-Muslim industry

Finally, following up on a post of mine, also entitled the ex-Muslim industry which focused on Ergun Caner, then Dean of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary; Son of a Turkish father and Swedish mother, he converted to Christianity as a teenager and became a minister. But after 9/11 he rose to prominence by exaggerating the Muslim aspects of his biography. After a number of both Muslim and Christian bloggers were able to detail inconsistencies in his biography and the story was picked up by the mainstream press, Liberty University was moved to formally investigate the matter and the results were announced this Friday. Basically he lost his position as Dean but he will still be a Professor in the Fall.

I wonder if the fallout from this will affect his brother Emir Caner? Emir is currently President of Truett-McConnell (a Baptist school). I've seen clips of Emir and Ergun appearing together and telling a shared story backing one another up. But as the younger brother it is possible that he was less willing/able to embellish (he was definitely born and raised in Ohio so it was harder to talk about being raised in Turkey).

See also:
the trouble with irshad manji for a take on someone who taps into the same ex-muslim industry money while still asserting a muslim identity.

umar ibrahim vadillo on gold and paper money

I've read about Umar Ibrahim Vadillo for a while now but I've actually never seen or heard him until recently. He's a part of the Murabitun movement which I've referenced before. In this clip he speaks on the importance of zakat. He is also critical of the use of paper money and favors currency based on gold and silver.



See also: Paper Money: A Legal Judgment by Umar Ibrahim Vadillo

I started to do a little bit a "research" on this subject online and apparently Vadillo's argument has more weight behind it than I first realized. Previously I more or less assumed this was an odd minority opinion only held by the Murabitun. (In some ways that it is still the case, at least in terms of people who are willing to say that paper money is out and out haram) But one can also find older scholars who seem to treat the use of paper money as at least questionable, especially when it comes to paying zakat. It makes me wonder what a truly Shariah-compliant economic system would look like?

an analysis of the green book

Both Ashaheed M. Muhammad's An Analysis of the Green Book and Why America Hates Qadhafi by Husayn Al-Kurdi give positive uncritical glosses of the Libyan leader and his ideology. The ideals are arguably noble, but I have to wonder how effectively they are being implemented?

al franken on the supreme court

As someone who would have been counted as 3/5 of a human being at the time, I've never really been a fan of the idea that the U.S. Constitution should be interpreted according to the original intent of the Founding Fathers. But in a recent speech, Senator Al Franken does an excellent job of debunking conservative talking points on Originalism (which is actually a novel perspective in American jurisprudence) and so-called activist judges.

doubleplusungood

Between the PATRIOT Act, Guantanamo, the widespread presence of camera phones and the vanishing (or non-existence) of privacy on the internet, it has been "1984" for a very long time now. But now, in yet another Orwellian milestone, 'terror cameras' (i.e. telescreens) have been installed in Muslim neighborhoods in the UK. Originally the government gave the impression that the cameras were for more conventional "crime prevention" but it turn out that the money for the cameras came from a counter-terrorism fund and the cameras were placed primarily in Muslim neighborhoods in Birmingham. Due to local outrage, many of the cameras are currently covered with plastic bags until more discussion can happen with the community... except about 70 of the cameras are hidden and so were not covered so as to not reveal their locations.

BBC News: Birmingham terror cameras

"i guess, michael jackson was right, you are not alone" (part two)
"i guess, michael jackson was right, you are not alone"
who watches the watchers?
you are not alone

imam zaid beyond petroleum

In Beyond Petroleum Imam Zaid Shakir writes:

[T]he Qur’an not only encourages a large degree of ecological consciousness and enlightened practices, it also warns us of the consequences of our neglect. We read:

Corruption has appeared in the land and sea because of what the hands of humans have wrought. Thus, that He may give them a taste of what they have perpetrated, in order that they return.
(Q. 30:41)

The eminent companion, Ibn ‘Abbas, mentioned that one of the meanings of this verse is that the sea would cease yielding its harvest because of the sins of humans. We live in a time when we have already seen a precipitous decline in the yield of the sea. The evolving crisis in the Gulf of Mexico threatens to destroy the seafood industry of that region. This decline can be attributed to our sins in both the metaphysical and physical sense.

imam zaid shakir on marriage

A number of other bloggers have linked to this piece under the name "The Ethics of Chivalry" but it appears on Zaid Shakir's own website with the title: Higher Ground for Our Marriages. Here is an excerpt:

Marriage is not a playground where the ego thoughtlessly pursues it vanities. This is something the chivalrous young man mentioned at the outset of this essay understood. It is an institution that helps a man and a woman pursue the purpose of their creation: to glorify and worship God and to work, within the extent of our capabilities and resources, to make the world a better place for those we share it with and for those we will leave it to. This role is beautifully captured in the Qur’an, The believing men and women are each others supporting friends. They enjoin right, forbid wrong, establish regular prayer, pay the poor due, and they obey God and His Messenger. They expect God’s Mercy. Surely, God is Mighty, Wise. (9:71)

takin' it to the streets 2010

Wow, I was actually blessed with being at the very first Takin' It to the Streets many years ago and it is amazing to think about how much it has blown up since then. As some have been suggesting, the time/space continuum may tear and Chicago will ascend into a ball of light...



Takin' It To the Streets Website

Summer events celebrate Muslim American spirit

more on helen thomas

Just a round-up. The first two items make the double-standard faced by Helen Thomas a bit more obvious by pointing out "acceptable bigotry" by other talking heads in the media. The third is self-explanatory. The fourth gives a more comprehensive transcript of the original exchange with Helen Thomas.

Also, just so that it is said in the universe, I was struck by how ageist the original negative reaction to Helen Thomas was. It was more than bizare to me how much those claiming to be responding to one form of prejudice were willing to engage in another.

1. Retire Ari Fleischer, Chuck Schumer & More: Bigots & Hypocrites Who Sent Helen Thomas Packing Now Need to Pack Their Own Bags
2. Helen Thomas – Double Standards Running Rampant
3. Anti-Israel Does Not Mean Anti-Semitic
4. Lazy Reporters, Politicians and Comedians Bring Helen Thomas Down as an Unquestioning Project Cheers

thoughts on the karate kid

I just saw the remake of The Karate Kid the other night. Themes of globalization were front and center. An African-American single mother from Detroit has to move to China due to her job being transferred. The film was full of beautiful scenes of the Chinese countryside as well as city life. Temples, the Forbidden City, crowds of people doing Tai-Chi in the park. Plus there were a few obligatory humorous outcroppings of Western culture in the film: Spongebob Squarepants on television (dubbed and subtitled so that Jaden Smith's character couldn't understand). And the demure violin-playing Chinese girl getting her groove on to Lady Gaga.

Jackie Chan's performance was competent but I felt his own martial arts skills were wasted against the teenage bullies. I would have wanted to see at least one face-off between him and the head of this film's version of the Cobra Kais.

Jaden Smith's performance was also respectable. My main complaint: I wish his character was more likeable but he ended up acting like a brat for much of the movie, especially in the beginning. Also, his reluctance to learn Chinese in China was not a good look. (I mean, even the blond American kid who befriends Jaden's character early in the film manages to learn Chinese! Jaden's character doesn't speak any significant amount of Chinese until he needs to be nice to the cute girl's parents.)

In fact, that leads me to an intriguing question: Does the film end up being an (African-) American version of Avatar / The Last Samurai / Dances with Wolves where the (African-) American boy who knows nothing about Kung Fu (or Chinese) ends up beating the natives in a Kung Fu competition? Is this really an old story in blackface? Or is something fundamentally different because the character in this role is Black? (Some leftists might ask the same question about Obama and U.S. foreign policy) When I stop to think about it, previous martial arts films with black protagonists (Red Belt, The Last Dragon, Ghost Dog, etc.) tend to have a different sort of dynamic; the hero respectfully uses an Asian tradition against either white or black opponents.

Some other questions which are created by transposing the story to China: In the original film it was easy to argue that the Cobra Kais, led by a racist American Vietnam veteran, were teaching a distorted form of karate. But in the remake's portrayal of China, knowledge and practice of martial arts is shown as ubiquitous, and the "Cobra Kais" are quite popular. So are they practitioners of "real" Kung Fu? Also, in one key sequence Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) takes Jaden's character to a temple to learn the source of his Kung Fu and drink from the mystical dragon well. But again, they are in China, don't the other Chinese kids in the kung fu competition have teachers who can tell them where the dragon well is?

Wikipedia:
Chinese Martial Art
Karate

Hyphen Magazine: Pat Morita's Daughter Calls for a Boycott of the new Karate Kid movie

thoughts on helen thomas

Here is the exchange that got Helen Thomas into trouble and led to her "decision" to retire.

Rabbi DAVID F. NESENOFF (Founder, RabbiLIVE.com): Any comments on Israel? We're asking everybody today, any comments on Israel?

Ms. HELEN THOMAS (Former Columnist, Hearst News Service): Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine.

Rabbi NESENOFF: Ooh. Any better comments on Israel?

(Soundbite of laughter)

Unidentified Woman: Helen has one.

Ms. THOMAS: Remember, these people are occupied, and it's their land. Not German. It's not Poland.

Rabbi NESENOFF: So where should they go? What should they do?

Ms. THOMAS: They can go home.

Rabbi NESENOFF: Where is their home?

Ms. THOMAS: Poland...

Rabbi NESENOFF: So the Jews...

Ms. THOMAS: Germany.

Rabbi NESENOFF: You think Jews should go back to Poland and Germany?

Ms. THOMAS: And America and everywhere else.

1. I believe in free speech. I'm even happy to live in a society where individuals are able to make bigoted remarks without legal repercussion as long as there is space for more progressive voices to call out bigots on their bs.

2. Unfortunately, in terms of mic access in the popular media, there is an imbalance and some voices are constrained while others are not. Most recently, of course, we see this in the recent situation involving Helen Thomas where she is "encouraged" to retire while on a regular basis (Patrick Buchanan, Mike Huckabee, and others are able to make bigoted comments, especially against Arab/Muslims, with a great deal of impunity.)

3. I actually didn't know that Helen Thomas was Lebanese-American until this controversy came up and I'm not sure how I feel about how it is being used now. Several of the articles, columns and pieces have been mentioning Thomas' background and one can argue that it is relevant to the subject matter. On the other hand, one could argue that it is an example of playing the "race card" in order to discredit her objectivity much in the same way that anti-Obama folks would emphasize his middle name.

4. Thomas' comments were so offensive, primarily because they evoked the memory of the Holocaust but in reality, that was entirely unintentional. TODAY, there is no Holocaust in Germany and Poland and there certainly isn't one in America.

5. In spite of the offense, I think there is something salvageable in what Helen Thomas said and it would be worthwhile trying to find ways to express it more diplomatically.

6. The simple question: Where are you from? can either be answered briefly with a country or city. Or it can be answered with a 5 minute historical ethnography. In the case of Jewish citizens of Israel, answering the question can involve a rather tangled story. The oversimplified version would be to say that Jews are originally from ancient Israel. They left for a while. And now they are back.

7. Of course, in most cases "a while" is the nearly 2000 year period book-ended by the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD and the founding of modern Israel in 1948. So the ancient Jews spent hundreds, if not thousands of years, in different countries, learning new languages, intermarrying into new nations, adopting new cultures, etc. In addition, some Jews are descended from groups like the Khazars who converted to Judaism in large numbers and actually have little physical connection to the people of ancient Israel.

8. So how many centuries does it take to be "from" somewhere? Is 100 years enough? 500? 1000? 1500?

9. At least in the case of Ashkenazi (literally German) and Sephardi Jews (literally from the Iberian Peninsula), at some point, they became European and have been that way for centuries. So Zionist project is arguably the last vestige of European colonialism in the region. This would especially be true in the case of Jewish settlement in the Occupied Territories which is actually a violation of international law (and is probably what Helen Thomas was referring to when she said that the Jews ought to go back home).

10. As a thought experiment, I wonder what the reaction would have been if , during apartheid, in the wake of some move by the South African government analogous to the flotilla attack, especially one where a US citizen was killed, an American journalist said that white South Africans needed to go back to the Netherlands. How would that have been received? How should that have been received?

(more thoughts later...)

Daily Kos: Helen Thomas Referring to Ashkenazi in "Poland', "Germany" Remark

Real News: Nader says reinstate Thomas

Huffington Post:
In Defense of Helen Thoms: On Apologizing to Apologists
If Helen Thomas, Then Why Not Pat Buchanan?
Good thing we've got a "free press" here

Haaretz:
Jews should leave Palestine and return to Europe, top U.S. journalist says

Guardian:
Helen Thomas went over the top, but why is she gagged in the land of the free?

Mondoweiss:
In Helen Thomas case, the world sees a taboo being enforced

Al-Jazeera:
The cautionary tale of Helen Thomas by Mark LeVine

100,000 Former Soviet Jews In Israel Return To Russia
Where Do France's Jews Belong?

Wikipedia:
Hebraization of surnames
Ashkenazi Jews
Sephardi Jews
Mizrahi Jews
Arab Jews

is lost racist? (part two)

For some more analysis of the tv show Lost, this time through an Asian/Asian-American lens, you might want to check out

Racialicious: Why I Still Watch Lost by Bao Phi
Into the Next Stage: Tragedy On ‘Lost’ by Guy Aoki

see also: is lost racist?

on critical self-definition

Washington Post
Guest Voices: On Faith
By Su'ad Abdul Khabeer
Department of Anthropology,
Princeton University

Critical Self-Definition is the most significant challenge facing American Muslim communities today. This challenge is the product of an all too popular conversation on "Muslim pathologies" i.e. a "culture of terrorism" created by institutions and individuals who benefit materially from demonizing Muslims. Unfortunately, under the pressure of this pervasive discourse many American Muslims have let this external narrative determine how they see themselves and what their communities' priorities should be.

Thus, the challenge before us is to reclaim our sense of who we are from those who believe the benefits of being American belong to only a chosen few. When Muslims engage in Critical Self-Definition we act in the world according to our own terms, rather than compelled by external threats of violence and marginality. What are these terms?

They are principles and values rooted in the Islamic intellectual tradition and the lessons we learn from the everyday work of being Muslim. Yet this process of definition on our own terms must be critical. It demands that we are serious about what it means to do the messy and difficult work of introspection. This means that Muslim communities must be open about our shortcomings, bound not by a fear of "airing dirty laundry" but by a deep commitment to eradicate social ills in our communities such as racism, misogyny, and elitism.

It also demands that rather than accept the "culture of terror" wholesale, we must critically examine the claims being made against us and stay alert to the way this narrative reinforces structural inequalities which bar not only American Muslims, but other historically excluded communities of Americans from engagement in all sectors our society. This type of consciousness allows Muslim communities, even while under the harsh glare of the spotlight, to resume the work of being human because at its root Critical Self-Definition is the refusal to relinquish our humanity.

This refusal to be anything less than fully human means the challenge of Critical Self-Definition is productive and as a result becomes one of American Muslim communities' greatest opportunities. Being fully human creates the possibility for creation and innovation, the room to take risks, to stumble and to try again, to work with passion and conviction toward the ultimate goal of humans everywhere: true emancipation.

Su'ad Abdul Khabeer is a PhD candidate in the Department of Anthropology at Princeton University.

secret chords and qawalli

Over at Killing the Buddha, there is an interesting piece called A Cold and a Broken "Hallelujah" about the Leonard Cohen song 'Hallelujah' and how it has been appearing repeatedly in a sanitized form on American Idol and some of the other singing reality shows. To be honest, I'd only heard the song in passing before (primarily on a West Wing episode) and didn't really pay much attention to the lyrics until now but I have to say it really is a beautiful song.

The best version by far is Jeff Buckley's:


For me, the song raises a number of interesting questions about the sinlessness of prophets in Islam.

For those who aren't aware, both Sunni and Shia assert as a dogma that all the prophets were to some degree protected/prevented from sins. A common Sunni position is that prophets were free from comitting major sins but that prophets may commit certain minor sins or make errors in judgement. Shias, on the other hand, seem to go a little further and tend to assert that prophets are free from committing sins of any kind. In any case, Muslim polemics on the Bible tend to discount some of the more scandalous aspects of the Biblical accounts (Noah getting drunk, Lot getting drunk and committing incest, Solomon committing idolatry, David committing adultery, etc.)

At the same time, there are some Muslim scholars who have a looser perspective on this subject. For example, The Word of Islam edited by John Alden Williams quotes from a Maturidi creed which states: "Errors of the prophets are in the things they did before the revelation, such as the marriage of David to the wife of Uriah the Hittite". And apparently some of the early Muslim scholars accepted at least the broad outlines of the Biblical version of David and Bathsheba.

Another interesting perspective (which is arguably more in line with the paradoxical tension, implied by the Leonard Cohen song, between sinfulness and sanctity) comes from Abu Sulayman al-Darani who wrote: "David (saaws) did not perform an act more beneficial for him than a misdeed. He continued to flee from it toward his Lord until he reached Him. Hence, the misdeed was the cause of his fleeing toward Allah, away from himself and the world." I would suggest that this dynamic, a sinful minor fall followed by the major lift of repentance and forgiveness is precisely the "secret chord" which was so pleasing to the Lord.

This idea is also vividly expressed in hadith:

Muslim Book 37, Number 6620:
Abu Sirma reported that when the time of the death of Abu Ayyub Ansari drew near, he said: I used to conceal from you a thing which I heard from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Had you not committed sins, Allah would have brought into existence a creation that would have committed sin (and Allah) would have forgiven them.

The sexual aspect of the song Hallelujah (especially Buckley's version) got me thinking about Song of Solomon and Rumi and mystical love poetry generally. And surprisingly enough Buckley's own musical explorations led him to Qawalli and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Somehow it just makes a lot of sense that the person who sung "Hallelujah" would also say "Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is my Elvis."



from Grenada's past:
last man to enter paradise
kings (part one)

invincible - the emperor's clothes

Boycott. Divest. Sanction
Global BDS Movement

"drop the bomb"

This solution had actually occured to me way back at the beginning of the Deepwater oil spill but then I thought "I'm not a petroleum engineer so what do I know?"... More than I realized apparently. In a recent piece at The Daily Beast, Christopher Brownfield points out that the Soviets have been using explosives for years as a way to deal with runaway oil wells. The same thing was also pointed out by Jeremy Hsu over at the Christian Science Monitor. And what actually prompted me to blog on this idea is the fact that this morning I heard someone call into a radio show and make the same suggestion. Especially given the failure of BP's previous attempts to stop the leak, and the fact that even the current attempt at a "solution" will actually increase the flow of oil into the Gulf in the short term, and will at best merely slow down the flow of oil until August, perhaps we should look at a more radical solution which could shut the well decisively. Now, I'm still not a petroleum engineer so I still can't say if this approach has a good chance of working or not. But I do hope that the idea is given due consideration based on the technical/scientific merits and a concern for the environment without any regard for BP's bottom line or future profits. The Christian Science Monitor: Why don't we just drop a nuclear bomb on the Gulf oil spill? Crooks and Liars: Is it time to blow up the leaking Gulf oil well? BP doing its best to keep that option under wraps The Daily Beast: Nuke the Oil Spill Arran's Alley: Is BP Trying to Save the Well Instead of the Gulf? BP Oil News: Nuke the Gulf oil spill, says expert NPR: Placing Blame For The BP Oil Spill

"a gaffe is when a politician tells the truth" or why germany (and by extension, the rest of us) are in afghanistan, iraq, etc.

A country like Germany with a heavy reliance on foreign trade, Koehler said, must know that "in emergencies military intervention is necessary to uphold our interests, like for example free trade routes, for example to prevent regional instabilities which could have a negative impact on our chances in terms of trade, jobs and income."

Reuters: German President Defends Military Action

israel vs. freedom flotilla

Al Jazeera: Deadly Israeli raid on aid fleet
Al Jazeera: Previous activists killed by Israel
Huffington Post: Israeli Raid: 'Bloody, Bungled Takeover' Deepens Israel's Isolation
Huffington Post: Israel Boat Raid Sparks International Outcry

it ain't my fault - mos def

I have to wonder if there are solutions to the oil spill problem which are effective but aren't being tried because of the effect they would have on BP's bottom line. To my naive ear: Supertankers Could Clean up The Gulf Oil Spill, BP Won’t Listen makes sense, at least once the actual leak stops.

In related news...

"It Ain't My Fault" performed by Mos Def, Lenny Kravitz, the Preservation Hall Band, Trombone Shorty, and Tim Robbins came out of a 12-hour jam session in order to help Gulf Aid, a non-profit organization created to respond to the Deepwater oil spill off the Louisiana coast


Oh Lord, Oh Lord
It ain't my fault
Mama no don't you say
oil and water don't mix
petroleum don't go good with no fish
Awww, it ain't my fault
BP
Big Pimpin'
Big Pile of
Bad Presses
Billionare Pirate
Boiling Point
[?]
Awww, it ain't my fault
Say man: Who pushed the marshes back?
It's where the hurricane shelter
and the gardens at
Awww, it ain't my fault
Said: from the Gulf of Mexico to the broke levee wall
Something's going on and its somebody's fault.
Awww, it ain't my fault.
Scripture say:
Said they go to the rock to hide they face
Said the rock cried out "no hiding place" (3x)
Oh Lord, oh lord, it ain't my fault

There is also a live recording of the song from the subsequent benefit concert. The quality of the recording isn't as good but there are subtitles (and slightly different lyrics) along with some comments by Mos Def.




Text "GULFAID 10" to 27138 to donate $10 to Gulf Aid. Replace "10" with the number of US dollars (no $ sign) you'd like to pledge, donate as little or as much as you like. Donors will receive an automated call the next day to fulfill their pledge over the phone via credit card.

The fund will ensure all proceeds are distributed to organizations focused on supporting wetlands/coastal environmental issues & the well-being of fishermen, and the regional seafood industry.

Donations may also be sent to the
Gulf Relief Foundation
A 501 C3 Non-Profit Corporation
P.O. Box 61035
New Orleans, LA 70161
PH 504-841-2380

is lost racist?

For a show which started off as multi-racial/cultural/national as Lost, it is a bit disappointing to think about how it ended. (Spoilers abound if you haven't seen the end.) Just a few random thoughts, comments and questions:

-The African-American father and son: Michael Dawson and Walt Lloyd
Even in a TV Guide interview, Harold Perineau (who plays Michael) had some critical comments to make about how this storyline got "resolved":

TV Guide: Were you disappointed Michael and Walt didn't reconnect before your character died?

Perrineau: Listen, if I'm being really candid, there are all these questions about how they respond to black people on the show. Sayid gets to meet Nadia again, and Desmond and Penny hook up again, but a little black boy and his father hooking up, that wasn't interesting? Instead, Walt just winds up being another fatherless child. It plays into a really big, weird stereotype and, being a black person myself, that wasn't so interesting.

-Speaking of Sayid and Nadia, it seemed unbelievable that in the "sideways" afterlife timeline, Sayid's "soulmate" was the blond Shannon instead of his childhood sweetheart. We saw his love and devotion to Nadia drive him to incredible lengths both before and after the crash (shooting himself so that Nadia could escape prison, working for the CIA, working as a hit man for Ben, etc.) but he's going to spend the next level of eternity with Shannon?

-The African drug-dealer Mr. Eko's stay on the show was relatively short-lived and he didn't even come back for a cameo in the last season, but that seems to have more to do with behind-the-scenes constraints of the actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje rather than the writers and producers of the show.

-Also a bit disappointing was the 6th-season episode "The Candidate" where the last few major brown and yellow characters (Sun, Jin and Sayid) were killed off all at one go.

-Given all the emphasis on Aaron, what happens to Sun and Jin's baby?

-What's the story behind the big statue of Taweret and the hieroglyphics everywhere? In my mind I imagine that some ancient African alchemist/numerologist/scientist/mystic was trying to find the elixir of life or a perpetual motion machine and inadvertently discovered/invented the Light at the heart of the island. A side-effect was that the land surrounding his laboratory/temple, including the statue, was transported out to the Pacific to the island. Of course, I'm not a writer for Lost so for all I know Allison Janney's crazy mother character built the statue single-handed.

-I'm still thinking about how to process Hugo "Hurley" Reyes and Richard Alpert/Ricardo/Ricardus in terms of the racial dynamic of Lost but basically they are white (and Hispanic).

See also:

BlackNerdComedy.com
Lost (&Heroes) Hate Black People


Bitch Media: The Numbers–Lost and Race and Death on the Island looks at the body count on Lost through a racial lens.

Hollywood Insider: Harold Perrineau on his departure from Lost: "I was disappointed... I wouldn't say I'm bitter" which follows up on Perrineau's comments to flesh them out and give them more nuance (i.e. walk them back).

race to fame

SF Weekly has an interesting article called Race to Fame on the up and coming comedian W. Kamau Bell. He mostly does thoughtful race humor.

see also: w. kamau bell - ending racism in about an hour

our enemy is not terrorism

"Our enemy is not terrorism, because terrorism is but a tactic. Our enemy is not terror, because terror is a state of mind, and as Americans we refuse to live in fear. Nor do we describe our enemy as jihadists or Islamists, because jihad is a holy struggle, a legitimate tenet of Islam," -John Brennan

I heard this on NPR a few hours ago before going to work and I was so surprised I could not wait to come home and post a link. By law, each White House administration is supposed to issue statement regarding its National Security Strategy. The Obama administration is set to officially issue theirs tomorrow. But today, John Brenan gave a speech at the Center for International and Strategic Studies which is presumably a sneak preview.

Highlights: As suggested above, there is greater clarification that the enemy is Al-Qaedah rather than "Islamism" or Islam. There is also an increased focus on domestic terrorism.

Politics News: Transcript of Brenan's remarks
NPR: Obama's New Security Strategy To Stress Cooperation
AP: Obama's new security strategy breaks with Bush

and in a surprise move...

I don't know if I'm just a pessimist at heart or if I've just been watching too much FOX News lately (e.g. Pamela Gellar's bigoted tirade on Mike Huckabee's show) but I was pleasantly surprised to read on Huffington Post that a NYC Community Board gave its overwhelming support to building a mosque at Ground Zero.

rajae el mouhandiz and malcolm lateef shabazz

BonTon: Grandson of Malcolm X in Rajae El-Mouhandiz’s latest video

h/t to Lantern Torch

"even my conditioning has been conditioned"

CNN: Updated version of the famous 1947 Doll Study
CNN: Home influence on kids and race
CNN: Race in America
CNN: Doll Study Reactions

Scene from the 1989 independent film, "Chameleon Street" (I'm going to have to see if this is on Netflix or something)

ok how about now?

Mark Williams, Tea Party Leader, Says Muslims Worship "Monkey God"
Mark Williams Apologizes To HINDUS For Saying Muslims Worship 'Monkey God'

More Mark Williams on MSNBC

okay now can we say the tea party is racist?

"It's just a few bad apples."
"They don't speak for all of us"
At least that's what the Tea Party leadership would say when confronted with the clear presence of bigots and racists at their rallies. Ok. Fair enough. But what will they say now when Rand Paul, who recently won the Kentucky Republican primary under the Tea Party umbrella publically expresses his reservations with respect to the Civil Rights legislation of the 1960s? I think I understand Paul's point that he is "opposed to discrimination", but still, what good is that if deep down he also believes that private businesses are perfectly within their rights if they choose to racially discriminate? He's got some explaining to do. (He also made a terrible appearance on Rachel Maddow... even if he is going to take the radical libertarian stance on the Civil Rights acts, he could have gotten much better preparation on answering those questions.)

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Rand Paul Underscores the Tea Party's Connection to Race
Rand Paul On 'Maddow' Defends Criticism Of Civil Rights Act, Says He Would Have Worked To Change Bill
Rand Paul On Civil Rights Controversy: I Shouldn't Have Talked To Rachel Maddow

mos def and k'naan on austin city limits

Austin City Limits: K'Naan/ Mos Def (Full episode)

I once wrote a poem about how Black musical forms would continually change and evolve so that by the time the next new thing came out, present-day cutting edge hip-hop would be considered ancient history; associated with elevator music and museum pieces. I even threw in a line about Yo! PBS Raps which apparently has started to come true.

Both Mos Def and K'Naan are Muslim.

america 2001 - long hairz collective

Just continuing my Michigan musings... here is one of the few clips I could find online with music by the Long Hairz Collective. I've blogged about them before (see "i've seen ethiopians knocking out rome" and also water warriors). I could be wrong but I think they've basically broken up but the members are still out there performing and putting positive messages out there in the atmosphere.



You can download their album Dread Locks & Pony Tales over at CD Baby

never mind...

TMZ: Miss USA Champion Pole Dancer

arab-american (muslim?) crowned miss usa

LAS VEGAS -- Lebanese immigrant Rima Fakih says it was a certain look from Donald Trump that tipped her off that she had won the 2010 Miss USA title. The 24-year-old Miss Michigan beat out 50 other women to take the title Sunday night, despite nearly stumbling in her evening gown.

She told reporters later that she believed she had won after glancing at pageant owner Trump as she awaited the results with the first runner-up, Miss Oklahoma USA Morgan Elizabeth Woolard.

"That's the same look that he gives them when he says, 'You're hired,'" on Trump's reality show "The Apprentice," she said.

Fakih took top honors at the pageant at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip after strutting confidently in an orange and gold bikini, wearing a strapless white gown that resembled a wedding dress and saying health insurance should cover birth control pills.

Fakih, an Arab-American from Dearborn, Mich., told pageant organizers her family celebrates both Muslim and Christian faiths. She moved to the United States as a baby and was raised in New York, where she attended a Catholic school. Her family moved to Michigan in 2003.

Pageant officials said historical pageant records were not detailed enough to show whether Fakih was the first Arab American, Muslim or immigrant to win the Miss USA title. The pageant started in 1952 as a local bathing suit competition in Long Beach, Calif.

Huffington Post: Rima Fakih, Miss Michigan & Arab-American, Crowned 2010 Miss USA

you don't fight terrorists the same way you fight rumpelstiltskin

I saw this exchange on CSPAN and thought it was pretty bizare and frustrating. Admittedly, Holder should have been a bit more confident and smooth, but Lamar Smith (and other folks of a similar mindset) are downright ignorant and dangerous.

For me, the basic question is about how the US should respond to terrorism. Should there be a targeted and defined effort with a relatively clear endgame (e.g. dismantle Al-Qaedah and capture/kill OBL). Or should there be vaguely defined war without any clear limits (e.g. a War on Islamic Terrorism or "Radical Islam")

As a Muslim and an American I can totally get behind the first approach. But in the second case I'm not sure I would trust someone like Lamar Smith to be able to distinguish between "radicals" and the rest. I'm not going to pretend to be able to see into Smith's heart but I have to wonder if he simply hates Muslims and is using the word radical as a figleaf. In any case, if folks like him end up framing the terms of the US' anti-terrorism response, we will probably end up fighting the Crusades for 1000 years or so.



Huffington Post: Lamar Smith Wants Eric Holder To Say 'Radical Islam' Or He'll Cry

And if you have the time, here is the whole hearing:
House Judiciary Cmte. Hearing with Atty. Gen. Eric Holder on the Attempted Times Square Bombing

the definition of insanity...

Times Square bombing in retaliation for U.S. drone attacks, No connection to Islam
U.S. avenges Times Square bombing by killing more Pakistani civilians

loonwatch roundup

RAND report: Threat of homegrown jihadism exaggerated, Zero U.S. civilians killed since 9/11
Muslim Americans Must Obey U.S. Laws; Nidal Hasan Disobeyed Islamic Doctrine
Fathima Bary Needs to Read Her Bible; Final Word on Islam and Apostasy
Sarah Palin supports stoning and slavery?

the ex-muslim industry

For a couple of months now, I've been watching this controversy get hashed out in YouTube but apparently it has recently boiled over out of the blogosphere and into more mainstream news outlets.

The issue: Ergun Caner is the current Dean of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary and in some respects is a "star" in Baptist circles. A large portion of his charisma is rooted in his biography; he converted to Christianity as a teenager after having been raised in the Muslim world, in a devout Sunni household. In some versions he has even claimed a "jihadi" background. And after 9/11, based on the "authenticity" of his experience he received a great deal of notice in Christian circles while speaking and writing on Islam.

The problem: On further examination, many of the details of his biography appear to be inconsistent, false or totally manufactured. The controversy extends to where he was born, when did he learn English, when did he convert to Christianity, the depth of his Islamic upbringing and even his name (Ergun Michal Caner before 9/11 but Ergun Mehmet Caner after.)
Other bloggers and reporters have already done an excellent job of tracking many of the lies and inconsistencies. I would just add that. based on clips I've seen, Caner makes some pretty big mistakes related to basic facts about Islam (like confusing the bismillah and the shahadah or saying Ramadan has 40 days) I simply don't believe he got an Islamic education of any depth.

Huffington Post: Liberty University To Probe Seminary President's Muslim Background
Alternet: Christian Right's Favorite Muslim Convert Exposed as Jihadi Fraud
Right Wing Watch: Is Religious Right’s Star Ex-Muslim a Serial Liar?

consequences of muslims targeting civilians

Consequences of Muslims Targeting Civilians by Imam Zaid is not a response to the attempted Times Square bombing as much as it is a historical reflection on the principle of civilian immunity in warfare. And even though I generally like what Imam Zaid Shakir writes and he made some important points here, I think in some respects the article almost inverts a common Western/Christian fallacy by comparing Western/Christian reality with Islamic ideals. One would probably need to write a whole book to do this topic justice, but the piece would have been enriched by a few more examples of the idealistic parts of the Christian Peace tradition (if only to locate it is a minority view) and some of the more pragmatic Islamic views on civilian casualties.

more on muslim hero

Democracy Now!: Muslim Vendor Gets No Credit in Helping to Foil Times Square Bomb Plot

saladin ahmed

Continuing my Detroit/Michigan state of mind I just thought to look up Saladin Ahmed, I didn't really know him but when I lived in Michigan I'd seen him perform his poetry at an event or two and we had some friends in common. Apparently since the last time I'd seen him he's gotten married, has two kids, and has been nominated for a Nebula Award. From his blog you can find links to his biography and bibliography. I honestly don't know if he identifies as Muslim per se but some of his fantasy stories deal with Muslim identity in interesting ways. Its worth checking out.

invincible / emergence

Thinking about Mooz-lum put me in a Detroit state of mind and made want to shout-out the Detroit MC, Invincible who was recently declared #5 on a list of top 13 female MCs (after Jean Grae, MC Lyte, Lauryn Hill and Queen Latifah). Never heard of Invincible? Maybe it is because instead of selling out she turned down a million dollar record deal and went the harder route of starting her own label, Emergence Media where she and her labelmates had creative control.



Thinking about Invincible also makes me reflect on the economic and political factors in the music biz (the music industrial complex?) which constrain what kind of messages are circulated and promoted in popular culture. In other words, there is definitely a pool of intelligent, creative, talented positive performers out there. Why aren't more of their voices heard? If there has to be only one white Detroit rapper to make it big, what kind of a person would pick a misogynist who raps about killing his baby mama and date raping underage girls (Eminem) over Invincible?!?!? What are music executives thinking when they choose to support one artist over another?

see: yo! pbs raps

times square vendor was a senegalese muslim

I first saw this fact mentioned over at the Goatmilk blog, but I think it bears repeating. (Especially since I just saw some random conservative talking head use the recent incident to defend profiling and bigotry). The vendor who brought the smoking truck in Times Square to the attention of police was a Muslim from Senegal.

The Examiner: Times Square terrorism attempt thwarted by Muslim vendor

mooz-lum, coming soon!

Pulled between his strict Muslim upbringing by his father and the normal social life he's never had, Tariq Mahdi enters college in a state of confusion. New relationships with Muslims and non-Muslims alike challenge his already shaken ideals, and the estrangement with his mother and sister troubles him. Slowly, he begins to find himself with the help of new friends, family and mentors, but when the attacks of 9/11 happen without warning, he is forced to face his past and make the biggest decisions of his life.

Should be an interesting film. The cast includes Danny Glover and Nia Long. And it is apparently an expanded version of a short film I've included on the blog before.

Myspace: MOOZ-lum
IMDB: MOOZ-lum
YouTube: Making "MOOZ-lum"
Examiner: 'Mooz-lum' a movie, not a person