"i am become death, the destroyer of worlds"

The article Divine Mushroom Cloud: A Call to Worship by Karen Horst Cobb explores the religious significance of nuclear warfare. Of course, some of the 'religious' implications were clear from the begining. Upon seeing the first atomic explosion (named the Trinity test no less) Robert Oppenheimer, the "father of the atomic bomb" is known to have thought back to the Bhagavad-Gita and the lines "I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds"

It reminds me of the film Beneath the Planet of the Apes where those mutant humans lived underground and formed a cult which worshipped the Bomb. I think she has a point. Admittedly, we still have a ways to go. We still haven't developed mental telepathy and we don't need masks to cover our radiation-scarred faces. But I think Cobb is right. In some circles, the bomb has become an idol of sorts, like the Ark of the Covenant which the children of Israel carried into battle.

And y'all know what the Bible (or the Quran for that matter) says about idolatry.

Grenada's past:
monkey business

when keeping it real goes wrong

Good Times.
Any time you meet a payment. - Good Times.
Any time you need a friend. - Good Times.
Any time you’re out from under.
Not getting hassled, not getting hustled.
Keepin’ your head above water,
Making a wave when you can.

Temporary lay offs. - Good Times.
Easy credit rip offs. - Good Times.
Scratchin’ and surviving. - Good Times.
Hangin in a chow line - Good Times.
Ain’t we lucky we got ‘em - Good Times.

Chicago Tribune: Good times -- and bad

Reading this made me sad on multiple levels. Thirty-five years ago, Eric Monte, an African-American tv writer helped create some of the most popular and innovative movies and tv shows of the 1970s. He wrote "Cooley High" (which was the inspiration for What's Happening!) He was a co-creator of "Good Times" and he wrote for All In the Family as well. And for all his labor, he built a successful career, won an NAACP Image award, Benz and a nice house in Santa Monica.

Currently, the 62 year-old Chicago-native lives in a Salvation Army shelter. Part of his trip from A to B involved health problems (which weren't his fault) and drug addiction (which arguably was). But the sad part is that it seems like a large part of his difficulties were also a result of his efforts to fight for his integrity as a writer.

she watch channel zero

I just found out from Alexandalus that April 24-30 2006 is TV Turn-Off Week. He has several interesting links with more info.

3500 years ago...

3500 years ago, people in Egypt worshipped different Gods than we do, although some have similar stories (Osiris and Horus). When we look back upon that time, we see them in a sense as ridiculous and primitive. How could someone pray to the image of a man with a dog's head, or a man with a bird's head, and accept that as God? Or, even think that it would grant his prayers and wishes? But 3,500 years from now, if humanity still exists, then people will look back on this time, they will look at our God, and think how we worshipped a man nailed to a piece of wood. And most pitiful of all, how could we not even listen to the most basic teaching and foundation of all his work: treat others the way you wish to be treated. If we treated America the way it has treated our people, we would be called terrorists, rapists, thieves, murderers. History cannot be wiped away in the sand and forgotten.

-Immortal Technique

immortal technique: two interviews

I haven't talked about the Afro-Latino political rapper, Immortal Technique in a while. But last month he did a two-part interview with XXL Magazine where he shares his unique perspective on the nature of the music business. And this month he did an interview with Ballerstatus on the implications of a community gardening project in Los Angeles.

first interview:
Immortal Technique Rock - The Boat (Part I)
Immortal Technique Rock - The Boat (Part II)

second interview:
Immortal Technique: South Central, America

Original Hip-Hop Lyrics Archive:
Immortal Technique

Grenada's past:
Immortal Technique: Volume Two

jesus radicals

Even when they call us mad, when they call us subversives and communists and all the epithets they put on us, we know we only preach the subversive witness of the Beatitudes, which have turned everything upside down —Oscar Romero

Speaking of Jesus Christ (as) being more political than is usually acknowledged, Jesus Radicals, a Christian anarchist organization is planning on having a conference:

Here in this Place: Anarchism and Christianity in our Context
August 4-5, 2006
Illinois Disciples Foundation
610 E. Springfield Avenue
Champaign, Illinois
Contact: jesusradicals AT jesusradicals.com

In addition, the Progressive Faith Blog Con is also having a real-life conference from Friday July 14 through Sunday July 16 at the Montclair State University Conference Center. It is still in the planning stages but I can say that they are putting in real effort to make the event ecumenical. If you are in the area, feel free to come regardless of religion.

holy blood, holy grail

a belated "holiday" piece....
I've been reading Holy Blood, Holy Grail. I just finished a few days ago. The book has been getting some attention these days because the authors, Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, recently lost a plagarism lawsuit against Dan Brown, the author of the Da Vinci Code. Certain themes from the Da Vinci Code were pretty clearly inspired by Holy Blood, Holy Grail except The Da Vinci Code admits that it is fiction while Holy Blood, Holy Grail is presented as non-fiction. (It seems like a basic Catch-22. If Baigent and Leigh are just doing history, then the Da Vinci Code is just an example of historically-based fiction. But if Baigent and Leigh want to take credit for their story and say that Dan Brown stole their work, on some level, it means admitting they more or less made it up.)

Baigent and Leigh argue that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and their descendents became part of European royalty (specifically the Merovingian dynasty). Furthermore, a secret society called the Priory of Sion has an elaborate master plan to place Christ's descendants into positions of political power in Europe (and possibly the world).

Some of the details of their theory are of special interest to Muslims:

1. Baigent and Leigh suggest that Jesus may have survived the crucifixion.

2. They suggest that Jesus did not claim to be God but was a human Messiah. So instead of following the typical Christian interpretation that Jesus was killed because his theological claims were blasphemous to monotheistic Jews, they argue that his claim to be the messiah, (a human hereditary priest-king) was a political threat to Imperial Rome (which is why he would have been sentenced to crucifixion in the first place).

3. In order to make Christ's message more popular in the Roman Empire, the political message was de-emphasized and replaced with anti-semitic elements. (Blaming the Jews instead of the Romans)

4. The Priory of Sion was also behind the founding of the Templars who had a long term goal of trying to unify Jews, Christians and Muslims under one system; an actual theocratic government ruled by the descendants of Jesus. As they put it:

For if Jesus were acknowledged as a mortal prophet, as a priest-king and legitimate ruler of the line of David, he might well have become acceptable to both Muslims and Jews. As king of Jerusalem, his lineal descendant would than have been in a position to implement one of the primary tenents of Templar policy - the reconciliation of Christianity with Judaism and Islam.

The authors try to bring together various threads to weave a complex story, but to be honest, they aren't always very rigorous in terms of making their argument and so some of the pieces don't hold. For example, the Priory of Sion was probably a hoax. (It seems the 'real' Priory of Sion is not a 1000 year old secret society but was founded in the 1950's by a French con artist as part of an elaborate scam). Nevertheless, the book was an interesting read, and provided some food for thought. (I was most persuaded by the idea that Christ's mission was more political than is usually acknowledged).

the da vinci code
the (real) da vinci code
angels and demons
the black stone

more on farrakhan in cuba

Reuters: Farrakhan in Cuba calls for "regime change" in US
Prensa Latina: US Newspaper Distorts Farrakhan Visit to Cuba
Final Call: Min. Farrakhan leads delegation on successful and much anticipated Cuba visit

even more on immigration

More Black and Muslim commentary on immigration:

Welcome to Mexicali by Marvin X
Why I Support the Latino Demonstrators by Amin Sharif
Chickenbones: Latino Immigrants, Jobs, and Civil Rights
Alt.Muslim: Muslim Voices On The Sidelines In Immigration Debate

more on immigration

To be honest, it is slightly surprising to me how much people seem to be coming together around issues of immigration. I've tended to think of immigration as an issue which (literally) evokes borders between people and sets up a dichotomy of "us" and "them". But recently, concerns about immigration seem to be a real galvanzing and unifying force across many different communities. Of course, it has been bringing Latino groups together, but it hasn't stopped there.

CNN: Marches may mark rise in Latino power
PNS: South Asians Join Immigrant Rallies Across Nation
PNS: Black Media Stress Human Rights Struggle of Immigrants

the lemba

As a part of my ongoing and vigorous discussions with Sondjata on Abrahamic religion and Afrocentritiy it had occured to me that it would be good to mention the Lemba people.

The Lemba (or Lembaa) are a group of people who live in southern Africa (mostly Malawi, Zimbabwe and the South African). And although they speak Bantu languages similar to their neighbours, they have specific religious practices similar to those in Judaism (e.g. prohibition of pork, male circumcision). On top of that, according to their oral tradition they are of Jewish descent dating back to the time of Solomon. Furthermore, some DNA evidence (specifically looking at markers on the Y-chromosome) strongly suggests their claims are true.

So here is just another example of how deeply the Abrahamic and African worlds overlap.

Haruth: The Lemba
Wikipedia: Lemba
NYTimes: Group in Africa Has Jewish Roots, DNA Indicates
The Jews of Africa: The Lemba of Southern Africa
The Freeman Institute: The Black Jews of Southern Africa
PBS/Nova: The Lemba, The Black Jews of Southern Africa
Wikipedia: African Jew

"one man's freedom fighter..."

In These Times: The Battle for Fred Hampton Way by Salim Muqakkil talks about the current struggle in Chicago to name one city block in honor of the Black Panther leader, Fred Hampton. Many of the city's Black politicians are supporting the measure but in a "surprise" move, the Fraternal Order of Police is objecting.

It reminds me of an earlier conflict, also in Chicago, where the local Puerto Rican community wanted to put a statue of Pedro Albizu Campos in Humboldt Park but faced opposition from the Park District.

From Z Magazine: Puerto Rican Community in Chicago by Melinda Power:

In the early 1990s, a fierce struggle over a statue of Don Pedro Albizu Campos, the fiery independentista and Nationalist Party leader, materialized in the Puerto Rican community. Aggressive opposition from pro-statehood Puerto Ricans, conservative Democrats, and real estate interests blocked placement of the statue in Humboldt Park, an expansive and beautiful oasis in the heart of the Puerto Rican community. As a testament to the strength of Puerto Rican nationalism, the City of Chicago agreed to the community's request to install two striking, 59-foot, steel Puerto Rican flags at the east and west entrances to the neighborhood. Spanning Division Street, the main thoroughfare, these flags clearly mark the community's boundaries. They also send a message to would-be gentrifiers: "Humboldt Park is Puerto Rican territory."

and

Space of Resistance: The Puerto Rican Cultural Center and Humboldt Park by Rachel Rinaldo:

La Casita's lot now includes a landscaped garden area, benches to sit on, and a space for performances. There are often barbecues here in the summer. When two of the freed prisoners returned to Chicago in September 1999, the welcome-home party was held there. In front stands a bronze statue of Pedro Albizu Campos, the Puerto Rican nationalist leader revered by the PRCC and by the Young Lords.

In the mid-1990s, the PRCC wanted to place the statue in Humboldt Park, but the Park District objected. The statue was eventually moved to La Casita, where it is a spot on the Paseo Boricua walking tours. It remains a sore point for the PRCC—one of the instances in which domination of space by the powers that be has prevailed. The Paseo Boricua Directory points out, "The placement of the Statue of Albizu needs to be resolved, since Humboldt Park has been denied to us. The Casita is therefore the most appropriate place for the placement of the statue."

You win some, you lose some. But then what really shows the hypocrisy of this whole situation is that a major Chicago street is already named after an honest-to-"goodness" Fascist: Streetworthy? The case for and against Italo Balbo

The cliches are overused but apt: One man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist. History is written by the winners. Or as Obi Wan said: "Luke, you will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."

gattaca: so this is how it starts...

NYTimes: Seeking Ancestry in DNA Ties Uncovered by Tests by Amy Harmon shows how DNA testing is being used in order make and establish claims of political and economic significance.

when is a terrorist not a terrorist?

Miami Herald: Patriot Act bars Cuban rebels from asylum Supporters of an old anti-Castro rebellion are having difficulties getting asylum in the United States because the Patriot Act labels them terrorists.

"i never ever ran from the ku klux klan and i shouldn't have to run from a black man cause that's..."

Self-destruction by the Stop the Violence All-Stars. I was just thinking about that lyric earlier today. The song takes me way back. I almost feel like rehashing my past posts on different examples of black-on-black pathology. For some reason, some folks have a really deep urge to be HNIC (even some white people) and will stop at nothing to get there.

dave chappelle on npr

Last Laughs 2004: NPR interview with Dave Chappelle

pretty white girl singing

This is another personal/cryptic post: If I could find the transcript, I would post it... has anyone out there seen the Dave Chappelle segment where he says his views are so radical the only way he could get his opinions expressed on tv is to have a pretty white girl sing them? (And then for the rest of the segment, he actually hands a series of note cards to the singing white girl standing next to him) I'm not sure I want to get into the details, but if you have the means, I would highly recommend that the brothers out there get a singing white girl from time to time. It might make your life easier. I'm being serious.

brown berets

Thanks to Adisa for the heads up. This link is from the Watsonville Brown Berets. For those who don't know, in the 60s and 70s the Brown Berets were the Chicano analogue of the Black Panthers. And the Watsonville chapter is a contemporary group which was inspired by the Brown Berets of the past.

representin' the west (bank)

HindustanTimes: Arab-American rappers find new voice in political hip-hop music focuses on two of the Arab-American rappers, Omar Offendum and Ragtop of Los Angeles who are on the forefront of this trend.

Reading about them reminded me of the Suheir Hammad poem, Taxi, which starts off...

urban warrior i think we're
too used to bottled water and soft ass wipes
street soldier not gettin' taxis and little white ladies
claspin purses ain't all it's about

Hip-hop is definitely spreading and finding different things to say. You also might want to check out the Iron Sheik, a Palestinian-American rapper who I've seen in concert before. His page has song samples, lyrics, show information, and other goodies.

growing anger among blacks as latinos take over

April 7, 2006
BY ERIN TEXEIRA

NEWARK, N.J. -- The men both stood in a busy hardware store parking lot, but their lives were far apart.

On one end, Oscar Bautista of El Salvador said he had been waiting more than three hours for a job. Across the lot, Art Jackson loaded potting soil into his Dodge Durango. He complained that immigrants are making it harder for Americans to keep good jobs, especially blacks.

''You need to take care of home first,'' said Jackson, an African-American phone salesman from northern New Jersey.

Blacks and Latinos are often united on social and political issues. But they often differ when it comes to immigration.

Newcomers make black progress harder, said Wesley Crawford, who works at Source of Knowledge, a bookstore in Newark. ''It's a misconception that they're taking jobs we don't want. If you give people a good job, they will work.''

While Hispanic immigrants have protested a proposed crackdown on illegal immigration, the nation's most prominent black leaders have all been to New Orleans to try to stop the upcoming local election. Shortly after the storm, Jesse Jackson and others complained that Latino workers seemed to have more access than blacks to rebuilding jobs.

Bruce S. Gordon, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said that African-American and Latino bonds are strong and that his ''spirit was there'' at the immigration marches.

Most of the immigration protests have focused on a bill passed by the U.S. House that would make illegal immigration a felony, and all but one black voting member of Congress, Rep. Harold Ford Jr. of Tennessee, was against it, according to the Congressional Black Caucus.

Still, many blacks feel threatened, said Earl Ofari Hutchinson, a black writer in Los Angeles.

''The civil rights leaders say we're all united, but the average person on the street is taking great offense at this group coming in and essentially taking over,'' he said.
AP