Both of these sites feature a round-up of clips of chanting and singing from Tahrir Square as well as studio tracks by artists expressing their solidarity with the protesters.
KabobFest: The Soundtrack of #Jan25
hawgblawg: Music of the Egyptian Revolution
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
roger stockham arrested on terrorism charges for trying to blow up islamic center
This story got swept up in the wake of news from Egypt, but last month Roger Stockham, a 63-year-old Army veteran from California who has a history of being angry with the U.S. government was arrested outside of the Islamic Center of America (in Dearborn, Michigan) wearing a black ski mask and with a large number of M-80s and other explosives in the trunk of his car. Stockham has a "colorful" history of mental illness, criminal activity and substance abuse. The most recent twist in his case is that he fired his court appointed lawyer Mark Haidar, for being Shiite.
Detroit Free Press: Mosque attack plot suspect demands a new lawyer
Huff Post: Roger Stockham Arrested With Explosives Outside Major U.S. Mosque
NPR: California Man Arrested For Planning Attack On Michigan Mosque
Detroit Examiner: Examiner: Mosque terror suspect has history of making threats
All Voices: California man charged in trying to blow up Michigan Mosque served time for threat against President Bush
Detroit Free Press: Mosque attack plot suspect demands a new lawyer
Huff Post: Roger Stockham Arrested With Explosives Outside Major U.S. Mosque
NPR: California Man Arrested For Planning Attack On Michigan Mosque
Detroit Examiner: Examiner: Mosque terror suspect has history of making threats
All Voices: California man charged in trying to blow up Michigan Mosque served time for threat against President Bush
to be a black. convert muslim. female.
From Jamerican Muslimah's Veranda: To be a Black. Convert Muslim. Female.
liberation square in egypt
Liberation Square in Egypt
by Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore
by Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore
As Moses cast his staff down
so the masses are casting theirs
and their transformed and transformative
multi-million-strong serpent is swallowing
those vain wrigglings of the Pharaoh’s
police-state magicians now made
useless by the greater heartfelt
uncoiling masses of
God-sent Moses
all peace and success
be upon him (and them)
and each of his prophetic lights now
shining across every Pharaonic
tyrant’s face
______________
February 1, 2011
eco-islam in africa
PRI's The World: Eco-Islam in Africa
Green is the color commonly associated with Islam and some scholars say the Koran also commands Muslims to be green in the modern environmental sense. In East Africa, a development project using Islamic ethics has taught locals the Koranic imperatives of conserving natural resources. Some say eco-Islam has taken root. From Pemba Island in Tanzania, Matthew Brunwasser reports.
hip-hop for revolution
PRI's The World: Hip-Hop for Revolution
The poetic tradition in North Africa has also woven its way into more modern forms of expression. Rappers and hip-hop artists from Algiers to Cairo have been casting critical eyes on governments and dictators for years now. In the wake of unrest across the region, their rhymes have become a kind of soundtrack for revolution.
egyptian rappers give uprising a soundtrack
From WSJ blog: Egyptian Rappers Aim to Give Uprising a Soundtrack
Rebel - Arabian Knightz featuring Lauryn Hill
Rebel - Arabian Knightz featuring Lauryn Hill
Monday, February 07, 2011
egypt and race
The Root has some interesting pieces on race relations in Egypt. First there is the blatantly-titled Egypt's Race Problem by Sunni M. Khalid which details some of the challenges, assumptions, and indignities faced by blacks (especially from sub-Saharan Africa) in Egypt. Secondly there is An African American in Egypt by Wendell Hassan Marsh with more of the same.
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
poetic pilgrimage - silence is consent
I think the song itself is from last year, but the video gives the words a new relevance in light of what is going on in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, etc. these days:
Wikipeida: Poetic Pilgrimage
Raw Deen: Interview with Poetic Pilgrimage
Blog: Poetic Pilgrimage
Wikipeida: Poetic Pilgrimage
Raw Deen: Interview with Poetic Pilgrimage
Blog: Poetic Pilgrimage
Monday, January 31, 2011
is the mother plane joining the fight against xenu?
I wouldn't claim that the following example constitute a genuine trend, just that the two data points seem oddly connected.
A few months ago I was surfing the net and found a clip of an interview with George Stallings (former Catholic priest who later founded the Imani Temple as an African centered alternative to Roman Catholicism). What I found surprising is that in the interview he basically affirms (with a small amount of nuance and hedging) that Rev. Moon is the Second Coming of Christ and that he even had "Holy Father" and "Holy Mother" choose his current Japanese wife. As far as I can tell the Imani Temple is still a distinct organization from the Unification Church but Stallings definitely has a close (and devotional) relationship with Rev. Moon.
Second data point:
Farrakhan is apparently getting friendly with the Church of Scientology. I'm not sure what it all means. Is this just a temporary deal, a tactical alliance, or a more substantial sharing of ideas to the point of syncretism? A recent column in the Final Call, From the Land of the Seminole and Osceola to the Clear Water Mecca of Scientology describes a trip some Nation of Islam members took to Clearwater, FL to learn more about Scientology. A more recent column from last November even refers to "the incredible work and discovery made by L. Ron Hubbard on the training of the psyche and the mind into its spiritual development which touches upon the organizational policies and discipline of study".
I'm not sure what it means, but both these examples seem odd to me. In both these cases, a Black-identified religious leader seems to be aligning with a non-Black religious organization with a reputation as a "cult" (i.e. a religious group which exploits and restricts the freedom of its members). So on the one hand, these leaders have been highly critical of more mainstream religious groups, ostensibly out of a heightened concerned for Black independence and autonomy (among other things), but at the same time they seem willing to submit to more fringe and/or hierarchical groups.
A few months ago I was surfing the net and found a clip of an interview with George Stallings (former Catholic priest who later founded the Imani Temple as an African centered alternative to Roman Catholicism). What I found surprising is that in the interview he basically affirms (with a small amount of nuance and hedging) that Rev. Moon is the Second Coming of Christ and that he even had "Holy Father" and "Holy Mother" choose his current Japanese wife. As far as I can tell the Imani Temple is still a distinct organization from the Unification Church but Stallings definitely has a close (and devotional) relationship with Rev. Moon.
Second data point:
Farrakhan is apparently getting friendly with the Church of Scientology. I'm not sure what it all means. Is this just a temporary deal, a tactical alliance, or a more substantial sharing of ideas to the point of syncretism? A recent column in the Final Call, From the Land of the Seminole and Osceola to the Clear Water Mecca of Scientology describes a trip some Nation of Islam members took to Clearwater, FL to learn more about Scientology. A more recent column from last November even refers to "the incredible work and discovery made by L. Ron Hubbard on the training of the psyche and the mind into its spiritual development which touches upon the organizational policies and discipline of study".
I'm not sure what it means, but both these examples seem odd to me. In both these cases, a Black-identified religious leader seems to be aligning with a non-Black religious organization with a reputation as a "cult" (i.e. a religious group which exploits and restricts the freedom of its members). So on the one hand, these leaders have been highly critical of more mainstream religious groups, ostensibly out of a heightened concerned for Black independence and autonomy (among other things), but at the same time they seem willing to submit to more fringe and/or hierarchical groups.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
islam, yoga and cultural authenticity
I've been thinking about adopting a new health regimen for a while which has gotten me thinking about Yoga and similar practices. As a result I've started to notice some interesting back-and-forth in the blogosphere about Yoga from different religious camps.
On the one hand there are some Muslims (and Christians and Jews) who view Yoga as problematic, especially because its more ritual elements (like chanting) arguably constitute the practices of another religion. On the other hand there are Muslims (and Christians and Jews) who either replace the ritual elements with content from their own faiths, or eliminate the chanting altogether and emphasize the physical aspects of yoga (stretching, asanas, breathing).
Malaysia clerics issue yoga fatwa
Indonesian clerics ban Muslims from practising yoga
Deoband intervenes: Muslims can do yoga
At least one Muslim (for example the author of the article Islam and Yoga) goes even further and argues that while syncretism between Islam and Yoga is "spiritually invalid", nevertheless there are many correspondence between Islam and Yoga beneath the surface.
On yet another hand (after all, we are discussing Indian religion) recently the Hindu American Foundation is concerned with the way in which some practitioners of Yoga seen to have divorced Yoga from its Hindu roots and so they have launched a "Take Yoga Back" campaign. (see the article: Is Yoga Hindu?) The article reminds me of similar questions about the way Sufism (or these days Rumi's poetry) is sometimes divorced from Islam.
And on yet another hand, the last point is reminiscent of questions of cultural appropriation which we have discussed before in white people and native religion.
The moral here is tricky I think. To the extent that Yoga is just a form of physical exercise with certain heath benefits it is acceptable to Muslims (and Chrsitans and Jews). But the more Yoga is connected integrally to Hinduism, the less acceptable it is for non-Hindus to follow. And to the extent that Yoga is a cultural practice of a specific group of people, we should be aware of its history.
On the one hand there are some Muslims (and Christians and Jews) who view Yoga as problematic, especially because its more ritual elements (like chanting) arguably constitute the practices of another religion. On the other hand there are Muslims (and Christians and Jews) who either replace the ritual elements with content from their own faiths, or eliminate the chanting altogether and emphasize the physical aspects of yoga (stretching, asanas, breathing).
Malaysia clerics issue yoga fatwa
Indonesian clerics ban Muslims from practising yoga
Deoband intervenes: Muslims can do yoga
At least one Muslim (for example the author of the article Islam and Yoga) goes even further and argues that while syncretism between Islam and Yoga is "spiritually invalid", nevertheless there are many correspondence between Islam and Yoga beneath the surface.
On yet another hand (after all, we are discussing Indian religion) recently the Hindu American Foundation is concerned with the way in which some practitioners of Yoga seen to have divorced Yoga from its Hindu roots and so they have launched a "Take Yoga Back" campaign. (see the article: Is Yoga Hindu?) The article reminds me of similar questions about the way Sufism (or these days Rumi's poetry) is sometimes divorced from Islam.
And on yet another hand, the last point is reminiscent of questions of cultural appropriation which we have discussed before in white people and native religion.
The moral here is tricky I think. To the extent that Yoga is just a form of physical exercise with certain heath benefits it is acceptable to Muslims (and Chrsitans and Jews). But the more Yoga is connected integrally to Hinduism, the less acceptable it is for non-Hindus to follow. And to the extent that Yoga is a cultural practice of a specific group of people, we should be aware of its history.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
martin luther king in science fiction
Over at io9 is a pretty extensive list and discussion of how Martin Luther King has either played a role in, or has been represented in science / speculative / graphic fiction. From how MLK persuaded Nichelle Nichols to keep playing Uhura when she felt like quitting to the alternate future in the Boondocks where MLK was never shot. Check out: Martin Luther King In Science Fiction
Monday, January 17, 2011
another "palestinian martin luther king"
A Palestinian born in the Jabalia refugee camp of the Gaza Strip, Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish overcame tremendous odds to earn his MD. As an OBGYN he practiced in both Palestine and Israel, frequently commuting between the two countries. In January 2009, during a three-week long war, an Israeli tank fired two shells into the doctor’s home, killing three of his daughters and his niece. Dr. Abuelaish was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize because of his commitment to Israeli/Palestinian reconciliation. He is the founder of Daughters for Peace an organization that provides university scholarships as well as leadership programs on health and education to young women in the Middle East. On January 12 we sat down with Dr. Abuelaish after his public lecture about his new bestselling book, I Shall Not Hate, at the Los Angeles Public Library – a part of their ALOUD series. For further coverage of this conversation and Abuelaish’s bestselling book, you can access Ryan Bell’s piece Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish: the Palestinian Martin Luther King in the Huffington Post. See also: Our Enemy is Our Ignorance: An Interview with Dr Abuelaish
(To be honest, I have reservations about the term "Palestinian Martin Luther King". Although it is good to highlight the fact that Palestinians are making some creative, effective and powerful contributions to the peace process, I also don't want to take away from the specificity of what King did.)
(To be honest, I have reservations about the term "Palestinian Martin Luther King". Although it is good to highlight the fact that Palestinians are making some creative, effective and powerful contributions to the peace process, I also don't want to take away from the specificity of what King did.)
muslims/arabs and the spirit of mlk
From Al Ahram Online: Egypt's Muslims attend Coptic Christmas mass, serving as "human shields" provides a nice counter-narrative to the dominant image of Muslims in the Middle East which somehow seems especially appropriate for MLK day.
In a similar vein, there is the story of Budrus, a West Bank village where the Palestinians used non-violent protest in order to save their land from the Israeli government. (A documentary film about the protest, also called Budrus was recently made and is catalyzing a number of discussions).
The Huffington Post has a brief article about the effort in the article, Civil Resistance to Bring Down the Walls by Ayed Morrar who is primarily responsible for organizing the protests.
Riz Khan on Al-Jazeera leads a discussion with Ayed Morrar along with several of the producers behind the documentary:
Finally, another discussion about Budrus can be found at the Sons of Malcolm blog (which is actually where I learned about the film and the non-violent protests in the first place.
In a similar vein, there is the story of Budrus, a West Bank village where the Palestinians used non-violent protest in order to save their land from the Israeli government. (A documentary film about the protest, also called Budrus was recently made and is catalyzing a number of discussions).
The Huffington Post has a brief article about the effort in the article, Civil Resistance to Bring Down the Walls by Ayed Morrar who is primarily responsible for organizing the protests.
Riz Khan on Al-Jazeera leads a discussion with Ayed Morrar along with several of the producers behind the documentary:
Finally, another discussion about Budrus can be found at the Sons of Malcolm blog (which is actually where I learned about the film and the non-violent protests in the first place.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
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