ideology and temperament

Something I've been thinking about for a long time is the tendency for some folks to frame significant differences between Muslims in ideological terms. Sunni, Shia, Sufi, Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi, Hanbali, Khawarij, Salafi, Wahabi, 12-er, 5-er, 7-er, Quran-only, Islamist, Reformer, Orthodox, Traditional, Liberal, Conservative, Moderate, Progressive, Modern, etc.

I feel like talking about this over a couple posts, but one thing I wanted to get across is fixating on labels can be dangerous. And in any case, temperament is a more significant distinction than any ideological label.

What do I mean by that?

It used to be that your basic anti-Islamic bigot would just say "I hate Muslims." and be done with it. But now in the enlightened 21st century, it is harder to say that in polite society so the educated person will say "No, Muslims aren't all the same. Some are good Muslims, and some are bad Muslims. You should say 'I hate Wahabis'".

And on television it is not uncommon to see the bigot who wants to sound more sophisticated saying such things.

Now, I'm not a Wahabi (follower of the interpretations of Abdul-Wahab) but in spite of the feelings I have about that movement, I also think there are plenty of Wahabis who are perfectly wonderful people. And in spite of my various disagreements with Wahabi ideology, I'm more than a bit worried at the prospect that somebody in the State Department trying to distinguish between the "good Muslims" and the "bad Muslims" on the basis of that distinction.

I'm not sure if I should be saying this, but right now there is also a very widespread idea that the "Sufis" are the "good Muslims". And from a certain point of view, I wouldn't want to put much energy into opposing this notion. "The Sufis" tend to emphasize the mystical, spiritual aspects of Islam and are in certain respects less legalistic. They have tended to express themselves in poetry and music and are associated with some of the more creative aspects of Islamic civilization. Rumi, Al-Hallaj, Hafiz and other "Sufis" are also very appealing to non-Muslims. And in general, throughout Muslim history, Sufis have played a very important role in spreading Islam to non-Arab peoples. (In fact I would say that Sufism is basically "just" the essential and very orthodox aspect of Islamic spirituality)

Furthermore, among the 4 sunni schools of law (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi and Hanbali) the Hanafis are often described as the most liberal and the most rational. (And I generally don't get into talking about madhab issues on this blog but I'm basically a "Hanafi" myself. I have two crates of Hanafi books, mostly from Turkey and the sub-continent which I use as references if I have fiqh questions).

The "funny" thing is that the Taliban were both Sufis and Hanafis. So much for labels. In fact, if you consider Al-Qaedah (sometimes problematically identified as "Wahabi"), the Taliban (strict Hanafis) and Hezbollah (Shia) or even the Paris rioters (many of whom were secular) the groups are very distinct in terms of ideology. What makes them "militant" has more to do with their attitudes (towards the West, towards various Muslim governments, towards the use of violence) than the specific ins and outs of their theology. I just hope that the various Western governments can keep that in mind before anyone is tempted to round up the Wahabis, or the Hanafis, etc.

scholars ask why latinos view blacks poorly

Diverse Online: Scholars Ask Why Latinos View Blacks Poorly by Christina Asquith summarizes a 2003 survey of blacks, whites and Hispanics (mostly Mexican) in Durham, NC. The "punchline" is that Hispanic attitudes towards blacks were more negative than white attitudes towards blacks. It would be interesting to see if the same results were replicated in a sample which includes more Afro-Hispanics (Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, etc.)

"other than that ms. lincoln, how was the play?"

It's been a while since I filled-out one of these blog quizzes.
I'm cracking up about getting this result. It fits on multiple levels.

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

"i've seen ethiopians knocking out rome" (part 2)

As I said earlier, the recent case of the Seas of David got me reflecting on the Black Hebrew Israelites and other loosely related groups.

At least as far back as the mid-eighteenth century, Africans in the Americas were making metaphorical connections with the experiences of the enslaved children of Israel in Egypt. But later in the nineteenth century this had developed from identification with to identification as the children of Israel. And more generally, there have been a number of Black religious movements (like the Hebrew Israelites and Rastafarians) which, for whatever reason, play up and emphasize the Judaic aspects of the Bible.

In addition to the Hebrew Israelites and the Rastafarians, there is also the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (one of the most ancient forms of Christianity, predating every single Protestant group as well as the Great Schism which seperated Roman Catholicism from Eastern Orthodoxy).

I would say that a broad range of groups and individuals share the following beliefs or characteristics:

1. A belief that the original Jews were "Black"
I don't know if Moses (as) looked like Wesley Snipes. But according to the Bible, Jacob (Israel) and his sons went into Africa as a group of 12 households and hundreds of years later they came out of Africa as a nation of millions. Either the children of Israel are really really really inbred or they intermarried with the people around them and became basically an African group. The Bible even explicitly says that Abraham, Joseph and Moses married African (Egyptian and Cushite) women [Genesis 16:3, Genesis 41:45, Numbers 12:1].

2. The Old Testament Laws are still valid today
Most modern Christian groups downplay the commandments of the Old Testament. In some cases, I would even say it approaches a bizzare kind of anti-semitism. Many Christians see the commandments, at best as useless, at worst as burdensome and punitive things which were mercifully removed by Jesus. In contrast, the groups I'm talking about tend to see the Old Testament way of life as providing valuable guidance for today. Many prohibit pork, lean towards vegetarianism or adopt other aspects of the Jewish dietary code. These groups make some attempts to follow the various rules about grooming and hygine, regular prayer, learning a sacred language, animal sacrifice, fasting, pilgrimages etc.

In a lot of ways these groups are actually very similar to African-American Muslims. And it seems to me that one could probably find a great deal of solidarity and understanding among people who follow "Black Religion" (in Prof. Jackson's sense), are "Abrahamic" and follow a rich law-based lifestyle. Personally, I've tended to hae really positive interactions with the Rastas, Hebrew Israelites, Black 7th Day Adventists, etc. I've met. Furthermore, I would say that in terms of coming to Islam, I rode a certain "train of thought" but I also see that it is totally possible that if I had "gotten off at a different stop" I might have joined one of these other groups.

3. "We" are the Chosen People
Many of these groups have a strong sense of distintive peoplehood. To be a child of Israel is to be set apart, to follow a different way of life. The covenant is not for everyone, it is just for a few. Some groups are very dualistic and emphasize the contrast between "Israel" and the pagan Gentile/Babylon/Rome way of life. In the most extreme cases a siege mentality can develop and this is clearly exemplified in the Seas of David expressed interest in killing as many "devils" as possible.

In terms of the whole "train of thought" metaphor, this is one point where I definitely zigged instead of zagged. The Bible has a very strong emphasis on bloodline which comes a little too close to racism for my tastes. The curse of Ham. A God who makes bargains with individuals and their descendants. Tribalism. Hereditary priesthoods. Even genocide. Among the traditional rabbinical enumeration of the 613 commandments of the Torah one can find:

596. Destroy the seven Canaanite nations Deut. 20:17
597. Not to let any of them remain alive Deut. 20:16
598. Wipe out the descendants of Amalek Deut. 25:19
599. Remember what Amalek did to the Jewish people Deut. 25:17

I'll pass.

4. The authority of the Bible
Again speaking personally, if I had a stronger belief in the Bible I probably would have been some flavor of Afrocentric/Judaic Biblical religion follower. But because I had too many doubts and questions, I came to the conclusion that the Biblical tradition needed a reboot and so God returned to the purity of Abraham's faith with Muhammad who left behind the Quran and Sunnah.

Black Hebrew Israelites, Rastafarianism and Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity are the main religious movements I had in mind with the above discussion. Of some interest is also a tendancy known as Ethiopianism in American religion which predated and influenced Rastafarianism. But examples similar to these movements can also be seen in the Longhairz, Lauryn Hill's lyrics, and the Seas of David.

Planet Grenada's past:
complexion
the lemba

being latin and black

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Being Latin And Black: Afro-Latinos Grapple With Labels In U.S. By Janita Poe is another decent overview from a few years back.

what does "afro-latino" mean?

From Afro-Latina scholar, Tanya Hernandez: What Does "Afro-Latino" Mean? is a brief demographic overview with some good links.

"i've seen ethiopians knocking out rome"

I've recently been reflecting on the Seas of David and have been working (for a while now) on a post which looks at a broad class of groups which are similar in a very loose sense. That process of reflection reminded me of a group called the Longhairz Collective who aren't Rastas or Hebrew Israelites but they sing about living a natural lifestyle, keeping the Nazrite vow (growing dreads), Black Jesus etc. Their album Dreadlocks and Ponytails, features the song "1nce in a Lifetime" which contins one of my favorite lines of any song.

1nce in a LifeTime

You don’t have to know
Just as long as you let your hair grow
So ease your worried mind
Once in a lifetime you could let your light shine
Once in a lifetime you could let your light shine

Once in a lifetime I write rhymes upon holy topics.
MC’s blaspheme me… I say stop it.
Once in a lifetime, or maybe twice, I’m gonna be a prophet.
So listen to the message when I drop it.

Once in a lifetime you realize that there is something greater.
Too many lifetimes have gone by, back to the Creator.
In prime time the rhyme I display to make you savor
Your lifetime, and every breath.

‘Cuz I know lifetimes that ended within a blaze of anger
My brother by his own hands, or neighbor killing neighbor.
The flavor I discovered my cousin at the hands of her lover.
Love her? Word to the mother.

Speaking of mothers mines passed on. I was a youth.
So now I am a wanderer searching for the truth.
I doubt that I exist. I need to find some proof
In this lifetime. What’s the use?

Once in a lifetime I see my existence worthwhile
If I can make a difference in the life of a child
Provide an opportunity for cracking a smile
In a lifetime.

My folks be living Volume 2: The Hard Knock Life
Once in a lifetime is a feeling and you can’t put a price
On the right time, the right place, the right situation
Like Malcolm giving speeches to a standing ovation

Like King when he preaches
Or Ella when she sings
Madame Zora when she wrote
It was a beautiful thing

In my lifetime I‘ve seen pharaohs upon the throne
I’ve seen Ethiopians knocking out Rome
I’ve seen Nat Turner rise and claim his own.
In my lifetime the Prodigal Son is headed home.

The Prodigal Son is headed home.

You don’t need to know
Just as long as you let your hair grow
So ease your worried mind
Once in a lifetime you can let your light shine
Once in a lifetime you can let your light shine

Do you understand Aaliyah as the muse to the Pharaoh?
What the hell you think they mean by “His eye is on the Sparrow”?
Have you seen Biggie and ‘Pac in guerrilla apparel?
You think that camouflage is the shit that they wanted to wear?

In my lifetime, when we were stomping Europe led by Hannibal
All folks could do is run, hide and call us cannibals.
My father ruled Spain as the king of the Moors
The blackness of my skin is what the named the Dark Ages for

Wisdom is what we had sages for. Don’t ignore!
How can I be rich if my grandmother is poor?
In this lifetime each move we make is for a goal
And every step we take works for making us whole.

All the cheddar that we earn and the plots that we plan
It’s moving us to levels we can't yet understand
In this lifetime we move from surving to thriving
From taking up space to really being alive

If we be seeing each second we exist as a gift
Living life ready to die, and dying, ready to live
Living life ready to die, and dying, ready to live
In this lifetime.

First of all, the song is amazing overall. But on the most literal level, the line "I've seen Ethiopians knocking out Rome" makes me think of how Ethiopia under Hallie Selassie fought back and successfully resisted an invasion attempt by Italy under the Fascist leader, Mussolini. But in addition "Ethiopia" and "Rome" sit in the middle of incredibly rich sets of associations. "Rome" is the heart of the ancient "West". It was the center of a fallen pagan military Empire. Cosmopolitan. Exemplified by compromise. (After all, "When in Rome...") The Roman Catholic Church. Ceasar. Nero. Caligula. Technological achievements, power and force combined with brutality and violence. Fascism. The aqueducts and roads. Crucifix and the Colliseum.

"Ethiopia", on the other hand, is the spiritual homeland of the Rastafarians. Ethiopian Orthodoxy is arguably a more ancient form of Christianity than the Roman Catholic Church. Ethiopia protected the early Muslims when they sought asylum from the pagans of Quraysh. Ethiopia is one of the few countries in Africa which was never successfully colonized by Europeans. Ethiopia is also the secret location of the Ark of the Covenant. There is also a tradition that Solomon and the Queen of Sheba (called Bilqis in Islamic sources) had a child named Menelik who brought Judaism to Ethiopia and was the ancestor of the Ethiopian Jews. (So not unlike the Da Vinci Code we have a secret relationship of a major Biblical character which left behind a bloodline of prophetic and political significance since Halie Selassie/Ras Tafari claims descent from this union.)

I could probably go on but I don't want to bore y'all. InshaAllah, I'll blog on the other movements later. But it's just amazing how much meaning is packed into that Ethiopia/Rome pairing. What side are you on? Genius. What can I say.. I'm a fan.

the egalitarian face of islamic orthodoxy

New study finds religious orthodoxy associated with support for progressive economic reforms

In research based on survey data from seven predominantly Muslim nations (Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia) the authors found that Islamic orthodoxy -- identified as the desire to implement Islamic law (shari'a) as the sole legal foundation of their nation -- is associated in every country with support for such progressive economic reforms as increasing the responsibility of government for the poor, reducing income inequality, and increasing government ownership of businesses and industries.

latino muslims of the bay area

Wow, new blog. Say hello to: Latino Muslims of the Bay Area

muslims march with latino community - july 18th

As part of IMAN’s ongoing commitment and work with the Latino community, a key group of IMAN staff and leaders have formed IMAN’s Immigrant Rights Committee (IRC) with the intention of forging a long-term strategy to advocate and mobilize on behalf of immigrant rights and to develop meaningful grassroots collaborations and connections between urban communities and issues.

Towards that end, IMAN’s IRC will be joining Centro sin Fronteras and other key grassroots Latino organizations and media outlets in several weeks to mobilize for a march on Wednesday July 18th. Many key social justice issues concerning the fate of millions of undocumented peoples have yet to be resolved and the call for justice, mercy and human dignity must continue to be heard from all our communities. IMAN feels compelled to make certain that the Muslim voice remains loud and clear on these issues.

Wednesday July 18th
7:45am-2pm
Immigration Rights Struggle Continues
Bus Leaves 7:45am-Returns 2pm
From New IMAN Office
2744 W. 63rd Street
Chicago, IL
irc@imancentral.org
www.imancentral.org
773.434.4626
Reserve a Seat Today!

terry howcott

I just found I was given a link over at Terry Howcott's: Strongly Recommended Sites (albeit under the name "Tokens Aren't Just for Buses") so I thought it would be cool to return the favor.

su-shi simplified

From Lantern Torch: Su-Shi Simplified is a Shia response to egypt and the shias from Tavis Adibudeen who is the latest new contributor to the Third Resurrection group blog. (Did you notice how I worked in the subtle plug for Third Resurrection?)

african aspects of the puerto rican personality

African Aspects of the Puerto Rican Personality by (the late) Dr. Robert A. Martinez covers some familiar ground and rehashes some well-known topics like the African contribution to Puerto Rican music and popular religion. What I found a bit more interesting is how the paper touched on Arab/Spanish racial attitudes as well as some of the economic factors which determined the course of Black enslavement in Puerto Rico.

ranks of latinos turning to islam are increasing

Puerto Rico Herald: Ranks Of Latinos Turning To Islam Are Increasing by Daniel J. Wakin

"when in the course of human events..."

A holiday sampler from Grenada's past with words from Frederick Douglass, Malcolm X, Filiberto Ojeda Rios and an alternative perspective on Black Freedom and the American Revolution. Also, if you want to read more broadly, I also found an interesting list of Movements for National, Ethnic Liberation or Regional autonomy. I often wonder to what extent we as Americans believe in the ideals and principles of the Declaration of Independence. Do we celebrate the 4th of July because it is simply the national birthday? Or is there a real affirmation of the idea that government authority depends on the consent of the governed?

Planet Grenada:
what to the slave is the fourth of july?
for the fourth of july
"querido fbi"
black loyalists

egypt and the shias

Since I'm on the Su-Shi web ring, every once in a while I feel obligated to blog on the subject every once in a while. To be honest, I don't think I've significantly deepened my thoughts about how to understand the Sunni-Shia split since the last post. I'm basically Sunni but I'm intrigued by the idea of how close to Shia Islam a Sunni can get. I occasionally recall how almost all the Sunni Sufi tariqats trace their lineage through Ali (ra) and some of the exalted titles given to Sufi Shaykhs (like Insan al-Kamil or perfect man) seem to come awfully close to the Shia concept of Imamate. So even though Abu Bakr (ra) was the valid khalifah, a Sunni could still say that a unique spiritual characteristic was transmitted through Ali (may allah enoble his face [1] [2]) and touched several of his descendants. (Some of the Shia imams also appear in the chains of Sunni tariqats).

I'm rehashing some of this, because I recently came across the following article from Al-Ahram: Egypt: Sunni but Shia inclined which discusses the role of Shia Islam to the history of Egypt.


Grenada's past:
sushi revisited: part one
sushi revisited: part two

mumia abu jamal: hispanics, latin america and the struggle against the empire

Hispanics, Latin America and the Struggle Against the Empire an interview with Mumia Abu Jamal by Rafael Rodriguez-Cruz on the Black Panthers, Cuba, COINTELPRO, the Patriot Act, the immigration movement and other issues.

See also: mumia abu jamal - death blossoms

a "new" look at engagement?

In A "New" Look at Engagement? Motazz Soliman looks at African-American and Hispanic-American struggles for inclusion in order to gain insights to guide Muslims in American society.

black versus brown

MSNBC: Can the venerable black-Latino coalition survive the surge in Hispanic power?

the senselessness of guantanamo

In These Times: The Senselessness of Guantanamo