Tuesday, May 26, 2009

scientology on islam

After hearing yesterday about how Scientology is on trial in France, it made me want to find out a little bit more about the faith/philosophy/organization.

Here are some of the confused/confusing claims of L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, on Muhammad and Islam.



Hubbard : "It's an enormous stone hanging suspended in the middle of a room, this is an incident called the Emanator by the way, and this thing is by the way the source of the Mohammedan Lodestone that they have hanging down there, that, eh, when Mohammed decided to be a good small-town booster in eh Kansas, Middle-East, or something of the sort.

"By the way, the only reason he mocked that thing up, is the trade wasn't good in his hometown. That's right. You read the life of Mohammed. And he's got a black one and it sort of hung between the ceiling and the floor, I don't know, maybe they call it the Casbah or something or... Anyway, anyway, that thing is a mockup of the Emanator! The Emanator is bright, not black.

"And so, your volunteer, who insists on a sightseeing trip, goes in and this thing is standing in the middle of the room, and it's going 'wong wong wong wong wong' and he says: "Isn't that pretty?". It sure is, and then he says "Mmmgrmrm ponk" Why, I'll tell you, they cart him from there, and they take him in and they do a transposition of beingness."


see also:
nothing unreal exists
"goodbye children"

new crusades?

Some frightening pieces about the extent to which military policy under President Bush was shaped and informed by a particular reading of Biblical doctrine:

Alternet: Bush's Shocking Biblical Prophecy Emerges: God Wants to "Erase" Mid-East Enemies "Before a New Age Begins"
CommonDreams: War Room is No Place for Bible Study

see also:
onward christian soldiers
more on evangelicals at the air force academy

Sunday, May 17, 2009

love is stronger than death

A few days ago a Christian friend of mine asked me to help translate a Bible verse into Spanish for him. He wanted to have a phrase from the Song of Songs (aka Song of Solomon aka Canticles) engraved on the inside of his wedding rings.

For those who don't know, the book is essentially a love poem. Some view it as a model of romantic love between a man and a woman while others view it allegorically as being about the relationship between God and Israel or God and the Church.

In any case, in the process of looking at different English translations I ended up reading different statements about the Song of Songs from a range of perspectives. For a while now I've had the general impression that the Song of Songs' status in the Biblical canon was questionable. For example, an uncle of mine who is a pastor once said something to the effect that that it wasn't fully the word of God (obviously due to the sensual content).

On the other hand I was intrigued and surprised by a comment made by Rabbi Akiva, a first century C.E. Jewish scholar: "Heaven forbid that any man in Israel ever disputed that the Song of Songs is holy. For the whole world is not worth the day on which the Song of Songs was given to Israel, for all the Writings are holy and the Song of Songs is holy of holies." In other words, the Song of Songs is not just the neglected stepchild of the Bible but an essential central text. It is reminiscent of the prominent role that love poetry has for Sufis such as Rumi and Hafeez.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

starting to twitter

I'm just starting to use twitter but I'm not sure I see the fascination. 140 characters seems too small for substantial or complex thoughts. And if messages are going to be that short, it seems better to have the immediacy of a chatroom. By the way, I'm talibanana (Hanafi, soft and sweet).

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

obama: white house correspondents; dinner





Highlights:
Rahm Emanuel isn't used to saying "Day" after "Mother"
Dick Cheney's memoirs are tentatively titled: "How to Shoot Friends and Interrogate People."

and finally:
"You know, we [Hillary Clinton and I] had been rivals during the campaign, but these days we could not be closer. In fact, the second she got back from Mexico she pulled into a hug and gave me a big kiss. (Laughter.) Told me I'd better get down there myself."

Saturday, May 02, 2009

azizah: a work in progress.

I've recently been listening to Sha-Key's 1994 album, a head nadda's journey to adidi skizm in my car and it's made me wonder what Sha-Key (aka Hanifah Walidah) has been up to lately. One of her more interesting projects in the works is a documentary film named Azizah ("my powerful beloved") which looks at the lives of Black American lesbians who were raised as Muslims. Definitely food for thought.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

the art of war

Speaking of warriors, I recently started to work on "the greater jihad: a muslim art of war". The initial steps have been deceptively easy. With very little legwork and a halfway decent search engine one can find passages from the Quran and hadith on struggle, conflict, etc. Some more keyword searches have yielded some passages from Nahjul Balagha but eventually I'll read it the old-fashioned way as well. In time I'll add in selections from Malcolm X (many of his speeches are obviously available online too). When that's mostly done I'll have to start making trips to the library to slowly add in more obscure sources. We'll see how it goes.

water warriors

Continuing with the Earth Day/ water scarcity theme I thought I would share information/inspiration about an issue affecting poor people in Highland, MI. Basically water is being privitized more and more to the point that poor people living in the community sometimes can't afford it. In response, local activists are trying to assert and defend the people's right-to-water.

First is a brief documentary on the issue:


And secondly, a spoken word performance by Will Copeland (aka Namaste Brown aka the Ill Wizard). (I should also mention that Will is a member of Longhairz Collective and the author of the song 1nce in a Lifetime which I mentioned a while back in "i've seen ethiopians knocking out rome".



Both the documentary and the poem are entitled "Water Warriors"

happy belated earth day! (water wars and warriors)

Even though I ]missed Earth Day (It was the 22nd of April) I thought it would be good to take the opportunity to post something about the ecology. First there is an independently made video for Mos Def's "New World Water". For me, the song is a reminder of the fact that, water scarcity is becoming a bigger issue and that according to some futurists it won't be too long before governments will fight wars over water the way they fight over oil today.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

kings (part one)

when I first saw teasers for the new NBC show Kings they made it seem as if the show would be a contemporary girlie fairy tale a la The Princess Diaries Instead it turns out that the show is a modern retelling of the Biblical story of Saul/ Talut and David/ Dawood (as) (Mostly found in the book of 1 Samuel).

The Quran's version of the story (found at 2: 246- 252) is considerably more concise and less soap opera-ish. Samuel (the unnamed prophet) isn't even identified and the drama, violence, lust and jealousy of the Biblical account is gone.

Have you not considered the chiefs of the children of Israel after Musa, when they said to a prophet of theirs: Raise up for us a king, (that) we may fight in the way of Allah.

He said: May it not be that you would not fight if fighting is ordained for you?

They said: And what reason have we that we should not fight in the way of Allah, and we have indeed been compelled to abandon our homes and our children.

But when fighting was ordained for them, they turned back, except a few of them, and Allah knows the unjust.

And their prophet said to them: Surely Allah has raised Talut to be a king over you.

They said: How can he hold kingship over us while we have a greater right to kingship than he, and he has not been granted an abundance of wealth?

He said: Surely Allah has chosen him in preference to you, and He has increased him abundantly in knowledge and physique, and Allah grants His kingdom to whom He pleases, and Allah is Amplegiving, Knowing.

And the prophet said to them: Surely the sign of His kingdom is, that there shall come to you the chest in which there is tranquillity from your Lord and residue of the relics of what the children of Musa and the children of Haroun have left, the angels bearing it; most surely there is a sign in this for those who believe.

So when Talut departed with the forces, he said: Surely Allah will try you with a river; whoever then drinks from it, he is not of me, and whoever does not taste of it, he is surely of me, except he who takes with his hand as much of it as fills the hand; but with the exception of a few of them they drank from it.

So when he had crossed it, he and those who believed with him, they said: We have today no power against Jalut and his forces. Those who were sure that they would meet their Lord said: How often has a small party vanquished a numerous host by Allah's permission, and Allah is with the patient.

And when they went out against Jalut and his forces they said: Our Lord, pour down upon us patience, and make our steps firm and assist us against the unbelieving people. So they put them to flight by Allah's permission. And Dawood slew Jalut, and Allah gave him kingdom and wisdom, and taught him of what He pleased. And were it not for Allah's repelling some men with others, the earth would certainly be in a state of disorder; but Allah is Gracious to the creatures.

These are the communications of Allah: We recite them to you with truth; and most surely you are (one) of the apostles.

Friday, April 10, 2009

obama, religion and the daily show

Faith the Nation
The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c
Faith the Nation
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show
Full Episodes
Economic CrisisPolitical Humor


It is intriguing to see some of the positive overtures that Obama is making towards the Muslim world. At the same time, it is also not surprising to hear that President Obama hasn't been to church in 11 Sundays. Given the amount of controversy which surrounded Obama's earlier choice of a church home it is understandable he would keep his own devotions private and under the radar.

Monday, April 06, 2009

fulana: lupe & juandi from the block



Fulana is a New York-based Latina artist video collective with a number of products under their belt. The project linked to above was inspired by La Virgen de Guadalupe, San Juan Diego, and Nuestra Señora de J-Lo. This music video was created to answer burning questions, such as: What's up with these designer Virgen de Guadalupe jeans?, How come El Indio Juan Diego became a white man for his saintly Vatican image?, Is the Pope concerned about losing the Latino market?, and Are we fooled by the props G-Loop's got? Is she, is she, Lupe from the Block?

see also: return to guadalupe

sufi rap

The Naqshbandi-Haqqani media library gives this clip the title of African Salawat / Rap / Hadrah I've been to the Burton masjid before for other activities (Eid prayer, dhikr) but apparently I missed hip-hop night.

See also sufi breakdancing.

Monday, March 16, 2009

new muslim cool (trailer #2)

Coming to the PBS show POV this June...

Friday, March 13, 2009

the alchemist

Here is a video for [the alchemist] by Amir and Mikail Sulaiman from their upcoming album, The Meccan Openings:

[the alchemist] by Sulaiman.s Temple from The Meccan Openings from amir sulaiman on Vimeo.

I'm in the middle of a book about the Andalusian mystic, Seal of the Saints, Shaykh al-Akbar Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi and so I'm really intrigued by the title (one of Ibn 'Arabi's major works is called Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya or the Meccan Openings/Revelations/Illuminations so I'm wondering how deep the correspondence goes between the titles.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

islam is gaining a foothold in chiapas

Islam Is Gaining a Foothold in Chiapas

By Jens Glüsing

Long a bastion of Catholicism, southern Mexico is quickly turning into a battleground for soul-savers. Islam, too, is gaining a foothold and the indigenous Mayans are converting by the hundreds. The Mexican government is worried about a culture clash in their own backyard.

Anastasio Gomez, a Tzotzil Mayan from Mexico, fondly remembers his pilgrimage to Mecca. He circled around the Kaaba, the highest sanctuary of Muslims, seven times. At Mount Arafat he prayed to Allah and then he, together with 15 other Indians, sacrificed a sheep before boarding the flight back to their Mexican home.

"In Islam, race plays no role," the young man says joyously. His enthusiasm is understandable. After all, in his home state of Chiapas, Mexico's poorest, the indigenous people are viewed as second class humans, and whites and Mestizos treat the Indian majority as if they weren't there. In the southern Mexican provincial metropolis San Cristóbal de las Casas, the descendants of the Maya even have to move onto the street if a white person approaches them on the sidewalk.

Gomez, 23, converted to Islam eight years ago; ever since then, he has called himself Ibrahim. On his first pilgrimage seven years ago, the Indian was still something of an anomaly. Today, however, Muslim women in headscarves have become a common sight on the streets of San Cristobal.

Conquerors from Spain

About 300 Tzozil-Indians have converted to Islam in recent years and it's a development that is beginning to worry the Mexican government. Indeed, the government even suspects the new converts of subversive activity and has already set the secret service onto the track of the Mayan Muslims. Mexican President Vincente Fox has even gone so far as to say he fears the influence of the radical fundamentalists of al-Qaida.

But the Indians have no interest in political extremism. Rather, they belong to the Sunni, Murabitun sect that was founded by the Scotsman Ian Dallas and is seen as an offshoot of a Moroccan religious order. The Murabitun followers represent a sort of primal Islam: Earning interest profits through money lending is a no-no and they preach a literal interpretation of the Koran.

"The see themselves as restorers of Islam," says the anthropologist Gaspar Morquecho, author of a study of the Muslims of Chiapas. "Their defiance of capitalism is similar in many respects to the critique of globalization espoused by many left-wingers."

More and more Mayans are finding their way to Mecca

While the Mayan Muslims in Chiapas have been receiving extra attention of late, the Tzotzil conversion has been underway for some time. In the mid 1990s, a group of Spanish Muslims embarked to Latin America to spread the word; their leader was Aureliano Perez, who is now worshipped by the Maya-Muslims as Emir Nafia. He offered the Zapatista rebels fighting under Subcomandante Marcos, whom Perez supported, an ideological-religious alliance. Marcos was hesitant to enter the odd pact, but the Muslim missionaries were unperturbed: They discovered that the Tzotzil Indians made up the majority of the Zapatista rebels and were quite open to the teachings of the prophet Mohammed.

The battle for the souls of Chiapas is nothing new. In the 16th century, the Spanish conquistadors used brute force to convert the Indians to Catholicism. Half a millennium later, evangelical preachers from the US have turned Latin America into a religious battleground in their efforts to lure Catholics away from the Church. In the town of San Juan Chamula alone -- whose church is seen as something of a spiritual center by the Tzotzil Indians and attracts thousands of tourists a year -- there are 11 different congregations seeking to save the souls of the Indians.

The loss of cultural roots

The Catholics, however, are still, for the most part, in control. They belong to the mafia-esque former state party PRI run the town hall and the lucrative weekly market. In face of the advance of the evangelists, however, they fear that their influence may be waning and they have chased out more than 30,000 protestant Indians out of San Juan Chamula in the last three decades and hundreds have been killed or assaulted. Most of the refugees settled down in the slums on the outskirts of San Cristobal. Cut off from their cultural and religious roots, the Indians are easy prey for all manner of soul-savers.

"In Islam, the Indians rediscover their original values," claims Esteban Lopez, the Spanish secretary general of the Muslim community. "The Christians destroyed their culture." He presents the use and abuse of alcohol as proof. Alcoholism is wide-spread under Tzotzil Indians and the strict ban on spirits in Islam helps many to break the vicious circle of addiction and poverty.

In San Cristobal, the Mayan Muslims run a pizza shop and a carpenter workshop and they are seen by the whites as hard-working and diligent. In a Koran school, children learn Arabic and five times a day they pray in the backroom of a residential building. Empty congregation halls are not a problem for the new Muslims: Converted Muslims vow to witness the teachings of Mohammed among their families.

Anastasio Gomez -- aka Ibrahim -- for example, has managed to convert his entire family. He is especially proud of the conversion of his 100-year-old grandfather who was member of a Christian sect. "He was wandering from religion to religion all his live. Now he has found his peace of mind with Allah," says Ibrahim.

see also:
islam and mexico
islam in latin america

mexico's indigenous minority converting to islam

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Friday, February 27, 2009

cheikh lo - sante yalla

This has been in heavy rotation in my car these days...



From the liner notes:
For SANTE YALLA (Thanks to Almighty God) the recording location moves back to Dakar. Stylistically the track is Cuban but with an unmistakable West African lope. Cheikh began playing music as a child and like so many West African musicians of his generation first started to play along with Cuban 78 rpm records. Guillermo Portabales' 'El Carretero' was one of the most popular records and ‘Sante Yalla’ bears echoes of that song's slow guajira rhythm. Cheikh dedicates the song to "my nephew N'Dongo Lô, N'Diaga M'Baye and Eva M'Baye who have left us. May the earth be light for them. The devotional chant is sung in the name of the Almighty and it accompanies each person to their final resting place." There is a superb slinking guitar solo from Lamine Faye and Cheikh's trademark harmony vocals open up the chorus.


see also:
cheikh lo
catching up
a saint in the city: sufi arts of urban senegal

Sunday, February 22, 2009

what's new with i.m.a.n. (inner-city muslim action network) in chicago

new muslim cool

Hamza Perez left life as a drug dealer for Islam ten years ago. Now, after a devastating break-up with his first wife, he moves to Pittsburgh's tough North Side.

In a rundown building surrounded by crack and crime, he helps start a new community for African American and Latino Muslims. Like Hamza, many are ex-gang members who are using hip-hop culture to take their religious message to the streets, slums, and jail cells of urban America.

Raising his two kids as a single dad and longing for companionship, Hamza finds love on a Muslim networking website and seizes the chance for happiness in a second marriage. But when the FBI raids their mosque, Hamza and his community come face to face with a whole new set of challenges, and have to choose how they respond.

While he continues his MySpace.com-fueled rise as part of the provocative rap group Mujadideen Team, Hamza starts reaching for a deeper understanding of his own faith -- leading him to some surprising new relationships with Christian and Jewish allies.

Setting Hamza's story in the context of young American Muslims' emergence among the deep dividing lines of the post-9/11 world, New Muslim Cool gives audiences an authentic, intimate, and fresh view of life in one of the world's most rapidly growing and least-understood communities.



See also: Interview with Jennifer Maytorena Taylor, director of The New Muslim Cool

heru tv interview

heru refill

"Atlantic"


"Babylon Is"

Thursday, February 19, 2009

immortal technique: point of no return

Parental Advisory

deep cover revisited

I've blogged about the film Deep Cover before but it has been on my mind again these days... mainly because a few weeks ago I bought Immortal Technique's album The 3rd World which samples several scenes from the film.

So first I'd like to say that IMSDb has posted a script for Deep Cover which is more readable than the one I linked to before (but further away from the actual film).

Secondly (since a number of people seem to find their way to Planet Grenada seeking answers to this question) based on this latest album, it doesn't seem as if Immortal Technique is actually Muslim. He does often express solidarity with the people of Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. and is highly critical of U.S. foreign policy in the Muslim world. On top of that, he seems to show a certain amount of appreciation for Islam (after a fashion). But, on the other hand his comments on lifestyle issues tend to be inconsistent with Islam.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

gaddafi wants caribbean in africa

Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi has said he would like a United States of Africa to include "Caribbean islands with African populations". Col Gaddafi, speaking in Tripoli as the African Union's (AU) new chairman, said this could include Haiti, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. The Libyan leader also sympathised with Somali pirates, describing their actions as self-defence. Last week he said that multi-party democracy was not right for Africa.

The BBC's Rana Jawad in the Libyan capital says Col Gaddafi's critics believe he is too erratic to be chairman of the 53-nation AU. A week into his appointment his agenda for Africa is expanding and his views remain as controversial as ever to some people, she says.

see Gaddafi Wants Caribbean in Africa

1st puerto rican astronaut

black iraqis make their political debut in provincial polls

Black Iraqis make their political debut in provincial polls

speaking of love...

and Rumi... I just found out about a local group of Mevlevis and will possibly start attending some of their gatherings. At this point I'm still a little cautious about them and I hope they are more traditional than New Age-y (e.g. see Why Gurdjieff's "Fourth Way" Teachings are not Compatible with the Mevlevi Sufi by Ibrahim Gamard). We'll see how things go.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Friday, February 13, 2009

more room for rumi

Tonight I plan to go to a Rumi/whirling dervish event analagous to one I went to several months ago where I met a buddhist sufi. Should be interesting.

Monday, February 09, 2009

sarah silverman on kabbalah

I sometimes wonder if the practice of Sufism will wind up like the practice of kabbalah and become a Islamic-but-not-Muslim celebrity-ridden New Age fad (audhu billah) Let's hope not.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

the ghadir declaration

I haven't written a "Su-shi" (Sunni - Shia) post in a very long time so I'm going to share a link to an interesting free book I found online: The Ghadir Declaration by Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri. The author is a Sunni scholar who brings together different versions of the famous hadith where Muhammad (saaws) says: "One who has me as his master has ‘Alī as his master."

The author frames such hadith by talking about two parallel concepts of leadership, a public political leadership, first held by Abu Bakr as-Saiddiq (ra), and a hidden spiritual leadership, first held by Imam Ali. Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri goes on to explain:

The manifest caliphate is the political office of the religion of Islam.
The hidden caliphate is exclusively a spiritual office.

The manifest caliphate is an elective and consultative issue.
The hidden caliphate is an inherent and selective act.

The manifest caliph is elected by the people.
The hidden caliph is elected by God.

The manifest caliph is elected.
The hidden caliph is selected.

This is the reason that the first caliph Abū Bakr as-Siddīq (RA) was elected on the basis of ‘Umar Fārūq’s proposal and the support of the majority of public opinion. But the election of the first Imām of spiritual sovereignty — ‘Alī al-Murtadā (AS) — required neither anybody’s proposal nor support.

Caliphate was a democratic act, therefore, the Prophet (SAW) did not declare it. Spiritual leadership was an act of designation; therefore, the Prophet (SAW) declared it in the valley of Ghadīr Khum.

The Prophet (SAW) left the election of the caliph to the will of the people, but himself announced his spiritual heir with the divine consent.

Caliphate is established for improving the administration of the earth.
Spiritual leadership is established to beautify it with the heavenly charm and grace.

Caliphate makes men just.
Spiritual leadership makes them perfect.

Caliphate is confined to the floor.
Spiritual leadership extends to the Throne.

Caliphate is ineffective without crowning.
Spiritual leadership is effective even without crowning.

This is probably the reason that caliphate is entrusted to the Ummah, and
Spiritual leadership is entrusted to the progeny.

“Thus we can deny neither the khilāfah (caliphate; political leadership) nor the wilāyah (spiritual leadership). The direct caliphate of Abū Bakr as-Siddīq (RA) was established with the consensus of the people and is categorically proved by the evidence of history. The direct spiritual leadership of ‘Alī al-Murtadā (AS) was announced by the Prophet (SAW) himself and is categorically proved by the evidence of unbroken chain of traditions. The proof of the caliphate is the consensus of the Companions (RA), the proof of spiritual sovereignty (wilāyah) is the declaration of the Prophet (SAW). One who denies the caliphate in fact denies history and consensus, and one who denies the spiritual leadership (wilāyah) denies the Prophet’s declaration. Therefore, both the caliphate and the spiritual leadership are inescapable realities. What is urgently needed is a clear understanding of the reality of the two institutions in order to present them to the people as unity, and not as division.”

It should be understood that just as the manifest caliphate started with the early caliphs and its blessings percolated down to the righteous and just rulers, similarly the hidden caliphate started with ‘Alī al-Murtadā (AS) and its blessings gradually trickled to the members of the Prophet’s family and the saints of the Ummah. By means of the declaration — مَنْ كُنْتُ مَولاهُ فَعَلِيٌّ مَولاهُ (one who has me as his master has ‘Alī as his master) — and — عليّ وليكم من بعدي (‘Alī is your spiritual leader after me) — the Prophet (SAW) pronounced ‘Alī (AS) as the opener of the spiritual kingdom.

For a while I've known that the Zaydis existed (a group of Shias who leaned towards accepting the status of Abu Bakr) but this is the first time I've heard/read from a Sunni scholar who seems to lean so hard towards Shiism.

see also: "i'm sushi"

Thursday, January 15, 2009

1100 to 13?!?!?

I've been reflecting a lot on the basic mathematics of the Israel/Palestine/Gaza situation. The Arab birthrates in Gaza are among the highest in the Middle East. Even within the borders of Israel, the Arab birthrate is higher than that of Israeli Jews. In other words, in a peaceful democratic Israel, the Arabs will become a majority and the Zionist project would eventually, organically, naturally, evaporate in the long term. So if the Jewish character of the state is to be maintained, Israel almost "has to" commit genocide. And in that context, the continual atrocities and illegal actions... bulldozing Palestinian homes, illegal Jewish settlements, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank, etc. should not be surprising.

Now, in the current Gaza situation, the numerical discrepancies in the casualties are huge, but also shouldn't be surprising. Since the conflict in Gaza began, nearly 1,1000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, about half of them civilians, many of them women and children. On the other hand 13 Israelis have died, almost all of them soldiers, and almost half of them due to friendly fire! (i.e. the Israeli forces themselves have almost killed as many Israelis as Hamas)

There is no way this conflict makes sense in terms of Israel merely defending itself from Hamas. It makes much more "sense" as a low-level genocide against the Palestinians.

Al-Jazeera: The president of the UN General Assembly has condemned Israel's killings of Palestinians in its Gaza offensive as "genocide"
Al-Jazeera: Israel breaking law with Gaza war
BBC: Strike at Gaza school 'kills 40'
Jewish Congress Says World Jewish Population Shrinking

venezuela (and bolivia) cut ties with israel over gaza attacks

Reuters: Venezuela cuts ties with Israel over Gaza attacks
AP: Bolivia breaks Israel ties, claims Gaza genocide

I'm actually a bit surprised that more countries haven't done something similar. Sometimes I feel like I live on a different planet from everyone else.

Thursday, January 08, 2009

sufis in miami

Does anyone out there know of any tariqats which have a presence in the Miami area?

Sunday, January 04, 2009

"catholic" islam

I found out recently that a friend of mine is thinking of converting to Roman Catholicism. As a result I've been thinking more about some of the more "Catholic" aspects of (traditional, orthodox) Islam; the saints/awliya, the litany/dhikr, rites and canon law/schools of fiqh, apostolicity/silsilas and ijazahs, creeds, admiration for Mary, etc. This train of thought has also been helped along by the fact that I've been reunited with a number of my books on Islam with some new ones besides... some friends of mine who helped me moved were holding on to some of my things and also wanted to get rid of some books themselves.

One of the books which they gave me, The Word of Islam by John Alden Williams was interesting to me because it contained a Maturidi creed which, in contrast to what many scholars claim about the sinlessness of prophets, seemed to allow the possibility that before his period of prophethood, David (as) actually committed the sins the Bible ascribes to him involving Uriah and Bathsheba... but more on that in another post.

These days I'm also reading Perfecting Women by Barbara Metcalf which is a partial translation and commentary of Maulana Ashraf 'Ali thanawi's Bihishti Zewar which is a famous resource for Hanafi fiqh (among other things).

return to guadalupe
the radical middle way
protestant islam
more protestant islam
"...being the last one around"

Friday, January 02, 2009

magic negro / que sera lo que quiere obama

It is almost "funny" how much of the criticism against Obama has gotten so racialized. This racialization isn't terribly surprising, it just seems like part of a larger pattern.

Mami Que Sera Lo Que Quiere Obama?


Barack the Magic Negro



I almost wish that Chip Saltsman wins his bid to chair the Republican National Committee because judging by his Christmas album (which in addition to Barack the Magic Negro also includes such "hits" as the Star Spanglish Banner and Ivory and Ebony) because he would lead the Republican Party towards being totally irrelevant to an increasingly diverse United States.

See also:
mami el negro esta rabioso (el africano)
the magical negro
"jose can you see..."

Monday, December 29, 2008

war-weary jews establish homeland between syria, lebanon, jordan, egypt

The Onion
Tuesday, November 9, 1948

-------
"In Israel, Our People Will Finally Have Safety and Peace," Says Ben-Gurion
--------
Jordan Welcomes New Neighbors with Celbratory Gunfire, Rock Throwing

-------
Jerusalem, Israel--After more than 2,000 years of wandering and persecution, including six million deaths at the hand of Nazi Germany, the Jewish people finally established a homeland Monday, a place of safety and peace nestled between Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt.

"No longer will the Jewish race live in a constant state of fear and endagerment, its very existence threatened at every turn by hostile outsiders," said David Ben-Gurion, the new nation's first prime minister, addressing a jubiland crowd of Zionists at Jerusalem's Western Wall. "Here in Israel, we are safe, far away from those who seek to destroy us."

For two millennia, the Jewish people have wandered without a home, facing an endless series of hostile enemies. With the establishment of a soverign Jewish state in the Middle East, Israeli officials believe this 2,000-year ordeal has at last come to an end.

"Israel is the land of milk and honey," Ben-Gurion said. "Here there will be no pogroms, no midnight visits from Cossacks, no Nuremberg Laws. The only gunfire we shall hear is that which lingers in our minds from troubled times long past."

Ben-Gurion said he looks forward to years of harmony and cooperation with Israel's neighboring states. "Jordan seems extremely happy to have us as a new neighbor," he said. "Last night, from my window, I could hear great explosions coming from the Gaza Strip. How wonderful of the Palestinian peoples there to celebrate our arrival with fireworks."

In his official greeting to Israel yesterday, Egypt's King Farouk issued the following statement: "Egypt does not and will not ever recognize the so-called state of Israel's right to exist. Israel is a land built on Jewish lies and the spilled blood of countless Arabs. Until the territory called Israel is returned to is rightful Palestinian owners, Egypt will have no choice but to consider itself at war with the Jewish people."

As a token of its good will, Syria presented Israel with a burning Israeli flag, with an attached note that read, "May you be swiftly driven into the sea and drowned."

In the months leading up to Monday's formal declaration of Israeli statehood, hundreds of thousands of Hocaust survivors from around the world have flocked to Israel, where they will finally find a safe haven from anti-Semitism. "This is a dream come true," said Holocaust survivor Zadie Dubrovnik, 59, who left her native Lithuania for Israel last week. "In this place, we will build a refuge of peace, far away from those who hate us."

Ben-Gurion said that with no need to defend itself from enemies, Israel will be free to spend billions of dollars on domestic development that other nations would be forced to devote to a defense budget. Military expenditures are expected to account for just two percent of the country's overall budget, as Israel will be a place of peace, not war.


Also from the Onion:
Israel Bombs Anti-Semitism Out Of Lebanon
Israel Intercepts Massive Palestinian Rock Shipment
Israel, Palestine Now Fighting Over Cemetery Space
War-Torn Middle East Seeks Solace In Religion

see also: on a lighter note...

Saturday, December 13, 2008

excedrin for (racial) tension headaches

I was recently browsing the SNL website looking for a clip of the Homocil ad and ended up finding a different sort of prescription instead:

Monday, December 08, 2008

eid mubarak y'all

(sigh) I miss a student's schedule when it was much more feasible to take the day to celebrate. Go to prayers in the morning and hang out with folks later.

Thursday, December 04, 2008

harold camping

I currently have a long commute from work and unfortunately am faced with a small number of radio stations to choose from. (I'm a big NPR fan but during most of my evening drive home the local station switches to programming in Creole).

Occasionally I will listen to a radio call-in show run by an evangelist named Harold Camping... more out of curiosity than anything else. He is an odd bird. He teaches that the Church Age is over (and so all current churches are ruled by Satan). He's not a Jehovah's Witness but he teaches that Jesus is Michael. And most importantly, he teaches that the world will end on May 21, 2011. Initially I thought his ideas were harmlessly bizarre, but the other night I heard him advising a mother with a young child to not bother making college or career plans for their child's future because they won't have one. He's not just eccentric but irresponsible.

It just reminds me again to appreciate the fact that the Quranic descriptions of the end-times, however vivid, are not full of the sorts of tempting descriptions as the Revelation of St. John or the book of Daniel which would encourage folks to presumptuously predict the end of the world (see also the number of the beast). I'm not saying that Muslims never make eschatological missteps. But I would argue that the Bible encourages this sort of behavior more than the Quran does.

old interview with dhoruba bin wahad

I've been watching some old episodes of the Boondocks recently (especially the ones which show the BET staff is continually plotting against the black race). It made me think back to what BET used to be like and what kind of hard-hitting, thoughtful positive shows they used to have like Teen Summit or Our Voices with Bev Smith or Tavis Smiley's show.


Bev Smith on Our Voices interviewing Dhoruba bin Wahad.

We've mentioned Dhoruba bin Wahad (Muslim, former Black Panther and political prisoner, now political activist) before on Planet Grenada. This is making me want to see what else is out there.

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

r.i.p. odetta (1930-2008)

To be honest, I wasn't a serious follower of Odetta's musical career, but I do really enjoy her duet with Harry Belafonte performing the old folk song, There's a Hole in the Bucket.


 

 and while we are on the subject, I'm actually a big fan of Michael Franti/ Spearhead's loose homage entitled "Hole in the Bucket" which points to a different kind of vicious cycle. 

Michael Franti & Spearhead "Hole in the Bucket" from Katrina Schissel on Vimeo.





black iraqis in basra face discrimination

I just heard this on the radio as I was on my way to work and had to share...

Jalal Diyaab

Morning Edition, December 3, 2008 · The election of Barack Obama to the U.S. presidency was celebrated with special fervor by Iraqis of African descent in the southern port city of Basra.

Although they have lived in Iraq for more than 1,000 years, the black Basrawis say they are still discriminated against because of the color of their skin, and they see Obama as a role model. Long relegated to menial jobs or work as musicians and dancers, some of them have recently formed a group to advance their civil rights.

NPR: Full Story

Also, Third Resurrection has a number of posts about Black Arabs and racism in the Middle East. (Some of the same stories may also be found here: the black knight /Dec 5, 2008)

Monday, December 01, 2008

islam and same-sex marriage

For a while now I've been intending to write about the (partial) overlap between traditional Islamic opinions on abortion and the pro-choice position. Very briefly, according to some scholarly interpretations, the soul doesn't enter the fetus until 120 days after conception, consequently abortions carried out before that point are not considered to be equivalent to murder. I need to say that there is definitely some nuance and complexity to the issue (which is why I've been waiting to write it)... This is not that post.

It is a post about another area where it is possible that common cause might be made between traditional Muslims and modern Liberals.

From Alt.Muslim: Why the same-sex marriage debate still matters by Sabir Ibrahim. The argument roughly goes: Given that Islamic law enshrines the rights of non-Muslims to follow their own customs and practices when it comes to family life, and given that Muslims living in the West would theoretically want the right to enjoy our own distinctive practices (e.g. polygamy) then we all ought to support other minority groups as they attempt to assert their rights as well.

brass crescent awards 2008

An unsolicited "plug" from Marqas over at The Manrilla Blog:
Having just come off attending the 2nd Annual MANA Conference here in Philadelphia, it came as a pleasant surprise that the Manrilla Blog has been put in the running for Best Design in the 2008 Brass Crescent Awards, a joint project of altmuslim.com. The awards are meant to honor blogs that represent the best in Muslim blogging, with yours truly up for, “…[a] blog that has the most aesthetically pleasing site design, appealing to the eye, evoking Islamic themes, and/or facilitating debate and discussion.” My thanks to those who felt this blog worthy of nomination. Feel free to cast your vote here.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

you can't please all the people all the time...

So Nader thinks Obama is an Uncle Tom and Al-Zawahiri thinks Obama is a House Negro (see obama, malcolm x, al-zawahiri and house negroes). Sean Hannity and Sarah Palin, of course think that Obama is a Black-Liberation-theology-believing, socialist Muslim (as if that were a bad thing).

If you want to see what some progressive African-American Muslims have to say about Obama you should definitely check out Imam Zaid Shakir's response to a well-meaning brother along with the blog entry/story African-American Muslim leaders denounce al Qaeda's slur toward Obama

Saturday, November 22, 2008

michael jackson converts to islam

From UPI.com

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Pop star Michael Jackson has converted to Islam at a ceremony in Los Angeles attended by Yousef Islam, the singer formerly known as Cat Stevens, sources say.

Jackson, whose once-amazing career has been eclipsed in recent years by reports of bizarre behavior, as well as legal and financial troubles, is said to have changed his name to Mikaeel and taken the shahada -- or made a declaration of belief -- as part of his conversion to Islam, Al-Arabiya said Friday.

The religious ceremony reportedly took place at the Hollywood Hills home of Toto keyboardist Steve Porcaro, who composed music for Jackson's iconic "Thriller" album.

Jackson's lawyer said the singer has agreed to testify in person next week at a $7 million breach-of-contract lawsuit brought against him in London's High Court by the king of Bahrain's son, Sheik Abdulla bin Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa.

The sheikh is suing Jackson for allegedly backing out of a business venture that was to produce an album, including songs the royal wrote for and planned to record with Jackson, as well as an autobiography and a stage play.

However, Jackson contends he never signed an official agreement and insists the payments he received from the sheik were "gifts," claiming the royal's case is based on "mistake, misrepresentation and undue influence."

see also:
michael jackson: off the wall
britney spears may convert to islam

Monday, November 17, 2008

kemi seba: france's "malcolm x"

From Mark Sedgewick's Traditionalists' blog: Guenon and "France's Malcolm X"

I wish I knew French so I could read the Saphir interview...

Guénon has found a new fan in France: Kémi Séba, a somewhat notorious African-nationalist activist, who recently converted to Islam and is being referred to by some as "France's Malcolm X." His following, however, seems considerably smaller than that of America's Malcolm X.

Séba read Guénon in a French jail in early 2008, while serving the most recent of a series of short sentences for inciting racial hatred. In an August 2008 interview with Saphir News, a French Muslim on-line newspaper, he referred to several of Guénon's works, and said that although Guénon was not the only reason for his conversion to Islam, it was Guénon who had shown him that Islam was more than the religion of the Arabs.

Friday, November 14, 2008

censored stories

Founded by Carl Jensen in 1976, Project Censored is a media research program working in cooperation with numerous independent media groups in the US. Project Censored’s principle objective is training of SSU students in media research and First Amendment issues and the advocacy for, and protection of, free press rights in the United States. Every year Project Censored comes out with a list of the 25 "most censored" news stories, stories of national significance which are neglected by the mainstream (corporate) media.s

Some of the highlights this year include stories on U.S. abuses in the Middle East...
#1. Over One Million Iraqi Deaths Caused by US Occupation
#9 Iraq and Afghanistan Vets Testify
# 24 Japan Questions 9/11 and the Global War on Terror

Some potential problems coming out of El Salvador...
# 4 ILEA: Is the US Restarting Dirty Wars in Latin America?

Shady things going on in the use of executive power within the U.S....
# 3 InfraGard: The FBI Deputizes Business
# 6 The Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act
# 8 Executive Orders Can Be Changed Secretly

And the challenges faced by modern workers and slaves...
# 15 Worldwide Slavery
# 16 Annual Survey on Trade Union Rights

Thursday, November 13, 2008

many muslim women on the ballot this november

MIAMI (AP)
Jamilah Nasheed, an African-American convert to Islam and Missouri Democratic state representative, is one of just nine Muslim Americans in state legislatures nationwide, and the only woman, according to the alliance. She is almost certain to win re-election this year, and Muslim American women in California, Michigan and Minnesota are vying to join her.

Among them is Democrat Ferial Masry, who faces a tough race in her bid to represent a heavily Republican general assembly district near Los Angeles. The 59-year-old high school government and history teacher was born in Mecca but moved to Egypt when she was 10 so she could attend school, not an option for girls in Saudi Arabia at the time. She was a write-in candidate for the seat four years ago after the Democratic Party approached her.

She said no one expected the unknown "woman from Saudi Arabia with an accent" to do well, but she got almost 35 percent of the vote.

Farheen Hakeem, a 32-year-old activist and Green Party candidate for an open seat representing Minneapolis, first ran for mayor in 2005, then for a county commissioner seat. She lost both times.

"I was asked every question under the book," says Hakeem, who wears a head scarf and is of South Asian descent. People would grill her about Islam's treatment of women.

"If I'm so oppressed, how am I running for mayor? I'm still Muslim," she'd tell them. Now, she says, "People are like, 'Yeah, so what, she's Muslim.'"

Rashida Tlaib, an immigration lawyer from Michigan, never thought about running for office until after the terrorist attacks, when she said she saw the immigration system being used to target people of Middle Eastern descent and felt a responsibility to get involved.

After she worked on immigration reform, Tlaib was approached by the Michigan House floor leader, who wanted her to work for him, then later urged her to run for his seat. Tlaib was also recently tapped to be Barack Obama campaign's liaison to the Arab American and Muslim American communities.

Having won the primary in her heavily Democratic, majority Latino district, Tlaib will likely to join lawmakers in Lansing next session, and she looks forward to exposing them to Muslim holidays and traditions like fasting the month of Ramadan.

But Tlaib is quick to emphasize that she didn't run because she's Muslim American; it's just part of who she is. When she walked her district's neighborhoods, people were more interested in talking about crime and foreclosures than her unfamiliar name.


For entire article: On ballots this Nov: More Muslim American women

For a follow-up story on Rashida Tlaib (who won her race):
Michigan Legislature getting 1st female Muslim

Monday, November 10, 2008

Saturday, November 08, 2008

the small man...

The small man
Builds cages for everyone
He
Knows.
While the sage,
Who has to duck his head
When the moon is low,
Keeps dropping keys all night long
For the
Beautiful
Rowdy
Prisoners.

- Hafiz

it's a new day - will.i.am

Obviously the election of Barack Obama is an incredibly profound historical milestone for the United States and so in some sense it is a "New Day. At the same time, it still remains to be seen to what extent Obama will try to re-create the Clinton administration, rule as a centrist or chart a bolder leftward-leaning course. I'm cautiously optimistic but I'm not sure if we can really expect a "revolution" which will suddenly make everything better (especially given the appointment of Rahm Emmanuel as chief of staff). However, I do think that we will start to make some baby-steps in the right direction over time.

Secondly, all these political will.i.am tracks (involving dozens of other musicians and actors) are making me wonder if in the Obama era, hip-hop will go from being protest music to pro-establishment patriotic music? Just a thought.



Wednesday, November 05, 2008

black president - brenda fassie

I had wanted to include a video to this song back when I started my "black president" series but didn't find one until now. Here is South African pop star Brenda Fassie singing about a different history-making Black leader. Personally, I think one of the most beautiful, powerful aspects of the song is that it was actually written several years before Mandela was elected. The dream became a reality. (And here is a clip of a sparser, more beautiful, less "pop" version of the song)





The year 1963
The people's president
Was taken away by security men
All dressed in a uniform
The brutality, brutality
Oh, no, my black president
Him and his comrades
Were sentenced to isolation
For many painful years
For many painful years
Many painful years
Of hard labour
They broke ropes
But the spirit was never broken
Never broken
Oh, no, my, my black president

Hmm maa (3x)
Mama
Hmm maa (3x)
Mama

Hmm maa (3x)
Madiba
Hmm maa (3x)
Madiba
Ahh, nyu ye uyee huu

He broke ropes
But his spirit was never broken
Never broken
Oh oh oh, my president

Now in 1990
The people's president
Came out from jail
Raised up his hand and said
'Viva, viva, my people'
He walked the long road
Back, back to freedom
Back, back to freedom
Freedom for my black president

Let us rejoice for our president
Let us sing for our president
Let us pray for our president
Let us sing, let us dance
For Madiba give us freedom
We thank you Lord
For listening to our prayers
Night and day
Oh oh oh, my president

Madiba

Zulu /Xhosa lyrics

My president
I will die for my president
I will sing for my president

I will stand and say
Viva, viva, viva, viva, viva, viva

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

obama: the recap

If I was President...
black presidents (part one)
black presidents (part two)
if al gore was president aka black presidents (part three)
black presidents (part four)
black presidents (part five)
black presidents (part six)
jimmy smits and the west wing



Obama and the Church
thoughts on obama's resignation from trinity united church of christ
the compassion forum
jeremiah wright and the black church
rev. 'icarus', the obama campaign, & the left
hiv/aids and the us government
rev. jeremiah wright: a change is going to come / national press club
there is nothing wrong with rev. wright
bill moyers and rev. jeremiah wright



Obama and Islam
more from zaid shakir
barak obama on the middle east
obama's islamic past
two calls for pan-africanism from the muslim world
this is what a non-muslim us presidential candidate looks like



Obama and Latinos
latinos and obama
obama and black latinos
president obama and afro-latinos



The Horserace
obama roasts mccain at the alfred e. smith dinner
some brother must have really done her wrong...
another bit
political bits
hispanic governor, bill richardson, endorses obama over clinton
morrison endorses obama for president
obama wins maine and a grammy
racism and the mcain-palin campaign



Obama and other religions
obama redraws map of religious voters
obama and different religious communities



Misc.
here's another thing i don't get...
an open letter to certain white women who are threatening to withhold support from obama in november
the dark knight: the rise of "the real" obama
obama and father's day
heru: barack obama is septimius severus
obama: the death of white supremacy?
barack's black dilemma
"well, i'm not gonna take the white house in 2008 on just my sparkling wit and funding from hostile governments."
mumbo jumbo with ishmael reed

Monday, November 03, 2008

day break

I haven't talked about Afro-futurism for a while, so I figure I should mention that I recently saw Day Break, a prematurely-cancelled television series starring Taye Diggs. It has a premise similar to Bill Murray's Groundhog Day in that Diggs' character keeps reliving a particular day until he gets it "right". But instead of being a cutesy romantic comedy, Daybreak is a somewhat violent drama series about a Black hero being apparently framed by the (mostly-white) powers that be. In this case, the role of "The Man" is played (in part) by members of a group called the Santayana Club. (George Santayana is the Spanish philosopher who is famous for having said: "Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it". On the other hand, almost all the people of color are at least portrayed rather sympathetically (even the criminals). An interesting show... it manages to keep the suspense and interest going, revealing layer after layer of an intricate story.

Saturday, November 01, 2008

the empire strikes back

As we approach one of the most important elections (symbolically and otherwise) in US history. it is heartening to see signs of a growing consensus around Barack Obama (see Republican and conservative support for Barack Obama in 2008 and also Republicans and Conservatives Endorsing Barack) which has the potential to unify the country and redraw the political map. On the other hand it is a source of concern that the McCain campaign in its death-throes (inshaAllah) along with other elements of the far right are getting more vicious as election day approaches. (Feds disrupt skinhead plot to assassinate Obama)

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

i voted today

Oh my God, the line was soooo long. The process took about 3 hours from beginning to end. I kept thinking back to tv images of the first post-apartheid Election Day in South Africa when Mandela was on the ballot. I spent most of the time outside, waiting to be let into the Lemon City Library (Miami). Then I got a numbered ticket and was eventually let in. Once inside (which was still 70+ deep), I had to wait for my number to be called before being let into a seperate room where all the voting booths were. Fortunately for future early voters, the governor is extending the poll hours for the rest of the week.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

20 questions with upski

In These Times: 20 Questions with Billy Wimsatt Wow, I went to school with this kid. Cool guy.

I like the way he describes his politics:
I’m for the underdogs and the polar bears. I’m for matriarchy and Barack Obama. I’m for green jobs, not jails. I want to turn the Titanic around before we hit the iceberg.

I believe we need deep transformation at all levels of society, individual and systemic. I hate the game, not the players. I love the suburbanites, not the suburbs. I believe that evil is real but good is real too! I believe in God and evolution and I believe it is our moral obligation to protect God’s creation. I believe that all life is sacred and that right now humans are out of balance. I believe that a society that worships material wealth cannot be reconciled with the Ten Commandments. I believe humans are trying to play God, and that genetic engineering, robotics and nano-technology are radically altering the fabric of human life into a scary science fiction novel.

I believe we need to change the game, re-invent the game, get together, hold hands, take a big deep breath, and come up with a new game where there are more winners and fewer losers. I want to see a happy ending in which humanity ultimately survives. I believe that whether the glass is half-full, one-quarter full or one-tenth full, we’ve gotta play the cards we are dealt. I believe in big baby steps.