Here is an article from Starhawk, a Wiccan, and her perspective on Halloween. She discusses both the religious and secular aspects of the holiday.
A Witch's Halloween
~~~~~~
Kelly
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
Friday, October 31, 2008
Some Laughs for Halloween
Why did the vampire go to the orthodontist?
To improve his bite...
What do you get when you cross a vampire and a snowman?
Frostbite...
Why do witches use brooms to fly on?
Because vacuum cleaners are too heavy...
How do witches keep their hair in place while flying?
With scare spray...
What do you get when you cross a werewolf and a vampire?
A fur coat that fangs around your neck...
Do zombies eat popcorn with their fingers?
No, they eat the fingers separately...
Why don't skeletons ever go out on the town?
Because they don't have any body to go out with...
What do ghosts add to their morning cereal?
Booberries...
What is a vampire's favorite sport?
Casketball...
What is a vampire's favorite holiday?
Fangsgiving...
What would a monster's psychiatrist be called?
Shrinkenstein...
What did one ghost say to the other ghost?
"Do you believe in people?"
What do you call someone who puts poison in a person's corn flakes?
A cereal killer...
Why do mummies have trouble keeping friends?
They're so wrapped up in themselves...
What kind of streets do zombies like the best?
Dead ends...
What does the papa ghost say to his family when driving?
Fasten your sheet belts...
What is a vampire's favorite mode of transportation?
A blood vessel...
What is a ghost's favorite mode of transportation?
A scareplane...
What type of dog do vampire's like the best?
Bloodhounds...
What is a ghoul's favorite flavor?
Lemon-slime...
What does a vampire never order at a restaurant?
A stake sandwich...
What is a skeleton's favorite musical instrument?
A trombone...
What do birds give out on Halloween night?
Tweets...
Why do vampires need mouthwash?
They have bat breath...
What's a vampire's favorite fast food?
A guy with very high blood pressure...
Why did the Vampire subscribe to the Wall Street Journal?
He heard it had great circulation...
Have fun and be safe!
~~~~~~
~~~~~~
Kelly
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
To improve his bite...
What do you get when you cross a vampire and a snowman?
Frostbite...
Why do witches use brooms to fly on?
Because vacuum cleaners are too heavy...
How do witches keep their hair in place while flying?
With scare spray...
What do you get when you cross a werewolf and a vampire?
A fur coat that fangs around your neck...
Do zombies eat popcorn with their fingers?
No, they eat the fingers separately...
Why don't skeletons ever go out on the town?
Because they don't have any body to go out with...
What do ghosts add to their morning cereal?
Booberries...
What is a vampire's favorite sport?
Casketball...
What is a vampire's favorite holiday?
Fangsgiving...
What would a monster's psychiatrist be called?
Shrinkenstein...
What did one ghost say to the other ghost?
"Do you believe in people?"
What do you call someone who puts poison in a person's corn flakes?
A cereal killer...
Why do mummies have trouble keeping friends?
They're so wrapped up in themselves...
What kind of streets do zombies like the best?
Dead ends...
What does the papa ghost say to his family when driving?
Fasten your sheet belts...
What is a vampire's favorite mode of transportation?
A blood vessel...
What is a ghost's favorite mode of transportation?
A scareplane...
What type of dog do vampire's like the best?
Bloodhounds...
What is a ghoul's favorite flavor?
Lemon-slime...
What does a vampire never order at a restaurant?
A stake sandwich...
What is a skeleton's favorite musical instrument?
A trombone...
What do birds give out on Halloween night?
Tweets...
Why do vampires need mouthwash?
They have bat breath...
What's a vampire's favorite fast food?
A guy with very high blood pressure...
Why did the Vampire subscribe to the Wall Street Journal?
He heard it had great circulation...
Have fun and be safe!
~~~~~~
~~~~~~
Kelly
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Let's Chill
Long time Muslim yoga instructor expresses shock over UKM lecturer's statement - Melissa Darlyne Chow
Islam and Yoga - A Comparative Study of Congruence between the Two Traditions
~~~~~~
“You've got yoga honey
I've got beer
You got overpriced
And I got weird.”
~Billy Joel
~~~~~~
Kelly
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
Islam and Yoga - A Comparative Study of Congruence between the Two Traditions
~~~~~~
“You've got yoga honey
I've got beer
You got overpriced
And I got weird.”
~Billy Joel
~~~~~~
Kelly
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Some Good News?
Sometimes I fall into the trap of reading the bad news out there...not the hard news or the tragic, but the bad news where people just spew hate and vitriol for no good reason and pen a column that has no real point but to incite more hate and anger. Sometimes I will read fairly positive columns, but then am sucked into the comments where the readers...a term I use lightly at times because of the comments made...twist the message of the author into the strangest things.
I understand that one cannot only focus on "sunshine news" that ignores reality, but it can get tiring if reality starts to pull one under into a chasm of negativity.
So, to combat the negativity I've been seeing and feeling all around lately, I'm going to post the Optimist's Creed and the opening chapter of the Quran. They both shine a light for me when the darkness of things around seem overwhelming.
~~~~~
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, and expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
~~~~~
Praise be to God, the Sustainer of the worlds!
The compassionate, the merciful!
Master on the day of reckoning!
You only do we worship, and to You do we cry for help.
Guide us on the straight path,
The path of those to whom You have been gracious; with whom you are not angry, and who go not astray.
The Opening - Quran 1:1-7
~~~~~
Kelly
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
I understand that one cannot only focus on "sunshine news" that ignores reality, but it can get tiring if reality starts to pull one under into a chasm of negativity.
So, to combat the negativity I've been seeing and feeling all around lately, I'm going to post the Optimist's Creed and the opening chapter of the Quran. They both shine a light for me when the darkness of things around seem overwhelming.
~~~~~
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, and expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
~~~~~
Praise be to God, the Sustainer of the worlds!
The compassionate, the merciful!
Master on the day of reckoning!
You only do we worship, and to You do we cry for help.
Guide us on the straight path,
The path of those to whom You have been gracious; with whom you are not angry, and who go not astray.
The Opening - Quran 1:1-7
~~~~~
Kelly
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Joe Hussein the Plumber
This is not meant to be a political post, but Colin Powell brought up a good point the other night in his interview with Meet the Press. Any legally qualified American should have ability to dream to strive to be the President of this country. No matter his name, religion, race, etc...
Here is an article by Sumbul (Hussein) Ali-Karamali, author of The Muslim Next Door: the Qur'an, the Media, and that Veil Thing about Joe the Plumber...well, Joe Hussein the Plumber.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sumbul-alikaramali/joe-hussein-the-plumber_b_136568.html
~~~~~~
Kelly (Hussein)
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
Here is an article by Sumbul (Hussein) Ali-Karamali, author of The Muslim Next Door: the Qur'an, the Media, and that Veil Thing about Joe the Plumber...well, Joe Hussein the Plumber.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sumbul-alikaramali/joe-hussein-the-plumber_b_136568.html
~~~~~~
Kelly (Hussein)
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
The Muslim View
Despite the seeming outpouring of articles, sites, appearances and support from various sources to show the very diverse views and approaches to the Islamic faith, many people in the US and worldwide have very negative reactions to Muslims - from internalized fear to daily publicized rants.
There are many people inside the interfaith/philosophy community working to combat these fears and educate others about Islam. One site, The Muslim View, takes the approach of taking current events centered around the topic of Islam, summarizing an extremist view, an ordinary American view and then "The Muslim View". It is the hope of the site that it can combat stereotypical impressions and move past having one's named religion being the soul source of judgement of a person's character.
The Muslim View, pioneered by Muslim women including Laleh Bakhtiar of AIF's Scholar Board, strives to hear voices from many points of views. Stop by the site, see where you can contribute and where your view can be heard.
~~~~~~
Kelly
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
There are many people inside the interfaith/philosophy community working to combat these fears and educate others about Islam. One site, The Muslim View, takes the approach of taking current events centered around the topic of Islam, summarizing an extremist view, an ordinary American view and then "The Muslim View". It is the hope of the site that it can combat stereotypical impressions and move past having one's named religion being the soul source of judgement of a person's character.
The Muslim View, pioneered by Muslim women including Laleh Bakhtiar of AIF's Scholar Board, strives to hear voices from many points of views. Stop by the site, see where you can contribute and where your view can be heard.
~~~~~~
Kelly
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
Monday, October 27, 2008
Strange Paradoxes - Sanctuaries, Prayers and Other Contemplations
I am sometimes a walking, talking contradiction. Tonight, for instance, I was writing to someone about how if I had been left alone with no support, then my spiritual journey would have been left vacuous with little meaning. Yet, when it comes to prayer, one of the ways I find as the best outlets to express myself spiritually, then I prefer to be alone. I like praying with others, sometimes, but the complications surrounding praying with others in many situations takes the meditative and contemplative parts of prayer away for me many times. If I am free to pray with others as I believe my conscience drives me to do so, then I am much more at peace when I am with others. Sometimes. Sometimes, though, I am wrapped in a cacophony of thoughts surrounding the insanity of the prayer situation in which I have been placed and the only way for me to shut out the disturbance of reality is to go to prayer. The group situation melts away and I am left to my own faculties...just God and myself. This is preferable at times and I will put myself in this situation from time to time. Healthy? Perverse?
Some time back, I lost what was termed to me as my "sense of sanctuary" when I was going through a rough period. The person who helped me find it, a Pagan practitioner, guided me to find the one place I felt at peace. Once I found that place, I was to then build the place as my sanctuary. Once I practiced my rituals in my place of sanctuary long enough, the place would move from being a necessity to being something I could take to my mind and I could find anytime I needed it. I found that place in a room in my home at the time where the sun was warm, the light was bright and I felt the need and want to do my rituals. The place reminded me of the church sanctuary where I began my spiritual journey. A place I can go still and find the same peace I found in this room. Once I found that peace, I began first by just praying to myself and then including some more traditional, Islamic rituals.
My "sense of sanctuary" ebbs and flows. I have a feeling it will throughout my lifetime and I will have times, like now, when I will need to find it again and again. I will find times where traditional rituals are needed at some points and personal rituals at other points. I will move ahead alone, but need the feeling of community, too. After all, I am part of a community and cannot imagine shutting myself from sharing rituals with them forever.
Sometimes I will have to perform prayer rituals I believe are strict and binding and at other times will have the ability to do whatever I like. Each time, I will need to find my sanctuary and keep my mind on what the purpose of my prayer is...praise to, supplication to and movement on my journey with God.
~~~~~~
Kelly
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
~~~~~~
"Eventually, ritual was developed as a means of contacting and utilizing the energy within humans as well as in the nature world." ~Scott Cunningham, Wicca Author
"And unto every community we have appointed rituals...and God is one God, therefore surrender yourselves to God..." Quran 22:34
Some time back, I lost what was termed to me as my "sense of sanctuary" when I was going through a rough period. The person who helped me find it, a Pagan practitioner, guided me to find the one place I felt at peace. Once I found that place, I was to then build the place as my sanctuary. Once I practiced my rituals in my place of sanctuary long enough, the place would move from being a necessity to being something I could take to my mind and I could find anytime I needed it. I found that place in a room in my home at the time where the sun was warm, the light was bright and I felt the need and want to do my rituals. The place reminded me of the church sanctuary where I began my spiritual journey. A place I can go still and find the same peace I found in this room. Once I found that peace, I began first by just praying to myself and then including some more traditional, Islamic rituals.
My "sense of sanctuary" ebbs and flows. I have a feeling it will throughout my lifetime and I will have times, like now, when I will need to find it again and again. I will find times where traditional rituals are needed at some points and personal rituals at other points. I will move ahead alone, but need the feeling of community, too. After all, I am part of a community and cannot imagine shutting myself from sharing rituals with them forever.
Sometimes I will have to perform prayer rituals I believe are strict and binding and at other times will have the ability to do whatever I like. Each time, I will need to find my sanctuary and keep my mind on what the purpose of my prayer is...praise to, supplication to and movement on my journey with God.
~~~~~~
Kelly
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
~~~~~~
"Eventually, ritual was developed as a means of contacting and utilizing the energy within humans as well as in the nature world." ~Scott Cunningham, Wicca Author
"And unto every community we have appointed rituals...and God is one God, therefore surrender yourselves to God..." Quran 22:34
Stories of Muhammad's Wives
Tune into Sufi Radio for the next installment of Sufism: The Heart of Islam and the next guest Tamam Kahn, author of Married to Muhammad, the Untold History of the Prophet's Wives.
Host: Wendy Salaam
Date: Monday, October 27
Time: 5:30pm PST
If you are unable to tune in at showtime, you can still order a CD of this or any other past show by emailing the host at wendy@sufiradio.com. You can also download past shows from the Sufi Radio website by going to www.sufiradio.com.
~~~~~
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
Host: Wendy Salaam
Date: Monday, October 27
Time: 5:30pm PST
If you are unable to tune in at showtime, you can still order a CD of this or any other past show by emailing the host at wendy@sufiradio.com. You can also download past shows from the Sufi Radio website by going to www.sufiradio.com.
~~~~~
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Educational Journeys - AIF Online Resources
"Education is the best provision for journey to old age." ~Aristotle
The AIF Education/Library page is now updated with informational links about each of the books in our on-site library, more Quranic and commentary resources and a helpful Wishlist link with proceeds to benefit the AIF and its educational endeavors.
Many of our resource links are multi-lingual to help those who are researching or learning in more than just English.
Visit http://www.americanislamicfellowship.com/education for more information.
~~~~~
Kelly
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
The AIF Education/Library page is now updated with informational links about each of the books in our on-site library, more Quranic and commentary resources and a helpful Wishlist link with proceeds to benefit the AIF and its educational endeavors.
Many of our resource links are multi-lingual to help those who are researching or learning in more than just English.
Visit http://www.americanislamicfellowship.com/education for more information.
~~~~~
Kelly
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
Saturday, October 25, 2008
All that's Fit to Link - AIF News Archive
Below is a compilation of the News section from the American Islamic Fellowship Website. The News will be moving to this blog site...
If you have news you'd like us to include, please send it to news@americanislamicfellowship.com.
The views posted do not necessarily reflect AIF's views, but do offer various perspectives relating to Islam and other religions and philosophies.
~~~~~~
Kelly
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
~~~~~~
Other News If you have news you'd like us to include, please send it to news@americanislamicfellowship.com
The views in the other news section do not necessarily reflect AIF's views, but do offer other news perspectives.
If you have news you'd like us to include, please send it to news@americanislamicfellowship.com.
The views posted do not necessarily reflect AIF's views, but do offer various perspectives relating to Islam and other religions and philosophies.
~~~~~~
Kelly
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
~~~~~~
Fellowship News
The Fellowship would like to congratulate
Melody Moezzi - Winner of the 2008 Georgia Author of the Year Award - Creative Non-Fiction: Essay
War on Error: Real Stories of American Muslims
Dilara, Yasmine and Imran Hafiz - Winners of the 2008 Arizona Book Awards - Best Young Adult, Nonfiction
The American Muslim Teenager's Handbook
Fellowship Articles
Articles written by or contributed to the fellowship
Asra Nomani - You Still Can't Write About Muhammad (11 August 2008)
Yasmine Hafiz - Turning Humiliation into Inspiration (26 July 2008)
Response to NY Times Article (29 July 2008)
Melissa Robinson - 'Honor killings' contort religion (10 July 2008)
Melissa Robinson and Kelly Wentworth featured on CNN Sunday Morning! (6 July 2008)
(Video posted when available)
Dilara, Imran and Yasmine Hafiz featured on BBC World and NPR!
The American Muslim teenagers handbook (25 June 2008)
AIF featured on One Nation for All (7 May 2008)
Dilara Hafiz - Eavesdropping on an Arizona Interfaith Youth Meeting (6 May 2008)
Dilara Hafiz - Yes, Even Muslims Have Misconceptions (6 May 2008)
Asra Nomani - Clothes Aren't the Issue (12 March 2008)
Melody Moezzi - Tribute to Ms. Willie Knight (8 Jan 2008) - Audio
Melody Moezzi - Delusions of Liberation (28 Dec 2007)
Melissa Robinson - In the Name of Hijab (26 Dec 2007)
Kelly Wentworth - Controversy over Islam stirs useful conversation (3 Dec 2007)
Melissa Robinson - A new Islamic community (10 Nov 2007)
The views in the other news section do not necessarily reflect AIF's views, but do offer other news perspectives.
Mir Ayoob Ali Khan - Islamic scholars say no to all-woman nikah (18 August 2008)
Tariq Nelson - Reflections on "The Last Lecture" (18 August 2008)
Kim Barker - Afghans turning taboo into humor (16 August 2008)
Dina Rabie - BESA…When Muslims Saved Jews (15 August 2008)
Sunny Hundal - We need a clash over free speech (13 August 2008)
UK Telegraph - Al Qaeda in Iraq alienated by cucumber laws and brutality (12 August 2008)
Casey McNerthney - Mosque's annual get-together reaches beyond the congregation (11 August 2008)
Geneive Abdo - When American Muslims hurt their own cause (22 July 2008)
Jack Shenker - Hyatt and dry - Saudi hotel owner takes the fizz out of Cairo's tourist allure (21 July 2008)
Howard Hampton - 'Heavy Metal Islam': Muslim youth and a lot of idealism (18 July 2008)
The Economist - A burqa barrier (17 July 2008)
Michael Rubinkam - Dalai Lama defends Islam as peaceful religion (15 July 2008)
Abdur-Rahman Muhammad - The Winds of Change (14 July 2008)
Matthew Weaver - Swiss far right forces vote on minaret ban (11 July 2008)
Eileen Flynn - Sheik Umer condemns slaying of woman in arranged marriage (9 July 2008)
Nadia Al-Saqqaf - Protecting virtue by force (8 July 2008)
America.gov - A Teenager’s View of Islam in America (8 July 2008)
Emily L. Hauser - Don't run from Muslims (7 July 2008)
Faheem Shuaibe - We shall overcome (6 July 2008)
Robert Fulford - Islam's original feminist (5 July 2008)
Mark Biskeborn - Women Stuck in Holy Book Thumping Fundamentalism (2 July 2008)
Martino Pillitteri - Nothing with a big meaning - (1 July 2008)
Yoginder Sikand - An ulema-run magazine with a difference (25 June 2008)
Erika Niedowski - Dispelling misconceptions about a ‘hijacked’ faith (25 June 2008)
Tariq Nelson - Losing My Religion (23 June 2008)
Tom Heneghan - Muslim creationist preaches Islam and awaits Christ (20 June 2008)
Olivia Rondonuwu - Crowds seal off Ahmadiyya mosques in Indonesia (19 June 2008)
Faiza Saleh Ambah - Islam inspires a comic-book series (18 June 2008)
Dominique Soguel - Photos Probe Spectrum of Female Muslim Identity (17 June 2008)
Pamela Constable - Reaching Out (13 June 2008)
Cinnamon Stillwell - Islam in America's public schools: Education or indoctrination? (11 June 2008)
Niniek Karmini - Muslim sect told to return to mainstream Islam (10 June 2008)
Hesham A. Hassaballa - Mainstream Music, Muslim Style (6 June 2008)
P. W. Singer and Elina Noor - What Do You Call a Terror(Jihad)ist? (6 June 2008)
Ericka Mellon - Principal has new job after 'Islam 101' controversy (5 June 2008)
Hesham A. Hassaballa - Why Islam is Winning (2 June 2008)
Feministe - If you wear a black & white scarf, the terrorists win (29 May 2008)
Tariq Nelson - Hammering Out the Marriage Thing (28 May 2008)
Michelle Boorstein - Muslims Try to Balance Traditions, U.S. Culture on Path to Marriage (27 May 2008)
Eboo Patel - Schools that Build Peace (27 May 2008)
Tariq Nelson - More Than a T-Shirt (21 May 2008)
Yoginder Sikand - New Texts for Madrasas: Kerala Muslim Group's Experiments in Curricular Reform (21 May 2008)
Yoginder Sikand - Kerala Muslim Group’s Pioneering Medical Aid Programme (21 May 2008)
Jamie Tarabay - Muslim Chaplain Offers American Brand of Islam (20 May 2008)
Mona Eltahawy - Small-town American Muslim Life (15 May 2008)
Tariq Nelson - White Nationalist Raises Ugly Head Again (15 May 2008)
Michael Slackman - Young Saudis, Vexed and Entranced by Love’s Rules (12 May 2008)
Wajahat Ali - "There is a vast majority you don’t hear from" (9 May 2008)
Barry Gewen - Muslim Rebel Sisters: At Odds With Islam and Each Other (8 May 2008)
US Dept. of Education - Yasmine A. Hafiz named 2008 Presidential Scholar (6 May 2008)
Sean D Hamil - Critics See Symbols of Islam in Flight 93 Memorial Design (5 May 2008)
John Goddard - A moderate Muslim longs for a more spiritual faith (4 May 2008)
Tariq Nelson - Help Orphans (1 May 2008)
Tariq Nelson - Freedom of speech (29 April 2008)
Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore - The better angels of our natures (24 April 2008)
Tariq Nelson - Influencing Culture Change (18 April 2008)
Andrea Unseem - When a Woman runs for president - in Afghanistan (9 April 2008)
Jane Lampman - Muslim Reformer's 'Heresy': The Islamic State is a Dead End (2 April 2008)
Daniel Martin Varisco - Who's a Muslim Heretic? (31 March 2008)
CNN - A Mystical Journey (30 March 2008) - Video
Andrea Unseem - American Muslims are so American they are...boring? (24 March 2008)
The American Muslim Teenager's Handbook Nominated for an Award (5 March 2008)
Jennie S. Bev - Islam and competing in doing good (3 March 2008)
Robert Piggott - Turkey in Radical Revision of Islamic Texts (26 Feb 2008)
Ali Bin Smithee - Living in Fear in Iraq (16 Feb 2008) - Video
Mona Eltahawy - Delusions in Canterbury (14 Feb 2008)
Tariq Nelson - Politics of Perception (11 Feb 2008)
Phil Kloer - Stereotype-defying young Muslims make writer's point (18 Jan 2008)
Bridges TV - Hijabpalooza (7 Feb 2008) - Video
Tariq Nelson - Demonic (1 Feb 2008)
~Tariq Nelson - Recording History for American Muslim Generations (15 Jan 2008)
~Tariq Nelson - Studying Islam (8 Jan 2008)
~Lorraine Adams - Beyond the Burka (6 Jan 2008)
~Jane Lampman - A Handbook for Teens (3 Jan 2008)
~Kathryn Jean Lopez - Giving Moderate Islam a Voice (29 December 2007)
~Joe Hormes - Our Culture (28 Dec 2007)
~Andrea Unseem - The Grinch Who Stole Eid Al-Adha (17 Dec 2007)
~Andrea Unseem - Surviving Salafism:
An American Muslim Recovers from Radicalism and Makes a Difference (12 Dec 2007)
~Plus News - Gay Muslim Outs Himself to Muslim Scholars at Conference (3 Dec 2007)
~Jana Bommersbach - Jana's View: Handbook to Acceptance (Dec 2007)
~Natalia Antonova - The American MuslimTeenager's Handbook (Dec 2007)
~Audrey Galex - A peek into paradise. Amen. (8 Nov 2007)
~Lin Sue Cooney - Muslim teens educate others about their faith (Video - 19 Oct 2007)
~Tariq Nelson - What happened to “good Islam”? (19 Oct 2007)
~Ziauddin Sardar - Reform is Islam's best kept secret
Profound homegrown change is under way beyond the stereotype (1 Sept 2005)
~Carla Power - A Secret History: Women Scholars in Islam (25 Feb 2005)
A.S. Mahdi Ibn-Ziyad - An Africana View of Progressive American Islam (September/October 2004)
~James Q. Wilson - The Reform Islam Needs (Autumn 2002)
~Michael Young - Frustrations of a Muslim Convert (June 2002)
Thursday, October 23, 2008
When did I become the 'Other'
Being the "other" is a fairly new concept for me. While I've never liked being referred to as "the other daughter", I'm accustomed to the label of "the other Fed Fund trader", "the other parent volunteer" or "the other Sunday School teacher" and I'm certainly proud of the fact that I've never been "the other woman" or "the other wife".
But do I want to be the "other" when it implies that I'm somehow less trustworthy, less American - even less human? I read Nicholas D. Kristof's excellent editorial titled "The Push to 'Otherize' Obama" with equal parts horror and dismay. While I realize that politics is a dirty game, the latest dirty tactic of "turning the candidate into a Muslim, maybe even the Antichrist" strikes me as wrong on so many levels that I'm left speechless.
Now that I've taken a deep breath and digested the implications of the current social environment in which the "M" word is the new "N" word, I realize that I can't afford to be speechless any longer. Being identified as a Muslim is now officially considered a smear. Why should I have to speak out against this new form of religious prejudice? Well, if I don't, then I can't blame anyone for misunderstanding me. And there's plenty of willful misunderstanding going around these days.
The human tendency to "otherize" those whom we fear is nothing new, historically speaking. We just have to examine our treatment of Native Americans, African-Americans, Japanese during WWII, Jews, Catholics, each successive wave of immigrants - the list is a long one and unfortunately growing longer by the day. So it seems that today it's the turn of Muslims to receive this "preferential" treatment - this time singled out as a religious group based upon the extremism of a few fanatics.
Identity is a combination of how we see ourselves as well as how society at large views us. Social anthropologists expound on the importance of group identity/tribal affiliations as a historical safety in numbers - it took teamwork to bring down the bigger mammals as well as bring in the autumn harvest. Once you were ostracized from the group, your chances of survival were greatly diminished.
Peer acceptance remains a factor in today's society, even while the innovative leaps which arise from individuals who break the mold remain a key to our dynamic economic growth. Individuality has increasingly become a prized attribute once the basics of food, shelter, & clothing have been accounted for.
So why should I be troubled by this push to single out American Muslims? Well, because it's not being done to applaud our ingenuity or intelligence, but rather based upon the notion that "otherizing" us will make it easier to discriminate against us. If we're not American enough, then we don't deserve the civil liberties accorded to each citizen under the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
But whose definition of American are we using? Even when I showed my US passport prior to check-in at an airline ticket counter in Arizona recently, the ticket agent earnestly advised me to obtain a visa in order to re-enter America upon my return journey (to & from Canada.) "But I'm an American," I kept insisting to her. "I have a US passport."
The level of anti-Muslim hysteria in America seems to be growing rather than diminishing post 9/11. In the past year of participating in book presentations associated with the publication of The American Muslim Teenager's Handbook, my teenagers & I have had the unique opportunity to field questions from a cross-section of Americans - from students to seniors, from religious youth groups to lawyers, from interfaith activists to cynics.
The number one question asked by my fellow Americans is always the same: "Why don't Muslims speak out against/condemn the acts of 9/11?" Seven years later, this question remains the biggest complaint against Muslims. Irrespective of our continual response - "Muslims did speak out, you just never heard us" - what more can we do to convince the average American that Muslims did not condone 9/11, that Islam is a religion of peace, that American Muslims believe in democracy and civil rights for all people? It's clear that mainstream America hasn't heard us, even though many of us continue to emphatically denounce 9/11, but we need to move beyond the definitions of who we are not in order to better articulate who we are.
More troubling is the latest round of e-mails which seek to invalidate any Muslim spokesperson based upon the vastly misunderstood notion of "taqqiya". I'm a Muslim, and I had never heard this term until last year, when someone from the audience during a book presentation said, "I know you're lying because your religion tells you to deceive non-Muslims until you've taken over the world."
Hmm, where in the Qur'an is this claim made? Verse 16:106 - "Whosoever denies having once believed, unless he is forced to do so... will suffer the wrath of God" - is twisted to support the claim that the Qur'an encourages Muslims to lie, though the intent of this verse clearly states that the act of concealing one's belief in Islam is only permissible under threat of torture/death.
If you Google this term, it's illuminating to find a string of (anti-Muslim) websites which distortedly explain this concept in a manner intended to instill fear of all Muslims in the reader. Even Wikipedia and the Britannica encyclopedia weakly define this term, but still imply a level of deception on the part of Muslims. Yet no Muslim I've encountered believes that their religion condones, let alone demands, mendacity in any form.
Unfortunately, this rumor currently making the circuit only serves to cast suspicion upon the average Muslim who is asked to take part in an interfaith panel discussion or offer a presentation on Islam. So first, we were blamed for not speaking up. But clearly someone heard us, because now we're being accused of lying. Talk about a Catch-22. It's enough to make conspiracy theorists out of even the most naive optimists among us.
The mainstream media is largely silent on this topic. Maybe it hasn't hit their radar yet. Maybe it's just too confusing, especially to an outsider. Or maybe they're still stuck on the first "W" of journalism school (Who? What? When? Where? Why?) Instead of blaming al-Qaeda, somehow the entire Muslim population is in the cross-hairs. But that doesn't mean we should stop trying to reduce the misconceptions about Islam which abound across America.
The excuse that "I'm not a scholar" or "I don't know what to say will no longer suffice. People are clamoring to hear from a Muslim - any Muslim - so speak up! Explain what little you know and admit what you don't. The important thing is to begin the dialogue. Because if we remain silent much longer, we'll find it's too late. All of us, especially Americans, given our history, should be concerned about attempts to polarize the populace - you never know when you will become the "other".
As Frederick Douglass so aptly put it, "No man can put a chain about the ankle of his fellow man without at last finding the other end fastened about his own neck." And no, I don't believe Barack Obama is a Muslim (he says he isn't and that's enough for me), but then again, when did passing a religious litmus test become a requirement for the highest office in our country?
~~~~
Dilara
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
~~~~
Originally published at altMuslim: http://www.altmuslim.com/a/a/a/2840/
But do I want to be the "other" when it implies that I'm somehow less trustworthy, less American - even less human? I read Nicholas D. Kristof's excellent editorial titled "The Push to 'Otherize' Obama" with equal parts horror and dismay. While I realize that politics is a dirty game, the latest dirty tactic of "turning the candidate into a Muslim, maybe even the Antichrist" strikes me as wrong on so many levels that I'm left speechless.
Now that I've taken a deep breath and digested the implications of the current social environment in which the "M" word is the new "N" word, I realize that I can't afford to be speechless any longer. Being identified as a Muslim is now officially considered a smear. Why should I have to speak out against this new form of religious prejudice? Well, if I don't, then I can't blame anyone for misunderstanding me. And there's plenty of willful misunderstanding going around these days.
The human tendency to "otherize" those whom we fear is nothing new, historically speaking. We just have to examine our treatment of Native Americans, African-Americans, Japanese during WWII, Jews, Catholics, each successive wave of immigrants - the list is a long one and unfortunately growing longer by the day. So it seems that today it's the turn of Muslims to receive this "preferential" treatment - this time singled out as a religious group based upon the extremism of a few fanatics.
Identity is a combination of how we see ourselves as well as how society at large views us. Social anthropologists expound on the importance of group identity/tribal affiliations as a historical safety in numbers - it took teamwork to bring down the bigger mammals as well as bring in the autumn harvest. Once you were ostracized from the group, your chances of survival were greatly diminished.
Peer acceptance remains a factor in today's society, even while the innovative leaps which arise from individuals who break the mold remain a key to our dynamic economic growth. Individuality has increasingly become a prized attribute once the basics of food, shelter, & clothing have been accounted for.
So why should I be troubled by this push to single out American Muslims? Well, because it's not being done to applaud our ingenuity or intelligence, but rather based upon the notion that "otherizing" us will make it easier to discriminate against us. If we're not American enough, then we don't deserve the civil liberties accorded to each citizen under the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
But whose definition of American are we using? Even when I showed my US passport prior to check-in at an airline ticket counter in Arizona recently, the ticket agent earnestly advised me to obtain a visa in order to re-enter America upon my return journey (to & from Canada.) "But I'm an American," I kept insisting to her. "I have a US passport."
The level of anti-Muslim hysteria in America seems to be growing rather than diminishing post 9/11. In the past year of participating in book presentations associated with the publication of The American Muslim Teenager's Handbook, my teenagers & I have had the unique opportunity to field questions from a cross-section of Americans - from students to seniors, from religious youth groups to lawyers, from interfaith activists to cynics.
The number one question asked by my fellow Americans is always the same: "Why don't Muslims speak out against/condemn the acts of 9/11?" Seven years later, this question remains the biggest complaint against Muslims. Irrespective of our continual response - "Muslims did speak out, you just never heard us" - what more can we do to convince the average American that Muslims did not condone 9/11, that Islam is a religion of peace, that American Muslims believe in democracy and civil rights for all people? It's clear that mainstream America hasn't heard us, even though many of us continue to emphatically denounce 9/11, but we need to move beyond the definitions of who we are not in order to better articulate who we are.
More troubling is the latest round of e-mails which seek to invalidate any Muslim spokesperson based upon the vastly misunderstood notion of "taqqiya". I'm a Muslim, and I had never heard this term until last year, when someone from the audience during a book presentation said, "I know you're lying because your religion tells you to deceive non-Muslims until you've taken over the world."
Hmm, where in the Qur'an is this claim made? Verse 16:106 - "Whosoever denies having once believed, unless he is forced to do so... will suffer the wrath of God" - is twisted to support the claim that the Qur'an encourages Muslims to lie, though the intent of this verse clearly states that the act of concealing one's belief in Islam is only permissible under threat of torture/death.
If you Google this term, it's illuminating to find a string of (anti-Muslim) websites which distortedly explain this concept in a manner intended to instill fear of all Muslims in the reader. Even Wikipedia and the Britannica encyclopedia weakly define this term, but still imply a level of deception on the part of Muslims. Yet no Muslim I've encountered believes that their religion condones, let alone demands, mendacity in any form.
Unfortunately, this rumor currently making the circuit only serves to cast suspicion upon the average Muslim who is asked to take part in an interfaith panel discussion or offer a presentation on Islam. So first, we were blamed for not speaking up. But clearly someone heard us, because now we're being accused of lying. Talk about a Catch-22. It's enough to make conspiracy theorists out of even the most naive optimists among us.
The mainstream media is largely silent on this topic. Maybe it hasn't hit their radar yet. Maybe it's just too confusing, especially to an outsider. Or maybe they're still stuck on the first "W" of journalism school (Who? What? When? Where? Why?) Instead of blaming al-Qaeda, somehow the entire Muslim population is in the cross-hairs. But that doesn't mean we should stop trying to reduce the misconceptions about Islam which abound across America.
The excuse that "I'm not a scholar" or "I don't know what to say will no longer suffice. People are clamoring to hear from a Muslim - any Muslim - so speak up! Explain what little you know and admit what you don't. The important thing is to begin the dialogue. Because if we remain silent much longer, we'll find it's too late. All of us, especially Americans, given our history, should be concerned about attempts to polarize the populace - you never know when you will become the "other".
As Frederick Douglass so aptly put it, "No man can put a chain about the ankle of his fellow man without at last finding the other end fastened about his own neck." And no, I don't believe Barack Obama is a Muslim (he says he isn't and that's enough for me), but then again, when did passing a religious litmus test become a requirement for the highest office in our country?
~~~~
Dilara
American Islamic Fellowship
blog@americanislamicfellowship.com
~~~~
Originally published at altMuslim: http://www.altmuslim.com/a/a/a/2840/
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