My Two Lives By Jhumpa Lahiri (Newsweek)

I love Jhumpa Lahiri's writing. Seriously beautiful, every time. Great piece.

While I am American by virtue of the fact that I was raised in this country, I am Indian thanks to the efforts of two individuals. I feel Indian not because of the time I've spent in India or because of my genetic composition but rather because of my parents' steadfast presence in my life. They live three hours from my home; I speak to them daily and see them about once a month. Everything will change once they die. They will take certain things with them--conversations in another tongue, and perceptions about the difficulties of being foreign. Without them, the back-and-forth life my family leads, both literally and figuratively, will at last approach stillness. An anchor will drop, and a line of connection will be severed.

Nouman Ali Khan - Contradicting Community

http://www.ilmcast.com - Nouman Ali Khan gives a talk at Ilm Summit 2009 addressing the issue of how communities need to face the reality of the world we live in and how we need to also appropriately respond them.

Highly, highly recommended, especially for people who strive to change their communities for the better. Watch below or click here.

Explaining 9/11 to a Muslim Child By Moina Noor (NYT)

Poignant. It seems so strange to thing that an event that changed so much and affected so many is unknown to someone. I can't even imagine beginning to explain the emotions and complexities.

Explaining 9/11 to a Muslim Child By Moina Noor

Recently on the morning drive to school my 8-year-old son asked me a question I’ve been dreading since he was a baby, “Mom, what happened on 9/11?”

Mass murder is impossible to explain to yourself, let alone a child. But how do I, as a parent, explain the slaughter of innocent people in the name of a religion that I am trying to pass on to my boy?

Bilal was just 8 months old when September 11 happened. He was just starting to crawl and put everything in sight into his mouth, and I remember having to peel my gaze away from the television screen and remind myself to keep a watchful eye on where he lay nearby.

After Bilal was born I viewed everything — especially current events — through the lens of parenthood. I knew the world had changed irreparably on 9/11, and while I mourned the innocent and raged against my crazy coreligionists, my nagging anxiety was for my son.

Even in those early surreal hours after the attacks when images of towers falling and long-bearded men in caves flooded the television screen, I knew that Bilal’s childhood would not be like mine.

When I was growing up in suburban Connecticut few people knew much about Muslims, let alone cared. My parents and their friends would gather in community rooms or church basements for our version of Sunday school. They were devout but weren’t necessarily interested in teaching their neighbors about Islam. We were few in number and invisible.

After 9/11, the spotlight was aimed at Muslims everywhere, especially here in America. Like many Muslims, I felt the need to defend my religious identity. I threw myself into all things Muslim, and explained and explained: “We are like you. Islam is peaceful. Complex sociopolitical factors create lunatics who kill people. Please don’t judge a billion people by a few bad apples.”

I hung tightly to my spiritual rope. I could not let go of a faith has given me and my family comfort and solace for generations.

Since 9/11, I’ve worried how Bilal would feel about his identity as a Muslim living in America. A survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life appeared in 2007 stating that 35 percent of respondents had an unfavorable opinion about Islam. Could one of those 3 in 10 people be Bilal’s teacher or soccer coach?

Over the past eight years I’ve read about Muslims being deported and pulled off airplanes and mosques being vandalized. My sister, a former middle school teacher in Brooklyn, heard kids taunt a Muslim student on the playground, calling him a terrorist. And even though I fear the possibility of discrimination for Bilal, what I fear most of all is that the din of Islamophobia will rob my son of self-respect and confidence.

So just as I became an activist, I became a proactive Muslim mommy. When Bilal was a preschooler, I took him to Muslim playgroups, organized activities in Ramadan and bought him board books about the Prophet Muhammed. I pushed him in his stroller at peace walks and brought him to interfaith events. These days, I organize local Islamic school classes and give talks about the Hajj at his elementary school. My husband and I read him books about Islamic contributions to math and science.

Over the years, I’ve tried to protect my son from any negative associations made with Islam. I’ve developed lightening quick reflexes — the second I hear a story about suicide bombers or terrorists on the radio, I switch to a pop music station. I’ve made my husband limit his CNN time to after the kids go to sleep. I don’t want to have to answer the question, “Mom, what is the ‘threat of radical Islamic extremism?’ ”

For me, the thought of talking to Bilal about terrorism is a bit like talking about sex for the first time. It is awkward and difficult I’m just not sure how much a child his age is ready to hear.

This year 9/11 falls during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting. I made Bilal watch President Obama’s five minute long “Ramadan Message to Muslims” on the Internet. President Obama spoke with respect, knowledge and a sense optimism to Muslims around the world. He found the speech interesting but nothing out of the ordinary. For Bilal, who is just starting to become conscious of a world bigger than our front yard, there is no “clash of civilizations”.

Bilal is proud to tell others that he was named after “the Prophet’s best friend,” an African Muslim with a beautiful voice who gave the first call to prayer. He is also a Cub Scout who has learned how to fold the American flag.

I did try and answer Bilal’s question. I relayed the day’s events in broad cartoonish strokes: bad guys attack, buildings collapse. Don’t worry, I assured him, we’ll get the bad guys so they won’t do it again. As I looked at Bilal in the rearview mirror, I explained that good and bad exists in every group, even your own. I think he understands.

Source

Muslims in America -- Photo Essay (Time Magazine)

Photographer Ziyah Gafic provides an intimate portrait of America's Islamic community.

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1725413,00.html

Granted, it's not the most... comprehensive photo essay (kinda more like 'Muslims in NY'), but it's nice regardless.

Are Women The New "Deserving Poor"? by Anna N. (jezebel.com)

A refutation (? well, counterpoint) to a New York Times Magazine article in which "Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn make the provocative claim that ending discrimination against women and girls may end poverty and even terrorism."

Indeed, all the programs the authors support — from improving girls' education to reducing sex trafficking to repairing obstetric fistulas — are good ones. But their central thesis — that we should help women because it will reduce poverty and violence — is flawed. It relies on the notion that women are deserving of economic and social power because they are good citizens, not simply because they are human. What happens if women decide to spend their newly earned money on alcohol instead of their children's education? What if they spend it on weapons? And what if, even though they spend it on all the "right" things, their countries still fail to develop economically? Treating women as agents of social change risks leaving them out in the cold if they don't effect the change we want.

Good read. Link to the original article and subsequent other readings are also in there somewhere.

Thoughts sparked by a quote from the interview with Manning Marable

Thoughts sparked by a quote from the interview with Manning Marable

I rarely write my own thoughts on this blog. This is gonna be weird.

Malcolm goes to Alabama, three weeks before he’s murdered and reaches out to Dr. King. King is in prison after leading demonstrations. Malcolm goes to Coretta Scott King and he says, “I want you to convey to your husband my deepest respect for him and that I am not trying to undermine Dr. King’s work. My goal is to be to the left of Dr. King, to challenge institutional racism so that those in power can negotiate with King. That’s my role.” So Malcolm understood what his role was.

Man. That is so incredible.

I recently watched a documentary with Asra Nomani entitled "Mosque in Morgantown", in which she chronicles her struggles with an extremely traditional mosque and, specifically, some of the gender issues going on there (ie, unfair/unequal treatment of women). I am by no means a fan of Nomani (and particularly not of the tactics she employs to try to accomplish her goals), but something she said during one rowdy masjid meeting really opened my eyes about her.

During a bit of a yelling match between her and other active masjid members, someone had confronted her about her tactics for bringing about change. They pushed that, had she utilized a more gentle approach, it would be far easier for her to change things and, in fact, her methods actually undermined the efforts of those who had similar goals but went about things in a different way. I wish I had her exact response (I can't find the full documentary online, unfortunately), but she responded with something along the lines of, 'you HAVE to be revolutionary to bring about change.' Through the documentary, you even see her mimicking the actions of the reformer Martin Luther by nailing something to the door of the mosque.

So what's the difference? The intentions are still there to bring about a goal that each of these individuals believe to be the best for their people. For both, goals and tactics can be viewed as questionable by outsiders, if not outright blasphemous.

It's interesting to think about in relation to some of our ALIM discussions... understanding that we each have a role in the Muslim American diaspora... where even the non-practicing Muslims can do their part to make necessary social, political, economic, etc., changes (and, in some cases, are even in better positions to do so than seemingly more religious or practicing Muslims).

In regards more specifically to the different "movements" in Islamic thought in the U.S., between the progressives, salafis, sufis, traditionalists, reformists, etc etc etc... maybe I should be worried, but I'm not. On the contrary, it's almost refreshing to see people fight so passionately for their religion... because the greatest enemy of religion isn't ignorance, it's irrelevance.

A scholar once told me that everyone feels as though they must personally protect Islam from corruption, but rarely do we realize how arrogant we are to think that God needs us to protect Islam, and that any of us would be able to do so without corrupting it ourselves.

With each of these movements... I swear, it's absolutely fascinating. I feel like there's a multi-way tug-of-war, each group appealing to a different demographic, each highlight of Islam offering something different to its adherents. Every group has its role to play, just as each individual does.

'The Soul of a Butterfly' by Muhammad Ali and Hana Yasmeen Ali

So slightly late, as the first night of Ramadan starts tonight, but I finally managed to finish "The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life's Journey" by Muhammad Ali and Hana Yasmeen Ali. It was definitely quite different from what I was expecting. It's odd having this persona of Muhammad Ali (based on... nothing, really) in your head as this big, arrogant, loud fighter broken down by this book of his spiritual journey and life lessons.

Not having much familiarity with Muhammad Ali before, the book really inspires me to learn more about his life. With the book, I've seen his actions through his eyes, but it was before I had a proper understanding of his actions through the eyes of the rest of the world. Regardless, it's so incredible to hear of the incredible feats he accomplished in his life all that he had done to push forward the civil rights movement, the anti-vietnam movement, the nation of Islam (especially after its break to Sunni Islam) and more. His friendship with Malcolm X is really fascinating.

I'd definitely recommend reading this to people who are familiar with Muhammad Ali and would like to know more but... as a general read, it was okay.

"My faith has evolved over the years, and I now follow the teachings of mainstream Sunni Islam. But, a part of me will always be grateful to Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam for opening my eyes and giving me something greater than myself to fight for."

Throughout the book, he really pushes this idea of 'his purpose in life,' and working for something 'greater than himself.'

"If someone asked me what in life I considered real, I would have to say that for me, the only thing that is real is the spiritual. Only God and love are real. Pain, sickness, old age, even death cannot master me because they are not real to me. Fame, wealth, and material things are empty and meaningless without a developed spirituality. We give them value and importance in our lives. But we must be careful not to value them too much at the expense of what really matters in life. Honesty, integrity, kindness, and friendship are the true treasures we should be seeking."

(con't later, on the next page)

"Many people said I was afraid to go to war. The truth is it was tougher to stand up for my religious beliefs against the United States government and millions of people who turned against me for my decision than it would have been to go to war. The government offered me all kinds of deals. They told me I would never hold a gun. They told me I would giving boxing exhibitions and that I would never come near a battlefield. Even if this had been true, I still couldn't go. They wanted to use me to lead other young American men into the war. They didn't seem to realize that to take their "deal," I would have to denouce my religion, my faith, my beliefs. But I was free and I was determined to be true to myself and God. If I had turned my back on my religious beliefs, my life would have been like aship without a rudder on the open sea. Nothing could be more frightening to me than to try to live without my faith.

So they took my title, my financial security, and they tried to take my freedom. But they could not take my dignity, my pride or my faith, because those were solid, real, and constant in my life."

----------------------------

Just 2-3 more books to finish and I can clear my "actively reading" shelf and move on. I'll work on the Muslim ones during Ramadan and then others through this semester, iA....

Islam & Hip Hop Debate on Imam Suhaib Webb's blog

There seems to be quite the debate going on at Imam Suhaib Webb's blog. If anyone's interested...

The original post: Hip Hop in the 21th century: The Rise Of Satanism In Urban America by Sh. Abul Hussein

To Muslim Hip Hoppers and Entertainers -- where Imam Suhaib encourages "our dear brothers and sisters to take a year off, learn the religion, learn tajwid, getting an ijaza in one of the 7 ways of reading, master a book in every major science; and participate in one of their local Islamic Centers dawa programs. If one is already doing this, or done it, then do it again. Perhaps one would say that this applies to all Muslims? No doubt, learning here is of greater importance because our artists are trying to shape a discourse. This discourse must be based on knowledge and submission. I would encourage Muslims to avoid these superstars, inviting them to events, paying them big sums of cash and treating them with such pageantry."

An Important Post By Br. Mustafa Davis

Muslim Entertainment-An Insider’s Perspective by Brother Dash

my personal fav: Islam and Hip Hop by Brother Ahmad James


---------------

a couple of others that I don't necessarily think are as relevant to the discussion (or at least not as eloquent and clear), but include for the sake of completeness:

Muslim Hip Hop an Important Conversation

A Response to A Well Intended Hip Hop Brother

' Updating the Mosque for the 21st Century' By Carla Power (Time)

A new generation of Muslim builders and designers, as well as non-Muslims designing for Muslim groups, often in Europe or North America, are updating the mosque for the 21st century, sparking not just a hugely creative period in Islamic design, but one riven by controversy. The disputes over modern mosques echo larger debates taking place in the Islamic world today about gender, power and, particularly in immigrant communities, Islam's place in Western societies.

Interesting. Wish there was a slideshow with it, though.

Highlights:

The most daring buildings are dreamt up by second- and third-generation Muslim immigrants, who have the confidence and cash to build stone-and-glass symbols of Islam's growing strength in places like Europe. Simply importing traditional mosque architecture "doesn't express loyalty to your current surroundings," says Zulfiqar Husain, honorary secretary of an innovative new eco-mosque in Manchester, England. "It almost expresses that you want to be separate from the society you live in."

Particularly in Europe, mosques have become the architectural equivalent of the veil: visible signs of Islam's presence and thus sites for tension between Muslims and non-Muslim traditionalists.

Hm. The minaret (or not) debate (page 2) is pretty interesting...

Unsurprisingly, it's immigrant Muslim communities that are pushing the biggest changes. "The Western mosque is fast becoming the site of contestation between the kind of Muslims who espouse the traditional mosque, and those who want to win proportionate space for women," says MIT's Khalidi. "The second generation are the ones demanding, and often getting, that kind of space." Architectural historian Khan estimates that until recently, North American mosques gave only about 15% of their space to women. Over the past five years or so, the space women have access to has increased to at least 50%.

In the main hall hangs a bronze chandelier, dangling with hand-blown glass raindrops — a visual allusion to the Koranic verse that says Allah's light should fall on believers like drops of rain.

:)

“Life is on hold until you get married” by Zahed Amanullah

Author Shelina Zahra Janmohamed sits down with us to discuss the issues brought up in her new book Love in a Headscarf, which documents Janmohamed's search for a partner in a landscaped blurred by culture clashes, mixed identities, and double standards.

Really nice read...

Highlights:

Of course, it’s everyone’s personal choice as to who they marry, but it raises questions to me about the nature of that relationship and what men are expecting from their wives and what women are expecting from their husbands. Certainly in my experience, there was a lot of cultural discussion that goes on with women on not just how to get married but how to be married and how to maintain that relationship and what your expectations should be and about being realistic.

And I always found it really unfair that men never seemed to get that same kind of discussion. When we would go to weddings or mehndi parties or sit around with the aunties, there would be a lot of discussion about being married. But boys never got that. I kind of felt it was very unfair that women had the burden of carrying the relationship and men could kind of just swim along and it would all be fine because women would – I was certainly advised to – give in for the first 2 to 5 years and then it would all be fine.

As I explored more this idea of Divine love, I started to understand that the love you have for your partner is actually part of that greater Divine love. And you need to see yourself through that other person’s eyes to realise where you fit in to the bigger scheme of things. Nobody ever told me that.

...if you want somebody to get married, there’s no point in telling them just to accept anyone. You’ve actually got to take some responsibility to help them and not just send any old anyone their way. Which I think was, perhaps, the traditional way. “Oh, she’s not married. Anyone will do.”

But I think there are similar problems among men. They’ve just been less eloquent and lyrical about them than women. I think we need to start to hear from them and what exactly is going on and where they are in this picture.

From what you’ve gone though, this process seems to be an accelerated process of learning, if taken seriously. Learning about yourself and, on both sides, revealing who you are. Like you said, it’s the one time where you actually have to put your cards on the table and say, “This is exactly who I am.” If you have secrets at that point, then you’re putting your future marriage at risk.

It does take a certain amount of self-awareness, though. You have to know what you’re saying you are is actually what you are.

I gotta disagree with that, a bit. Some people (rishtas) can handle candid conversations about expectations and self evaluations; others cannot and really dislike it. I think that discrepancy adds another layer of complexity in the process...

Are you optimistic that in generations to come, this situation will change?

I’m not very hopeful, actually. Because it seems that it’s women who are perpetuating it. That’s what really concerns me. Because all that will happen is that there will be a lot of single women who are older, very well educated, very sharp, very religious. It is heartbreaking. The men who are their equivalents, many of them who are not married, many of them don’t want to marry women of that age. And the mothers and matchmakers are encouraging them.

If the mothers [of sons] are saying, “Well, we’re going to take you back home to marry your wife” or “you can do what you like, if you’re a boy, until you get married. If you’re a woman, you need to maintain your reputation,” then I don’t really see how that can ever change unless there are mothers of sons who are brave enough to change that. And men themselves who are brave enough to change it.

A Quiet Revolution Grows in the Muslim World (Time Magazine)

Read it all here

Highlights below:

That sentiment is echoed around the Muslim world. In many of the scores of countries that are predominantly Muslim, the latest generation of activists is redefining society in novel ways. This new soft revolution is distinct from three earlier waves of change--the Islamic revival of the 1970s, the rise of extremism in the 1980s and the growth of Muslim political parties in the 1990s.

Today's revolution is more vibrantly Islamic than ever. Yet it is also decidedly antijihadist and ambivalent about Islamist political parties. Culturally, it is deeply conservative, but its goal is to adapt to the 21st century. Politically, it rejects secularism and Westernization but craves changes compatible with modern global trends. The soft revolution is more about groping for identity and direction than expressing piety. The new revolutionaries are synthesizing Koranic values with the ways of life spawned by the Internet, satellite television and Facebook. For them, Islam, you might say, is the path to change rather than the goal itself.

Disillusioned with extremists who can destroy but who fail to construct alternatives that improve daily life, members of the post-9/11 generation are increasingly relying on Islamic values rather than on a religion-based ideology to advance their aims. And importantly, the soft revolution has generated a new self-confidence among Muslims and a sense that the answers to their problems lie within their own faith and community rather than in the outside world. The revolution is about reform in a conservative package.

Traditional clerics deride al-Shugairi, 35, and other televangelists for preaching "easy Islam," "yuppie Islam," even "Western Islam." But his message actually reflects a deepening conservatism in the Islamic world, even as activists use contemporary examples and modern technology to make their case. One of al-Shugairi's programs on happiness focused on Elvis Presley, a man with fame, talent and fortune but who died young. Life without deep spirituality, al-Shugairi preaches, is empty.

Politics is not the only focus of the soft revolution. Its most fundamental impact, indeed, may be on the faith itself.

...

Later this year, the Turkish scholars are expected to publish six volumes that reject thousands of Islam's most controversial practices, from stoning adulterers to honor killings. Some hadith, the scholars contend, are unsubstantiated; others were just invented to manipulate society.

This is perhaps the most intellectually active period for the faith since the height of Islamic scholarship in the Middle Ages. "There is more self-confidence in the Islamic world about dealing with reason, constitutionalism, science and other big issues that define modern society," says Ibrahim Kalin of the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research in Ankara. "The West is no longer the only worldview to look up to. There are other ways of sharing the world and negotiating your place in it."

Many young Muslims are angry at the outside world's support of corrupt and autocratic regimes despite pledges to push for democracy after 9/11. "Most of the young feel the West betrayed its promises," says Dhillon, of the Brookings Institution. Muslims fume that a few perpetrators of violence have led the outside world to suspect a whole generation of supporting terrorism. "The only source of identity they have is being attacked," Dhillon says. The post-9/11 generation has been further shaped by wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and Gaza, all of which Washington played a direct or indirect role in.

The Gitmo Guard Who Found Islam (Newsweek)

Terry Holdbrooks stood watch over prisoners at Gitmo. What he saw made him adopt their faith.

SubhanAllah, such an incredible story.

New Muslim Cool (Trailer)

See more at www.NewMuslimCool.com. Coming to national PBS this June, NEW MUSLIM COOl follows three years in the lives of Puerto Rican American Muslim hip-hop artist Hamza Pérez, his family, and community. Taking viewers on a ride through the streets, projects, and jail cells of urban America, the film follows Hamza's spiritual journey as he finds new discoveries and friends in some surprising places -- where we can all see ourselves reflected in a world that never stops changing.

A Response to "Growth + Times = Dilution of Islamic Practice? by Aysha Khanom"

It would probably help if you read the article first, eh?

I wasn't particularly a fan of the article, aside from the fact that I thought it did an excellent job of summarizing a viewpoint that I disagreed with.

Mostly, I disagreed with her contention that making Islam accommodating for others is "diluting" our deen; on the contrary, I personally feel like that it's upholding it. But, of course, there's things that are pretty set and there's areas that allow for wiggle room.

This is probably inadvertent, but I feel that her intro can be construed in a way to imply that the problems we face today weren't issues in the time of the Prophet (saw). While questions like "is this halal/haram" were answered by the Prophet (saw) (whereas in current times, we often face difficulty in attaining 'ismah on topics), even the community of the Prophet (saw)'s time was plagued with people who sinned regularly, were outright hypocrites, came to Islam for little more than political gain, etc etc (and Allah swt knows best what was in their hearts). How did the Prophet (saw) deal with them?

On the flip side, I completely agree with her in being disturbed by the trends where people feel the need to justify their "bad behavior" by changing the rules.... "hijab is hard for me" becomes 'hijab isn't fard" or "hijab is a bidah." However, I feel like this type of behavior comes about by the mentality where, "if you don't follow these rules, then you're not Muslim" -- rather than leave Islam altogether, people opt to change it. That being said, I still think it's stupid and toxic.

All in all, I think humility (in our own knowledge, actions and souls), when dealing with others and imposing our beliefs on the community is imperative... for both sides. Which is just... subhanAllah... especially bearing in mind the countless ayahs in the Quran and hadith warning us against arrogance and pride... For one:

The Messenger of God (saw) said, "Practice humility until no one oppresses or belittles another." [Muslim]

Finally, an excellent article that touches on this topic: "The Etiquette of Disagreement" by Dr. Sherman Abdul-Hakim Jackson.

NYTimes.com: Poll Finds U.S. Muslims Thriving, but Not Content

I mean, you might as well read the whole thing, considering I quoted most of it below...


Highlights:

A Gallup poll of Muslims in the United States has found that they are far more likely than people in Muslim countries to see themselves as thriving.

...

And yet, within the United States, Muslims are the least content religious group, when compared with Jews, Mormons, Protestants and Roman Catholics.

Gallup researchers say that is because the largest segment of American Muslims are African-Americans (35 percent, including first-generation immigrants), and they generally report lower levels of income, education, employment and well-being than other Americans.

A Gallup poll of Muslims in the United States has found that they are far more likely than people in Muslim countries to see themselves as thriving.

American Muslim women, contrary to stereotype, are more likely than American Muslim men to have college and post-graduate degrees.

Muslim women in the United States attend mosque as frequently as Muslim men — a contrast with many Muslim countries where the mosques are primarily for men. American Muslims are generally very religious, saying that religion is an important part of their daily lives (80 percent), more than any other group except Mormons (85 percent). The figure for Americans in general is 65 percent.

Lower percentages of Muslims register to vote or volunteer their time than adherents of other faiths.

That is just retarded. Friggin' Muslims.

DC's Imam Magid on the tragic Beheading of Sister Aasiya (Zubair) Hassan

Alhumdulillah for the response to this incredibly tragic event.

There's also a call for Imams everywhere to utilize this tragedy as a catalyst to spark conversations about domestic violence in Muslim communities everywhere. Please encourage your local Imams to direct their jummah khutbahs THIS FRIDAY (2/20/09) to address domestic violence. (Facebook Event here)

DC's Imam Magid on the tragic Beheading of Sister Aasiya (Zubair) Hassan
By Imam Mohamed Hagmagid Ali
Executive Director, ADAMS Center
Vice-President, The Islamic Society of North America

The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) is saddened and shocked by the news of the loss of one of our respected sisters, Aasiya Hassan whose life was taken violently. To God we belong and to Him we return (Qur'an 2:156). We pray that she find peace in God's infinite Mercy, and our prayers and sympathies are with sister Aasiya's family. Our prayers are also with the Muslim community of Buffalo who have been devastated by the loss of their beloved sister and the shocking nature of this incident.

This is a wake up call to all of us, that violence against women is real and can not be ignored. It must be addressed collectively by every member of our community. Several times each day in America, a woman is abused or assaulted. Domestic violence is a behavior that knows no boundaries of religion, race, ethnicity, or social status. Domestic violence occurs in every community. The Muslim community is not exempt from this issue. We, the Muslim community, need to take a strong stand against domestic violence. Unfortunately, some of us ignore such problems in our community, wanting to think that it does not occur among Muslims or we downgrade its seriousness.

I call upon my fellow imams and community leaders to never second-guess a woman who comes to us indicating that she feels her life to be in danger. We should provide support and help to protect the victims of domestic violence by providing for them a safe place and inform them of their rights as well as refer them to social service providers in our areas.

Marriage is a relationship that should be based on love, mutual respect and kindness. No one who experiences a marriage that is built on these principles would pretend that their life is in danger. We must respond to all complaints or reports of abuse as genuine and we must take appropriate and immediate action to ensure the victim's safety, as well as the safety of any children that may be involved.

Women who seek divorce from their spouses because of physical abuse should get full support from the community and should not be viewed as someone who has brought shame to herself or her family. The shame is on the person who committed the act of violence or abuse. Our community needs to take a strong stand against abusive spouses. We should not make it easy for people who are known to abuse to remarry if they have already victimized someone. We should support people who work against domestic violence in our community, whether they are educators, social service providers, community leaders, or other professionals.

Our community needs to take strong stand against abusive spouses and we should not make it easy for them to remarry if they chose a path of abusive behavior. We should support people who work against domestic violence in our community, whether they are educators or social service providers. As Allah says in the Qur'an: "O ye who believe! Stand firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you swerve, and if you distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do" (4:136).

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) never hit a women or child in his life. The purpose of marriage is to bring peace and tranquility between two people, not fear, intimidation, belittling, controlling, or demonizing. Allah the All-Mighty says in the Qur'an: "Among His signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are signs for those who reflect" (30:21),

We must make it a priority to teach our young men in the community what it means to be a good husband and what the role the husband has as a protector of his family. The husband is not one who terrorizes or does harm and jeopardizes the safety of his family. At the same time, we must teach our young women not to accept abuse in any way, and to come forward if abuse occurs in the marriage. They must feel that they are able to inform those who are in authority and feel comfortable confiding in the imams and social workers of our communities.

Community and family members should support a woman in her decision to leave a home where her life is threatened and provide shelter and safety for her. No imam, mosque leader or social worker should suggest that she return to such a relationship and to be patient if she feels the relationship is abusive. Rather they should help and empower her to stand up for her rights and to be able to make the decision of protecting herself against her abuser without feeling she has done something wrong, regardless of the status of the abuser in the community.

A man's position in the community should not affect the imam's decision to help a woman in need. Many disasters that take place in our community could have been prevented if those being abused were heard. Domestic violence is not a private matter. Any one who abuses their spouse should know that their business becomes the business of the community and it is our responsibility to do something about it. She needs to tell someone and seek advice and protection.

Community leaders should also be aware that those who isolate their spouses are more likely to also be physically abusive, as isolation is in its own way a form of abuse. Some of the abusers use the abuse itself to silence the women, by telling her "If you tell people I abused you, think how people will see you, a well-known person being abused. You should keep it private."

Therefore, to our sisters, we say: your honor is to live a dignified life, not to put on the face that others want to see. The way that we measure the best people among us in the community is to see how they treat their families. It is not about how much money one makes, or how much involvement they have in the community, or the name they make for themselves. Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) said, "The best among you are those who are best to their families."

It was a comfort for me to see a group of imams in our local community, as well as in the MANA conference signing a declaration promising to eradicate domestic violence in our community. Healthy marriages should be part of a curriculum within our youth programs, MSA conferences, and seminars as well as part of our adult programs in our masajid and in our khutbahs.

The Islamic Society of North America has done many training workshops for imams on combating domestic violence, as has the Islamic Social Service Associate and Peaceful Families Project. Organizations, such as FAITH Social Services in Herndon, Virginia, serve survivors of domestic violence. All of these organizations can serve as resources for those who seek to know more about the issues of domestic violence.

Faith Trust Institute, one of the largest interfaith organizations, with Peaceful Families Project, has produced a DVD in which many scholars come together to address this issue. I call on my fellow imams and social workers to use this DVD for training others on the issues of domestic violence. (For information, go to the website: http://www.faithtrustinstitute.org/). For more information, or to access resources and materials about domestic violence, please visit http://www.peacefulfamilies.org.

In conclusion, Allah says in the Qur'an "O my son! Establish regular prayer, enjoin what is just, and forbid what is wrong; and bear with patient constancy whatever betide thee; for this is firmness (of purpose) in (the conduct of) affairs" (31:17). Let us pray that Allah will help us to stand for what is right and leave what is evil and to promote healthy marriages and peaceful family environments. Let us work together to prevent domestic violence and abuse and especially, violence against women.

I pray that she is brought to justice. May Allah have mercy on Aasiya and console her family and loved ones. Please make du'a for this women, whose promising life was cut too short. I hope that Muslim leaders heed this call and that more of us support women and children who are in anger.

"In Quest for Equal Rights, Muslim Women’s Meeting Turns to Islam’s Tenets " (NYT)

Article

Highlights:

It was frustrations like those that drew several hundred Muslim women to a conference in this Muslim-majority country [Malaysia] over the weekend. Their mission was to come up with ways to demand equal rights for women. And their tools, however unlikely, were the tenets of Islam itself.

The advocates came from 47 countries to participate in the project, called Musawah, the Arabic word for equality. They spent the weekend brainstorming and learning the best Islamic arguments to take back to their own societies as defenses against clerics who insist that women’s lives are dictated by men’s strict interpretations of Islam.

She referred to the work of Muslim intellectuals, like Nasr Abu Zayd of Egypt and Abdolkarim Soroush of Iran, reformers who argue that the Koran must be read in a historical context, and that laws derived from it can change with the times. Their ideas are controversial, and both are in exile in the West.

Ms. Mir-Hosseini argues that Muslim societies are trapped in a battle between two visions of Islam: one legalistic and absolutist that emphasizes the past; the other pluralistic and more inclined toward democracy.

Some scholars argued that the effort sounded unrealistic and would have no impact, mainly because it appeared to ignore more than a thousand years of Islamic legal scholarship and practice. Religious authorities are the only ones with the power to interpret laws, and circumventing that well-entrenched system would require replacing it altogether.

“This kind of argument is being made at the margins of the Islamic world,” said Bernard Haykel, an expert on Islamic law at Princeton University. “It has shape and form, but no substantive content. There’s no real way of actually bringing about these changes.”

Ms. Mir-Hosseini said she believed that change was coming, and that it was just a matter of when.

“There’s so much tension and energy there now,” she said. “It will be a flood.”

Hm. I'm intrigued. Generally/stereotypically speaking, those who have argued that they need to go back to explore original texts (and, especially, those who wish to put such authority into the hands of the layperson) usually end up with some... extremely controversial viewpoints. And they tend to fizzle and die. I want the real deal. I still struggle with thoughts that the system's broke, but have been thus far unconvinced with many of the moves to fix it.

Hm.

Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah -- Muslims in America

I will probably remain forever bitter that I wasn't blessed with Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah's presence at ALIM 2008. Sigh. Khair, at least I (finally) found some online videos.

I have to admit, though, I kinda found the beginning of this lecture a bit... boring :look: (sorry!) but alhumdulillah, it picks up after that (especially the last 2 or 3 sections). He makes a few references to that insightful PEW survey (summary)

Alhumdulillah, this was a nice (yet superficial) overview/review of our "Islam in America" class with Dr. Jackson, with a few more really cool insights, particularly in regards to differences between the American and European Muslim communities (and how/why many of these differences came about). In the end, he talks about community building in America, tying in a couple of his older articles. My fav lines:

"A lot of muslims are brought up abroad and here in Islamic centers and mosques so that all Islam is is five pillars: the knowledge that there is one God and the Prophet Muhammad is His Messenger, pray, fast, give alms, hajj. "do this," "don't do this," "do that," "don't do that." But pillars are for BUILDING. Pillars are for an edifice. You can't live in pillars -- you have to build around the pillars."

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

http://www.nawawi.org

New Ad Agency Caters To The Muslim-American Consumer And Their Spending Power

Heads up to Adeel, whose FB posted items I stalk and then steal as my own.

Read the original article here

(or just scroll down! It's like magic (or plagiarism)!)

The Muslim Ad Network, an online association that concentrates on the Muslim Market in North America, has partnered with advertising strategy firm, Desedo, to create a new advertising agency. Though we don't know what the agency will be called (Desedo is not giving up the goods to us) we are very excited about this new shop.

For starters, the Muslim American market has been valued at $170B according to The New York Times. The Economist also has said that "Two-thirds of Muslim households make more than $50,000 a year and a quarter earn over $100,000." Those are some attractive numbers. Still, it's basically an untouched marketplace. What American brands have seriously tried to engender their loyalty? And yes, in an age where advertising messages can be segmented, an online communities serve every need, a Muslim-American ad agency sounds like the right move to make. Plus, with our first minority President getting ready to be the new leader of the free world, the conversation about race is only going to get louder. Brands would be wise to listen up.

More from this second article, American-Muslims And The Advertising Agency Dilemma

I'm curious to see if those who invest along the lines of Sharia (Islamic principles) better weather the recession. Having more disposable income in these times could accelerate this process.

Hey, I'm interested in that as well!

In your research paper, you cite one person as saying: "part of the problem is that it is difficult for ad execs to create an advertising profile for Muslims as a whole, because [they] come from many diverse backgrounds and believe many different things." Question: isn't that true for Asians and Blacks living in America? Why do you think the ad industry still does not have a grasp on identifying and marketing to various ethnic identities?

"Wow, there are many answers to that question, here is one thought:

Outside of humor, advertising is a generally risk-adverse platform. So if you're attempting to 'reach' a demo via broadcast, it's a massive investment and agencies/brands play it safe. So the same tropes get trotted out. Blacks get 'soul', Latinos gets 'family', Asians get 'sedulous', etc...

While agencies may intuitively understand that a black guy can love both Jay-Z and Modest Mouse, you're not (yet) gonna see that multiplicity reflected in traditional advertising. Luckily, the authorship space of new media and rise of transmedia planning is slowly changing this..."

The Ascent of Money (PBS Documentary)

Extremely interesting documentary, available fully online for a LIMITED TIME ONLY. Had I studied it a bit more, I probably would fully understand this financial crisis we're going through; it does a fantastic job of explaining the past, present and future of our economic situation. As for the past/present, I know NOTHING about economics... but the general gist I'm getting from it is "interest is evil." Go figure! Islam fo' lyfe.

I honestly hadn't been that interested in watching it to start, but in the end, it proved extremely informative. Take a look at the preview and, if you're interested, watch the full documentary here while you can.

Thanks for the linkage, deel.

"About the film":

One week before a new President who campaigned on a promise to fix the economy takes office, public media provider WNET.ORG is putting the meaning of money into context – where it came from, where it goes, and why it has always been (and always will be) the fulcrum of civilization. THE ASCENT OF MONEY, a two-hour documentary based on the newly-released book The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World (Penguin Group USA), will premiere on Tuesday, January 13 at 9 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings). The film is written and presented by the bestselling author, economist, historian, and Harvard professor Niall Ferguson. An expanded, four-hour version of THE ASCENT OF MONEY will air on PBS later in 2009.

In THE ASCENT OF MONEY, Ferguson – whose series War of the World garnered critical attention last summer – traces the evolution of money and demonstrates that financial history is the essential back-story behind all history. “Everyone needs to understand the complex history of money and our relationship to it,” he says. “By learning how societies have continually created and survived financial crises, we can find solid solutions to today’s worldwide economic emergency.” As he traverses historic financial hot spots around the world, Ferguson illuminates fundamental economic concepts and speaks with leading experts in the financial world.