Thanks

I thought I would start my first foray into the world of webblogs with an entry on why and how I became interested in the subject of Islam. Let me first state that I am an architect by training and have never had any courses on Islam, its history, its jurisprudence, or its various expressions. My interest is simple a matter of “redemption”. In the books I read and the movies that I watch, I have always been fascinated with the notion of the fall and the process of redemption. This is why I have been particularly fascinated with Westerns…

When I started this blog almost six years ago the idea was to get some of my witty, well-informed friends to contribute to a commentary on the state of Muslims in the world. I quickly discovered either my friends were not so witty or not so much my friends [/humor]. islamicate has basically become a solo endeavor. I love the community I’ve entered through it and the opportunities that have come my way. It will continue to be an integral part of my online identity. However, I cannot give time to detailed posts anymore, and I don’t want the site…

Demi posted something in comments that I really liked. Because it was so lengthy, and many respects quite independent of the original post, I asked her permission to move into the main area of the site. Here it is: I have been indulging in the same finger-pointing: at the president, at Rumsfeld, at any number of persons and entities. And it’s true, they are at fault. But I cannot shake the feeling that I am at fault as well, as is every individual that is part of a culture. Individuals comprise the culture, whether that culture gives rise to an…