Today is the first of Muharram, the first 10 days of which commemorate the assassination of the beloved grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Imam Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib.
More to come.
Related Posts
So who are the kidnappers?
Officially, the taking of hostages is forbidden in Islam. A stance reiterated today by the Ithna’ashari scholars in Iraq. So that means the kidnappers are either Sunni or are acting out of an interest other than Islam. I don’t believe they are Sunni at this point – are at least are not acting under that identity – as it would disenfranchise the community. These are pseudo-nationalists, and the behavior is not intrinsic to Muslims. Just a clarification for those who were wondering if hostage taking was tenet of faith.
Not your father’s Beastie Boys
Check out this article about Jewish-Latino hip-hop. Breakin’ some serious stereotypin’.
Recap of Chautauqua Visit 2015
I was invited to speak at the Chautauqua Institute this summer on the theme of The Ambivalence of the Sacred: Religion and Violence. The initial calendar event is here. A pre-talk write-up is here, and post-talk write-up here, both from the Daily Chautauquan. A video of the talk is embedded below.