Two articles by Ted Swedenburg on Islam and Hip-Hop. One on the 5% and one on the international context. Man knows his stuff, and it helps mark a new face of Islam that’s growing world-wide, the Western Muslim. No more gharabzadegi for us, we sit (un)comfortably in all worlds.
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Literal Truths
I was recently reading this article from the Boston Globe about the historicity of the New Testament, and it got me thinking, not so much about the historicity of the Qur’an, but about literal reading. Two verses of the Qur’an come to mind: We sent not an apostle except (to teach) in the language of his (own) people, in order to make (things) clear to them. Now God leaves straying those whom He pleases and guides whom He pleases: and He is Exalted in power, full of Wisdom. (14:4) He it is Who has sent down to thee the Book:…
Op-Ed Columnist – Is This America? – NYTimes.com
If this is a testing time, then some have passed with flying colors. Hats off to a rabbinical student in Massachusetts, Rachel Barenblat, who raised money to replace prayer rugs that a drunken intruder had urinated on at a mosque. She told me that she quickly raised more than $1,100 from Jews and Christians alike. via www.nytimes.com Yay Rachel!
Boston Meetup Notes
OK, I have to admit I blew the organizing of the Meetup in Boston. HijabMan and I met for a bit and spoke about the selection of imams in local mosques. It was actually part of the discussion in the morning’s IIA panel as well. Who chooses the imams? Who do they speak to? Who do they speak for? He’s got a case study, so I won’t jump in on that. However, it strikes me that there are two basic approaches to religion: limiting and liberating.