Mormon on Islam

On the occasion of the anniversary of 9/11, and in honor of the end of Ramadan, four New York Muslims reflect on piety and patriotism, on sharing classrooms and rituals of community life, on the courage and goodness of New Yorkers, and on the horrific event that has shaped a generation of American Muslim life. via www.religiondispatches.org

I will be honest, I did not see Condi Rice’s testimony to the 9/11 commission yesterday. I have been reading commentaries, conservative and liberal, and the news doesn’t appear to be good. The reasoned right won’t muster a strong defense, and in some cases are actually questioning (link via TPM) what new information the testimony gave. The left of course is having a field day. If you read the conservative article above, and the following Boston Globe op-ed – especially the last paragraph – the testimony seemed to be dependent on people not having any sort of memory. Bush is…

I’m placing this here because I think it has strong resonances with the Muslim thinking on the concept of charity. I’ll post a similar one for Muslims shortly. Eight Rungs of the Giving Ladder: The concept of giving anonymously without knowing the recipient can be traced back to ancient Israel. Beggars would regularly congregate next to a wall of a courtyard and donors, being aware of this, would face the opposite direction and toss coins over the shoulders in the direction of the wall. Therefore, the recipients of the charity would not feel ashamed or indebted to the giver. Maimonides,…