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Misc. Updates

Brandon Mayfield has been released from custody. Although he remains a material witness, it does not appear that he will be charged with a crime at this point. (Original post.) US forces are pulling out of Karbala. I’ve only seen this article on the NY Times, and am surprised no one else is reporting on it. Relevant paragraphs: Colonel Bishop said the withdrawal was intended to “allow time for the political process to go forward.” He declined to give details on that process, and it was not immediately clear what negotiations were taking place. American officials have been pressuring the…

(Un)Created(?) – Quran Desecration, part 2

A question for the Muslim community: why we are offended when the Qur’an is desecrated? (See previous post for details.) Echoing the grand debate most associated with the Mutazilah, the Qur’an is either created, or uncreated. If it is uncreated, then that means the Qur’an is co-eternal with God, meaning that something else exists with God. So, as a second “eternal,” I can understand why Muslims would be upset; of course, it also means that they are only superficially believers in tawhid. To be offended, is to deny what it means to be Muslim. If you argue that the Qur’an…

A Busy Church Month

In January 2016, I was blessed to be invited to share the pulpit at two Collegiate churches in New York City. The first was Marble Collegiate Church, as part of their annual Trialogue amongst the Abrahamic traditions. January 10, 2016 Three Faiths, One Family from Marble Collegiate Church on Vimeo. Hosted by Dr. Michael B. Brown Rabbi Ayelet Cohen, Rev. Robert Chase and Dr. Hussein Rashid On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I was hosted by Middle Collegiate Church, where I spoke about Islamophobia and #BlackLivesMatter “Body Politics” :: Jan 17 @middlechurch from Middle Collegiate Church on Vimeo. “Body Politics”…