2004 – Page 19 – islamicate

Good Apples, Bad Barrel?

SAM I AMMay 10, 2004

Disclaimer – I am not offering this article as any type of justification for the prison abuses going on. Let me be 100% clear – I think what has happened in the Abu Ghraib prisons, and perhaps elsewhere as well, is atrocious and I am angry about it. It is our fault as a country and we need to fix the problem immediately. Those responsible for overseeing these horrible travesties should be severely punished and things must change immediately. Actual post – In the interests of learning from the situation and trying to understand factors at play, I came across…

Science

In the beginning…

GhostdogMay 10, 2004

I wanted to add a comment to SAM I AM’s post on Amana or trust, but then my comment expanded, so I thought I would make a post out of it instead. SAM I AM formulates a simple and beautiful message: “We are trustees of God’s creation, and we should seek to leave the world a better place than it was when we came into it.” In his formulation, he stated something that caught my attention: “Intellect makes Man unique and exalted from amongst creation”. This places incredible responsibility on Man to act as stewards for God’s creation. At the…

Religion

Intercession

islamoyankeeMay 9, 2004

Apikorsus says we’re only occasionally about theology; she’s right. The funny thing is, when I got the group together it was because I felt the religion of Islam had gotten short-shrift in media coverage and I wanted to talk about the theology of Islam as I understood; it’s what my background is in at the master’s level. Events have clearly moved us into a need to be much more responsive than long, meandering posts on theology would allow us to be, but it doesn’t mean I don’t have a few cooking. There is a theological issue we’d like people’s help…

Uncategorized

in man He trusts

SAM I AMMay 9, 2004

1. God creates and sustains all of creation at all times 2. Intellect makes Man unique and exhalted from amongst creation (2:30-34) 3. With the great power of this intellect, comes great responsibility (spider man fans should recognize this mantra) 4. This responsibility is a sacred moral trust (amaana) 5. To the extent we have any power over any other person, or any part of creation, it is within the confines of this amaana. 6. Therefore, by not seizing on every opportunity to do good, you are abusing God. (I borrowed this line from someone else, but I like it…

Current Affairs

What Rumsfeld said

islamoyankeeMay 8, 2004

Yesterday Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld apologized to Iraqis for the abuses of Abu Ghuraib…I think. Rumsfeld often speaks in a way that needs deciphering. Two of my favorite examples are: “Reports that say that something hasn’t happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don’t know we don’t know.” “There’s another way to phrase that…

Current Affairs

Is he innocent?

islamoyankeeMay 8, 2004

According to today’s New York Times, Brandon Mayfield, the American convert to Islam [I’m painfully aware that nationality has nothing to do with religion, but that’s the way it’s being reported], who was detained yesterday for involvement in the Madrid train bombings of March 11, may not in fact be involved. The relevant graf is: The law enforcement officials said they were afraid that Mr. Mayfield, who is originally from Kansas, might become a fugitive if he knew he was under suspicion. So monitoring that was just getting started was abruptly halted. Mr. Mayfield was arrested before investigators had fully…

Uncategorized

The Idea of America

SAM I AMMay 7, 2004

In his op-ed yesterday, Thomas Friedman touched on something very dear to me – the idea of America. And in order to preserve the idea of America (he was actually talking about America’s Honor), he said that this administration needed to fire Rumsfeld, eat crow publicly, enlist help, and change course. I agree that all of these things might help preserve America’s credibility and salvage the Iraq situation, but I don’t share any of his optimism that there is any hope that this is what we will do. At least one reporter sees no end in site for Rumsfeld. Although…

Current Affairs

It’s just getting freakier

islamoyankeeMay 7, 2004

According to Josh Marshall, the man who thinks I’m Satan is in charge of interrogations in Iraq. If you had Satan in your custody, what would you do to him? Abu Ghuraib is his answer.

Religion

verses

islamoyankeeMay 7, 2004

If all the trees of the earth were pens And the oceans ink, With many more oceans fro replenishing them, The words of God could never be written. Truly he is all-mighty and all-wise. (31:27) read in the name of your lord who created created man from an embryo read for your lord is most generous who taught by the pen taught man what he did not know. (96:1-5)

Current Affairs

How has it come to this?

GhostdogMay 6, 2004

It was only a matter of time that this would occur. This story was not picked up by the major newspapers or media sources, but it is a story that needs to be told. Seven illegal immigrants [six Pakistani and one Indian] were murdered by the Macedonian police in order for the Macedonian government to show that it was fighting with the West on the war on terror. In order to win some points, the Macedonian police fabricated evidence and executed 7 people whose only crime was to seek a better livlihood. This is not the first time that the…