In Perspective
Dang! Josh Marshall puts the Kerbala attacks in an interesting perspective. Dang!
Year: 2004
Have Muslims stopped looking for the ayats of Allah?
Holy Quran 24:46: “We have indeed sent down signs that make things manifest: and God guides whom He wills to a way that is straight – Laqad anzalna ayatin mubayyinatin waAllahu yahdee man yashao ila siratin mustaqeemin” I have always wondered when and why Muslims stopped searching for the ayats of Allah. I know, I know, many turn to the Holy Quran as the ultimate sign of Allah. But in focussing exclusively on the “Book” and ignoring the rest of the world – I wonder if we have truly ignored the God’s calling to seek out his signs. This depressing…
Boston Meetup
Well, it looks like we didn’t get enough people for a an official Progressive Muslims Meet-up. However, the organizer of the Islam in America Conference has confirmed we will have space if we want it. Details will be announced at lunch. If you haven’t already registered for the conference, please do so. If you can, drop me a line, as detailed below, that you will be coming, and any ideas for an agenda.
Yom Ashura
Today is Yom Ashura, the 10th day of Muharram, the day that marks the martyrdom of Imam Husayn. It looks like violence and bloodshed caused by Muslim on Muslim crime remains the order of the day.
Hijabi Love
I got an email from the organizer of the Islam in America Conference today, and he attached the following poster image. It’s good to know the ‘blog world is having an influence somewhere. Congratulations HijabMan.
Schimmel and the Marsiya
Annemarie Schimmel was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, commentator on Islamic literatures writing in English. Her works are magisterial, and very diverse. I’ve discovered one of her articles on-line, and it’s about the marsiya tradition. Her translations are just beautiful. I wish they had also included the original texts.
New Books added
A few new books added to our sidebar items. One is on mystical poetry and symbolism in Islamic literatures, by Annemarie Schimmel. Another is a theoretical framework for understanding some of the issues plaguing Muslim majority societies. It covers a wide-range of disciplines including religion, economics and history. The newest one is a discussion of the stories of Joseph/Yusuf found in the Hebrew Bible and in the Qur’an.
Such a long time
It’s been such a long time since I read Salman Pax’s blog. I recently returned to it and found a great write-up by him about the formal split between Shi’ahs and other Muslims. The photos are new for me and he’s really got an eye for it.
Morocco Quake
A major earthquake has hit Morocco, causing hundreds of deaths. Please give to whatever relief effort you can. I personally use the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, so money can go where it’s most needed. While we do recognize disasters that predominantly affect Muslims, we also acknowledge the value of all human life and strive to help people whenever we can. Any surplus given to the general fund will be redistributed to needy areas.
Education and Ignorance
This article is a nice discussion of what’s at stake in the education process in Pakistan, particularly for women. I particularly like the closing paragraph, cliché as it is: we cannot afford to allow a minority to hold a majority at ransom. We just cannot afford to allow any individuals or any groups to derail the present efforts in the education sector or give foreign agencies working in this field any reason to pull out.