August 26, 2005 – islamicate

A matter of trust

islamoyankeeAugust 26, 2005

This NYT op-ed asks: One of the great strengths of our immigrant nation is that we have thousands of citizens and aspiring citizens who are fluent in both English and Arabic. Why we have not made use of this talent is a mystery. I think it’s simply a matter of trust. Most Arab-Americans (can’t find the Zogby poll, so any help appreciated) were against the Iraqi invasion. Therefore, in the bifurcation of being either “with us,” or “against us,” they became “against us.” You must be a member of the party, or you are not a person. Technorati Tags: Iraq,…

Inter-faith

“I’ve only met two other Muslims in my life, and they both smelled like incense.”

August 26, 2005

This choice quote comes from a young white Christian American Boy Scout upon reflecting on meeting young brown Muslim American Boy scouts at a Scouting Jamboree. Its from a very interesting article in Time Magazine about Muslim Boy Scouts. Its jarring for me to realize that in the US Boy Scouts have been affiliated with the Christian faith. Growing up in Karachi I was a cub and a boy scout as part of our Jamat Khana activities and never once thought of it as being a Christian Institution. Strange. Any way Scouting is one way for integration between various communities.