Story of Imam Ali
One of the folks I met at the Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow was Abu Eesa, who had this story posted on his blog. Technorati Tags: MLT, Imam Ali
Year: 2006
Proposing the “Bose Adhan Fund” for Muslim Countries
Recently I had the chance to visit, after a 7 year gap, one of my favourite cities in the world, Istanbul. The city is a perfect melange of East and West. For some reason it feels like home to me even though I am not from there or live there, It physicaly represents both my Western and Muslim identities. Its very modern and cosmopolitan, yet steeped in history and tradition. Its been over 5 years since I have actually visited a Muslim-majority city and something did not feel right for the first few days. Then it occurred to me that…
Writing on Israel and Palestine, and now Lebanon
Traditionally I have not commented on the Palestinian and Israeli conflict. As you can tell by Who You?’s and Ghost Dog‘s posts, it’s not a site-wide reluctance. My reluctance has stemmed from the belief that the issue is too emotionally charged to have a meaningful conversation on the issue without having to spend a lot of time cleaning the mud off and fighting the fires from flames. I am not personally invested in the issue; to me, as I would argue to most Muslims, the fight is not between Muslims and Jews. It is between Israelis and Palestinians. I am…
Flip Mode
Okay, so I have stated my opposition to the war in Lebanon, but I also want to take another track. I watched with revulsion and anger as parents pulled their children from the rubble of the building hit in Qana. Later when watching the protests as a result of the bombing, it came to me that if the situation was reversed, and a Hizbollah rocket slammed into an Isreali building killing 60 people including women and children, there probably would have been rejoicing around the Arab world. Hizbollah is firing indiscriminately at cities across the border and it is only…
Spinoza Redux….
Well it does appear that there are some brave Americans who are going above and beyond the rehtoric and proposing actions that actually make a difference in our world. Wick Sloane – a columnist at InsideHigherEd is proposing a Katrina like show of support by US univiersities for Lebanese students and faculty. Here is a blurb: Imagine. No interruption of study and research for all students and faculty in the Middle East shut out in this latest war. Lebanon. Israel. Gaza. Iraq. Everyone. Why not? Education is cheaper than war. John Waterbury, president of American University of Beirut, who was…
Invoking Spinoza
Cornell West has a brave op-ed piece on the moral disaster that is the Middle East: As we witness another sad chapter in the Middle East — the loss of precious human beings, the presence of deep hatred and revenge, and the absence of Socratic questioning and empathy for all — the spirit of Spinoza haunts us. Where are the courageous thinkers who ask the hard questions that shatter our simplistic and sentimental frameworks of pure Israeli heroes and impure Arab villains (or vice versa) in the conflict? Is it possible for Jews to reject the ugly Israeli subjugation of…
Funding a Fundy Education
Read Jeff Sharlet. His take on “facts” in this administration simply states the obvious. It’s the religious that gets to you. Technorati Tags: fundy-ism, education
Save Nazanin
Sometimes when you can’t save the whole world, you can at least try to save one person. Save Nazanin. Technorati Tags: Iran, NazaninFatehi, SaveNazanin
Karen Armstrong Cusses!
No, not really. But it would be appropriate in this context. I can hear her now: “Y’all fundies are a bunch of dumb a$$ mo’ fo’s.” With a British accent of course. Technorati Tags: KarenArmstrong, fundy-ism