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Listen to the Reed

Rachel has a wonderful post on how the Divine is heard through Divine creation. It reminded of this poem of Rumi (posted many moons ago in a different context): بشنو از نى چون حكايت ميكند از جدائيها شكايت ميكند beshno az nay con hekaayat mekonad az judaa’ihaa shekaayat mekonad listen to the reed as it tells a tale as it complains of separation How beautiful is the image of humanity simply being instruments for the Divine sound? Technorati Tags: inter-faith, Rumi

Review: Domestic Crusaders

I have to imagine that writing fiction about Muslim-Americans is a thankless task. People from outside the community are already pre-disposed to like it or hate it. Unless you’re Rizwan Manji, Aasif Mandvi, or Aziz Ansari, you can’t quite draw the crowds to be able to change minds. Of course, you also get heat from inside the community. People will invariably say “it doesn’t represent me,” “it’s not my experience.” These same people will simultaneously identify with Lady Chatterly’s Lover, and support Umrao Jaan Ada, but will not have empathy with Muslim-American characters because it is not exactly their experience.…

The Muslim “Catcher in the Rye”

I have the utmost respect and admiration for Carl Ernst, and I think it’s hilarious that he compares Taqwacores to Catcher in the Rye. One, I would be saddened if Taqwacores became a classic of Muslim American literature. I think MMK is a good writer, I’m really enjoying his book The Five Percenters, but Taqwacores is not great literature. Of course, I don’t like Catcher in the Rye either, so I’m a bit of a philistine. Anyway, isn’t Catcher the conspiracy nut’s handbook? Exactly what we need, more paranoid conspiracy-focused Muslims. As no one seen Mel Gibson’s Conspiracy Theory? Imagine…