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

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. 

Interview on NPR on Riyaaz Qawwali

I was recently interviewed on NPR about Riyaaz Qawwali, a group out of Austin, TX. Hussein Rashid, a professor of religion at Hofstra University, says that many qawwaliartists working in South Asia today have limited themselves. He believes this American group is bringing the music back to its roots.  “You know, I think there’s been so much concern about what is Islam, and what isn’t, politically speaking and artistically speaking,” Rashid says, “that there’s been a push in modern qawwali to actually sanitize it and make it very sterile — and almost rule-bound — rather than ecstatic and devotional. For me, I think…

Tweeting the Qur’an #Quran #Ramadan #ttQuran 2020/1441

Traditionally, Muslims read the Qur'an in its entirety during Ramadan, in a section a day. The Qur'an is split into thirty sections, called juz', and one section is read each night.  This year is the 12th year I am inviting people to tweet the Qur’an for Ramadan. I will be tweeting @islamoyankee. Starting in 2019, I expanded the invite and encourage people share commentaries and art work. I am excited by the commentaries offered over at Sapelo Square, and I encourage you to check them out for yourselves. I'll also be tweeting commentaries from the Prophet's beloved family. In addition, you…