Current Affairs

Born on the 11th of September

I was born on the 11th of September 2001. I was born out of hatred and anger and fear. I was born out of sorrow and grief and heartache. I am the son of my father. I am hateful and angry and fearful. I am sorrowful and grief-stricken and full of heartache. I am also the Phoenix born of the ashes he wrought. I am light and joy and happiness and hope. OBL created me when he killed 3000 people on 9/11. I was first born with the Towers. When they fell, I was reborn. I was a Muslim and…

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Weblogs

Friends

Welcome visitors from City of Brass. Aziz was kind enough to give me a shout moons ago and I’ve been negligent in acknowledging you. But Hazrat Issa, it’s been two weeks and I’m still getting huge numbers of pass through hits. A shout back to Aziz who has been a good virtual friend and has helped me with some of my own research. Can’t wait to find a way to meet him in person. His blog is one of the first Shi’ah blogs I found, and still one of the few I read regularly. I will eventually get around to…

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Current Affairs Politics

Torture Bad, Maybe

In case you didn’t hear, President Bush bans torture. Maybe. Yes, maybe. It’s kind of sad that we need to have an explicit ban against torture (again. Hi Geneva Conventions). It’s worse that we’re not sure if it is a ban. Just in case you think the administration might start believing in the rule of law and right, have no fear, unfettered power is still on their agenda. I thought it was scare mongering, then I followed the links. As a Muslim I can be Gitmo’d. As a born American I can have my entire life taken away without any…

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Current Affairs Intra-faith

I agree with McCain [updated]

Read this article at TPM for context. I agree on the conclusion, but probably not the process. Most Muslims hate AQ. They stand in opposition to the way most of live. In fact, their very raison d’être is to stand in opposition to the way most Muslims live. As I ask constantly, what is AQ’s positive agenda other than to live the way their master OBL wants them to? I need to do a longer post on why they’ve had such success. In any event, I’m not convinced a grand coalition between Shi’ah and Sunni will now arise to fight…

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Inter-faith Intra-faith Media

Newsweek and Islam

Newsweek has a special issue on Islam in America. Here’s the primary link. Also of note is week-long blog of Muslims speaking out here. The mission statement is interesting because it claims it wants to give voice to the Muslim American community. Keep going back and reading. Seems like a good project. Technorati Tags: Islam in America

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Web/Tech

Tech News

Just some interesting things related to the tech world I found floating around. Open Library (via David) – “What if there was a library which held every book? Not every book on sale, or every important book, or even every book in English, but simply every book—a key part of our planet’s cultural legacy.” Ethan on why cats should be censored – Not really. I believe they should, but that’s not his point. His point is that for every technology that allows us to do cat-blogging we are creating a new vehicle for samizdat. (Unfortunately, he doesn’t use that word.…

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Music

Brother Ali

Read an article about a new rapper Brother Ali. Tunes sounded slick, but his name caught my attention. Was he Muslim? Was he Muslim-chic (yes, it exists in hip-hop and in dress)? Did some b/g, and he is Muslim. Tunes are slick. Technorati Tags: Islam in the US, hip-hop

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Books Inter-faith

Rabbi Issa

The Revealer takes down the latest politicization of the Prophet Jesus. Money quote: “Levenick’s review isn’t just boldly ignorant, it’s an example of the secularization of new evangelicalism, that strain of Protestant Christianity that insists Christ was both revolutionary and conservative.” Moses was an Egyptian. Jesus was a Jew. Swarthy people everywhere. Deal with it.

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