Weblogs

Facebook Network

Facebook has a tool where you can now follow blogs, and recommend them, via a Blog Networks application. If you FB and read this, please join up with any of the places I blog: http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/blog/islamicate/ http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/blog/the_devils_advocate_hussein_rashid/ http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/blog/the_devils_advocate/

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Weblogs

Devil’s Advocate’s Postings

A series of posts up at The Devil’s Advocate that I forgot to mention: The Pope’s Interfaith Issues | RD Blog: The Devil’s Advocate | ReligionDispatches Why Don’t Muslims Condemn Terrorism? | RD Blog: The Devil’s Advocate | ReligionDispatches Michael Jackson, Muslim | RD Blog: The Devil’s Advocate | ReligionDispatches Barack Hussein Obama and a Post-Religious America | RD Blog: The Devil’s Advocate | ReligionDispatches

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Inter-faith

Weekend of Twinnings

I was recently asked to address the Sutton Place Synagogue as part of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding‘s Weekend of Twinnings. Below are my comments, as prepared, that I delivered on Nov. 22, 2008. I will post some questions and reflections in the next few days. —– Comments Offered on the Weekend of Twinnings at the Sutton Place Synagoge (as prepared, not as delivered) Shabbot Shalom Salaam Alaykum Ya Ali Madad In the Name of God the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful Thank you for opening your doors to me today and inviting me into your worship space. I hope…

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Religion

Pakistan’s Sufis

The Smithsonian Magazine has a feature on Pakistani Sufis, including one figure I am doing a lot of research on. It unfortunately still suffers from a bit of Orientalizing and exoticizing tendencies, but for a description of what happens, it’s pretty good. The “whys” are a bit shakier. Check out the photo gallery too. Pakistan, Sufism, qalandar

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Politics

It’s about us

What a great idea for fighting for the rights of others. Don’t make it about them, make it about us. Normally I wouldn’t espouse this particular view, but it seems to work in this scenario. Non-Americans don’t have constitutional protections, so international scholars who are denied entry into the country have no legal standing. American scholars do have the ability to argue violation of the First Amendment. Good strategy. academic freedom, Freedom of Speech, war on terror[ism][ists]

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Religion

Children and Joy

Gordon Atkinson (Real Live Preacher) has a story about his daughter. It’s not about religion per se, but it is incredibly moving. What are the things we expect of our children? for our children? Their joy is our joy, and their sorrow is our sorrow. How they respond to the challenges in their lives helps us with the challenges in ours. children

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Inter-faith

Eboo Patel on Mumbai

My friend Eboo writes a piece for NPR on how to reach out to Jews during this most recent Eid al-Adha. I appreciate the sentiment, my daughter and his son are about the same age, and I think it is an important way to bridge the gap. Where I disagree is that this is an opportunity for inter-faith dialogue. In so far as religions share certain basic principles we can reach out, but the loss and horror of Mumbai is far more primal. His story highlights the more basic, human losses we share and support we need. It’s not about…

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