Current Affairs Politics

Penis Slicing and Cheney is more Taliban than the Taliban – #torture

Andrew Sullivan brings us two torture related stories today. One pulls on reporting by Glenn Greenwald, in which we find out Binyam Mohamed had his genitals sliced open as torture. If, for some reason, that image doesn’t nauseate you, imagine his name was Benjamin Moses (it is the Hebrew equivalent) and he was in Taliban custody. We surely would be up in arms. Speaking of the Taliban, Andrew also tells us that the Taliban treat their prisoners better than Vice-President Cheney did.

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Art Inter-faith

Bismillah Raven

I am always looking for interesting artwork, especially as it relates to Islam. Below is the Arabic phrase “bismillah,” “in the name of God,” done in a Native American style. Details from the artist are here, and an article about the piece can be found here (another take here). taken from here.

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Inter-faith

The Dove is Dead

Leila Abu-Saba of Dove’s Eye View has returned to her Maker. inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. We come from God and we return to God. Leila was true friend of islamicate. She was one of our earliest commenters, was always available for a good email chat, and was deeply committed to seeing peace become a reality. I pray for her and her family. (first heard from Marc Lynch of Abu Aardvark)

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Politics Religion

Iraqi Voices

Maybe instead of talking about them, we should be listening to them. This is a great project by a great group, and some really wonderful people whom I am privileged to know. Part of what happens when you bring a group of artists to speak to refugees (or really to speak to anyone), is that the subject of art comes up. When people hear that we are artists, they tend to start telling us about the art that they know and love. There stories begin to be told on the level of music and dance, picture and sound.

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