January 2011 – Page 3

Opinion: The Year Tía Luisa Tried to Defend Us From the Muslim Stamp – Fox News Latino

islamoyankeeJanuary 10, 2011

Opinion: The Year Tía Luisa Tried to Defend Us From the Muslim Stamp – Fox News Latino. In lieu of delivering a gospel of Yultide cheer or peace on earth, Tía Luisa dispatches a demand. Yes, in the subject heading of her most recent e-blast, in blaring full-blown caps, are the words ‘DO NOT BUY THIS STAMP’ and upon opening her email I discover that I am instructed to adamantly and vocally boycott the Post Office’s Eid-themed postage when purchasing my Christmas stamps this year.

Inter-faith

Working to boost social activism among Muslims – latimes.com

islamoyankeeJanuary 10, 2011

Working to boost social activism among Muslims – latimes.com. What does community banking have to do with his commitment to Islam? Everything, says Shah, 41, who is also a professional accountant and a former director of Humanitarian Day, an American Muslim day of service to local communities, especially the homeless.

Television

It Will Take More Than a Muslim Cosby Show

islamoyankeeJanuary 10, 2011

It Will Take More Than a Muslim Cosby Show. Couric’s instincts are right when she draws parallels between Islamophobia and racism. And she is correct in focusing on the role of media and cultural production in that fight. But her Cosby Show proposal is misplaced, both historically and socially. Perhaps what is needed more than another Cosby Show are the lessons learned from the first one.

Art

How to Meet Muslims: A (Cinematic) Primer | Culture | Religion Dispatches

islamoyankeeJanuary 10, 2011

How to Meet Muslims: A (Cinematic) Primer | Culture | Religion Dispatches. The next best thing to a living, breathing Muslim is an approximation of one. That is, the silver screen (had you said robots, I’d counter: Muslims will be the last people on Earth to come up with robots). Why not? Movies explore the lives and experiences of Muslims in a format that can be watched as easily at home as on the train (that’s what iPads are for).

Uncategorized

Wajahat Ali, Superstar Playwright and Author, Here in New York City

islamoyankeeJanuary 5, 2011

Join Wajahat Ali and artists, musicians, and performers from the New York City Metropolitan Area in celebrating the publication of “THE DOMESTIC CRUSADERS”, the landmark play about American Muslims which received standing ovations at its sold out performance at the Atlas Theater and the Kennedy Center. This culture show/art celebration/party/talent show also features live performances, spoken work, music, poetry and more: via avari.typepad.com

Inter-faith

5 Ridiculous Things You Probably Believe About Islam | Cracked.com

islamoyankeeJanuary 1, 2011

5 Ridiculous Things You Probably Believe About Islam | Cracked.com. A conservative commentator recently made headlines by claiming 10 percent of all of the world’s Muslims are terrorists. An amazing claim, considering that equals 150 million terrorists and if each were to pull off an attack killing just 40 people, they could exterminate all non-Muslim life on earth. Either they’re not all that dedicated to terrorism, or the claim is utter insanity. Well, if there’s one thing everyone thinks of when they hear “Cracked.com” it’s “friend of Islam.” Which is why we feel compelled to clarify a few misconceptions for…

Art

Muslim American Artists Strive to Bridge a Chasm – NYTimes.com

islamoyankeeJanuary 1, 2011

Muslim American Artists Strive to Bridge a Chasm – NYTimes.com. When Wajahat Ali, a young Muslim American playwright from Fremont, needed to build an audience for his work, he produced his plays in cramped Pakistani restaurants in the East Bay and used Facebook to get the word out. His play “The Domestic Crusaders” went on to open at the Berkeley Repertory Theater in 2005, and then moved to Off Broadway. … Mr. Ali is one of a growing number of Bay Area artists who are reimagining one of the country’s most complicated compound identities: Muslim American. At a time…

Intra-faith

Young Russians in search of faith are turning to Islam

islamoyankeeJanuary 1, 2011

Young Russians in search of faith are turning to Islam. But Sarachev’s forebears didn’t practice Islam the way he understands it today. Over a millennium, Tatars had developed a rich and complicated theology, comfortable with rational thought and mindful of the need to coexist with the Christian Russians. In Kazan, Tatarstan’s capital, the religious establishment endeavors to carry on that tradition today. But Soviet hostility to religion left most Tatars with only a perfunctory sense of their own Muslim inheritance. Growing up, Sarachev remembers, religion meant grandparents and holidays, and little else. Yet even then, just after the collapse of…

Inter-faith

Book Review – Holy Ignorance – By Olivier Roy – NYTimes.com

islamoyankeeJanuary 1, 2011

Book Review – Holy Ignorance – By Olivier Roy – NYTimes.com. Yule as we celebrate it today owes more to Charles Dickens than to Thomas Aquinas. Our major solstice holiday is what Roy calls a “cultural construct” rather than a sectarian ceremony, which explains why Muslims buy halal turkeys and Jews transformed Hanukkah into a gift-giving occasion. Mistakenly believing that Christmas is sacred, those who defend it find themselves propping up the profane. The Christ they want in Christmas is a product not of Nazareth but of Madison Avenue.

Intra-faith

My Wish for 2011: A Better World for My Daughter

islamoyankeeJanuary 1, 2011

My Wish for 2011: A Better World for My Daughter. Now that I’m expecting my first child, my prayers for the state of the country have gotten more urgent. Yes, I think good thoughts for the America of tomorrow. The idea of bringing into the world a little girl who will be Muslim and Arab and American makes me anxious about the future. When I dream now, it’s for her and for the world I hope she will grow up in.