Category: Current Affairs

There is a new film on Rikers, called Rikers: An American Jail, and I’m quoted in the interfaith discussion guide. As a Muslim, when I hear about prison, I think to the Story of Joseph, told in Chapter 12 of the Qur’an: are we punishing difference, rather than actions, and putting the innocent in jail? Do we seek to turn people to repentance, or are we fulfilling our needs for revenge? One of the clear commandments in the Qur’an is to maintain the balance of justice, and to not give into our own desires and call it justice (55:9, 4:135).…

CagleCartoons.com – Dr. Hussein Rashid (More than a Military Response Required to Beat ISIS). As ISIS appears to be gaining ground in Iraq, there seems to be a lack of a grand strategy coming out of the White House. The low hum of drone warfare, as opposed to coordinated decisive victories like in Irbil, creates a greater potential for feeding ISIS' propaganda machine. The United States must think more comprehensively than a military intervention. Syndicated at: Hussein Rashid: More than a military response required to beat ISIS Dr. Hussein Rashid: Suggestions on how to beat ISIS Dr. Hussein Rashid: More…

State of Formation – Every Land is #Ferguson. There is a power in raising our hands for Ferguson. We do not raise our hands like the Illuminati or a Rockefella [sicknowledge]; we do not raise our hands to act out an NWA lyric; we do not even raise our hands in an “Allah Akbar.” Instead, we raise our hands in surrender. Our submission is to the police. The power in raising our hands is with the police. It’s not an act of agency, but a recognition of the value(lessness) of brown and black bodies. This submission to authoritarianism should concern…

Pol: NYPD Muslim Surveillance is ‘Un-American’ | Long Island Press. The sweeping surveillance of local Muslims is un-American, unconstitutional and spawns an atmosphere of mistrust, undermining the efforts of law enforcement conducting clandestine investigations of Muslim Americans in the New York metropolitan area.  These criticisms of the New York Police Department’s surveillance of Muslim Americans from New York City to Long Island were made by New York State Sen. Kevin Parker (D-Brooklyn) and Dr. Hussein Rashid, a professor of religion at Hofstra University during the college’s 11th annual “Day of Dialogue” event Wednesday.

I’d Rather Go Back to Yemen than Face NYPD | Religion Dispatches. A coalition of civil rights organizations just released “Mapping Muslims: NYPD Spying and its Impact on American Muslims” which pulls together what we know of the NYPD surveillance of Muslim communities throughout the Northeast, places the surveillance in a legal context, and more importantly, interviews Muslims to understand the real world impact of the surveillance.

This is a Storify I'm using for class, but it seems like an interesting conversation that I wish I had shared at the time.   [View the story "Reli77: Muslim4Marriage" on Storify] Reli77: Muslim4Marriage Storified by Hussein Rashid · Wed, Sep 05 2012 04:39:59 I'm not alone; there are lots of #Muslims who support #LGBTQ #MarriageEquality. RT w/ #Muslims4Marriage.Fatemeh Fakhraie the trends nationally of all religious communities are growing towards LGBT equality, check w/PRRI @islamoyankee @fatemehf @azizhp @markosJoseph Ward III @peoplegogy That is powerful stuff. Without the repealing of miscegenation laws, I wouldn't exist!! Equal rights for all! :DFatemeh Fakhraie…

We need to hold the NYPD accountable for their misdeeds. Sarah’s piece is spot on. Sarah Sayeed, Ph.D.: The Dolphin and the Monkey and NYPD’s Disappointing Tactics. Aesop’s story might be a good one to teach at New York Police Department trainings, instead of infecting unsuspecting officers with a pernicious fear of Islam and Muslims. The active participation of Police Commissioner Kelly and his Public Affairs Officer Paul Browne in the creation and promotion of an anti-Muslim film has led Muslim New Yorkers to deep disappointment, skepticism and mistrust. They are now calling for the two to resign.