Current Affairs

Compare and Contrast

islamoyankeeMay 2, 2004

Two interesting op-eds in the Boston Globe today. The first talks about Karen Hughes equation of the women who marched on the DC Mall last week with terrorists. Regardless of where you fall on the abortion debate, the casual and easy equation of people with different views than this administration is a disturbing phenomenon. (It has happened before with respect to teachers; further proof we are preparing for the Rapture?) The emotional associations with the word “terrorist” after 9/11, across the country, is profound. I think it’s much more evocative than “communist” ever was for my generation. When disagreement becomes…

Current Affairs Religion

Left Behind

islamoyankeeApril 29, 2004

I read the book Left Behind a few months ago, and was quite taken by it. I’m intrigued by how other people view their own faiths, and theological texts are often not the best way to do so; I much prefer things like literature or autobiography, things that give me a greater sense of the lived tradition. I was doing some research on the No Child Left Behind Act, and something occurred to me. According the Left Behind series children will experience the Rapture for two reasons, they have not consciously sinned and they are ignorant of the world. The…

Current Affairs Weblogs

Referral

islamoyankeeApril 29, 2004

Check out this story at The Revealer. What is going on in Afghanistan?

Current Affairs Television

Adoption Game

islamoyankeeApril 29, 2004

I don’t know what’s going on at 20/20, and I’m surprised at Barbara Walters for doing an adoption game style promotion for a news piece. I’m shocked the challenge is on legal grounds to the theft of an idea instead of outrage that such advertising, and perhaps such games, are permissible.

Current Affairs Weblogs

Here’s the Outrage

islamoyankeeApril 29, 2004

I’m wondering where the outrage is, and finally I see that Muslims are offended by the desecration of holy sites by other Muslims, if not by Muslim-on-Muslim violence. I’m glad to see the Shi’ah of Najaf are rising up against those who would take their (Najafi) Islam and use it for their own (non-Najafi) purposes. Imam Ali (PBUH) was the son-in-law and cousin of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He is regarded by the Shi’ah as being the heir to both temporal and spiritual authority of the Islamic community. He was martyred because he tried to peacefully end the first civil war…

Current Affairs Film Web/Tech

What do these things have in common?

islamoyankeeApril 29, 2004

What do the movies The Passion of Christ and American Pie have in common? I saw a report on CNN the other day about a new DVD player that edits movies on the fly to remove objectionable material. The story was recently posted on CNN.com. I thought it was worth mentioning because they interviewed a spokesperson for the company, and he said something that caught my attention, but that didn’t make it into the print story. When the violence or language is integral to the story, it won’t be edited. So The Passion and American Pie have integrated the objectionable…

Current Affairs

Australian Soccer and the Hijab

this is meApril 27, 2004

I saw this article on the BBC website and figured this would make a good first posting. Now really what the hell was the referee thinking by stopping a women playing soccer because she was wearing a headscarf! Was the referee scared she might not see the ball! Thank goodness that her team mates and the team she was playing realised how ridiculous the referee was and supported the player. I’d love her to take the case to court and see how the referee tries to make an arguement that his/her actions were not discriminatory. I also have a problem…

Current Affairs Religion

Where’s the outrage?

islamoyankeeApril 27, 2004

I know quite a few Muslims and Muslim organizations are upset about the loss of Muslim lives in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kashmir, etc.. However, none of them seem to be upset by the fact that the largest slaughters of Muslims (this is opinion, I don’t have the numbers to back it up yet) in the last ten years has been committed by other self-styled Muslims, namely Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. In the last 48 hours I’ve seen three headlines (1, 2, 3), which are what have gotten me thinking about this issue. Why aren’t more Muslims decrying this loss of life…

Current Affairs Television

What’s wrong with CNN? [updated]

islamoyankeeApril 26, 2004

I have problems with CNN’s news coverage, but occasionally they do some things that really bother me. On American Morning, there was a story (between 9:50 AM and 10:00 AM) about the US Postal Service pulling it’s sponsorship of Lance Armstrong because an audit revealed they weren’t getting enough of a return on the investment. Jack Cafferty (sp?) says it’s because USPS is going to spend more time on “those Islamic stamp.” What stamps? What a non-sequitur! Was he making a cheap and acceptable shot at Muslims? Then he’s doing a segment where he solicits feedback on a topic, in…

Current Affairs Weblogs

What’s the story behind this?

islamoyankeeApril 26, 2004

Look at this picture. I know the bloggers say “enough said,” and at first blush I agree. But what’s the source? When was this taken? Have there been an repercussions? We need more information. Can anyone help out?