Category: Intra-faith
Malcolm
Perhaps the greatest American Muslim thinker of the 20th century was Malcolm X. Even when he was with the NOI, his speeches that did not attempt to define himself negatively – i.e. against others – were brilliant. After his Hajj experience, what he offered American Muslims resonates today. His letters were almost lost, but thankfully, they were saved.
found, but not lost – jihad against studpidity
Read elf on the matter. (yes, it’s old, hence the title of the post). Maybe we should make that our tag line “jihading against idiocy with a dunce cap on the head.”
Inspiring
Read this article about a man who is fighting for freedom for the killer of his son. I don’t know if I would have that strength in me to forgive. This is forgiveness is not of the tongue or the mind, but of the heart. Azim Khamisa is also open that it was his faith that lead him through the dark time. More details on the foundation website.
ilm – knowledge – yearns to be free
Joi Ito has posted something about making information available on the web. He mentions Ismail Serageldin, who was involved (I don’t know if he still is) with the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, which of course has relations with ArchNet, which has a great on-line library.
Moses a Pharoah?
Oddly enough, I was just talking to someone about Akhenaten and the monotheistic religion he preached in Egypt. Now I find an article linking to a book suggesting Moses and Akhenaten were the same person. That means Moses was a pharoah. I want to do some reading on this topic, so if anyone has heard about other research, pro and con, I would appreciate it if you could send it my way. For a nice fictionalized account of Akhenaten, see Naguib Mahfouz. For a good, basic introduction, see Akhenaten and the Religion of Light.
When Religion and Social Justice can go Wrong
The Revealer on how Hamas is a faith-based initiative. Do people really not see Bush’s plan as being flawed Constitutionally, and in terms of building an American ideal, where everyone is thankful to America, not to the group around the corner?
On the AKAA
The AKAA (Aga Khan Award for Architecture) has received a lot of press that I’m just beginning to compile here. Also checkout the book for this year’s cycle. Celebrating Beauty Visionary Design Award Giver gets his due Houston Chronicle (favorite line: “even Muslims have to pee”) While not properly about the award, here’s some information about the Central Asian Music Initiative also supported by His Highness.
image and question
Look at this picture and question. Let me ask an additional question. How many Muslims would look at her and say the “model of modesty?” and how many “fundie?”
Navroz Mubarak – نوروز مبارك
Happy New Year to everyone. May the year bring you much joy and happiness. The springtime of a friend of Ali is always full of the efflorescence of Ali. None deserves eminence and praise among the people except he who befriends Ali. The heart of every Shi’i is protected from Satan in the fortress of Ali. As Ali is from the Prophet’s family, the true Shi’i belongs to the family of Ali. A hundred years of praise is not equal to even one in a thousand praises of Ali. Courage, knowledge, abstinence, generosity: these are the qualities I revere in…