Category: Politics

Who Gets Paid to Make America Hate? The Roots of the Islamophobia Network | Religion Dispatches. We at Religion Dispatches have been covering this religious-political industrial complex, and its overlap with other elements of the far right agenda, for some time now.  (You must read Sarah Posner’s invaluable exploration, “Welcome to the Shari’ah Conspiracy Industry”.) But Fear, Inc. gives us a still-more exhaustive insight into the Islamophobia network’s leaders, strategies, and intentions.  With good timing.  We’re coming up on an election-year, in which major questions about the United States must be answered, or at least recognized.

Take the time to read the report. It’s frightening how deep the network of hate goes. Fear, Inc.: The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America. It is our view that in order to safeguard our national security and uphold America’s core values, we must return to a fact-based civil discourse regarding the challenges we face as a nation and world. This discourse must be frank and honest, but also consistent with American values of religious liberty, equal justice under the law, and respect for pluralism. A first step toward the goal of honest, civil discourse is to expose—and marginalize—the…

NY Neighbors 9/11. As the tenth anniversary of September 11th approaches, New Yorkers are looking for meaningful ways to commemorate the day. Across the City, groups are organizing events that reflect efforts to mourn their losses, honor sacrifices and continue to build a stronger city. As you browse this site, notice that the events are as diverse, vibrant and representative of the myriad backgrounds and perspectives as New York itself.

Not really related to Shari’ah at all, but a good article. In the interests of transparency, I was briefly involved with the Texas curriculum project. Rick Perry: The pro-Shariah candidate? – War Room – Salon.com. Perry is a friend of the Aga Khan, the religious leader of the Ismailis, a sect of Shia Islam that claims a reported 15 to 20 million adherents worldwide. Sprouting from that friendship are at least two cooperation agreements between the state of Texas and Ismaili institutions, including a far-reaching program to educate Texas schoolchildren about Islam. That’s a partnership that has already prompted a…

Post-9/11 'Arab Slayer' Mark Stroman's Last Words Offer Message Of Peace. After a lifetime of bitter prejudice that drove him to kill innocent strangers, Mark Stroman died with a message of peace. Stroman, 41, was executed by the state of Texas on Wednesday night by lethal injection, punishment for a shooting rampage in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks that left two South Asian convenience store workers dead and another seriously injured.

100 Questions About Islam on Vimeo. Current debates about integration, religious freedom and cultural diversity highlight growing levels of tensions between Muslim and non-Muslim communities in the US and Europe—most of which are founded on a lack of information.   For that reason, we have set out to provide a range of answers to questions at the heart of relations between Muslims and non-Muslims today. For example, what is Sharia law? What is the role of religion in the public space? And how have the Arab Spring revolutions begun to change that? What values do Muslim and non-Muslims share? Are we…

Distrust Between West And Islam. ”There’s an osmosis in war,” declares the once idealistic army lieutenant Hearn in Norman Mailer’s classic novel The Naked and the Dead. ”Call it what you will, but the victors always tend to assume the . . . the, eh, trappings of the loser.”  Of course, the ”war on terror” wasn’t really a war, and it is far from clear who emerged from it as victor and loser. Nonetheless, after the tragedy in Oslo, the osmosis is obvious. These sorts of attacks were meant to be the preserve of the Islamists who have dominated a…

This is what people are seriously concerned about? Fortunately, the article points out that if they don’t “Middle Eastern terms,” they should stop using “alcohol.” ‘Haboobs’ Cause a Storm of Complaints in Arizona – NYTimes.com. “I am insulted that local TV news crews are now calling this kind of storm a haboob,” Don Yonts, a resident of Gilbert, Ariz., wrote to The Arizona Republic after a particularly fierce, mile-high dust storm swept through the state on July 5. “How do they think our soldiers feel coming back to Arizona and hearing some Middle Eastern term?”

Anders Breivik’s Christian Terrorism in Norway: Are Pamela Geller and other anti-Islamist bloggers responsible? – By William Saletan – Slate Magazine. If Muslims are responsible for Islamic terrorism, are Muslim-bashers responsible for the massacre in Norway?

[EVENT] Muslim Americans: Faith, Freedom, and the Future. On August 2, the Abu Dhabi Gallup Center will host the launch of Muslim Americans: Faith, Freedom, and the Future. Based on three years of research and hundreds of thousands of interviews, the new study explores Muslim Americans’ political, social, and spiritual engagement a decade after 9/11, and concludes with evidence-based recommendations for government and civil society leaders. The report discusses U.S. Muslims’ views on a range of topics…