Religion – Page 25

Mine’s bigger than yours

islamoyankeeMay 23, 2004

I saw this article on the murder of Shi’ah in Karachi a couple of weeks ago. I didn’t want to do another article on Muslim-on-Muslim violence; they weren’t anything new. Last night, I had a conversation with a friend and something occurred to me: Pakistan is a Muslim country, at least 99% of the population is Muslim. There are some Christians, and the Ahmadis (different post) were declared non-Muslim, otherwise the assumption is that everyone in Pakistan is a Muslim. The Ahmadiyya situation indicates that the Sunni majority could work to legally have the Shi’ah declared non-Muslim, like in Saudi…

Religion

Guest Blogger: Making the World a Better Place

islamoyankeeMay 20, 2004

These girls are daughters of a friend of mine. They’ve been taking part in this event for several years, and I make it a point to support them every time. I think it’s an important endeavor in its own right, and a great way to help children live the ethic of service and giving. Please support them if you can. —— My name is Aliya-Nur. I am 8 years old. My sister’s name is Shazia’Ayn and she is 6. May is a busy month for us. It is the World Partnership Walk month. My sister and I have been helping…

Religion

Humor: The Ramadan Song

islamoyankeeMay 20, 2004

Click here.

Current Affairs Religion

Doing what Sistani says

islamoyankeeMay 19, 2004

Grand Ayatollah Sistani is asking for US troops to leave Najaf and Karbala. According to Sistani he wants to “‘allow the police and tribal forces to perform their role in preserving security and order.’” I think this is a good idea. I don’t think the US should commit to a full-scale withdrawal, but they should say that they will withdraw to the perimeters of both cities for 72 hours. If the situation improves, they will stay out; if it worsens, they will enter. They will gaurd the outskirts of the city and prevent people from entering who are not authorized…

Current Affairs Religion

Darfur

islamoyankeeMay 18, 2004

(Note: I’ve only recently become aware of what’s going in Sudan because of The Head Heeb. Read some of his background pieces (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), and continue to read him for the latest news. I want to throw in my two cents now, but don’t have the resources to give it the coverage it deserves on a regular basis.) Sudan is known as a failed state – the type that gives a base of operations to terrorist organizations; Sudan was in fact home, briefly, to Osama bin Laden, and was bombed in 1998 by the US for allegedly…

Religion

The discussion I want to have

islamoyankeeMay 16, 2004

The discussions surrounding Abu Ghuraib are getting more and more depressing. Seymour Hersh’s article in this week’s New Yorker talks about how the torture was the result of orders from the Pentagon getting out of control. Newsweek is reporting President Bush signed the orders to commit torture. (TPM, Father Jake, Loose Democracy, Juan Cole on the same.) Colin Powell thinks the Arab world should be more outraged over the beheading of Nick Berg. He’s right. Why is this even an issue? There seems to be a race to be the most barbarous and callous people in the world. As an…

Religion

Another inspiring story

GhostdogMay 14, 2004

The following was a real event as re-told by Ali Asani, Professor of the Practice of of Indo-Muslim Languages and Culture, Harvard University. In professor Asani’s own words: “In 1947, in the midst of the many horrific communal riots and massacres unleased by the partition of the Subcontinent, a miracle occured at the railway station of Arifwala, a small town in the Punjab. A train carrying Hidu and Sikh refugees fleeing communal riots in Rawalpindi has stopped at the station on its way to the Indian border. At the station it was met by a mob of angry Muslims. Incited…

Current Affairs Religion

Milad article

islamoyankeeMay 12, 2004

Here’s a good article about an outreach event by a Muslim community for Milad un-Nabi. I love the line where terrorists are called “dissidents.” This is not an article I hate to love.

Religion

A Story

islamoyankeeMay 12, 2004

During one of the conflicts of the early period of Islam, Hazrat Ali (PBUH) was on the battlefield engaged with his opponent. He had disarmed his opponent, the champion of the opposition, and was getting ready to slay him. His enemy spat upon him and Hazrat Ali sheathed his sword. His opponent asked why he did so. Hazrat Ali’s response was that “In battle, when two enemies are fighting for a cause,” in Imam Ali’s case Islam, “then the ideals of the of cause are worth dying for and have to be respected. When you spat on me, I became…

Religion

Muslim Woman Chaplain

islamoyankeeMay 11, 2004

The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine ran an article a couple of weeks ago about the army’s first potential female chaplain. Unfortunately I found the article somewhat frustrating with respect to the issues at stake in the US military. The author hints at things like ageism and sexism, but there’s a much stronger undercurrent of discrimination in the article that never gets explored. In addition, he only hints at the reaction of Muslims in the military, or outside it, to a female chaplain. Personally, I have no problem. I pray through Bibi Fatimah, the Prophet’s daughter, for special occasions, and recognize…