islam doesn't speak, muslims do | "the ink of the scholar is worth more than the blood of the martyr" – Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
The Revealer has been doing a section on religion in Iraq. It’s a necessary thing because I think many of the mistakes we are making there relate to the fact that we don’t understand the religious issues at play. Even better news is that I think they are doing a great job, particular on the Muqtada as-Sadr mayhem as witnessed by this recent post.
An op-ed in today’s Boston Globe led me to the book Responsa to the Holocaust. This book is going on my summer reading list. The level of commitment to God in the face of such horror amazes me. Dealing with crisis as a religious person is difficult enough; as a community I cannot comprehend it.
Bloggercon happened this weekend. According to Joho, islamicate was mentioned. I’ve been looking for coverage, but it seems people are still too busy. Anybody there who can let us know gave us a shout-out and what the context was?
[updated for clarity] I have been thinking a bit lately about how people practice their faiths. One of the issues that keeps coming back to me is of one’s vision of God, which should be the defining part of any religious understanding in my opinion. I would categorize the understanding of God into two, not mutually exclusive, categories – the imminent and the transcendent. I personally consider God’s presence to be one of imminence, which in turn feed my God consciousness (taqwa), and that helps me to realize God’s transcendence. I understand there are people who feel humbled by God’s…
Velveteen Rabbi has a post on her understanding of the practice of her faith. The paragraph that most caught my eye was: The phrase “observant Jew” generally means a person who observes the laws and rituals of Jewish tradition according to a standard set of interpretations. Lately, though, I’ve been wanting to use the words differently. I want to be an observant Jew–someone whose eyes are open. I want to interact with my tradition with clear vision. I want to really see Judaism, from the inside, and find joy and meaning there. I too often get the question, “are you…
Well it had to happen. The spammers have gone so sophisticated that they are now appealing to the Muslim in me to help them out. I wonder how they figured out my religon? Asalam-o-alikum! In my search for a reliable and God (Allah) fearing person and having gotten your contact through prayers and painstaking efforts I have decided to seek your help in carrying out my last wish. My names are Salama Hama. I’m a 65 years old man and a Western Saharan.I am presently in Republic of Western Sahara. I was a merchant and owned two businesses in Dubai,…
Is everything Islamic correct? Do you always believe that the Mullahs, Sheikhs and Imams have a “pure” agenda when they teach the various interpretations of Islam. This article from the NYT’s Magazine provides a view into the transformation of Salafi Imam –> from a conservative, fire-bombing, radical Islamist to a liberal thinker. There is still hope. Here is a small passage: For all the thousands of children who have memorized the holy book at Koranic schools, it can make for a wonderful companion to carry through life. But it’s also a dangerous tool. The emotional power of those divine lyrics,…
Well, it looks like we didn’t get enough people for a an official Progressive Muslims Meet-up. However, the organizer of the Islam in America Conference has confirmed we will have space if we want it. Details will be announced at lunch. If you haven’t already registered for the conference, please do so. If you can, drop me a line, as detailed below, that you will be coming, and any ideas for an agenda.
One of the activities that some Shi’ah participate in during Muharram is to chant “Ya Hasan! Ya Husayn!” “Oh Hasan! Oh Husayn!” These were the Prophet’s (PBUH) grandsons, both of whom were assassinated. When the British came to South Asia they heard “Hobson-Jobson” and thus was born the Anglo-Indian Dictionary. Hobson-Jobson is the dictionary of all the words that have entered English from South Asia. The list is quite entertaining and exhaustive. There has been an attempt to supplement it with some of the words that have gained currency in the 20th century in a book called Sahibs, Nabobs and…
Another Boston Globe op-ed about a statement from Gov. Howard Dean. Any commentary I give on these would be stale, but I think they raise some valid points, so I’d like to put them out to our (limited) readership. As an aside, I use the Globe b/c, unlike the NY Times, they offer free persistent linking.