islamicate

Action Alert Update: Majid Zamani Released on Bail

Dear Friends,

Good news on Thanksgiving and Eid! Majid Zamani has been released on bail. Please visit http://freemajidzamani.com/ for a message from his family. Thank you for your support and for signing the petition.

Warmly,

Rushda

The Muppets do Persian Music

Technically, Parsi music. Freddie Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara. I suppose it's also Zanzibari music.

Reading the Qur'ān as a Resident Alien

A friend from Harvard has a new article out on reading the Qur'an. If you can get your hands on it, you should read it. Excerpts are below, with citation information.

Whitney Bodman, “Reading the Qurān as a Resident Alien,” Muslim World 99, no. 4 (2009): 689 - 706.

---

Many will read the Qur’ān casually, out of curiosity. Some will read it with more academic intent and some with polemical intent (a purpose that the Qur’ān condemns, Q 2:176). All of these readers are, in the words of Paul Griffiths, consumers of the Qur’ān. These readers are less likely to understand the Qur’ān as it intends to be understood, or read it as it intends itself to be read.

pg. 691

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Here, at the beginning of Sūrat al-Rahmān, we must take the first āya as more than a name of God. It is the essence of God, the Self of God that subsumes all the pairings, all the creativity that follows. From the same root as Rahmān comes the word rahma , womb. The mercy of God is generative. It is not merely a particular attitude of mercy with which God regards the world. It is that ontological nature of God through which the world, in all its goodness and provision, is created. “My Rahmā encompasses everything” Q 7:156

pg. 698

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This verse [55:17] is sometimes interpreted differently by Shī’ī commentators. Al-Qummī adds that the two easts are the Messenger of God and the Amīr al-Mu’minīn, and the two wests are Hasan and Husayn. Here and elsewhere we see that there are alternative canons of interpretation in the Shī’ī community and elsewhere, canons often overlooked in scholarly work.

pg. 700

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The repeated question then put to us is, “Then which of the Lord’s favors will you deny?” This question is oddly phrased. It asks not whether we will be grateful. It accepts that all of us will be grateful for some things. It asks: considering all the bounties that God has provided, which one or few of these will we not accept? The issue is not simply gratitude; it is comprehensive gratitude. Thus we need to be schooled. Gratitude that is selective is not enough. It is natural to be grateful for some things. Gratitude needs to be our pervasive response.

pg. 703

Plug: America's Next Great Pundit, Final Round

You've invested all this time and effort into Zeba, you know you want to see her win. She deserves this, so final votes in now please.

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

This is it. After nearly 5000 entries and four rounds of competition, I am competing as one of two finalists in the final round of the Washington Post's "America's Next Great Pundit" Competition. Each round has been decided by online votes so it is because of your help that I have made it this far and I am asking for your help one last time.

Voting for this FINAL round is happening TODAY until 8 pm EST and takes 10 seconds. You can vote here:

http://postfun.washingtonpost.com/post/entry/americas-next-great-pundit-final-vote

I encourage you to read some of my work. My aim has always been to inform and to bring a different perspective to the table and I think my writing has only become stronger with every round.

http://views.washingtonpost.com/pundits/contestants/zeba.khan/2009/11/zeba_khan_final_column.html

http://views.washingtonpost.com/pundits/contestants/zeba.khan/2009/11/an_idea_for_detroit.html

I am asking for you vote but also for your help by letting your friends and contacts know that they should vote as well. My competitor is quite good at turning out his base and there's only room for one person to be the overall winner. I hope you'll help.

Thank you,

Zeba

Video: Visualizing empires decline

Josh Marshall on Khalid Shaykh Mohammed's Trial in NY

No Josh, you are not alone. I too have that confidence.

But what do we have to fear? We're going to lose this argument? Really? Why am I so alone in having confidence in this country and what it stands for?

[From Don't Get It]

Plug: America's Next Great Pundit, Round 4

Come on, you've invested so much in Zeba's success already, you know you just have to see her win now.

Hello Friends and Colleagues,

I am thrilled to inform you that thanks to your support, I am a semifinalist in the Washington Post’s “America’s Next Great Pundit” competition. It’s a long way from being one of the initial ten contestants selected out of nearly 5000 entries to being in the Top Three and I could not have done it without your support.

Now it’s crunch time. The two people with the highest number of online votes between Thursday, Nov 19th 8 am – 5 pm EST (That’s Today!) will advance to the final round this weekend. I need your help!

As much as I would have liked this competition to be about substance, it really has come down to who can better mobilize their networks and so far, both my competitors have been better at it than me. I wish we were being assessed and advanced based on our work but that is simply not the case. Even still, I encourage you to read some of my work and compare it to the other two remaining candidates. I am confident that you’ll find mine to be much more substantive and out-of-the-box, which is exactly the kind of new voice the Washington Post needs in a columnist. The winner of this contest will receive 13 Op-eds in the Post and I am just one round away! I hope you’ll help me by voting and spread the word today.

Voting is happening NOW until 5 pm EST TODAY and takes less than a minute!

http://postfun.washingtonpost.com/post/entry/americas-next-great-pundit-vote-iv

Again, I thank you for your support

Zeba

Patheos is Launching a Video Contest: Faith on Campus

From Patheos:

Patheos invites you to submit a video entry about your faith. Videos must fall into one of these three categories:

"Why I Am A _______ " (Christian, Jew, Muslim, Atheist, etc.)

"How I Live My Faith On Campus"

"Rituals & Practices Of My Faith."

PatheosVideoPoster.pdf

Fort Hood and the invisibility of Arab Americans

The role Arab-Americans play in the military:

Consider Navy SEAL Mike Monsoor who threw himself on a grenade in Iraq on September 29, 2006. The device had landed among SEALs and Iraqi soldiers, and Monsoor absorbed the blast with his body, saving everyone's life but his own. For his act of self sacrifice, he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor last year.

Then there's Lance Corporal Abraham al-Thaibani of New York who enlisted with the Marines after his city was attacked on 9/11. On the day the World Trade Center towers fell, al-Thaibani ran through the streets of Brooklyn looking for his veiled wife to protect her from any potential backlash. He went to war in Iraq, a battleground chosen by American leaders for reasons that were unclear to him. He focused his efforts on seeing that every Marine he knew came home alive and tried to help Iraqi civilians where he could.

Abe's brother followed in his footsteps, enlisting and serving in Fallujah. He won the Purple Heart for his service.

Boldly Modest Declaration of Faith

From the Washington Post:

Last year when she made this walk to the bus stop on the first day of school, she was wearing black skinny jeans and a short-sleeved T-shirt; her hair was in braids. But this year she's a different Smar. In addition to looser, more modest clothing, her hair is completely hidden under a head scarf.

It is a look that not only sets her apart from most girls at her Reston middle school but also proclaims her as a Muslim, a religious minority in a country that sometimes associates her faith with terrorism and acts of violence.

Most of Smar's friends and classmates have never seen her in the scarf before. Smar, 13, has no idea how they will react.

It's drizzling as she reaches the bus stop, where she huddles under an umbrella. The eighth-grader is normally chatty with an impish grin, but today when a couple of girls she knows slightly walk up, she mutters, "Hi," and rolls her eyes self-consciously. Omigosh, I probably look horrible. Omigosh, everyone's staring at me.

She closes the umbrella.

"Hey, Smar, if you're not going to use that, can I?" one of the girls says. "My hair's getting wet."

Plug: America's Next Great Pundit Round 3

My friend Zeba has made it through to the next round. It seems WaPo is going to keep making go through these rounds until we give up. No Surrender! Go vote.

Dear Friends & Colleagues,

My apologies for the constant stream of emails, but I’m writing to inform you that thanks to your votes, I made it past Round 2 in the Washington Post’s “America’s Next Great Pundit” Competition! But there was little time to celebrate as Round Three was a live Q&A session this morning. Online voting has already begun and will go until tomorrow, Tuesday Nov. 17 at 3 pm EST.

I encourage you to read the transcript here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2009/11/11/DI2009111112554.html

And as always, I hope I’ve given you reason to vote for me to proceed to the next round. You can vote here:

http://postfun.washingtonpost.com/post/entry/americas-next-great-pundit-vote-round-iii

Should I garner enough votes to proceed, there are two more rounds before the Post determines the overall winner of the competition. So worst and best case scenario, you’ll be finding my name in your inbox two more times this week :)

And again, I’d appreciate spreading the word to your contacts – email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Thank you,

Zeba

The Joy and Worries of Parenthood

Two of my friends, Rachel the Velveteen Rabbi and Ayesha, Ms. Rickshaw, are both pregnant. They are both blogging about their experiences, and both posted the linked articles very close to one another. I tend not to get too personal on this space, but both pieces brought out powerful memories of when my wife was pregnant. As cliche as the practice hospital run is, we never did it in NY. We had the "go" bag, but we just needed to hop in a taxi. The only limit we had was that my wife could not go into labor during rush hour or shift changes. We also know the fear of a slip and fall. Our doctor told us to drink OJ, the sugar would get the baby to kick. Sure enough, that was our test, and how we played with the baby in the womb. If you are not already reading these two wonderful women, you should be.

Muslims Serving in the Military

Andrew Sullivan offers us observations from a reader.

the rollover of the HUMMV which caused the death of the driver. I was at the mortuary when the MEDEVAC helicopter brought this young man's broken body in to be prepared for the journey home.

The rest of his team were brought to Bagram as well. They were very adamant that they be the ones to escort the fallen brother to the C17. Although dirty and disheveled from their encounter, I agreed as I am certain their brother would have had it no other way. To a man, they wanted me to know one essential fact about him: he was Muslim.

Plug: America's Next Great Pundit Round 2

My friend Zeba Khan is through the first round of voting, and round two is open for voting. Her email is below. Please support her again.

Hello Everyone,

Thanks to your help last week, I moved on to Round Two in the Washington Post’s “America’s Next Great Pundit” Competition. This week the five remaining contestants had to blog. My aim was to put out quality over quantity and I hope I achieved that.

Here are a couple links to pieces I wrote:

http://views.washingtonpost.com/pundits/contestants/zeba.khan/2009/11/an_idea_for_detroit.html

http://views.washingtonpost.com/pundits/contestants/zeba.khan/2009/11/great_expectations.html

Now, I am writing again to shamelessly ask for your vote. Voting is happening now until Sunday, Nov. 15 at 3 pm EST. As last week’s voting tally shows, the difference between who moves on and who doesn’t can be a matter of just a few votes, so each vote is extremely important.

It’ll take you all of 2 seconds to vote:

http://postfun.washingtonpost.com/post/entry/americas-next-great-pundit-vote-round-ii

And also, if you feel so inclined, I would deeply appreciate it if you spread the word to your networks, on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Thank you again for your support,

Zeba

American Muslim Write Letter to #fthood shooter [humor]

Via the Onion.

"thanks a fucking bunch, asshole,"

AdBusters on #Ramadan

Was just referred to this campaign by a friend. I am late on it, but very good.

Deprive yourself of a comfort you take granted or a vice that drives you, even for one day. Whether it’s food, your car or the internet, nourish your spirit by going without. It will make you stronger, grow your self-discipline and help disconnect you from worldly activities in these days of selfish decadence and gluttony.

Family of Ft. Hood Victim Responds #fthood

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Muslim Americans Respond to Ft. Hood #fthood

Very simply, donate. Support the victims and their families.

Another View of Violence and Muslim America

As Andrew Sullivan says, the clip speaks for itself.

Call for Action: Majid Zamani

Received from a friend:

Dear Friends,

It is now 140 days since a good friend of mine, Majid Zamani, has been imprisoned in the aftermath of the elections in Iran. He is not a known political figure and thus his case gets little attention, yet given that he has studied in the U.S. (University of Illinois and Columbia University), we hear he is under pressure to confess to things he has not done such as training for velvet revolution. A group of his friends have written an open letter to head of Judiciary in Iran, asking for his release. The letter has a very respectful tone and we hope can help with his release (it is attached). We are getting signatures for this letter from anybody who cares about Majid’s case, and those like Majid. Please help us by signing the letter at freemajidzamani.com (english version http://freemajidzamani.com/index.php?lang=1). If for any reason the website is not accessible, you can also sign by sending an e-mail with your information to:

freemajidzamani@gmail.com
Name and last name:
Position/Location/Accomplishments.

Also please forward this e-mail to your friends who may care about this issue, and spread the word as much as you can (e.g. posting this on facebook, google reader etc.)

Thank you for your support,

Rushda Majeed

ACLU's new #torture Video: Justice Denied

The men in the video – Moazzam Begg, Omar Deghayes, Bisher al-Rawi, Ruhal Ahmed and Shafiq Rasul – were detained by the U.S. in Afghanistan and Guantánamo for years, without charge or trial, and without any meaningful opportunity to challenge their detention. In the weeks ahead, we will be releasing more videos that focus on these individuals’ lives before, after and during Guantánamo.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE: http://www.aclu.org/national-security/justice-denied-video-voices-guantanamo

Technorati Tags: torture

NYC Event: Play on Iraq Vets

Intersections International is hosting a play called "Nothing Means Nothing."

Join us for a special showing of "Nothing Means Nothing," a veteran's play by Larry Winters. This presentation showcases some of the hidden questions of veteran's lives, and will be held at Intersections, 274 Fifth Avenue (btwn 29th & 30th).

America's Next Great Pundit: Plug

My friend Zeba Khan is up for "America's Next Great Pundit." She is also founder of Muslim Americans for Obama. Absolutely lovely and charming person, but more importantly for this process, a good writer. Please see her email below, and while I'd prefer you vote for her, feel free to vote your conscience. I won't know.

Salaams Friends,

Last week, I was selected as one of ten contestants in the Washington Post's "America's Next Great Pundit" competition. Nearly 5,000 entries were submitted. The Post is holding an online voting weekend starting today and ending Monday, Nov 9th at 3pm EST for readers to choose the top 4 (plus 1 Judges' pick) to move on to the next round.

I am shamelessly asking for your vote. It takes all of 3 seconds and would make the difference between my proceeding to the next round or getting the axe!

http://postfun.washingtonpost. com/post/entry/americas-next- great-pundit-vote

Also, should you feel so inclined to post on your facebook, myspace, twitter, etc. or email your friends (with your suggestion on who to vote for), please do! :)

Thank you,

Zeba Khan

Muslim-Americans for Obama

Book Plug: Home Boy

The husband of a dear friend has just published a book called Home Boy. The New York Times seems to love it.

Naqvi’s smart and sorrowful debut is at once immigrant narrative, bildungs roman and New York City novel, with a dash of the picaresque. Immigrant stories are often appealing not only because they dramatize the longing to trade oppression for freedom and prosperity, but also because they have the perfect antagonist: America itself. Set in Manhattan just after Sept. 11, 2001, this novel follows three bright and likable college- age Pakistani men — AC, Jimbo and Chuck. Before 9/11, they fancy themselves “boulevardiers, raconteurs, renaissance men,” delighting in the self-invention that New York permits. After 9/11, everything changes. They abandon their “Metrostani” lifestyle to watch CNN all day, feeling “anxious and low and getting cabin fever.” Finally, they decide action is called for: “There was something heroic in persisting, carrying on.” They plan a road trip to find a mysterious Gatsby esque friend (the novel is filled with allusions to Fitzgerald), and discover the same thing Gatsby did — there are limits to self-invention in America. Naqvi is a former slam poet, and his exuberant sentences burst with the rhythms and driving power of that form while steering clear of bombast. “Home Boy” is a remarkably engaging novel that delights as it disturbs.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/books/review/Salvatore-t.html

On Ft. Hood

God rest the souls of the horrible tragedy at Ft. Hood. May God grant the survivors and families of victims comfort and solace during these difficult times. More prolonged thoughts during the week.

Penis Slicing and Cheney is more Taliban than the Taliban - #torture

Andrew Sullivan brings us two torture related stories today.

One pulls on reporting by Glenn Greenwald, in which we find out Binyam Mohamed had his genitals sliced open as torture. If, for some reason, that image doesn't nauseate you, imagine his name was Benjamin Moses (it is the Hebrew equivalent) and he was in Taliban custody. We surely would be up in arms.

Speaking of the Taliban, Andrew also tells us that the Taliban treat their prisoners better than Vice-President Cheney did.

Shine a Light: Happy Baby

American Express and NBC-Universal are running a contest to award a grant to a small business. They have narrowed the list down to three. I have decided to plug one of them because it was founded by a friend of mine, Shazi Visram. HappyBaby is:

committed to making baby food as healthy and delicious as homemade with the essential nutrients needed for optimal growth and development.

Their products came to market after it was too late for my kids to try them, but they are supposedly very good, and definitely the type of thing I would have bought, whether Shazi was involved or not.

Just as important, HappyBaby is also giving back to the community. According to their website: "for every package you buy, you and HAPPYBABY partner with Project Peanut Butter to feed malnourished children in Malawi"

Please check them out and if you like what you see, please vote for them here.

Video from a Today Show segment is below the fold.

Bismillah Raven

I am always looking for interesting artwork, especially as it relates to Islam. Below is the Arabic phrase "bismillah," "in the name of God," done in a Native American style. Details from the artist are here, and an article about the piece can be found here (another take here).

taken from here.

The Dove is Dead

Leila Abu-Saba of Dove's Eye View has returned to her Maker. inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. We come from God and we return to God.

Leila was true friend of islamicate. She was one of our earliest commenters, was always available for a good email chat, and was deeply committed to seeing peace become a reality. I pray for her and her family.

(first heard from Marc Lynch of Abu Aardvark)

Children of Dust

Not the bui-doi. Ali Eteraz discusses his new book in this video. Sounds promising. I love that one of the domains he registered is "The Fun in Fundamentalism."