islamicate

Problems: Legal, Flying, Media

New understandings of the law: Not all Americans are equal.

Sepia Mutiny has a two articles (1, 2) on how laws are being created ad hoc for Muslims, or how old laws are being re-read to apply in situations that they weren't meant to.

After London, flying has apparently become quite the ordeal. I have missed it so far, but travel season is coming up for me now.

Al-Muhajabah
Aziz at City of Brass
Sepia Mutiny

On a slightly lighter note, HijabMan has a wonderful post on how Muslim men do/don't like a little naked Kate Moss with their prayers.

Naguib Mahfouz, God Rest his Soul

Naguib Mahfouz is dead. Because of his literature, he will live for a very long time. Click here for a sampling of works.

Technorati Tags: Naguib Mahfouz

Paris in Pakistan

OMFG! I don't watch reality TV, I have other trash to watch (Sci-Fi Channel, I love you). But via Amitava Kumar I see this (please suffer through the whole thing, it's painful, but you feel smart after it):

Technorati Tags: Pakistan, India

Response from The Interfaith Alliance on Katherine Harris’s Comments

In light of US Senate candidate Katherine Harris’s comments on her bias against the constitutional provision of church-state separation and her support for the bogus claim that America was founded as a “Christian Nation,” The Interfaith Alliance offers the following to all reporters, editors, voters, candidates, and current elected officials:

The Interfaith Alliance helps all Americans understand and appreciate the religious liberty clause of the Constitution. The founders of our nation believed that all Americans should have the right to worship according to their own beliefs, or not to worship at all. So strong was their commitment to religious freedom that they enshrined it in the first sentence of the Bill of Rights. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...” In order for society to benefit, religious belief and practice must be free and voluntary. And in matters of faith, government must not take sides and must serve all citizens regardless of their religious belief or non-belief. Because the United States is one nation of many faiths, no citizen’s rights or opportunities should depend on religious beliefs or practices. If there is not freedom from the imposition of religion, there is not freedom for the free practice of religion.



NOTE TO REPORTERS AND EDITORS:
Ms. Harris's comments are almost exactly that of David Barton on this issue, promoting the historically incorrect concept that the separation of church and state is a “myth.” It may be worth investigating and letting your readers know about this movement in our country. Also in 2004, the Republican National Committee paid for Barton to travel the country to give closed-door talks to select groups of religious leaders on the so-called “myth of separation of church and state” and his views on the “role of pastors and Christians in civil government.” Our Director of Public Policy, Kim Baldwin, has a copy of the invitation that can be faxed. Barton was also at that time Vice Chair of the Texas Republican Party and led the effort to add the “Christian Nation” language into the state party platform.

David Barton's Wall Builders
http://www.wallbuilders.com/


A Critique of David Barton's Views on Church and State - the Baptist Joint Committee
http://www.bjcpa.org/resources/pubs/pub_walker_barton.htm

Technorati Tags: interfaith, First Amendment

Deny the Prophet

Deny Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), his teachings and his life. Such is the teaching of the Cult of Abd al-Wahhab. See Ali for more. I link to Ali because he ends so well. 1400 years of women's presence, and a bunch of overly-hormoned men who are afraid of women wish to deny the existence of women, and take the name of Prophet Muhammad and Islam to do it. Haramzadeh ibn Shud-bewaqufi indeed.

Technorati Tags: Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Women

On Sufis

Here's a wonderful piece on looking for Sufis in Central Asia. Go find some grapes.

However, I think it's important to note that Sufism is not the touchy-feely part of Islam - although it is often used to create a Good Muslim/Bad Muslim dichotomy - it is much more. Read about the politicization of a Sufi group in Iraq here.

Technorati Tags: Iraq, Sufism

Katrina - One Year Later

Silence.

People remain homeless.

Silence.

The city remains water-damaged.

Silence.

One year later.

Silence.

Be silent no more. Donate.

Technorati Tags: Katrina, Red Cross

Photo: The Eyes See

Originally uploaded by zoghal.

and are seen

2 for the show

Two articles worth reading:

Haroon Siddiqui has a fair and well-balanced article in the Ideas section of the Sunday, 20 August Toronto Star entitled The Muslim Malaise

George Soros' article in the Wall Street Journal entitled A Self-Defeating War is also worthwhile and is published at the TPM Cafe. Here are some excerpts: "The war on terror is a false metaphor that has led to counterproductive and self-defeating policies...Unfortunately, the "war on terror" metaphor was uncritically accepted by the American public as the obvious response to 9/11. It is now widely admitted that the invasion of Iraq was a blunder. But the war on terror remains the frame into which American policy has to fit...What makes the war on terror self-defeating?"

Don't miss Valdron's sarcastic response in the comment section below the article. Spot on!

Sandy Tolan

Sandy Tolan, author of The Lemon Tree, has a series of articles on war that are worth reading. They are dated, before the most recent Lebanon-Israel conflict, but still relevant.

Technorati Tags: Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Palestine