When they met, the way they looked,
I knew that I was through.
Oh, you crazy moon,
What did you do?
- Crazy Moon, an old song of the 1930s
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Crazy Moon
While I celebrated Eid with my local masjid, I do agree with Zaytuna's take on the issue ( sighting the moon within the astronomically possible moon sighting window). Anyways an interesting comment from Irving on SAF space's blog about the whole moon issue, really hit my note:
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Beyond Skimpy Skirts, a Rare Debate on Identity
From the NY times:
South Asians call it “the best run Indian city,” Arabs celebrate it as a model of Arab accomplishment, and Westerners embrace it for its endless sunshine and luxury lifestyle.With more than 150 nationalities and almost as many expressions of culture, Dubai is one of the most diverse cities in the Middle East.
But after decades of selling dreams to foreigners, this Persian Gulf emirate has begun debating the limits of multiculturalism. READ ON
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Rhthyms of Ramadan
From the Toronto Star:
You could read the Qur'an from cover to cover without learning the spirit of Islam. But getting to know those living the faith daily opens windows to a world that can seem strange to an outsider.
It's not easy to find people of any faith willing to risk revealing their private lives to a stranger, let alone the million-plus people who read the Saturday Star.
In September, I got an email from a reader suggesting I spend time in a Muslim home to "see" what Ramadan is like. Sending out feelers from my Rolodex of Muslim contacts, I was delighted with a generous offer from the Khan family of Maple.
There's something about rising at 4 a.m. and trekking a trafficless Highway 407 to Vaughan that feels sacred, a tranquility rarely felt in the hectic daylight hours. You get to appreciate the starry sky and dawn that most of us miss — and the importance of making time for simple things.
Muslim generosity was felt the moment the Khans invited photographer Charla Jones and me into their home, not only because of the delicious breakfast we were offered, but because of the trust and faith they placed in us to deliver their story.
It struck me how time-conscious they were in sticking to the sahar and iftar timetable distributed by their mosque. "We've 15 minutes for breakfast," Tanya would remind us.
Asif was quick to issue a challenge: "Why don't you two try to fast?" And we gladly accepted.
We were amazed by the traffic headed to the mosque so early: "Where are all these people coming from?" Charla mused.
The white mosque glowed against a dark horizon, where we were received with welcoming smiles and warm greetings. How intrusive must it be to hear a camera click or see a stranger scribbling away amid a sermon?
Following the family through their day was fun, but as blood sugar dropped we started to feel cranky. There were moments of temptation as we drove alone from the mosque to Tanya's school, passing a Coffee Time.
We could have cheated, but like Asif, we figured it would defeat the purpose of the experience. For us, the fast wasn't so much about empathy for the poor as experiencing the challenge Muslims face, observing these rituals in a non-Muslim world.
I don't have a sweet tooth, but never had dates tasted so delicious as when we broke the fast. The sense of reward is that much sweeter for the effort it takes. That's something I learned from my day with the Khans — which resonates with the Confucian teachings I learned in my Chinese home.
I can't help but admire the determination of Muslims during Ramadan. What we lived for a day, they will have repeated 30 times by Monday, the joyous holiday of Eid ul Fitr.
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL STORY FROM THE TORINTO STAR
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Sh Abdul Hakim Murad and Jermey Smith: An Organic Iftar
Lectures delivered at An Organic Iftar - We Are What We Eat (the joint event by Q-News, IFEES and Islamic Circles), by Shaykh Abdal-Hakim Murad (Cambridge University) and Jeremy Smith (Managing Editor, The Ecologist). An evening of organic potluck iftar. In this world of instant gratification and over indulgence we lose sight of the fact that we are what we eat. Eat the wrong foods and our bodies will become polluted because food is our fuel and we must help the engine that drives our bodies. However, partaking of the wrong things is not limited to food. We often talk about following the Sunnah, understanding Tawhid and being spiritual, but how much of these have we really implemented this Ramadan?
Friday, October 13, 2006
IslamicaMagazine: Letter to Pope
From Islamica Magazine:
In an unprecedented move, an Open Letter signed by 38 leading Muslim religious scholars and leaders around the world will be sent to Pope Benedict XVI on Oct. 15, 2006. The letter, which is the first of its kind in several centuries, was a collaborative effort signed by such prominent figures as the Grand Muftis of Egypt, Russia, Bosnia, Croatia, Kosovo, Istanbul, Uzbekistan and Oman, as well as leading figures from the Shia community such as Ayatollah Muhammad Ali Taskhiri of Iran. The letter was also signed by HRH Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal, the Personal Envoy and Special Advisor to King Abdullah II of Jordan. Western scholars have signed the document, including California scholar, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf Hanson, Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr of George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and Professor Tim Winter of the University of Cambridge. Click here for more information
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Mandatory Hijabs
It seems like one student Islamic society has taken the road of making Hijab compulsery for sisters who are invloved with that MSA. I recall back in the day when there were a few people in my former MSA ( when I was in school) trying to put something similar forward for our MSA. Sanity prevailed then, due to some wise heads who were making the decsions.
I understand that people who made this rule want only people who are fulfilling the obligation of Hijab to represent Muslims so that non muslims dont get the impression that Hijab is not a complusary regulation. But then where do you draw the line? Compulsary beards ( or a minimum length for beards) for brothers? Only people who eat halal meat to represent Islam ( yes there are Muslims out there who eat it all)?
I recall every time a new semester would start I would notice a lot of new sisters in our school. But then when I would ask one of the sisters about the new sisters, they would tell me these people arent new, they have just started wearing the Hijab. Please dont discrimnate against these people.
Please dont discriminate against Muslims to show non muslims what Muslims are. You might just be showing them what Muslims shouldn't be.
I understand that people who made this rule want only people who are fulfilling the obligation of Hijab to represent Muslims so that non muslims dont get the impression that Hijab is not a complusary regulation. But then where do you draw the line? Compulsary beards ( or a minimum length for beards) for brothers? Only people who eat halal meat to represent Islam ( yes there are Muslims out there who eat it all)?
I recall every time a new semester would start I would notice a lot of new sisters in our school. But then when I would ask one of the sisters about the new sisters, they would tell me these people arent new, they have just started wearing the Hijab. Please dont discrimnate against these people.
Please dont discriminate against Muslims to show non muslims what Muslims are. You might just be showing them what Muslims shouldn't be.
Culture of Corruption
Below is a very interesting post on corruption in Nigeria. While the writer is talking about Nigeria, I think that a lot of points he raises are true for other corrupt countries too ( yes that includes Pakistan):
There was an interesting passage by one of the better This Day journalists, Simon Kolawole, in This Day yesterday (on the back page). He goes to the nub of the problem of corruption in Nigeria by showing how it is grounded in social expectations and conventions. Corruption stems from the structure of society itself, in terms of patronage systems and the expectations of the extended family. Until there is a break away from patronage culture and clientism, Nigeria will continue to be deeply beset by problems of corruption. Here is the passage, where Kolawole imagines what would happen if he was given political office:
"I am a journalist. I live in a rented house. I drive an official car. Now, let's say I am given a political appointment today. The first thing is that I will open the newspapers tomorrow and see my face in full-page congratulatory adverts sponsored by my former 'classmates'. Why? they are rejoicing with me for getting a 'plum' job. They are very proud of me that I have been called up to serve my fatherland. they are positioning themselves to 'partake' in my 'patriotic service' to my fatherland. They want contacts and contracts.
Let's also say in one year, I have bought houses in Abuja and built mansions in Lekki. Nobody will ask me questions. Let's say I have acquired a convoy of cars. Nobody will say, come, is this not the same Kolawole who didn't have a personal car? How much is he earning now that he can afford all these? No. Instead, people will be thronging my house to slice their own share of my loot. Youth organisations, women's groups and town unions will all be paying solidarity visits to me. They will present me with a life-size portrait in the full glare of the media. Pastors will become my spiritual consultants, uttering more flattery than I can imagine. Fuji and juju artistes will start to sing my praise. "Kolawole o, baba l'oje!" They will release a whole album with one side dedicated to "Simon", the other side to "Kolawole". They will even address me as "Chief Kolawole", even though I may not have a traditional title. O, that is not a problem. I can easily organise a chieftancy for myself. With a few millions, kings - who are suppose to be custodians of traditional values - will be falling over each other to give me titles for my "contributions to humanity", even if I have not contributed to humanity. Universities will give me honorary doctorate degrees as a "role model" in exchange for donations...
The society expects, encourages, promotes and nurtures corruption. The society condones it. The society budgets for it. If you go into public office and don't come out rich, you are a failure. Your immediate and extended families will curse you. Your community will alienate you. "You're stupid," they will say. "Opportunities come but once. You missed your chance. Look at what the minister from the other community accumulated during his time in office. You must be a fool!" So, we keep dragging the country down, down, down. We keep envying developed countries, wondering why our own country is not making progress, wondering why shools don't have laboratories and libraries."
Tackling corruption is therefore not simply a matter of the EFCC, the ICPC and other legal processes being implemented and effected. It is not enough that Tafa Balogun, Fayose, Tummy Tuck, Mrs Goodluck etc are brought to book and we get to see pictures of them in cuffs, humiliated in the face of the Law. There must also be, as a friend puts it, an acceptance of the reality of the "Abacha within all of us".
We must therefore acknowledge that the structure and expectations of Nigeria society pushes complicity in everyone's face. Everyone in Nigeria is complicit with corruption - it is not an external process that happens to a select few. Put like this: how many could accept public office without caving into demands for access and contracts from friends and relatives?
And it seems to me that religion is entirely complicit with the system of corruption in Nigeria. For instance, the Church in its many denominations wields extraordinary influence over people's ethics and perceptions of right and wrong, yet how many pastors are actively campaigning against corruption? Instead, every day we read another story of yet another corrupt pastor in the news. Beyond the increasingly powerful net of the law, Nigeria needs a transformation of ethical values which views public office as a force for the common good, not a means to enrich one's circle of friends and the extended family. Religious leaders should put this message at the front of their preaching. Getting people to sign an 'anti-corruption pledge' might be an idea - anything that forces people to acknowledge that corruption lies within every Nigerian, thanks to the society in which they live.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
New paper by Dr. Omar.
An insightful new article by Dr.Omar about what Western Muslims can learn from Chinise Muslims:
A couple of quotes from the article:
and another
A couple of quotes from the article:
The mere mention of “Chinese Muslims” draws an astonished blank from many people: “You mean there are Muslims in China?” Even those familiar with the Islamic world and conscious
of the existence of Chinese Muslims are often aware only of the Turkic Uighurs of Xinjiang, China’s vast northwestern province in Central Asia. This paper focuses exclusively on the history and cultural formation of the largest population of Muslims in the People’s Republic of China, the Hui people. Unlike the Uighurs, the Hui are culturally Chinese and virtually indistinguishable from the Han community, who make up China’s billion strong majority. The Hui have lived for centuries within the borders of the Great Wall in eastern China where the major cities are located, and theyconstitute the Chinese Muslims proper.
and another
The notion of the sinicization of Islam in China is based on a false preconception of Islam and its attitude toward indigenous cultures. It presumes that the only valid (“orthodox”) expression of Islam is Middle Eastern. In reality, neither Muslim societies in history nor classical Islamic law produced uniform patterns of cultural expression. Muslims have always formulated distinctive indigenous forms of Islamic cultural expression wherever they went, and the process was encouraged by Islam’s religious law. Regional cultural receptivity produced a marvelous mosaic of unity in diversity still in evidence today. Islam’s inherent cultural genius created a global Islamic civilization, which spread its peacock’s tail from China to the Atlantic.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Man questioned and misses flight for speaking Tamil
Man questioned and misses flight for speaking Tamil
A 32-year-old man speaking Tamil and some English about a sporting rivalry was questioned at Sea-Tac Airport and missed his flight Saturday because at least one person thought he was suspicious.
The Port of Seattle dispatched its police officers to investigate the case, which occurred Saturday around noon, said Bob Parker, airport spokesman. The Chicago man was preparing to board an American Airlines flight to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
The man was speaking Tamil, a language largely used in India, Sri Lanka and Singapore, on his cell phone at the departure gate and on the aircraft. An off-duty airline employee heard the conversation and informed the flight crew.
The man also apparently said something in English about a sporting rivalry at his alma mater.
"It's a big misunderstanding," said Parker. "He had a perfectly innocent explanation that all added up."
Parker said it is incumbent on airport officials to investigate reports of suspicious activity.
"It's hard to triage over the phone," he said.
But Parker had no explanation as to why a man speaking Tamil, which is spoken worldwide, would be considered suspicious. The person who contacted airport officials could give an answer to that question, he added.
Parker said the man was cooperative and boarded a later flight to Texas. He told officials that he would not speak in a foreign language on his cell phone at an airport in the future.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Spiegel Online:From Arranged Marriage to Love at First Sight ( Love in the Muslim World)
From Arranged Marriage to Love at First Sight
Ten couples living in eight countries, from Egypt to Yemen, from Afghanistan to Turkey: For the German magazine Zenith they've answered questions about marriage and love. A portrait of diversity within the Muslim world.
Amin, a young Yemeni, is engaged. But he won't see the bride until his wedding day. An Azerbaijani named Israfil, on the other hand, has courted his girlfriend Elmira since they studied together, with love poems he penned himself. In the United Arab Emirates, Rodaina's husband Yasser also writes love poems for her, even though their marriage was arranged.
From arch-conservative to liberal, from traditional to modern, from love that exists before the marriage to love that's allowed to bloom only after the wedding: the Moslem world isn't a uniform bloc.
A German magazine by young journalists called Zenith has published a series of ten portraits of married couples from eight different Muslim countries.
Tanyeli, a Turkish woman, tells how she lived in New York for a year to advance her career and left her husband at home. Such a life is unimaginable for Nassima, from Afghanistan. When she was 15 years old, she was married to a man 15 years her senior, and today looks after four of their ten children. Her husband can't even dream of computer games, like Tanyeli's husband -- he's just happy to have escaped a sentence of death by hanging. Twice.
SPIEGEL ONLINE presents the brief interviews with these couples, which unveil both similarities and differences across the Islamic world.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
