Saturday, December 30, 2006

6th annual alim winter program

6th Annual
ALIM Winter Program

"The History & Development of Islamic Thought"

Dates: Friday, January 12th, 2007 through Monday January 15th, 2007

Location:
New York University (NYU)
Washington Square Park
New York, NY 10011

Instructors:
Dr. Ali Sulaiman Ali
Dr. Muneer Fareed
Dr. Abdul-Hakim Jackson
Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah (Tentative)

Tuition: $125 Student, $150 Professional, $250 Couple (includes all meals, not lodging)

Registration: Click Here to Register Online!!

Refund policy: Cancellations requiring refunds will be according to the following policy. Full refunds will be awarded until 12/31/06, or if your application has not been accepted. After 12/31/06, 50% of the tuition paid will be refunded. After 1/5/07 no refunds will be awarded.

Babysitting: TBD

Lodging: ALIM is currently working out a discounted rate for all participants of the ALIM Winter Program.

Applications:
Not complete until payment and essay are complete. First come, first admitted based upon acceptance of application.

Contact:
winter@alimprogram.com
Haaris Ahmad (734) 652-0345

unity through sacred knowledge convention

AL-RISALA Center For Islamic Knowledge

UNITY THROUGH SACRED KNOWLEDGE CONVENTION

THE TIME IS HERE!

The effort to begin to unite the Muslim Ummah
on the basis of Islamic Sacred Knowledge!



DATE: Saturday, January 20TH
TIME: promptly 12pm-7pm
LOCATION: Morehouse College
King Chapel Auditorium 830 Westview Dr. Atlanta, Ga 30314

Featuring the following guest speakers:
Sheikh Harun Faye (Senegal
Sheikh Muhammad Ninowy (Syria)
Sheikh Dawoud Bojang (CICG)
Muhammad Abdul-Haqq (Sankoree)
Imam Nadim Ali (LPC)
Ustadh Jamal Ud-Deen Hysaw
Sister Huma Faruqi
Brother Mansoor Sabree
Ustadha Zaynab Ansari
and more!


Also featuring Islamic Poetry and Quran Recitation!

Tickets: $10 adult
$5 student/child
Vending $25

Proceeds go to the new building fund for Al-Risala Institute

Purchase Now!

You may also mail a check or money order directly to

Al-Risala
1288 Lucile Ave.
Atlanta, GA 30310

Al-Risala Center for Islamic Knowledge Homepage

Monday, December 18, 2006

duse muhammad ali

From time to time, I've looked online for good info on Duse Muhammad Ali but it wasn't until recently that I found an article worth linking to: Early American Islam: “Duse Muhammad Ali” and the “Universal Islamic Society” from Hood's Islamic Law etc. blog. For those who do not know, Duse Muhammad Ali was an early Pan-African Muslim (Egyptian/ Sudanese background) who influenced and inspired Marcus Garvey. Personally, I think Duse Muhammad is interesting because he stands out as an influential Muslim of African-descent in the West during the period after slavery but before the Moorish Science movement.

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Flickr Show of Timbuktu Exhibit

Salaam alaikum

Oh, I've been very neglectful. I haven't posted here in so long but here is something fun.

Here is a flickr show of the
Legacy of Timbuktu: Wonders of the Written Word
exhibit at the International Museum of Muslim Cultures.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

the israel lobby and u.s. foreign policy

While we are on the subject of candid descriptions of what is going on in Israel, it seems appropriate to mention the controversial paper The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy by John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt. The basic premise of the paper is that pro-Israel lobby has been rather effective in influencing U.S. policies in the Middle East, even to the detriment of American security interests. In a lot of ways, the contents of the paper aren't particularly radical or new. What is different this time around is the academic credentials of the authors (Mearsheimer is a tenured political science professor at the University of Chicago. Walt is academic dean of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University)

Wikipedia: The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy
Democracy Now!: Study Alleging Dominant Influence of Israeli Lobby Sparks Heated Fallout

jimmy carter and the a-word

Jimmy Carter's new book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid certainly doesn't make Carter the first person to suggest that there are similarities between Israel's policies towards Palestinians and the old South African regime's racial seperation policies. (Even Desmond Tutu, another Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has made such comparisons as far back as the 1980's.) But Carter's latest book does make him the most prominent American statesman to use this sort of language. Perhaps it will help the US electorate to move a little closer to the rest of the world when it comes to viewing the situation in the Middle East?

Another question which comes to mind is: What happens when we consider the implied comparison from the other direction? In other words, are "we" as Muslims able to on other anti-colonial and anti-racist struggles in the world with the same energy and vigor that our communities apply to the situation in Palestine? What if the victims have no association with Islam? What about when the oppressors are identified as "Muslim"?

Food for thought.

ZNet: Peace Not Apartheid
NPR: Jimmy Carter on Conflict in the Middle East
Counterpunch: Jimmy Carter and the A-word
The American Muslim: Jimmy Carter on Apartheid in Palestine
Haaretz: Notes on Carter's 'apartheid' analogy
Wikipedia: Allegations of Israeli Apartheid

"to the shores of tripoli..."

For a little bit of a follow-up on this Dennis Prager article, check out "to the shores of tripoli..." on Planet Grenada.

Sunday, December 03, 2006

"i'm not sure about the universe"

A saying, often attributed to Albert Einstein goes: "Only, two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity... and I'm not sure about the universe."

Here is an example from Dennis Prager: America, Not Keith Ellison, decides what book a congressman takes his oath on

Basically, recently elected Muslim Congressman (takbir!) Keith Ellison announced that he would take his oath of office on a Quran instead of a Bible. And Dennis Prager, who apparently is advocating for America as a homogeneous Bible-based culture, seems to have a problem with it. In every other sentence of his tirade Prager alternates between displaying deep misunderstanding of Islam, the US Constitution, freedom of religion, American history and the nature of extremism.

For some non-stupid reponses to Prager's rant check out:
Taylor Marsh: That Uppity Democratic Muslim!
The Carpetbagger Report: It’s not a change of Biblical proportions
Professor Bainbridge's Journal: Dennis Prager goes off the Rails re Keith Ellison

Thursday, November 30, 2006

should muslims in north america be more involved in the issue of darfur?

blatantly swiped from the Ihsan blog: Should Muslims in North America Be More Involved in the Issue of Dar Fur? originally posted by Ayman H Fadel.

My perception is that we are not taking the issue of the suffering of Muslims in Dar Fur in Sudan seriously enough. I have a number of theories, but I'm more looking for feedback on this issue:

1. Are there significant efforts North American Muslims are making to improve the situation there?
2. We are not making significant efforts because:
  1. Fur (the primary ethnic group suffering in the area) are not well-represented among North American Muslims.
  2. A general discounting of Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa.
  3. Muslim U.S. citizens should be more concerned about preventing harm the U.S. government is causing before preventing foreign governments from doing harm.
  4. North American Muslims doubt that there is a true humanitarian crisis and suspect there is a plot to weaken the country of Sudan.
  5. There is genuine concern, but really there is no good solution given the demographic, geographical and political circumstances. Therefore there is limited action.
  6. We are concerned, but we are having difficulty cooperating with other North American organizations involved in this issue.

My own guess is that there is a combination of most of these factors in our underinvolvement. I personally believe that the best option is a strengthening of the African Union's involvement rather than the United Nations. In fact, an Associated Press report dated November 16, 2006 reports on moves towards such measures. But I am not an expert in this, and the primary United States-based advocacy organizations such as SaveDarfur have, to my understanding, called for a United Nations peacekeeping mission because the African Union is not able to undertake such a large mission.

Islamic Society of North America Statement of May 2, 2006
http://www.isna.net/index.php?id=35&backPID=1&tt_news=707

Links from Islamic Relief
http://irw.org/pdfs/Darfur.pdf
http://www.irw.org/news/pressreleases/20041012

Other Resources
University of Chicago Law School Faculty Blog
http://uchicagolaw.typepad.com/faculty/2006/11/us_involvement_.html
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Podcast "Voices on Genocide Prevention"
http://blogs.ushmm.org/index.php/COC2/ (this link is not working as of the time of writing, but I've subscribed to this podcast through iTunes for almost a year.)

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

on covering islam and muslims

Here is a talk on Google Video by Dr. Sherman Abdul-Hakim Jackson On Covering Islam and Muslims. which wrestles with the issue of who gets to speak authoritatively for Islam and the Muslim community. Other bloggers have mentioned this before but I found out about this from Hood over at the Islamic Law etc. blog in the entry I Don’t Know is on third…. The authority crisis revisited.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Blacks Still Vulnerable In American Society

While this post does not relate to Islam per se, it does speak on the status of Blacks in the American social context and how far Blacks still have to go in order to achieve equality. And while authors like McWhorters would perhaps argue this is a case of Blacks wanting whites to like them, I would have to disagree. Michael Richards actions were inexcusable. Anyway, read the post here.

an old but timely boondocks strip from 2003

Caesar and Huey are hanging out by a tree and Huey says out loud:
Moderate, Reasonable Leftists argue that even though we may not support the war, what's happened has happened and there's no point in dwelling in the past. [pause] All of those people, mind you, are still mad at OJ

Saturday, November 18, 2006

arab racism against black africans

From The Nigerian Village Square: Arab racism against Black Africans

Who are Muslims in America?

After following a recent series on NPR about Muslims in America, I found myself wondering what new definition of a Muslim in America would become. The overarching theme of the series was the tenuous link between Islam and September 11th. As American interest in Islam peaked after 9/11, I found myself thinking, "Is this an insult or a compliment? Are they curious about Islam because they think the terrorists represent Islam, or are they interested because they don't?"

The profile for the "American Muslim" thus became one of a middle eastern or south asian person. Blackamerican Muslims had long been established in America, but somehow that Islam was, and perhaps still is, viewed as "different." The Black Muslim has different values, different perspectives on gender, culture, and resistance, and holds different political views than the typical bomb-setting nationalist arab.

Nevertheless, the interest in American Muslims did turn to converts. How could anyone willingly turn to Islam, one might ask. But the question was not directed towards the Blackamerican Muslim; he, afterall, seems right at home with Islam. For the white male or white female, Islam is as alien as shintiism, or so it would seem.

It, therefore, did not surprise me when I found the NPR series to include no significant reference to Blackamerican Muslims. Despite being the majority, despite a significant history that traces back further than Columbus, and despite significant contributions in both the social and scholastic arenas, the interest in the Blackamerican Muslim has faded.

Who are they? Where are they? If Islam is the fastest growing religion in America, then the majority of those new Muslims will be Blackamerican, and if Americans are concerned about Islam's growing presence in this country, is it not about time they directed some attention towards the people they so earnestly try to ignore?

Ask any Blackamerican if he has a Muslim in his family. Many will answer yes. Some might even be able to tell you a little about Islam. It has become an inseparable part of Black America, just as Blackamericans have become inseparable from Islam in America.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

say hello to kameelah

Blogger is acting up so some glitches have turned up when I tried to add Kameelah as a contributor for Third Resurrection. But in the meantime, you can check out her blog, Kameelahwrites. She is currently writing from Johannesburg and in her profile she writes:
born and raised in east palo alto, CA, i am a dash of eclectic smarts, a pinch of unapologetic sarcasm and a sprinkle of grace all wrapped up quite nicely in a 5 foot 1 hijabi package. raised on gil-scott heron and nasheeds. i am a beautiful shade of brown, certified black person (ask me how to get your certificate!), green-tea drinker, rad. vegan, political organizer, community researcher, artist, teacher, writer, renewed marxist and professional smarty pants.

Friday, November 10, 2006

ancient black astronauts and extraterrestrial jihads

Recently over at Hawgblawg, Ted Swedenburg has written a couple of entries on "Islamo-futurism". In Fun^Da^Mental's "786 All Is War": "Sufi surfing on boards of steel" Ted goes over the surreal and futuristic lyrics of Aki Nawaz. And in More on Islamic sci-fi/futurism he gives a heads up on Yusuf Nuruddin's recent article in Socialism and Democracy called "Ancient Black Astronauts and Extraterrestrial Jihads: Islamic Science Fiction as Urban Mythology". (Hopefully the article or a discussion of its contents will eventually be available online).

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

keith ellison won!

November 8, 2006 10:24 a.m. EST

Nidhi Sharma - All Headline News Staff Writer
Minneapolis, MN (AHN) - Democrat Keith Ellison has been elected as the nation's first Muslim member of Congress on Tuesday after winning the Minneapolis-area district.

Ellison, who is also Minnesota's first nonwhite representative in Washington, admitted to having mixed feelings about being the first Muslim congressman.

"I wasn't trying to make any kind of political statement about my identity or anything when I ran," he said.

"I think the most important thing about this race is we tried to pull people together on things we all share, things that are important to everyone. We all need peace, and this Iraq policy is dangerous to our country," said Ellison, who is in favor of troop withdrawal from Iraq.

"I don't believe in abandonment of Iraq, I just don't think that we're going to have a military solution," he said.

However, Ellison, who is black, says his main aim is to help others understand that Muslims have much to contribute to America.

He also added that Muslims should know they are "welcome to the table of American politics."

The AP reports that Ellison will focus on promoting peace, setting up universal health care and fighting for middle class economic justice by increasing the minimum wage and addressing college affordability.

The Detroit, Michigan born leader also boasted about uniting labor, minority communities and peace activists during his election campaign.

"We were able to bring in Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhists," he said. "We brought in everybody."

previous stories on third resurrection:
the lessons of keith ellison
keith ellison plays defense
ellison: the best hope
keith ellison and the nation
will minnesota send the first muslim to congress?

Friday, November 03, 2006

borat and ali g

A non-rhetorical question from Planet Grenada:

What is the difference between a white person in blackface and Sascha Baron Cohen, the English/Jewish comedian behind the characters of Borat and Ali G who presumably come from Muslim cultural backgrounds? (Borat is from Kazakhstan). I have a gut reaction but I'm really not trying to be rhetorical. That's an actual question. Does Sascha Cohen cross the line which seperates edgy and conscious cultural representation from a minstrel show?

Monday, October 23, 2006

slavery, genocide and the politics of outrage: understanding the new "racial olympics"

I've linked to articles from Hishaam D. Aidi in the past. Now, in the article Slavery, Genocide and the Politics of Outrage: Understanding the New “Racial Olympics”, Hishaam D. Aidi explores the intersections between Black Nationalism, Zionism, Black Orientalism, Afro-Arab unity, 9/11 and the current crisis in Darfur.

Friday, October 20, 2006

Bilal Muslim Mission

The Bilal Muslim Mission is an organization founded with the goal of spreading Islam (particularly as understood by Ahlul-bayt) to Africans and people of African descent. When it was founded in Tanzania in 1964, there were almost no African Shia Muslims. Due to the hard work of renown scholar, Allamah Sayyid Akhtar Rizvi and others who followed his guidance, the community has grown tremendously and spread to numerous other countries.

In 1993, the Bilal Muslim Mission of America was founded to continue this mission of tabligh in the Americas. Starting in Orlando, Florida, it has now spread to Trinidad and Guyana.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

hasan shakur

I don't know if Hasan Shakur could credibly be called a political prisoner in the same sense as some of the people I've discussed in the Planet Grenada entry: black cats who became muslim. But he was a Muslim, and he passed away and the least I could do is give him some small acknowledgement.

Hasan Shakur was executed on August 31, 2006. He was pronounced dead at 6:18 pm. The day before his execution he wrote a letter to the people that had supported him. The following is an excerpt of that letter:

To many of you, I am different things you know? I may be a righteous brotha, a militant man, a brotha, a father, a friend, a husband, an asshole; all of that. However, I know one thing, I am ME. I stayed ME and in the event of my demise, I will remain ME. My love for the people and what I do is unrelenting. I will ALWAYS be that. I love you. I love what you have done for me and I love the fact that people believed into my cause and believed in me, and you know what? I love you and I believe in you. I believe you will continue to push the work I have done....

Fight for Freedom - Hasan Shakur
Uprising: Hasan Shakur Faces Execution
APoC:Article on Hasan Shakur by Chucky Mamou

Thursday, September 21, 2006

the lessons of keith ellison

By working on this blog I've managed to find out about many good examples of Blackamerican Muslims who are involved in politics, activism and community service. I'm not sure if this is a growing trend but I have the impression that more and more Blackamerican Muslims are working in the mainstream and living out their values (based both on Islam and what Sherman Jackson calls "Black Religion") in the public sphere. In some ways, this process is parallel to the "third resurrection" which gives this blog its title.

A recent piece by Shahed Amanullah (editor-in-chief of alt.muslim) on the candidacy of Keith Ellison (an African-American Muslim running for the Minnesota seat in the U.S. Congress) gives a rather clear snapshot of the above trend. Amanullah ends his article by saying:

Muslims are understandably proud of Ellison's achievement, but while we celebrate, we must take another sobering look at reality. We have no more political power than we did the day before the primary, which is to say we have very little. Before we congratulate ourselves too much, we need to realize that Ellison deserves most of the credit. He worked very hard for many years to get where he is, all the while being unknown to most Muslims outside the Twin Cities. To be sure, Muslims helped in the way that any political supporters do, with donations, canvassing, and so forth. But as individuals, we helped no more so than Ellison's non-Muslim constituents did, and as a group, far less so. The more we tout him as "the Muslim congressman" or "our candidate", the more we inhibit Keith's ability to do his job effectively. And having a member of Congress - one who just happens to be Muslim - that contributes positively is the best possible outcome. As Muslims, we need to get out of Keith's way and let him do his job, and he can make our community proud in return.

(see entire article)

lessons on dissent, free press, inclusion, respect

Common Dreams: Malcolm X: Lessons on Dissent, Free Press, Inclusion, Respect by Hannah Allam looks back to Malcolm's much quoted "Letter from Mecca" and argues that its message is still relevant for today.

Monday, September 11, 2006

keith ellison plays defense

Keith Ellison is a Democrat running for an open House seat in a heavily Democratic district. But what once looked like a cakewalk has turned into a bruising campaign in which many facts are disputed but a central one is not: If he wins, he will be the first Muslim elected to Congress.

See story at Washington Post: Muslim Candidate Plays Defense

"it's much worse"

rashad byrdsong: 9/11... five years later

Monday, September 11, 2006

Rashad Byrdsong, 57, executive director of the Community Empowerment Association, an East End community organization committed to social change in city neighborhoods, is an African-American Muslim. Here's his story, as told to Post-Gazette reporter Moustafa Ayad:

I felt a numbness. I remember watching it on the television in my office. Was this war? Or was this some isolated event? Where was the next attack going to be? We as Muslims had similar feelings. No matter, Muslims or Christians, as human beings, we still have the same feelings. I was shocked.

Islam is a peaceful religion. All I see is a very peaceful and engaging religion that is a deeply personal relationship between me and Allah.

Why should I have to defend my religion?

Unfortunately there always has to be a fear factor. It's a way to mobilize a social concept and social thought into an unfavorable environment that keeps people fragmented.

It is all happening out of hysteria. Instead of perpetuating the fear, we need to address that fear.

African-Americans have an understanding of the history of racism and segregation that challenges minorities in this country. Black folks had been detained for 400 years after all. Immigrants were shocked with the backlash. Immigrant Muslims have certain types of expectations coming to this country and the reaction after 9/11 was a culture shock.

Islam has been indicted. These things happen in cycles. It's our turn. Everybody has had a turn. Yesterday, it was the communists, maybe tomorrow it's the poor Appalachians, but in the history of this country there has always been an enemy and right now it's Islam and Muslims.

To indict a whole people, a whole religion, based on the actions of a very small extremist group is counterproductive. The whole religion of Islam and Muslims are not responsible for the actions of an extremist sub-sect.

When you talk about terrorism it's not just a specific ethnic and religious group. Anyone who fits that particular profile must be a terrorist and that in turn becomes the profile of the religion. That is where the hysteria leads us. It's not terrorism that is holding people hostage -- it's fear.
source

Thursday, August 31, 2006

ellison: the best hope

Minnesotans have the opportunity to send a real progressive visionary to Congress from the Fifth District. Keith Ellison, a two-term state representative from north Minneapolis, would also be the first person of color to represent Minnesota in Congress. The Fifth District primary will be a referendum on the war, single payer health care and whether the whitest large city in America, Minneapolis, can elect a Black Muslim to Congress. (see story here)

See also:
will minnesota send the first muslim to congress?
keith ellison and the nation

abdul-samad: a man under fire

bilde
Des Moines Register: Ako Abdul-Samad is in a fight against becoming a political outcast. And it's a fight the Des Moines school board member, human rights advocate and legislative candidate vows he'll win.
see story here

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

whitney, osama and kola boof

This isn't exactly what I wanted to create the blog for but...
According to scribe Kola Boof, the Sudanese poet and novelist whose new book "Diary of a Lost Girl" details the inner circle of Bin Laden as one of his girlfriends.

Boof says bin Laden obsessed on singer Whitney Houston. "He said he had a paramount desire for Houston and although he claimed music was evil, he spoke of someday spending vast amounts of money to go to America and try to arrange a meeting." Boof added he couldn't stop talking about Whitney.

Boof also alleged that Bin Laden thought about having Whitney's husband Bobby Brown “rubbed out.”

Boof also revealed Bin Laden to be a complete racist. He couldn’t tolerate black people, according to the Sudanese writer.

from chocolate

Also see:
Blacknews: An interview with Kola Boof
An unofficial Kola Boof site

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Beasts of No Nation

A book review of Beasts of No Nation.

Author: Uzodinma Iweala

Reviewer: Aaminah Hernandez

Beasts of No Nation is a small by powerful first novel by a new African voice that I hope we will hear more from. The novel is written from the perspective of a very young boy, Agu, who is forced into the rebel army during the war in his country. The country is unspecified, but it could be any. Agu's exact age is unspecified, but he is only recently enrolled in school, so a reasonable guess would be 5-9 years of age. The voice is unique and engaging. Each word of the fictional novel is non-fiction truth in the lives of many, and the writing pulls you in so that you forget this particular version is from the imagination of Iweala.

Friday, August 18, 2006

Can You Have An Argument Without Hating the Prophet?

This may should ridiculous but one of the challanges facing indigenous, Blackamerican Muslims is validating themselves. I'm writing this because of conversations I've had with other indigenous Muslims and how they are treated as second class citizens. In a recent post I wrote on the phenomenon of how some people view the Qur'an and it being revealed in Arabic. This lead to a dicussion that ultimately left me being charged as a racist and casting aspersions against the Prophet. So read for yourself. Here's the post, the first comment and my response.

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

A Prince Among Slaves

By way of Writeous Sister

A Prince Among Slaves

from Islamica Magazine

An African prince falls from the heights of a sophisticated and educated society into the depths of slavery and ignorance in Mississippi. Abdul Rahman’s willpower to remain a faithful servant to God overcomes the obstacles of being a slave in antebellum America, and reminds the world of the long-forgotten first Muslims in North America.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

recently on grenada...

Recently on Grenada, I've had two entries on two very different African-American Muslim scholars: The first one is on Amina Wadud and her book Quran and Woman. The second is on Imam Zaid Shakir's recent piece Islam: Religion or Ideology?

the seven habbits of highly effective communities

2006 Rawdah
AUGUST 4, 5, and 6
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective
Communities:
How We Can Break the Vicious Cycle of Broken Communities,
Broken Families, and Broken People in Order to Unify and Strengthen Our Communities
The Text:
Risaalah lil-Amraad Shaafiyah Fiha Nasihah lil-Aghraad Kaafiyah
by
The Great West African Scholar, Statesman, and Nation Builder
Amiru’l-Mu’mineen Muhammad Bello ibn al-Mujaddid Shaykh Uthman ibn Fodiyo
(Allah Have Mercy On Him)

The Teachers:
Ustadh Adil Woods
Ustadha Latifa Ali
Imam Ibrahim Bilal
Ustadh Muhammad Abdul-Haqq
And Others…

The Venue:
The Philadelphia Masjid
4700 Wyalusing Avenue,
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Find out more -> http://www.rawdah.org/

Friday, July 28, 2006

Race and Religion - An Interview with a Blackamerican Muslim

I was invited to be a part of a spiritual biography project earlier this year. An excerpt of that interview is now available for listening online. Check it out.

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Apostasy and How It Relates To American Muslims

I wrote a short piece on the new trend of Apostasy and how it may relate to our situation as indigenous, American Muslims. Read it here.

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

"i saw the bullet cry, i heard the man fall"

I've included a number of references to Louis Reyes Rivera (aka the Janitor of History) before on Planet Grenada, but this is probably the most "Grenada-esque" (An Afro-Latino writer giving a "contributive note" to a Black and Muslim and human hero). It is a beautiful spoken word piece by Rivera on the assassination of Malcolm X which he performed on Def Poetry Jam. I also have to admit that Def Jam is where I first heard of Rivera... which is a shame since he has been around for a while.

see also:
louis reyes rivera
inside the river of poetry
filiberto ojeda rios

Monday, July 17, 2006

black israeli arabs

A little weird given current events, but still interesting
Hadassah Magazine: Black Israeli Arabs By Ruth Mason

islamica magazine

salaams! the new issue of islamic magazine is featuring Africa throughout the mag. It has articles on w. african, e. african, somali mcs and poets, and it has an article on the enslaved prince ibrahima abdur-rahman. check out the mag if you can.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Friday, July 07, 2006

african muslims in america

AMiA_img1

I've been recently discussing the Sunni-Shia split on my blog, and in the midst of trying to learn more about the subject I came across Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri, who apparently tries to bridge the gap between Sunni and Shia somehow. In any case... to make a long story short, I was looking at a website associated with him and found the online paper: African Muslims in America by Hajj D. A. Haroon (see here) and thought it would fit here at Third Resurrection. Enjoy.

Sunday, July 02, 2006

keith ellison and the nation

Keith Ellison, an African-American Muslim who is running for Minnesota's 5th Congressional district seat, wants voters to focus on the (U.S.) nation's future than the Nation (of Islam's) past.

the courts of somali opinion

It's hard for me to look at the U.S. response to the situation in Somalia and not think that this is a war on Islam. Why else would the US prefer the anarchy of the warlords to a unified Islamic regime (among a Muslim population)?

Alt.Muslim: The Courts of Somali Opinion

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

south florida black community objects to building new islamic center

The Islamic Center of Florida located in Pompano Beach, Fl recently faced some resistance when they tried to get permission to build a larger structer. The Islamically Center narrowly received permission to build but I almost wish that it hadn't. It would have been a serious wake-up call to encourage Muslims to take better care and greater interest in the communities where we live.
Commissioner Pat Larkins was one of the most outspoken critics of a new mosque. Larkins, who is black, said there is a perception in the neighborhood he represents that Muslims do not give back to the community.

"I am not opposed to constructing the facility," Larkins said. "I am opposed to the conduct of the Muslim business community in our neighborhood."

Larkins drew applause from those in attendance at Tuesday's City Hall meeting when he said there was no need for the mosque in a predominantly black neighborhood.

His comments raised furor among the Muslim community when he was quoted by The South Florida Sun-Sentinel as saying Muslims "don't contribute a nickel to any cause in terms of improving the community." He went on to say "most black folks see them as people that come in to rape the community and go away."

Larkins said he is opposed to the way some Muslim business owners operate and treat blacks.

"I think it's a shame when I see beer and wine sold by people who claim that they preach Islam at 4 o'clock in the morning in my community," Larkins said.

Sam Smith, who lives in the neighborhood where the mosque is supposed to be built, agrees with Larkins.

"The ones that own the stores, they're very disrespectful to our kids," Smith said. "…They think all the kids here are trying to steal."

But Areeb Naseer, a member of the Council of American Islamic Relations, objected to Larkins' comments, saying that the decision to allow a new mosque in the neighborhood should not be based on perceptions

(full story)

even more marvin x

Marvin X (who also goes by Maalik El Muhajir) is one interesting brother. He is coming out with a new book entitled Towards a Radical Spirituality but apparently some excerpts are already available over at Chickenbones: A Journal:
love and spirituality
ancestors and spirituality
sectarianism and spirituality
language and spirituality
nature and spirituality
prison and spirituality
death and spirituality

I feel a little odd about including him since he is kind of a poet and a free spirit and isn't totally into being "orthodox". But at the same time, especially if we allow for a certain amount of poetic license, he isn't particularly unorthodox either. Feel free to let me know what you think of his ideas. I especially like What If (There was no god but God)?

And here are some older Grenada links which also ultimately connect back to ChickenBones:
marvin x
more marvin x

interview with head of somalia's islamic courts organization

Saturday, June 24, 2006

what would a white mosque be like?

Umar Lee starts off his recent piece: The white masjids of the future by saying:
An African-American Muslim brother recently told me that Islam would be a true success in America when we have mostly white masjids in cities throughout America like we have predominantly African-American masjids in every sizeable American city (and several in many).

Then the African-American brother mentions what he thinks such masjids would be like ("in the suburbs with a golf course and akin to a megachurch") and Umar fleshes out his own conception with a lot more detail. My own experiences with white (i.e. Anglo-American) Muslims have been generally positive. I would just add two general observations or impressions to Umar's vision based on my own experiences.

Firstly, the white Muslims I've met are overwhelmingly Sufis (Naqshbandis and Shadhilis mostly) at least compared to Muslims in America as a whole. In fact, the only times I've been in a gathering with mostly white Muslims were Shadhili dhikr sessions. (This reminds me of a Chicano friend of mine who was nominally Catholic but was a "political Muslim" if you know what I mean. He once said to me "White people sure love Rumi".) So I would strongly expect that in the future "the white masjids" would probably be pretty Sufi-friendly. (Furthermore, if it weren't for groups like the Nation of Islam, Moorish Science, etc. it is very likely that the face of American Islam today would be overwhelmingly white Sufis)

The second feature is more of a question in my mind than a distinct impression. And I'm not sure if I totally understand the trajectories which a typical white American would take to Islam, but I wonder if there is a tendancy towards a kind of conservatism.

First, I should probably say that in general, I've found that it can be difficult to put Muslims into a small number of simple ideological camps. Muslims can be right/left on social justice issues, conservative/liberal on "family values" issues. Muslims will take different stances on foreign policy questions. On matters of religious practice, an individual can be strict or liberal. But a seperate question is whether you are traditional/orthodox, Salafi/Wahabi or something else. And it is possible to find Muslims which are examples of every possible combination of positions.

And I should note that just the fact that a white person would be willing to convert to an "Oriental" religion and join a community where they would be a small minority speaks to a certain amount of open-mindedness when it comes to racial/multicultural issues. And that might tend to be associated with being politically "liberal".

But apart from that, one thing which which makes me wonder if white Muslims have a conservative streak is the fact that a significant and vocal group of Western converts to Islam identify themselves as "Traditionalists". (While I admire some of their writings, I sometimes have to wonder about them because intellectually they share some influences with honest- to- goodness Fascist movements.)

Furthermore, there is the example of someone like Stephen Schwartz (Suleyman Ahmad Al-Kosovari) who is somewhat of a neo-con and even has his articles posted on the conservative Front Page Magazine website.

And in general, I've often wondered to what extent Muslims in America are taken in by the religious right's bait-and-switch of right-wing politics and religious values (Especially after an umbrella group of Muslim organizations endorsed George W. Bush in the 2000 Presidential election). African-American political wisdom encourages Blacks not to conflate the two, but I honestly don't know what the trend is among white Muslims.

So the white mosques of the future, will probably be full of Sufis, and could possibly lean to the right. what do you think?

Friday, June 23, 2006

miami and the seas of david

Check out: Miami and the Seas of David to read some commentary on the recent situation in Miami.

nammu muhammad?

Also, I should add that I got a few more hits searching for information on "Nammu Muhammad" than "Nammu Mohamed" so it is possible that the former is more accurate than the latter.

Thursday, June 22, 2006

vote nammu mohammed

From: African American Green Candidates to Watch in 2006
Nammu Mohamed, candidate for County Council in Richland County, South Carolina, is focusing his campaign on the needs of local families. "Families and children in Richland County need more than just words from the council, they need action," said Mr. Mohamed. "From jobs to education to juvenal justice, the county has let the people down long enough. It's time to elect a defender of children and families to the county council."

I honestly, don't know if Nammu is Muslim but given his last name, you kind of have to wonder.

And for past Planet Grenada articles on the connections between the Green Party and Muslims or Muslim causes, you might want to check out:
the spiritual left
khalil bendib
malik rahim
the green party supports divestment

A version of this post can also be found at Planet Grenada.

us muslim clerics seek a modern middle ground

NYTimes: U.S. Muslim Clerics Seek a Modern Middle Ground is a recent piece on Imam Zaid Shakir and Shakh Hamza Yusuf and how Zaytuna is participating in the Third Resurrection. (They don't actually use the term, but if you think about it, that's what is going on).

Sunday, June 18, 2006

sleeper cell - finally watching it

I had read about this series some time ago before it actually aired, but I haven't actually seen any of Sleeper Cell until now. (The series just came out on DVD and so I can watch the whole thing over a weekend) I'm not exactly sure how I feel about it yet. I've gotten through the first two DVDs and I'm taking a break before starting the finale.

Michael Ealy stars as an African-American Muslim FBI agent who is working undercover in a terrorist cell. I think the premise had a lot of promise, and the show is entertaining so far. It has its interesting bits. But to be honest, I'm not totally geeked about the series.

SPOILERS AHEAD
DON'T READ FURTHER IF YOU PLAN TO SEE THE SERIES

Simply by virtue of having to tell a story over a long period of time about a small central cast, the writers had to flesh out the Muslim characters and give them different backstories. So it's portrayal of Muslims almost couldn't help but be more humane and realistic than the typical stock terrorist villan which usually populates this type of story. The terrorist cell consists of: A Bosnian who saw his entire family being butchered by Serbs. An ex-skinhead from France who found Islam through his Morroccan wife. A young white American with liberal parents (clearly modelled on John Walker Lindh). The head of the cell is Saudi (Although for most of the series, his background is not specified, and during work hours he passes as a Sephardic Jew. This character is by far the most cartoonish).

In general, most of the Muslim characters are portrayed as deeply conflicted and contradictory in matters of religion. From the very first episode, we see the members of the cell hanging out in strip clubs, drinking. We find that they raise funds by dealing in heroin, child prostitution and pirated DVDs. The French Muslim is married but commits adultery with little restraint (At one point, he has sex with the mother of one of the other terror cell members).

We even see the "good" Muslim FBI agent order (and presumably drink) beer in a bar as a part of an assignment given to him by the terror cell. On top of that (and this takes us into a whole other level of issues) the "good" successful Black Muslim FBI agent also starts a sexual relationship with a white Catholic beautician (a "single" mother who later turns out to be married). We later meet one of his former girlfriends, an African-American women with a successful career in the State Department but we are never told explicitly why their relationship didn't work out.

Another level of contradiction appears when the members of the cell actually kill a genuine mujahid. In fact, pretty much all the pious (non-terrorist, non-drinking, non-fornicating) Muslim characters of any significance (a mainstream Yemeni scholar, a white American who fought to defend Muslims in Bosnia, a young Afghan boy who spent time in Guantanamo) end up dead by the end of whatever episode focuses on them. It makes it seem as if the "subliminal" message behind the series is: Compromise or die.

As I said in the beginning, this is definitely better than most Hollywood portrayals of Muslims (e.g. see Planet of the Arabs). And it is definitely a huge step to have a television series with an African-American Muslim lead character, and with actual Muslims involved both in front of and behind the camera. At the same time, there is definitely room for improvement.

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Deconstructing the Coz

Salaam alaikum,

When you get a chance, please read my thoughts about Bill Cosby's crusade in the Black community.

While taking a break, I went into the kitchen to grab a bite to eat. I notice last Sunday's issue of the Atlanta Journal Constitution with a picture of Bill Cosby and the title "Cosby gives Black folks a 'whuppin'." At that moment, all my thoughts about the whole Cosby Crusade finally came together. When Bill Cosby decided to speak his mind about the plight of Black America, I felt conflicted. Part of me felt like it was about time that someone, a public figure (ie: celebrity), came out and said the things that we've all been thinking. But another part of me felt like he was airing out our dirty laundry, even though our dirty laundry is hanging on a clothesline for everyone to see. But this time I had it. What I thought was a tough love message to the African-American community is really a crusade to mock and denigrate poor Black people.

Thursday, June 08, 2006

the hidden black iraq

Enter the words "black," "city" and "fuel" into the search engine of the American psyche and you'll conjure up the image of a Chevron station in Detroit. But add a historical element into the equation and you come up with Basra, Iraq. [...]

There has been a black presence in Basra -- present-day Southern Iraq -- as early as the 7th century, when Abu Bakra, an Ethiopian soldier who had been manumitted by the prophet Muhammad himself, settled in the city. His descendants became prominent members of Basran society. A century later, the writer Jahiz of Basra wrote an impassioned defense of black Africans -- referred to in Arabic as the Zanj -- against accusations of inferiority which had begun to take root even then. [...]

Led by an Iraqi poet named Ali Ibn Muhammad, the Zanj uprising of 868 galvanized thousands of black slaves who laid siege to and eventually overran the city of Basra. In short order, black soldiers in the army of the ruling Abbasid emperors based in Baghdad began to desert and swelled the ranks of the rebellion. Similar to later rebellions that created liberated "maroon" communities throughout the new world, the 15-year conflict, known as "The Revolt of the Zanj," led to the establishment of an independent Zanj capital city, minting of currency and the decade-long control of Basra -- one of the most important trade ports in the Abbasid empire. At their zenith, the Zanj armies marched upon Baghdad and got within 70 miles of the city.

From Alternet: The Hidden Black Iraq (for the whole story)

Sunday, June 04, 2006

story of a black qatari

From the blog of Umar Lee:
A friend of mine recently almost came to blows at his job with a co-worker from Qatar. The Qatari man was upset and wanting to fight because my feind, who is Puerto Rican, told him that he is African. The Qatari man, who is dark-skinned and about the color of say Barry Bonds with kinky hair, was livid that anyone would suggest that his roots are not Arab and they are African and wanted to fight my friend whom he told " you are really a Mexican and you just want to be black that’s why you say you are Boricua."

For a black man to deny his roots are from Africa is no different than George Bush or Denny Hastert denying their roots are from Europe ( which they would never do). This speaks to the fact that many black people have a negative image of Africa and blackness in their mind and I will give a few examples.

In middle school I once sat in a classroom full of kids, and it was a mostly black class, and the teacher asked us all to give our roots to the class and say where our ancestors came from and all of the black kids, except one, said they were Native American. Now in America it is common for a lot of people, black and white, to lie about some Indian grandma no one has ever seen, but when you have a room full of black kids say they are not African there is a problem.

Warith-deen Muhammad used to say that Fard Muhammad, when he brought up the concept of the "Asiatic Black Man" or the "Afro-Asiatic Black Man" he was doing this because he knew black people had a bad image of Africa. Indeed when I was a kid I saw many fights between black kids over being called some kind of "African booty-scratcher" or something of the like.

My next encounter with this was when the Somali immigrants began arriving in America in the 1990's and I would talk to them and they would not only tell me they were not African and Somalia is not a part of Africa; but that they are not black. Of course this is rubbish; they may not be black in Africa but in the US they are right next to Leroy, Bubba and Skillet ( for those who get that).

Black Africans have been brought to the Arabian Peninsula for centuries as slaves and now they are free and most of them, in some places all of them; have become completely Arabized and they now can call the Arab culture there own since it is all they have ever known similar to the African-American; but their roots are still in Africa.

Saturday, June 03, 2006

will minnesota send the first muslim to congress?


From Alt.Muslim:
58B
A Muslim elected to Congress? Many Muslim Americans have tried in vain to attain this elusive office, their efforts stymied for various reasons including weak campaign skills, lack of political experience, and continuing suspicion of Muslim American loyalties. But one Muslim politician has done it the hard (i.e. right) way - by working his way up the political ladder and building a wide constituency of supporters in his district - not just those in the Muslim community. With his endorsement last week by the Minnesota DFL (affiliated with the Democratic Party), two-term state legislator Keith Ellison is well positioned to succeed retiring Congressman Martin Sabo in Minnesota's heavily Democratic Fifth District and make history as America's first Muslim member of Congress. Running on a progressive platform that some liken to the late Senator Paul Wellstone, Ellison doesn't emphasize his Muslim faith, but he doesn't shy away from it either. "It's good for people to see a reasonable, moderate face of Islam," said Ellison, who has worked with the local Muslim community to promote civic participation. But despite the advantages of party endorsement and a favorable electoral demographic (the Fifth District is one of the most liberal districts in the US), Ellison still faces some obstacles in his road to Washington, DC. A few Democratic candidates who lost out on the DFL endorsement will run against Ellison in September's primary, and his Muslim faith coupled with his past participation in the Million Man March (along with, uh, a million other people) is already drawing attacks on right-wing websites. Ellison, however, remains unfazed while he hits the campaign trail. "I just started studying [Islam] and found it interesting," said Ellison of his conversion many years ago. "I lead my life in a way to not make religion a big deal."

Monday, May 29, 2006

Islamic Symbolism in Hip-Hop

Who remembers the Last Poets? Notice the writing on the wing of the first angel. (Click it for a larger view).

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Ayan Hirsi Ali and Black Orientalism

Insha'Allah,

I will expand on this idea a little further but for now, here is a post from my blog about the whole Hirsi Ali (or Hirsi Magan) controversy.

Be careful of the company you keep

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

the irony of being hassan al-turabi

ht2



From Alt.Muslim: By Shahed Amanullah, May 3, 2006

One man's extremist is another man's progressive. And sometimes they can be both at the same time. Take Sudan's Hassan al-Turabi, for example. Long derided in the West as an "Islamist extremist" that, as speaker of Sudan's National Assembly, provided Osama bin Laden with a save haven in Sudan for five years (calling him a "hero" in the process), Turabi is probably best known for his involvement in imposing sharia law on Sudan, a move which exacerbated the 20-year north-south conflict that claimed thousands of lives and was only recently resolved. Turabi also convened a "congress" in the early 1990's of militant Islamic groups from around the world, hoping to foster cooperation in training and smooth over divisions among the ranks. Wielding both a Western and Islamic educational background, Turabi used his scholarly influence and membership in the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Islamic Charter Front to orchestrate the 1985 execution of scholar Mahmoud Mohamed Taha for his unorthodox (read: liberal) Islamic beliefs. But, that was then and this is now, and as Turabi aproaches his mid-70's, he finds himself, at least partially, on the opposite side of the fence. Having fallen out of favor with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, Turabi was jailed and exiled into the opposition, where he now calls for dialogue with the West, sides with the people of Darfur against the Sudanese government, and stresses that jihad should only be waged "in self-defense and not in aggression against others." And now, embracing ideological points that cost fellow scholar Taha his life, Turabi has now gone on record supporting a host of liberal legal reforms regarding women, including allowing Muslim women to marry Christian and Jewish men (citing the experiences of female Muslim Americans), making hijab optional, allowing the testimony of women to equal that of a man, and (just when you thought this debate was over) allowing "pious scholarly women" to lead mixed-gender prayers. "When there is a pious woman," explained Turabi, "she should lead the prayers and whoever is distracted by her beauty should be deemed sick." As expected, this failure of the traditional gender litmus test has resulted in former supporters of his scholarly aptitude in the religious establishment calling for his head. "Turabi should declare repentance," said a statement by the government-supported Muslim Scholars Committee, "or face the sharia hadd for heresy." Turabi has since stood by his statements in the face of criticism, earning respect from some quarters and condemnation from others. "What Turabi is doing is obvious intellectual confusion," complained Abdul Sabour Shahin, an Islamic studies professor at Cairo University. "We have to look at the context of this matter particularly from the framework of ijtihad when it comes to the general issues of women in Islam," responded Turabi to his critics. "The modern and contemporary Islamic discourse on women lags far behind the authentic Islamic rules and principles."

Sunday, May 07, 2006

black slaves, arab masters

This was blatantly stolen from Tavis at Lantern Torch: I would say that Black Slaves, Arab Masters is a fairly representative African-American Muslim opinion on the subject of slavery and Islam. It is followed up with Attitude of Ahl al-bayt towards slaves

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

muslim activist confronts the needs of the city

Chicago Tribune: Muslim confronts needs of city is a story on the recent and past activities of Rami Nashashibi and IMAN (Inner-City Muslim Action Network).

Monday, May 01, 2006

Dr. Abdul Hakim Jackson in NYC! May 20-21st!


ALIM: The American Learning Institute for Muslims, in conjunction with the Office of the Muslim Chaplain at New York University and the Islamic Center at NYU, is pleased to present

The Seerah - The Meccan Period
A Two Day Intensive with Dr. Sherman Jackson
Saturday, May 20th - Sunday, May 21st
9 A.M. - 5 P.M.

New York University, Thompson Center
238 Thompson Street
New York, NY 10012

Say (Oh Muhammad): "If ye do love Allah, Follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins: For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
Qur'an, 3:31

The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is the last Messenger of God who came to teach us the Truth and how to live according to that Truth in all areas of our lives. By studying the Prophet's (pbuh) life and experiences during the dynamic Meccan period, Muslims can take away invaluable lessons which will help them in their everyday lives.

This intensive Seerah course is an indispensable part of any Muslim's life. It will challenge you to ponder the relationship between the universal and the particular. It will encourage you to learn from the best example in history. It will bring you to new heights in your imaan, but only if you let it.

Come join your fellow Muslims for an enlightening event that will bring knowledge into your mind, laughter to your heart, tears to your eyes, and the spiritual fulfillment that we all need. As Muslims it is our duty to continue learning. We hope that you will take this unique and wonderful opportunity to learn about the seerah during the Meccan period.

Ye have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for any one whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, and who engages much in the Praise of Allah.
Qur'an, 33:21

Register at - http://www.icnyu.org/seerah/


Please direct any questions or concerns to - http://www.icnyu.org/seerah/contact.html

On behalf of the entire planning committee, we sincerely ask for your duas, prayers and blessings as we seek to make this endeavor a success.

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Essay On The Apologists

This does have some tie-ins to things that Dr. Jackson has spoken about. This is an essay I did for my religious studies class - I've parred it down in language and length for posting on the Web. Here's the link. Salaams.

Marqas

Monday, April 24, 2006

hail polygamy

The heavens forbid,
But that our loves and comforts
Should increase,
Even as our days do grow.
- Shakespeare, Othello


From the Jamaica Observer: Hail Polygamy by Tony Robinson

This article isn't from a Muslim perspective, but it does offer a pragmatic (leaning towards irrevernt) look at a subject with some connection to Islam.

For the record, I'm not gung ho about polygamy. It is obviously not for everyone and there are special challenges faced by polygamous marriages in contemporary times. Everyone involved has to work harder to be respectful of the other people's feelings and not everyone has the patience, discipline, or tolerance inside them to make it all work. A close Egyptian friend of mine had her father "marry on" her mother and it wasn't a good scene.

At the same time, in some contexts I think it can make a lot of sense. And in modern times, when Western societies are redefining in basic ways what the institution of marriage even means, it is kind of funny to me that there aren't more people advocatating for what is arguably a very "traditional" and time-tested structure.

it's just weird, okay?!

enlargepic230

return of the janjaweed

Alt.Muslim: Return Of The Janjaweed, This Time In Chad The troubles in Darfur are spilling across the border into neighboring Chad.

5 truths about darfur

Washington Post: 5 truths about darfur

Friday, April 21, 2006

the urban background of enslaved muslims in the americas

The Urban Background of Enslaved Muslims in the Americas by Paul E. Lovejoy

Abstract:
Enslaved Muslims constituted a relatively small proportion of the enslaved population in the Americas, and that population was largely male. This article explores an unappreciated dimension of the background of these enslaved Muslims, the fact that most came from towns and had traveled widely, between towns; that is enslaved Muslims tended to come from urban settings, no matter where they ended up in the Americas. This urban background has implications in terms of the experiences and expectations of the enslaved. The urban context was associated with commerce, craft specialization, literacy, and political and social consciousness of slavery and its meaning within west Africa. The study examines available biographical information on enslaved Muslims from the Western Sudan, usually referred to as Mandingo or some variant in the Americas, and those from the Central Sudan, including Hausa, Yoruba, Nupe and people from Borno. The urban setting of Muslim areas of West Africa is then compared with other towns and cities in the Atlantic world during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in terms of size of towns and multicultural backgrounds of urban populations, further demonstrating that the urban background of many enslaved Africans and the extent to which the enslaved population was moved between towns has not been appreciated.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

The Salafi Conversation

Don't take this as beating a dead horse but I've had some really good responses about this movement that I believe should concern us. Check out the blog to get the low-down and read some of the responses. Hopefully some of you may even leave a few comments of your own. Salaams.

M...

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

fourth annual conference on islamic african civilization

sankoreconferenceflyer

Saturday April 8th, 2006
12:45 pm - 10 pm
The Fourth Annual Conference on Islamic African Civilization
Public Health Auditorium, Rm. 23
(located on Fifth Ave. bet. Bouquet St. and Oakland Ave.)
University of Pittsburgh

Lectures Include (in order of schedule):
The U.S. Constitution: Reading Between the Lines
An Analysis of African Muslim Resistance to European Colonialism
The Historical Relationship between Muslim Spain and Islamic Africa
Keynote speaker: Jihad Abdul-Mumit, former Political Prisoner, Black Panther Party Member, and Black Liberation Army Member, speaking on "Self Determination"

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

african american muslims: what's their future

Here is an interesting series of thoughts found on another blog. Among other things, it compares the spending habits and family life of African-American Muslims to African-Americans generally.

African American Muslims. What’s their future?
African American Muslims. What’s their future? Part 2

Monday, March 20, 2006

easing tensions over race, religion in detroit

Heads-up from Marqas
News & Notes with Ed Gordon, March 17, 2006 · Tensions have existed for decades in Detroit, where the nation's largest community of Arab Americans lives near a predominantly black inner-city. But the two communities have successfully managed to reach out to one another. Jerome Vaughn of Detroit Public Radio reports.
NPR: Easing Tensions over Race, Religion in Detroit

Thursday, March 09, 2006

islam and revitalizing urban communities

From Crescent Life: "Unveiling" Islam: New Roles and Resources Toward The Revitalization of Urban Communities by Jaleel Abdul-Adil is a brief article which speaks some on the relationship between Islamic activism, community organizing, and community organizing, with an emphasis on the Chicago-based, Inner City Muslim Action Network.

muslim rappers meld music and message

Associated Press

CHICAGO — When David Kelly — aka "Capital D" — raps, he doesn't follow the mainstream mantra of women, cars and jewelry.

Instead, the Chicago rapper uses his rhymes to dish out praise for Allah, criticize the war in Iraq and blast corporate America.

Kelly is among a new group of Muslim rap artists gaining popularity among Muslim Americans looking for entertainment that reflects both their mainstream tastes and religious beliefs.

"Muslims in the United States are not going away. They're part of the culture, but they're not creating their own culture," Kelly said. "I try to show them that you can be creative, artistic, happy and still be Muslim."

Islam is not new to rap. The Nation of Islam and other nontraditional sects have influenced hip-hop through lyrics and images since the late 1970s. And Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan has been mentioned and sampled in many raps.

But this new wave of Muslim-influenced music seeks to convey messages and images more in line with orthodox Islam.

"The music says I'm still an American, and I still want my culture. But I want to refine it so I can incorporate Islam into it, too," said Mike Shapiro, 23, who created the Web site www.muslimhiphop.com earlier this year. "Muslims in America and Muslim youths really need this. They don't have anyone to relate to."

Kelly recently performed before about 80 people on Chicago's South Side as part of a monthly event organized by the Chicago-based Inner-City Muslim Action Network.

Audience members sipped tea and smoothies as Kelly performed several songs from his latest album, "Insomnia." For religious reasons, Kelly performs only in venues that don't serve alcohol when he is on stage.

"His stuff is really powerful and moving," Sabah Khan, 22, said after Kelly's performance. "I think it's important to support music that's positive. People say they listen to music on the radio because they say they like the beat. But you can have a beat and the song can have a positive message."

Kelly said his music hasn't always been politically charged. The rapper, who was raised Catholic, said that before he converted to Islam four years ago, his music lacked seriousness and discipline.

"Now I have a different agenda," he said. "If I am going to put an album out, I have to say something."

That kind of message-driven music also is at the heart of Remarkable Current, an Oakland, Calif.-based record label that features several hip-hop artists. Though listeners may not realize the artists are Muslim when they first hear the music, they will notice the positive messages, founder Anas Canon said.

"I try to push an art out there that is loving and positive and a reflection of our spirituality," Canon said.

Yet Canon said he's had difficulty gaining acceptance from some in the Muslim community because of hip-hop's negative image and the debate over whether music is haram — forbidden — under Islamic law.

Abraham Marcus, a history professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said theologians have been addressing the issue of Islam and music for centuries.

"The most conservative view is music is essentially an evil force. It excites passions and incites lust," he said. "But the mainstream view is more tolerant. Mainstream authorities say music is admissible as long as it serves a good purpose."

Some of the mainstream hip-hop artists practicing orthodox Islam include Mos Def and Everlast. Others, such as Kelly, have a small but loyal following.

Not all perform in alcohol-free venues. And references to Islam vary in their music. But the list of Muslim rappers continues to grow.

"Most of the people not popular in mainstream talk more about Islam, and the artists who talk less about Islam are more popular," said Shapiro, a Los Angeles resident who created his Web site earlier this year after attending a hip-hop show at a mosque.

The site features discussion forums and music. It receives about 2,000 visitors a day, he said. "We're trying to provide a medium so Muslims can have something to do that's not in a mosque or — on the other extreme — in a bar," he said.

Kelly said that after he converted to Islam, he stopped performing while debating whether rap could co-exist with his Islamic beliefs.

The hiatus lasted nine months before Kelly reconciled morphing Islam and rap by deciding the music had to have a purpose. "Insomnia," which he released independently this fall, addresses not only Islam but also U.S. foreign policy, corporate America and the music industry.

"I wanted it to be a serious and focused album, and I know that has a lot to do with me being Muslim," he said.

Kelly said it will take orthodox American Muslims awhile to carve their own path in the hip-hop world, but he's optimistic.

"Muslims are starting to take the culture they listen to and creating their own culture in a very American way," Kelly said. "Islam hip-hop is very young in the process, and we'll have to bump heads for a while, but we'll make it."

MuslimHipHop.com: www.muslimhiphop.com
Muslim Artists Central: www.muslimac.com
Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN): www.imancentral.org

the african palestinian connection

IMAN: The African Palestinian Connection

(First Appeared in the Muslim Journal)

By Rami Nashashibi
IMAN Executive Director and Co-Founder
Ph.D. Candidate
Sociology/ University of Chicago

Nestled amid the windy and ancient streets of Jerusalem’s Old City and on the way towards one of the busier doors leading into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, the African Palestinian Community may slip past the mosque-bound passerby. For those who do take notice; a red, black and green map of the African continent with a superimposed map of Palestine containing the Dome of the Rock at its center would greet them as the proud insignia of the Palestinian African Community Center. The insignia emphasizes the community‘s triple heritage: African, Palestinian and Muslim. Unfortunately, the often over-looked center parallels the missed connections that most people make when thinking about the tremendously intertwined African and Palestinian legacies. No where is this connection more apparent then among the Palestinian Africans who are spread across Gaza and the West Bank. Within Jerusalem’s Old City, this community resides within 50 feet of the Aqsa Compound, which is often where the young children spend their cool summer evenings playing a game of soccer or taking a stroll.


Inside the center groups of young Palestinians are laughing and joking with one another as I walk in. The youth range in complexion from the more typical Palestinian earthy tan to a darker Sub-Saharan African brown.

This last summer I returned to Jerusalem, my late father’s birthplace and the city within which his family has deep roots, to visit the grave of my grandmother who had recently passed and to conduct a set of interviews with young Palestinians across the West Bank. Throughout my stay, I spent most of my free time around the Al-Aqsa Compound and with the Palestinian Africans, learning more about their history and lives.

Currently some forty African Palestinian families live inside the old city, many of whom reside within 50 feet of the center. Upon talking with Adam, the center’s young director, one gets a sense of how proud the community is of its identity. “Many of our ancestors were pious Muslims who came from across Africa to defend Al-Aqsa from military conquest,” I was told by Adam and others in the center. “They stayed and married and their children grew up here. “We are as Palestinian as anyone else but we also remember and our proud of where are great grandfathers came from and sometimes visit or stay in touch with our other family members in Africa.” Aside from the various wars which brought Muslims from Africa to safeguard the sanctity of its Muslim Holy Sites, other Africans settled in Palestine after spiritual pilgrimages to the land’s various holy sites, including of course the Al Aqsa Mosque.

Many Palestinian Africans have heroically managed to retain their presence in this incredibly important and highly symbolic space even while the oppressive closure policies of the Israelis makes life increasingly difficult in all kinds of ways. “They don’t want us to live,” said one of the community leaders. “They go around telling the world that we are savages and want to kill them all. This is ridiculous. Here I am telling you that I am Muslim, Palestinian and African and I have no problem living peacefully with the Jewish community and I condemn suicide bombings. But these people don’t even give us a chance. They make life impossible because they want us to leave Jerusalem but we will never leave. We will die here before we leave.” The sprawling growth of Israeli settler housing outside and within Jerusalem’s Old City seems to be in line with a policy that the city’s old Israeli mayor ten years ago dubbed as the “Judaization of Jerusalem.” The harsh realities of a population under military occupation punctuate the daily lives of these Palestinians who are often cut off from being visited or supported by Palestinians elsewhere in the West Bank or Gaza. Many of the first and second generation leaders of this community like most Palestinians have spent considerable time languishing in Israeli jails for offenses as minor as being rumored to have been at a protest.

In spite of the hardship, one finds a tremendously warm and hospitable environment among the young and old in this tightly knit community. The Palestinian African Community Center is one of the most active centers in the Old City and has multiple youth programs going on throughout the year. The center founders are very active in broader civic affairs of the Palestinians and often serve as alternative tour guides to the city. They take great pride is saying that they were visited by Imam W.D. Mohammed and other African American Muslims in the late 90s. Yet beyond just the Muslims the leaders from this community are attempting to reach out to all people of African heritage as a way to find ways to connect their often isolated communities. As evidence of such connections, they have formed a creative and dynamic relationship with African American Hebrew Israelities who migrated to Israel from places like Chicago under the leadership of Ben Yameen.

I have asked the members of the community if they experienced racism within larger Palestinian society. Some of the older members of the community talked to me about how issues of skin color would come up when a darker African Palestinian would try to marry a lighter Palestinian woman. As one older member of the community told me: “I know they wanted to say no because of my skin color but their daughter, whose is now my wife, was insistent that as Muslims they had no right to deny me.” For younger generations within the community there have been enough marriages between Palestinians of African descent and the larger community to make this less of an issue.

As an American Muslim who has spent more than a decade organizing or living on Chicago’s South Side, I can’t help but feel that the larger Palestinian American community has not celebrated the African part of our identity in the way that we should. Failing to do this has prevented segments of the Palestinian community from making more of a connection to the African American legacy and its struggles against institutionalized racism and white supremacy. Making that connection is imperative, particularly during opportune moments like Black History Month. Most African Americans residing in urban communities only interact with Palestinians through the presence of liquor stores or other exploitative businesses and a growing number of community activists have emerged as increasingly resentful of their presence. By embracing and celebrating their own African heritage during Black History Month, Palestinian and other Arab Muslims may grow to make more meaningful connections to the larger African American community, its rich legacy and its on-going struggles.

dr. jackson speech from iman's annual fundraising dinner

"While it was a cold Chicago night punctuated with the occasional snow flurries, people from all over the Chicagoland area packed the house Saturday evening at Malcolm X College to attend IMAN's Seventh Annual Fundraising Dinner. We once again well-exceeded our expectations concerning attendance and through the gracious fundraising talents of Dr. Ingrid Mattson and the many generous people in the room met our relatively modest but achievable fundraising goal for the evening. Dr Jackson and Imam Zaid both offered riveting and inspiring talks while the dignitaries, scholars, activists and artists in the hall all humbled and overwhelmed us with their supportive and profoundly important presence."

Saturday, March 04, 2006

the second message of islam

thanks to George Kelly, I found out about this page of links (books, journals, and articles) focusing on Islam and Africa. There is a good amount of interesting material there. Some of it on the scholarly side, dealing not just with "theology" but with culture and politics. And in multiple languages too (English, Spanish, French and Portuguese).

Right now, the piece which stands out the most for me is a pamphlet called: An Introduction To The Second Message of Islam, which briefly summarizes some of the ideas of Sudanese reformer Mahmoud Muhammad Taha. His basic idea seems to be that in the past, Muslim societies were only ready to implement a certain portion of the Quran. But in more recent times, after certain developments and changes have happened, we are able to understand and apply the Quran in a deeper way and we are ready for the "second message of Islam" which for Taha happens to include a vision of freedom, equality and democratic socialism.

Here is a website dedicated to the ideas of Mahmoud Muhammad Taha and here is the Wikipedia entry on him.

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

islam and afrocentrism

A version of this post is at Planet Grenada, but I figured that this would be appropriate to place here as well:

Over at Garvey's Ghost, Sondjata wrote a piece called afrocentricity and islam which was a response to a Grenada entry: islam and the african people. Unfortunately, comments don't seem to be working at Garvey's Ghost or else I would probably make my points over there. But what I would respectfully argue is that in at least a few a cases Sondjata is mistaken in his attempts to refute the original article (For example, some comments he attributes to Uthman Dan Fodio really were made by Cheikh Anta Diop). And in any case, the larger point is basically untouched: that various major Afrocentric scholars mentioned really did have a number of positive things to say regarding Islam's role in African history. And I would add that the best argument (at least, the best argument I can easily make right now) in favor of the fact that a strong Black and African identity is totally compatible with Islam is just the Third Resurrection blog and all the articles posted over there. Islam's roots in the Black world are just too deep to give the Black Orientalist position too much credibility. Islam has had links to Africa and Black people from the very beginning and it is sily to argue that it is unAfrican.


Moreover, this whole discussion seems to have lost sight of the most important consideration: the truth. I mean, if we can agree that there is a God or some Higher Power. And we can accept that God sends human messengers to communicate His will, then the exact "packaging" is going to be up to God. If he wanted to, God could have made his final messenger to humanity Chinese. What would the Afrocentrist do then? Accept the truth in the form God gave it, or reject the truth because of the skin its in?

Monday, February 27, 2006

ibn-khaldun on african blacks

The following is a good argument for why Blackamerican Muslims need to be careful to distinguish between what Islam necessarily teaches as a part of the Quran and Sunnah on the one hand, and things which are merely the opinion of certain Muslim scholars on the other. InshaAllah I or one of the group blog members can follow-up with more information about Ibn Khaldun's opinions and how to better contextualize them.
Blogger Abdusalaam al-Hindi on Ibn Khaldun on African Blacks

For somebody who is considered to be the father of sociology, Ibn Khaldun's--for lack of a better word--"racial" characterizations are so ridiculous that you can't help but laugh. Especially of Negroes and Bedouins. Read the following passage on blacks and you'll know what I'm talking about.

Ibn Khaldun says:

"We have seen that Negroes are in general characterized by levity[Defined as: behaviour intended to be amusing and not being serious], excitability, and great emotionalism. They are found eager to dance whenever they hear a melody. They are everywhere described as stupid." [pp 63]

He expresses similar views elsewhere but the above excerpt is a good example.

What's even funnier is his explanation to why it is so. Following is a continuation of the same passage.

"The real reason for these opinions is that, as has been shown by philosophers in the proper place, joy and gladness are due to expansion and diffusion of the animal spirit. [...] A drunken person experiences inexpressible joy and gladness because the vapour of the spirit in his heart is pervaded by natural heat, which the power of the wine generates in his spirit. The spirit, as a result, expands, and there is joy." [pp 63]

That explanation needs an explanation because it made no friggin sense to me.

Even though his views on blacks seem to be so, ah... politically incorrect, to say the least. It seems they are based on a stereotypical observation and not on some sort of racial bias against blacks. And the reason why I say that is because at other places he is actually arguing against the conventionally held racist beliefs of his time about blacks. Here is what I'm talking about:

"Genealogists who had no knowledge of the true nature of things imagined that Negroes were the children of Ham, the son of Noah, and that they were singled out to be black as the result of Noah's curse, which produced Ham's color and the slavery of God inflicted upon his descendants. It is mentioned in the Torah that Noah cursed his son Ham. No reference is made there to blackness. The curse included no more than that Ham's descendants should be the slaves of his brothers' descendants. To attribute the blackness of the Negroes to Ham, reveals disregard of the true nature of heat and cold and of the influence they exercise upon the climate and upon the creatures that come into being in it." [ pp 59]

You notice the same thing when it comes to other groups. At one place he is making outrageously prejudicial claims about a particular group and later in the book he is also admiring them. Bedouins of present day Saudia are another example.

So that's it on this topic. Hope to come across more similarly fascinating stuff as I read further into the book.