third resurrection

All-American Muslim – Thoughts and Response

2011-11-15T12:10:00.000-08:00

The new reality show, All-American Muslim, featured on the TLC channel, has caused something of a stir amongst American Muslims, particularly with Blackamerican Muslims, who continue to feel misrepresented, if not completely excluded from the narrative of Islam in American. While I do sympathize with many of the shows detractors for the obvious and above reasons, I think it’s equally important for Muslim Americans in general, and Blackamerican Muslim in particular, to come to grips with the true realities of piety amongst rank-and-file Muslims.

Read the full article here.

Required Reading: Towards Empowering the Common Muslim

2011-07-16T12:45:00.000-07:00

Towards Empowering the Common Muslim

The subject of religious literacy has been paramount on my mind for the past several years. Having stepped up on the minbar, I have had an opportunity to observe the Muslim community, if not from a bird’s eye view, at least from a few inches above the crowd. And one issue that seems to stand out clearly is the need for Muslims to have a foundation in religious literacy. Even just a few days ago, a young student approached me with a candiness I had to admire. He professed that on one hand, he wished to come to know and love the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم but that his main issue was that he was not clear on who the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم was and by proxy, what his Sunnah was. His courage to admit such a difficult quandry is as praiseworthy as it is insightful, for the young brother’s admission is far more common that we as a community might like to admit.

It is my hope in presenting Dr. Jackson’ short work here on the subject of af’al al-Nabi صلى الله عليه و سلم that it may help aid those who are looking for a foothold in the long ascent of coming to know and love the Best of Creation صلى الله عليه و سلم. I will also continue to update this article with as many of the direct sources as I can find and make them available so check back from time to time.

Read the full article here.

Philadelphia, 14th of Sha’ban, 1432AH.

my fellow american

2011-06-16T17:01:00.000-07:00

My Fellow American

cornel west and sherman jackson on a "prophetic" islam in america

2010-05-20T09:39:00.000-07:00

some interesting comments from suad abdul khabeer

2010-05-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

my name is still not khan

2010-05-20T09:36:00.000-07:00

more info on the ongoing story (hat-tip to islamicate)

An Open Letter from MPAC About Honoring 'My Name is Khan' APRIL 18, 2010
Response from My Name is Not Khan Collective April 26 2010
Further Response (w/ signatures)

For some other perspectives you might want to check out the review roundup on Sepia Mutiny

mooz-lum, coming soon!

2010-05-20T09:34:00.000-07:00

Pulled between his strict Muslim upbringing by his father and the normal social life he's never had, Tariq Mahdi enters college in a state of confusion. New relationships with Muslims and non-Muslims alike challenge his already shaken ideals, and the estrangement with his mother and sister troubles him. Slowly, he begins to find himself with the help of new friends, family and mentors, but when the attacks of 9/11 happen without warning, he is forced to face his past and make the biggest decisions of his life.

Should be an interesting film. The cast includes Danny Glover and Nia Long. And it is apparently an expanded version of a short film I've included on the blog before.

Myspace: MOOZ-lum
IMDB: MOOZ-lum
YouTube: Making "MOOZ-lum"
Examiner: 'Mooz-lum' a movie, not a person

times square vendor was a senegalese muslim

2010-05-20T09:32:00.002-07:00

I first saw this fact mentioned over at the Goatmilk blog, but I think it bears repeating. (Especially since I just saw some random conservative talking head use the recent incident to defend profiling and bigotry). The vendor who brought the smoking truck in Times Square to the attention of police was a Muslim from Senegal.

The Examiner: Times Square terrorism attempt thwarted by Muslim vendor
Democracy Now!: Muslim Vendor Gets No Credit in Helping to Foil Times Square Bomb Plot

consequences of muslims targeting civilians

2010-05-20T09:32:00.001-07:00

Consequences of Muslims Targeting Civilians by Imam Zaid is not a response to the attempted Times Square bombing as much as it is a historical reflection on the principle of civilian immunity in warfare. And even though I generally like what Imam Zaid Shakir writes and he made some important points here, I think in some respects the article almost inverts a common Western/Christian fallacy by comparing Western/Christian reality with Islamic ideals. One would probably need to write a whole book to do this topic justice, but the piece would have been enriched by a few more examples of the idealistic parts of the Christian Peace tradition (if only to locate it is a minority view) and some of the more pragmatic Islamic views on civilian casualties.

mos def and k'naan on austin city limits

2010-05-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

Austin City Limits: K'Naan/ Mos Def (Full episode)

I once wrote a poem about how Black musical forms would continually change and evolve so that by the time the next new thing came out, present-day cutting edge hip-hop would be considered ancient history; associated with elevator music and museum pieces. I even threw in a line about Yo! PBS Raps which apparently has started to come true.

Both Mos Def and K'Naan are Muslim.

claim that all terrorists are muslims ignores history

2010-05-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

The American Muslim: Claim that all terrorists are Muslims ignores history - updated 4/7/2010 by Sheila Musaji is a pretty extensive and varied set of links on non-Muslim religious violence and/or terrorism.

sufi rapper: the spiritual journey of abd al malik

2010-04-22T07:09:00.001-07:00

In the middle of... Sufi Rapper The Spiritual Journey of Abd al Malik about a French-born African Muslim who follows a spiritual path.

Here is an excerpt

the sunni beard

2010-04-22T07:06:00.000-07:00

the war before - safiya bukhari

2010-04-22T07:01:00.000-07:00

I've blogged about Safiya Bukhari before (see: black cats who became muslim and imprisoned intellectuals) and have been curious to find out more about her for a while so I'm especially excited to add The War Before to my reading list.

islam on the rise in brazilian favelas

2010-04-22T06:59:00.001-07:00

why they want to do us harm

2010-04-22T06:56:00.000-07:00

This essay is the unedited version of a response Imam Zaid wrote to a question posed by Helen Thomas to the White House press corps, “Why do they want to do us harm?” Thomas never got an answer so “In These Times” posed the question to several respondents. The edited version along with other responses can be viewed at:

http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/5712/why_do_they_want_to_do_us_harm_part_one/

To a large extent, “they” are simply a microcosmic mirror image of the extremist violence perpetrated by a hegemonic state dominated by elites that have reserved the right to use high-tech military machinery to systematically decimate countries, rip apart their social fabrics and directly or indirectly kill hundreds of thousands of people as has happened in Iraq.

In that country, “they” might be the relative of someone who died of typhoid or diarrhea from drinking sewage-contaminated water because “we” thought it a noble stratagem of war to destroy Iraq’s sanitation system during the 1991 Desert Storm operation. “they” might be someone whose home was blown away during the “Shock and Awe” campaign that inaugurated the current war in March, 2003. Maybe “they” never recovered from the shock and have been transformed by insensitive bombs into insensitive killers. Maybe “they” were brutalized and humiliated at Abu Ghraib. Maybe “they” know of Abeer Hamza al-Janabi, the 14 year-old Iraqi girl who was gang raped by a company of American soldiers, who proceeded to murder her and her entire family, including her 6-year old sister, Hadeel, and then burn their bodies to hide the evidence of their heinous crime.

Perhaps “they” are from Afghanistan, and want to do us harm for the reasons mentioned above. Maybe the callousness “they” display towards life is a reflection of the callousness we displayed when we built the “Jihad” movement to repel the Soviet invaders of that land during the 1980s, and after accomplishing that mission walked away leaving the country to endure almost a decade of murderous anarchy that culminated in the rise of the Taliban and Osama bin Laden. Perhaps the alienation “they” display is a pathetic parody of the Mujahideen “we” created.

Maybe “they” are not from Iraq or Afghanistan. Maybe “they” are rotting in a slum in Casablanca or Cairo, or festering in a classroom in Lagos or Lahore and have seen gruesome images generated by the wars we are prosecuting in Muslim lands. Perhaps “their” anger is combined with the angst generated by globalized economic forces “they” cannot understand. In some cases, those same forces may have rendered irrelevant their lives and their religion, the two sources of meaning in the world “they” thought “they” had inherited from “their” forefathers. Under such circumstances, “they” are easy prey to skilled recruiters who promise “them” both meaning and a free pass to Paradise by encouraging “them” to mindlessly strike out at what “they” are led to believe is the source of “their” misery.

Finally, “they” may be ignorant of both the deeper currents of world affairs and the deeper meanings of “their” religion. “they” probably have no idea of just how inconsequential spectacular violence is to the advancement of their cause. “they” probably have never stopped to reflect on how that violence is used by neo-fascist pundits and politicians to advance a climate of fear and misunderstanding that makes it more likely that even ordinarily well-meaning Americans will support policies that will lead to more bombing, maiming and murdering of Muslims –and eventually others- all around the globe. For this small minority, “their” obsession with Islam as a political ideology probably renders “them” totally oblivious to the religious message of Islam as an historical world religion that advances the sanctity of life, especially the life of innocent, noncombatant peoples, the refinement of the spirit and patient, dignified, principled resistance when confronted with the savage vagaries of “their” fellow humans.

malcolm x assassin granted parole after 40 years

2010-04-22T06:47:00.000-07:00

Alternet: Malcolm X Assassin Granted Parole After 40 Years

Actually, Thomas Hagan has been spending large chunks of time outside of prison on work release for a while now isn't the most interesting part of the story. What is most surprising to me is that he apparently converted to Islam.

my name is not khan

2010-04-22T06:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Concerned Muslim American Community Member:

As Salaamu Alaykum. In February of this year, a new Bollywood film, My Name is Khan, opened in U.S. theaters. Although it is claimed that the film promotes tolerance and understanding, My Name is Khan presents our diverse and dynamic American Muslim community through a "Good Muslim/Bad Muslim" lens that does an injustice to our community and reproduces racist stereotypes about African Americans. For a cogent review of the film, please read Su'ad Abdul Khabeer’s article “Khan Breaks New Stereotypes (but Reinforces Old Ones)” featured on Altmuslim.com.

Despite the problematic depictions of Muslims and non-Muslim African Americans in My Name is Khan, the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) has decided to honor this film by awarding it the prestigious Voices of Courage & Conscience Media Award at the 19th Annual MPAC Foundation Media Awards on May 1, 2010. This is particularly alarming because of MPAC Foundation’s stated goal of honoring media and artists committed to positive portrayals of Islam and Muslims, promoting diversity and social justice issues, and inspiring action. Yet, it is precisely because of the trust many Muslim Americans have placed in MPAC that we cannot let this kind of dehumanization and historical erasure go unchallenged.

Yesterday, April 14th 2010, a letter was sent to MPAC's Executive Director, Staff, and Board of Directors by a collective of concerned American Muslims to express disappointment with their choice and urged the MPAC Foundation Board to rescind the award. Please see the attached letter to review the detailed critique of the film, the reasonable demand made of MPAC, and the list of Original Signatories. MPAC’s leadership has stated its willingness to seriously consider the letter’s contents and the support it garners. If you would like to add your name to the list of Signatories, please email your name and organization (or location) to MyNameIsNOTKhan2010@gmail.com. We will periodically update MPAC with the extended list of new signatories.

We have been informed that the MPAC Foundation Board will be convening within a couple of days to make a formal decision on their response to the film critique and the reasonable demands, which we believe to be both morally and ethically correct. Leading up to the Board decision, we invite like-minded individuals to contact the MPAC Los Angeles Office to express their concerns with MPAC Foundation's decision to honor My Name is Khan and for them to reconsider their actions. You can contact MPAC by calling (213) 383-3443 during business hours (PST), or email the MPAC Communications Director at Communications@mpac.org. Our expectation is that the force of our collective voices will empower MPAC to make the choice that reflects their broader organizational goals and legacy––to rescind the Award. Insha’Allah, this will also present an opportunity for some much needed consciousness-raising around issues of race, class, media and civic engagement in the Muslim American community.

FiamanAllah y Pa’lante,

Su’ad Abdul Khabeer
Princeton University

Arshad I. Ali, Ph.D.
Lecturer
UCLA Graduate School of Education

Jihad Saleh Williams, MPA
Congressional Muslim Staffers Association

African American Muslims and Their Social Purgatory

2009-11-29T15:23:00.000-08:00

Please check out the provocative post over at The Manrilla Blog!!

http://www.manrilla.net/blog/2009/11/26/african-american-muslims-and-their-social-purgatory/

Ramadan Mubarak

2009-08-25T19:45:00.000-07:00

Just want to wish every a blessed month! May Allah accept all your fasting!

ma'a salaamah.

recently on the manrilla blog

2009-03-18T16:10:00.000-07:00

recently on The Manrilla Blog:

My Blind Date With The Federal Bureau of Investigations

and

Bebop, Islam and the Promise of a Dignified Existence in Jim Crow America

warrior's love

2009-02-14T10:53:00.000-08:00

where to turn to when returning to spirituality

2009-01-26T17:59:00.000-08:00

In Where To Turn To When Returning To Spirituality by Marc at The Manrilla Blog sparks off a pretty rich discussion on Blackamericans and traditional Islamic spirituality (i.e. Sufism).

as the new islamic year begins in nigeria...

2009-01-04T16:47:00.000-08:00

Daily Trust: As the new Islamic year begins by AbdulFattah Olajide

georgia judge jails muslim woman over head scarf

2009-01-04T16:43:00.000-08:00

By DIONNE WALKER – Dec 17, 2008

ATLANTA (AP) — A Muslim woman arrested for refusing to take off her head scarf at a courthouse security checkpoint said Wednesday that she felt her human and civil rights were violated.

A judge ordered Lisa Valentine, 40, to serve 10 days in jail for contempt of court, said police in Douglasville, a city of about 20,000 people on Atlanta's west suburban outskirts.

Valentine violated a court policy that prohibits people from wearing any headgear in court, police said after they arrested her Tuesday.

Kelley Jackson, a spokeswoman for Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker, said state law doesn't permit or prohibit head scarfs.

"It's at the discretion of the judge and the sheriffs and is up to the security officers in the court house to enforce their decision," she said.

Valentine, who recently moved to Georgia from New Haven, Conn., said the incident reminded her of stories she'd heard of the civil rights-era South.

"I just felt stripped of my civil, my human rights," she said Wednesday from her home. She said she was unexpectedly released after the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations urged federal authorities to investigate the incident as well as others in Georgia.

The group cited a report that the same judge removed a woman and her 14-year-old daughter from the courtroom last week because they were wearing Muslim head scarves.

Jail officials declined to say why she was freed and municipal Court Judge Keith Rollins said that "it would not be appropriate" for him to comment on the case.

Last year, a judge in Valdosta in southern Georgia barred a Muslim woman from entering a courtroom because she would not remove her head scarf. There have been similar cases in other states, including Michigan, where a Muslim woman in Detroit filed a federal lawsuit in February 2007 after a judge dismissed her small-claims court case when she refused to remove a head and face veil.

Valentine's husband, Omar Hall, said his wife was accompanying her nephew to a traffic citation hearing when officials stopped her at the metal detector and told her she would not be allowed in the courtroom with the head scarf, known as a hijab.

Hall said Valentine, an insurance underwriter, told the bailiff that she had been in courtrooms before with the scarf on and that removing it would be a religious violation. When she turned to leave and uttered an expletive, Hall said a bailiff handcuffed her and took her before the judge.

Associated Press writer Kate Brumback in Atlanta contributed to this report.

busta rhymes apologizes for "arab money"

2008-12-28T13:49:00.000-08:00

Mujahideen Ryder: Busta Rhymes apologizes for Arab Money song after Iraqi Rapper, Narcicyst, responds

deen tight: islam & hip-hop

2008-12-17T12:56:00.000-08:00

two posts from seeking ilm

2008-12-17T11:57:00.000-08:00

I don't know if anyone on the Seeking Ilm website is or identifies as Blackamerican but I still think that some of their posts still might interest readers of this blog:

Slavery in Islam: Fatwa by Sheikh Hatem Mohammad Al-Haj Aly and Az-Zanji: Muslim Ibn Khalid The Faqih of Mecca & Imam Ash-Shafi’i

dhoruba on obama

2008-12-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

Assata Radio: Dhoruba Bin-Wahad On Obama’s ascendency to the U.S. presidency

black iraqis in basra face discrimination

2008-12-03T08:01:00.000-08:00

Morning Edition, December 3, 2008 · The election of Barack Obama to the U.S. presidency was celebrated with special fervor by Iraqis of African descent in the southern port city of Basra.

Although they have lived in Iraq for more than 1,000 years, the black Basrawis say they are still discriminated against because of the color of their skin, and they see Obama as a role model. Long relegated to menial jobs or work as musicians and dancers, some of them have recently formed a group to advance their civil rights.

NPR: Full Story

brass crescent awards 2008

2008-11-30T23:25:00.000-08:00

An unsolicited "plug" from Marqas at The Manrilla Blog:

Having just come off attending the 2nd Annual MANA Conference here in Philadelphia, it came as a pleasant surprise that the Manrilla Blog has been put in the running for Best Design in the 2008 Brass Crescent Awards, a joint project of altmuslim.com. The awards are meant to honor blogs that represent the best in Muslim blogging, with yours truly up for, “…[a] blog that has the most aesthetically pleasing site design, appealing to the eye, evoking Islamic themes, and/or facilitating debate and discussion.” My thanks to those who felt this blog worthy of nomination. Feel free to cast your vote here.

you can't please all the people all the time...

2008-11-29T17:13:00.000-08:00

So Nader thinks Obama is an Uncle Tom and Al-Zawahiri thinks Obama is a House Negro (see obama, malcolm x, al-zawahiri and house negroes). Sean Hannity and Sarah Palin, of course think that Obama is a Black-Liberation-theology-believing, socialist Muslim (as if that were a bad thing).

If you want to see what some progressive African-American Muslims have to say about Obama you should definitely check out Imam Zaid Shakir's response to a well-meaning brother along with the blog entry/story African-American Muslim leaders denounce al Qaeda's slur toward Obama

response to a well-meaning brother

2008-11-28T18:38:00.000-08:00

Imam Zaid Shakir's Response to a Well-Meaning Brother lays out in a nuance way, through an exchange of letters between Imam Zaid and another brother only identified as Hamza, both the shortcomings and the bright spots implied by Barack Hussein Obama's electoral victory.

Go Forth Romantic Warrior!

2008-11-28T18:30:00.000-08:00

Go Forth Romantic Warrior!
By Imam Zaid on 28 October 2008

Go forth romantic warrior,
to slay the beast of self.
Go forth into the field of life,
and relish in the wealth.

Go forth romantic warrior,
transcend the chains of time.
Go forth beyond this world of strife,
to learn of life sublime.

Go forth romantic warrior,
no more shall your heart bleed.
Go forth to find your love so rife,
intention is your deed.

The Road Home

If the road endures for one more bend,
or twist, before we reach the end.
If our hope endures for one more day,
then surely we will find our way.

If we can fly where only eagles dare,
our hearts will find Him waiting there.
if our weary feet can onward trod,
our journey’s end will be to God.

obama, malcolm x, al-zawahiri and house negroes

2008-11-27T16:14:00.000-08:00

Following up on the simple-minded attempt of Al-Zawahiri to manipulate Blackamerican opinion by calling Obama a "house negro" who is the opposite of Malcolm X:

From a Singular Voice:
It Finally Happened; Al Qaida Hijacks Malcolm X
Imam Talib Abdur-Rashid and New York Imams Do the Right Thing. UPDATE: Johari Abdul-Malik joins in

See also:
Malcolm’s Troubled Legacy in the Age of Obama, My University Lecture Notes
Malcolm’s Troubled Legacy Part II

African-American Muslim leaders denounce al Qaeda's slur toward Obama

2008-11-26T16:56:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Spiritual leaders of New York's African-American Muslim communities lashed out Friday at a purported al Qaeda message attacking President-elect Barack Obama and, using racist language, comparing him unfavorably to the late Malcolm X.

Ayman al-Zawahiri said Obama was the "direct opposite of honorable black Americans" like Malcolm X.

The imams called the recorded comments from al Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri "an insult" from people who have "historically been disconnected from the African-American community generally and Muslim African-Americans in particular."

"We find it insulting when anyone speaks for our community instead of giving us the dignity and the honor of speaking for ourselves," they said in a statement read during a news conference at the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial, Educational and Cultural Center.

The al Qaeda statement, an 11-minute, 23-second audio message in Arabic with subtitles in English, appeared on the Internet on Wednesday. Its authenticity has not been confirmed.

The message said Obama represents the "direct opposite of honorable black Americans" like Malcolm X. Video Watch al Qaeda official criticize Obama »

The speaker also said Obama, former and current Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice and "your likes" fit Malcolm X's description of "house slaves."

On Friday, Imam Al-Hajj Talib 'Abdur-Rashid, recalling Malcolm X's legacy, said that he "stood for human rights and the principle of self defense ... international law. He would have rejected, and we who are Muslim African-Americans leaders reject, acts of political extremism."

Here are Al-Zahawiri's comments in context:

After Obama Win, Black Muslim Teen Beaten With Bat on Staten Island

2008-11-26T16:51:00.000-08:00

17-year-old Ali Kamara, a black Muslim, was walking home on Staten Island Tuesday night after it was announced that Barack Obama was elected president when he was brutally assaulted by four white men. Kamara tells the Daily News: "I see the car coming. They looked at me and said, 'Obama!' They were not happy. They had hoodies on. They started hitting me with bats and my body started vibrating." Luckily, Kamara was able to break away and hide until the thugs left; his mother, who moved with Ali to Staten Island from Liberia in 2000, showed the News a bloody towel she used to staunch his wounds. An NYPD spokesman says the department's Hate Crime Task Force is investigating the incident as a bias crime. And Kamara says he heard his assailants scream the word "Obama!" but not any other racial or religious slurs, so it could be the bullies just mistook Kamara for the new President-Elect.

(original story)

kemi seba: france's "malcolm x"

2008-11-22T19:17:00.000-08:00

From Mark Sedgewick's Traditionalists' blog: Guenon and "France's Malcolm X"

I wish I knew French so I could read the Saphir interview...

Guénon has found a new fan in France: Kémi Séba, a somewhat notorious African-nationalist activist, who recently converted to Islam and is being referred to by some as "France's Malcolm X." His following, however, seems considerably smaller than that of America's Malcolm X.

Séba read Guénon in a French jail in early 2008, while serving the most recent of a series of short sentences for inciting racial hatred. In an August 2008 interview with Saphir News, a French Muslim on-line newspaper, he referred to several of Guénon's works, and said that although Guénon was not the only reason for his conversion to Islam, it was Guénon who had shown him that Islam was more than the religion of the Arabs.

michael jackson converts to islam

2008-11-22T19:13:00.000-08:00

From UPI.com

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Pop star Michael Jackson has converted to Islam at a ceremony in Los Angeles attended by Yousef Islam, the singer formerly known as Cat Stevens, sources say.

Jackson, whose once-amazing career has been eclipsed in recent years by reports of bizarre behavior, as well as legal and financial troubles, is said to have changed his name to Mikaeel and taken the shahada -- or made a declaration of belief -- as part of his conversion to Islam, Al-Arabiya said Friday.

The religious ceremony reportedly took place at the Hollywood Hills home of Toto keyboardist Steve Porcaro, who composed music for Jackson's iconic "Thriller" album.

Jackson's lawyer said the singer has agreed to testify in person next week at a $7 million breach-of-contract lawsuit brought against him in London's High Court by the king of Bahrain's son, Sheik Abdulla bin Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa.

The sheikh is suing Jackson for allegedly backing out of a business venture that was to produce an album, including songs the royal wrote for and planned to record with Jackson, as well as an autobiography and a stage play.

However, Jackson contends he never signed an official agreement and insists the payments he received from the sheik were "gifts," claiming the royal's case is based on "mistake, misrepresentation and undue influence."

see also:
michael jackson: off the wall
britney spears may convert to islam

why are we lying to ourselves: race and politics 2008

2008-10-11T18:03:00.000-07:00

The American Muslim: Why are we lying to ourselves: Race and Politics 2008 by Robert Salaam discusses the role divisive racial rhetoric has been playing in the current U.S. presidential contest.

second time around for african american muslims

2008-10-03T16:31:00.000-07:00

Second time around for African American Muslims by Jimmy E. Jones

24 June 2008
New Haven, Connecticut - For many African American Muslims, the fallout from the horrendous crime of September 11, 2001 was not entirely new. The US government's response was a bit of déjà vu for those, like me, who were Civil Rights activists in college during the 1960s and 70s. The only difference is that now we face a higher level of intensity.

Our phones were wiretapped in the sixties and seventies and now our email is also being scrutinised. Our activist organisations were spied on then and now our places of worship are also under surveillance. Four decades ago, paid government agents and informants sought to entrap us and now a whole new generation of such people are hard at work.

Given this reality, many African American Muslim leaders in the post-9/11 world have taken on three varied approaches to this renewed, intensified interest by the US government.

The first approach is what I call the "bring it on" strategy. This refers to the methodology of the African American Muslim leaders who have had extensive histories of advocating for social justice. Therefore, the kind of injustices spurred by post-9/11 fear-mongering has only led them to intensify the struggle on behalf of Muslims and others whose human rights have been violated.

One good example is Mahdi Bray, executive director of the Muslim American Society's Freedom Foundation, who uses non-violent tactics and interfaith alliances forged in the Civil Rights era to advocate on behalf of the rights of Muslims and others in the 21st century. An example is MAS's recent Human Rights Campaign in Egypt that has used interfaith protests at Egyptian embassies and consulates as a way to advocate for greater political freedom in that country.

The second approach is what I call the "if you only knew" approach. African American Muslim leaders who fall into this category tend to work the intellectual boundary between Muslims and the broader American community. Using logic and scholarly Islamic and secular research, such people attempt to speak to the American (and world) community in ways that encourage thoughtful cross-culture discussions. Rather than a "clash of civilisations" model, the focus is on issues of mutual concern between Muslim and non-Muslim communities.

Intisar Rabb, graduate associate at the Princeton University Program in Law and Public Affairs (where she is finishing a PhD after having graduated from Yale Law School with a JD) is a young, developing example of this approach. Her involvement in last year's "Women, Islam and the West" Symposium at the international dialogue-building Aspen Institute is one example of this approach.

The third approach is what I call the "do for self" approach. This is a strategy wherein certain African American Muslim leaders focus on dealing with internal issues that negatively impact the African American Muslim community. The underlying idea is that African American Muslims cannot be full contributors to the larger Muslim community or broader world until they tackle some of the social, cultural, economic and political issues that affect its community.

A good example of this is Imam Siraj Wahhaj's leadership in helping to found and then lead the Muslim Alliance of North America, an organisation that targets the needs of urban communities with projects such as its "Healthy Marriage Initiative".

The challenge for African American Muslims who choose any one of these three approaches is to do so with justice while remaining undaunted by the seemingly relentless daily fear-mongering against Islam in the name of patriotism and national security. As the Qur'an states so eloquently and succinctly:

O ye who believe! stand out firmly for God, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear God. For God is well-acquainted with all that ye do. (Qur'an 5:8)

* Jimmy E. Jones is associate professor and chair of World Religions at Manhattanville College and president of Masjid Al-Islam in New Haven, Connecticut. This article is part of a series on African American Muslims written for the Common Ground News Service. It can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 24 June 2008

african american muslims refute the clash of civilizations

2008-10-03T16:29:00.000-07:00

African American Muslims refute the clash of civilisations by Dawud Walid

african american muslims key to bridge building in us

2008-10-03T16:08:00.000-07:00

African American Muslims Key to Bridge Building in US by Aminah Beverly McCloud

eid mubarak!

2008-10-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or are more and more communities deciding to use "calculation" to determine the start and end of Ramadan? (See moonsighting.com for more articles)

race, discrimination, slavery, nationalism and citizenship in the afro-arab borderlands

2008-09-28T09:03:00.000-07:00

Chickenbones Journal: Race, Discrimination, Slavery, Nationalism and Citizenship in the Afro-Arab Borderlands By Kwesi Kwaa Prah

reflection on the passing of the imam

2008-09-21T11:19:00.000-07:00

Here is a collection of links on Imam W.D. Mohammed and his passing. The numbered links are borrowed shamelessly from Akram's Razor. But the first half-dozen or so are "extra".

The Best of Dr. Marvin X: Muslim Leader Imam Warithdin Muhammad Makes Transition
My Islamic Perspective: Remembering Imam W. D. Mohammed (UPDATED)
The American Muslim: Remembering Imam W. D. Muhammad by Abdul Malik Mujahid
Chicago Tribune: Thousands gather in Villa Park for funeral of Imam W. Deen Mohammed by Margaret Ramirez and Noreen Ahmed-Ullah
Detroit Free Press: Hamtramck-born Islamic imam who led thousands dies

Islamosphere:

Zahed Amanullah. "The Imam Cares" (alt.muslim)
Seeker's Digest: "Passing of Imam WD Mohammed - The Death of a Great Leader of Islam in the West"
Islamicate: "Warith Dean Mohammed is Dead"
SaqibSaab at Muslim Matters: "Thoughts After Attending The Janazah of Imam W. D. Mohammed"
Rickshaw Diaries: "RIP: Imam W. Deen Muhammad"
Koonj: "Imam Warith Deen Muhammad: a leader among leaders"
Just Another Angry Black Muslim Woman? "Death of a Pioneer: Warith Deen Muhammad October 30, 1933-Sept.9, 2008"
SunniSister: Imam Warith Deen
ThirdResurrection: w.d. mohammed dies
Tariq Nelson: "W Deen Mohammed 1933-2008"
Akram's Razor: "Imam W.D. Mohammed has left us"
Azhar Usman: "An Apology: Heartfelt reflections on the passing of a legendary Blackamerican Muslim leader"
Dynamite Soul: "A word about Imam Warith Deen Mohammad"
Imam Zaid Shakir: "Imam Warith Deen Muhammad (1933-2008)"
Sisterdoc: "Peace and Blessings Imam W.D. Mohammed-R.I.P."

Rest of the Blogosphere:

Mata H at Blogher: "The death of Imam W. Deen Mohammed and 'A Summit on Religious Faith, Torture, and Our National Soul'"
David Waters: "W.D. Mohammed's Spiritual Maturity"
Marc Lamont Hill: "R.I.P. Warith Deen Muhammad"
John Esposito: "W.D. Mohammed: A Witness for True Islam"

MSM:

Michelle Gallardo. "Prayer services for Imam W. D. Mohammed" (a Chicago TV station)
Margaret Ramirez and Noreen Ahmed-Ullah. "Thousands gather in Villa Park for funeral of Imam W. Deen Mohammed" (Chicago Tribune)
Margaret Ramirez, Manya A. Brachear and Ron Grossman.
"Muslim America's rebellious son" (The Chicago Tribune)
Sophia Tarteen: "Former Nation of Islam leader W.D. Mohammed dies" (Associated Press)
Niraj Warikoo: "Muslim leader Warith Deen Mohammed dies" (FREEP)
Patricia Sullivan: "W.D. Mohammed; Changed Muslim Movement in U.S." (Washington Post)
Time Online: "Imam W. D. Mohammed: influential US Sunni Muslim leader"
Malise Ruthven: "Imam who succeeded his father as leader of the Nation of Islam" (The Guardian)

Misc.

A guest book dedicated to the memory of Imam W.D. Mohammed
An audio recording of the Muslim Journal's press conference
"This Far by Faith: Warith Deen Muhammad" , an episode of a PBS series on great religious leaders dedicated to WDM
Taylor Branch: "The Anointed Son: The story behind W.D. Mohammed's momentous break with his father and his alliance with Malcolm X." (Beliefnet)
A bio of WDM at an Atlanta mosque.

Imâm W. D. Mohammed and The Third Resurrection by Dr. Sherman Jackson

2008-09-16T20:30:00.000-07:00

In the wake of Imam W. D. Mohammed’s death [may God have mercy on his soul and grant him peace and Paradise], Dr. Jackson presents to us a most erudite article regarding not only the imam’s passing but a clarion call to entire America Muslim community as to the milestone we’ve reached and where we ought to be heading. Read the article in its entirety here.

w.d. mohammed dies

2008-09-10T02:37:00.000-07:00

Associated Press: W.D. Mohammed dies; son of Nation of Islam founder
12 hours ago

CHICAGO (AP) — A nephew says Imam W.D. Mohammed, the son of Nation of Islam founder Elijah Muhammad, has died.

Sultan Muhammad says his uncle died Tuesday. He didn't immediately give further details but says the family will issue a statement.

W.D. Mohammed moved thousands of blacks into mainstream Islam after breaking with the group his father founded. He went by both Warith Deen Mohammed and Wallace Muhammad.

The Cook County Medical Examiner confirmed receiving the body of a 74-year-old Wallace Mohammed.

looking for participants in survey for islamic research

2008-08-21T14:10:00.000-07:00

Survey Document for Potential Participants:

Assalamu Alaikum my Sisters in Islam,

My name is Hanifa Najjiyya. I am a Graduate student working on my Communication Masters at Eastern Michigan University. The purpose of this email is to invite your participation into my research agenda. My research topic has to do with the Spiritual Transitioning of African American Muslim Women in the 1960's and 1970's. If you fit this description and would like to participate in my research, please respond to this email. I am looking for 7-20 women who would like to share their stories from whence they came to `how's it going for you now' perspective. Based on the responses, I will, inshallah, contact all that fit the criteria for the study. Inshallah, please fill out the screening procedure on this page and return to:hnajjiyy@emich.edu. Thank you, and Jazakullah Khairun for your help.

Ma Salams,
Hanifa Najjiyya

Screening Procedure

1. Name______________________________________

2. Address____________________________________

3. Email Address____________________________

4. Age ________________

5. When (year) did you embrace Islam?____________________________

6. Where (city,state),did you embrace Islam?
_______________________

7. Were you socially active within your community
(college,university,neighborhood) prior to transitioning towards
Islam?
Please write yes or no.__________________

8. Did your transitioning (embracing Islam) change your social
voice in any way within your community?
Please write yes or no. ____________________

9. Would you be willing to share your perspective within the
research study?

Please write yes'or no._____________________

sufi breakdancing

2008-08-20T12:20:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered the blog Fire of Ashk which posted a clip of some Naqshbandi followers of Shaykh Nazim doing dhikr in a circle, where one excited brother starts to breakdance:

See also:
planet grenada and islam and hip-hop

imam zaid: is obama a used car dealer?

2008-08-20T12:17:00.000-07:00

From Lantern Torch:

Once again I managed to beat Imam Zaid Shakir to the punch with my article about Obama’s love affair with the AIPAC, but that is probably only because he took the time to ponder over it and write something much more elqouent and powerful. His article is certainly worth a read.

help a muslimah win a scholarhsip

2008-08-20T12:08:00.000-07:00

Umm Zakiyya has entered a contest to get a $5,000.00 scholarship. The video that gets the most views wins the contest and the scholarship. Everyone can help simply watching and sharing the video:

Contest ends August 31, 2008.

the tension between black americans and somalis

2008-08-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

From Tariq Nelson:

Ebony magazine recently had an article (not online) about the tensions between Somalis and black Americans in Columbus, Ohio. Charles and Jamerican Muslimah (part one and part two) have both commented on the situation since they live in Columbus, OH and Minneapolis (respectively) which are home to the two largest populations of Somalis in the US.

I have a few comments of my own below:

My personal experience with Somalis has been positive from the time the first group of refugees came to the US. (This isn’t to dismiss the experiences of others) I have met a ton of very good Somalis that are very caring. I can’t remember having said “salaam” to one and not having it returned. However, I am not naive enough to think that this is the case with all Somalis. Had most Somalis been like the ones I’ve met, it would be a very peaceful place, and Allah knows best.

I find this Ebony story to be a case study of the change in direction and perception of Islam and Muslims in America. Traditionally, Islam was seen as something that was fully a part of the black American (BA) community and even an expression of being “conscious” or a “deep thinker”. There were several positive portrayals of Muslims in pop culture in the early 1990s that reflected the image of a “Muslim” in the black community. There are many BAs with names like Jamal and Rasheed and refraining from pork was seen as something “conscious” and authentically “black”.

Nowadays, Islam and Muslims (even in the BA community) are associated with being foreign or alien - and this is not all the media’s fault. In many places outside the Northeast like the Twin Cities, Columbus, Houston, and Dallas, to be Muslim is to be Somali, Pakistani or Arab (depending on the dominating ethnic group of the city) and to be Somali, Pakistani or Arab is to be Muslim. In other words, when one says “Arab” or “Somali”, they mean “Muslim” and when they say “Muslim”, they mean “Arab” or “Somali”. So when a non-Muslim spends years in the Twin Cities and every Muslim they have met has been Somali, why should we get angry when they associate Muslim with being Somali when that person has seen nothing different? This is why they will ask an American Muslim upon seeing them (especially a woman) if they need a translator or speak very slowly assuming they don’t speak English very well. They just don’t associate Islam with being American and don’t mean anything by it. There is no need to have a chip on our shoulders about being mistaken for foreign (I have been mistaken for Somali myself even by other Somalis who walk up to me speaking the Somali language) when they dominate the “Islam” in a particular city.

For this reason, a black, white, Latino and other converts living in places like that are increasingly seen as somehow enthralled with another culture - essentially no different than a Samari enthusiast for example. With that in mind, Islam is certainly not seen as an option since (in their minds) becoming Muslim means adopting a new culture. It is like saying “becoming Chinese” or “becoming Russian”. I knew that things were changing a few years ago when I met a BA teenager in Memphis that thought that Islam was a place and Muslims were an ethnic group. Islam/Muslim has essentially become a race that is a catch all for Desi, Arab or Somali. So to become Muslim in the Twin Cities is to essentially “become Somali”. I just wonder if Islam in the US is forever to be alien now.

Finally, the greatest tragedy of this BA vs Somali issue is that because of the positive image of Islam in the early 1990s, many BAs were prepared to embrace their African brothers and sisters (the Somalis) and probably feel a rejected. Had most BAs been treated like I was, there would be a very different story today.

black iraquis hoping for obama win

2008-08-20T11:04:00.000-07:00

From Tariq Nelson's blog

Racism in Iraq??? Against blacks? Is the Middle East ready for the type of social introspection that has happened here in the West?

(via Stereohyped)

Abdul Hussein Abdul Razzaq laughs wearily when asked if racism is a problem in Iraq. As a black Iraqi, Razzaq says, he faces job and social discrimination and has little chance of getting a political appointment or being elected if he ran for public office.

That’s why Razzaq, a longtime journalist from the southern city of Basra, is hoping that Barack Obama becomes the United States’ next president. Not only will it be better for Americans, he says, it will help blacks the world over. “It will prove that Americans are recognizing that black people are just as capable as white people. It will be a historic accomplishment for black people all over the world if Barack Obama wins,” Razzaq said.

Racism isn’t new in Iraq. Blacks were brought here as slaves from Africa more than 1,000 years ago to work for wealthy landowners in Basra, where most of Iraq’s black population still lives.

After 1,000 years, did Iraq ever apologize for slavery? Then some want to point the finger at the US’s late apology?

Today, one of the insults sometimes hurled at black people is “Abd,” which means servant or slave in Arabic, said Razzaq, who has founded a political organization called the Free Iraqis Movement to press for equal rights for black people.

Its goal includes amending Iraq’s constitution to ban discrimination against blacks, who Razzaq says number about 2 million here, and getting blacks elected to the national parliament.

Man, sounds like Jim Crow. Wonder how that project is going?

He admits the effort so far has been frustrating.

[...]

Another problem, according to Razzaq, is that many of Iraq’s most powerful people still think of blacks as servants. Some tribal sheiks still keep blacks as slaves, he says.

That speaks for itself…

The Zakat Institute

2008-06-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

An interesting post over at the Detroit Blog on Bilal Hajj and his East Side Detroit enterprise. The roots of proto-Islamic movements in Detroit runs deep.

questions of race in islam

2008-06-17T13:07:00.000-07:00

progress theatre's freedom song

2008-06-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

Interfaith touring ensemble, Progress Theatre [PT], exemplifies their mission to use art to breakdown stereotypes and inspire cross-community dialogue with their performance of "The Freedom Song" at the Washington D.C. premiere of the "Prince Among Slaves" documentary. PT's emotional performance gives voice to both the unity and diversity of the ensembles' intersecting identities as Muslim Americans, African Americans and Young Americans invested in the promise of Freedom. "The Freedom Song" is originally featured in PT's musical play "'MEMBUH: Confessions of The Only Generation" to honor the legacy of enslaved Africans in the Americas--many who were Muslims--whose survival, resistance and faith ensured the existence of future generations.

"bean pie my brother?"

2008-06-16T22:34:00.000-07:00

yet another entry in the US Muslim Film Contest:

perspectives on jazz culture

2008-06-16T19:51:00.000-07:00

Another entry from the US Muslim film contest:

glimpse

2008-06-16T19:48:00.000-07:00

An entry from the US Muslim Film Contest

the writings of yusef lateef

2008-06-16T05:24:00.000-07:00

Blatantly stolen from Marc Manley over at The Manrilla Blog:

"From a small, self-published book entitled Something Else, jazz legend Yusef Lateef published an engaging book back in 1973. Yusef, who is known as a master multi-instrumentalist, is also a gifted writer, producing everything from short plays, essays, and poetry [as in this installment]. I have been putting segments of the book up on line. Here's the newest addition for your reading pleasure: http://www.manrilla.net/blog/reflections/

For more of Something Else, just visit the Blog and see the links under "Reads" on the right-hand side.

Enjoy"

Dr. Hip Slick: On Hipness
Ode To Pieter Bruegel
Reflections
Spiritual Aspects of Creating Music
The Constitution of Aesthetics, The Declaration of Genius and The Aesthetic Address
The Garments
The Outgame

lifting the veil on black islam

2008-06-16T03:07:00.000-07:00

Tariq Nelson has a recent post Lifting the Veil on ‘Black’ Islam which is a commentary on Lifting The Veil On Black Islam In The 215 by Jeff Deeny over at the Phawker blog. Both pieces are about the Black Muslim community in Philadelphia, especially in the wake of the Germantown Masjid's decision to not bury a Muslim who was implicated in the death of a police officer.

whatever happened to the league of the black stone?

2008-05-11T12:05:00.000-07:00

I've been curious about the League of the Black Stone for a while now (since before I started to blog) so it is good to finally get an update. But I'm a bit skeptical about how their agenda can survive unless it has an organization to push it forward.

see:
laughing lions
the forbidden dialogues

philly black mafia

2008-05-10T17:32:00.000-07:00

hat-tip to Tariq Nelson's entry Philly Black Mafia Documentary Recall that we previously mentioned the Black Mafia in anniversary of the 1977 dc "hanafi" muslim siege

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

"we will not bury this muslim"

2008-05-10T16:21:00.000-07:00

The leadership of the Germantown Masjid has refused to conduct funeral services for Howard Cain, the bank robber who killed Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski with a Chinese-made semi-automatic rifle.

"No, we will not bury him at Germantown Masjid," said Tariq El Shabazz, managing director of the mosque. "We don't want one slight scintilla hinting that we condone his behavior."

On Sunday evening, a friend of Cain's family asked if Cain's burial could take place at the mosque on Germantown Avenue near Logan Street, El Shabazz said.

El Shabazz declined to conduct the service after researching Islamic law and meeting with Saadiq Abdul Jabbar, chief executive of the mosque; Imam Talib Abdullah, and others.

To be honest, my gut instinct is to disagree with the Masjid's decision, at least as far as conducting the service. A Muslim is a Muslim is a Muslim. And a Muslim has a right ot be prayed over. If the masjid wants to make a statement about Cain's behavior I think they should find other ways to do it.

For more information or other perspectives check out:
Philly.com: Mosques: We will not bury this Muslim
Tariq Nelson: Philly Masjids: “We will not bury this Muslim”
Sunni Sister: A Crying Shame

still a ways to go: race and the american muslim community

2008-05-10T16:10:00.000-07:00

From Tales of a Modern Muslimah here are two posts which touch on some of the recurring racial issues in the American Muslim "community": Whiteness among Muslims and Interracial marriage...still a threat?

islam 201

2008-05-10T15:02:00.002-07:00

From The Manrilla Blog:

A quick scan of the Muslim blogosphere, particularly the Blackamerican blogs, renders a mixture of angst, indignation, soul searching and a mixed bag of other emotions. To put it simply, [Black]American Muslims are having an existential crisis. From lack of authority to lack of learning, Modernity circles the camp, constantly threatening, constantly throwing confusion into the mix. This blog has tried to be a voice of reason, a voice of the alternative amidst this crisis. But after even a periphery scan amongst fellow bloggers it would seem we’ve gathered enough data to come to the conclusion that what has been put forth is not bearing fruit for Muslims today. So the question that begs an answer is what are we, as [Black]American Muslims going to do about this deficit? I for one say it’s time for a little less pixelation and a bit more connectivity of the face-to-face variety. In other words, as Hall & Oates put it, “One on one, I want to play that game to night…” (For the entire article "Islam 201 - The Future of this blog, the future of this Muslim" at The Manrilla blog)

the philosophy of ahmed abdul-malik

2008-05-10T15:02:00.001-07:00

From The Manrilla Blog:

The following is an article about the Sudanese bassist and composer, Ahmed Abdul-Malik, that was originally published in Down Beat Magazine, July 4th, 1963. The article was written by Bill Coss. Beyond an excellent insight into the workings of a master musician, Abdul-Malik ties the thread between knowing the Creator and knowing one’s world. Given Modernity’s fractured vision on the relation of things, Abdul-Malik’s words are erudite and moving. He was also a stellar musician of world-class calibre. Hat tip to Doug Benson for the resource. May Allah have mercy on his soul.

In some degree, all music is about something. But what it is about, its contents, differs widely and generally determines its essential worth.

For composer Ahmed Abdul-Malik the content encompasses all the sciences. particularly the sociological, ethnic, and theological. The easiest thing to say would be that Abdul-Malik is different from most jazz musicians, and both his brief biography and the development of his thought immediately show that difference, while at the same time serving as a primer for youngsters who might aspire to be what Abdul-Malik considers the complete musician.

All his conscious development has come from religious convictions. “People think I am too far out with religion,’ he said. “But it is so necessary to know the Creator, to know the rules of being - what it means - to know the commandments, to know you are commanded to use your intellect and will… That allows you to advance in all subjects. How else can you know about life? And music is life. (read whole article at The Manrilla blog)

andre carson became the second muslim elected to the u.s. congress

2008-04-18T05:16:00.000-07:00

Tariq Nelson: Andre Carson becomes the second Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress.

“do good works, engage politically, and get involved”

2008-04-18T05:13:00.000-07:00

altmuslim.com: “Do good works, engage politically, and get involved” is an interview of the first Muslim U.S. Congressman Keith Ellison by Wajahat Ali.

dave chappelle gives salaams to fans

2008-04-18T05:12:00.001-07:00

From MT Akbar (Chi-Town Revolutionary Guerrilla) : Dave Chapelle in the UK-Sends Salaams and Eid Mubarak to fans

spain to senegal: stay home

2008-04-18T05:10:00.000-07:00

n These Times: Spain to Senegal: Stay Home by Adrián Bleifuss Prados deals with the various Spanish responses to African immigration.

Other entires on Spain as a place of immigration:
is spain realy racist?
points to paradise
spanish immigration ploy: hire mothers

franchisee sues islamic investment bank for racial discrimination

2008-04-18T05:08:00.000-07:00

PLanet Grenada: Franchisee Sues Islamic Investment Bank for Racial Discrimination

say hello to...

2008-04-17T21:37:00.000-07:00

The Tales of a Modern Muslimah: thoughts on Islam, race, gender and more from a young Muslimah living in the Wild West

"I'm a 23 year old Muslim Black American. I'm an undergrad at a Mid-Western university. I'd like to be a professor someday. I'm a Muslim black feminist and I love exploring how race, gender, religion, and also class intersect to influence our lives."

blasphemy before god: the darkness of racism in muslim culture

2008-04-17T21:32:00.000-07:00

Confessions of a Funky Ghetto Hijabi: Blasphemy Before God: The Darkness of Racism in Muslim Culture

the imam and the pastor

2008-04-17T21:30:00.000-07:00

Confessions of a Funky Ghetto Hijabi: Film Review: The Imam and the Pastor...There is hope for peace between Muslims and Christians in Nigeria!

being muslim and trying to connect to my nigerian heritage: no easy task

2008-04-17T21:16:00.000-07:00

Confessions of a Funky Ghetto Hijabi: Being Muslim and Trying to Connect to my Nigerian Heritage: No Easy Task

a fluid conversation

2008-04-17T21:11:00.000-07:00

Black American Muslim Political Scientists: A Fluid Conversation on Maturation Through Self-Actualization Part 1

omar & pete

2008-04-17T20:41:00.000-07:00

From Tariq Nelson's page

This film features two Muslims from Baltimore that have spent the last 30 years in and out of prison. This sad film gives a lot of insight to the institutionalized mentality many (Muslim and non-Muslim alike) suffer from upon entering the penal system at a young age. The things these men see and go through at a young age are difficult for those who are blessed to have grown up in stable and loving families to put their minds around.

The trailer and film synopsis are below (thanks to Abdul Qaadir for sending this)

ahhh, yemen!

2008-04-17T20:30:00.000-07:00

A Singular Voice: Ahhhh, Yemen! brings up the racism which is still affecting Yemeni society.

the "immigrant muslim syndicate"

2008-04-17T20:26:00.000-07:00

A Singular Voice: “Immigrant Muslim Syndicate”: The Evidence addresses some of the poor choices Blackamerican Muslims are faced with when it comes to organized Islam in the US.

skin deep: indian man drove his wife to suicide by calling her "black"

2008-04-17T20:01:00.000-07:00

Jezebel by way of Kameelah:

A man was sentenced to two years in jail for driving his wife to suicide by calling her "black." This was in India, where, as previously reported, fair skin is highly deisired, and where being called dark is "worse than physical torture," according to the court. In the case, Syed Fathima was so distressed after two months of marriage to Farook Batcha (two months of constant fighting, and of him calling her too dark) that she put an end to the marriage — and her life — by pouring kerosene over her head and setting herself on fire. Just a note to the people who don't think it's a big deal when fashion designers refuse to use black models: It's all related, and it's global. [The Times Of India]

a common faith, but little common ground?

2008-04-17T19:48:00.000-07:00

Washington Post: A Common Faith, but Little Common Ground? discusses how the American Muslim community is less than perfectly united (although still more united than American Christendom)

anniversary of the 1977 dc "hanafi" muslim siege

2008-03-18T23:37:00.000-07:00

These few days are the 31st anniversary of the DC "Hanafi" Muslim Siege (March 9-11, 1977) led by Hamaas Abdul Khaalis. I started a blog entry on this subject ages ago but never finished it before now. Basically the points I wanted to hit were:

1. The "Hanafis" are yet another piece in the history of Blackamerican Muslims outside of the Nation of Islam.

2. Kareem Abdul-Jabaar entered into Islam (at least in part) through contact with Abdul Khaalis and the Hanafis.

3. Like Malcolm X, Abdul Khaalis was a prominent former member of the Nation of Islam, who was became a critic, and suffered greatly at their hands, although in his case, he was left alive while members of the Nation killed his five children, and his infant grandson. (see also Black Mafia) On a much more negative note, there was some indication that Abdul Khaalis was mentally disturbed even before this incident while the tragedy with his family probably pushed him over the edge.

4. Those injured in the siege included the, then councilman, yet-to-be-infamous-mayor of DC, Marion Barry.

5. On another negative note, this time in terms of how Islam is portrayed in popular culture, I thought it was rather bizarre and out of proportion how some descriptions of the thousand plus year old Hanafi school would toss in a casual mention of the siege is if it were something typical or representative of the teachings of Abu Hanifah. (e.g. GlobalSecurity.org's article on Hanafi Islam)

6. The siege was apparently resolved mainly through the efforts of certain ambassadors from Muslim countries who were able to remind the hostage-takers of the merciful and compassionate side of Islam.

The Hanafi siege certainly wasn't the highest point in Blackamerican Muslim history, but it does provide some food for thought and reflection.

Grenada's past:
how kareem abdul-jabbar embraced islam
radical african-american muslims
nommo

keith ellison speaks against terror in the name of islam

2008-03-18T23:27:00.000-07:00

From Tariq Nelon's blog:

This is the kind of balance that I am speaking of. NEVER condone the insanity of the indiscriminate blowing up and killing people in the name of Islam, while acknowledging that the plight of the Gazans is bad. You can do both. Condemnation of terror does not equal support of oppression. Keep repeating that until it is understood

The text of the speech is below:

Mr. Speaker, today I voted in favor of House Resolution 951 to condemn rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel and the death and fear those attacks have caused. These rocket attacks must be condemned, and they must be stopped. I’ve been to Sderot, and I have seen how these rocket attacks cause fear and suffering among the people there, where it is extremely difficult to carry on anything approaching a normal life. The residents of Sderot and now Ashkelon face a daily barrage of rockets, and that is intolerable. Terrorists are bombing citizens, not soldiers. There is nothing in Islam to justify hurting innocent civilians. Bombers cannot use religion to justify what they’re doing, and I condemn it.

But this resolution is not enough. If we want to be morally consistent, we must condemn rocket attacks on Israel and also condemn the humanitarian crisis in Gaza too. The 1.4 million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip exist in a state of dreadful isolation, quite literally cut off from the world. Basic supplies and necessities are at a minimum. Ninety percent of the industry has closed down. Unemployment is rampant, and poverty and disease are endemic. Only a few weeks ago, the people of Gaza broke through walls to buy groceries in Egypt. I regret the resolution we voted on today did not devote adequate attention, in my view, to the plight of the people of Gaza.

To suggest that this is the Gazans’ just desserts for voting the wrong way in the Palestinian legislative elections in January 2006 does nothing to improve the quality or alleviate the human suffering on either side of the border. We in Congress need to show compassion for the people of Gaza, Sderot, and Ashkelon and the tremendous human suffering they are undergoing. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says he does not want the humanitarian crisis in Gaza to continue, and the Bush administration should do all it can to help him meet that commitment.

This resolution criticizes one of the leading advocates for stability and peace in the region: Egypt. The Egyptian Government has made it clear that it is doing all it can to close off smuggling. What’s needed is a greater degree of cooperation with Egypt. This resolution does nothing to advance that cooperation. We need to engage Egypt, not pass resolutions that publicly offend or diminish our relations with them. Absent strong evidence that Egypt is complicit in allowing weapons smuggling to occur, I am not in favor of Egypt bashing.

I understand Egypt is doing what it can to control the border despite restrictions on its security forces imposed by Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel. If Egypt had direct contact or diplomatic channels with all parties involved in the conflict, the United States should prevail upon Egypt to help effect a prisoner exchange, stop the rocket attacks on Israeli citizens, and improve the humanitarian conditions for citizens of Gaza.

It’s a fortunate coincidence that the Secretary of State is in the region right now, and I am supportive of her taking an active role in resolving this conflict. Beyond resolutions and expressions of sympathy, we need real actions from the Bush administration to solidify and advance the commitments of leaders in the Middle East to a lasting peace through the two-state solution envisioned well before Annapolis. I ask my colleagues here in the House to join me in urging the Secretary of State to highlight the humanitarian needs of ordinary citizens of Gaza alongside the fear and death among ordinary Israelis as she seeks to mediate the situation so tragic for all involved.

Finally, as a Member of Congress, I am concerned about the resolution’s references to Iran. Now, I agree that Iran is playing a negative role in the region, but we have seen what the Bush administration has done with past congressional resolutions. I want to repeat that there is nothing in the resolution that should be construed as a justification for military action. I remain opposed to military action against Iran. We need to start a bilateral dialogue. That has been and will continue to be my position. The most effective way to stop Iran’s harmful activities is to engage them directly.

Mr. Speaker, though I wholeheartedly condemn the rocket attacks on Israel, I urge my colleagues to consider the suffering of all of the people, including the people of Sderot, Ashkelon, and Gaza.”

to be black, female, and muslim: a candid conversation about race in the american ummah

2008-03-08T16:20:00.000-08:00

Also from the blog, All history as reconstruction of the past is of course myth is the paper: To Be Black, Female, And Muslim: A Candid Conversation about Race in the American Ummah

Abstract

This article analyzes African American Muslims’ experiences of discrimination as they share a common religious community, or ummah, with immigrant Muslims in the United States. Both African Americans and immigrants make up a substantial part of what I refer to as the American ummah. Ideally a symbol of religious unity and solidarity, the ummah in America is marked by ethnic and racial divides. While both African Americans and immigrants contribute to these divides, this article shows how immigrant Muslims enjoy a level of privilege and power over African American Muslims. I demonstrate this through a conversation between three Muslim women: one African American, another Pakistani American, and the third Eritrean American. In this heated discussion, the African American Muslim woman articulates her experiences of racism and discrimination in the American ummah. The way in which the two immigrant women respond only reinforces her sense of exclusion and isolation in contexts in which immigrant Muslims dominate. Her struggles to define and articulate her experiences as black, female, and Muslim position her voice within the broader tradition of black feminist thought and resistance.

dr. sultana afroz

2008-03-06T21:58:00.000-08:00

Dr Sultana Afroz is a researcher who has been documenting the presence and role of African Muslims in the West Indes during slavery. Here is a brief sample of some of her work. from the oddly named blog, All history as reconstruction of the past is, of course, myth. She is a Lecturer in History at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Jamaica. She completed her doctoral degree in American History with a specialization in US Foreign Policy in South Asia. She is the co-author of The Political Economy of Food and Agriculture in the Caribbean, and is working on a manuscript entitled Invisible Yet Invincible: The History of the Muslim Umma in Jamaica.)

It includes:
1. THE MUSLIM MAROONS AND THE BUCRA MASSA IN JAMAICA
2. Islam and Slavery through the Ages: Slave Sultans and Slave Mujahids
3. The Ummah Slowly Bled: A Select Bibliography of Enslaved African Muslims in the Americas and the Caribbean
4. The Jihad of 1831–1832: The Misunderstood Baptist Rebellion in Jamaica

a paler shade of black

2008-03-05T22:05:00.000-08:00

A Paler Shade of Black by Nesrine Malik

Arabs like to imagine that their countries are comparatively free from racism. But it exists, nonetheless. Nesrine Malik is a Sudanese-born writer and commentator who lives in London and works in the financial sector.

The word 'abd - Arabic for "slave" - was often used in our household when I was a child. In fact, it was so common that I had no awareness of its negative connotations until well into my teenage years. My father's family, a proud northern Sudanese clan, used it to refer to anyone who had darker skin than themselves - from southern Sudanese house servants to migrants from Darfur. Sometimes there was a clear intent to demean, but at other times it was used almost affectionately - for example, when addressing a particularly dark-skinned or thick-lipped child.

This was a kind of racism that no one ever challenged or addressed, and it was, through a child's eyes, very straightforward: on a scale of colour, lighter was good, darker was bad. The word 'abd, although strictly meaning "slave" or "servant", became synonymous with negritude. Even my Islamic heritage reinforced this with quotes from the Prophet Muhammad such as "You should listen to and obey your ruler even if he was an Ethiopian [ie black] slave whose head looks like a raisin" (Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 89, Number 256).

When we moved to post-colonial East Africa in the 1980s, 'abd was seamlessly transferred to the locals with whom we interacted only in their capacity as domestic staff or grounds-keepers at international schools. While I myself was "black" of North African descent, my family believed its Arab roots were somehow genetically dominant, giving us smaller features and a marginally lighter skin tone - thus deeming ourselves to be an entirely a different race from the "pure" Africans.

Our next move was to Saudi Arabia, where the Arab ethnicity with which I identified so strongly was suddenly cast into doubt: now it was my turn to be the "slave". My belief that I was an Arab, racially superior to non-Arab Africans, became laughable in the heartland of Arabia - a place where "Arabness" was not only determined by skin colour but by whether you could uninterruptedly trace your lineage back to the founding father of your clan. In fact, ancestry is so important in Saudi Arabia that courts have the power to annul a marriage if gaps are later discovered in a person's lineage, opening up the possibility of blood line pollution.

Beneath the unforgiving scrutiny of such standards, my proud North African Arabic identity crumbled. Somehow, however, it still made some sense and fell into place in a racial spectrum where, at least, I was not on the bottom rung. I could scarcely complain, since among Saudi women themselves there was a brutal selection process where lighter-skinned women were preferred as wives, who in turn were trumped by the blonde blue-eyed babes from Lebanon who dominated satellite TV and the second-wife market.

Eventually, back in Sudan, I was introduced to another logic that negated all that had gone before. In some inverse double bluff, a new word was added to our lexicon: halabi, a pejorative term for Sudanese who are much lighter-skinned than the rest. Halabi actually means a person from Halab (Aleppo) in northern Syria but for some curious reason it was applied to the descendants of Egyptians or Arabian Bedouins who had settled in Sudan.

Apparently, the halabis were just as contemptible as "slaves" and the categorisation of individuals as such seemed even more arbitrary. A marriage suitor would be dismissed if he came from a tribe of slaves, regardless of the colour of his skin, but would equally be frowned upon if he were of Levantine or Egyptian origin. The former was due to his race (irrespective of its physical manifestations) and the latter to his dubious ancestry. There seemed to be such a limited optimal colour/race/culture combination, all underscored by some vague definition of honour (which, naturally, everybody else lacked) and rooted in an even more intangible notion of "origin" (asl), the dubiousness of which implied a lack of breeding. Never mind bemoaning the lack of a common Arab identity, there seemed to be categorisations ad infinitum and constantly moving goalposts. The prejudices cannot even be explained away as reflecting different cultural perceptions of beauty. Throughout Sudan, halabi girls are universally regarded more attractive than their darker counterparts; it is the whiff of a questionable origin - a visceral suspicion of difference - that condemns them, somehow, as less than honourable.

All this plays out against a backdrop of political and media messaging within the Arab world asserting that the Muslim Arab man, in human terms, is far superior to the occidental man. Bilal ibn Rabah, a black disciple of the Prophet Muhammad and first muezzin (caller to prayer) of Islam, is often held up by religious clerics as a symbol of the inclusiveness of Islam, while much is made of the perceived plight of African-Americans in the US.

Egyptian and Syrian soap operas set in colonial times paint the western colonisers as one-dimensional pillagers while western media and films are accused of depicting Arabs in a poor light. Historically, the lack of a modern institutionalised slavery system in the Arab world in addition to the absence of laws enshrining racial segregation (like those that existed in the US until the 20th century) enhances this sense of superiority in comparison to what is perceived to be the "modern" occident.

This sentiment in turn precipitates its own racial stereotype: that of a white man who is fundamentally racist ... polite and patronising ... but ultimately arrogant and fastidious in his belief that all other races are inferior.

Even if that were the case, it is a welcome relief to know where one stands.

imam zaid shakir: should muslims use the “n” word?

2008-03-04T06:13:00.000-08:00

From Should Muslims Use The “N” Word? by Imam Zaid Shakir

Do not call each other by demeaning nicknames: How foul is a name connoting vileness… Al-Qur’an 49:11

[...]

Words in this regard are part of the forces that engender a healthy human consciousness in us. Furthermore, individual words do not stand alone, in terms of the reality they define. They are part of a system of meaning that informs a conceptual worldview. In affirming the acceptability or even the desirability of freely using the term “nigger” we are not endorsing a single term, we are endorsing a verbal culture that collectively works to dehumanize our youth. For example, popularizing the term “nigga’” has been accompanied by the enhanced acceptability and widespread usage of bi_, ho’ (whore), dog, motherf__, sh__ and a host of other terms that historically were associated with vulgar language. Collectively, they are part of an integrated culture characterized by nihilism, hedonism, self-hatred, and an increasingly alienated disconnection from mainstream society.

God declares in the Qur’an, You are the best people raised up to benefit humanity. You enjoin the right, forbid the wrong and believe in God. (3:110) Enjoining right and forbidding wrong are part of the mission of the Muslims. Doing so requires a well-established standard of right and wrong. Part of the effort to undermine religion lies in the undermining of revealed or widely accepted moral standards. In the ensuing confusion, many things long held to be blameworthy and in many instances almost universally condemned become acceptable. Illegitimate children, foul language, uncouth and slothful comportment, open displays of sexual affection (both heterosexual and homosexual) and sloppy dressing have all become acceptable or even encouraged behavior, as we move ever further down a slippery slope in what amounts to a moral race to the bottom.

"a 21st century imam"

2008-02-23T14:06:00.000-08:00

A brief documentary on Imam Johari Abdul Malik

Imam Johari Abdul-Malik is the Director of Outreach at the Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Center and former Muslim Chaplain at Howard University (HU) and was the first Muslim officially installed as a chaplain in higher education at HU and is the Head of the National Association of Muslim Chaplains in Higher Education. The imam also, serves as the chair of government relations for the Muslim Alliance in North America. He is the director of community outreach for the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center and President of the Muslim Society of Washington, Inc.

From an Episcopal choir boy-who visited the deep southern Pentecostal holiness church during his summer vacations as youth-until at confirmation the teachings of the Ten Commandments exposed the inherent contradiction of western Christianity-In high school he searched for spirituality-Taoism, Asian Spirituality.

In his native Brooklyn community his mother kept the family busy with community activism. In College he became a Black activist, musician, transcendental mediation and vegetarian. In Graduate school, Allah showed him the light of Islam. He served as the President of MSA at Howard University and later that University’s and the nations first officially recognized Muslim Chaplain in higher education.

Known nationally for his fundraising efforts for masjids, schools and relief and support organizations. Brother Johari is a founding member of the Muslim Advocacy Commission of Washington, D.C. Imam Johari and along with Rev. Graylan Hagler started the Ramadan Feed-the-Needy Program in Washington, DC feeding over 100 hundred homeless women of all faiths nightly during the holy month of fasting.

Lectures on a variety of subjects that motivate the Muslim community and the community at large to better themselves and their world.

Regular khatib (preacher) for the jumah sermon/prayer and halaqah/study circle presenter on Friday evenings at the Howard University (musallah) prayer room.

African-American born (mother from Northern Louisiana and father from Barbados, West Indies) and raised in Brooklyn, NY. Educated at Howard Universitywith a BS Chemistry and a MS Genetics and Human Genetics. Completed Clinical Post Graduate Training Program in Bioethics at Georgetown University Kennedy Center for Ethics. Completed PhD course work in Bioethics/Genetics (Degree Pending).

just a muslim

2008-02-23T13:36:00.000-08:00

It seems like a number of African-American Muslim bloggers have been hitting this topic:
Firstly Abdur Rahman Muhammad over at A Singular Voice wrote the The “I’m Just a Muslim” Muslim, Pt 1 Then, Margari Aziza Hill at Just Another Black Muslim Woman? asks the question: Am I just a Muslim? And finally, Tariq Nelson chimed in with: More on "Just a Muslim"

In a lot of ways, the whole reason why I wanted to start this Third Resurrection blog was to create a forum where African-American Muslims weren't "just Muslims" and could speak with a distinctive voice. I'm glad that other folks out there seem to be having similar concerns. In fact, its made me wonder if there is even a need for a special clearing house like Third Resurrection since the conversation seems to be occuring in multiple places anyway.

imam johari abdul malik on malcolm x

2008-02-22T20:01:00.000-08:00

Our brother El Hajj Malik El Shabazz was assassinated 43 years ago today. For me, this brother was not only a symbol of Black manhood, but of Black Fatherhood. His speeches about what it meant to be a man and father had such a profound effect upon me that upon embracing Islam, when searching for a family name I chose the name “Malik” (later Abdul-Malik) because of the profound impact of this man. I moved to “join” the Muslims because I recognizd that our people needed not only a personal religion (of personal values and morals) but that we also needed a system and way of life that would provide for a systematic collective salvation.

One night (while I was still in college) I was walking on 14th street in Washington, DC - clearly having the signature of Malcolm on me, but I could not see it. Two men were standing on the corner drinking wine and upon seeing me coming, they put their bags behind their backs. When

“Yes,” I responded

“Muhammad is the Prophet right?”

“Yes”

“You don’t drink alcohol do you?

“No”

“You don’t eat pork do you?”

“No”

He then turned to his friend and said, “He’s Muslim!”

He then asked me, “You believe in respecting our women?”

“Yes”

“You don’t smoke?”

“No”

He then said, “See, THAT’S what I’m talking about…Muslim!

They could see the signature of Malcolm on me even though - at that time - I didn’t know much about the particulars of Islam. However, I had been listening to Malcolm’s lectures. Malcolm said, “A husband means you take care of your wife. But everyone can’t take care of a woman. Anyone can make a baby. But a father takes care of that baby.”

I learned from Malcolm in a profound and persuasive way. My spiritual father is El Hajj Malik Shabazz

Many years later while serving as Muslim Chaplain at Howard. One of the daughters of Malcolm (Malikah) was a student at Howard. She called me and told me that a man was stalking her and that this man said in a message that he is “after her” and that he can “see her where ever she is”.

So I told her we have something working on two levels: One is at the human level and the other at the level of Shaytan (Satan). First part is that the Prophet advised us to read three suras to avoid the Shaytan. The second is that if you see him following you, then go into a lighted area and call me and I will call for some men to intervene. I then told her that because of our love for your father, I know that many men would be willing to die because of what your fahter has done for us…

I wanted to share these short reflections on Malcolm as well as this video of Imam Zaid and others visiting Malcolms grave with a group of other Muslims

original source

"they killed him"

2008-02-22T19:46:00.000-08:00

From Tariq Nelson's blog: "They Killed Him"

43 years ago, on February 21, 1965, Malik Shabazz (Malcolm X) was assassinated

Malcolm shortly before he was killed

Ossie Davis’ eulogy

andre carson for congress

2008-02-22T09:41:00.001-08:00

Andre Carson for Congress Webpage

Muslim running for Congress wants to combat ignorance about his faith

Associated Press - February 15, 2008 6:04 AM ET

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Democratic Congressional candidate Andre Carson could become the second Muslim elected to Congress and a role model for a faith community seeking to make its mark in national politics.

Carson is the Democratic nominee in a March 11th special election to succeed his late grandmother, Julia Carson, representing Indiana's 7th District.

If Carson wins, he would join Minnesota Democrat Keith Ellison as the only Muslims elected to Congress.

The 33-year-old Carson says he doesn't believe his religious identity hurts him politically.

Carson says his faith doesn't drive his stands on issues, other than instilling the values that have shaped his life and led him to public service.

He converted to Islam more than a decade ago and attends prayers at a predominantly African-American Sunni mosque in Indianapolis.

Third Resurrection and Keith Ellison

mos def, cornel west and the new world order

2008-02-22T09:12:00.001-08:00

de-arabization of islam

2008-02-22T09:11:00.001-08:00

Over at Alt.Muslim, Fatemeh Fakhraie recently published an article The Arabization of Islam which cautions Muslims against simplistically equating Arab culture with Islamic authenticity. A similar point was made more thoroughly in Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah's Islam and the Cultural Imperative. More generally, I'd like to think that in some way many of the posts here on Planet Grenada are full of examples of how one can push the cultural limits of being Muslim. I would argue that it is vitally important for the ummah to "de-arabize" Islam in order to maintain Islam's universality. Otherwise, we might be left with alternatives like the Salafi Imam mentioned over at Abdur Rahman Muhammad’s Weblog who preaches Arabs are the master race?!?!?

muslim convert seeks a seat in congress

2008-02-22T09:10:00.001-08:00

Washington Times: Islam convert seeks a seat in Congress

By Ken Kusmer
February 16, 2008

NDIANAPOLIS -- A convert to Islam stands an election victory away from becoming the second Muslim elected to Congress and a role model for a faith community seeking to make its mark in national politics.

Political newcomer Andre Carson is the Democratic nominee in a March 11 special election to succeed his late grandmother, Julia Carson, representing Indiana's 7th District. She died in December of lung cancer, and her grandson is seeking to fill out the rest of her sixth term, which expires at year's end.

If Andre Carson wins the Democratic-leaning Indianapolis district over a freshman Republican lawmaker and a longshot Libertarian candidate, he would join Rep. Keith Ellison, Minnesota Democrat, as the only Muslims elected to Congress.

Mr. Carson, 33, said he doesn't believe his religious identity hurts him politically even while American Muslims struggle to gain acceptance. Polling last summer by the Pew Research Center and Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found 29 percent of Americans held unfavorable views of Muslim Americans, a higher percentage than shortly after September 11, 2001.

"I think it's more of an advantage," Mr. Carson said. "It's a platform to address ignorance. It's a platform to really show that this campaign is about inclusion of all races and religions."

However, Mr. Carson said his faith doesn't drive his stands on issues, other than instilling the values that have shaped his life and led him to public service. He said his decision-making is based on his constituents' needs.

"For me, the religion piece, it informs me. You need to respect people" regardless of their race, religion or gender, said Mr. Carson, who is black. "That is the foundation I go by."

Mr. Carson's grandmother raised him in a Baptist church and enrolled him at an inner-city Catholic school, where he entertained the idea of becoming a priest. As he grew older, he became interested in Islam, reading the poetry of the Sufi mystic Rumi and "The Autobiography of Malcolm X."

He converted to Islam more than a decade ago and began attending prayers at Nur-Allah Islamic Center, a predominantly African-American Sunni mosque.

"For me, what appealed to me about Islam was the universal aspect of Islam," he said. "All faiths teach universality. But with Islam, I saw it regularly in the [mosques], the praying, the different races."

After Julia Carson died Dec. 15, Louis Farrakhan delivered a eulogy at her funeral, leading some local political bloggers to question Andre Carson's ties to the controversial Nation of Islam leader.

He said the ties barely exist: His mosque is not affiliated with the Nation of Islam. He said he approves of some of the group's work, including fighting drug use in Indianapolis.

Unlike many U.S. Muslims, Mr. Carson said his faith rarely has become an issue for others in his civic life or law enforcement career that included a stint with an anti-terrorism unit of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.

Mr. Carson and Mr. Ellison spoke by telephone recently, and the Minnesota congressman who took office 13 months ago said he advised Mr. Carson to emphasize broad concerns such as the economy, the war in Iraq and global warming.

"These things don't have any particular religion or color or race," Mr. Ellison said.

Salam Al-Marayati, executive director of the Los Angeles-based Muslim Public Affairs Council, said both men built their political base by gaining the confidence of Democratic leaders, not by running on their religion.

However, he said they need to demonstrate their faith to Muslim youth and show that civic engagement among Muslims is healthy.

"It counters any sense of isolation or alienation," Mr. Al-Marayati said.

Corey Saylor, legislative director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said Mr. Ellison's 2006 election marked a breakthrough for U.S. Muslims seeking national office.

"Post-9/11, there was a sense in the community that it would be hard for a Muslim to get elected," Mr. Saylor said.

He predicted immigrant Muslims will join black Americans like Mr. Ellison and Mr. Carson on the national political scene. Sons and daughters of Muslims who arrived in the United States from Asia and Africa are energized politically and working on campaigns, he said.

"We see people starting to build up the civic resume that will get them elected to public office," Mr. Saylor said. "Give them five or 10 years."

Even if Mr. Carson wins the special election next month and serves the remainder of his grandmother's term, he almost immediately will face a challenge to hold the seat. The May 6 Democratic primary for the seat's next full term has attracted several candidates.

more from zaid shakir

2008-02-22T09:08:00.000-08:00

Imam Zaid Shakir, the orthodox Muslim leader who is often called the "new" Malcolm X has some rather timely articles which came out recently on the New Islamic Directions website.

In Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Barack Obama, and the Fate of America Zaid Shakir reflects on a theme which has frequently appeared here on Planet Grenada; the idea that especially towards the end of his life Martin Luther King Jr. was a much more radical critic of American society and government then is suggested by his sanitized publically-approved image. Imam Zaid goes on to suggest that even today, America is not yet ready to tolerate the "real" King's message, and certainly would not elect him president were he alive today.

Herein lays Dr. King’s legacy, an uncompromising struggle against the “giant triplets of racism, materialism and militarism.” That aspect of his work and teachings is unmentioned in the mainstream media. Instead his baritone refraining of “I have a dream” fills the airwaves. After his death, the struggle against those evil “triplets” was not allowed to exist as his enduring legacy. Instead, that legacy has been whitewashed, sanitized and rendered “acceptable” for white middle class sensitivities.

What does all of this have to do with Obama? Obama is a viable African American candidate because he has steadfastly refused to deal with the issues Dr. King was dealing with at the end of his life, even though they are just as relevant today as they were forty years ago. That refusal has seen him distance himself from his activist pastor, Minister Jeremiah Wright. It has seen him avoid any public identification with Rev. Jesse Jackson, a fellow Chicagoan, or similar leaders who are identified with African American civil rights advocacy, and it has seen him ignore issues of relevance to African Americans and the urban and rural poor today.

That he has taken such positions is not an indictment against Obama. It is an indictment against American society which has deemed that an open advocate for such issues is unfit to lead this nation.

In his second article Reflections on Black History Month Zaid Shakir looks at the current situation of Muslims in the United States and suggests that American Muslims (especially African-American Muslims) rather than looking towards violent Third World liberation struggles should look back to the example of enslaved African Muslims in the Americas as role models in the struggles.

The question for us is, “How can we best address the oppressive mechanisms facing us, and those facing our co-religionists in so many redoubts scattered around the globe?” In answering this question, we can gain valuable insight from the lives and struggles of our African Muslim forebears. Superior erudition was the key to the liberation of Job Ben Solomon. Herein is a sign for us. As American Muslims we have been blessed to reside in the most intellectually dynamic society in history. Also, the primal command in our religion is to read. We should enthusiastically pursue the mandate created by these twin facts and push ourselves to become the most educated community on Earth –in religious and worldly knowledge. In so doing, the miracles which were so clearly manifested in the life of Job Ben Solomon will surely bless our lives.

elsewhere in the blogosphere

2008-02-22T09:07:00.001-08:00

The following a blatantly stolen from Kameelahwrites' Black American Muslim Round-Up:

Why are you boycotting ISNA? (Jamerican Muslimah)

Several people have emailed me privately to ask me why I’m boycotting the annual ISNA convention. Before I give you my reasons let me start off by saying the word “boycott” sounds a little strong. Yet when I think about my reasons for not attending anymore they’re beyond simply being “tired of it.” My reasons are pointed and purposeful. They’re both political and personal. Shall we begin?...

The Condition of a Thinking Muslim< (Just Another Angry Black Muslim Woman?)

I personally don’t think that the solution this condition is in building more community centers or some initiative. Rather, I think it is in individuals. What people desire is fellowship and companionship. And that is developed over time as we create ethical friendships of mutual exchanges and trust. I think it is important for our spiritual and religious leaders to teach us to be better companions and friends. We can foster a sense of fellowship and through that, have actual communities that address the spritiual need to be connected, as opposed to being purely based on political and social interests....

islam and dreadlocks

2008-02-22T09:07:00.000-08:00

I recently found an interesting blog called Islamically locked. which reminded me of how way back in the day, around the time I first became Muslim, I toyed with the idea of growing dreadlocks. At the time I thought that dreadlocks were "cool" but questionable for a couple of reasons:

1. Firstly (and this is probably the most nitpicky argument) If you go all out and take some version of the Nazrite vow, you would have to break it when you went on Hajj.

2. Even without dreads, when I would go out at night, random people would occasionally ask me for weed. (although I should probably add that I would sometimes wear a big poofy red, black, yellow and green "rasta" hat). In any case, I thought that if I went further and actually had dreads, the requests probably would have gotten ridiculous.

3. In Islam, there is a basic principle of not imitating the practices of non-Muslims and dreadlocks are pretty distinvely associated with Rastafarianism.

4. Dreads make it harder to do the ablutions for prayer (salat).

5. Dreads make it harder to wear a normal-sized kufi.

On the other hand, (to address 3) there are some indications that the prophet (saaws) may have had his hair in some sort of braid. And memebrs of the Baye Fall Sufi order are known to wear dreads. While the other considerations don't necessarily mean one shouldn't grow dreads, just that they come with certain burdens which one must be willing to accept if you want to grow them. (e.g. grow dreads but trim them after hajj, get a bigger kufi, take the extra effort to wash them, etc.)

I you really want to reflect more on the subject, I would suggest that you check out the above blog.