how kareem abdul-jabbar embraced islam

I've been meaning to post something about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's path to Islam for a while and was especially interested in trying to better understand Hamas Abdul Khaalis and the so- called Hanafi Madhab group which in 1977 used shotguns and machetes to take control of several DC buildings. (Apparently in 1973, members of the Nation of Islam killed some of Abdul Khaalis' family and somehow this was a way to get revenge.) I still don't have a good sense of what that group was like, but I did find the following which does give a decent sense of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's path to Islam.

From Noorullah Online: How Kareem Abdul-Jabbar embraced Islam
December 22nd, 2006

Acknowledged by many players as the greatest basketball player of all time, voted six times the National Basketball Association’s most valuable player, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is also one of the most visible Muslims in the American public arena. The 7’ 2” native upper Harlem, born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr., starred for UCLA before entering the National Basketball Association with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1969. Alcindor later went to the Los Angeles Lakers. He was so dominant in college basketball that "dunking,”at which he excelled, was formally banned from the intercollegiate sport.

As a result, Lew Alcindor developed the shot for which he is personally the most famous — the "skyhook" — which has been called the shot that changed basketball, and with the help of which he was to score more than thirty eight thousand points in regular-season NBA play. When Milwaukee won the NBA title in 1970-71, Alcindor, who was by then Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was the acclaimed king of basketball.

Lew Alcindor first learned his Islam from Hammas Abdul Khaalis, a former jazz drummer …. According to his own testimony, he had been raised to take authority seriously, whether that of nuns, teachers, or coaches, and in that spirit he followed the teachings of Abdul Khaalis closely. It was by him that Alcindor was given the name Abdul Kareem, then changed to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, literally "the noble one, servant of the Almighty.” Soon, however, he determined to augment Abdul Khaalis’s teachings with his own study of the Quran, for which he undertook to learn basic Arabic. In 1973 he travelled to Libya and Saudi Arabia to get a better grasp of the language and to learn about Islam in some of its "home" contexts.

Abdul-Jabbar was not interested in making the kind of public statement about his Islam that he felt Muhammad Ali had in his opposition to the Vietnam War, wishing simply to identify himself quietly as an African American who was also a Muslim. He stated clearly that his name Alcindor was a slave name, literally that of the slave-dealer who had taken his family away from West Africa to Dominica to Trinidad, from where they were brought to America.

[…] Kareem Abdul-Jabbar affirms his identity as a Sunni Muslim. He professes a strong belief in what he calls the Supreme Being and is clear in his understanding that Muhammad is his prophet and the Quran is the final revelation…

….For his part, Kareem accepts his responsibility to live as good an Islamic life as possible, recognising that Islam is able to meet the requirements of being a professional athlete in America.

Excerpts from His Book, Kareem

The following are excerpts from the second book he wrote about his basketball career, Kareem, published in 19901, telling his reasons for being drawn toward Islam:

[Growing up in America,] I eventually found that…emotionally, spiritually, I could not afford to be a racist. As I got older, I gradually got past believing that black was either the best or the worst. It just was. The black man who had the most profound influence on me was Malcolm X. I had read "Muhammad Speaks", the Black Muslim newspaper, but even in the early sixties, their brand of racism was unacceptable to me. It held the identical hostility as white racism, and for all my anger and resent meant, I understood that rage can do very little to change anything. It’s just a continual negative spiral that feeds on itself, and who needs that?

…Malcolm X was different. He’d made a trip to Mecca, and realized that Islam embraced people of all color. He was assassinated in 1965, and though I didn’t know much about him then, his death hit hard because I knew he was talking about black pride, about self-help and lifting ourselves up. And I liked his attitude of non-subservience.

…Malcolm X’s autobiography came out in 1966, when I was a freshman at UCLA, and I read it right before my nineteenth birthday. It made a bigger impression on me than any book I had ever read, turning me around totally. I started to look at things differently, instead of accepting the mainstream viewpoint.

…[Malcolm] opened the door for real cooperation between the races, not just the superficial, paternalistic thing. He was talking about real people doing real things, black pride and Islam. I just grabbed on to it. And I have never looked back.

Interview with TalkAsia2

SG: Before Kareem Abdul-Jabbar there was Lew Alcindor. Now Lew Alcindor was what Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was born as, he has since converted to Islam. Something that he says was a very deeply spiritual decision. Tell me a little bit about your own personal journey, from Lew Alcindor to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Is there still some of Lew Alcindor in you today?

KA: Well you know that was who I started my life out as, I’m still my parent’s child, I’m still…my cousins are still the same, I’m still me though. But I made a choice. (SG: Do you feel different? Is it a different feeling when you take on a different name, a different persona?) I really don’t think…I think it has more to do with evolution — I evolved into Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, I don’t have any regrets about who I was but this is who I am now.

SG: And a spiritual journey, how important was that?

KA: Well as a spiritual journey, I don’t think I would have been able to be as successful as I was as an athlete if it were not for Islam. It gave me a moral anchor, it enabled me to not be materialistic, it enabled me to see more what was important in the world. And all of that was reinforced by people, very important people to me: Coach John Wooden, my parents, all reinforced those values. And it enabled me to live my life a certain way and not get distracted.

SG: When you embraced Islam, was it difficult for other people to come to terms with that? Did that create a distance between you and others?

KA: For the most part it was. I didn’t try to make it hard on people; I did not have a chip on my shoulder. I just wanted people understand I was Muslim, and that’s what I felt was the best thing for me. If they could accept that I could accept them. I didn’t…it wasn’t like if you’re going to become my friend you have to become Muslim also. No, that was not it. I respect people’s choices just as I hope they respect my choices.

SG: What happens to a person when they take on another name, another persona if you like? How much did you change?

KA: For me it made me more tolerant because I had to learn to understand differences. You know I was different, people didn’t oftentimes understand exactly where I was coming from; certainly after 9/11 I’ve had to like explain myself and…

SG: Was there a backlash against people like yourself? Did you feel that at all?

KA: I didn’t feel like necessarily a backlash, but I certainly felt that a number of people might have questioned my loyalty, or questioned where I was at, but I continue to be a patriotic American…

SG: For a lot of black Americans, converting to Islam was an intensely political decision as well. Was it the same for you?

KA: That was not part of my journey. My choosing Islam was not a political statement; it was a spiritual statement. What I learned about the Bible and the Qur’an made me see that the Qur’an was the next revelation from the Supreme Being - and I chose to interpret that and follow that. I don’t think it had anything to do with trying to pigeon hole anyone, and deny them the ability to practice as they saw fit. The Quran tells us that Jews, Christians, and Muslims: Muslims are supposed to treat all of them the same way because we all believe in the same prophets and heaven and hell would be the same for all of us. And that’s what it’s supposed to be about.

SG: And it’s been very influential in your writing as well.

KA: Yes it has. Racial equality and just what I experienced growing up in America as a kid really affected me to experience the Civil Rights Movement, and see people risking their lives, being beaten, being attacked by dogs, being fire hosed down streets, and they still took a non-violent and very brave approach to confronting bigotry. It was remarkable and it certainly affected me in a very profound way.

the ghettoest terror plot in history

Alt.Muslim: The Ghettoest Terror Plot in History is the story of a case similar to the Seas of David plot from a while back in Miami.

post 9/11, islam flourishes among u.s. blacks

Post 9/11, Islam flourishes among U.S. blacks

By Matthew Bigg

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Islam is growing fast among African Americans, who are undeterred by increased scrutiny of Muslims in the United States since the September 11 attacks, according to imams and experts.

Converts within the black community say they are attracted to the disciplines of prayer, the emphasis within Islam on submission to God and the religion's affinity with people who are oppressed.

Some blacks are also suspicious of U.S. government warnings about the emergence of new enemies since the 2001 attacks because of memories of how the establishment demonised civil rights leaders Martin Luther King and Malcolm X.

As a result, they are willing to view Islam as a legitimate alternative to Christianity, the majority religion among U.S. blacks.

"It is one of the fastest-growing religions in America," said Lawrence Mamiya, professor of religion at Vassar College, speaking of Islam among black Americans.

He said there were up to 2 million black U.S. Muslims but acknowledged there are no precise figures.

"It's not viewed (by authorities) as a threat because the numbers are small and once we get past the war on terror and all the negative images then it will continue to spread."

Black Americans typically attend mosques separate from Muslims from immigrant backgrounds despite sharing common beliefs, according to Aminah McCloud, religious studies professor at DePaul University in Chicago.

But imams in Atlanta, a U.S. centre for black Muslims, said they were subjected to less scrutiny than Muslims from the Middle East and Indian sub-continent.

RAP BROWN'S MOSQUE

Many blacks converted during the civil rights era, when Malcolm X helped popularise the Nation of Islam, attracting boxer Muhammad Ali among others. Islam still attracts prominent blacks such as rapper Scarface, a recent convert.

But the Nation of Islam has declined as a force at the expense of an association of mosques led by Warith Deen Muhammad, the son of Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad, who died in 1975.

At a street-corner mosque in one of Atlanta's oldest and poorest neighbourhoods, a recent Friday sermon illustrated the power of the history of Islam in the United States for blacks.

Men and women sat separately on the mosque floor, heads covered, as cleric Nadim Ali recounted stories from history of Muslim slaves brought from Africa who struggled to uphold their faith in the face of slaveholders' opposition.

If Muslims could remain true to Islam under slavery, the audience should follow their example, Ali said at the Community Masjid of Atlanta in the city's West End district.

"You are talking about a people who were cut off from their roots .... Islam reconnects you with Africa and with other parts of the world so your peoplehood transcends race," Ali said later in an interview.

The mosque has a direct link to a slice of black history. It was founded by H. Rap Brown, a one-time member of the 1960s Black Panthers group. Brown became a Muslim in prison in the 1970s and changed his name to Jamil al-Amin.

He was convicted for killing a sheriff's deputy in Georgia in March 2000 and is serving a sentence of life without parole, but in his absence the mosque has continued what Ali said was the low-profile work of building a local Muslim community.

CONVERSION

The mosque teaches there was no distinction between Sunni and Shi'ite within Islam, according to people who attend regularly. Sermons urged Muslims to find work, stay free from crime and drugs and maintain stable family lives.

Ali said he assumed the mosque was bugged and infiltrated by informers, in part because its leaders remained sceptical about U.S. policies since September 11.

"They (the government) unplug black people and plug in Arabs or Muslims. They unplug Arabs and plug in communists. America needs war to maintain its economic status," he said.

The larger Masjid of al-Islam mosque in another mainly black neighbourhood of Atlanta is part of Warith Deen Muhammad's group. Its imam, Plemon el-Amin, said he was involved with local interfaith work as well as with a local Islamic school.

One recent Friday, Mark King, a new convert, and hundreds of others at the mosque listened to a preacher urge Muslims to seek God through the Koran. Followers of other faiths should seek God through their own holy books, the preacher said.

King, who wears his hair in dreadlocks, converted after visiting Africa for the first time and in Gambia read the Koran and realised its teaching chimed with his own beliefs, not least in fighting injustice.

"For young African Americans, there is some attraction to learning about traditions that have been associated with resistance to European imperialism," said King, who has adopted the name Bilal Mansa since his conversion.

on the moroccan sufi black saint sidi abu yi'zza

I recently came by the following article On the twelfth-century Moroccan Sufi black saint, Sidi Abu Yi'zza so I thought I should share. There are also links to other articles on loosely-related spiritual topics over at A Voice in the Wilderness: poetry, philosophy, photography

macon, ga mayor converts to Islam

Ellis converts to Islam, will change his name
By Matt Barnwell
TELEGRAPH STAFF WRITER


Macon Mayor Jack Ellis has converted to Islam and is working to legally change his name to Hakim Mansour Ellis.

The mayor, raised as a Christian, said Thursday that he has been studying the Quran for years. He became a Sunni Muslim during a December ceremony in the country of Senegal, on the western coast of Africa. He said the religion originally was practiced by his West African ancestors before they were brought to America by slave traders.

Ellis said his decision was a personal one, though he understands his elected position breeds public interest in his choice. It was not something he decided overnight to do, he said. He will keep his last name the same at the request of two of his daughters.

"Why does one become a Christian?" the mayor said. "You do it because it feels right. It's the right thing for you to do. ... To me it's no big deal. But people like to know what you believe in. And this is what I believe in."

Ellis said he initially began reading the Quran in the 1980s before taking it up more seriously in the early '90s. He said he is attending the Macon Islamic Center, just down the road from the first Christian church he had joined in Macon.

The mayor, who has not ruled out future tries for elected office after his term expires this year, said he had not made any calculations for how his conversion would affect him politically one way or the other. He is an American first, he said, and was proud to live in a country founded on religious freedom.

Muslims as a whole should not be painted with a broad brush, he said, simply because a few radicals exist in their midst.

"If anybody wants to know about Islam, I can hold an intelligent conversation," the mayor added. "What I've found is how little we know about the religion."

what makes american muslims unique?

alt.muslim: What Makes American Muslims Unique? by M. Aurangzeb Ahmad considers the issue of how and why Muslims here are different from Muslim minorities in Europe.

the pen and the sword & prince among slaves

Unity Productions Foundation: The Pen and the Sword is one of many projects trying to put more positive historical images of Muslims and Islamic civilization out in the media. The Pen and the Sword deals with inter-religious relations in Medieval Spain. And Prince Among Slaves deals with the story of Abdul Rahman Ibrahima Sori, an African prince who was enslaved in Mississippi from 1788 to 1828 when he finally won his freedom and returned to Africa. Check them out.

an interview on malcolm x

Z-Net: Manning Marable interviewed by Amy Goodman on the life and death of Malcolm X

sleeper cell: the second season

So... I recently found a website where I could see the first few episodes of Sleeper Cell's second season. In some ways, the second season seems to suffert from the same limitations as the first season which I've mentioned before (see sleeper cell (part 2)) but fewer of the positives. Little or no emphasis is put on the faith of the main character, Darwyn the African-American Muslim FBI agent (which is unfortunate since it provided some interesting contrast and tension in the first season). In a similar vein, the government characters are generally portrayed as less compassionate, competent and ethical than they were in the first season. Instead of being about a sincere Muslim who has to carefully negotiate and come to terms with various loyalties and identities (keeping his own faith and integrity, not blowing his cover, and fighting against those who would betray his nation and his ummah) in this season, both the government characters and the Muslim villans seem painted in broader strokes and so the story seems more cartoonish than before.

I'm not sure of whether this is a good thing or not but the cell members are being portrayed in a more diverse way (e.g. a female member, a Latino ex-gangbanger) I've read that there is also a gay Muslim member of the terror cell but that is not totally obvious from the episodes I've seen. (Although if the claim is true, it is definitely forshadowed). On the one hand this is good in the sense that it shows some of the diversity which exists in the Muslim community. On the other hand, it gives the impression that all Muslims could be terrorists.

Perhaps I'll be able to say more as I see more of the season.

marvin x speaks

Marvin X Speaks is a new blog by a brother who has been a frequent subject over at Planet Grenada but is still not totally unknown here at Third Resurrection. Check out: even more marvin x

open letter to dr. hussein shahristani

ChickenBones: A Journal: Open Letter to Dr. Hussein Shahristani, Minister of Oil, Republic of Iraq by Marvin X (from early last year)

Dear Dr. Hussein Shahristani:

Bismillah-r-Rahman-r-Rahim.

As-Salaam-Alaikum, my brother. It has been forty years since we last met at your apartment in Toronto, Canada, 1967. You may recall that I was resisting the Vietnam War and you were a student at the University of Toronto. I saw that you went on to become a nuclear scientist but was persecuted under Saddam Hussein because you refused to work on his "Islamic" bomb. Al Hamdulilah, you survived. I saw your name on the list of persons for the first prime minister of American occupied Iraq. I noticed you refused this most dangerous job. I prayed for your safety. It was good to know you are a servant of the Grand Ayatollah Sistani. I have watched you advance from leader of the assembly to minister of oil.

Oil is the reason I am writing you, other than to let you know my prayers are with you and I recall fondly how you taught me my prayers in Arabic and our conversations on Islam.

I recall how you related that you wanted a Nation of Islam, thus you agreed with the vision of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Clearly, your nation shall become a nation of Islam. It appears to me southern Iraq is a de facto Islamic nation. Correct me if I am wrong.

But back to oil. As minister of oil, I would like you to consider assisting North American Africans in the United States of America who recently experienced hurricane Katrina, only to discover they were left at the mercy of themselves, with little assistance from the local, state and federal government. Some were too poor to buy gasoline to leave town for safer ground. Some were shot trying to reach higher ground by KKK policemen.

As you know, President Chavez of Venezuela has assisted many poor and minority communities in America and throughout the Americas. He has given them discounted gasoline and oil. Perhaps, you can assist us as well. First, we need to establish a community strategic reserve through the North American African community, just in case of emergency since we know we cannot depend on FEMA, Homeland Security or any government agency. Thus, we see the need to establish our own reserve in each community with storage tanks and tanker trucks equipped with nozzles for roadside emergency service.

Brother, see if you can help us so we are not dependent on this sham government.

Finally, I would like you to consider a speaking tour of Black America to explain to us your perspective on the situation in your nation. It is truly painful for me to hear about the daily violence in Iraq. But it is equally as painful to know about the daily violence in our neighborhoods, the grieving mothers, fathers, siblings, relatives and friends.

We grieve for the Iraqi people and the innocent American soldiers. Please consider a brief tour of the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia and New York, also Detroit and Chicago. We want to hear from you. I know you are in the midst of war, but perhaps you can slip away for a few days. Let me hear from you soon.

As-Salaam-Alaikum,

Marvin X (El Muhajir)

P.O. Box 1317

Paradise CA 95965

mrvnx@yahoo.com

african unity still a dream

BBC News
Gamal Nkrumah

African Unity Still a Dream

My father, Ghana's first President Kwame Nkrumah, was a trendsetter in more ways than one.

One of his most outstanding legacies was a political commitment to African continental unity. The Arabic-speaking states of North Africa were, in his vision, no less African than those predominantly non-Arab states south of the Sahara.

With his initial encouragement, Arabs have since become active participants in the politics of Africa.

Nkrumah's was no easy mission. There were many in Africa and in the West who wished to extricate Arab countries from costly African commitments and interventions south of the Sahara.

But Nkrumah's special friendship with the Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser - after whom I was named - was instrumental in cementing Arab-African ties.

Tempestuous relations

Nasser was a strong advocate of the African component of the Egyptian national composition, the first Egyptian leader to take such a view.

According to him, Egypt's national make-up is composed of the intersection of three circles - the Arab, the Islamic and the African.

The destinies of "Arabs" and "Africans" have historically and geographically been inextricably intertwined
Be that as it may, relations between Arabs and sub-Saharan Africans have often been uneasy - and at times even tempestuous.

The precise nature of the role expected to be played by Arabs in pan-African politics was at first only dimly understood.

Self-styled "Arab" Somalia fought non-Arab Ethiopia. "Arab" Mauritania went to battle against non-Arab Senegal.

The so-called borderlands of the Sahara and the Sahel have become a veritable frontline where "Arabs" and "Africans" bitterly engage in war.

The focus of much of the fighting has traditionally been Sudan, a member of the Arab League, a body that groups 22 states - including not only the Mediterranean North African countries of Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, but also Mauritania, Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti and the Comoros.

Geographically the largest African country, Sudan has been embroiled intermittently in civil war since its independence in 1956.

The international media persists in propagating confusing myths and half-truths about the war between the "Arab Muslim north" and the "black African south". But the north is not composed entirely of ethnic Arabs, and most of those classified as "Arabs" are far darker in complexion than many of the Congressional Black Caucus members.

Similarly conflict in Sudan's province of Darfur is depicted as between "Arabs" and "black Africans".

There has been a perceptible change in attitudes and perceptions over the years of tensions between "African" and "Arab", but these incremental changes have on the whole been rather negative.

Expectations

In the wake of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war and the sudden price hikes of crude oil, African countries began sizing up the readiness of oil-rich Arab countries to offer economic aid and financial assistance.

African countries had high expectations of Arab largesse, but were sorely disappointed.

Migrants heading to Europe from Senegal
Sub-Saharan migrants head to Morocco on their way to Europe
Not only was money not forthcoming, but it became apparent that Arab countries were developing countries, after all, and incapable of lending a helping hand in the area of technical expertise.

Arabs, in turn, quietly brooded over the consequences of not being able to measure up to African expectations.

Summits have reconciled enemies before: Chad and Libya; Sudan and its numerous neighbours.

But there is no escaping the fact that what are often mistakenly dubbed "Arab" versus "African" conflicts have disturbed the placid surface of Nkrumah's vision of African continental unity.

African governments north and south of the Sahara cannot be absolved of responsibility.

And recently, friction has arisen due to the influx of African youth into Arab states.

Their main goal of immigrating to the West - and in particular Europe - necessitates a long and uncomfortable sojourn in North African transit points.

The stories that filtered back are harrowing: death at sea, slave labour, prostitution and narcotic trafficking and an alarming wave of racism in North Africa.

Nevertheless, the destinies of "Arabs" and "Africans" have historically and geographically been inextricably intertwined.

The only way forward for Africa is continental African Union as envisaged by Kwame Nkrumah.

we should all have the same dream

From TheArab-AmericanNews.com: We should all have the same dream briefly comments on the significance of Martin Luther King's legacy for Arabs in the United States.

usman dan fodio and the sokoto caliphate

By the late eighteenth century in Nigeria, many Muslim scholars and teachers had become disenchanted with the insecurity that characterized the Hausa states and Borno. Some clerics (mallams) continued to reside at the courts of the Hausa states and Borno, but others, who joined the Qadiriyah brotherhood, began to think about a revolution that would overthrow existing authorities. Prominent among these radical mallams was Usman dan Fodio, who with his brother and son, attracted a following among the clerical class. (for more of this history see Usman dan Fodio and the Sokoto Caliphate)

even more on (and from) brother keith

Recently Laury posted: Keith Ellison Story, Film, Interview, and Essay over at www.progressiveislam.org. The post includes more details on the Jefferson Quran and the whole situation, a film of the swearing-in, an interview with Ellison where he gets a little more detail about his faith and his politics, and finally an essay by Ellison where he encourages Americans to embrace a broader, more inclusive, more "generous" vision of the country.

choose generosity, not exclusion

by Keith Ellison

The author was elected to the House of Representatives from Minnesota's 5th District in November. He is the first Muslim elected to serve in the U.S. Congress. The new 110th Congress will, for the first time, include a Muslim, two Buddhists, more Jews than Episcopalians, and the highest-ranking Mormon in congressional history, the Religion News Service reports. Roman Catholics remain the largest single faith group in Congress, accounting for 29 percent of all members of the House and Senate, followed by Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Jews and Episcopalians.


Somewhere in Minneapolis or Jackson or Baltimore, somewhere in America today, there is a young couple that is feeling vulnerable. Maybe one has been laid off due to outsourcing, and maybe, the other is working for something close to a minimum wage. They probably have no medical benefits. Today real income is lower for the typical family than in 2000, while the incomes of the wealthiest families have grown significantly. Things are tough for working people, but in America, we often turn to our faith in tough times.

When our couple shows up for worship service, probably on a Sunday, there is no doubt that the preacher will tell them of God’s unyielding love. “God loves you.” But the next thing the preacher tells them is crucial - not only to the young couple, but to us all. The next message from the preacher may help to shape, not only the next election results, but the political landscape of the nation.

Will the preacher tell our young couple, “God loves you – but only you and people like you?” Or will the preacher say “God loves you and you must love your neighbors of all colors, cultures, or faiths as yourselves”? One message will lead to be a stinginess of spirit, an exclusion of the “undeserving”, and the other will lead to a generosity of spirit and inclusion of all.

In America today, we are encouraged to believe in the myth of scarcity - that there just isn't enough - of anything. But in the story of the miracle of the loaves and fishes, Jesus, who the Muslims call Isa, found himself preaching to 5000 (not including the women by the way) at dinner time, and there didn’t appear to be enough food. The disciples said that there were only five barley loaves and two fish. We just have to send them away hungry. We simply don't have enough. But Jesus took the loaves and the fish and started sharing food. There was enough for everyone. There was more than enough. What was perceived as scarcity was illusory as long as there was sharing, and not hoarding.

The idea here is not that there is a boundless supply of everything. Such an idea leads to waste and dispensability of everything. But the idea is that there is enough.

If scarcity is a myth, then poverty is not necessary. America need not have 37 million Americans living below the poverty line. It is a choice. Hunger is a choice. Exclusion of the stranger, the immigrant, or the darker other is a choice.

We can choose generosity. In America today, we spend more on health care than any other industrialized nation, yet 46 Million people have none. Canada spends half of what we spend and covers everyone. Perfectly? Of course not. But adequately. That’s more than what a lot of people have right now.

We live in a society which says that there is enough for a tax break for the wealthy but not enough for an increase in the minimum wage or for national health care. There is enough for subsidies to oil and coal companies but not for families who are struggling to afford child care or a college education. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

We need a politics of generosity based on the reality of abundance as opposed to a politics of not-enough. The richest 1 percent of the nation, on average, owns 190 times as much as a typical household. The child poverty rate in the United States is the highest of 16 other industrialized nations. Employers are shifting health insurance costs onto workers. Not only are fewer employees receiving health insurance through their employers, but those who still do are paying more for it.

Recently, I have become the focus of some criticism for my use of the Qu'ran for my ceremonial swearing in. Let me be clear, I am going to be sworn into office like all members of Congress. I am going to swear to uphold the United States Constitution. We seem to have lost the political vision of our founding document -- a vision of inclusion, tolerance and generosity.

I do not blame my critics for subscribing to a politics of scarcity and intolerance. However, I believe we all must project a new politics of generosity and inclusion This is the vision of the diverse coalition in my Congressional district. My constituents in Minnesota elected me to fight for a new politics in which a loving nation guarantees health care for all of its people; a new politics in which executive pay may not skyrocket while workers do not have enough to care for their families. I was elected to articulate a new politics in which no one is cut out of the American dream, not immigrants, not gays, not poor people, not even a Muslim committed to serve his nation.

ellison and the jefferson quran

From Grenada:

In a rather elegant response to the people who were calling him unAmerican for choosing to use a Quran for his swearing-in ceremony, Keith Ellison will be using a Quran once owned by Thomas Jefferson. Nice.

I kind of wish I had been as informative. Here are more details about the situation from Sadiq M. Alam's blog, Inspirations and Creative Thoughts in an entry called: Keith Ellison, Thomas Jefferson's Quran and America's embrace of diversity

beyonce vs. islamism?

Ted over at hawgblawg recently put up an entry called Beyonce vs Islamism? which explores the idea of whether hip-hop, or African-American popular culture generally, is a threat to Islamic fundamentalism abroad.

6th annual alim winter program

6th Annual
ALIM Winter Program

"The History & Development of Islamic Thought"

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

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

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

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

Registration: Click Here to Register Online!!

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

Babysitting: TBD

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

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

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

For More Information: Check the ALIM (American Learning Institute for Muslims) Website

unity through sacred knowledge convention

AL-RISALA Center For Islamic Knowledge

UNITY THROUGH SACRED KNOWLEDGE CONVENTION

THE TIME IS HERE!

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



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

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


Also featuring Islamic Poetry and Quran Recitation!

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

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

Purchase Now!

You may also mail a check or money order directly to

Al-Risala
1288 Lucile Ave.
Atlanta, GA 30310

Al-Risala Center for Islamic Knowledge Homepage

never ran from the klu klux klan

From Islamic Law Etc.: Never ran from the Klu Klux Klan and I shouldn’t have to run from a Blackman on the prospects of electing a Black President.

duse muhammad ali

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

Flickr Show of Timbuktu Exhibit

Salaam alaikum

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

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

the israel lobby and u.s. foreign policy

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

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

jimmy carter and the a-word

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

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

Food for thought.

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

"to the shores of tripoli..."

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

"i'm not sure about the universe"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Are there significant efforts North American Muslims are making to improve the situation there?
2. We are not making significant efforts because:

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

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

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

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

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

on covering islam and muslims

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

Blacks Still Vulnerable In American Society

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

an old but timely boondocks strip from 2003

Caesar and Huey are hanging out by a tree and Huey says out loud:

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

arab racism against black africans

From The Nigerian Village Square: Arab racism against Black Africans

Who are Muslims in America?

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

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

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

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

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

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

say hello to kameelah

Blogger is acting up so some glitches have turned up when I tried to add Kameelah as a contributor for Third Resurrection. But in the meantime, you can check out her blog, Kameelahwrites. She is currently writing from Johannesburg and in her profile she writes:

born and raised in east palo alto, CA, i am a dash of eclectic smarts, a pinch of unapologetic sarcasm and a sprinkle of grace all wrapped up quite nicely in a 5 foot 1 hijabi package. raised on gil-scott heron and nasheeds. i am a beautiful shade of brown, certified black person (ask me how to get your certificate!), green-tea drinker, rad. vegan, political organizer, community researcher, artist, teacher, writer, renewed marxist and professional smarty pants.

israeli apartheid

From this July's Black Commentator: Israeli Apartheid by Bruce Dixon

ancient black astronauts and extraterrestrial jihads

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

keith ellison won!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

borat and ali g

A non-rhetorical question from Planet Grenada:

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

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

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

a brief interview with ilyasah shabazz

MSNBC: An interview with malcolm x’s daughter from February 2005.

Bilal Muslim Mission

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

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

zaid shakir on getting a spiritual workout

YouTube: Zaid Shakir on getting a spiritual workout at Zaytuna's Minara Program, An Agenda to Change our Condition.

hasan shakur

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

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

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

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

the lessons of keith ellison

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

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

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

(see entire article)

lessons on dissent, free press, inclusion, respect

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

keith ellison plays defense

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

See story at Washington Post: Muslim Candidate Plays Defense

"it's much worse"

The Electronic Intifada: "It's much worse": Anti-Apartheid Activist Farid Esack Speaks on Palestine and South Africa

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

Monday, September 11, 2006

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

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

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

Why should I have to defend my religion?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oh yeah, that whole thing about "free speech"....scratch that.

Mos Def Arrested Outside MTV VMA Awards Over Performance

-Adisa "Bush Dont Care About Black People" Banjoko

ellison: the best hope

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

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

abdul-samad: a man under fire

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

whitney, osama and kola boof

This isn't exactly what I wanted to create the blog for but...

According to scribe Kola Boof, the Sudanese poet and novelist whose new book "Diary of a Lost Girl" details the inner circle of Bin Laden as one of his girlfriends.

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

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

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

from chocolate

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

Beasts of No Nation

A book review of Beasts of No Nation.

Author: Uzodinma Iweala

Reviewer: Aaminah Hernandez

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

Can You Have An Argument Without Hating the Prophet?

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

you know you are at a ghetto muslim wedding if...

From Umar Lee's blog: You know you are at a Ghetto Muslim wedding if...

radical african-american muslims

new at Grenada: radical african-american muslims on an apparent growth in radicalism among the U.S. Black Muslim community.

A Prince Among Slaves

By way of Writeous Sister

A Prince Among Slaves

from Islamica Magazine

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

recently on grenada...

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

the seven habbits of highly effective communities

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

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

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

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

Race and Religion - An Interview with a Blackamerican Muslim

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

Apostasy and How It Relates To American Muslims

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

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

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

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

black/muslim split?

South Florida Sun-Sentinel: Dispute over mosque sheds light on black, Muslim split by Gregory Lewis is a follow-up on issue we've already referenced in: muslims and the black community

black israeli arabs

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

islamica magazine

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

happy to have you aboard

Salaams to Tariq Nelson, the newest addition to Third Resurrection.

african muslims in america

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

muslims and the black community

To follow-up on the story south florida black community objects to building new islamic center you might want also check out Tariq Nelson's entry Is black hostility to Muslims growing? and Umar Lee's Black Communities Views on Islam

keith ellison and the nation

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

the courts of somali opinion

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

Alt.Muslim: The Courts of Somali Opinion

south florida black community objects to building new islamic center

The Islamic Center of Florida located in Pompano Beach, Fl recently faced some resistance when they tried to get permission to build a larger structer. The Islamically Center narrowly received permission to build but I almost wish that it hadn't. It would have been a serious wake-up call to encourage Muslims to take better care and greater interest in the communities where we live.

Commissioner Pat Larkins was one of the most outspoken critics of a new mosque. Larkins, who is black, said there is a perception in the neighborhood he represents that Muslims do not give back to the community.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(full story)

even more marvin x

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

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

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

interview with head of somalia's islamic courts organization

Black Electorate: Asharq Al Awsat's Interview With Head of Somalia's Islamic Courts Organization Sheikh Sharif Ahmad by Khaled Mahmoud

what would a white mosque be like?

Umar Lee starts off his recent piece: The white masjids of the future by saying:

An African-American Muslim brother recently told me that Islam would be a true success in America when we have mostly white masjids in cities throughout America like we have predominantly African-American masjids in every sizeable American city (and several in many).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

miami and the seas of david

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

nammu muhammad?

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

vote nammu mohammed

From: African American Green Candidates to Watch in 2006

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

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

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

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

us muslim clerics seek a modern middle ground

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

sleeper cell - finally watching it

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Deconstructing the Coz

Salaam alaikum,

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

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

somalia, sharia and the rights of women

Black Looks: Somalia, Sharia and the Rights of Women looks at some of the recent events going on in Somalia.

the hidden black iraq

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

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

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

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

story of a black qatari

From the blog of Umar Lee:

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

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

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

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

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

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

will minnesota send the first muslim to congress?

From Alt.Muslim:

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