Essay On The Apologists

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

Marqas

hail polygamy

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

From the Jamaica Observer: Hail Polygamy by Tony Robinson

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

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

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

it's just weird, okay?!

return of the janjaweed

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

5 truths about darfur

Washington Post: 5 truths about darfur

the urban background of enslaved muslims in the americas

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

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

The Salafi Conversation

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

M...

Finally, she postin' somethin'

Here are some thoughts on African-American Muslims on my blog.

The Souls of Modern Day Black Folk

SBW Syndrome and African-American Marriages

fourth annual conference on islamic african civilization

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

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

ali farka toure (Inna lillahi wa inna ilahi raji'un)

Ali Farka Touré passed on March 7, 2006

Wikipedia: Ali Farika Toure
Artist Direct: Ali Farika Toure Bio
Mali-Music.com: Ali Farika Toure in short (which speaks more of his religious beliefs)

african american muslims: what's their future

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

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

easing tensions over race, religion in detroit

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

islam and revitalizing urban communities

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

muslim rappers meld music and message

Muslim rappers meld music, messages by Anna Johnson

Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

the african palestinian connection

IMAN: The African Palestinian Connection

(First Appeared in the Muslim Journal)

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

dr. jackson speech from iman's annual fundraising dinner

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

Dr. Jackson Speech from I.M.A.N.'s Annual Fundraising Dinner

afrocentricity, islam, and el hajji malik shabazz

From The Black Collegian: Afrocentricity, Islam, and El Hajji Malik Shabazz (Malcolm X) by K. Kazi-Ferrouillet

the second message of islam

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

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

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

islam and afrocentrism

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

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

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

ibn-khaldun on african blacks

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

Blogger Abdusalaam al-Hindi on Ibn Khaldun on African Blacks

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

Ibn Khaldun says:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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