warrior's love

where to turn to when returning to spirituality

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

as the new islamic year begins in nigeria...

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

georgia judge jails muslim woman over head scarf

By DIONNE WALKER – Dec 17, 2008

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

busta rhymes apologizes for "arab money"

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

deen tight: islam & hip-hop

two posts from seeking ilm

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

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

dhoruba on obama

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

black iraqis in basra face discrimination

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

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

NPR: Full Story

brass crescent awards 2008

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

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

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

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

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

response to a well-meaning brother

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

Go Forth Romantic Warrior!

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

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

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

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

The Road Home

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

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

obama, malcolm x, al-zawahiri and house negroes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are Al-Zahawiri's comments in context:

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

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

(original story)

kemi seba: france's "malcolm x"

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

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

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

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

michael jackson converts to islam

From UPI.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

why are we lying to ourselves: race and politics 2008

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

second time around for african american muslims

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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