An American Muslim Journal

Dov Zakheim's blog | Shadow Government

At the end of the day, there clearly is no Middle East-wide Arab Spring. Indeed, there may not be an Arab Spring at all. Not a single Arab state is being led by the kind of secular liberals that Washington favors, and the cloud of Islamism hangs over the entire region. Whether the Arab Spring will lead directly into winter remains unclear, but Washington and its allies, including its Arab allies, have every good reason to worry that it might.

via shadow.foreignpolicy.com

I was looking at the upheavals in places like Tunisia, Egypt and Syria as signs that the people of those countries were attempting to assert their God-Given right to be free. And I thought that was what the phrase "Arab Spring" meant to capture.

I also thought that people seeking to be free and to re-gain their liberty were objectives that Americans supported. Dov Zakheim's blog post does necessarily say so explicitly but what I gather from this particular blog post is that it is no "Arab Spring" if they do not result in governments and/or policies that are favorable to the U.S.

Am I misreading it?

Santorum: 'There Is No Palestine' | The Jewish Week

"All the people who live in the West Bank are Israelis.  There are no Palestinians.  This is Israeli land," the former Pennsylvania senator said.

"The West Bank is part of Israel," which won it as "part of an aggressive attack by Jordan and others" in 1967.  Israel doesn't have to give it back any more than the United States has to give New Mexico and Texas to Mexico, which were gotten "through a war," he said.

via www.thejewishweek.com

Santorum is such a frothy mix of lube and.... UGH!!

Muslim - Christian friendship in Ghana

I had lunch today with a colleague who is from Ghana.  He shared a very interesting recollection of his life in Ghana vis-a-vis interfaith relations.

My colleague is Muslim.  He told me that when he was growing up in Ghana the relationship between Muslims and Christians was positive.  He said that during Christmas, Christians would have their rams or whatever other animal they intended to feast upon, taken to the local imam to be slaughtered according to Islamic law.  They did this, according to my colleague, because they wanted to share their feast with Muslims and they understood Muslims' observance of zabihah standards.

That's a wonderful story.  That's how interfaith relationships ought to be.  I wonder if the relationship between Muslims and Christians is still good in Ghana?

Some Christians itching' to pick fights

Some Christians feel compelled to malign Islam in order to bolster their own faith.  Shame on them.

At first I thought about ignoring these people, but then I decided that their hate messages need to be shared with others so that we can be on the look out for these crazies in our neighborhoods.  I would be horrified if my children were exposed to such vicious and hateful lies about our faith.  It would be equally outrageous if my kids' friends were exposed to this kind of hate material.

A group calling itself "Defend Students" is leading the hateful anti-Islam leafleting at public schools (click here for a report on this from a fringe Christian web news portal).  A man named Dr. Gary Cass is reportedly the leader of this group.  His group is using the usual, false and very ugly claims that Islam promotes pedophilia and violence.  It's material that many of us have seen before.  I looked at the flier and could tell right away that it was a mix of lies, mistatements and hyperbolic rhetoric.

Here is a sample of the flier this group is handing out to public school children:

 

Muslim parents must be aware of this hateful work.  Parents of other faiths should be on the look out too. This is treacherous stuff.  I would be horrified if my kids or their friends (of all faiths) were exposed to this ugliness at or near their schools.

These extremists and hatemongers apparently have very little faith in Christianity and its appeal to others. This is their effort to dissuade young Americans from Islam.

This type of hateful material should not be allowed on public school property.  If nothing else it disrupts the learning environment that public schools seek to foster.  This material interferes with public schools' core mission of educating children.  This is because the information that the "Defend Students" group is attempting to disseminate is patently false and because it rises to the level of bigotry against Muslims.

Parents who find this material (or material like it) being shared at or near public school facilities should take thoughtful steps to stop it.  It does no good to confront the people distributing the leaflets.  It would be better to take pictures and video of them handing out the materials.  It would also be a good idea to get copies of some of the materials they are handing out.

The public school administration should be notified as quickly as possible.  However, the notification should be done in a thoughtful and organized way.  Parents should contact the local chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) for assistance and guidance (click here to find a local CAIR chapter). The local CAIR chapter can help organize the outreach to the public school administration in a manner that is in equal parts thoughtful and forceful. The local mosque should be contacted as well.  Ideally, the local mosque will have an established network of interfaith partners in the community.  It is the responsibility of all people of faith to combat the hateful messages of this "Defend Students" group.

My concern is not necessarily that this fringe group out in California or Florida will make its way to Illinois. What does concern me is that a handful of local bigots will pick up on this effort and bring it to a school near me.  It is in our childrens' best interest that we remain constantly on the lookout for all hateful messages aimed at our children.

 

 

Lowe's, NDAA and so many other issues not addressed here... But I feel good!

Over the last month or more I've been watching the unfolding of the Lowe's debacle, the passage of the NDAA legislation in Congress and similar issues impacting American Muslims.  I haven't written about them because I've been busy doing other stuff.

What kinds of other stuff?  I assure you none of it was very important.  Most of it was just lounging around the man-cave watching football, working out and reading.

It's been great!  I feel rested.  I'm off the rest of 2011 and am committed to doing a lot more of the same (working out, watching pro and college football and reading).

I'm so disgusted by President Obama's willingness to sign a bill that provides for indefinite detention of U.S. citizens without due process.  I expected more of President Obama.

It's disturbing to see how a lone extremist Christian activist is able to leverage the Islamophobic fodder put out by the likes of Geller and Spencer to cause a major retailer like Lowe's to make a business decision that is clearly predicated on bigotry.

I'm not oblivious to what's going on around me.  I'm reading about it and listening to what others are saying about it, but I wasn't up to breaking away from the Hasbro Board Games Rock Bowl featuring Robert Morris College versus Backwater Polytechnical Institute to pontificate on these important issues.

Okay, I've got to go.  I need to monitor my Yahoo! Sports Fantasy College Bowl Games Pick'em leagues.  I'm leading in one and in second place in another, but both are still very tight races!

 

 

How about a christmas tree in our Muslim home!?

Hearing Bing Crosby singing “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing” soothes me.  Jose Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” puts me a festive mood.   Some co-workers decorated my office door with Christmas-themed wrapping paper and I think it looks very pretty.  Last Saturday we watched an old-school Rudolph cartoon featuring Red Skelton’s voice!  Tonight, as I head home for the Christmas long weekend I’ll take particular note of the extra friendliness and the random “Merry Christmas” greetings from passersby, and I will return the smiles and the greetings.

I confess - I enjoy the Christmas season.  It has its place in my life to be sure.  I never went out of my way to learn about Christmas but I know a decent amount about the holiday and the different ways my friends partake of it.  That comes from growing up with mostly Christian friends.

As much as I love the Christmas season though, I draw the line at adopting the holiday for me and my family.  I draw a line between enjoying the environment and wishing my Christian friends a joyous and merry Christmas on one side and adopting Christmas in my own home on the other side.  I am a Muslim and I am raising my children to be Muslims too.

Until this year the line between enjoying the sights and sounds of Christmas and bringing it into our home was never questioned.  That changed  when one of our Muslim neighbors put up a Christmas tree in their home.

As we pulled out of our drive way one evening earlier this month one of my kids asked me if we could have a Christmas tree.  The question didn’t phase me.  I had my answer and an explanation ready to go.

I told her very confidently: “Honey, we don’t put up Christmas trees because we aren’t Christian.  Christmas is a Christian holiday.  We celebrate our ‘eid’ celebrations .  Those are our Muslim holidays.”  I thought that was going to be the end of it.

My kids weren’t buying it.

“But Fatima and Muhammad have a Christmas tree in their house!” protested my son.  I looked over at my wife.  She nodded her head and pointed to our neighbors’ home as we drove by it.  There it was in their front room, brightly lit and clearly visible from the street.  A big, decorated Christmas tree.

“Well guys, they may have a Christmas tree in their home, but we will not.  We’re Muslims, and Christmas is a special holiday for our Christian friends” I said.

“Maybe Fatima and Muhammad aren’t Muslims” suggested one of my kids.

No!  That’s not the right attitude!  I don’t want them to be so judgmental, I thought to myself!  But I also want to make it absolutely clear that Christmas is not our holiday.

I made my best case to my kids.  I explained that we do not believe it is appropriate for Muslims to celebrate Christian holidays, but that it is important for us to wish our Christians friends well as they celebrate it.  I also told them that we cannot judge Muslims who choose to do things we think are wrong, because that is neither our right nor responsibility.  It is for God to judge us all.

I ran into my neighbor the other day at a party and we discussed her family’s Christmas tree.  She did not see any harm in having the tree.  The crux of her reasoning for having the Christmas tree is that Christmas is a secular American holiday, she wants her kids to see themselves as fully American and so they put up the tree for those reasons.

I respectfully disagree.

Christmas is a Christian holiday just like Eid ul Fitr is a Muslim holiday.   There are lots of Muslims who neither fast nor pray in Ramadan and do not attend Eid ul Fitr prayers on Eid day, and yet they celebrate Eid with food and family with all the vigor of more observant Muslims.  That doesn’t make Eid ul Fitr any less a Muslim holiday.  Similarly, just because some people celebrate Christmas as a secular tradition doesn’t make it any less a Christian holiday.

The other part of her argument - the one about having the Christmas tree so her kids feel more American - is also troublesome.  What does celebrating Christmas have to do with being American?

We are Americans and we’ve never had a Christmas tree.  I came to America with my parents 38 years ago and we’ve never felt the need to adopt Christmas in order to feel more American.

It’s not that I don’t appreciate the value of symbols.  Our family displays the American flag outside our home.  We display it proudly all year round.  The American flag, more than a Christmas tree, is symbolic of our identity as Americans.
 
At our home we use holidays like Veterans Day, Memorial Day and Independence Day as more than just a day off school or work.  We attend memorials.  We run in charity runs to raise money for wounded veterans.   These are some of the things that make us Americans.  In our family we make it a point on these holidays to focus on our identity as both American and Muslim.

My kids must understand that we don’t need to be like our Christian neighbors to be accepted by them.  I want my kids to be respectful of the religious values and holidays of their friends of different faiths and to be confident that their friends will do the same for them.  I want them to understand that this diversity is a hallmark of being American.

Some Muslim friends offered the argument that Jesus* is an honored prophet in Islam, and as such, celebrating the birth of Jesus is not at odds with our faith.
 
I do not disagree with either of these points, and yet I do not find this to be a persuasive argument.  My objection isn’t so much theological as it is practical.

In America Christmas is fun.  It’s pretty.  And it’s everywhere.  Our eid lights, decorations, songs and parties are fun and pretty too, but they don’t compare with the marketing power of Christmas.  If we adopt Christmas as one of our holidays (even with an overtly Muslim spin to it), it will quickly and permanently overshadow our Muslim celebrations.  This would be a tragedy.

But for those Muslims who are keen to honor Jesus by celebrating Christmas, I respectfully ask “What would Jesus do?”  Would he want his legacy to be a Christmas decoration?Charity and justice are cornerstones of Islam and Jesus’ life was full of acts of charity and justice.  To those Muslims who feel they must incorporate Christmas into their families I suggest they take their kids to a soup kitchen, pass out blankets to the homeless or find some other, sustainable way of serving the needy.

Our family is living proof that being well integrated in an interfaith community while also cultivating a strong American identity side by side with our Muslim faith is quite doable.

And so far we’re doing it without the Christmas tree!

(Merry Christmas to all of my Christian friends!  May this be a blessed time for you!)

__________________________________________________

*I've omitted the phrase "peace be upon him" after Jesus' name with the hope that Muslims will be mindful of saying this prayer each time they read his name.

“Social Justice” Israel Trips Must Not Cover Up Oppression | Shalom Rav

I believe it is irresponsible for social justice organizations to organize a trip that focuses on “diversity, poverty and social integration” without meaningfully, and publicly, addressing Israel’s military occupation of Palestinian land, systematic oppression of Palestinians across “Israel proper” and the Occupied Territories, and enforced exile of Palestinian refugees.

I believe doing so contributes to the “normalization” of a deeply abnormal oppressive situation – presenting Israel as a liberal democracy with nothing more than the usual challenges rather than a state which imposes an ethnicity-based military regime on millions of people. It perpetuates the idea that it is acceptable to ignore Israel’s daily abuses of Palestinians in the pursuit of cultural, religious, financial or other interests.

via rabbibrant.com

I met Michael, the author of this letter, several years ago when I worked at the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago. It's very inspiring to see someone speaking truth to power. Thanks Michael.

US general fired from Afghan training job - Yahoo! News

Referring to Karzai's recent assertion that Afghanistan would side with Pakistan if Pakistan got into a war with the U.S., Fuller was quoted as calling the comments "erratic," adding, "Why don't you just poke me in the eye with a needle! You've got to be kidding me . I'm sorry, we just gave you $11.6 billion and now you're telling me, I don't really care?"

via news.yahoo.com

If Maj. Gen. Peter Fuller hadn't made these comments, how many people would have heard about Karzai's comments?

And is it so hard to believe that the Afghan leaders are less than grateful for our being there?

And as for this so-called "solid U.S. relationship"... Really?

Owner of car dealership labeled "Taliban Toyota" wins millions - Yahoo! News

MOBILE, Ala (Reuters) - The owner of a large southwest Alabama car dealership derided as "Taliban Toyota" by a competitor has been awarded $7.5 million in damages after a jury trial for his slander claim.

via news.yahoo.com

Bob Tyler of Bob Tyler Toyota sounds like a tool-job. No wait, that's too mild. He's a straight up bigot.

Oh, and then there is the small matter of being a very bad businessman. Jeez Bob, couldn't you just compete for the business like everyone else?

Halloween, Halal-o-ween or nothing: American Muslims, Trick or Treating and Islam

The fall and winter provide lots of opportunities for American Muslims to fight amongst themselves.  The fights are about whether or not we (American Muslims) can partake of holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day.  Some are getting better at agreeing to disagree, but the debates rage on!

Tomorrow's holiday, Halloween, kicks it all off!

 Our family will participate.  One parent will hang back at home and hand out candy to the kids who come by while the other parent goes out with the kids, other parents and their children to "trick or treat"!

I'm not going to get into the "theology" of it here because the facts don't require it.  Halloween is now an American tradition where people dress up, walk around their neighborhoods and meet, greet and trick or treat.  I've been doing it since around 1974 or 1975 and in all of these years no one ever invoked black magic, satan worship or even another religious impramatur upon the holiday.  It has been and continues to be a secular observance.

Participating in Halloween in no way stops me from teaching and practicing Islam.  We can and do pray together as a family on Halloween just as on every other day.  Our family's belief in One God, Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the final messenger of God, Quran as the final revealed word of God, the five pillars of Islam (faith, fasting, alms-giving, daily prayer, hajj), all the prophets including (but not limited to) Abraham, Noah, David and Jesus (including the immaculate conception and the virgin birth), the previous revealed texts such as the Torah and the Bible (among others), and on and on remain fully intact on October 31.

The difference on 10/31 from most other days in the year is that my kids will be dressed up in costumes (and sometimes I will too) and we'll "trick or treat" our way around our neighborhood with other kids and other parents.  Another difference is that on this one holiday we'll get out and actually interact with our neighbors, talk to them as we walk up and down the streets, find out about how work and school are going, talk about what's happening in the community and connect a little.

10/31, Candy, Treats, Fun but no costumes... ???
That makes it Halal-o-ween?

Halloween is a fun, secular American holiday.  It is not the same as Christmas, Lent and Easter. American Muslims can participate in Halloween without giving up (or even compromising) any of their religious values.  Of course it is a personal decision and if some feel otherwise, then it is their right to abstain.

Those who choose to participate in Halloween are no less Muslim than those who choose to abstain from it.  Similarly, American Muslims who choose to abstain from Halloween are no less American for their choice either.

J-Che!  Via La Halloween!