An American Muslim Journal

Rep. West’s Response To CAIR Letter: “NUTS!” « CBS Miami

A South Florida Muslim group sent Congressman Allen West a letter asking him to disassociate himself from activists the group considers anti-Islamic.

Congressman West did respond and the letter he sent back is raising some eyebrows.

If it looks like the shortest letter you’ve ever seen from a member of congress, it probably is. How short? Try one word, in capital letters: “NUTS!”

via miami.cbslocal.com

This guy - Rep. West - is ex-military, right?

So obviously he's trying to position himself as a patriot warrior who will not surrender, and is trying to portray CAIR-Florida as the Germans in WWII.  Pfft!!

I'm guessing men like Bull Connor thought well of themselves and of their actions during the Civil Rights era too...

History will not look kindly upon Rep. West.

Newt Gingrich talks faith — not affairs — at Cornerstone Church in Texas - Politico.com

 

Newt Gingrich stood before thousands of evangelical churchgoers Sunday night to deliver a dire warning that nation's Christian roots are under attack.

"I have two grandchildren — Maggie is 11, Robert is 9," Gingrich said at Cornerstone Church here. "I am convinced that if we do not decisively win the struggle over the nature of America, by the time they're my age they will be in a secular atheist country, potentially one dominated by radical Islamists and with no understanding of what it once meant to be an American."

via Politico.com

Wow.  I want to be offended by Newt's comments.  I'm sure he was trying to slam my faith.  But for all my efforts to muster up some outrage, all I'm able to get is a smirk, a chuckle and a slight rolling of my eyes.

How stupid does he think the good people of Cornerstone Church are that they will not see the absurdity of "a secular atheist country...dominated by radical Islamists..."?  Obviously Newt thinks they are very stupid.

But then I got to thinking that this church was founded by and is led by Pastor John Hagee.  Who is John Hagee?  Here's a little bit about John Hagee as reported by FORWARD - The Jewish Daily:

On Hurricane Katrina: “All hurricanes are acts of God, because God controls the heavens. I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they were recipients of the judgment of God for that… I believe that Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans.”

On the Catholic Church: “Most readers will be shocked by the clear record of history linking Adolf Hitler and the Roman Catholic Church in a conspiracy to exterminate the Jews.”

On Muslims: Asked whether he believes that Muslims have a mandate to kill Christians and Jews, Hagee replied, “Well, the Quran teaches that. Yes, it teaches that very clearly.”

On women: “Do you know the difference between a woman with PMS and a snarling Doberman pinscher? The answer is lipstick. Do you know the difference between a terrorist and a woman with PMS? You can negotiate with a terrorist.”

via FORWARD - The Jewish Daily

Hmmm.  And these folks - reportedly 19,000 - still attend this Cornerstone Church despite their Pastor's checkered history.  Well, maybe that's why Newt could get away with saying the stupid stuff he said.

 

King Hearing Falls Short, As Predicted says Investors Business Daily

Sheesh!  Even the Investors Business Daily is piling on Rep. Peter King for his pathetic hearings.  Make no mistake, I don't think too kindly of some of the IBD editorials (they sometimes like to slum in the gutter by promoting bogus charges against legitimate American Muslim organizations).  I'm pointing them out, however, because EVEN THEY berated Rep. King for the way he failed to conduct a meaningful hearing.

IBD wrote:

Reviews of Rep. Pete King’s opening round of hearings into “Muslim radicalization” are lousy...  King, the Republican head of the House Homeland Security Committee, deserves thrashing...  King didn't even come close to delivering what he advertised with his investigation, titled "The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community's Response"...  He said FBI agents and other cops working terrorism cases constantly complain about the lack of cooperation from the Muslim community. Mosque officials and other Muslim leaders actually encourage such resistance, he said...  Yet the seven witnesses King called to testify included no national law enforcement officials to back him up. Nor did he subpoena any of the offending Muslim leaders to address these allegations under oath.

Huh!  Imagine that!  And why, IBD, do you think that is?  Is it that Rep. King's staff lost the notebook with the names and numbers of all the many law enforcement folks that supposedly told Rep. King about the alleged lack of cooperation of American Muslims?  Hmmm?  No, I don't think that's it.  I think it's because that was a wild claim that Rep. King can't back up.

David Harsanyi: Prejudice isn't at root of Muslim hearings | The Columbus Dispatch

Another reality is that the depth of radicalism in Islam is unique in the modern world - and a threat to citizens in the United States. Some argue there is equal Christian violence - mixing in the Loughners and the McVeighs and anyone else they can find - to suggest that domestic terrorism is an amorphous idea with guilt equally distributed among all denominations of crazy.

That is absurd. In those rare cases, religion is typically incidental to the crime, not the driving reason for it. Certainly, those incidents are not underwritten by a worldview that demands submission. That's the fundamental difference between Nidal Malik Hasan and a rogue madman.

via www.dispatch.com

Does David Harsanyi know ANYTHING about Islam? No, it does not appear that he does.

What is he talking about when he says "the depth of radicalism in Islam is unique in the modern world - and a threat to citizens in the United States"?

There are 1.5 billion Muslims in the world. If Harsanyi's claim had any truth to it, then one would expect absolute chaos in the world. Instead, only a small, small minority of men and women embrace violent and extremist views and then act on them.

The fact of the matter is that those within the Muslim world who commit acts of terrorism do so despite Islam's teachings and not because of them.

What Peter King is doing is dripping with prejudice. Bias and bigotry are at the core of Peter King's motivation. He doesn't like Muslims and he's got an agenda to smear the community. It's that, or he's just intellectually running on empty.

Why does he hate Muslims? I don't know. A Muslim spurned his romantic advances at one point in his life? He's trying to rehabilitate his terrorist affiliations from back in the day? He is a religious fanatic that's trying to usher in some crazy "End Times" scenario? Or maybe, like racists and anti-semites and other bigots, he just hates for no good reason at all. I can't see into his heart but his actions and his words speak clearly to what lies within.

Who convenes a hearing on something as important as radicalization and then fails to bring experts to testify? Zudhi Jasser? Are you serious?

Sure, Jasser can provide anecdotal information. I'm sure he had some negative experiences with some mosques (I've been there and I know how disheartening that can be) and I'm sure he's heard some of the anti-American rhetoric by some preachers along the way too, but all of that doesn't add up to the claims Jasser is making!

David Harsanyi talks about "absurd" in this essay.

What is absurd is David Harsanyi's claims in this essay. He needs to get some background research on Islam, step back and get some perspective and then force himself to abandon the bigot vernacular.

David: you can't label 1.2+ billion people in such a simplistic manner!

The opportunity cost of defending against bigotry and hate

Even with all the time management tools at my disposal, and as efficient as I try to be with my time on the train and in the evenings and weekends and so on, I constantly bump up against my dreaded nemesis - a lack of time.  Between a full time job, family, working out, professional associations, a citizens' advisory council, the local Democratic party and a Muslim community group, I find it very hard to do much more. Some folks tell me that I'm doing more than my share.  I don't agree.

I know that I could be doing a lot more.  One thing that drains my time and energy like nothing else is the constant barrage of Islamophobia.  This irrational fear of Islam and of Muslims is very real, it is prevalent in American society (as poll after poll shows that more than half of Americans view Islam and Muslims unfavorably).  I really believe that the time I spend fighting this bigotry through my writing, my community work and in just talking to people about who I am and what I believe could otherwise be spent helping others in need.

Besides time there is the matter of treasure.  Blessed as I am with a good job, my disposable income is finite.  I have a budget for charitable giving, and some of it is allocated to food pantries, various disaster relief efforts, UNICEF, a wide range of children's advocacy and support groups and so on, but not all of the charitable budget goes to help the most at risk in my community and throughout the world. Some of my disposable income goes to religious, civic, advocacy and academic institutions to support their efforts to combat anti-Muslim bigotry.

The diminished financial resources and the the lack of time to volunteer for other worthwhile causes are the opportunity costs of fighting Islamophobia.  The hours and the dollars I allocate to fighting Islamophobia are hours and dollars that otherwise could be used to address issues such as homelessness, food insecurity, child sexual abuse and environmental issues.

I don't have a choice in the matter.  Fighting anti-Muslim bigotry such as Rep. Peter King's witch-hunt dressed up as a congressional homeland security panel is a must.  Rep. King and other hatemongers are poisoning the minds of Americans by sowing the seeds of hatred in Americans and working tirelessly to make anti-Muslim bigotry acceptable in the mainstream.  I have children, and I'll be damned if I'm going to allow people like Peter King to taint my children's future.

Charity is a pillar of my Islamic faith and I know that most Muslims take charitable giving very seriously. My hunch is that many of the 6 million Muslims who live in America feel the same as I do on this issue. They too forego some charitable work and some charitable donations to the homeless, the hungry and to other worthy causes in favor of fighting for our survival.  

There are so many vulnerable people in our communities and across the globe who need the help of those who are blessed with more resources.  American Muslims are among those who are blessed with a lot in terms of wealth, abilities and generous spirits.  It's such a shame that we have to squander so much of our time and treasure fighting off hatred.  Shame on Peter King.  Shame on all the men and women who demonize Muslims and Islam.  Shame on all of these folks for literally robbing the hungry, the homeless and other vulnerable parts of our community of much needed aid and comfort.

One day we'll get past the anti-Muslim bigotry.  I know that American Muslims are determined to prevail in this existential struggle for our place in American society.  Peter King and his ilk are on the wrong side of history and they will be remembered as the Joe McCarthys, Bull Connors, Gov. Wallaces and Justice Taneys of America's anti-Muslim era.  

But until that time arrives, we will continue to be hampered in ability to do more to help our fellow Americans and humanity in general.  All of this money and time spent proving our loyalty and re-affirming our commitment to peace and justice is a wasteful diversion from those who are truly in need.

A proud, patriotic, shariah practicing American? Huh? Yasir Qadhi explains...

Is it possible to be a patriotic American and still practice "shariah"?  If "shariah" is defined accurately, then, I think so.  If by "shariah" one incorrectly thinks of subversive, violent aggression against America, then obviously not!

Yasir Qadhi, an American Muslim and an Islamic scholar, gives a pretty good explanation of why he is both a patriotic American and a "shariah" practicing Muslim.  Mr. Qadhi does an excellent job of explaining "shariah" and how it is compatible with the oath of American citizenship.

Mr. Qadhi gives a good introduction to shariah:

The word ‘shariah’ literally means ‘path,’ and for all Muslims, the shariah is a set of ethics and laws they believe will lead them to God’s mercy.

The bulk of the shariah, approximately 70 percent, deals with rituals of worship. For example, the shariah tells me that I should regularly take time out of my day to remember God. It advises me to give charity, and instructs me that a percentage of my earnings and savings should be dedicated for the poor.

The shariah instructs me how to fast every year in order to cultivate patience and to feel unity with those who are less fortunate. It asks me to commemorate the faith of the Prophet Abraham by visiting the house of worship that he built in Mecca, and details the rituals that I should perform during this pilgrimage.

Approximately 25 percent of the shariah deals with dietary restrictions and personal economic and family laws. Just like kosher laws for Jews, Muslims have their own laws in the shariah that regulate the way animals should be slaughtered, taking into consideration respect for their lives and feelings.

Family law in the shariah requires Muslims to follow religious customs when marrying or divorcing. For example, a husband is obliged to gift his wife a monetary gift at the time of marriage and is also obliged to pay an additional amount in the case of divorce. The shariah also prohibits Muslims from dealing in usurious transactions. All of these laws, far from opposing the laws of the land, are in fact protected by our U.S. Constitution.

Based on Mr. Qadhi's description of shariah, attempts to criminalize the practice of shariah, as several states are attempting to do, are plainly unconstitutional.  This is because criminalizing the practice of ones faith as described above would infringe on a Muslim's right to exercise his faith unimpeded by the state.

I highly recommend reading the essay.  It was posted on a blog called "Faith in Memphis".

Unfortunately (in my humble opinion) but not surprisingly, Mr. Qadhi's essay has angered some Muslims. Mr. Qadhi's essay was posted on another website - www.muslimmatters.org - and there he received some serious criticism from some Muslims.

The arguments of those who criticized Mr. Qadhi were - yawn - quite predictable.  I hope American Muslims go to the www.muslimmatters.org website and add their voices of support for Mr. Qadhi.  I confess, I like what he said because it makes sense to me and it is a religious scholar affirming what I have come to believe based on my own personal study of Islam.

____________________________________________

About Yasir Qadhi 

So, who is Yasir Qadhi?  Here is his bio from AlMaghrib Institute, an institution he is involved with:

Shaykh Yasir Qadhi is the Dean of Academic Affairs at AlMaghrib Institute, the man behind the curriculum and other academically intensive programs like IlmSummit. Shaykh Yasir is known among his students as “GQ” and for his excellent Tajweed in the English language (i.e. his perfect enunciation of every letter). Give him any old and dry subject and Shaykh Yasir can rehash it, spice it up, and hand it back to you an exciting and intriguing topic of discussion. We dare you!

He was born in Houston, Texas and completed his primary and secondary education in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He graduated with a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston, after which he was accepted as a student at the Islamic University of Madinah. After completing a diploma in Arabic, he graduated with a B.A. from the College of Hadith and Islamic Sciences. Thereafter, he completed a M.A. in Islamic Theology from the College of Dawah. He is in the final stages of completing his PhD in Religious Studies from Yale University.

His published works include Riya'a: The Hidden Shirk, Du'aa: The Weapon of the Believer, An Introduction to the Sciences of the Qur'an, and many others. He is also active on a number of Islamic Satellite stations around the world including Islam Channel, Al-Huda Channel, and PeaceTV.

Shaykh Yasir Qadhi lives in Memphis, Tennessee where he serves as a resident Scholar of Memphis Islamic Center.

 

 

 

Texas Insider » Sharia Law or the Constitution? America Must Choose

But a dilemma exists in our nation today concerning whether or how the First Amendment should properly be applied to Islam. This essay will show that the ultimate outcome of blanket protection for Islam in all its manifestations on the grounds of “religious freedom” would be the establishment of Islamic law and government, or Sharia, alongside or in place of civil law and government in this country.

via www.texasinsider.org

This is an essay by William G. Boykin.  Yeah, that's right, it's the same gentleman who once said this:

"George Bush was not elected by a majority of voters in the United States. He was appointed by God."

"We in the army of God, in the house of God, kingdom of God have been raised for such a time as this."

"I knew my God was bigger than his. I knew that my God was a real God and his was an idol."

Holy...moly!  This guy is a complete nut-job.

I guess this three star bigot decided that he doesn't need to hide his true feelings any longer.  That wasn't always the case.  After taking heat for this "my God vs. his God" comment he went on 60 Minutes to rehab his image and to ostensibly clarify his comments.  In that interview, when asked about the "God vs. God" comment he said this:

“No, that’s not what I meant at all. Look, I’m a Christian. I make no apologies for that," says Boykin. "But I’m also not foolish enough to deliberately offend or in any way ostracize any religion. ... I’m not anti-Islam, I’m not anti-Allah.” via CBS News

What is strange is that in his interview with 60 Minutes Lt. Gen. Boykin recognized Islam as a religion. His essay at TexasInsider.org re-hashs the bigoted and indefensible idea that Islam is not a religion.

Just as I'd call out a Muslim who espoused hatred for Christians, Jews or any other faith, I'm going to have to call out Lt. Gen. Boykin.  He is a bigot.  He is an Islamophobe.

What scares me is that this man has seen about as much combat as any senior officer in our military (this was according to the 60 Minutes interview).  This is a man who is trained to kill, has killed and is vocal in his post-military life.  I shudder to think at the crazy plans he's hatching in his head and in his home.

Scary.

 

Fordson - a film about high school football and more...

Football is America's sport.  We love this game.  We love to watch it played in the pee wee leagues all the way to the pros.  We love the minor leagues and the arena leagues.  We have a cable network dedicated to it 24/7/365.  The Combine in Indy where college prospects show off their skills probably gets better ratings than some prime-time shows.  And in recent times the NFL draft was re-organized to make it a prime-time event.  And high school football?  It's a way of life in many places across America. Check out "Friday Night Lights" if you have any doubt.  We love football.  

This augurs well for "Fordson".  As a documentary movie about high school football first and foremost it has the potential to be seen all across the country by a wide cross section of America.  And in the process of enjoying a great human story of high school football int the tradition of "Friday Night Lights", the movie will also likely shatter stereotypes and humanize Muslims in the eyes of their fellow Americans. 

What was that last bit about stereotypes and Muslims?  What, you rightfully ask, does that have to do with high school football?

"Fordson" is a documentary about a high school football team in Dearborn, Michigan.  Most of the players are Muslim.  The movie chronicles the challenges this team, and the community in which it plays, face as Muslims.  One of those issues is the challenge of fasting while still keeping up with grueling practices in the Islamic month of Ramadan.

I've watched the movie trailer.  What struck me most was how indistinguishable these players are from other high school football players.  They have the same passion, the same aspirations and the same challenges as other student athletes.  Oh, and these kids can play.

This documentary movie will help Americans who don't know Muslims and who don't have access to Muslims see the human side of this small but vibrant segment of American society.  As a community of 6 million in a nation of nearly 300 million people, it is impossible for every American to meet and get to know a Muslim personally.  The numbers and geography simply make it impossible.

If "Fordson" gets a wide enough release and distribution across the country, then I know it will do a lot in the way of building better understanding between America's Muslim community and the rest of the nation. 

People who know American Muslims - as classmates, as neighbors, as teammates, as relatives or as co-workers - are much less likely to espouse erroneous or negative beliefs about Islam.  That's because knowing someone personally and interacting with him regularly provides unique insights.  When you're talking about religion, the best way to understand it is through meeting someone who lives it.

This is how I reconcile the differences between my experiences and the statistics I read about regarding public perception of American Muslims.  In my adult life I've very rarely encountered overt bigotry because of my faith from my co-workers, my neighbors and the parents at my kids' school.  I firmly believe that people are open-minded and that meeting me in person dispels the negative imagery splashed across the internet, on hate blogs and on Faux News.

Yes, I would probably see this documentary movie even if it had nothing to do with American Muslims because I am obsessed with football.  But that fact aside, "Fordson" aslo has me fired up about the prospects of bridging the gap in understanding between American Muslims and our fellow Americans of other faiths!

Any chance I can get a sneak peek?!

 

Hate Charges for Two Accused of a Subway Attack on an Imam - NYTimes.com

Two men were charged with hate crimes on Thursday after they attacked a Muslim religious leader on a New York City subway train, the authorities said.

The attack occurred early Wednesday morning on a northbound A train, when one of the men confronted the victim — who was wearing a traditional African hat called a kufi — and harassed him about his clothing and religion, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said in a complaint filed in Criminal Court in Manhattan.

via www.nytimes.com

This is very disturbing.  The toxic atmosphere advanced by the rabid right-wing Islamophobes is corrupting people far and wide.

The names of the two men charged are Melendez and Crespo.  To me those names suggest that these two perps may be of Hispanic or Latino descent.  I wonder if they've ever been on the other side of bigotry?

Their attorney is quoted in the article as saying that it was all just a big misunderstanding.  Right.

No Muslims in Congress says the Tea Party

I know this is old news by election standards but I feel compelled to comment nonetheless.  The bozo brigades at Tea Party Nation want to rally their troops to oust Congressman Keith Ellison from his seat in Minnesota.  They don't like him because he's.... A MUSLIM!  Surprise.

The tea baggers are working hard to mainstream their bigotry.  They're wrapping themselves with the American flag and claiming to be patriots.  What they really should be wearing are white sheets because these folks are no different from the KKK.  Singling out a person on the basis of his faith and using his faith as reason to oppose his candidacy is bigotry plain and simple. 

I'm actually glad these tea baggers are being as brazen and open as they are with their bigotry.  It makes it a bit easier to expose them to the masses of good and decent Americans who may share some of the same concerns but none of the hatred and wickedness that seems so engrained among these tea baggers.

I googled this group that called for Congressman Ellison's ouster - Tea Party Nation - and I found their website.  I found their mission statement on the home page and thought it was interesting.  Read it and take note of what's included and what isn't:

The tea baggers at Tea Party Nation believe in God but not in the freedom of religion.  The 2nd Amendment is good as far as they are concerned but they only believe in the freedom of speech and nothing else in the 1st Amendment.  This is hardly surprising.  The only thing missing on this website is a burning cross or some other popular KKK symbol.

Salon.com reporter Justin Elliott noted on his website that the tea bagger who first articulated this bigotry against Congressman Ellison is Judson Phillips.  Why haven't all conservatives condemned this person's comments?  Isn't that what they demand of Muslims every time al-Qaeda commits a terrorist attack?  What's that quip - "what's good for the goose..."?

Congressman Ellison's constituents have a right and an obligation to evaluate him on his body of work in Congress.  He should be held accountable for his representation of his district in Washington, DC.  But to try smearing him by pointing out his faith is simply wrong.  To then throw up false accusations like saying he's a supporter of terrorism when he absolute is not is straight up pathetic.  And to attempt to tar and feather him with guilt by association with a legitimate and bona fide civil rights organization is right out of the McCarthy era.

Seriously, do we need patriots like these?  Do we want the stars and stripes associated with this filth?  No.