Wa SalaamWa Salaam******************A Muslim-American Journal****************** Articles
What To Look For in a Spouse
2007-06-27 22:20:00 Omair Ali of MeccaOne radio recently posted an audio recording of Imam Amir Abdul-Malik, of masjid al-Islam in Oakland, CA, discussing marriage to a group of graduating highschool students: “This talk was addressed to the Bay Area youth at MCA. With prom time fast approaching and the summer temperature on the rise, the pressures for girls ... More About: Family , Marriage , Organizations , Look , Ouse
Explaining Jihad: Speaking Truth to Power
2007-06-27 17:39:00 Looking to the title of this article I presumed that some, wading through the vast sea of Google searches, may have crossed this title and felt appalled that someone would attempt to explain jihad. I considered this title for nearly a day and eventually decided that, Explaining Jihad was the best fitting title for what ... More About: Society , Truth , Islam , Education , Power
An Islamic View of Suicide Bombing
2007-06-25 21:07:00 Recently, I read an article on Harry’s Place where Dr. Yunis Al-Astal of Hamas in Palestine discusses suicide bombings. His interview leads off with a surprisingly stunted understanding - or at least poor conveyance - of Islam ic knowledge where he says, “The most exalted form of Jihad is fighting for the sake of Allah, which means ... More About: Society , Islamic , Culture , Communication
Israel?s Anti-Drug Campaign
2007-06-25 18:19:00 Lisa Goldman of On the Face, criticizes Israel ’s new anti-drug campaign condemning it as “racist” and “sensationalist” propaganda. In an update to the article Goldman also notes that there is a video clip, which digs an even deeper grave - no pun intended - for this morbid and “ineffective” ad campaign. More About: Projects , Health Care , Campaign , Appearance
Box.net
2007-06-22 22:42:00 At the bottom right of this weblog you will find a widget called “Box”, in it you will find lectures and music that I would like to share with the community of readers here at the Hakim Abdullah blog. It is an ongoing project, the library will increase overtime so please check my Box periodically ...
Is Islam Compatible with Democracy?
2007-06-20 00:58:00 I do not believe that there is an inevitable Clash of Civilizations occurring. Although, I do believe not unlike Dr. Noah Feldman, that there are individuals and groups who would like an inevitable conflict between certain Muslims or all Muslims and the nebulous West. In 2003, a very important, overshadowed but important nonetheless, lecture occurred ... More About: Society , Islam , Education , Culture , History
Orphan Walk: A Walk-A-Thon
2007-06-18 17:11:00 Al-Maghrib Institute, a North American institution of Islam ic learning, is sponsoring an “Orphan Walk” to raise money for orphaned children. This fund raiser is in partnership with Islamic Relief USA, and will be held on Saturday June 23, 10am - 5pm in Flushing Meadows, Corona Park, Queens, NY. The event is dedicated to raising money ... More About: Society , Projects , Children , New York City
Havard Scholarships and Free Tuition
2007-06-14 19:11:00 I am an advocate of education, especially among the underserved communities of the United States, as you may have read in articles like Character Building in American Schools. Therefore, I am going to make it a point - on this blog - to be a resource for people, helping to increase awareness concerning opportunities of ... More About: Education , Children , Free , Hola , Scholars
NYC Teen Taunted Because of Name
2007-06-13 00:32:00 In my previous article Character Building in American Schools, I failed to mention - purposely - that my wife’s meeting with the principal was not to address the character of the children or to introduce ‘character building’ into the lesson plan. In fact, it was actually to discuss the character of certain faculty or the ... More About: Society , Children , Culture , Communication , Stories
Character Building in American Schools
2007-06-13 00:13:00 As a parent what concern is at the forefront of your mind most? For my wife and I it is education, as time moves on I see that education is hands down the most important issue when discussing our children and their future. However, when I say education, I am not only referring solely to ... More About: Islam , Education , Building , Parenting , Children
The Carnival of Islam in the West (10)
2007-06-08 18:49:00 Its that time again, time to check in and take a gander at the latest edition of the Carnival of Islam in the West . This month we have our “writeous” sister Aaminah Hernandez from my hometown, Grand Rapids, MI up to bat and she delivers like Roberto Clemente in the clutch at the bottom of ... More About: Slam , The Car
How Do Jews Pray?
2007-06-06 23:59:00 Let me tell you a little secret… I have been waiting nearly 6 minutes to make a post like this, after looking over a popular post that I wrote a while back entitled, How Do Muslims Pray? I was going to hold onto it since I published something earlier on Muslims and health-care reform. But ... More About: Society , Islam , History , Civilization , Development
Health Care Reform and Muslims
2007-06-06 21:12:00 I am from New York, but I remember hearing about the Umma Community Clinic of Southern California in a lecture Imam Zaid Shakir gave called, Stand Up for Truth. As it turns out the ‘Umma Free Clinic’ as it is often called is a health-care facility for uninsured individuals to receive health-care regardless of their ... More About: Society , Health , Stories , Health Care , Reform
When Culture and Religion Clash
2007-06-05 22:32:00 Although the idea of culture and religion is broad and profound this article on the issue will not be. I am intentionally formulating questions, that I have considered but have yet to realize a conclusive and reasonable decision on the matter of culture, religion and Islam in the United States (U.S.). Personally, my experience being ... More About: Society , Religion , Culture , Civilization
NY Based Org Helps Smooth the Transition to Islam
2007-05-31 18:25:00 The Muslim Education Convert Center of America also known as M.E.C.C.A. based in White Plains, New York is helping to make a Muslim-convert’s (revert) transition to Islam a pleasant and memorable experience. This is so important particularly in this country where the media presents Islam and Muslims in a negative and critical light. These ... More About: Society , Projects , Stories , Development
The Family Council
2007-05-17 21:54:00 Recently, we began a new practice in my home. We have decided to hold a bi-weekly shura which is much like a family meeting. It was rather interesting because as some of you may know my children are young, the eldest being 5 and the youngest 8 months. But that did not stop the two ... More About: Society , Family , Food , Stories , Council
What is the Punishment of God?
2007-05-02 18:13:00 Have you ever contemplated thunder? Its booming rolls and rumbles which emit from the Heavens, splitting the sky and shaking the Earth. Last night during ‘isha prayer I felt the startling reminder of Allah’s punishment when a series of rumbles appeared from the sky. My children immediately ran into the living room teary-eyed where they ... More About: Society , Nature , Civilization , Questions , Punishment
Subhana?Allah! I?ve Been Forced Out of Hiding
2007-04-10 18:09:00 subhana’allah, my friend Yursil has forced me out of hiding. ya Yursil, how are you saddiqi? I will take this opportunity to explain that I am not actually “hiding”, but I am taking time to devote some serious energy toward my home and family at the behest of my beloved zawja. We all must reevaluate our ... More About: Force , Forced , Allah , Been , Hana
The Lancet: USA Should Allow Free Exchange of Scientific Ideas
2007-03-12 15:08:00 The Lancet | Editorial | 10 February 2007-16 February 2007 Last week, eight Muslim and Islamic scholars sent a petition to the South African Government calling for a UN investigation to be started into the treatment of Muslims travelling from South Africa to the USA. The men claim to have experienced discrimination, because of their appearance, ... More About: Ideas , Change , Free , Exchange , Idea
Academic Apartheid By the Back Door
2007-03-06 23:45:03 The Lancet | Education & Society | 10 February 2007-16 February 2007 By Izhar Khan Ward 25/26, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK There is increasing anecdotal evidence that UK researchers with Muslim-sounding names are being denied the opportunity to present their work in the USA. One of our clinical research fellows, who I help supervise, recently had a paper accepted by the American Society of Nephrology as a poster presentation at its annual meeting in Philadelphia, PA. The research fellow applied to the US embassy in London for a visa in September, 2006, with a letter of endorsement from his supervisor. He was interviewed and informed by the US embassy that because of his name his documents would have to be sent to Washington, and he was given verbal reassurance that a decision would be made before the meeting in November. The research fellow was encouraged by this and booked a flight to the USA. However, he was not issued a visa despite repeated requests to t... More About: Academic , Back , Part , Door , Cade
Mercy for All Peoples ? Part 1: The Prophet of Islam and Christians
2007-02-27 23:42:04 In Christian circles ? and particularly in the West ? it is widely believed today that Islam is a threat to Christians , to Christianity and to Christian values. Few men have been more hated, maligned, caricaturised, and misunderstood in the West than the Holy Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings of God be upon him). However, Western intellectuals who took the trouble to study, in a dispassionate and unbiased way, the most revered figure of Islam ? whom God calls ?a Mercy for all peoples? (Qur?an: Chapter 21) ? were profoundly touched by the magnanimity and noble character of Muhammad, the Messenger of God. Annie Wood Besant, that well-known English theosophist, women’s rights activist, writer and orator of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, was moved to write: “It is impossible for anyone who studies the life and character of the great Prophet of Arabia, who knows how he taught and how he lived, to feel anything but reverence for that mighty Prophet, one of... More About: People
Can We Raise ?Good Muslim? Children in the West?
2007-02-27 23:42:04 I went to my favorite local deli near the hospital where I work in Brooklyn, NY. I often go to this deli because, 1) the brothers are Muslim s and I pray with them every Friday at our local masjid; 2) the deli is halal - thank God that some Muslim business owners are still concerned about the conditions of their products and services with respect to our religious beliefs - and 3) its healthy to break out of the office monotony to go and speak a different language and joke around with nice people after the noon prayer. This visit however, was in the morning and not at noon. After I got my morning coffee and made a few salutations of good-will, a brother named ‘Abdullah and I begin a conversation. He is helping me to find a private Arabic teacher for my wife and children. ‘Abdullah is a very pious and hard-working Muslim from Yemen. And he shares with me one of his worrisome concerns about Muslims in this country saying, “You know brother, when Muslims come to this c... More About: Children , West , Child , Good
Scholars and Clergy Slam ?Lost Tomb of Jesus?
2007-02-26 23:41:03 Houston Chronicle | World News | February 26, 2007 By Marshall Thompson Journalist, Associated Press (AP) JERUSALEM ? Archaeologists and clergymen in the Holy Land derided claims in a new documentary produced by James Cameron that contradict major Christian tenets, but the Oscar-winning director said the evidence was based on sound statistics. “The Lost Tomb of Jesus ,” which the Discovery Channel will run on March 4, argues that 10 ancient ossuaries ? small caskets used to store bones ? discovered in a suburb of Jerusalem in 1980 may have contained the bones of Jesus and his family, according to a press release issued by the Discovery Channel. One of the caskets even bears the title, “Judah, son of Jesus,” hinting that Jesus may have had a son, according to the documentary. And the very fact that Jesus had an ossuary would contradict the Christian belief that he was resurrected and ascended to heaven. (more…) More About: Clergy , Hola , Scholars
Sulayman Nyang: Message to Muslims
2007-02-23 23:40:17 The American Muslim | Open Letter | February 22, 2007 by Dr. Sulayman Nyang Professor African Studies, Howard University Fellow Humanoids and fellow believers in the Holy Qur?an which describes in unrivalled language the Power and Glory of the Creator of the Universe, I take this opportunity to congratulate you on the first POW WOW of Muslims from across North America. This event is certainly historical. It is historical on three levels. It took place in a year when religious leaders from various parts of the world assembled in celebration of the centenary of the first Parliament of World?s Religions. We should recall that it was at the first parliament that Islam gained its first public articulation and representation by a native-born American citizen in a gathering drawn from across the planet. This representation of Islam by Muhammad Alexander Russell Webb at the Parliament of World?s Religions was the beginning of the recognition of the Islamic presence in North America. Your g... More About: Essa , Message , Yang
The Saudi Regime and the West: Courting with Fanaticism, Playing with Fire
2007-02-23 23:40:17 More than ever before, Saudi Arabia has come to symbolise Islam in the non-Muslim mind. Until very recently, few people knew ? or even cared to know ? who the Saudi Royal family were, what they stood for or what they were doing in the Islamic world. All that changed when Osama bin Laden ? a Saudi national ? crashed into the headlines of every organ of the press and media in the West . So who exactly are the Saudis? The Saudi state began to emerge in central Arabia in the Eighteenth Century. Muhammad bin Sa?ud, a regional Sheikh, joined forces with a Muslim cleric and reformer, Muhammad ?Abd Al-Wahhab, to create a new religious/political force: the Nejdi Movement. Over the next century and a half, the political success of the Sa?ud family went through various stages as their leaders clashed with Egypt and the Turkish Ottoman Empire on the one hand, and with an assortment of Arabian tribes on the other, for control on the Arabian peninsula. Seeing an opportunity to weaken Ottoman rule,... More About: Audi , Play , With
A Word of Wisdom
2007-02-23 23:40:17 ?A word of wisdom is the lost property of a Muslim. He should seize it wherever he finds it.? (The Holy Prophet Muhammad ? peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) The Paradox Of Our Times (attributed to a number of different sources) “We have taller buildings… but shorter tempers; Wider freeways… but narrower viewpoints. We spend more… but have less; We buy more… but enjoy it less. We have bigger houses… and smaller families; More conveniences… but less time. We have more degrees… but less sense; More knowledge… but less judgement; More experts… but more problems; More medicine… but less wellness. We have multiplied our possessions… but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom… and hate too often. We have learned how to make a living… but not a life. We’ve added years to life… but not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back… But we have dif... More About: Word , Wisdom
The Carnival of Islam in the West (6)
2007-02-20 23:39:08 Finally, the sixth edition of the Carnival of Islam in the West is here! The carnival - this creative collage of Muslim-thought - is over a week late but here nonetheless, complete with criticisms and mention from Islamophobic pundits. But what is the point of taking a stand, gaining popularity and changing the tide of society if you don’t come across a few critics now and again. I’m sure Aziz would agree with me, speaking of Aziz, don’t forget to check in to the Carnival of Brass - the dynamic side of this powerhouse team of Muslim-bloggers - and don’t forget to tell Aziz that Hakim sent you. Now, I would like to thank you all for stopping by because we have another collection of excellent articles this month. So without further adieu, I present to you the sixth edition of the Carnival of Islam in the West, enjoy: (more…) More About: Slam , The Car
A Muslim Manifesto on Darfur
2007-02-20 23:39:08 I have recently been in contact with the Muslim Alliance of North-America (M.A.N.A.), an organization which is essentially a network of masajid, Muslim organizations, communities and their respective leadership working together to address immediate issue of the North American Muslim community. It is an impressive collection of activists, scholars and community leaders that are making strides toward real development in Muslim communities around the U.S. I will be publishing articles on their quarterly newsletter entitled GrassRoots from time-to-time and I have also been given the go-ahead to publish some essays and excerpts of literature written by members of the organization, some of which include: Imam Siraj Wahhaj, Luqman Abdul Haqq, Ihsan Bagby and others. It is a formative collection of activists, scholars and community leaders that are making strides toward real development in Muslim communities around the U.S. The first MANA publication that I will post on this blog is an exce... More About: Mani , Darfur , Fest , Slim
Michigan Muslims Counter Claims of Sectarian Conflict
More articles from this author:2007-02-17 11:37:04 I was born in Michigan and it is true, there is a very large presence of Muslim s living in Michigan, it is very beautiful to see such a clear shift from the ethnic norm emerge nearly out of nowhere. To be immersed into a cultural collage of non-domestic origins is truly beautiful, in my opinion. While looking up some things concerning my birthplace Michigan, I found an NPR article suggesting that there has been an influx of “vandalism” in the Muslim majority city of Dearborn, MI: “In Dearborn, Mich., the nation’s largest Arab-American community, Shia and Sunnis have long lived together mostly peacefully. But it appears that some of Iraq’s sectarian violence is being mirrored in the Detroit area, particularly in recent months. As the Muslim communities have grown and prospered, more mosques have been built and some of the divides between these sects have been brought into sharper focus.” (C. Corley, NPR) However, I noticed that in the radio edit... More About: Muslims , Conflict , Aria 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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