Read this piece of Spoken word poetry performed last yeat by a Muslim woman. Very moving when heard performed:

Here’s the link to the original blog post.

My Spoken Word 

I’m passive, weak, uneducated
Veiled from head to toe
One of his four wives
Work in the kitchen all day
And spread my legs wide at night
That’s what you think, right?
Funny how the devil spreads ignorance amongst a “civilized people”
The Orientalist whispers in so many ears
To him, I’m the mistress of the harem
Black-hair, olive skin, eyes that glow, hips that don’t lie
Hold up
Sexual exploitation- There’s nothing exotic about that
Or
I’m poor, cracked feet that never touched soft designer shoes
Dirty, hungry, cold, alone
I’m calling out for help, America save me from my fathers, my brothers, my backward culture, America–  save me from myself,
Let me tell you something
You don’t have to be a woman to hear my stories
But you have to be a woman to understand them
The blood that boils in my veins is the same as yours
My story is a testament of my struggle
My struggle is a testament of my faith
I am a Muslim woman
Muslim woman.
I made Prophets weak in the knees,
Fought alongside my man in war
Then went home to nurture my baby
Does that surprise you?
You say I need liberation
What do you call it?
Oh yeah…Furthering women’s rights in the Middle East
I have one thing to say to you
My liberation won’t come from the one who has oppressed me
Bringing me democracy
You think you’re really gonna send Condi
to tell me how to be free
But wait, I’m not here to play the blame game
Let’s make this more real
Not only do I take this hate from you
But I take it internally from the close-minded bigots of my own society
So my Muslim father tells me how to dress, but so does BCBG
So my Muslim brothers tell me how to act, but so does MTV
Yea… so it’s this double bind I face
When I realize that if I do what I want,
I won’t make anyone happy
Too good to be bad, too bad to be good
But wait, why this dichotomy
Since when did my identity become a zero sum game
Why do you insist on labeling me?
Putting me in boxes simple and easy only for you to understand
Countless books and movies dedicated to uncovering me instead of just letting me be
What’s in free will when my spiritual will isn’t allowed to be free
Just look at France and Turkey
“Unveiling the Muslim Woman”
Why don’t I unveil your sexist patriarchal ideology
Remember The golden rule—treat others how you’d like to be treated, if you’re so keen to educate then please be educated,
Enslaving not our bodies now but our minds,
Eating disorders and depression, no love and not that much attention
This equality talk is cheap and the price expensive
Using my body to sell everything from cigarettes to automotives,
Confusing my flesh for my spirit
Confusing my humanity as weakness 
When I say something in protest
Standing against trafficking, hunger, poverty, violence, you know “women’s” issues,
they brush it aside to…oh, she’s just a Femi-NAZI
So Don’t confuse my silence as submission
nor my covering for oppression
Don’t confuse my peaceful battle as lack of conviction
When you ask what sustains me
I say: not man, not America, But God, our God
Am I American, Kashmiri, or an ABCD,
On applications, I check none of the above, all of the above, some of the above, but ultimately

I am a Muslim woman.

 Go to the original post.

 ”Islamo-facism”: A Dumb Idea

By J.D. Porter

PUBLISHED OCTOBER 26, 2007

Like David Horowitz, CC ‘59, I believe that we could end most of America’s problems if we simply repeated the word Islamo-fascism enough times, preferably from some sort of stage. We diverge on the exact methodology, however. He believes in victory through categorizing things, whereas I believe that the whole idea of Islamo-fascism deserves nothing but the utmost derision from everyone who ever encounters it. If we mock it enough, I think we might find problems that exist, as opposed to those invented by frenzied reactionaries.

One argument that really gets Horowitz’s goat is that Islamo-fascism is racist, or at the very least anti-Islamic, since it seems to demonize all Muslims. Horowitz and company deny this, arguing that it’s a simplistic understanding of the word. Apparently the “o” injects some kind of subtlety, because otherwise the word literally consists of “Islam” combined with “fascism”. You can see how some people, such as everyone, might be confused.

The conundrum doesn’t stop there, however, since Islamo-fascism seems to be neither fascist nor characteristically Islamic. Ahmadinejad might be a fascist, although he probably doesn’t have enough power, but you can’t call Al Qaeda fascist—terrorism is by definition anarchic, which is kind of like the opposite of fascism. Mussolini didn’t make the trains run on time by allowing lunatic zealots blow up the stations. Other problems in the Islamic world, like genital mutilation in Africa or “honor killings” in South Asia, don’t seem to have much to do with fascism at all, other than being bad things. You might as well call American gun violence fascistic, since, you know, fascists liked to shoot guns and stuff.

Not only that, but anyone paying attention to Iraq has probably noticed that violent Islamic organizations don’t seem to like each other all that much. I know it’s kind of nice to envision America’s enemy as one monolithic force, like the USSR, or Lex Luthor, but the problematic sects of Muslims can’t even get organized in Iraq. These guys can’t resolve an ancient dispute about the caliphate, much less band together to make some kind of evil League of Nations. It’s like Horowitz is secretly hoping to get a job writing for Saturday morning cartoons.

Even if all the Muslims in the world did have a secret plot against America, I’m not sure how using a nonsensical term would help us to thwart it. Let’s say we all agree that the real problem is not some complicated geopolitical hokum, but rather Islam (got it in two syllables, boys). Then what? Does he plan to infiltrate Islamo-fascist club meetings and ask disruptive questions? (Can Allah make a rock so big he can’t lift it?) America has a decent history of fighting fascists, but we kind of suck at fighting Muslims (killing civilians doesn’t count). In fact, everyone sucks at fighting Muslims. Other than some wins for Britain, the West has a losing record in the Middle East at least since the Crusades.

In part, this is because we don’t know what we’re talking about. While making Princeton aware of Islamo-fascism, Horowitz said of Islam, “I don’t think there has been another religion that has made saints out of murderers.” I can think of one: Christianity. It’s an easy answer because, unlike Islam, Christianity actually has saints. Two of my favorites are Saint Louis, who killed Muslims while losing the second Crusade, and Saint George, a Roman soldier who is now the patron saint, literally, of knights, cavalry and butchers. I don’t think anyone expects Horowitz to cite Catholic arcana, but it might be nice if he knew some basic facts about religion, like, “Islam isn’t just Christianity with different words,” or “People in many religions have done bad things”.

Since Islamo-fascism so successfully merges racism, ignorance, and impotence, we may need a new term. I propose that we have a Repubofascism Awareness Week, dedicated to understanding the ways that Republicans are fascists. Unlike Horowitz, I would like to point out that I am explicitly yoking the American Republican Party to fascism. As justification, I would like to cite an explanation of Islamo-fascism written by Christopher Hitchens for Slate, one that Horowitz himself has endorsed.

As Hitchens puts it, fascists endorse violence and hate “the life of the mind,” so they might, say, start wars and oppose the theory of evolution. Both dislike “modernity” and are nostalgic for “lost glories,” like, for instance, the Reagan years. Both obsess over past humiliations and are “thirsty for revenge,” so that they might endlessly reference Sept. 11, 2001 or invade Iraq. Both are paranoid (Hitchens says paranoid of Jews, but I think fear of “Islamo-fascism” is a good parallel). Both practice “leader worship,” which could lead to expanding executive power, and both believe in “the power of one great book,” like the Bible (to be fair, God wrote it). Both are sexually repressive, especially of “deviance,” like the gays with their marriage hoohah. Hitchens says both despise art and literature, too, but I think I would characterize Bush and company as simply indifferent to all that.

That’s just one definition of fascism, of course, but it’s surprising how many definitions you find would apply pretty well to the Bush administration. I’ve also noticed that many problems, such as the drought in the American Southeast, homophobia, and the War in Iraq happen in places where there are a lot of Republicans, indicating an undeniable causal link. What I can’t understand is why the right-wingers refuse to say the word Repubofascism. It can’t be because it sounds stupid, means nothing, and is offensive and pointless. They must be scared of it.

Compared to Islamo-fascism, Repubofascism is both real and logically plausible. Unlike the billion Muslims across the world, the Republicans really are working together, and they really are doing something that at least vaguely resembles fascism. Fortunately, like any problem, we can stop it now. All we have to do is raise awareness.

J.D. Porter is a Columbia College senior majoring in English.
The Lion’s Roar runs alternate Fridays.
Specopinion@columbia.edu.

Here’s a link to the article. Click here.

Below are a series of useful articles responding to the ‘Islamofascism Awareness week’ sponsored by islamophobic bigots. The list is sent out by CAIR in case you’re not on their listserv. Also, here’s a link to a great article published in yesterday’s issue of The Hoya by Georgetown University: http://www.thehoya.com/viewpoint/102307/view6.cfm

MSA LAUNCHES NATIONWIDE ‘PEACE…NOT PREJUDICE’ PROJECT -

This month, more than 100 Muslim Student Associations (MSAs) across the country will hold a ‘Peace…Not Prejudice’ campaign, a project of MSA National, to further improve interfaith dialogue and increase an open exchange of ideas on our college campuses

‘ISLAMO-FASCISM AWARENESS WEEK’ STOKES DEBATE -

National Public Radio, 10/21/07

Listen to this story.

Tempers may flare over Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week. David Horowitz, a ’60s anti-war radical who later took a right turn, says he’s trying to sound an alarm about radical Islam. His efforts have drawn much criticism.

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JUDEO-CHRISTO-FASCISM AWARENESS WEEK COMES TO AMERICAN CAMPUSES! -

Rabbi Arthur Waskow

Did that title make the hair on the back of your neck bristle? Did it feel like a bigoted attack on Christianity and Judaism?

When the feature film sent out for use in this Week—which focused on the disgusting Christian-led war that killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and the disgusting Jewish-led killing of Muslim children by airplane bombing raids on Gaza - also included interviews with a few peacenik Quakers, Methodists, and left-wing Jews, criticizing that war and those bombings, did you relax, feeling it was a balanced presentation of Judaism and Christianity?

NO??!! —Your guts, your kishkes, felt that practically all Christians and Jews were being set up as potential indeed probable— bad guys? Could-be terrorists who often manipulated by governments that Christians or Jews controlled—– hated other religious communities but had not yet got around to buying the plastique for their bombs?

And since Christians are a huge majority in America but Jews are a small minority with a past of being persecuted, did you especially fear for the impact of Judeo-Christo-Fascism Awareness on Jews and Judaism? That this Week might incite anti-Semitism?

Did you urge universities to condemn this “travesty” and institute instead a real Judeo-Christian Awareness Week that looked at the wonderful achievements of Christian and Jewish prayer, charity, and social justice; the history of their persecution; AND the history of their violence against others? That did look closely at the murders of Muslims by Baruch/Aror Goldstein but as an aberration? And looked at the support of Nazism by the leading respectable Lutheran theologians of Germany as terrible a mistake? That discussed the genocidal passages of Torah as a long-ago transcended worldview in the light of Hillel’s teaching, “Do not do to your neighbor what would be hateful if your neighbor did it to you?”

Wow. Now THERE’S a concept!— Do not do to your neighbor what would be hateful if your neighbor did it to you!

So what are you doing about the fact that there is NO such week about to appear on US campuses, but on many campuses this coming week, there WILL appear a whole industrial machine called “Islamofascism Awareness Week”?

If you think it would be hateful toward you to have somebody produce Judeo-Christo-Fascism Awareness Week, what do you owe your Muslim neighbors? Or is Hillel’s teaching (and of course Jesus’ parallel interpretation of “Love your neighbor as yourself”) a mere utopian joke aimed at naïve children? (MORE)

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NOT IN OUR VOICE: JEWISH ALLIANCE REPUDIATES ‘ISLAMO-FASCISM AWARENESS WEEK’ -
Shira Gordon, Alana Krivo-Kaufman, Josh Schwartz and Shlomo Bolts, Columbia Spectator , 10/22/07

We, the Progressive Jewish Alliance, repudiate the mission of David Horowitz’s “Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week.” We reject the manner in which he manipulates Jewish grief over the Holocaust and the situation in Israel. As Jews and members of a larger campus coalition community, we speak out as allies of our fellow Muslim students.

Horowitz does not speak for us. Instead, he uses symbols and rhetoric which exploit Jewish communal memory and grief. He uses the fear brought about by the Holocaust as well as by terrorist attacks against our fellow Jews. He juxtaposes images of Nazi propaganda with current Islamic extremists. By associating these images with broad groups haphazardly labeled “Islamo-Fascist,” Horowitz seeks to replace intellectual discussion with panic. Such malevolent tactics are of no service to the Jewish people; rather, they are an attempt to induce Jews into sacrificing their values for a world view of oversimplified fear.

Horowitz claims to support moderate Islam, but does nothing of the sort. Horowitz’s “Student’s Guide” features a petition “appeal” aimed at Muslim Student Associations across the country. This “appeal” is in fact a loyalty oath, in which Muslims are forced to choose between denouncing their entire religion as a danger to humanity and being branded as terrorist sympathizers. Such a narrow-minded approach does not aid moderates, but seeks to strand them between two radical and untenable positions.

Horowitz’s anti-Muslim week of action aims to create a dangerous and false dichotomy between “Judeo-Christian Civilization” and Islam, both on our campuses and in the world. Horowitz points to the atrocities of extremist regimes, which are driven by a range of historical, political, and economic factors, and claims such atrocities embody the essence of Islam. By this logic, geopolitical conflict can only be resolved with the end of Islam. Such a headstrong and stubborn conviction could only result in enflaming tensions, and provoking a New Crusade against Islam.

We refuse to lend our voice to those who attempt to parasitically draw on the support of the Jewish community. We are not fooled by pundits who co-opt progressive activists’ language and protest forms. Instead, we stand as allies with communities of faith and our fellow students. Mr. Horowitz: You will not further your campaign of hate and intolerance in our voice.

Shira Gordon is a senior in Barnard College. Alana Krivo-Kaufman is a junior in Barnard College. Joshua Schwartz is a senior in List College. Shlomo Bolts is a sophomore in Columbia College. The authors are all members of the Progressive Jewish Alliance.

—

MN: ISLAMO-FASCISM A RACIST CONCEPT

Fedwa Wazwaz, Minnesota Daily, 10/22/07

In his Oct. 17 letter “Not racist to criticize,” Matt Kleiber states that one of the potential speakers in the Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week was not a racist for suggesting that Western culture is superior to Arab culture.

Kleiber needs to understand that the very notion of Islamo-Fascism is a racist concept and any speaker that speaks in such an event is a racist. These speakers are not criticizing any Arab country or particular policy but instead are attacking the faith of 1.5 billion people by likening Islam to Fascism. A better analogy is a conference held by the KKK attacking Jews or holding a Judeo-Fascism Awareness Week.

Or how would Kleiber feel about a West-Fascism Awareness Week that seeks to show how Western women are oppressed as sex objects and citing the human trafficking problem where women are sold as sex slaves?

Not everything Muslims do is right; Muslims do not always represent Islam, just as Christians and Jews do not always represent their faiths. There are many problems in the Muslim world today and there are just as many in the Western world. Both societies need to own up to them by forums that open up an exchange of ideas and educate the masses.

However, there is a difference between a forum that criticizes cultural practices in a given society and one that demonizes a group of people. An awareness week that paints all Muslims with the same brush does not promote understanding but rather increases intolerance, fear and bigotry in a climate of prejudice toward Muslims that is already at an unprecedented level.

It is documented that campaigns that demonize an entire group of people are one of the many gradual steps toward genocide. Please read “The six Steps from Discrimination to Extermination” by Bart Charlow. Charlow mentions that step one is to spread myths or stereotypes about people that result in denigration and social distancing from them.

Freedom of speech when embraced in the spirit of elevating the truth is a needed value in every society. However, it is important to understand that hate speech which vilifies an entire group can have dangerous consequences in the form of hate crimes and violence.

Fedwa Wazwaz is a University staff member.

—

‘ISLAMOFASCISM’ - DEBUNKING A CONSERVATIVE SMEAR TACTIC

Annika Carlson and Sarah Dreier, Campus Progress, 10/22/07

In the days following 9/11, Americans across the ideological spectrum united in support of increased protections against terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. But a handful of conservatives used the attacks to promote division among Americans and their allies abroad. For example, conservative writer Stephen Schwartz employed the term “Islamofascism” in a Weekly Standard article to describe the ideology of America’s enemies in its newly minted “war on terror.” Unfortunately, the moniker stuck with many prominent conservatives. Right-wing pundits, policy makers, and journalists started using the term, and even President Bush has employed it to describe terrorist networks in the Middle East.

That’s a shame, because Islamofascism is a misleading and harmful label: Instead of correctly identifying America’s enemies, it inaccurately describes modern terrorism, wrongly demonizes Islam as a violent religion, and dangerously obscures America’s real national security threats.

Here are the top four reasons why conservatives should stop using the term Islamofascism, and an explanation of what ideas and policies they should be promoting instead.

Islamofascism misrepresents modern terrorism and Islam.

It makes little sense to use the word “fascism” to describe today’s terrorism threat. Al Qaeda and other 21st century terrorists do not rely on the nation-state concept that defined 20th century fascism. Whereas fascists used violence to create control out of disorder, contemporary terrorists derive ammunition from chaos. (MORE)

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DC: CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST FIGHTS ANTI-MUSLIM PREJUDICE - 10/19/07
A notable leader of the civil rights era is speaking out against what he’s calling a nationwide effort to discredit Islam. Former D.C. Delegate, and civil rights activist, Walter Fauntroy is denouncing “Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week,” next week’s series of speeches on college campuses nationwide organized by the neoconservative writer David Horowitz.

Neoconservative scholars and journalists say Islam is the philosophical basis for anti-Western terrorism and must be exposed for what it is. But Fauntroy, who is endorsing a counter-protest organized by Muslim and other college students, says it’s time to set the record straight.

Listen here.

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CA: WEEK’S FOCUS STIRRING CONTROVERSY -
Bruin Republicans’ “Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week” met with criticism from Muslim students
Lucy Benz-Rogers, Daily Bruin, 10/22/07
A weeklong series of events called Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week, put on by Bruin Republicans, is beginning today amid some controversy.

Similar events will be held at hundreds of campuses across the nation as part of a terrorism-awareness project started by conservative writer and activist David Horowitz.

“The idea is to raise awareness about the threat of Islamic terror and Islamic radicalism,” said David Lazar, chairman of Bruin Republicans and a former Daily Bruin Viewpoint columnist.

Horowitz emphasized that, while his group developed the idea for the event, the specific details were up to student coordinators such as Lazar.

The week will focus on abuses against women, such as genital mutilation and honor killings, Lazar and Horowitz both said.

“This isn’t about a problem we have with Islam,” said Lazar. “Our focus is on things that I hope we are all able to condemn as horrible,” he added.

Event organizers stressed that they encourage moderate Muslims to join them in opposing Islamic fundamentalism, though Lazar admitted he did not expect much support from Muslim Student Association members.

The reason for this is Lazar’s definition of the term moderate, said Naqib Shifa, president of the Muslim Student Association, which he believes does not align with that of most Muslim students.

Randa May Wahbe, president of Students for Justice in Palestine, agreed.

“The way the week is stamped … is that it’s not a moderate week. I don’t see it as a week that would draw moderates at all,” she said.

In response to the event, those opposed to it will be wearing green, and Shifa said his group plans to set up a table on Bruin Walk to pass out information about Islam to peacefully counter what he called the “hate-themed” events.

Shifa said that, while the Muslim Student Association condemns human rights abuses in the name of Islam, he still believes the way these issues are being presented is offensive to Islam. (MORE)

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PA: SANTORUM’S SPEECH ON MUSLIMS SPARKS ANGER -Brett Lieberman, Patriot-News, 10/22/07

Ten months after leaving office, former Sen. Rick Santorum is back in the thick of controversy over whether he and other conservatives’ “hate speech” is stirring up anti-Muslim sentiments.

Santorum is headlining an event on the campus of Penn State University Tuesday night that is part of a controversial line-up of conservative speakers in Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week.

Commentator Ann Coulter also is scheduled to speak at campuses in California and Louisiana. The talks are part of a series of events at more than 100 colleges being organized by the Los Angeles-based David Horowitz Freedom Center.

—–

IN: ISLAMO-FASCISM AWARENESS MISFIRES BY TARGETING PROFESSORS -

Indiana Daily Student, 10/22/07

Starting today, a coalition of conservative organizations will be holding “Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week” at college campuses across the country. Organized by the David Horowitz Freedom Center, the event will include demonstrations, petitions, distribution of political materials and speeches by figures such as Horowitz, Ann Coulter and U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, who will all confront “the two Big Lies of the political left: that George Bush created the war on terror and that Global Warming is a greater danger to Americans than the terrorist threat.” Islamo-Fascism Week’s protests are directed against the “academic left,” who, the organizers claim, serve as apologists for radical Islamist terrorism and work to undermine the U.S. government’s efforts against it.

And herein lies our problem with Islamo-Fascism Week: It’s less about educating students about radical Islamist terrorism than it is about bashing liberals. Groups like al-Qaida do murder innocent civilians in order to intimidate populations into surrendering to their despotic rule. They wish to force women to become subservient, second-class citizens; to execute gays, non-Muslims and anyone who doesn’t abide by their cultural rules;. But, instead of focusing on this genuine threat, Islamo-Fascism Week’s organizers would rather invent one namely left-leaning professors. “Never mind those with the bombs,” they seem to think. “It’s academics who criticize U.S. foreign policy and society, who are reticent about military force, who keep repeating that the vast majority of the world’s Muslims aren’t terrorists and that Westerners need to better understand their cultures, and who fret about global warming who are the real enemy.” This is a load of rubbish.

If the event’s organizers really want to combat “Islamo-Fascism,” they need to have actual scholars (not conservative pundits) teach about how terrorist groups work, familiarize students with the political and cultural context that gave rise to these groups, sponsor debates on how to counter them and otherwise do things that are actually educational.

I read this great article today about how after so much argument, people STILL see the veil as representing oppression etc. I thought that the tagline, “I’m not oppressed, because I choose to dress this way” was repeated way too much, but the author of this article concludes that it’s not repeated enough.

The article is called Unveiling the Veil. Read it. I know articles about hijab get tiring because the subject is soo overdone, but this one is actually well-written. I got to the page and was rolling my eyes before I even started, but it’s actually not too bad.
Here are some of my favorite excerpts:

“In your typical introduction to women’s studies class, you might spend a few weeks (near the end of the semester) on “women of color.” If you’re lucky, one class period will be devoted to Islam and feminism. You’ll study a typical “liberal” feminist who criticizes the institution of purdah and asserts that it doesn’t allow women freedom. Then you’ll read the Muslim feminist who waxes lyrically about how she doesn’t have to worry about having abs of steel in time for bikini season. She then goes on to conclude that purdah is just fine, as long as it’s the choice of the woman herself.

At this point, everybody in the class is in solemn agreement: It’s not the fabric that’s the issue. It’s the coercion. No one should have to wear either a hijab or a bikini if she doesn’t want to. Class dismissed.”

“Listening to the Piliafas’ story reminded me that maybe Women’s Studies 101 isn’t that cliched after all. Many people still assume that by placing a piece of fabric on my head, I’ve pitched my brains into the dumpster, given my rights away to any male in a 50-mile radius and buried my voice in the backyard.”

I went to a talk by John Esposito during Ramadan. I wrote a draft of this post during Ramadan but I didn’t want to waste time writing the post so I’m finishing it up now with all of my commentary. Unfortunately it’s not as fresh in my mind. It was a very short talk. He is working on a book called The Future of Islam.

I was very surprised, It was an at an Iftar do mostly Muslim attended and I think most of us were blown away. The talk was very Dr. Jacksonesque and Muner Fareedesque too. I guess it’s an academic thing. But I was just surprised to hear it from a non-Muslim.

But he mentioned the book by Maududi: “Let us be Muslims.” He said the theme of his talk was going to be “let God be God.” He makes the judgments calls. We are not the judges, He is. And Dr. Esposito mentions that this is a problem that Christians also have.

He started with the tendency of Islam and Christianity to go back to tradition rather than scripture. This was really interesting and true in many ways.

Now first things first, I want to deal with some criticisms that many people put forth about John. Oh he’s an apologist oh he’s not a real Islamic scholar. Now he might not have as much scholarly presence as Dr. John Voll or Dr. Sherman Jackson and he might not have the breadth of knowledge of the likes of Mufti Ali Gomaa etc., but I will put forth the argument that he is CREDIBLE at least even if you don’t agree with his conclusions. This is because he clearly has spent A LOT of time with and around Muslims. Regular youth and people such as Al-Qaradawi and Mufti Ali Gomaa. And if you truly believe that he doesn’t know Islam very well, he definitely knows Muslims extremely well. He knows how Muslims interpret and behave towards Islam. As a Muslim I can tell, when he says things, it’s usually on the bull’s eye. I HATE when non-Muslims and act like orientalists and want to enter into my psyche. I can’t stand it. I always feel like non-Muslims just don’t understand the way we think at all and they are usually WAY OFF in their conclusions about us Muslims. But John Esposito is the opposite and when he was talking I was slightly uncomfortable in the way he was on point with the way he Muslims think. Like it took me awhile to get used to Dr. Jackson( he does it the most) and Imam Zaid and Shaykh Hamza getting into our psyche and challenging the way we think! Imagine this tall Italian Catholic doing it! You feel quite embarrassed. After I was feeling uncomfortable, I was quite impressed. He knows our thought process. It’s quite impressive. He makes conclusions about the community similar to the way we would. And it’s very valuable because he then tells us the way that the Catholic community does the same thing. So people can say a lot of negative about him, but he’s still credible on issues that have to do with Muslims. He proves that time and time again. He knows a lot about our culture and history and about our state in America. More than you can say about the likes of Ayan Hirsi Ali and Irshad Manji.

Another funny anecdote is about a hate e-mail he received in the morning. He receives many of these.

Here is what the hate e-mail he received said:

E-mail: There are people that live in the 13th century that behead people that’s bad enough but you try to sympathize with them and understand them so you’re worse. Someone needs to drag you and bitchslap(I usually don’t curse but he said this so forgive me) you until you are all bloody and skin you like a tomato and even that’s not enough for you.

Isn’t that just outrageous? Many non-Muslims see him as a sellout. I see him as very intelligent and someone that knows Muslims really well.

Muslims in the past used to always refer everything back to God.- hmm Now that I’m coming back to edit this post I can’t remeber exactly in which context he said this.

Muslims fighting: we can’t afford it. America is different after 9/11.Our freedoms are more limited. This is not something new. I’ve heard many Muslim scholars remind us of this. Like many people say, before we are thrown into Guantanamo we are not asked if we are Sufi, Salafi, Shia, Arab, South Asian whatever.

Less Safe, Less Free: Why America is Losing the War on Terror by David Cole

He also told us that when we want to judge other people we should think to ourselves and he put this in the lingo of: “Brooklyn Italian”: Who the hell do you think you are?

He mentioned some Muslim youth that were asking him for religious advice. (Strange right?) He gave them good advice. They were mentioning how they see salafi Islam as “no-no” Islam that is defined as what you can and cannot do. They asked him how they could be more spiritual. He said he told them to pray. I think that’s pretty good advice. And it shows that even he notices that there is a spiritual vacuum among American Muslim youth. Movements that don’t put in spirituality in religious teachings as well as law are bound to create youth that feel spiritually empty. Islam is supposed to be a balance between spirituality and law. If you lack either one, you have a problem.

He also mentioned speaking to Shaykh Ali Gomaa of Egypt about how there’s a need for an American/European fiqh. But he asked us who knows fiqh well enough and who knows the West well enough to be able to do this?

Now many Muslims were pretty upset with his talk. I don’t know exactly why. I think we need to get over ourselves. He meant well and he wasn’t saying anything new. He wasn’t saying anything a Muslim scholar hasn’t said sometime in the past. It’s always good to be reminded right? Even if it’s by a “Catholic”.

*US CONGRESS PASSES RAMADAN BILL *
This is HISTORIC for American- Muslims and Muslims around the world. This is
the first time in history that the United States Congress will commemorate
and recognize the month of Ramadan as the Islamic holy month. The language
from the bill text is below for your viewing.

*110th CONGRESS
1st Session - H. RES. 635*

Recognizing the commencement of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting
and spiritual renewal, and commending Muslims in the United States and
throughout the world for their faith.

*IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 5, 2007
*

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas (for herself, Mr. MEEKS of New York, and
Mr. KEITH ELLISON) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Foreign Affairs

*RESOLUTION *

Recognizing the commencement of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting
and spiritual renewal, and commending Muslims in the United States and
throughout the world for their faith.

Whereas since the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11,
2001, threats and incidents of violence have been directed at law-abiding,
patriotic Americans of African, Arab, and South Asian descent, particularly
members of the Islamic faith;

Whereas, on September 14, 2001, the House of Representatives passed a
concurrent resolution condemning bigotry and violence against
Arab-Americans, American Muslims, and Americans from South Asia in the wake
of the terrorist attacks;

Whereas it is estimated that there are approximately 1,500,000,000 Muslims
worldwide;

Whereas Ramadan is the holy month of fasting and spiritual renewal for
Muslims worldwide, and is the 9th month of the Muslim calendar year; and

Whereas the observance of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan commences at
dusk on September 13, 2007, and continues for one lunar month: Now,
therefore, be it

Resolved, That–

(1) during this time of conflict, in order to demonstrate solidarity with
and support for members of the community of Islam in the United States and
throughout the world, the House of Representatives recognizes the Islamic
faith as one of the great religions of the world; and

(2) in observance of and out of respect for the commencement of Ramadan, the
Islamic holy month of fasting and spiritual renewal, the House of
Representatives acknowledges the onset of Ramadan and expresses its deepest
respect to Muslims in the United States and throughout the world on this
significant occasion.

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03 October 2007
U.S. House Passes Historic Ramadan Resolution
Large majority in House of Representatives backs measure

Congressman Keith Ellison, co-sponsor of Ramadan resolution, looks at the Quran once used by Thomas Jefferson. (© AP Images)

By Lea Terhune
USINFO Staff Writer
Washington – A resolution recognizing the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and expressing the “deepest respect to Muslims in the United States and throughout the world” was adopted in the U.S. House of Representatives October 2 by a vote of 376-0.

The resolution acknowledging the importance of Muslims in America, the first of its kind, was introduced by Texas Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson and co-sponsored by 30 legislators, including Representative Keith Ellison of Minnesota. Ellison is the first Muslim to be elected to the U.S. Congress. (See related article.)

“It’s a sign of respect and recognition. It’s a very American thing to do. We are a nation of religious tolerance and religious inclusion,” Ellison told USINFO.

“The basic idea is to demonstrate not only to the Muslim world but to the whole world that the U.S. Congress is a place where all faiths are respected, all faiths are recognized, where we embrace our diversity and where we believe that the promise of America is that you may seek the Divine as you see fit within your own judgment, and in your own tradition and in your own way,” he said.

California’s Brad Sherman, who strongly supported the bill, said when presenting the resolution for discussion and a vote on the floor of the House: “The observance of Ramadan requires devotion to faith, community and family, truly universal values we all share.” He said it is “appropriate and necessary” for Congress to recognize the observance to express “the deep respect we all feel for Muslims in the United States and around the world.”

The author of the bill, Eddie Bernice Johnson, told the House, “The Muslim American community contributes to the vibrant growth of American society and culture. Muslim Americans play a significant role in our nation’s political process, economic growth, scientific development, free enterprise, religious tolerance, law enforcement and homeland security.”

“American pluralistic ideals, democratic institutions and multiculturalism are expanded and strengthened by the contribution of Muslim American civic participation,” she said, adding, “During this holy month, I’d like to say Ramadan Mubarak to all Muslims.”

Ellison told legislators that as a Muslim observing Ramadan, “I can tell you it is a time of reflection, a time of renewal, and regeneration,” adding, “It’s important to reassess your life, to contemplate your role in society and to benefit your neighbor.”

He described a joint breakfast held in this spirit by his mosque and Temple Israel in Minneapolis on the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur that drew 160 people. “We didn’t have enough chairs for everybody, but we had enough food because we shared it … showing again that we’re not too far apart.”

New Jersey’s Bill Pascrell pointed out features Islam has in common with other faiths and said, “It should be imperative for all of us non-Muslims to learn about this faith, which too often has been misunderstood and mischaracterized.”

“As the grandson of immigrants, I know true assimilation means preserving traditions while achieving success. I am in awe at how quickly the Muslim-American community has mastered both,” Texas Representative Nick Lampson said, attributing their success to “shared values of hard work, discipline, community, family and culture.”

The resolution reiterates support for American Muslims in the face of hate crimes, and maintains a strong stand against intolerance. “May Ramadan this year truly be a time when Muslims and people of all faiths embrace freedom and tolerance for all, and reject violence and extremism,” said Texas Representative Ted Poe.

A hate crime is “a violation of law, it’s a violation of our culture and a violation of the American way of life,” Ellison said later.

American Muslim reaction to the resolution is “overwhelmingly positive,” according to Corey Saylor of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “It’s a sign that Muslims in America are growing in their recognition as being part of the mainstream fabric of the United States.”

“America is a pluralistic society, and it welcomes all different faiths, but it’s up to each of those different faiths to assert itself in the public sphere, and what this resolution does is shows that American Muslims are learning more and more how to assert themselves in the public sphere,” he said.

Executive Director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council Salam Al-Marayati said, “It’s definitely a milestone for America and a positive reinforcement for the tradition of religious pluralism in our country,” which has been a haven for diverse religious minorities. “It’s a sign of reassurance and a sign of inclusion and a sign of social harmony, and people are very pleased with the resolution for having accomplished these things.”

The House resolution, “Recognizing Commencement of Ramadan and Commending Muslims for Their Faith,” Ellison said, shows “solidarity between America and the Muslim community across the world.”

For more stories related to Ramadan, see Celebrating Ramadan in America.
(USINFO is produced by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov )

Two women one Man

I took most of my material from Mohamed Fadel’s informative article on the issue and a book by Ibn al Qayyim al Jawziyya.

Does the rule establish a norm? Is it applicable to all cases tried by a court?

Riwaya(narration) and fatwa( non-binding legal opinion) are strictly gender neutral by ijma3(consensus) and so is the interpretation of revelations.

13^th century jurist al Qarafi-

Ibn al Salah- adab al Mufti- “Maleness and freedom are not required of the mufti., just as is the case for the narrator.  A woman could and still can be a legitimate mufti and her legal opinions are just as morally binding as that of males.

A popular opinion among Muslim laypersons and even exegetes is that the verse 2:282 is explained because women are inherently more unreliable than men. However jurists could not accept that because if women are more inherently unreliable than men then how come there are chains of narration of Hadith with only women comprising them? Hadith is something that is surely important in Islam and the preservation and classification of Hadith is significant in Islamic scholarship. If women are intellectually less capable, then surely they would not be able to narrate Hadith. Also, if you look into Hadith history women were NOT fabricators of Hadith while men were, because they wanted some political end.

Aisha bint Abu bakr may God be pleased with her was the most prominent. She issued legal opinions on controversial issues and subsequent scholars would use her opinions to bolster their own.

Even after the death of the first generation of Muslims, women continued to actively participate in the transmission of ahadith and they were also jurists (faqihas)

“… a 10th-century Baghdad-born jurist who traveled through Syria and Egypt, teaching other women; a female scholar — or muhaddithat — in 12th-century Egypt whose male students marveled at her mastery of a “camel load” of texts; and a 15th-century woman who taught Hadith at the Prophet’s grave in Medina, one of the most important spots in Islam. One seventh-century Medina woman who reached the academic rank of jurist issued key fatwas on hajj rituals and commerce; another female jurist living in medieval Aleppo not only issued fatwas but also advised her far more famous husband on how to issue his.” (From the article A Secret History)

Umm al-Darda, a prominent jurist in seventh-century Damascus, is startling. As a young woman, Umm al-Darda used to sit with male scholars in the mosque, talking shop. “I’ve tried to worship Allah in every way,” she wrote, “but I’ve never found a better one than sitting around, debating other scholars.” She went on to teach Hadith and fiqh, or law, at the mosque, and even lectured in the men’s section; her students included the caliph of Damascus.”

Back in the day, women were shapers of Islamic law, now in many places; they are not even considered as someone to consult with about these matters.

Also many women’s names were found on ijazas as being teachers and students of men.

Al-Hattab, a North African jurist of the 16^th century, mentions women in his chain of authorities (isnad). One of them Fatima al Kinani was a jurist who transmitted important works of Maliki jurisprudence.

The Muslim Jurists of the Early Centuries used Social Circumstances to explain verse 2:282

One thing I want to shed light on is that the interpretations of this verse that say that this verse is due to a social circumstance rather than gender bias is NOT new. It is not a modern argument. Many people say that only Muslim modernists say this. However, the early jurists, including Ibn Taymiya also use social circumstances to explain this verse.

The opinions of the jurists are taken prmarily from Mohamed Fadel’s article.

Al Qarafi(prominent Maliki jurist of the 13^th century)- presents a confusing argument

But his 1^st justification is that in 13^th century women were viewed as inferior to men. He also mentions that in the Egyptian society courts had a hard time getting the people to respect their decisions. He also said that the losing party of the court would hold a grudge against the witnesses that testified against them. He says that the wisdom of having two women would lessen the blow and get them to respect the court decision.

His 2^nd justification is back to biology that women are inherently less reliable in matters of memory.

Ibn Al Shatt’s (1323) commentary says that this is a weak argument because if women are inherently less reliable than this deficiency in females would also be present when women narrated Hadith.

The nest jurist is the 15^th century Hanafi Scholar At-Tarablusi-

He basically says that this law was put in place to avoid social corruption and involving women too much in political discourse. So he believes hthat women’s testimony is equal to men but that women shouldn’t testify since that requires leaving the house.

The interesting part is that he doesn’t call into question the reliability of women’s testimony.

Another interesting part is that men’s testimony is not welcome in issues that pertain to females, or issues that socially pertain to females. We also see in the Surah Nur, verses 6-9 that a woman can also testify that she didn’t commit adultery. So the testimony of female witnesses without male witnesses is enough to win a claim if it has to do with breastfeeding or childbirth or pregnancy.

 Now for my favorites ibn taymiyya and ibn al qayyim al Jawziyya:

Ibn al Qayyim al Jawziyya says and I got this from his book:

I can’t type Arabic on this computer sorry I stink at transliteration.

Wa la rayba anna hadihi al hikma fi al ta3dud hiya fi al tahammul fa –amma idha aqalat al amr a wa hafizat wa kanat mimman yuthaq bi diniha fa inna al maqsud hasil bi khabaraiha ka-ma yahsul bi-akhbar al diyanat

So these scholars basically reject the 2 women=1 man rule. They say that women’s testimony is accepted based on what she says and based on whether she is credible and trustworthy in her religion. They make an interesting argument that this verse refers to recording a testimony “for the purpose of protecting a right in the event of a future dispute” rather than testifying before a judge.

Ibn Taymiyya says that this verse is not directed towards judges but it is rather directed towards people involved in a transaction. He says that the verse doesn’t even have any relevance to courtroom proceedings! And if it does have any significance it’s just saying that ruling with two male witnesses is probably the best thing to do probably because of women’s lack of frequent movement.

Finally, people that reject a blanket discrimination of women in testimony are radically breaking from Traditional Islamic Law. The early jurists used a whole lot of social circumstances to explain why there is apparent gender discrimination. This is just preliminary. I still haven’t finished going through Ibn al Qayyim’s material.

I used to think that making posts like “Not all Arabs are Muslim and not all Muslims are Arab were getting kind of old. Like everyone has to know that by now right?

NOT.

I’m online and see people not knowing the most basic things about Islam and Muslims too.

My friend at a prety prestigious university NYU were so shocked to find out that Pakistanis weren’t Arab when the Muslim chaplain went to go talk to them, and that all Muslims weren’t Arab. These are supposed to be the upper tier smart kids of our country.

But I still see it as partly my fault. I guess I thought we were doing all we could in terms of basic awareness but the truth is there will always be someone who doesn’t know.

So, bear with me with the basic Islamic awareness posts coming up.