Production Stills from Unity Productions Foundation's Film on Noor Inayat Khan

Unity Productions Foundation (UPF) is close to completing a film on Noor Inayat Khan, a Muslim who spied for the British government during World War II. Here are some picture from the production. The website for the film is http://NoorKhanFilm.org, and it should be complete by mid-November 2013. UPF asked me not to share the stills I received, so I have taken them down and I apologize to you readers for the misdirection. But I was assured that some of the stills would be placed on the website soon. In the meantime, please support UPF financially to bring this and other projects to life.

Religious War is Not So Bad: Modern Defenses of the Crusades

I was flipping through the TV yesterday and hit upon EWTN ON LOCATION - RETHINKING HOLY WARS: THE CRUSADES AND CATHOLIC DEVOTION IN THE MIDDLE AGES. It featured a lecture by Dr. Thomas F. Madden, of Saint Louis University, on "Rethinking Holy War: The Crusades and Catholic Devotion in the Middle Ages" delivered at the Catholic Vision of History Conference at Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia. The full lecture is available in audio and visual format through iTunes University.

Review: Radical Reform: Islamic Ethics and Liberation by Tariq Ramadan

Mohammad Fadel (Twitter) of the University of Toronto Law School reviewed Radical Reform: Islamic Ethics and Liberation by Tariq Ramadan in the Journal of the American Academy of Religion.

I have not read the book.

Interview with Wael Hallaq, author of The Impossible State: Islam, Politics and Modernity's Moral Predicament

Jadaliyya published an interview with Wael Hallaq, author of The Impossible State: Islam, Politics, and Modernity's Moral Predicament.

I have not read the book.

Where the Two Seas Meet: Al-Khidr and Moses-The Qur'anic Story of al-Khidr and Moses in Sufi Commentaries as a Model for Spiritual Guidance by Hugh Talat Halman

Where the Two Seas Meet: Al-Khidr and Moses-The Qur'anic Story of al-Khidr and Moses in Sufi Commentaries as a Model for Spiritual Guidance by Hugh Talat Halman, published by Fons Vitae

I reviewed Hugh Talat Halman's children's book about al-Khidr. The American Muslim published more details on this latest volume. I have not read this book.

Review: Democracy and Intolerance: Christian School Curricula, School Choice, and Public Policy by Frances R. A. Paterson

Democracy and Intolerance: Christian School Curricula, School Choice, and Public Policy by Frances R. A. Paterson

The author reviewed textbooks commonly used in Christian private schools' social studies and history classes in the United States and found that they prepared the reader to accept narrow political, social and religious views. Because many in the United States seek government support for these private schools, the author urges that no public support be given because these books promote intolerance of others' viewpoints in an undemocratic manner.

Review: Autumn of Dictatorship by Samer Soliman

The Autumn of Dictatorship: Fiscal Crisis and Political Change in Egypt under Mubarak by Samer Soliman

Professor Mohammad Fadel wrote a review at Shanfaraa.com. I have not read the book.

Review: A History of Race in Muslim West Africa, 1600-1960

A History of Race in Muslim West Africa, 1600-1960 by Bruce S Hall

Duke University Department of History Professor Bruce Hall has written an important book about the Sahelian region of west Africa, with implications eastward to Sudan. In our times, this region has witnessed horrific conflict, in particular Darfur in western Sudan and the periodic conflicts in northern Niger and Mali between Arab and Tuareg separatist groups on the one hand and the national governments on the other.

Crayola Provides Free Ramadan Coloring Pages

If your kids (or you!) like to draw with crayons, they can do so with Ramadan-themed coloring pages from Crayola!

I found out about this because of Mother Jones article exposing Islamophobes. The best way to encourage Crayola to continue creating such content is to download these pages and let your children draw!

Recitations of Qur'an, files divided into 30 parts

I was looking for .mp3 files of recitation of the Qur'an for my MP3 player. I found many freely available collections where each file was one sura, but I was looking during Ramadan to be able to organize my listening by juz' (part). Muslims, for ease of tracking recitation, have divided the Qur'an into 30 approximately equal parts or ajzaa'.

Law & Order S01E20 Perpetuates Anti-Arab Stereotypes

I finished watching Law & Order's first season on DVD. I'm sure somebody's writing Ph.D. dissertations about the cultural messages of Law & Order. I've seen a lot of Law & Order episodes over the years, but I'd never seen any of the episodes from its first season. Compared to the last few seasons, this episode had a lot more content related to what I believe is USA White Supremacy's most dangerous remaining tool, the criminal justice system expressed through the war on drugs. The real-life term Law and Order arose in response to the race riots in US cities in the 1960s. The first season of Dick Wolf's Law & Order has the echoes of the 1970s "urban blight", Central Park 5 New York City prior to the gentrified Manhattan of the last several seasons of Law & Order.

Spiritual Gems of Islam by Jamal Rahman

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat reviewed Spiritual Gems of Islam: Insights & Practices from the Qur'an, Hadith, Rumi & Muslim Teaching Stories to Enlighten the Heart & Mind by Jamal Rahman. I have not read the book.

With enthusiasm and authenticity, the author taps into the wisdom of Islam with insights and practices from the Qur'an, Hadith (the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad as well as the hadith qudsi, which are God's words communicated through the Prophet), the 14th century Sufi poet Rumi, and Muslim teaching stories. Read more ...

Help Preserve Ancient Manuscripts in Timbuktu

When activists moved manuscripts away from rebel-held areas in northern Mali to areas in southern Mali, the pages were exposed to a much more humid climate without appropriate protections. Please support this project! I met Ustaz Abdul Qader Haidara in Timbuktu in 1995 or 19966, and I remember his tireless advocacy on behalf of the preservation of knowledge. He also cooperated with the International Museum of Muslim Cultures in Jackson, Mississippi. More information is available at the T160K website.

Karama Has No Walls

Karama Has No Walls Trailer from S. Ishaq on Vimeo.

I've been able to see the full 27-minute movie, and I can tell you it is critical. Our peace group in Augusta, Georgia is planning to screen it as an intro to a talk by Augusta's favorite son Jeb Boone, who spent years in Yemen as an independent journalist.

In sha Allah, I'll get more information on how people can see it.

Review: The Search for Truth about Islam: A Christian Pastor Separates Fact from Fiction by Ben Daniel

Rachel Magruder at The United Methodist Reporter reviewed The Search for Truth about Islam: A Christian Pastor Separates Fact from Fiction by Ben Daniel . I have not read the book.

Review: The Duties of Brotherhood in Islam by al-Ghazali, translated by Muhtar Holland

A review of a translation of a portion of Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali's book Ihyaa' Uluum al-diin is available at A Muslim's Book Shelf. I have not read the book, but I read this chapter from Ihyaa years ago. The excerpted passages are well-written English and convey the meanings I remember.

Film: Valentine's Ghost

Hv u seen ‘Valentino’s Ghost'? This engrossing examination of US perceptions of Arabs & Arab world gets u thinkingow.ly/l7mbV
— MPAC (@mpac_national) May 18, 2013

I have not seen the film.

Review: Light Without Fire: The Making of America’s First Muslim College

Bushra Burney, the Caffeinated Muslim, reviewed Scott Korb's book Light Without Fire: The Making of America's First Muslim College. You can follow Bushra on Twitter.

I have not read the book.

H/t to Ebadur Rahman

Caffeinated Muslim: Review of “Light Without Fire: The Making of America’s First Muslim College” ow.ly/2wW7b9
— Ebadur Rahman (@i_baad) May 17, 2013

By the Sea by Abdulrazak Gurnah

Amitav Ghosh reviewed By The Sea by Abdulrazak Gurnah. I have not read the book.

The Muslims Are Coming!: Islamophobia, Extremism, and the Domestic War on Terror by Arun Kundnani

Updated: Read and reviewed!

 
The Muslims Are Coming!: Islamophobia, Extremism, and the Domestic War on Terror by Arun Kundnani (Twitter)

The Council on American-Islamic Relations on Twitter drew people's attention to this book, scheduled to be released in February 2014.

The Muslims Are Coming!: Islamophobia, Extremism, and the Domestic War on Terror... fb.me/1UbPCZRKT
— CAIR National (@CAIRNational) May 14, 2013

Updated February 16, 2014: I've reviewed the book!