Mālik and Medina: Islamic Reasoning in the Formative Period by Umar F. Abd-Allah Wymann-Landgraf

Mālik and Medina | BRILL: brill.com/malik-and-medi… #islamiclaw
— Mohammad Fadel (@Shanfaraa) November 21, 2012

Umar F. Abd-Allah Wymann-Landgraf is on the Board of Directors of Nawawi Foundation.

Support Gareth Porter & Just World Books Refute Fearmongering About Iran

Just World Books is asking people to pledge money to support a book project concerning the so-called threat posed by Iran's "nuclear program." It has asked historian and investigative journalist Dr. Gareth Porter to write the book.



Please pledge money so that this important project can see the light of day!

P.S. I just added Just World Books's RSS Feed to its podcasts to my iTunes.

Review: The Good News Club: The Christian Right's Stealth Assault on America's Children

Katherine Stewart. The Good News Club: The Christian Right's Stealth Assault on America's Children New York: Public Affairs; 2012. 290 pp. Subject index.

Katherine Stewart claims that Christian Nationalist groups have used misguided court decisions which transformed religious practice into protected speech, culminating in the 2001 Good News Club v. Milford Central, to use public schools for evangelism.

To read: Islam and the Fate of Others: The Salvation Question by Mohammad Hassan Khalil

h/t Ebad-e News

SciFi Writing from Tunisia & UAE

Tunisian Hedi Thabet and Science Fiction Writing: An Article Written by Kamel Riahi and Translated by Ali Znaidi

Why Arab Readers Need Sci Fi: 5 Questions with SF Author Noura Noman

T.J. Al-Alwani Library in Herndon, VA

The T.J. Al-Alwani Library is a department of the International Institute of Islamic Thought. It is now open for use for researchers, students, academics and the public. Read more

Al-Mutannabi Street Coalition Deserves Your Support

There's a meaningful project I recommend that you support called al-Mutanabbi Street Coalition.

Film: Bilal's Stand

I really thought I had reviewed Bilal's Stand last year, but I see that I never actually posted it. I'm not going to try another review. Just see it. It's a good movie.

Upcoming Interview with Filmmaker Iman Zawahry

Iman Zawahry has directed the short films Tough Crowd and UnderCover. She's also available on Facebook. And, I'm hopeful that I will be able to conduct an interview with her! Submit any questions you want me to ask.

Update: Here's the interview.

'Homeland,' Obama’s Show by Joseph Massad

I ultimately disagree with it, but Jospeh Massad has a fascinating, scathing attack on the politics of "Homeland" aljazeera.com/indepth/opinio…
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) October 26, 2012

I've probably watched one half of an episode of this show, but I thought I'd share this article by Joseph Massad, professor at Columbia University, and make sure people follow Glenn Greenwald on Twitter.

Joesph Massad writes articles for Electronic Intifada and al-Jazeera. His latest book is Desiring Arabs.
P.S.

You may not agree w/all, but @theoliverstone's Showtime series on US history is provocative & worthwhile: begins 11/12 sho.com/sho/oliver-sto…
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) October 26, 2012

P.P.S. Do Obama and Romney Live in Homeland? by Andrew O'Hehir

Before Their Diaspora by Walid Khalidi Available On-Line

Before Their Diaspora: A Photographic History of the Palestinians, 1876-1948 by Walid Khalidi has always been an antidote to extreme Zionist propaganda that claimed that Jewish colonists in Palestine found an empty land. It is now available online in English and Arabic.

Support Docudrama about Muslim Woman in US Army during World War II

Unity Productions Foundation is raising money for a a docudrama film project about "Noor Khan, a heroic Muslim woman of WWII. We need to raise $500,000 to complete the production budget."

Donate and/or organize a fundraiser. Contact Jawaad Abdul Rahman, Director of Development, by e-mail or at +1 (703) 582-3854.

Help Muslim Journeys Reach Your Local Library

This blog has long promoted Unity Productions Foundation (UPF). In its September 2012 newsletter, it asks its supporters to encourage their local libraries to apply for the American Library Association (ALA) Muslim Journeys Bookshelf and to offer their services as content experts (or recruit one!). The deadline to apply has been extended to October 25, 2012.

Institute for Social Policy and Understanding

The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding does a lot of good work. And it has an iPad app. Read its reports and send it some money!

Urdu materials for babies and toddlers

h/t Professor Shabana Mir who blogs at Koonj. In the comments, people have suggested other media. I have not read these books.

Review: Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control by Medea Benjamin

Tom Hayden wrote a review of Medea Benjamin's Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control. Medea is a cofounder of Code Pink.

I have not read the book.

Updated July 24, 2016 - I read the book several years ago. It's good. Read it!

5 Top Islamic Art Collections in the USA

Christine Bednarz wrote about the 5 Top Islamic Art Collections in the USA.

Presenting Islamic Art in America ht.ly/e2mnG
— MutualArt.com (@MutualArt) September 27, 2012

Kickstarter: Can art save the Arctic? An experimental documentary by Saeed Taji Farouky

I've pledge to support a Kickstarter project by British documentarian Saeed Taji Farouky (Facebook).

Blog Recommendation: Arabic Literature (in English)

I was going to draw readers' attention to this blog entry about Arabic children's literature from Lebanon, and then I realized that the entire blog Arabic Literature (in English) is worth following!

Irtiqa: A Science and Religion Blog

It's appropriate with the goals of this blog to point out new media which are important for North American Muslims. Hampshire College Professor Salman Hameed writes Irtiqa: A Science and Religion Blog.

To-Read: Islam and America: Building a Future without Prejudice by Anouar Majid

I've reviewed two books by Anouar Majid, and I look forward to reading his latest release, Islam and America: Building a Future Without Prejudice. He did an interview earlier this month about the book and other topics.

Review: Pale Blue Dot by Carl Sagan

I've previously reviewed a Carl Sagan book, and I've discussed several books related to science. Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space is a short introduction to the mission and perspective of The Planetary Society (Twitter).

It's important for those pretending to speak for Muslims to realize how many inherited ideas descendants of Enlightenment civilizations have discarded in the last two hundred years. I believe much religious discourse (Friday khutba, pamphlets, halaqat, satellite TV shows) is more concerned with entertaining the audience than exploring, imparting and promoting truth. Participants in this discourse usually don't know much about science or intellectual history in post-Enlightenment societies, and the audiences are of course a mixed group in this regard. Since audiences bore quickly with topics such as sincere worship, good character, and solidarity with the poor and oppressed, the only preachers who can maintain their interest (and support) are the ones who can continuously produce new messages, stories, insights, etc. Of course, these inevitably stray into pseudo-science, pseudo-sociology and pseudo-psychology.

To Read: Timbuctoo by Tahir Shah

Timbuctoo by Tahir Shah (Twitter)



The Los Angeles Review of Books published a review. H/t to Dr. Jalees Rehman.

Review: Hiroshima by John Hersey

John Hersey's first version of Hiroshima was published in 1946. This edition included updates on the six survivors he had originally profiled and was published in 1985. It is available through Georgia PINES-participating libraries.

 
Regular readers of this blog know that I am completely appalled by the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and I see no purpose for any nation or group, particularly one claiming to follow Islam, to possess such weapons.

Perhaps the only thing more depressing than the desperate testimonials of these six survivors is how the author interspersed, as the years went by in the lives of the survivors, landmarks in the spread and development of the world's nuclear arsenal, such as the development of the hydrogen bomb and Indian proliferation. Some survivors tried to educate the world on Hiroshima's lesson, namely that humans must end war. Sadly, the world has so far refused to listen.

Review: Actual Innocence by Barry Scheck, Peter Neufeld & Jim Dwyer

Actual Innocence by Barry Scheck, Peter Neufeld & Jim Dwyer, founders of the Innocence Project (Twitter).

Young Adult novels feature Muslim female protagonists

Muslima Media Watch published Rebels By Accident: Telling Muslim Girls’ Stories in Young Adult Fiction. It highlights a recent trend in Young Adult novels to portray Muslim girls neither "as nameless victims nor some veiled, orientalist fantasy in need of saving."

To-Read: Commentary on the Eleventh Contentions by Abdal Hakim Murad

h/t E-baad-e-News

Perceptions of Islam in the Christendoms by Nasir Khan

Perceptions of Islam in The Christendoms: A Historical Survey by Nasir Khan is available as a free download. The Mustaqim blog reviewed it. If you'd like a printed, bound volume, look for it in one of these libraries or buy it.

Reviving the Islamic Spirit Talks are Now Online

You can now listen to Reviving the Islamic Spirit talks online. The first one I listened to was The American Muslim Experience: From Identity to Community by Professor Sherman Jackson.

 

Review: Ibn al-Haytham: First Scientist by Bradley Steffens

Dr. Husain Nagamia, Chairman of The International Institute of Islamic Medicine (IIIM), wrote a review of Bradley Steffens's book Ibn Al-Haytham: First Scientist. You can order the book from IIIM.

iPad App - Muhammad Asad's Translation and Explanation of the Quran

Mohammad Asad's The Road to Mecca is a good read, and many friends recommend his translation and explanation of Quran. It is now available as an iPad application, and it is free during the last 10 days of Ramadan this year.

To Read: Torture and Impunity: The U.S. Doctrine of Coercive Interrogation by Alfred W. McCoy

Torture and Impunity: The U.S. Doctrine of Coercive Interrogation by Alfred W. McCoy. Alfred McCoy is a professor of history at University of Wisconsin - Madison. His History Department web page includes his CV and current courses. Professor McCoy writes regularly for TomDispatch. I heard about this book from an August 14, 2012 posting there, via Professor Juan Cole on Twitter.

Cruel and Unusual Punishment (Torture) is the New Normal in America (McCoy) tinyurl.com/8gdm266
— Juan Cole (@jricole) August 15, 2012

Documentary: These Birds Walk - A Portrait of Poverty Relief in Pakistan

Promo from the movie website:

In Karachi, Pak­istan, a run­away boy’s life hangs on one crit­i­cal ques­tion: where is home? The streets, an orphan­age, or with the fam­ily he fled in the first place? Simul­ta­ne­ously heart-wrenching and life-affirming, THESE BIRDS WALK doc­u­ments the strug­gles of these way­ward street chil­dren and the samar­i­tans look­ing out for them in this ethe­real and inspi­ra­tional story of resilience.

You can read a review at PBS.org.

The movie also has a Facebook Page and a Twitter account.

Watch the movie on iTunes or Google Play.

You can follow the director Omar Mul­lick on Twit­ter and check out his website. You can follow the other director Bas­sam Tariq on Twitter and check out his website.

Also, check out my review of Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo. It's about poverty in Mumbai, India.

"Xenophobic racists ... [have] compiled a MUST READ list."

Updated September 2, 2017 - Interview with Dr. Curtis Acosta, an early plaintiff in the lawsuit which ended in the overturning of this ban.

Look, the xenophobic racists over at Arizona has compiled a banned books MUST READ list. Take this time to read these books. There’s a reason they’re banning them. They’re trying to erase our culture. [Archived web page of original source: AZEthnicStudies.com]

The only book I've read off of this list is Bless Me Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya. It was excellent.



Updated July 24, 2016. Hear Tony Diaz (@LibreTraficante) & Roque Planas (@RoqPlanas) & Jose Gonzales, a teacher from Tuscon, talk about this issue.

Updated July 4, 2021: I've also read and reviewed Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea.

Updated July 4, 2021: Texas: Hold my karkadeh! 

Texas museum cancels book event examining slavery’s role in Battle of the Alamo | The Texas Tribune https://t.co/7AAAaIjUk8

— Edward T. O'Donnell, Historian-at-Large (@InThePastLane) July 3, 2021

Review: After Zionism: One State for Israel and Palestine by Antony Loewenstein and Ahmed Moor

Journalists Antony Loewenstein and Ahmed Moore [sic] have succeeded in putting together an impressive collection of essays in their new book After Zionism: One State for Israel and Palestine.

Read more at Palestine News Network. I have not read the book. You can follow Antony Loewenstein and Ahmed Moor on Twitter.

To-Read: The Terror Factory: Inside the FBI's Manufactured War on Terrorism by Trevor Aaronson

The Terror Factory: Inside the FBI's Manufactured War on Terrorism by Trevor Aaronson (Twitter). Mr. Aaronson has also created a Facebook page.

I first heard about Trevor Aaronson in This American Life's Episode 471 The Convert.

Updated February 21, 2013: I read it and reviewed it.

Review: Palestine in Israeli School Books

Asa Winstanley (Twitter) reviewed Palestine in Israeli School Books: Ideology and Propaganda in Education by Nurit Peled-Elhanan for Electronic Intifada. I have not read this book.

Review: Tales from the Land of the Sufis by Mojdeh Bayat and Mohammad Ali Jamnia

Tales from the Land of the Sufis by Mojdeh Bayat and Mohammad Ali Jamnia. Boston, Massachusetts, Shambhala Publications; 1994. 179 pp, paperback.

To-Read: A Picnic of Poems in Allah's Green Garden

A Picnic of Poems: In Allah's Green Garden by Dawood Wharnsby

Kickstarter: Meow, Meow, Maulana: The Story of Muhammad

Updated August 14, 2026. None of the links that were in this blog entry work. I hope to find out what happened to this project.

"Deen Tight" - Documentary Film, Directed by Mustafa Davis

"DEEN TIGHT" is a documentary film :: directed by Mustafa Davis from Mustafa Davis on Vimeo.
Music, considered taboo practice by many traditional Muslims, has also become one of the most prominent methods for Muslims to share their faith internationally through Muslim Hip Hop. Read more ...

H/t  E-Baad-E News (Twitter)

Islamic Art Galleries Reopen At The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Metropolitan Museum Opens Its Doors For Long-Awaited Islamic Art Exhibit huff.to/tfD8QN via @HuffPostRelig going to see this next wk
— amina wadud (@aminawadud) July 28, 2012

If you are in New York City, check it out!

Recommendation: Time of White Horses by Ibrahim Nasrallah

Magic realism with footnotes: novelist Nasrallah creates a genre of his own pulse.me/s/bFuUh
— Sami Kishawi (@samikishawi) July 28, 2012

Nasrallah, Ibrahim. Time of White Horses. Roberts, Nancy (translator). The American University in Cairo Press, 2012. Hardcover, 512 pp. ISBN 977416489X.

I have not read the book.

Looking forward to Musharraf Ali Farooqi's Rabbit Rap: A Twentieth Century Fable

RT @somakghoshal: Out now, Musharraf Ali Farooqi's delightful fable for our times, beautifully illustrated by Michelle Farooqi @microMAF ...
— Juan Cole (@jricole) July 27, 2012

I've previously reviewed a book which Professor Farooqi (Twitter) translated, Adventures of Amir Hamza: Lord of the Auspicious Planetary Conjuction.

Review: Ramadan by Suhaib Hamid Ghazi

Ghazi, Suhaib Hamid and Rayyan, Omar (illustrator). Ramadan. New York, NY: Holiday House, 1996. Hardcover. ISBN 0-8234-1254-7.

This book is good to introduce a non-Muslim youth audience to fasting during the month of Ramadan. The best part of the book is the illustrations by Omar Rayyan.

I do have several criticisms of the text, some of which could be fixed in a new edition and others which could not.

Review: Science & Islam: A History

Masood, Ehsan. Science & Islam: A History. London, UK: Icon Books Ltd; 2009. ISBN 978-184831-040-7

Review: Falcons on the Floor by Justin Sirois

Sirois, Justin. Falcons on the floor. Baltimore, Maryland: Publishing Genius Press, 2012. ISBN 978-0-9831706-4-8. Softcover, 264 pp.

“The Light in Her Eyes” Sheds Some Light on the Women of Syria

Muslimah Media Watch posted a review of The Light in Her Eyes, which premiers on PBS on July 19, 2012. It is part of the POV series of documentaries.

Support Herstory Egypt: Words of Women from the Egyptian Revolution

Leil-Zahra Mortada (Twitter) is the director of a YouTube series called Herstory Egypt: Words of Wisdom from the Egyptian Revolution. I've sent in a donation to support it using Indiegogo.

Please support this project by watching the videos, helping translate them into different languages and spreading the word.

And, yes, I know that Leil-Zahra Mortada is "feminist, queer, Arab and anarchist." So?

Review: Dry: Life Without Water by Ehsan Masood and Daniel Schaffer

Masood E, Schaffer D, editors. Dry: life without water. Cambridge, Massachusetts and London: Harvard University Press: 2006. ISBN: 0-674-02224-6. 192 pp. Illustrated.

I very much enjoyed the profiles Ehsan Masood and Daniel Schaffer provide of the efforts of peoples around the world to live in arid environments. The editors included a bibliography of additional resources, which I've transformed more or less into a Delicious stack.

Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson

The New York Times reviewed Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson (Twitter). I have not read the book.

Support 4th Studio Album by British Afghan musician Yusuf 'Yoshi' Misdaq

"If You Ask Me, Yes" by Yusuf 'Yoshi' Misdaq (blog) has a Kickstarter project to collect donations for its completion. Hena Ashraf (Twitter) urges people to support it. Hena's work has appeared in this blog several times.

Review: Equal Worth: When Humanity Will Have Peace

Adil E. Shamoo, Equal Worth: When Humanity Will Have Peace. ISBN 978-0-7618-5820-1. Hardcover, 167 pages. Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America; 2012.

Hearts We Lost, a new novel by Umm Zakiyyah

From the author's web site, here is information about Hearts We Lost, a new novel by Umm Zakiyyah. I have not read the book.

The Colonel by Iranian Novelist Mahmoud Dowlatabadi

The NY Times published a review of The Colonel by Mahmoud Dowlatabadi. I have not read the book.

Review: Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable

I listened to the reading of Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable, who passed away at almost the same time the book was published. Here are a few thoughts:

Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible to appear on PBS Jul 6

Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible (Twitter) is a Unity Production Foundations (Twitter) production.

It is scheduled to air on Public Broadcasting Stations July 6. My South Carolina station airs it at 22:00. I have yet to find out when the Georgia station will broadcast it. I've contacted the station to ask when it is scheduled for broadcast. (update July 2, see P.S.)

Two reviews: Islamic Art Blog and Muslim Oasis.

Here's some bonus footage off the PBS web site:

Watch Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World (Bonus Footage) on PBS. See more from PBS Arts.

P.S.Georgia Public Broadcasting does not have a scheduled broadcasting date. Please consider contacting the station and Tweeting (message pre-configured) to inquire why it is not scheduled for broadcast.
P.P.S. (July 3)  An employee of GPB talked to me by phone and told me GPB was not broadcasting the arts series. I spoke to the film's producer. He said that the Islamic Art film is part of a 7 night PBS arts series. PBS is providing all stations an 'evergreen' version of Mirror of the Invisible that does not mention the arts series. Thus, it can be shown independent of that series.

Android & iOS App to Introduce Arabic Alphabet

Media Plus launches “My Arabic Letters – أحرفي العربية” kids App. On iTunes & Android markets

I liked it, and it's free, and your kids can play it while you're waiting at the doctor's office, airport, etc.

Correction: Android version free, iOS version is 0.99 USD.

Send Jennifer & I Heart Hamas to the Edinburgh Fringe Fest!

I've supported this project with a pledge. I hope you consider supporting it as well!

Note: The video embedded above seems to display well in Chrome but not Firefox or IE. So follow this link.

Listen to Ahmad Bedier & Samar Jarrah's Weekly Radio Show

Ahmed Bedier (@Bedier) and Samar Dahmash Jarrah (@ArabVoicesSpeak) host a talk show weekly on True Talk on Tampa, Florida community radio station WMNF 88.5 FM.

If you are not in range, you can download the shows to your computer. The URL for the podcast feed is http://feeds.feedburner.com/truetalk. In iTunes, paste this URL into Advance --> Subscribe to Podcast. You can also use other RSS readers.

You can also listen to the show live on your mobile device or even by calling a US phone number.

Encourage them by sending a Tweet, e-mail or a donation!

Selected Islamic Wisdoms Seeks Support for Completion

h/t E-baad E-News

The web site FracturedAtlas collects donations for the completion of artistic projects. I've donated for the purpose of completing Selected Islamic Wisdoms.

Note to publisher or editor or translator: Isn't Selected Islamic Aphorisms a better title?

Review: Tahmima Amam: The Good Muslim

Sarah Farrukh wrote a review of Tahmima Anam's The Good Muslim. I have not read the book.

Help Bring Documentary Film Arctic Mosque to Completion

Support Yearning to Be Free on Kickstarter

I've pledged $60 to support a film project about a victim of the so-called War on Terror, Ahmad Abu-Ali. Please consider pledging your support.

Book Review: Commander of the Faithful: The Life and Times of Emir Abd el-Kader: A Story of True Jihad

Dr. Faroque Khan reviewed Commander of the Faithful: The Life and Times of Emir Abd el-Kader: A Story of True Jihad by John Kiser for the Journal of the Islamic Medical Association of North America.

Review: The Cave by Uthman Hutchinson

Uthman Hutchinson has written numerous books for Muslim children.

The Islamic Foundation of North America, Inc summarized this book.

The first story has an anti-war message, although it probably simplifies, in retrospect, the Afghan rebellion against its Communist government. The second story has a good message of gender equality, or at least an expansion of the spheres in which Muslim women can participate as equals.

I have not been able to find an outlet which sells this book.

Fantasy Academy in Iran

Fantasy Academy is an Iranian science fiction and fantasy club devoted to promoting SF/F.  Read more at The World SF blog.

Review: Teach Us to Live: Stories from Hiroshima and Nagasaki by Diana Wickes Roose

This book can be ordered from Intentional Productions.

Listen to the CD accompanying this book with the recordings of translated testimonies of survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I hope no Muslim ever uses the term "Islamic bomb." There's nothing "Islamic" about the bomb, and we should work towards complete nuclear disarmament.

P.S. If you get a chance, watch David Rothauser's Hibakusha, Our Life to Live.

Matt Ruff's The Mirage Sounds Like a Good Read

If you amalgamated the methodical, punctilious, world-building skills of Ian McDonald (“The Dervish House”) with the reality-distortion powers of Philip K. Dick (“The Man in the High Castle”) and then folded in the satirical, take-no-prisoners savagery of Norman Spinrad (“The Iron Dream”), you might very well be able to produce a book approximating Matt Ruff’s “The Mirage” — God willing, as Ruff’s characters are continually cautioning.

Read more ...

Review: Addicted to War: Why the U.S. Can't Kick Militarism by Joel Andreas

The peace groups in which I participate distribute this book. It's an easy read which introduces most of the basic premises of the U.S. peace movements. Most residents of the United States will not know the basic facts introduced in this book. It also contains a directory of national peace organizations and a list of references for those who want to take the next step in advocating for peace.

At its website, you can read the book for free online and order printed copies.

Review: The Invisible Arab: The Promise and Peril of the Arab Revolution

Marwan Bishara, a political analyst for Al-Jazeera satellite news network, wrote an Arab-nationalist perspective essay about the ongoing revolutions in North Africa and Southwest Asia.

Equal Worth: When Humanity Will Have Peace

I'm looking forward to reading Adil E. Shamoo's Equal Worth: When Humanity Will Have Peace. It is scheduled to be released May 2012.

Dr. Shamoo has written extensively on the ethics of research.

Update: I reviewed it.

Sophia Al-Maria (Sci-Fi Wahabi)

Profile appeared at the Islam and Science Fiction blog.

Media for the Deaf and Blind

Do our masajid practice ableism? In my practice of Islam, I think being deaf would be one of the greatest barriers to performing religious rituals such as hearing and reciting the Qur'an and listening to the Jumu`a khutba. Some Muslims are striving to provide services to the blind and deaf:

Ordered: Falcons on the Floor by Justin Sirois

I just ordered Falcons on the Floor, a novel by Justin Sirois about the people of Fallujah and Ramadi in Iraq.

Justin blogs. Also, check out The Understanding Campaign, which Justin promotes.

Update August 13, 2012: I read it and reviewed it.

"A Song For Me" A Muslim Holiday Story / Book with CD

I first heard about this book because

parental protests caused the Muslim mother and author to cancel a talk with students at A.M. Kulp Elementary School in Hatfield [in Pennsylvania].

I have not read it, but I hope to acquire it and add it to the list of children's books I've reviewed.

LookingGlassReview.com gave it a positive review.

Where Should the Birds Fly?: A Documentary from Gaza

Updated July 26, 2016 - The film has been completed. Here's its website.

Donate to support a Palestinian filmmaker from Gaza!

Documentary Film Deen Tight: Trailer

Official web site

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

The Journal of the Islamic Medical Association of North America published a review of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. I have not read the book.

Rebecca Skloot's official website

Updated 2015-September-9. I did read the book in April 2013. It was good.

Documentary on Pakistan Receives Sundance Grant

From the Sundance web site:


These Birds Walk (U.S. / Pakistan)
Directors: Omar Mullick and Bassam Tariq
A portrait of contemporary Pakistan is created through the eyes of an ambulance driver and a runaway boy who call a humanitarian and his mission based organization home. 


h/t Ebad-E News

Support The Oregon Islamic Chaplains Organization with a Book Purchase

FAMACO Publishers is supporting The Oregon Islamic Chaplains Organization when you make a purchase of the following books using the promo code Fullway:

• Muslim Child: Understanding Islam Through Stories and Poems
• The History of Islam
• Commanders of the Muslim Army
• A Woman Among Warlords: The Extraordinary Story of an Afghan Who Dared to Raise Her Voice
  
• Men & Women Around the Messenger
• Nine to Five Muslims in the Western Workplace
  

The Moor Next Door reviewed A Convergence of Civilizations: The Transformation of Muslim Societies Around the World by Youssef Courbage and Emmanuel Todd. I have not read the book.

Amazing Grace, a children's story against racism

Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Don't tell Grace she can't play Peter Pan in the school play!



Inspiring children's story. Good way to get kids thinking about biases based on race and gender.



View all my reviews

Urge Your Local ABC Affliate to Air "Waging Peace"

 From the National Council of Churches News:

Waging Peace will air on ABC at the discretion of local affiliated TV stations. Stations that decide to show the documentary will air it sometime between Oct. 23 and Dec. 18. Churches are encouraged to call their local ABC TV stations to urge them to air the documentary. 

1. See if when or if your affiliate is to air the documentary. 
2. If it isn't, contact your local ABC affiliate and ask it to broadcast the documentary.

WJBF, my hometown affiliate in Augusta, GA, has not yet made the decision to air the documentary. I already made my call! I also Tweeted my message to @WJBF!

Promotion of "I Am Nujood" to Benefit Oregon Islamic Chaplains Organization

Famaco publishers, when you purchase the book I am Nujood: Age 10 and Divorced, will donate some money to the Oregon Islamic Chaplains Organization.

Review: Samarkand by Amin Maalouf

Maalouf, Amin. Samarkand. New York: Interlink Books; 1996. ISBN: 1566561949. Paperback. 301 pp.

This is the first historical fiction novel I've reviewed for this blog. Typically, I'm not thrilled with historical fiction because I had at one time entertained the idea of becoming a professional historian and the historical fiction I had read seemed heavy on the fiction side of the equation.

Oy Vey: New Short Film from Sarah Zerina Usmen

Sarah Zerina Usmen, the director of the film Muslims in Love, has released a new short film entitled Oy Vey.

Three Cups of Tea

Dr. Faroque Khan reviewed Three Cups of Tea in Vol 40, No 1 of the Journal of the Islamic Medical Association of North America.

Obviously there's been some controversy regarding the author Greg Mortenson and the Central Asia Institute.

My initial take is, "Where is 60 Minutes and the rest of the U.S. media regarding the tens of billions disappearing in Iraq and Afghanistan through the US military?" If the Central Asia Institute is corrupt, then should not there be daily stories on how rotten things are with the US occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan?

Lucinda Marshall (@MedusaMusings on Twitter) discussed the situation with FAIR Media Watch. She previously wrote a blog entry entitled A Cup of Rancid Tea, in which she argued that our belief in the effectiveness of the Central Asia Institute was based more on our romanticization of a hero than a genuine belief in human development through education.

Review: Muslim Contributions to World Civilization

Muslim contributions to world civilization. By M Basheer Ahmed; Syed A Ahsani; Dilnawaz A Siddiqui.

Publisher: Herndon, VA : International Institute of Islamic Thought ; USA : Association of Muslim Social Scientists, ©2005.

Reviewed by Faroque Ahmad Khan in the Vol 38, No 2 Journal of the Islamic Medical Association of North America.

Review: Dying to Win--The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism by Robert A. Pape

Dying to win : the strategic logic of suicide terrorism. By Robert A. Pape.

Reviewed by Dr. Faroque Ahmad Khan in Vol 37, No 2 of the Journal of the Islamic Medical Association of North America.

Review: The Ornament of The World—How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created A Culture Of Tolerance In Medieval Spain

The Ornament of The World—How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created A Culture Of Tolerance In Medieval Spain by Maria Rosa Menocal. Little Brown; 2002.

Reviewed by Dr. Faroque Ahmad Khan in Vol 43, No 1 of the Journal of the Islamic Medical Association of North America.

YaleNews | In memoriam: María Rosa Menocal - news.yale.edu/2012/10/15/mem… ow.ly/2sLKTx

— Ebadur Rahman (@i_baad) October 19, 2012

Review: Honeybee Democracy by Thomas D. Seeley

Honeybee Democracy by Thomas D. Seeley. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey 08540. ISBN 978-0-691-14721-5. Published 2010.

Reviewed by Dr. Faroque Ahmad Khan in Vol 43, No 1 of the Journal of the Islamic Medical Association of North America.

The Taqwacores – Film Review from Media and Islam

The Taqwacores – Film Review from Media and Islam

Review: Carl Sagan: The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

My first exposure to Carl Sagan was the catch phrase "billions and billions," which comedians attributed to him. I knew that he had a science show on United States Public Broadcasting. I had some notion that he was not a supporter of religion. But I frankly had no first-hand, in-depth knowledge of a person whom I've come to consider an important North American intellectual of the 20th century CE.

My first real exposure to his work was an abridged audio version of his science fiction novel Contact, which, aside from begin an excellent drama, was an excellent introduction to the science behind the Search for Extra-Terrestial Intelligence (SETI) and how this project, upon finding alien intelligence, might play out in our world, with its contemporary political and religious characteristics. I've acquired the full-length book and look forward to reading it.

I acquired the audio book version of The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark. After listening to it, I got a paperback version from a local library to help me complete this review.

Updated Izzeldin Abuelaish Book Tour Schedule

I've previously reviewed Dr. Izzeldin's book and provided a tour schedule. Here is the tour schedule as of February 23, 2011.

WASHINGTON, DC

Monday, February 28, 2011

Sixth & I Historic Synagogue

600 I Street, NW

7:00 p.m.

Books will be sold by Politics and Prose

Read on MMW - Rukhsana Khan: A Wonderful Children’s Author

Read on Muslimah Media Watch Rukhsana Khan: A Wonderful Children’s Author.

Review: Al-Khidr: The Green One: Adult Book in Child's Body

Al-Khidr: The Green One
Story adapted by Hugh Talat Halman
Illustrations by `Abdallah Lipton

Technically, this book is very well done. No grammatical and spelling errors plague the text. The binding and paper are of high quality. The illustrations are amazing.

Standing in Solidarity - Video Message from New York City to Egypt

Another video from Hena Ashraf:


Standing in Solidarity from Hena Ashraf on Vimeo.

Review: Outcasts United by Warren St. John

Outcasts united : a refugee soccer team, an American town by Warren St. John
ISBN 0385522037, 288 pages

Warren St. John is a New York Times reporter, and I first heard about his work through an article the NYT published January 21, 2007 describing problems the city of Clarkston, GA was having accommodating The Fugees, teams of refugee soccer players coached by Luma Mufleh, a Jordanian immigrant.

Review: An ordinary person's guide to empire by Arundhati Roy

An ordinary person's guide to empire by Arundhati Roy
200 pages, softcover ISBN: 0896087271

Yes, revolution is in the air.