THE BIG HOUSE -- البيت الكبير

h/t Ebadur Rahman

Interview with Ranya Tabari Idliby, Author of Burqas, Baseball and Apple Pie: Being Muslim in America

The C-Span program After Words is broadcasting Daisy Khan's interview with Ranya Tabari Idilby beginning this Saturday, January 11.

Burqas, Baseball, and Apple Pie: Being Muslim in America by Ranya Tabari Idliby.

This is the first I've heard of the author or the book.

Update: I saw the interview and wrote some comments.

Update 2: I read her book and wrote a positive review, which surprised me.

Review: Merchants of Doubt by Naomi Oreskes & Erik M Conway

Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming by Naomi Oreskes & Erik M. Conway. First edition, 2010, hardcover, 355 pages.

I'd had this book on my shelf for a while, but I was especially motivated to read it when I noticed that an entire chapter was devoted to contemporary attacks on Rachel Carson and the Environmental Protection Agency's decision to ban the use of the pesticide DDT in the United States in 1972.

Review: Gaza Writes Back

The Story of #Gaza by @davidcnswanson http://t.co/O7W79Ce2mW #Palestine #Books #Israel #MENA
— MyFDL (@MyFDL) January 2, 2014

David Swanson reviewed Gaza Writes Back at firedoglake.com. You can purchase Gaza Writes Back from Just World Books. I have not read the book.


Gaza Writes Back

Open Access Academic Books from University of California Press

h/t Mark Lynch, who retweeted

This is pretty great: UC Press makes 194 e-books from its history catalog (and 700+ books total) open access http://t.co/zzw4LYZisG
— Ian Mosby (@Ian_Mosby) December 30, 2013

Here are some books which may interest readers of this blog:

Review: “I Am Malala” by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb

Yomna El-Saeed reviewed I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb on the website OnIslam.net on 19 December 2013. I have not read the book.

Confronting Anti-Black Racism & Tribalism in the Ummah

This is a recording of the radio show I mentioned last week.

Important Radio Discussion This Saturday on Intra-Muslim Racism

From Dawud Walid's blog: (I've added the date and a few links)

Arab American Association of New York Director Linda Sarsour and Dawud Walid are scheduled to be 900 AM WURD in Philadelphia this Saturday (Nov 30, 2013) from 5pm to 6pm Eastern to discuss the issue of the usage of the slur “abeed” and the broader issue of intra-Muslim racism and tribalism.

Islam Today Radio Show is hosted weekly by University of Pennsylvania Chaplain Kameelah Rashad. The show may be listened to live-streaming at www.900amwurd.com.  Callers may join the conversation at (866) 361-0900 or (215) 634-8065.

Updated December 2, 2013: A recording is available online.

Film: The Silencing of Dorothy Thompson - Support its Production

Consider pledging money to support this Kickstarter project on a US journalist who lost her status by drawing attention to the plight of Palestinian refugees from the 1947-48 war.

I heard about this because I follow updates from If Americans Knew (Facebook, Twitter). Its executive director, Allison Weir, is a script consultant.

The production company is Alternative Focus.

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!

Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors by Hena Khan and Mehrdokht Amini

Lori Norman of StoryQuill reviewed Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors by Hena Khan and illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini. You can like Hena Khan's Facebook page.

Lori Norman is on Twitter.

I have not read the book.

The Myth of the Muslim Tide: Do Immigrants Threaten the West?

Gene Bedient reviewed The Myth of the Muslim Tide: Do Immigrants Threaten the West? by Doug Sanders (Twitter) at Prairie Fire (Twitter).

What Turns Some Western Muslims into Terrorists? The Causes of Extremism, an excerpt from Chapter 2 of this book, has been published at Doug Sanders's blog.

I have not read the book.

Living Shrines of Uyghur China by Lisa Ross

Ian Johnson reviewed Friends of God: Sufi Shrines in Western China by Lisa Ross in The New York Review of Books. Some photos are on exhibit at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York through July 8, 2013.

NPR also published a piece about the book, with some photos. La Journal de La Photographie also published an introduction to Lisa Ross's work, and it has some pictures as well. There's also an article in The Wall Street Journal. Lisa Ross also participated in a Rubin Museum of Art podcast episode (iTunes).

If you are in NYC, you can meet her for lunch today, May 8, at 1:00 PM.

I have not read the book. Hat tip to Omar Sacirbey, editor of Moozweek.

Support Georgia Innocence Project's Concept Album on Life of Clarence Harrison, Exonerated After 18 Years

I attended a talk by Clarence Harrison, a Decatur, Georgia man convicted of rape and kidnapping and sentenced to life imprisonment. He served 18 years before he was exonerated with help from the Georgia Innocence Project (Facebook page).

I have posted other material regarding the United States criminal justice system. And I hope you've watched the latest Ken Burns documentary, Central Park Five.

Donate to the Georgia Innocence Project. In addition, some musicians are teaming up with Clarence Harrison to produce songs about his life, in mostly his own words. That project needs support as well.

Play: "Disgraced" by Ayad Akhtar

The New York Times published a review of the play Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar.

I have not seen the play.

H/t

- ‘Disgraced,’ by Ayad Akhtar, With Aasif Mandvi - NYTimes.com ow.ly/2wgzbc

— Ebadur Rahman (@i_baad) April 18, 2013

Book Review: Christians, Muslims and Jesus by Mona Siddiqui

Christians, Muslims, and Jesus by Mona Siddiqui

Stuart Kelly reviewed the book at Scotsman.com. Sameer Rahim reviewed it at The Telegraph.

I have not read the book.

Here is a recording of a lecture she gave at Edinburgh University in Scotland on March 11, 2013.

Interview with Scott Korb, author of Light without Fire

Light without Fire: The Making of America's First Muslim College by Scott Korb (Twitter) (Tumblr) (Facebook)

Religion Dispatches published an interview with Scott Korb. The interview mentions Ebadur Rahman, whose blog I recommend.

Updated May 17, 2013: Review

Dawud Walid Explains Why CAIR Urges Moratorium on Death Penalty in the United States

Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) has endorsed a national moratorium in the United States on the death penalty. You can listen to CAIR-Michigan's Executive Director Dawud Walid explain CAIR's position and discuss other matters related to the criminal justice system, which I've blogged about in the past.

Note: The audio file is embedded in 4shared.com. My recommendation is to create an account on the web site, but don't download and install on your computer its "download" assistant, which will embed itself in your browser and activate every time you try to download a file.

P.S. Act on this Amnesty International alert to prevent the execution of Abdullah al-Qahtani in Iraq.

Review: The Wall by William Sutcliffe

The Wall by William Sutcliffe

Pitched as a fable, his crossover novel is set in a city split in two by a vast wall. On one side live the privileged, the occupiers – and our hero Joshua. On the other live the desperate, the occupied, and when Joshua, hunting for his lost football, discovers a tunnel that leads under the wall, he sets in action a series of dreadful consequences. Without making it explicit, it soon becomes clear that this is the West Bank, that Joshua, 13, is Jewish, and that Leila, the girl who saves his life on the other side of the wall, is Palestinian.

Read more of Alison Flood's review of March 30, 2013 in The Guardian. 

I have not read the book.

Report: Women and the American Mosque

The Hartford Institute for Religious Research published a third report from the US Mosque Study 2011 (Adobe). This report is entitled Women and the American Mosque (Adobe). Its authors are Sarah Sayeed, Aisha Al-Adawiya and Ihsan Bagby. Women in Islam, Inc was also one of the authors.

Graphic Novel: Justice for Aafia

H/t to MuslimMatters.org for publishing Christopher Towne's graphic novel on Aafia Siddiqi's torture and imprisonment at the direction and involvement of the USA.

Review: Tripping with Allah: Islam, Drugs, and Writing by Michael Muhammad Knight

Richard Marcus reviewed Michael Muhammad Knight's Tripping with Allah: Islam, Drugs, and Writing. I have not read the book.

Muslim Public Affairs Council Report: Muslims and the Making of America

The Muslim Public Affairs Council has published Precious Rasheeda Muhammad's report Muslims and the Making of America. You can download the entire report for free.

Inaugural Issue of Islamophobia Studies Journal

The inaugural issue of Islamophobia Studies Journal is available for download (Adobe). The publisher is the University of California, Berkeley Center for Race & Gender.

This center is also sponsoring The Fourth Annual International Conference on the Study of Islamophobia, April 19-20, 2013. The entire proceedings are to be available online. You can follow the conference on Twitter.

Review: The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth by E.O. Wilson

The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth by Edward O. Wilson. I've reviewed other books by Professor Wilson.

This book is a Reader's Digest version of Professor Wilson's ideas as expressed in books like Future of Life and Social Conquest. It's meant to spread biophilia among the religious to get humanity in action to save biodiversity. Bill Moyers's 2006 show Is God Green? addresses some of this as well.

I thought that the most interesting part of the book was Wilson's explanation of biology as a discipline and how love of this branch of science could be inculcated in students, pages 103-61.

Erasing Memory: The Cultural Destruction of Iraq

FreeSpeech TV is broadcasting today Shocking and Awful, a series of programs describing how shocking and how awful the USA attack on Iraq was. One segment I've watched is Erasing Memory: The Cultural Destruction of Iraq.

Review: The Social Conquest of Earth by Edward O. Wilson

The Social Conquest of Earth by Edward O. Wilson. I've previously reviewed his books The Future of Life and Anthill.

The bulk of this book describes the process by which Homo sapiens' ancestors became eusocial and how that led to multilevel selection. When a species becomes eusocial, group selection becomes an important element in the species' evolution.

For criticism of the concept of group evolution, read blog entry 1 and blog entry 2 from Jerry Coyne, the author of Why Evolution is True, a book I have in my possession and intend to read and review. I heard Dr. Coyne give a lecture in a suburb of Augusta, GA on February 4, 2013.

Being an expert in insects, the typical example of eusociality, E.O. Wilson shifts back and forth between describing the development of eusociality in ants and eusociality in anthropods.

The important thing for me, and for most readers of this blog, is Professor Wilson's final chapters where he presents conclusions on how this understanding of humanity should impact our religious and moral beliefs and ethical practices.

Review: Anthill by E.O. Wilson

Anthill by E.O. Wilson. I've previously reviewed his book The Future of Life.


This fiction book presents themes Professor Wilson has emphasized in his nonfiction books. The most important theme is the necessity of creative synthesis of capitalism and environmental protection. The lead character, Raphael Cody, learns that a beloved southern Alabama old wood forest surrounding a lake will be threatened by Mobile's expansion. In fact, his blue-blood maternal uncle is among the business elite advocating this development. Raphael leaves the study of the biosphere to complete a law degree at Harvard. Upon graduation, he returns and works as the legal counsel for the developer who purchased the property and who has previously converted woodland and wetlands to suburban Mobile sprawl. As legal counsel, he is able to develop a proposal which to a large extent preserved the quality of the land while advancing his employer's bottom line.

Review: Minaret by Leila Aboulela

Professor Heather Abdelnur reviewed Minaret by Leila Aboulela.

As the movement goes from late teen’s mini-skirt wearing, callous, and shallow rich girl, to an increasingly religious and conservative working class woman, Aboulela could have made the transformation too fast, too unbelievable, or too cliche.  Instead, the reader believes the changes, comes to understand the transformation of character, and, while wishing for a happy ending that might not come, we do not pity Najwa nor exhault her.  ... read more ...

Dr. Abdelnur has reviewed other books.

Review: Love in a Headscarf by Shelina Z. Janmohamed

Professor Heather Abdelnur reviewed Love in a Headscarf by Shelina Z. Janmohamed.

What a fun, refreshing, and good-natured presentation of the process and problems facing Western-raised Muslim women on the market for marriage! ... read more ...

Dr. Abdelnur has reviewed other books.

Review: The Butterfly Mosque by G. Willow Wilson

Professor Heather Abdelnur reviewed The Butterfly Mosque by G. Willow Wilson. I have not yet read it.

After reading it, I’m almost angry.  How could I not have heard of Willow Wilson before?  How had I missed this book? ... read more ...

Ask Alison's Science Books for Everyone

Science educator and blogger Alison Monahan answers the question:

Would you put together a recommended reading list for a world citizen in 2013 to be in a good position to judge political and moral claims in the light of science today? 

Illuminated Verses: Poetries of the Islamic World

 Poets House and City Lore held Illuminated Verses: Poetries of the Islamic World in 2011. 

You can read essays written on the occasion of the conference (PDF).

iPad App: Care of Muslim Patients: A Practical Guide

Aasim I Padela at the University of Chicago reviewed the iPad and iPhone app Care of Muslim Patients: A Practical Guide in Volume 381, Issue 9865 of The Lancet.

The application in the Apple store is free, but it only provides a portion of the content. The full content is available for 9.99 USD.

Visual Art of Dr. Ezzat Abouleish

Dr. Faroque Ahmad Khan reviewed Dr. Ezzat Abouleish's books Islam in the Eyes of an Artist and Allah and the 99 Names of God. Both books are available from the author.

Dr. Ezzat is a pioneer of obstetric anesthesia.

To-Read: Unhitched: The Trial of Christopher Hitchens by Richard Seymour

After reading a review, I'm interested in reading Unhitched: The Trial of Christopher Hitchens by Richard Seymour.
 

h/t Glenn Greenwald

InTheseTimes reviews the new book dismantling Hitchens hagiography: "Unhitched: The Trial of Christopher Hitchens"is.gd/2Dc7Um
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) January 28, 2013

Ebad's Reading List

Ebad posted online a document related to the completion of his B.A. which includes many quality books. So have a look!

I've reviewed two of those books:
Jackson, Sherman A. Islam and the Blackamerican: Looking toward the Third Resurrection.
Oxford: Oxford UP, 2005. 

Marable, Manning. Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention. New York: Viking, 2011

Support "The Tiger Hunter" by Lena Khan

I supported a project on Kickstarter. It's a film by Lena Khan (website) entitled The Tiger Hunter (Facebook page). Lena is on Facebook and Twitter. Spread the word!
Hello!

Sohaib Sultan's List of 10 Books for English-Speaking Muslims

Imam Suhaib Sultan recommends 10 books for English-speaking Muslims.

Review: Marching Toward Hell: America and Islam After Iraq by Michael Scheuer

Marching Toward Hell: America and Islam After Iraq by Michael Scheuer (Twitter)


As I was listening to this abridged book on CD, I pictured its author Michael Scheuer as a combination of Col. Kurtz in Apocalypse Now and Cersei in Game of Thrones. His commitment to no principle other than the cohesiveness of the United States and his view that ultra-violence is a necessary tool to preserve that cohesiveness made it difficult for me, a proponent of non-violence and globalism (his term is antinationalist), to keep an open mind to his ideas. Yet I'm glad I did persevere and finish the book, and there is some value in it.

Review: The Book of the Superiority of Dogs Over Many of Those Who Wear Clothes

The Book of the Superiority of Dogs Over Many of Those Who Wear Clothes by Muhammad Ibn Khalaf Ibn Al-Marzuban.

The author lived, according to my memory, in 6th (AH)/13th (CE) Baghdad.

The book is in two parts. The first part condemns humans for their cowardice, greed and disloyalty. The second commends dogs for their bravery, selflessness and loyalty.

The author quotes poets and relates stories to support these contentions.

The editor/translator includes an introduction on the author and a discussion of Muslim religious rulings and attitudes regarding dogs.

The Arabic Wikipedia has an entry on the book which includes some delicious lines of poetry (my translation):

The human dog, if you consider it,
    is worse for you than the canine dog
If you drive the canine away, it leaves,
    while the human dog clings to you despite your rebukes.
The canine does not harm its companion,
    while you remain your lifetime afflicted by the other kind of dog.

It may be difficult to purchase a copy. Use Worldcat to find a copy in a library near you or ask your local librarian to get it for you using interlibrary loan.

A Glenn Greenwald tweet about a modern instance of a dog traveling miles to stand watch over the grave of its owner reminded me of this book:

Dog owners already know this, but dogs have capacities that transgress the understanding of modern science is.gd/VinBY0
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) January 6, 2013

Updated May 22, 2013:  Man's Best Friend Guards Owner's Body

A friend of my father's wrote a Facebook note about dogs.

This organization trains dogs and places them with children with special needs:

Documentary Hibana by Ameer Muhammad

I heard about Atlanta-based Ameer Muhammad's documentary film about the Dominican Republic Hibana from his interview in a Muslim American Media Alliance podcast on November 25, 2012. There is a Facebook page.

Hibana Trailer (English) from filmbyameermuhammad on Vimeo.

BBC Radio: Hitler's Muslim Legions

BBC Radio's Hitler's Muslim Legions is an interesting introduction to the situation of Muslims and their neighbors in the Balkans during World War II. As in many BBC historical programs, I think it glosses over some of the faults of the British Empire, but this is the first program I'd heard about Muslims who trained in Nazi Germany's armed forces.

It's no longer available at the BBC web site, but you can use peer-to-peer technologies and download it using a BitTorrent client.

Which book would you recommend to your friend's Islamophobic friend?

A friend requested my recommendation for a book she could recommend to her Islamophobic friend.

My friend discovered her friend was Islamophobic through a conversation that went something like this:

Between a Mormon and a Muslim, I wish the Mormon had won. I know some Muslims. The ones I know are pretty good. You don't know that Muslims believe such-and-such and are commanded to do such-and-such? If I gave you a book, would you read it? Yea, maybe.

Film: Nero's Guests by P Sainath

LinkTV is broadcasting the documentary Nero's Guests about crushing poverty in rural India. Subthemes are the injustice of the World Trade Organization, which enforces "free trade" on the world's poor and leaves the world wealthy unpunished, and the morally horrifying callousness of India's wealthy.

Akbar Ahmed's Journey into America: The Challenge of Islam

Akbar Ahmed's book Journey Into America: The Challenge of Islam is also a documentary movie. It has a YouTube Channel, a Flickr stream and a blog.

There's an article adapted from the book in the Jan/Feb 2013 issue of Islamic Horizons, which should be posted soon either here or here.

I haven't read the book or seen the movie.

Film: The Exonerated

The Exonerated is a dramatic reading of transcripts and letters of six wrongfully convicted and imprisoned US citizens. Supplement this by reading Actual Innocence by Barry Scheck, Peter Neufeld & Jim Dwyer and this article at The Nation magazine from June 18, 2012.

Recommendation: Imperial Cities of Morocco

Imperial Cities of Morocco by Mohomed Metalsi, Cecile Treal, Jean-Michel Ruiz is a wonderful collection of photographs of architectural landmarks in Fes, Marrakesh, Meknes and Rabat in Morocco. Introductory text accompanies the photos. If you are traveling to these places or simply like architecture, check this book out. If you're exhibiting something related to Morocco or screening the film Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World, have this book for the public to thumb through. If you have an office with a waiting area, this would be a good book for that as well.
 

Journal for Kids: Discover

Arwa alerted her blog readers to an article she published in a journal for Muslim children. I'd appreciate any subscribers sharing their thoughts on the journal.

To read: From Slave Ship to Harvard by James Johnston

From Slave Ship to Harvard: Yarrow Mamout and the History of an African American Family by James H. Johnston. You can listen to his May 22, 2012 interview on Gist of Freedom.

PBS's Need to Know Visits Clarkston, GA - Multiculturalism in the US South

I had reviewed a book about refugees in Clarkston, GA. Maria Hinojosa presented a Need to Know episode on the continued transition from a nearly one-hundred percent white town to a town where more than one-third of the residents are foreign-born.

Documentary Film: Brother Rob

I saw the documentary film Brother Bob, which covered Terry Jones's trial of the Quran, on the Documentary Channel.

Science - Ecology Books Translated into Arabic

I'm thinking of working to get some popular books on ecology and other scientific subjects translated into Arabic.

This blog entry, which I hope to update, contains links to books I've already found that meet this description.

I'm also keeping this list up-to-date on Delicious.

• Valuing the environment : economics for a sustainable future by David Glover - Arabic translation
• by David Glover - Arabic translation 
• List of David Glover's books translated into Arabic on Worldcat.org
• Series of books entitled "How does it work?" for young adult readers
• Straphanger by Taras Grescoe -- Straphanger: Saving Our Cities and Ourselves from the Automobile -- Arabic translation
• Book by Frank R. Spellman and Nancy Whiting - Arabic translation
• Book by climate change denialist Ian Plimer, Heaven and Earth. Arabic translation - Rebuttal of book by Ian Enting. Rebuttal of book by John Price. 
• Fueling Our Future: An Introduction to Sustainable Energy by Robert L. Evans -- Arabic translation 
• Unauthorized translations of Carl Sagan books available via download

Review: The Submission by Amy Waldman

Tasnim at Muslimah Media Watch reviewed The Submission by Amy Waldman.



I have not read the novel.

Jaffa - The Orange's Clockwork

The basic subscription to Dish Network gives you viewer-supported LinkTV, which in my mind is the best channel available in the United States. In fact, I recommend giving to organizations like LinkTV over political candidates, since the real problem in the US politics is that, as Flavor Flav says, "ignorance is at an all time high."

A great example of content available on LinkTV is the documentary Jaffa - The Orange's Clockwork. Currently, it is available on-line. This documentary examines the myth of "making the desert bloom," which as a result of sophisticated Zionist propaganda over several decades, has been implanted in European-White Supremacist-Colonialist consciousness.

Review: The Future of Life by E.O. Wilson

The Future of Life by E. O. Wilson. (on PaperbackSwap)

I first heard about Edward Osborne ("E.O.") Wilson from a 2007 interview with Bill Moyers.

This is another of the books on science I've discussed. As I was listening to it, I wondered what humans fifty years from now, assuming humanity survives, will think about the humans who preferred acquiring consumer goods over preserving our planet's biodiversity? Or worse, the humans who were too busy killing each other, most assuredly for justifiable reasons, to notice that the planet was preparing to cull its most destructive species, home sapiens? Or even more unfathomable, large swaths of humanity spent all their time and effort worrying about which humans were indeed closer to God and immersed themselves in endless disputes over texts whose authors would be horrified that their works were cited as reasons for ego-assuaging religious one-upmanship.

Video Portrait of Faraz Khan, Calligrapher

Eidfilms ::: Faraz Khan: Calligrapher from Ahmed Eid on Vimeo.

Faraz Khan has a website and is on Facebook.

The Death of an Imam

The Death of an Imam from Salah D. Hassan on Vimeo.
A short documentary film on the 2009 FBI shooting of Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah in a Dearborn warehouse. The documentary was produced by faculty and students at Michigan State University.

View this post on Instagram

Honoring Imam Luqman on Saturday

A post shared by Dawud Walid (@dawudwalid) on Oct 26, 2020 at 5:48pm PDT

10 years later, the FBI's shooting death of Imam Luqman Abdullah in Dearborn still reverberates in Detroit's Black Muslim communities. October story: https://t.co/wfCTdYUdUS

— Niraj Warikoo (@nwarikoo) January 18, 2020

Interview with Filmmaker Iman Zawahry

Updated November 13, 2015 - Ask NBC to hire Iman Zawahry to direct an episode of Master of None.

My promised interview with filmmaker Iman Zawahry, director of the short films Tough Crowd and UnderCover, is now available!

Ayman Fadel · 2012 Interview with Iman Zawahry

The best way to keep up with Iman is through her Facebook page.

Review: Muslims in America: Seven Centuries of History (1312-1998) by Amir Nashid Ali Muhammad

Amir Nashid Ali Muhammad. Muslims In America: Seven Centuries Of History, 1312 1998: Collections And Stories Of American Muslims Beltsville, Maryland: Amana Publications; 1998. 64 pp. Paperback.

The latest version of this book is 84 pages and published in 2001, but I have not read it.

Century by century, the author mentions names of Muslims in that part of the Americas which became the United States. It's a great antidote to the "Columbus" phenomenon of some immigrant Muslims who believe that they brought Islam to the United States when they landed at JFK. It's also a great antidote to the Islamophobes who think that Muslims should be expelled from the United States as if they were last week's cold virus.

The book's bibliography allows the reader to follow up on the tips the author brings to the reader. I hope to learn more about Amir:

In April 1789, an advertisement seeking the capture of a man named Armer (Amir) appeared in the Savannah Georgia Gazette. Armer was about twenty years old when he ran away from the plantation of Thomas Grave in Richmond County, Georgia.  (p. 14)

Richmond County is about 4 miles from my house.

I believe the author is involved with the International Museum of Muslim Cultures in Jackson, Mississippi.

Film Review: Solar Mamas

Check out Woodturtle's review of the film Solar Mamas. It was broadcast on PBS's Independent Lens.

I have not seen the movie.

Interview with Nathan Lean, Author of Islamophobia Industry: How the Right Manufactures Fear of Muslims

Nathan Lean of Aslan Media has written The Islamophobia Industry: How the Right Manufactures Fear of Muslims.



Read this interview in the Muscat Daily by Joseph Richard Preville. H/t CAIR.

The Islamophobia Industrymuscatdaily.com/Archive/Opinio… fb.me/1ofeXo3zw
— CAIR National (@CAIRNational) November 24, 2012

I have not read the book.

Support Hena Ashraf's New Film Small Delights

"Small Delights is a short fiction film about Aziza, who begins to understand that her love of music makes her quite different from those around her." Hena Ashraf, the director, is using Indiegogo to raise funds to support the project. Like the project on Facebook.



I've published several posts related to Hena Ashraf's work in the past.

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