Aslam Abdullah-Living with the Crimes of Individual Muslims

The editor of The Muslim Observer wrote an important piece that highlights the necessity of improving the standards of operations of Muslim institutions. While individual Muslims cannot be prevented from these actions, wherever possible Muslim institutions must not support the perpetrators and must support the victims.

Film: Uzair by Hena Ashraf

Updated March 13, 2015: The full film is now available for free online.
Uzair from Hena Ashraf on Vimeo.

The Muslim Observer (Volume 10, Issue 30, July 18-24, 2008) reviewed a short film by Hena Ashraf entitled Uzair.

I've received a copy, and I'm writing this after watching it once. It is the first fictional movie piece I've reviewed on this blog.

Taskheel Comics-The 99

Professor Faiza wrote an article about Tashkeel Comics, publisher of The 99, in the June 11, 2008 Washington Post, p. A14. I have subscribed to both the Arabic and English versions from qmags.com, although there is now a North American distributor for the English print version.

In sha Allah, I'll get a chance to read them soon!

Washington Post Article about Blood-Money in Saudi Arabia

Faiza Saleh Ambah, whose articles I generally recommend, wrote an informative article entitled "Saudis Face Soaring Blood-Money Sums."

I posted this comment on the Washington Post web site:

Several of the comments display a misunderstanding of the qisas ("retaliation") system prescribed by shariah. While richer criminals certainly have the means to pay larger amounts of blood money, it is the discretion of the victim's family to exact punishment, accept the money or forgive. In addition, as the article clearly states, the Saudi state can impose additional punishments, and certain types of crimes (usually attacks on public order and safety, such as the 9/11 attacks and armed robbery) are not subject to the qisas system and are instead crimes which the government is responsible for handling.

There are always flaws in any system of criminal justice because human beings who implement them are flawed. As the article discusses, some people in Saudi Arabia are comparing the blood money amounts among tribes and lineages in a type of “competing with the Jones” way.

I think one positive feature of the qisas system is that the victim's family has more say in the disposal of the case. I know a friend in Knoxville who was tormented by the return of his brother’s murderer from prison to live on his same street. Perhaps if his family had gone through the process of deciding the murderer’s fate, then he would not have this continued pain. I don’t know.

It would be interesting if there were any studies comparing the psychological and social "outcomes" of criminal justice for victims of crimes in different countries.

Washington Post Article About Muslim Women in France, Indicators of Piety

Good article in the Washington Post about Muslim women in France.

I hope the author would reconsider the following passage:

Most French Muslims are hardly pious practitioners of their faith. A 2006 survey by the CSA polling agency found that although nearly nine in 10 Muslims observe the holy month of Ramadan, only 17 percent go to mosque regularly. Separately, the CSA poll found that 91 percent approved of equality between the sexes.

Although I'd agree that observance of the fast of Ramadan is an indicator of Muslim piety, neither mosque attendance nor belief in inequality between the sexes is an indicator of Muslim piety.

Of course, I have never lived in France, and the religious environment in the United States is no doubt different.

From Idaho to Iran-Idaho Public Television Video

Marcia Franklin produced the hour-long Idaho Public TV documentary From Idaho to Iran, which first aired in 2005. 

Bravery and Honesty are the Unitarian Universalist Way

I'm reproducing here a speech I heard read at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta on Monday, July 28. I attended to express my condolences and show my support to the congregation after the shooting of church members in a Unitarian Universalist church in Knoxville, TN. I found the text reproduced in a comment at the Knoxnews.com web site.

Executive Power and Its Constitutional Limitations-Hearing, United States House Judiciary Committee

On Wednesday 07/25/2008, the United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee held hearings under the title of Executive Power and Its Constitutional Limitations. Transcripts are available now. I suspect video and/or audio will become available shortly.

Petition in Support of Journalists in Palestine

Sign a petition condemning Israel’s attacks on journalists, particularly Mohammed Omer.

Update: NY Times reports Israel finds its army acted properly in the killing of Fadel Shana.

South Carolina Subsidizing "Christian" Specialty License Plate

In the July/August 2008 newsletter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Rob Boston describes how the state government of South Carolina is subsidizing and promoting a "Christian" license plate.

The Ballad of Esequiel Hernández

The Ballad of Esequiel Hernández is an episode of the PBS show "P.O.V." about U.S. marines' killing of U.S. citizen Esequiel Hernández Jr in 1997 in his hometown of Redford, TX. Recently, President George W. Bush has again deployed military forces for border duty. This documentary is emotionally compelling and timely. The people who call for a "secure border" have no idea what it would actually take to do so, and even then it would not stop the flow of drugs and workers.

Wide Angle: Heart of Darfur

United States's Public Television show Wide Angle aired an episode July 1, 2008 entitled Heart of Darfur. After watching the episode, I also encourage you to check out the resources on the web site. In particular, there is a coalition of human rights groups in different Arab countries which is trying to advocate for an end to the atrocities in Darfur. I've also added the book Tears of the Desert by Halima Bashir and Damien Lewis to the Muslim Media Review wish list.

Slingshot Hip Hop-North American Screenings

Visit http://www.slingshothiphop.com, a site promoting Palestinian hip hop, for more information.

OCTOBER U.S. SCREENINGS - more details coming soon
Boston Palestine Film Festival
Minneapolis Film festival
San Francisco Palestine Film Festival
Los Angeles Palestine Film Festival
Arabian Sights, Washington DC

RIDM - Rencontres internationales du documentaire de Montréal
November 13-23
Montreal, Canada

STARZ DENVER FILM FESTIVAL
November 13-23
Denver, Colorado

Human Rights Watch Report on Abuse of Domestic Labor in Saudi Arabia

The summary of the report "Saudi Arabia: Domestic Workers Face Harsh Abuses" has been translated into several languages. This reading is not for the faint of heart.

Muslim Charity Health Clinics in the United States

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/video/module.html?mod=0&pkg=muslimhealth&seg=1

This is 10-minute segment about free health care clinics established by Muslims in the United States. It focuses on a clinic in Montgomery County, Maryland, USA.

Testimony of Muslim Advocates Before United States Senate Judiciary Committee Regarding Customs Laptop Searches

http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearing.cfm?id=3420

Click on the Webcast link. Ms. Khera's testimony begins at 57:45. The text of Ms. Farhana Y. Khera's testimony is available. Ms. Khera is the Executive Director of Muslim Advocates.

MLK Quote: Are our Religious Institutions Social Clubs?

From the sermon "The Drum Major Instinct":

And the church is the one place where a doctor ought to forget that he's a doctor. The church is the one place where a Ph.D. ought to forget that he's a Ph.D. (Yes) The church is the one place that the school teacher ought to forget the degree she has behind her name. The church is the one place where the lawyer ought to forget that he's a lawyer. And any church that violates the "whosoever will, let him come" doctrine is a dead, cold church, (Yes) and nothing but a little social club with a thin veneer of religiosity.

MLK Quote: Time Doesn't Necessarily Lead to Progress

From the sermon "Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution"

Somewhere we must come to see that human progress never rolls in on the wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and the persistent work of dedicated individuals who are willing to be co-workers with God. And without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the primitive forces of social stagnation. So we must help time and realize that the time is always ripe to do right.

Comments on Georgia Social Studies Curricula for 6th and 7th Grade

The failure of 70-80% of Georgia 6th and 7th graders to pass their social studies exams in the spring of 2008 has caused the state of Georgia to rewrite its standards. Without commenting on the overuse of standardized tests in today's public schools, I was curious to see what these standards were, and I felt strongly enough about a couple issues to pass on some comments which I'm including in this blog post. Access the draft curricula at http://www.georgiastandards.org/socialstudies.aspx.

KABOBfest: Keffiyeh infiltrates our nation's youth

Funny video about the Dunkin Donuts kufiyya/Rachael Ray controvesy!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkOpggUnZFM

The ANSWER Coalition launched a campaign to tell Dunkin Donuts that its response was incorrect.