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.