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

Support Alexis Lombard's project on Kickstarter.

I just bought: 'The Conference of the Birds' by Alexis York Lumbard via @amazon amzn.com/1937786021

— Ayman Hossam Fadel (@aymanfadel) August 2, 2012

"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.

Gratuitous Stoning in 2006 Remake of "Murder on the Orient Express"

I watched the 2006 film Murder on the Orient Express, which of course has been done before and is based on the Agatha Christie novel of the same title.

Fawzia Gilani's Cinderella: An Islamic Tale

Cinderella: An Islamic Tale by Fawzia Gilani, illustrated by Shireen Adams, is an excellent retelling of the Cinderella children's tale. It is available for purchase at Kube Publishing.

A Responsible End?: The United States and the Iraqi Transition, 2005-2010 by Reidar Visser

A Responsible End?: The United States and the Iraqi Transition, 2005-2010
Author: Reidar Visser

Division Accomplished
By Daniel Luban

WASHINGTON, Dec 20, 2010 (IPS) - Few in Washington want to talk much about Iraq these days.

Eager to avoid refighting the intense political battles over Iraq during the George W. Bush administration, both Democrats and Republicans seem to have tacitly agreed on a set of lowest-common-denominator premises: the initial decision to invade may have been questionable, but the 2007 surge worked, and Iraq is now on a slow-but-sure path to recovery. 

Read more ...

Book Tour Dates for Izzeldin Abueleish, Jan-Mar, 2011

Note: Updated tour dates as of 2/23/2011
Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish

I SHALL NOT HATE

AUTHOR APPEARANCES

(as of Nov 24)

Review: Sabra Zoo by Mischa Hiller

Matthew Cassale's Review of Sabra Zoo by Mischa Hiller is available at Electronic Intifada.


I have not read this book.

New Videos from Hena Ashraf

More videos from Hena Ashraf, who has been featured on this blog.

Reader: The Muslim Family Reader: A Builder of the Islamic Personality Vol II

I found The Muslim Family Reader: A Builder of the Islamic Personality (Vol II) in a box of discarded books from a local masjid. The authors, Dr. Saidi J. El-Liwaru and Maisha Zoja El-Liwaru compiled 25 one - three page stories which "should be read aloud by a family member in the presence of the rest of the family." (preface)

More on Georgia Private Schools Supported by State Income Tax Credit Diversion

I've previously discussed the issue of Georgia state income tax diversion to private schools on this blog (and here). I've created a new blog for issues not related to Muslim media, and I'm moving this discussion there.

Islam and Science Fiction Blog

Readers of this blog may be interested in the Islam and Science Fiction Blog. It has published interviews with authors, and the site has links to the works of Muslim science fiction authors.

Review: I Shall not Hate: A Gaza Doctor's Journey by Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish

I finished I Shall not Hate: A Gaza Doctor's Journey by Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish in one evening.

As biography of a person involved in a conflict, it is not heavy on historical details and analysis. But its moral challenge is in the title. "I shall not hate." Add to that, "I shall be thankful. I shall continue working. I shall hope. I shall treat the survivors. I shall act for justice."

Review: We Are All Moors by Anouar Majid

We Are All Moors: Ending Centuries of Crusades against Muslims and Other Minorities by Anouar Majid is a must-read for all immigrants and civil rights activists in Europe and North America.

Review: Sexual Ethics and Islam: Feminist Reflections by Kecia Ali

Update 2016-06-12.

@aymanfadel Thank you. FYI, there's a new edition of the book, with a substantial update to the chapter on same-sex intimacy & trans issues.

— Kecia Ali (@kecia_ali) June 12, 2016

Update 2015-November-13. A new edition is coming out. This review is based on the first edition.

Time to pre-order expanded edition of Sexual Ethics & Islam: Feminist Reflections on Qur'an, Hadith and Jurisprud... https://t.co/SJr3F8tHZ8

— Kecia Ali (@kecia_ali) October 27, 2015

I finally read Dr. Kecia Ali's (Twitter) anticipated book Sexual Ethics & Islam: Feminist Reflections on Qur'an, Hadith and Jurisprudence four years after its publication. I'm only reading on vacation these days. Ahough this book has long been on my to-read list, the suicide of Tyler Clementi moved it up to the top. I finished this in a day of travel.

Profile of Indian Author Andaleeb Wajid

Aya Khalil wrote a profile of Andaleeb Wajid, the author of Kite Strings and the forthcoming Blinkers Off.

Common Ground Campaign

In 2008 I wrote an entry promoting the film Divided We Fall. In Augusta, GA, we were fortunate enough to have held a screening, and here are some pictures.

Valarie Kaur, the film's producer, has recently launched a new website.

In addition, her organization has launched a new campaign called Common Ground, which encourages cooperation among all people, regardless of religious affiliation.

A Common Word Statement

On October 13^th 2006, one month to the day after Pope Benedict XVI’s Regensburg address of September 13^th 2006, 38 Islamic authorities and scholars from around the world, representing all denominations and schools of thought, joined together to deliver an answer to the Pope in the spirit of open intellectual exchange and mutual understanding. In their Open Letter to the Pope, for the first time in recent history, Muslim scholars from every branch of Islam spoke with one voice about the true teachings of Islam. 

The A Common Word initiative is a good statement of Muslim belief. It is expressed in two commandments, love of God and love of neighbor.

Calligraphy Exhibit in Atlanta, Georgia, USA Through Dec 5, 2010

The Carlos Museum of Art at Emory University in Atlanta, GA has an exhibit on calligraphy and the Qur'an running through December 5, 2010.

4 Attacks Against Park51 and Muslims and My Response

A friend wrote a blog entry in support of the Park51 project. Someone (henceforth referred to as “the author”) responded to him at another account writing:

What people don't understand about muslims is that they traditionally build a mosque at the site they attacked to symbolize ... the "victory." What happened at Ground Zero should not be considered a victory in the United States. I don't like to use absolutes, so I'm not going to lump all Muslims together, but in general, the Muslim "religion" makes it okay to kill anyone opposed to their beliefs, and they don't have to keep their word with "infidels" (aka, those who are not muslim). This mosque, while disapproved of by approximately 70% of Americans, is a sad, sad thing - should it come to fruition.

TIME Survey Reveals that Opposition to Park51 Based Largely on Islamophobia

My hometown newspaper, The Augusta Chronicle, published an editorial which claimed that opposition to the Park51 project was not based on prejudice against Muslims.

The results from the TIME survey to which this editorial refers and which reports widespread opposition to the Park51 community center belies the claim that fear of Muslims/prejudice is not a major motivation behind this opposition.

Beyond Bullets: Once I put down the gun and picked up a camera, everything changed

Hena Ashraf participated in the production of Beyond Bullets, a short film portraying a young man's attempt to avoid gun violence in New York, New York.

I previously reviewed a film by Hena Ashraf entitled Uzair.

Review of The War Within Our Hearts

Muslimah Media Watch reviewed Habeeb Quadri and Sa’ad Quadri’s book The War Within our Hearts.

Review: Forty Days and Forty Nights in Yemen

Al-Masry al-Youm reviewed the book Forty Days and Forty Nights--In Yemen.

Art Exhibit in Washington, D.C., July 16-September 10, 2010

the light thread, the dark thread

at The Jerusalem Fund Gallery, 2425 Virginia Ave. NW / Washington DC 20037 / 202-338-1958/Metro: Foggy Bottom

paintings by Anna Kipervaser

July 16 - September 10, 2010

opening reception to meet the artist*, Friday, July 16,  6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Journey into America: The Challenge of Islam by Akbar Ahmed

Journey into America: The Challenge of Islam by Akbar Ahmed

Professor Akbar Ahmed has also produced a documentary film based on the research that went into this book.

Rafia Zakaria wrote a review of this book which was reproduced at altmuslim.com.

I have not yet read the book.

With God on Our Side

2013-Apr-9 Update: The film is now available on demand at Vimeo.

A discussion of this documentary film from Christianity Today.

I purchased my copy from Amazon.com.

This movie is accessible to a general audience in that it does not delve too deeply into Christian doctrine. It exposes the viewer to the gross indifference of United States Christian Zionists to justice for non-Jews in Palestine and to the oppression the state of Israel inflicts on non-Jews in Palestine.

Unspoken Alliance: Israel's Secret Relationship with Apartheid South Africa

The Unspoken Alliance: Israel's Secret Relationship with Apartheid South Africa
Sasha Polakow-Suransky
Hardcover:  336 pages, Pantheon; 1 edition (May 25, 2010) 

Yousef Munayyer published a review at The Palestine Center.

Onward, Christian Zionists

Onward, Christian Zionists is a short-film production by Alternate Focus. It does not go into as much depth as Stephen Sizer's Christian Zionists: On the Road to Armageddon, but that may make it more accessible to audiences unfamiliar with Christian doctrines and texts.

A Collection of Eid Stories adapted by Fawzia Gilani-Williams and Shazia Yusufali

A Collection of Eid Stories
Adapted by Fawzia Gilani-Williams with original artwork by Shazia Yusufali
Miskhat Publishing
ISBN: 978-0-9763537-4-4
47 pp, 8.5" x 11", color illustrations

I've previously in this blog reviewed books by Fawzi Gilani-Williams (1, 2, 3), and I like this one the best.

The stories are engaging, and the illustrations are colorful and attractive. I also believe that these stories could be read aloud to children. Characters in the stories learn and change, which is what all of us should be doing, adult and child.

p.s. Check out my criteria for evaluating Muslim children's media.

To Kill an Elephant-Documentary Film on Gaza

The Spanish documentary on Gaza To Shoot an Elephant, named after George Orwell's famous essay Shooting an Elephant, is available to view online.

Dr. Maher Hathout Presentation of Quranic Passages Related to Peace and War

The Muslim Public Affairs Council recorded Dr. Maher Hathout's presentation on passages of war and peace on November 22, 2009. A power point presentation is available.

Review: The Crusades, Christianity and Islam by Jonathan Riley-Smith

The Crusades, Christianity and Islam by Jonathan Riley-Smith

Jonathan Simon Christopher Riley-Smith is the author of scores of material regarding the Crusades.

Review: Change from Within: Diverse Perspectives on Domestic Violence in Muslim Communities

Change from Within: Diverse Perspectives on Domestic Violence in Muslim Communities
Edited by Maha B. Alkhateeb and Salma Elkadi Abugideiri
ISBN-10: 0979138906
Peaceful Families Project www.peacefulfamilies.org

This book is a collection of essays and documents related to domestic violence among Muslims, primarily in North America.

It's not an easy read, but it is important. I particularly liked Zainab Alwani's The Qur'anic Model for Harmony in Family Relations and Imam Mohamed Magid's Affecting Change as an Imam. There are also accounts from survivors of domestic violence.

I acquired my copy from the Peaceful Families Project. It included a video which was used in a domestic violence awareness program at my local masjid.

Bones, Season 5, Episode 4-Good Portrayal of Muslim in Workforce

I had reviewed quite negatively the 2nd episode of Bones in 2005, but I actually have some good things to say about the latest episode, The Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Season 5, Episode 4. Actor Pej Vehdat plays the minor character Arastoo Vaziri, a lab intern at the Smithsonian. Prior to this episode, his cheesy foreign accent and the writing which constantly highlighted his being Muslim irritated me.

Law & Order Episode "Great Satan"

National Broadcasting Company's long-running series Law & Order's episode "Great Satan" (Season 20, Episode 3) portrays the use of an informant to convict a group of New York City Muslims for a terrorist plot against a synagogue.

My Modern Interpretation of John Donne's Sonnet 14-Batter My Heart

Review: Islamic Science and the Making of the European Renaissance by George Saliba

Islamic Science and the Making of the European Renaissance by George Saliba.
MIT Press: Cambridge, MA and London, UK; 2007.
ISBN: 0-262-19557-7. Hardcover, 315 pages with endnotes, a bibliography and a subject index.

This monograph is a series of lectures which challenge the dominant narrative of the history of science culminating in the European Renaissance. The dominant narrative is that Muslim rulers in the early Abbasid period, under the influence of the Mu'tazila theological school (aka rationalists), sponsored a translation of Persian, Indian and Greek scientific and philosophical texts. When the ahl al-hadith theologians (aka irrationalists), who in large part adopted the Asha`ari theology and who are most identified later with Imam al-Ghazali, persuaded later Abbasi rulers to cease sponsoring rationalist theology, scientific production began to decline. Finally, the Mongol destruction of Baghdad in 1258 CE combined with religious hostility to science to cement cessation of scientific thought and production throughout Muslim lands. In key contact points, such as Sicily and al-Andalus, Europeans were able to reacquire the Greek scientific and philosophical legacy which had been faithfully transmitted by Muslims, and these Europeans later used this legacy to develop the Renaissance. In short, Muslims were a storage facility for Europeans' intellectual property, supplemented with unclaimed items left by the ancient Indians and Persians, until the Europeans could complete renovations.

Houston, TX-Dr. Ezzat's Paintings on Display Until Sept 30

Clear Lake City-County Freeman Public Library in Houston, TX is hosting a display of Dr. Ezzat Abouleish's paintings until September 30. Here is a note I received from him:

The opening ceremony went very well, Alhamd LELLAH, on Monday 8.3.2009. The show has been well received by Moslems and non-Moslems alike. The high spirituality and beauty of Islamic art was astonishing to the show visitors and expressed in their written comments. If you have not seen the exhibit yet, I recommend to visit and to take along the family. I feel our children need it more than us. The venue is Freeman Library of Clear Lake, 16616 Diane Lane (off Bay Area Blvd), Houston Texas, 77062. Tel. 281 488 1906. The display will continue to Sept. 30Th, but the sooner the better.

Film: Christian Zionists: On the Road to Armageddon by Stephen Sizer

Christian Zionists: On the Road to Armageddon. By Stephen Sizer. Distributed by Presence Media. http://www.presence.tv/dvd

2 DVDs with six 20-minute segments.

These six segments are lectures by Dr. Stephen Sizer (http://www.stephensizer.com/) which trace the historical roots, theological bases and political consequences of Christian Zionism. The DVDs come with a study guide to facilitate discussion.

The weakest part of this DVD is the section on historical roots, and I think that is primarily due to the lack of time to explain to those unfamiliar with dispensationalism the importance of this doctrine. It was shocking to me to learn that many high-ranking British politicians, including Lord Balfour, the author of the Balfour Declaration, followed this strand of Anglo-Protestantism. Another piece of news to me was that the principal editor of the version of the Bible used by American fundamentalist Protestants, Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, was a disciple of John Nelson Darby, the leading proponent of dispensationalism.

The second section, theological bases, is best suited to an audience able to understand Christian doctrines. I believed Dr. Sizer did a good job, and I felt I understand this segment, but I think it would be difficult for someone unfamiliar with Christian theological doctrines. I hope that a reader with more background in this area might add some additional comments to this blog entry concerning this section.

The third section, political consequences, is accessible to all, and it is of course the reason why this video can appeal to those who seek some peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Book Review: A Deadly Misunderstanding: A Congressman’s Quest to Bridge the Muslim-Christian Divide by Mark D. Siljander

A Deadly Misunderstanding: A Congressman’s Quest to Bridge the Muslim-Christian Divide. By Mark D. Siljander. New York: HarperCollins; 2008. pp. 260. ISBN: 978-0-06-143828-8.
Mark Siljander served his Michigan district in the United States House of Representatives from 1981 to 1987. He came into office supporting Ronald Reagan’s, Newt Gingrich’s and Tom DeLay’s policies of economic deregulation, supply-side economics and confrontation with the Soviet Union and other communist and socialist nations. In a conversation with a trusted advisor, he revealed all he needed to know and all he wanted to know about Muslims and Islam:

… if I didn’t mind his asking, as a follower of Jesus, what was my strategy in relation to other people in my travels around the world? I replied without hesitation: it was to convert them to the Christian faith. [p. 16]

Review: Tears of the Desert by Halima Bashir and Damien Lewis

Tears of the Desert: A Memoir of Survival in Darfur. By Halima Bashir with Damien Lewis. 2008. One World Books. Hardcover. 316 pp. ISBN 978-0-345-50625-2.

Reading this book should strengthen one’s resolution to oppose the falsehoods that one person is better than another by virtue of one’s birth and that one person should usurp the rights of another if the opportunity presents itself. It is the failure of peoples of the world to nip these falsehoods in the bud which lead to the massive casualties the author Dr. Halima Bashir describes in Tears of the Desert: A Memoir of Survival in Darfur.