Politics

Egyptian Muslims Forget Muhammad’s Letter to Christian Monks

Dr. Craig Considine16 Comments

Published on the Huffington Post One issue often discussed on news sites and blogs over the last several days is the many attacks on Egypt’s Christian communities. Several outlets have reported that violence by Mohammad Morsi supporters has left dozens of Christian churches, Coptic-owned businesses and properties burnt. Fears of widespread sectarian strife seem to…… Continue reading Egyptian Muslims Forget Muhammad’s Letter to Christian Monks

Work

Huffington Post picture on Rumi-Emerson article

Dr. Craig Considine1 Comment

The Huffington Post – Religion made this sweet little picture after the publication of my Rumi-Emerson comparison, which is based on the themes of religious tolerance, love, and “oneness.” Sheila Musaji of The American Muslim also republished the piece. You can read that here. Related articles Rumi and Emerson: A bridge between the West and the…… Continue reading Huffington Post picture on Rumi-Emerson article

Commentary · Religion

Rumi and Emerson: A Bridge Between the West and the Muslim World

Dr. Craig Considine6 Comments

The writings of Jalalud’din Rumi, the 13th century Sufi Muslim philosopher from modern-day Afghanistan, and the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson, the 19th century Christian transcendentalist from Boston, Massachusetts, are filled with lessons that enrich every human soul. Rumi’s and Emerson’s similar thoughts on religious tolerance, love, and care for the soul can help bridge…… Continue reading Rumi and Emerson: A Bridge Between the West and the Muslim World

Film-work · Religion

Mysteries of the “Lost Gospels”

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Before I fall asleep each night I watch a documentary from You Tube or elsewhere. Generally I put on something related to history, but I do not limit myself to any particular area, theme, or time period. Last night I watched “Secret Lives of Jesus Christ: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” The documentary…… Continue reading Mysteries of the “Lost Gospels”

Religion

Jesus Jihad

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My recent Huffington Post article “A New Perspective of “Jihad” in Christianity and Islam” sparked a good amount of controversy in the interfaith and anti-Muslim blogosphere. In a follow up post, I focus solely on what I call the “Jesus Jihad,” or the Christian struggles which are noted in the New Testament. The following excerpts…… Continue reading Jesus Jihad

Pictures · Poems

Simplicity

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I took this picture at Anwar al Madina mosque on Dublin’s northside during Mawlid 2013.

Commentary

How to Respond to the “Islamophobia Industry”

Dr. Craig Considine2 Comments

About two weeks ago I finished an article that compared the concept of “jihad,” which literally means “to struggle” in Arabic, through the lens of Christianity and Islam. The article, which the Huffington Post Religion published, caused uproar in the “Islamophobia industry” for its attempt to build bridges between Christians and Muslims. Unfortunately, interfaith dialogue…… Continue reading How to Respond to the “Islamophobia Industry”

Religion

A New Perspective of “Jihad” in Christianity and Islam

Dr. Craig Considine3 Comments

Published on Huffington Post Religion (August 5th, 2013) Politicians and anti-Muslim activists frequently take to audiences and websites to criticize the term “jihad” as a form of Islamic supremacism, oppression, and violence. Muslim extremists, on the other hand, argue that “jihad” refers to a “holy war” against non-Muslims. Viewing the term “jihad” though these frameworks…… Continue reading A New Perspective of “Jihad” in Christianity and Islam

Poems

A Ramadan meditation in verse

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By Akbar Ahmed Source: Washington Post – On Faith Allah has many names Allah is Rahman He is Rahim He is also Ghafoor And known as Noor Some have called Him Zeus Others address Him as Deus Some name Him Brahma Others see Him in Atma If you want to know Him, whatever His appellation…… Continue reading A Ramadan meditation in verse

Interfaith

A thought on “the ink of the scholar…”

Dr. Craig Considine1 Comment

“The ink of the scholar is more sacred than the blood of the martyr.” If you “like” this term, you are showing your appreciation for a core tenet found within Islam. The power of knowledge and the search for it must trump all violence and warfare. Jesus and all the prophets would agree with this…… Continue reading A thought on “the ink of the scholar…”

Religion

Are We Alone in the Universe?

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“The universe?” From where did it come? How? When? By what energies did what we see only in tiny glimpses come into being?—the universe containing infinities of organized, living worlds, earths, suns, galaxies—cells, organic life, atmosphere— purpose, directions, and lawful order, fundamental forces at work everywhere and in everything—all of which emerged out of what?…… Continue reading Are We Alone in the Universe?

Sociology

New Study Finds War Not Innate to Human Nature

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Researchers from Abo Academy University in Finland say that violence in early human communities was driven by personal conflicts rather than large-scale battles. They say their findings suggest that war is not an innate part of human nature, but rather a behaviour that we have adopted more recently. The study is published in the journal…… Continue reading New Study Finds War Not Innate to Human Nature

Sociology

When a “Spic” sings God Bless America

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Racism and ignorance feed off each other like no other. Here’s a classic case. During the 2013 M.L.B. All Star game, many Americans took to Twitter to share their raw emotions (see more of those feelings here) over a “Spic” and “Mexican” singing God Bless America. The singer, Marc Anthony, was born in NYC, which makes…… Continue reading When a “Spic” sings God Bless America

Politics

Congressman Peter King and the Run of Anti-Muslim Republican Presidential Candidates

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According to my go-to Irish American news website Irish Central: “Congressman Peter King, the most prominent Irish American for decades in the House of Representatives, is considering a run for the White House, Newsmax magazine confirms.” (See the article here) If he indeed runs for president in 2016, King will continue with the recent tradition of the Republican Party…… Continue reading Congressman Peter King and the Run of Anti-Muslim Republican Presidential Candidates

Outreach

Honoring David McCourt, a hero of 9/11

Dr. Craig Considine2 Comments

In the winter of 2009, I was in Palm Beach, Florida conducting research for Akbar Ahmed’s Journey into America, an anthropological study on American identity through the lens of Muslims. Out of the thousands of interviews we conducted in our year-long travels throughout the U.S., David McCourt, a retired businessman who lost his family on…… Continue reading Honoring David McCourt, a hero of 9/11

Pictures

Picture of sunset published in Boston.com

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A picture I snapped of a sunset in Dover, Massachusetts has recently been published by Boston.com, an affiliate of The Boston Globe and The New York Times. See the picture at Boston.com  

Commentary

Zimmerman not guilty: Another reason for the world to hate Americans

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I think you would be surprised at how much anti-American backlash I have to entertain when I’m not in the U.S., my country of birth. Just the other night, I had an earful from two young and intelligent Irish women who bashed America for everything under the sun. Nothing I could say or do would…… Continue reading Zimmerman not guilty: Another reason for the world to hate Americans

Pictures · Travels

A little bit of Italy on the Irish coast

Dr. Craig Considine2 Comments

These are some pictures of my recent visit to Killiney (Irish: Cill Iníon Léinín, meaning “Church of the Daughters of Léinín”). Killiney is located about 30 minutes on the train from Dublin city centre. For many centuries the major part of the district was the property of the Talbot de Malahide family, some of the…… Continue reading A little bit of Italy on the Irish coast

Outreach

Pope Francis’s Homeless Dinner at the Vatican

Dr. Craig Considine1 Comment

Pope Francis continues to amaze. Recently he invited 200 homeless people to have dinner with him at the Vatican. The dinner was organized by Circle of Saint Peter, a papal charity as “a concrete sign of the Pope’s charity.” Pope Francis is coming through on an address he gave in March in which he decried a…… Continue reading Pope Francis’s Homeless Dinner at the Vatican

Interfaith

Powerful Passage on Interfaith Dialogue From Participant in PhD Thesis

Dr. Craig Considine1 Comment

My PhD thesis, which explores the experiences of younger Pakistani men in Dublin, Ireland and Boston, USA, has several overarching themes which travel across both countries. One question I ask late in my interviews is “What do you think of interfaith dialogue?” In both cities, I have found that young Pakistani men are overwhelmingly proponents…… Continue reading Powerful Passage on Interfaith Dialogue From Participant in PhD Thesis

Religion

In Greece, a case study on Islam in Europe

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By Akbar Ahmed Published on Washington Post (7/9/13) I have always been honored when asked to speak at the Friday sermon in a mosque. It is both spiritually elevating to interact with worshippers and socially it provides insights to the community. There are always many inspiring and impressive people in these gatherings, some of them…… Continue reading In Greece, a case study on Islam in Europe

Film-work · Religion

Film on American Muslims can help Europe understand Islam

Dr. Craig Considine1 Comment

By Frankie MartinPublished on Huffington Post (9/16/09)Last week I attended the European premiere of the film Journey into America at the Culture and Cultures International Film Festival near Toulouse in Southern France.The film, which premiered in Washington DC on July 4th, is the result of a nine month cross-country trip I took to study Islam…… Continue reading Film on American Muslims can help Europe understand Islam

Politics

Understanding the Pluralism of the Founding Fathers

Dr. Craig Considine2 Comments

Over the years I have penned many articles to highlight the pluralist spirit of the U.S. founding fathers. Independence Day is an opportunity for Americans and people worldwide to celebrate human rights and religious tolerance. The founding fathers were by no means perfect, and neither is America, but their vision for the U.S. is something…… Continue reading Understanding the Pluralism of the Founding Fathers

Commentary · Religion

Letter to Pope Francis on Child Sex Abuse Scandal

Dr. Craig Considine1 Comment

Dear Pope Francis, I have had the utmost admiration for you. Your new leadership in terms of interfaith relations, especially with Muslims, is such a breath of fresh air. You are such a welcoming leader. We can see it in your beautiful smile. We can see it in your everyday actions. You have made us…… Continue reading Letter to Pope Francis on Child Sex Abuse Scandal

Film-work · Interfaith

Alternatives of “The Innocence of Islamic Jihad”

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Here we go again. The International Business Times reports: An anti-Muslim animated movie titled The Innocence of Islamic Jihad is set to be released on 4 July, US Independence Day. The film is being produced on the lines of earlier movies such as Innocence of Muslims and The Innocent Prophet, which created widespread unrest. The movie is directed by…… Continue reading Alternatives of “The Innocence of Islamic Jihad”

Interfaith · Religion

Christians Cannot Be Anti-Jewish or Anti-Muslim, Pope Francis Says

Dr. Craig Considine1 Comment

Pope Francis continues to impress on the interfaith scene. His latest remarks on anti-Semitism among Christians should only strengthen the bonds between Christians and Jews. In a speech today in front of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations, Pope Francis said that due to the common roots shared with Jews, “a Christian cannot be…… Continue reading Christians Cannot Be Anti-Jewish or Anti-Muslim, Pope Francis Says

Interfaith

Top Catholic American official calls Muslims “people of good-will”

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There’s a heart-warming story coming out of Rome about the head of a papal agency that gives help to Christians in the Middle East. According to Monsignor John E. Kozar, president of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association and native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, “[t]he broad majority of Muslims are people of good-will.” Kozar claims that the…… Continue reading Top Catholic American official calls Muslims “people of good-will”

Religion

A Jihad of the Pen: Review of Qasim Rashid’s “The Wrong Kind of Muslim”

Dr. Craig Considine5 Comments

Published on The American Muslim (June 22nd, 2013) Several weeks ago, my friend and kindred spirit Qasim Rashid sent me a digital copy of his highly anticipated book The Wrong Kind of Muslim: An Untold Story of Persecution and Perseverance. I started reading it one early morning in my flat in Dublin, Ireland, thinking I…… Continue reading A Jihad of the Pen: Review of Qasim Rashid’s “The Wrong Kind of Muslim”

Interfaith

“The Golden Rule” is Central to the Teachings of Many Religions

Dr. Craig Considine3 Comments

If I missed a “golden rule” from another major religion, please leave it in the comment section so I can add it to the list. The picture above is Norman Rockwell’s “The Golden Rule,” which I also discussed in a post on a Pakistani Muslim friend of mine in Boston. Christianity: “All things whatsoever ye…… Continue reading “The Golden Rule” is Central to the Teachings of Many Religions

Politics

Glendon Crawford’s Alleged KKK Terror Plot: What if Muslims Were Behind It?

Dr. Craig Considine2 Comments

An alleged KKK member tried to sell a radiation device to Ku Klux Klan members. timesunion.com reports: An industrial mechanic with General Electric Co., who is also allegedly a member of the Ku Klux Klan, designed a deadly mobile radiation device that he intended to sell to Jewish groups or a southern branch of the…… Continue reading Glendon Crawford’s Alleged KKK Terror Plot: What if Muslims Were Behind It?

Personal

A documentary for my dad on Father’s Day

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This is a documentary about my dad, Christopher Michael Considine, who was born on April Fool’s Day in 1948. He grew up in the country of New Hampshire and Vermont. My dad served as Captain during the Vietnam War, a conflict which some of the greatest figures of his generation avoided. Years after serving in…… Continue reading A documentary for my dad on Father’s Day

Politics

Rouhani Brings Hope to Iran-Western Relations

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Iran’s new president Hassan Rouhani says his “victory is a victory for wisdom, maturity and moderation.” Not only is he known for his conciliatory approach, but he has also pledged to promote a policy of “constructive interaction with the world” and to enact a domestic “civil rights charter”. In essence, Rouhani brings hope for the improvement…… Continue reading Rouhani Brings Hope to Iran-Western Relations

Politics

Tales of Two Founding Fathers: Jinnah and Jefferson

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The founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, is much like Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and intellectual behind the American Revolution. Both men were educated, trained as lawyers, and powerful figures behind the independence movements of two countries, Pakistan and the United States of America. At the moment, Jinnah is in the…… Continue reading Tales of Two Founding Fathers: Jinnah and Jefferson

Politics

Jinnah’s house: A symbolic hit in Pakistan

Dr. Craig Considine2 Comments

News this morning from Balochistan is not so great. The home of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan, has been attacked and pretty much destroyed by extremists. CNN reports: Assailants bombed the home of the Pakistani founding father early Saturday, killing a police officer who fought back and injuring an employee, authorities said.…… Continue reading Jinnah’s house: A symbolic hit in Pakistan

Politics

Sarin gas and the “red line”

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Word out of Washington, D.C. is that President Obama has seen enough of the Syrian Civil War and has decided to arm “the rebels,” a mix of different groups with different agendas. Obama suggested that a “red line” has been crossed when Bashar al-Assad’s government forces used sarin gas, a deadly nerve agent, reportedly on…… Continue reading Sarin gas and the “red line”

Film-work

Reflections on Arson Attack on Mosque in Tennessee

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A short documentary I shot and edited has been picked up by a website in Alabama. The title of the article is “Manchester, Tenn., meeting displays hatred of Muslims, malleability of masses.” Kay Campbell of AL.com writes: Last week, within shouting distance of the peace-love-music temporary village that will be Bonnaroo June 13-16, people packed…… Continue reading Reflections on Arson Attack on Mosque in Tennessee

Pictures

A walk on a not so dark day in Dublin

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These pictures were snapped in the beginning of 2013 while walking around my old stomping ground: The Liberties in Dublin. Dublin can seem like a very dark place at times. In this gallery, I tried to tease out the bright lights as best as I could.

Politics

Representative Mike Pompeo Makes No Sense

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I am very upset to hear of this shocking news coming from Capitol Hill. Representative Mike Pompeo suggested recently that all Muslim Americans are complicit in terrorist attacks. Representative Pompeo needs to read an article I wrote for the Huffington Post. There is no greater sacrifice for a citizen than to give his or her…… Continue reading Representative Mike Pompeo Makes No Sense

Religion

Reclaiming the Beard on Behalf of Christianity

Dr. Craig Considine1 Comment

Cathie Adams, former chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, stated recently in her speech “Radical Islam and the Muslim Brotherhood” that a beard is a sign of a man’s Muslim identity. In the speech, which is posted online by the Far North Dallas Tea Party, Adams can be heard saying that Grover Norquist, a…… Continue reading Reclaiming the Beard on Behalf of Christianity

Politics

Time For a New Patriot Act

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2001 was a dark year for Americans. The Twin Towers fell. The Pentagon was struck. But the Nation lost much more than that in 2001. 2001 was the year that George W. Bush signed the Patriot Act. The Patriot Act is kind of like a propaganda document for the following reasons. Literally, the Patriot Act…… Continue reading Time For a New Patriot Act

Film-work · Religion

Finding Pluralism in Akbar the Great (A Short Documentary)

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Akbar the Great is an extraordinary figure in history. Who is he? What did he stand for and what can we learn from his legacy? These are some of the questions which are touched upon in this short documentary. *Feel free to watch/write a review in the comments section. Thank you.* Reviews: “I have tears of…… Continue reading Finding Pluralism in Akbar the Great (A Short Documentary)

Film-work

Short Documentary: “Finding Pluralism in Akbar the Great”

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Akbar the Great is an extraordinary figure in history. Who is he? What did he stand for and what can we learn from his legacy? These are some of the questions which are touched upon in this short documentary. It is inspired by some research I conducted for an article in the Huffington Post Religion. Related articles…… Continue reading Short Documentary: “Finding Pluralism in Akbar the Great”

Commentary

John Zawahri: The Latest “Muslim Sounding Name”

Dr. Craig Considine55 Comments

John Zawahri has been identified as the killer who went on the terrible rampage in Santa Monica, California. Reports at the moment suggest that Zawahri’s parents were going through a divorce and that the parental split might have been the reason he killed his brother and father. Reports also suggest that he had problems in…… Continue reading John Zawahri: The Latest “Muslim Sounding Name”

Personal

My mentor mentioned for “peace intelligence”

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For those who know me and the kind of work that I do, you will know by now of my mentor and intellectual guide Professor Akbar Ahmed. Here is a nice biography of Professor Ahmed, who the renowned American historian Professor Stanley Wolpert called “the greatest scholar of Islam in America and the world… nobody…… Continue reading My mentor mentioned for “peace intelligence”

Pictures

And that was all heaven said

Dr. Craig Considine2 Comments

“I saw only the noble earth on which I was born, with the great Star which warms and enlightens it. I saw the clouds that hang their significant drapery over us. It was Day— that was all Heaven said.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson This was taken as I flew over Ireland in the wee hours…… Continue reading And that was all heaven said

Religion

Watch a calm and authoritative voice outline the basic principles of Islam

Dr. Craig Considine1 Comment

With so much misunderstanding surrounding Islam in countries like the United States, it is imperative to have calm and authoritative voices who can speak clearly to the American people in hope of educating them on this subject. Thankfully, Americans have my mentor Ambassador Akbar Ahmed of American University to speak to them in a very…… Continue reading Watch a calm and authoritative voice outline the basic principles of Islam

Religion

U.S. President George Washington – A Friend of Muslims in His Midst

Dr. Craig Considine3 Comments

By Craig Considine George Washington’s birthday, celebrated annually on Febr. 22nd, is an opportunity to reflect upon his exemplary character and the example he set for future generations of Americans. While much is known about Washington’s military service and political career, less is known about his attitude towards religious freedom and his relationships with Muslims.…… Continue reading U.S. President George Washington – A Friend of Muslims in His Midst

Quoted

“I am part or particle of God.” – R.W. Emerson

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Politics

Benjamin Franklin Would be Outraged with NSA Spying

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Poems · Sociology

Transcending the Anti-Muslim Mobs of Tennessee

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A recent event at the Manchester Convention Center in Tennessee has received news headlines. According to the Tennessean: During the keynote speech given by Bill Killian, U.S. Attorney of the Eastern District of Tennessee, audience members continually interrupted, making it difficult to understand what was said. Killian brought a PowerPoint presentation that covered the First…… Continue reading Transcending the Anti-Muslim Mobs of Tennessee