Music video: Anenome
I will never forget the first time I heard this song – over dinner on a brilliant, 11th century château in the southern France countryside.
Al Aqsa Imam Arrested by Israeli Army During Ramadan
On Thursday, 26th July, Israeli occupation forces arrested at dawn, Imam of al-Aqsa mosque after they broke into the mosque, closed its gates and forced the worshipers to leave. Sources in Jerusalem said that worshipers were at the mosque for al-Fajer prayer and suddenly the Israeli police broke into the mosque, arrested the mosque’s Imam and…… Continue reading Al Aqsa Imam Arrested by Israeli Army During Ramadan
Video: ‘The World’s Most Dangerous Place’ (Pakistan) speech by Akbar Ahmed
Professor Akbar Ahmed speaks about the difficult quandary in present day Pakistan, especially in the Tribal Areas. Be on the lookout for his forthcoming book The Thistle and the Drone (to be published by Brookings Institution Press in the spring of 2013).
Religion: A ‘modernist’ Muslim for all those who think they’ve never existed
Saiyid Ahmad Khan was the founder of Islamic modernism, that is, the development in Islamic thought which bears comparison with the development of higher criticism and modernism in Christian thought. He was deeply concerned that Islam should make sense in the light of Western science; he was no less concerned that Muslims should be reconciled…… Continue reading Religion: A ‘modernist’ Muslim for all those who think they’ve never existed
Response to Founder and Chairman of Original North Phoenix Tea Party
Mr. Harris, I want to challenge your comment that Americans need to be concerned about the loyalty of Muslim Americans. I want to do so through a story of my own experience. Throughout 2008 and 2009, I was conducting research under Professor Akbar Ahmed of American University with the hope of better understanding American identity…… Continue reading Response to Founder and Chairman of Original North Phoenix Tea Party
LOL – Republicans and foreign policy
It’s safe to say that foreign policy was not the strong suit of this year’s contenders for the GOP presidential nomination. Rick Perry labeled the Turkish government “Islamic terrorists.” Newt Gingrich referred to Palestinians as “invented” people. Herman Cain called Uzbekistan “Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan” and memorably blanked when asked what he thought of NATO’s incursion into Libya.…… Continue reading LOL – Republicans and foreign policy
Politics: Call James Holmes what he is – a TERRORIST
To suggest otherwise and insist that acts of terrorism must be premised on an established ideology or discernible beliefs would be to place subjective motivation above objective action. It would be to posit, in effect, that the “terrorism” definition applies without question to those who claim some allegiance to radical Islam, regardless of their psychological…… Continue reading Politics: Call James Holmes what he is – a TERRORIST
Politics: Thomas Friedman’s crimes against humanity
Thomas Friedman is an unapologetic advocate of modern-day American imperialism. His quotes should outrage any civilized human being. This man is a barbarian. Read this at your own discretion.
Video: Marry Me
The following 6 minute short film is about a girl who loves a boy and a boy who loves his bike. The film took first place in Tropfest Australia 2008, “the world’s largest short film festival.” It has me thinking about how we raise our children, from toddlerhood. Consider: a girl ensconced in pink is obsessed…… Continue reading Video: Marry Me
Important quote on the Pashtuns
‘These are the Pashtun Tribes… The Afghans have never been defeated in history — they will destroy themselves. You blow up their villages, destroy their families, but they are very much like the Americans — they believe in independence and freedom… Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India, once said, ‘Waziristan is beyond control. What they need…… Continue reading Important quote on the Pashtuns
Video: Reading a Muslim Brotherhood response to Michele Bachmann
I am trying to be more creative. Rather than writing something, I have decided to speak something.
A ‘radical Islamist’ group responds to Bachmann’s remarks with… SANITY!?
By now you may have heard that Michele Bachmann has accused Huma Abedin of being a mole that has successfully infiltrated the US State Department on behalf of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB). Hmm, I wonder what MB leaders think of their mole… One Ahmed Al Nahhas, a long-time MB activist and leader in Alexandria, Egypt, has said, I haven’t…… Continue reading A ‘radical Islamist’ group responds to Bachmann’s remarks with… SANITY!?
Hope you don’t mind the new theme
To my followers, Bored with the previous layout, I felt it was time for a change. If you wonder where some of my pages have gone, they are now in About me. I suppose there is nothing wrong with change as long as the change is for the better. Peace, Craig
Personal: Avoid!
IGNORANCE ‘The unexamined life is not worth living’ – Socrates PRETENTIOUSNESS ‘The intelligent people are the ones so intelligent that they don’t even need or want to look “intelligent” anymore’ – Criss Jami GREED ‘Don’t gain the world and lose your soul, for wisdom is better than silver or gold’. CERTITUDE ‘Only the madman is…… Continue reading Personal: Avoid!
Picture: Paris from a plane
Taken on a plan ride in transit to Toulouse. From Toulouse I would have taken a train to the small village of Soreze, but I was never able to find the train. Instead I had about a €250 cab ride to my destination. It was the most enjoyable €250 cab ride of all time. The…… Continue reading Picture: Paris from a plane
Closed minds are ok… BUT…
Picture: Catedral de Santa María de la Sede
Ramadan khutba on knowledge (ilm) by Professor Akbar Ahmed
Filmed this at the Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids, Iowa in September 2008.
Benjamin Franklin’s Case for Pluralism
We can gain a sense of young Benjamin Franklin’s thoughts on religion in A Witch Trial at Mount Holly, which raised the concern of his Puritan parents that he held ‘erroneous’ religious opinions. Franklin was not himself an emphatically religious man; while he believed in God, he did not subscribe to one particular creed. What we do…… Continue reading Benjamin Franklin’s Case for Pluralism
Fieldwork: The beautiful call to prayer
As part of Journey into America – September 2008 at the Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I was lucky enough to film right up there.
Picture: Freud’s study in London
Do something worth remember, with a photograph or a scar
My spat with the Vatican
I have an issue with the Vatican stripping Pontifical Catholic University of Peru of its right to call itself Catholic or Pontifical. This stripping is bothersome for several reasons. The first reason is that it only further amplifies the reputation of the Catholic Church as an archaic, authoritative, and out-of-touch institution which tries to conform…… Continue reading My spat with the Vatican
An iftar tradition continues
In a little while I am heading to the Islamic Center of Boston in Wayland for the breaking of the fast (iftar). This marks my second straight summer with this largely South Asian community during the holy month of Ramadan. During Ramadan, I see people demonstrating incredible self-control over their desires and temptations, which helps…… Continue reading An iftar tradition continues
Can a Muslim Be a Good American?
The Twittersphere is overflowing with Tweeters that have dedicated what seems like their entire existence to ragging on Muslims in the U.S. I want to hear what the jingoists think about a Muslim scholar who walks through Arlington National Cemetery with an American Colonel as they pay respect to fallen Muslim Americans.
Image: Guns for a Christmas present
Nothing like some guns to celebrate the birth of Christ! This is how guns become ‘normal’ in the USA. Buy a kid a gun and he or she will love you forever.
Video: The state of nothingness
The minatory engine of American imperialism
Source: ‘Not Again’ by Arundhati Roy in the Guardian, September 27, 2002.”The Task That Never Ends is America’s perfect war, the perfect vehicle for the endless expansion of American imperialism. In Urdu, the word for profit is fayda. Al-qaida means the word, the word of God, the law. So, in India, some of us call the War…… Continue reading The minatory engine of American imperialism
Vital passage: Misunderstanding and understanding Islam
… [T]here is so much misunderstanding of Islam. The debate on Islam that is in full cry in the West since September 11 is too often little more than a parading of deep-rooted prejudices. For example, the critics of Islam ask: ‘If there is such an emphasis on compassion and tolerance in Islam, why is…… Continue reading Vital passage: Misunderstanding and understanding Islam
Recommended reading: ‘Islam Under Siege’
Akbar Ahmed’s Islam Under Siege is an attempt to make sense of a rapidly transforming and dangerous world where ‘Westerners’ and ‘Muslims’ (as if the to are not inclusive!) are often pitted against each other as mortal enemies. In his analysis, Ahmed explains what is going wrong in the Muslim world; why it is going…… Continue reading Recommended reading: ‘Islam Under Siege’
Commentary: What the standard American bigot says about ‘the Jihad’
I woke up to this comment on my blog ‘Why the “Free” in Murfreesboro bugs me’: The author of this blog is a naive, at best. Islam is a totalitarian ideology like Communism or, more closely related, Nazi-fascism. It controls every aspect of a Muslim’s life with Shari’ah Law. Ask Europe, the Mideast, Asia, Australia,…… Continue reading Commentary: What the standard American bigot says about ‘the Jihad’
The “free” in Murfreesboro bugs me
In Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Muslims are hoping to celebrate Ramadan in the much-anticipated opening of their Islamic Center of Murfreesboro (ICM). While it seems they will be able to do so, a most unfortunate story is lurking in the shadow. A group of non-Muslims who filed suit seeking a restraining order to end the Centre’s construction has…… Continue reading The “free” in Murfreesboro bugs me
An easy way to debunk a common myth (‘kill the infidel’) of Islam
Muslim Americans are often harassed and forced to defend themselves against controversial verses in their holy text – the Qur’an. One of these verses is Surah 9:5 (the ‘kill the infidel’ verse). I am not a Muslim, but I still have concerns over how ‘experts’ say Muslims kill because the Qur’an tells them to (Representative…… Continue reading An easy way to debunk a common myth (‘kill the infidel’) of Islam
Politics: Terror babies and Bachmann
Texas Representative Louie Gohmert is one of several members of Congress who decided (stupidly) to sign the now infamous ‘Bachmann letter’, which accused Huma Abedin’s PARENTS for being the reason the ‘Muslim Brotherhood’ has ‘infiltrated’ the US State Department. Yes, you read that correctly. Abdein’s PARENTS have successfully infiltrated the US State Department.
Poem: Akbar
*Dedicated to Professor Akbar Ahmed He serves esoteric and philosophic truths, across the traditions, in pursuit of those truths, so that the darkness can be lifted, and the light can shine through. © Craig Considine
The short speech I never read
I wrote this speech (with a few typos) before launching Journey into America, which was screened at the Washington D.C. Convention Center. I ended up not even reading it. I was under the impression that we (researchers) were going to be asked to say a few words in front of the audience. This was never…… Continue reading The short speech I never read
Politics: Speech on what makes America exceptional
Perhaps I never gave him a chance (I do not really give politicians too many), but THIS… now THIS truly fantastic passage says a lot about John McCain and, I think, represents all that is holy about the US of A (if anything can be holy about it). McCain is speaking in reference to (the…… Continue reading Politics: Speech on what makes America exceptional
Graph that puts the ‘threat’ of terrorism in perspective
WE SHOULD THEREFORE… Declare war on Heart Disease Attack McDonald’s and then all fast food chains Declare war on Cancer Attack Marlboro and then all cigarette companies Declare war on Air Safety Attack Boeing Declare war on Automobiles Attack Ford, Mercedes, and Honda so to make sure we are fighting around the world Declare war…… Continue reading Graph that puts the ‘threat’ of terrorism in perspective
Shattering ‘Catholic Ireland’: Some thoughts on the recent controversy over church and state
The relationship between church and state in Ireland is again in question as Alan Shatter, Ireland’s Jewish Defense Minister, has been accused of being ‘ant-Catholic’ because he refused to allow the Irish army to offer a guard of honour for a religious procession during the recent International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin. This ‘unprecedented move’, writes…… Continue reading Shattering ‘Catholic Ireland’: Some thoughts on the recent controversy over church and state
Sociology: The way to understand ‘race’ and ‘racism’
Stuart Hall is a theorist who has contributed a great deal to our understanding of identity and racism. He is one of the ‘founding fathers’ of cultural studies and here discusses race as a floating signifier. I was not able to find all the videos but you should be able to search for them on…… Continue reading Sociology: The way to understand ‘race’ and ‘racism’
Two Irish men
Taken by my father on a trip to the fatherland in the 1980s. This stunning pictures captures a life that is slowly fading away in Ireland. A journal and more pictures from the trip can be found here.
Personal: The time my Ma and Dad went to Ireland (circa 1980)
My Ma just showed me the journal that she kept along the ride. Notice as well some of the great pictures. My favourite is the one of the two Irish men with the bicycle. Interestingly, my parents visited Trinity College Dublin (where I now teach and research). One of the pictures is where I often…… Continue reading Personal: The time my Ma and Dad went to Ireland (circa 1980)
Politics: How to spot a fascist
Dr. Lawrence Britt examined the former fascist regimes in Germany, Italy, Spain, Indonesia, and several Latin American countries and found 14 defining characteristics common to each. Considering the saliency of several current issues, such as Congressman King’s ‘radical Muslim’ hearings to the influence of the media and rampant corruption and militarism, one has to wonder…… Continue reading Politics: How to spot a fascist
A Poem of Ibn Arabi’s
Ibn ʿArabī (Arabic: ابن عربي) (Murcia July 28, 1165 – Damascus November 10, 1240) was an Arab Andalusian Sufi mystic and philosopher. He is sometimes referred to as “the Son of Plato” (Ibn Aflatun) for his devotion to Plato. My heart has grown capable of taking on all forms It is a pasture for gazelles A table for the Torah A convent for Christians…… Continue reading A Poem of Ibn Arabi’s
Time to Go Green in American elections
I have actually never voted in an American election, whether it be local, state, or national. I am not even registered to vote, but this is not stopping me from commenting on the state of American democracy and the 2012 elections. Democrats and Republicans: Two ‘different’ parties with essentially the same fundamental principles and entities…… Continue reading Time to Go Green in American elections
Boston Imam leading the charge to help Somali youth off the streets
When Somali youth have made story-lines over the last few years, they have generally done so for the most unfortunate of reasons, mainly that some are going to Somalia to join and fight for Al-Shabaab. A different perspective, however, appeared today in the Washington Post about the challenges Somali youth face while growing up in…… Continue reading Boston Imam leading the charge to help Somali youth off the streets
Religion: Rumi – from scholar to saint
Rumi, the great Sufi poet, was actually a scholar of sharia law (Islamic law). His responsibilities included making legal rulings and giving unapologetic lectures on how to resolve conflicts. One day, a man in rags approached Rumi and changed everything. The following exchange, according to legend, occurred: Pointing to Rumi’s legal books, the man in rags…… Continue reading Religion: Rumi – from scholar to saint
Poems: Langston Hughes’ great poem ‘I, Too’
I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes, But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong. Tomorrow, I’ll be at the table When company comes. Nobody’ll dare Say to me, “Eat in the kitchen,” Then. Besides, They’ll see how beautiful I am…… Continue reading Poems: Langston Hughes’ great poem ‘I, Too’
James Baldwin at the Crossroads of his Identity Crisis
One can only face in others what one can face in oneself. On this confrontation depends the measure of our wisdom and compassion. This energy is all that one finds in the rubble of vanished civilizations, and the only hope for ours. – James Baldwin, ‘NOBODY KNOWS MY NAME’
Politics: Demographics of religiously volatile areas
The population in some of the world’s most destructive and fragile areas are overwhelmingly young. Some of these areas – Kashmir and the Palestinian occupied territories as two examples – have religious conflict ingrained in their history and everyday life psyche. Here are a few figures for you to think about: 1. 75% of India’s…… Continue reading Politics: Demographics of religiously volatile areas
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