Sociology

In His New Book, Akbar Ahmed Explains the Current Cycle Roiling Muslim Countries

03/16/2014 Dr. Craig ConsidineLeave a comment

By Khaled Ahmed Akbar Ahmed has had a good homecoming. His message has been embraced by the Pakistani state: Army chief Gen. Raheel Sharif presented him a shield at the National Defense University in December; and the Navy chief was so impressed with Ahmed’s latest book—last year’s The Thistle and the Drone: How America’s War on…… Continue reading In His New Book, Akbar Ahmed Explains the Current Cycle Roiling Muslim Countries

A Refutation of Robert Spencer’s Post on Professor Akbar Ahmed

01/10/201404/06/2014 Dr. Craig Considine22 Comments

Published on Loon Watch Robert Spencer, the administrator of the blog JihadWatch, is known for painting all Muslims as extremists. In a recent post titled “Akbar Ahmed, advocate of ‘dialogue,’ claims ‘Islamophobes’ are ‘linking Islam to violence, terrorism and intolerance,” Spencer argues that Professor Ahmed, the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University…… Continue reading A Refutation of Robert Spencer’s Post on Professor Akbar Ahmed

Interfaith · Outreach · Religion

Salam and Salutation to Pope Francis

10/08/201302/06/2015 Dr. Craig Considine3 Comments

But Pope Francis was not taking a path outside his faith tradition. On the contrary he was reverting to its foundational principles. He is inspired by two figures above all – Jesus and Saint Francis; indeed taking the name of the latter after being elected pope. He has learned from them that Christianity in its…… Continue reading Salam and Salutation to Pope Francis

Poems

A Ramadan meditation in verse

07/24/2013 Dr. Craig ConsidineLeave a comment

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

Religion

In Greece, a case study on Islam in Europe

07/09/2013 Dr. Craig ConsidineLeave a comment

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

Politics

Tales of Two Founding Fathers: Jinnah and Jefferson

06/15/201302/06/2015 Dr. Craig ConsidineLeave a comment

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

06/15/201306/15/2013 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

Film-work · Religion

Finding Pluralism in Akbar the Great (A Short Documentary)

06/10/201306/10/2013 Dr. Craig ConsidineLeave a comment

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)

Personal

My mentor mentioned for “peace intelligence”

06/09/2013 Dr. Craig ConsidineLeave a comment

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”

Religion

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

06/07/201306/08/2013 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

Outreach · Religion

My challenge to the media: Burn the Quran Day or One Film 9/11?

05/03/2013 Dr. Craig ConsidineLeave a comment

I pose a challenge to media outlets around the world: Will they continue to focus on sensational stories which only exacerbate tension and hatred between groups, or will they instead provide coverage to events and initiatives which work to build bridges across the divide? I use Pastor Terry Jones’ “Burn the Quran Day” and my…… Continue reading My challenge to the media: Burn the Quran Day or One Film 9/11?

Outreach

Bostonians Will Transcend Fear After Marathon Bombings

04/25/201304/20/2015 Dr. Craig Considine6 Comments

Published on Huffington Post Religion (4/25/13) In 2008, I filmed an interview in Boston in which Professor Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University, spoke with Noam Chomsky, Professor of Linguistics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, about American identity. According to Chomsky: “[America] is a very frightened country … which is kind of…… Continue reading Bostonians Will Transcend Fear After Marathon Bombings

Sociology

Boston bombers were caught between new and old worlds

04/23/2013 Dr. Craig ConsidineLeave a comment

By Akbar Ahmed for National Geographic It was the matter-of-fact tone of the Pakistani boy in Brooklyn that disturbed me and brought tears to my research team. Traveling throughout the country in 2008 and 2009 for my book Journey into America, we were in a Shia mosque in an area called Little Pakistan, which has…… Continue reading Boston bombers were caught between new and old worlds

Film-work

“Journey into America”

04/22/201306/02/2014 Dr. Craig Considine3 Comments

“Journey into America” is arguably the most comprehensive documentary ever done on Muslims in America. The film explores the issue of what it means to be American through the lens of Muslims. Ahmed’s documentary has been called “an essential pillar in the effort to build the interfaith bridge of understanding” by Congressman Keith Ellison, America’s…… Continue reading “Journey into America”

Religion

Tribal Islam: America’s new drone target

04/06/2013 Dr. Craig ConsidineLeave a comment

Members of Islamic tribes often live in remote areas of the world, with ancient codes of honor and revenge. Muslim scholar Akbar Ahmed says they’re now being traumatized by American drones, a technology he calls “mysterious, distant, deadly, and notoriously devoid of human presence.” Source: interfaithradio.org

Film-work

Wrong War, Wrong Methods, Wrong Enemy

04/01/201302/07/2015 Dr. Craig ConsidineLeave a comment

Renowned scholar Akbar Ahmed discusses his new book The Thistle and the Drone: How America’s War on Terror Became a Global War on Tribal Islam and elaborates on the devastating consequences of the U.S.’s drone bombing campaign in the tribal areas of Pakistan.

Sociology

Americans Should Turn Their Minds to Jesus, Not Darwin, on Easter

03/30/201304/03/2015 Dr. Craig Considine1 Comment

Easter Sunday is an appropriate time for Americans to reflect upon the direction of their societies. Should America become a place that embodies the teachings of Jesus or Darwin? Akbar Ahmed weighs in: “A debilitating tension between Darwin and Jesus lies at the heart of American identity. It is not so much about how society…… Continue reading Americans Should Turn Their Minds to Jesus, Not Darwin, on Easter

Work

Launch of website for The Thistle and the Drone

02/09/2013 Dr. Craig ConsidineLeave a comment

I’ve created a website for my mentor Professor Akbar Ahmed’s forthcoming book The Thistle and the Drone: How America’s War on Terror Became a Global War on Tribal Islam. Visit the blog here and read more about this important read.

Outreach

Building Bridges at the U.S. Embassy in London

12/18/201202/25/2014 Dr. Craig ConsidineLeave a comment

If there is one person in the world today that could ease the conflict between America and the Muslim world, it is Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, the former high commissioner of Pakistan to the U.K. and current Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic studies at American University. On November 28th, 2012, he was invited to screen his…… Continue reading Building Bridges at the U.S. Embassy in London

Commentary

Commentary: Defending the peacemaker and bridge-builder

10/25/2012 Dr. Craig ConsidineLeave a comment

I added this comment to the heated debate surrounding Ambassador Akbar Ahmed’s article, 5 Things Americans Need to Know About Pakistan, in The Huffington Post: THE POINT OF THE ARTICLE is to highlight some of the more positive things about Pakistan and Pakistanis which are often neglected in the U.S. and beyond. It appears that…… Continue reading Commentary: Defending the peacemaker and bridge-builder

Poems

Poems: First love

10/06/2012 Dr. Craig ConsidineLeave a comment

By Akbar Ahmed in Huffington Post It was love at first sight –and it was true with the breathless passion that the years could not dim and like a faithful lover I have returned again and again Half a century ago Cambridge had that effect on me as we strutted about or glided on bicycles…… Continue reading Poems: First love

Work

Work: Pakistan Link picks up article on One Film 9/11

10/05/201210/06/2012 Dr. Craig Considine1 Comment

Online version coming out soon. Same with an Urdu translation. Visit the Pakistan Link. If you want to help spread the word about One Film 9/11, join the Facebook page for regular updates and the blog at WordPress.com. UPDATE: You can find the online version here

Work

Work: The American Muslim picks up One Film 9/11

10/05/2012 Dr. Craig ConsidineLeave a comment

Sheila Musaji, an activist in the Islamic and inter-faith communities, was kind enough (as editor) to promote One Film 9/11 in her online newspaper The American Muslim. The American Muslim has a large audience, so this is a good opportunity for One Film 9/11 to get more attention. Click here to read the article. I would…… Continue reading Work: The American Muslim picks up One Film 9/11

Outreach

Outreach: One Film 9/11 can make a difference

09/29/2012 Dr. Craig Considine1 Comment

Also published in Islamophobia Today The anti-Islamic propaganda film Innocence of Muslims exacerbated the stereotypes and animosities between Americans and Muslims worldwide. The anti-American protests that have swept across the world have proven that for better or worse, one film can make a difference. For this reason I’m informing you about the documentary feature film Journey into…… Continue reading Outreach: One Film 9/11 can make a difference

Work

Work: Some links launching new initiative One Film 9/11

09/16/2012 Dr. Craig ConsidineLeave a comment

Journey into America should be required viewing for all Americans and Muslims worldwide. For this reason I have started the initiative One Film 9/11. The purpose of this initiative is to screen Journey into America in as many places of religious worship around the world on September 11th, 2013 in the hope of improving relations…… Continue reading Work: Some links launching new initiative One Film 9/11

Work

Work: Launching my new initiative: One Film 9/11 and ‘Journey into America’ (2009) as the counter to hateful Terry Jones film

09/13/2012 Dr. Craig ConsidineLeave a comment

Ladies and Gentlemen, The recent and unfortunate events in Benghazi, Libya and Cairo, Egypt were both sparked by ONE FILM. The film was created by Pastor Terry Jones and Co. Its message was disgusting. It painted Prophet Muhammad as a child rapist, among other absurdities. Annoyed that ONE FILM could have such destruction on human…… Continue reading Work: Launching my new initiative: One Film 9/11 and ‘Journey into America’ (2009) as the counter to hateful Terry Jones film

Film-work

A counter to the hateful Innocence of Muslims

09/12/201203/05/2013 Dr. Craig Considine1 Comment

By now many of you have heard of the propaganda film Innocence of Muslims which led to a tragedy in Benghazi and an almost-tragedy in Cairo. For better or worse, these events proved that one film can make a huge difference, which is why I want to inform you about Journey into America (2009) by Ambassador AKBAR AHMED and its subsequent…… Continue reading A counter to the hateful Innocence of Muslims

Politics

Politics: Tea Party founder overlooked Muslims’ sacrifices for US

08/04/201209/13/2012 Dr. Craig Considine1 Comment

Check out the piece I just had published in the Arizona Capitol Times (the most read newspapers in Arizona for political affairs). I wrote in response to what a Tea Party leader had said about the loyalty of Muslim Americans. Read it here

Politics

Video: ‘The World’s Most Dangerous Place’ (Pakistan) speech by Akbar Ahmed

07/26/201207/26/2012 Dr. Craig ConsidineLeave a comment

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).

Film-work

Ramadan khutba on knowledge (ilm) by Professor Akbar Ahmed

07/24/2012 Dr. Craig ConsidineLeave a comment

Filmed this at the Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids, Iowa in September 2008.

Sociology

Noam Chomsky Defines American Identity as Myth and Fear

06/30/201202/10/2014 Dr. Craig ConsidineLeave a comment

Location: Noam Chomsky’s office, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Date: October 2008 Topic: American identity (with some focus on Muslims in the USA) Project: Journey into America: The Challenge of Islam Principal investigator: Akbar Ahmed Filmed by: Craig Considine © Akbar Ahmed

Sociology

Fascinating and timely forthcoming book: ‘The Thistle and the Drone’ by Akbar Ahmed

06/08/2012 Dr. Craig ConsidineLeave a comment

My intellectual/spiritual/academic mentor, Professor Akbar Ahmed, has done it again. And it’s sheer brilliance! Brookings Institution Press has just released an e-mail highlighting their forthcoming Fall publications. Showcased in this e-mail is Professor Ahmed’s latest book ‘The Thistle and the Drone: How America’s War on Terror Became a Global War on Tribal Islam’: The United…… Continue reading Fascinating and timely forthcoming book: ‘The Thistle and the Drone’ by Akbar Ahmed

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