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)
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”
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”
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
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
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
In a recent article for Yahoo Contributors Network, Maryam Khan Ansari wrote about how internet postings with anti-Muslim hate messages may soon be subject to federal criminal laws. In her article, Ansari discussed how Bill Killian, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, has plans to use federal civil rights laws to curb hate speech,…… Continue reading How George Washington and Prophet Muhammad Would React to Hate Speech
This picture was taken at the annual Muslim Day Parade in New York City in the fall of 2008. I did not take this picture in black and white. It has been doctored using some software.
By Sakina Al-Amin for Examiner Interfaith activist and contributor to Huffington Post, Craig Considine, sheds light on some of the Muslim Americans who took part in protecting Americas as patriotic citizens and lovers of this nation: Honoring Muslim American Veterans on Memorial Day. In the piece Considine mentions more than three Muslims by name and…… Continue reading Humanizing and Honoring Muslim American Veterans
“I have been struck […] by the human and moral values which Americans as a people share with Islam. We share, first and foremost, a deep faith in the one Supreme Being. We are all commanded by Him to faith, compassion, and justice. We have a common respect and reverence for law. Despite the strains…… Continue reading Jimmy Carter on Islam
Go on a journey into the heart of Islam’s mystical side – Sufism. Explore the roots of Sufi music, art, poetry, etc. Sufi music is particularly thrilling and attracted me to study more about Islam. I highly recommend this short piece from Channel 4. The presenter takes the audience to Sufi shrines of the Virgin…… Continue reading An Anecdote to Negative Stereotypes of Islam
Note: I took this picture during Mawlid in Dublin, 2013 Prayer, both obligatory and spontaneous, is an immense spiritual treasure to be tapped. It inspires peace, purity and tranquility, and instills a continuous awareness of and feeling of closeness to God. It amazingly reduces the hustle and bustle of life to tame proportions…. [P]rayers tend…… Continue reading The Function of Prayer
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?
Note: My fellow Needhamite Dr. Abdul Cader Asmal Ph.D. wrote a powerful response in Wicked Local Needham to the Boston marathon bombings. Dr. Asmal previously served as president of the Islamic Center of Boston and the Islamic Council of New England. He is a retired physician and is also a current member of Needham Clergy Association…… Continue reading Seeing our humanity and fragile existence through the Boston bombings
“I searched for God among the Christians and on the Cross and therein I found Him not. I went into the ancient temples of idolatry; no trace of Him was there. I entered the mountain cave of Hira and then went as far as Qandhar but God I found not. With set purpose I fared…… Continue reading Where Do You Search When You’re Searching for Him?
By Qasim Rashid for Huffington Post Religion Muslims condemned 9/11, we condemned 7/7, we condemned the Fort Hood tragedy, we condemned the underwear bomber, we condemned the Times Square bomber, and now yet again we find ourselves condemning the Boston Bombers on the mere suspicion that they were “motivated by Islam.” And this is why…… Continue reading America is under threat from radical ignorance, not radical Islam
I’m a Catholic but I think Islam is beautiful Some think I’m interested in converting No, I’m not it just makes me think of the one above Whether it’s called Allah or God it doesn’t matter I think of him I think of heaven A place of no worries A place of peace A place…… Continue reading Allah or God, it Doesn’t Matter to Me
I felt very discouraged at Mass this morning. The priest virtually incited hatred of Islam. In paraphrasing he said something like “The Boston Marathon bombings was part of the global jihad of Islamic supremacists on Christians.” He followed these loaded statements by talking about evil, the devil and how Islam has basically “always been this…… Continue reading Politicizing the Marathon bombings in a Boston church
Had Islam not come along, Jewry in the west would have declined to disappearance and Jewry in the east would have become just another oriental cult, writes David J. Wasserstein for the Jewish Chronicle. Continue reading
Note: Here’s an article by Alayna Ahmad, which was recently published on the Huffington Post Religion page. Below the article, I’ve also posted an ITV documentary on “The Muslim Jesus.” Islam is a deeply monotheistic religion and thus forbids any partners or associations with God. Although all prophets including Jesus were mortal and gifted in…… Continue reading The Muslim Jesus
Akbar the Great, ruler of the Mughal Empire during the late 16th and early 17th century, was a true pioneer of interfaith dialogue. Akbar’s desire to build interfaith bridges is clear in a letter he wrote in 1582 to King Philip II of Spain” “As most men are fettered by bonds of tradition, and by imitating…… Continue reading Akbar the Great a Pioneer in Interfaith Dialogue
As I first mentioned in this post, I recently had the privilege of participating in Mawlid E Nabi, also referred to as simply Mawlid, to celebrate the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). The event was set up by the Irish Sufi Foundation and the Sufi community at Anwar Al Madina mosque in Dublin’s…… Continue reading Pictures of Mawlid Celebration in Dublin (2013)
In the first weekend of March 2013, I had the pleasure of participating in Mawlid E Nabi, also referred to as simply Mawlid, to celebrate the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). The event was set up by the Irish Sufi Foundation and the Sufi community at Anwar Al Madina mosque in Dublin’s…… Continue reading Pictures of Mawlid with Dublin’s Sufi Community
An opportunity for interfaith bridge building arises in light of a recent statement from Al-Azhar University, one of the most important centers for Islamic learning in the world. Al-Azhar hopes that Pope Benedict XVI’s successor will work towards repairing relations between Muslims and Catholics “based on mutual respect and understanding.” Relations between al-Azhar and the Vatican have…… Continue reading Next Pope’s chance to improve relations with al-Azhar University
I am happy to hear that the Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts, rescinded an invitation to Robert Spencer, a writer whose views on Muslims and Islam are eerily similar to those of Nazis towards Jews and Judaism. After a further review of Spencer’s background, a spokesman for the diocese, Raymond Delisle, said in a…… Continue reading Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester Rejects Bigotry, Stands by Muslim Friends
The recent article titled White Power to the Rescue by the intellectual Chris Hedges explored the reasons for the current rise of ethnic nationalism in the American South. In the second to last paragraph, Hedges described the mental and emotional state of those behind this ethnic nationalist movement. This paragraph struck me as symbolic because of…… Continue reading The Anti-Muslim Mind-Frame and How it Operates
I have started putting my research into video format on You Tube. These passages from Washington, Adams, Franklin and Jefferson have been taken from my Huffington Post article. I hope this message of peace and tolerance reaches more people around the world.
Whoever sent this envelope misspelled my name. It is Considine, not Considerine. Go figure. Note the top-left hand corner says “‘Liberty’ is not found in Islam.” Sent in response to my latest article on the connection between the Prophet Muhammad and George Washington in the Huffington Post.
He could have at least invited me to meet George Washington.
The response to my latest article was one of general disgust and outrage. One commentator on the website of Fox Nation, which also published the article, said that he “would beat this Craig guy until the police locked me up for a long time.” Another commentator on Fox Nation said that I must have “found…… Continue reading Wild response to latest article on Muhammad and Washington
Huffington Post Religion In seventh century Arabia, a middle-aged man had a vision to create a new religious and social order for a largely pagan and tribal society. The man, Muhammad, told his band of followers to behave wisely and civilly. “The best among you,” he said, “are those who have the best manners and…… Continue reading New article in Huffington Post on the Prophet Muhammad and George Washington
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. Looking closely at…… Continue reading George Washington Was a Friend of Muslims
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
Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, my intellectual mentor and role model, has been described by the BBC as ‘the world’s leading authority on contemporary Islam’. At the U.S. Embassy in London a few weeks ago, he was described by Minister Barbara Stephenson, the former U.S. Ambassador to Panama, as ‘one of the greatest scholars of Islam in…… Continue reading Personal: ‘The world’s greatest scholar of contemporary Islam’ and I
I want to take a quick moment to express how happy I am that the Murfreesboro, Tennessee Muslim community emerged victorious in their tireless battle against anti-American forces. Here is the background to their story for those who are unfamiliar with their struggle: The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro has been part of the Murfreesboro community…… Continue reading Outreach: America wins in the Murfreesboro mosque
Here is my latest article on what America’s Founding Fathers would say about Islam. The article is driven by my new interfaith initiative One Film 9/11. You can read more about the initiative here and join us on Facebook. Hope you enjoy the article and blog.
I’m quite honoured to have had Middle East Voices of Voice of America pick up my latest One Film 9/11 article on the Founding Fathers and Islam. You can see the article here. Middle East Voices is a unique social journalism project powered by Voice of America (VOA). Its goal is to inform, amplify voices,…… Continue reading New One Film 9/11 article in Middle East Voices of Voice of America
Yenoo Belgique Magazine is dedicated to the Moroccan community in Belgium and around the world. It recently published my One Film 9/11 article Les Pères fondateurs des Etats-Unis : Que diraient-ils sur l’islam? on October 27th, 2012. You can also see an excerpt of the article on the One Film 9/11 blog.
It has been challenging for me – a young Catholic working in interfaith dialogue – to watch the escalation of conflict between Muslim communities the world over and the United States. Observing this escalation as an American citizen has been equally difficult because religious tolerance is at the heart of my definition of American identity.…… Continue reading Personal: My challenge as a Catholic American
I find this song inspiring. My favourite part comes at 3:10.
I started the initiative One Film 9/11 with the hope of countering the dreadful anti-Islamic film, The Innocence of Muslims, with my film, Journey into America. One Film 9/11 has the goal of screening Journey into America around the Muslim and non-Muslim world on 9/11/2013 to prove how Muslims and non-Muslims are able to work together to improve…… Continue reading Outreach: 5 reasons why you should join the One Film 9/11 interfaith initiative
Published in the October 19th Urdu version of the Pakistan Link. The article can be found on page four of the paper. Click here to view the article. If that doesn’t work, visit the Pakistan Link homepage and conduct search.
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
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
The arsonist attack at the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo adds to the growing concern that the constitutional right to worship freely is not safeguarded when it comes American Muslims. In the summer of 2012, 8 mosques were attacked in just eleven days (Salon.com). In Joplin, Missouri, a mosque was destroyed by an arsonist; the same…… Continue reading Commentary: Time for Obama to say something about mosque attacks across U.S.
craigconsidinetcd.com 