Racist Islamophobes (yes, Islamophobia is racism) are active in California. Here’s the latest incident according to CNN: One mosque had “Jesus is the Way” spray-painted across the front. Another mosque was defaced and left with a fake grenade in the driveway. Both acts of vandalism took place in the same California city, about an hour west…… Continue reading The Irony of Spray Painting “Jesus” on Mosques
It’s time for an uplifting story. In 2008 I was part of a group that was doing fieldwork in Muslim communities around Los Angeles. One evening we were at the home of a Pakistani Muslim man. His name, I believe, is Malik. There were a lot of people at this event. At one point in the…… Continue reading How Peanuts Helped Shape My Views of Muslim Americans
Support for Donald Trump is surging across the United States. This is particularly troubling because in recent weeks, he has called for banning Muslim immigration, shutting down mosques, spying on Muslims, making Muslims carry ID badges, and a few other blatantly Islamophobic things. It’s like Hitler, American-style. Clearly, Trump and his supporters (maybe not all of…… Continue reading What Trump and His Supporters Can Learn From Muslim Leaders
My fellow Americans, With Islamophobia rising in the U.S. and with Donald Trump promoting Hitler-esque policies towards Muslims, we must make a strong stand. The time is ripe for Americans of all backgrounds to join in solidarity with their Muslim neighbors. It’s time for a million man march in Washington, DC. Over the last few weeks, I have watched this country spiral out…… Continue reading It’s Time For A Million Man March in Solidarity With Muslims
“Racial grammar.” It’s not a word you hear every day in the U.S.A. That’s a shame because racial grammar explains a lot about race relations in America, especially in light of the Muslim versus non-Muslim binary. Muslims aren’t a race, it’s true, but that doesn’t mean that Muslims don’t face racism (See: “Muslims Aren’t A Race, So I…… Continue reading Why White Men Are “Gunmen” and Muslim Men Are “Terrorists”
“Nonsense.” That is what people say when I accuse them of being racist. Their argument goes something like this: “Muslims are not even a race, so how the hell could I even be racist? You’re an idiot.” Because Muslims are not a race, people believe that any type of violence or oppression directed towards them…… Continue reading Muslims Aren’t A Race, So I Can’t Be Racist. Right? Wrong.
“Armed anti-Islamist protest outside mosque.” This is the headline that I am reading as I rise out of bed. I also see another headline: “Marine hosts ‘Draw Muhammad’ protest outside mosque.” Aside from these protests and events being offensive and downright degrading towards Muslims, they are also highly ironic. If he were with us today,…… Continue reading How the Prophet Would Respond to “Draw Muhammad” Defamation and “Anti-Islam” Protests
By Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Umar Al-Qadri and Dr. Craig Considine Ms. Ruth Dudley Edward’s recent article “We should support the Pope’s crusade against Islamism” concerns us as Muslim and Christian scholars respectively. The premise of her argument is that Islam needs a “reformation” in order to make Muslims more peaceful. Edward’s draws inspiration from Ayaan…… Continue reading An Interfaith Response to the Call For an “Islamic Reformation”
In a press conference yesterday, President Obama revealed the “Countering Violent Extremism” (CVE) initiative. Muslim Advocates, a national legal advocacy and educational organization that works on the frontlines of civil rights to guarantee freedom and justice for Americans of all faiths, describes the initiative in the following way: These [CVE] meetings target the Muslim community almost exclusively,…… Continue reading Obama’s “Countering Violent Extremism” Initiative Reproduces the Myth that Muslims Are More Inclined to “Terrorism”
They cause anger, social panic, and fear. We have been told that their culture is overwhelming and that they are breeders of terrorists and other types of criminals. People claim that they must be crushed before “we” lose “our” way of life. I am talking about two groups – Jews of 20th century Europe and…… Continue reading Yes, Muslims are the New Jews of Europe
Author Richard Hine recently tweeted about my article on honoring Muslim American veterans on Memorial Day. Hine noted: I agree with Hine. General Washington would not be happy with the Irish American Fox News commentator who has compared the Quran to Hitler’s Mein Kampf. Bill O’Reilly has historical amnesia or deliberately ignores the contributions that Muslims…… Continue reading If George Washington Ran Fox News, Bill O’Reilly Would be Fired for his Anti-Muslim Slurs
When I was recently invited to speak at a debate at University College of Cork in Ireland on banning the burqa, I was a bit hesitant to accept the call to participate. I, for one, am not a woman, nor am I Muslim. Speaking on an issue that focuses specifically on Muslim women seemed to…… Continue reading The Problem with Banning the Burqa
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
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By Craig Considine Today’s far-right parties in Europe, such as the National Front in France and the Party for Freedom in Holland, are surging in popularity and calling for legal bans on veils, mosques, minarets, sha’ria, and even the outright expulsion of Muslims from the continent. In short, the far-right perceives Muslims as “inassimilable” and…… Continue reading What Europe’s Far-Right Parties Can Learn From Islam
Far-right Eurosceptic politicians Marie Le Pen (French National Front (FNF) and Geert Wilders (Party for Freedom (PVV) – Holland) met yesterday in The Hague to launch what they have described as a “historic alliance” in Europe. Le Pen and Wilders’s alliance encourages ethno-nationalism, anti-immigration policies, anti-Islam fervor, and rejection of European integration. The FNF and…… Continue reading Far-Right “Historic Alliance” to Liberate a Europe “Too Tolerant” of Islam
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”
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
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
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”
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
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
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)
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
Here are some of the responses to my latest piece for the Huffington Post Religion: Honoring Muslim American Soldiers on Memorial Day. At the moment the article has received over 460 comments. In quickly scanning through them I have broken those comments down into 5 different categories. The responses are wide-ranging, but I think in general…… Continue reading Responses to Memorial Day article honoring Muslim veterans
Follow Craig Considine on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ToBeCraig Tommy Robinson, leader of the anti-Muslim group English Defence League, used some racy language in his response to the recent killing of a British soldier by a young British Muslim man in Woolwich, London. Referring to the actions and religion of the murderer, Robinson stated that “This is Islam… They’ve…… Continue reading An Islamic History Lesson for the Leader of the English Defence League
In the face of racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, or whatever you call hate in modern America, I am still optimistic about the future of the United States. From day one, the mission of America has been progress, progress, progress. We need thoughtful writers and bridge builders to keep it going. There are thousands and thousands of…… Continue reading Reflecting on the state and future of American exceptionalism
Boston’s anti-Muslim backlash, which I touched upon in the Huffington Post Religion, in the aftermath of the marathon bombings reminds me of John Winthrop, one of Boston’s founding fathers, and his famous sermon “A Model of Christian Charity.” Winthrop’s sermon, delivered in 1630 aboard the Arbella ship before English Puritans settled in what they called New…… Continue reading After bombings, Bostonians must remember its founding fathers’ “model of Christian charity”
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
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
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
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
Syed Taj, who happens to be a Muslim American immigrant, is running as a Democratic candidate for Congress in Michigan. His opponent has just run a nasty add on television claiming that he wants to ‘advance Muslim power’ or something of that ridiculous nature. When asked how he felt about the commercial, Taj responds with:…… Continue reading Syed Taj Reinforces the Pluralist Vision of the Founding Fathers
The United States is not and never has been a ‘Christian nation’. America’s Founding Fathers explicitly designed the country on pluralist grounds and encouraged Americans to accept people of all religious backgrounds. This is why the actions of a junior high school teacher named Linda White of Mississippi are so anti-American. White told her students…… Continue reading Commentary: It’s anti-American to care about the President’s religion
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
Arab News is an English-language daily newspaper published in Saudi Arabia. It is published simultaneously from Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam. The target audiences of the paper are businessmen, executives and diplomats. In addition to its domestic distribution in Saudi Arabia, Arab News has a wide range of international distribution, including United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Near East,North Africa, Europe and the USA. Continue reading
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.
Anderson Cooper – Do you think the mosque in Murfreesboro wants to institute sharia law in the United States? Akbar Ahmed – Anderson, I want you to ask yourself this question, and I’m sure your mathematics is better than mine. If every Muslim in the United States of America – it’s about 2% of the…… Continue reading Debunking the Myth of Sharia Law as a Threat to the US
Read the article here Please share it with friends. If you have any advice on how to spread the message, please feel free to leave a comment. I’m curious to what everyone thinks about this initiative.
The BBC writes: The French president has promised the Jewish community a major increase in security after police shot dead a man suspected of targeting a kosher shop. Francois Hollande said there would be ‘total mobilisation of the state to fight all terrorist threats’. What Hollande is doing for the French Jewish community – providing…… Continue reading Commentary: France boosts synagogue security while the U.S. ignores mosque security
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
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.
From Moustafa Bayoumi’s Men Behaving Badly: ‘The Islamophobes in the United States and the ultra-religious right in Muslim-majority countries need each other to survive. Each confirms to the other the need for his own existence. To the Islamophobes, all Muslims are extremists. The provocations Islamophobes produce are designed to elicit the very images we see.…… Continue reading Politics: Culture of dependency between American Islamophobes and ultra-religious Muslims
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