Ramadan khutba on knowledge (ilm) by Professor Akbar Ahmed
Filmed this at the Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids, Iowa in September 2008.
Tag: Religion
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.
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
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.
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
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
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’
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
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
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
Religion: Atheistic humanism in The Cube and the Cathedral
Have you heard about the ‘European problem’? To your likely surprise, the problem has nothing to do with debt, sovereignty, Brussels, or the devaluing euro. As George Weigel posits in The Cube and the Cathedral: Europe, America and Politics Without God, the ‘European problem’ is atheistic humanism or, as he often calls it in more academic…… Continue reading Religion: Atheistic humanism in The Cube and the Cathedral
Religification of Pakistani-American youth
Note: Ameena Ghaffar-Kucher’s research here is quite similar to my own. I want to share with you her important findings. One of Ameena Ghaffar-Kucher’s explications examines a cultural production process called religification, in which religious affiliation, rather than race or ethnicity, has become the core category of identity for working class Pakistani-American youth in the United…… Continue reading Religification of Pakistani-American youth
The Pakistani scientist behind the ‘God particle’
Most of you have probably heard by now of the recent news on the groundbreaking Higgs boson or ‘God particle’. Most of you, however, probably have no idea that the physicist who helped develop the God particle’s theoretical framework is Adbus Salam. Salam, who died in 1996, of Pakistani origin and Pakistan’s only Nobel laureate.…… Continue reading The Pakistani scientist behind the ‘God particle’
Thick and thin religion
Kavirah (2010) argues that the growing religiosity in many parts of the world is quite different from our traditional understanding of religion (in his writing, he refers to rising Hindu identity and nationalism). He argues that we need to distinguish between ‘thick and thin religion’. Thick religion encompasses traditional rituals, practices, and beliefs, whereas thin…… Continue reading Thick and thin religion
Sufism and the Virgin Mary
The author of Blessed Virgin Mary is a Sufi master of Turkish descent named Sheikh Muzaffer Ozak, who passed away in 1985. He is considered by Sufis as a Waliullah, or intimate friend of Allah (God). The book is designed in a nonlinear fashion, ‘transcending the usual laws of logic and habitual experience which the Virgin…… Continue reading Sufism and the Virgin Mary
Speaking with Hamza Yusuf on American Identity
Location: Hamza Yusuf’s home, California Date: November 2008 Topic: American identity and Muslims in the USA Project: Journey into America: The Challenge of Islam Principal investigator: Akbar Ahmed Filmed by: Craig Considine © Akbar Ahmed
Poem: Spirit at Hemlock George
An inviting path, under the shade of a gigantic tree and the shadow of a bird flying above. The bird chirps, as another one sings. The aura is over me. * There’s an opening ahead, where the water, crashing at the falls eliminates the silence. There, on a small cliff, I stand, embracing the mist, which, ever…… Continue reading Poem: Spirit at Hemlock George
Religion: Meet Christophobia
In his book The Cube and the Cathedral, George Weigel turns to Joseph Weiler’s ‘Christophobia’ theory to discuss the ‘European problem’ (or the struggle for cultural and moral supremacy between atheistic humanists (secularists) and Christians). ‘Christophobia’, which resists any acknowledgement of the Christian sources of Europe’s democracy, has eight key features, as outlined by Weigel,…… Continue reading Religion: Meet Christophobia
Call to wander
Abraham makes the leap and thus secures his reputation for all time. The text is so matter-of-fact it almost masks the significance: ‘Abram went forth as the Lord had commanded him’. He does so silently, joining the covenant with his feet, not his words. The wandering man does what he does best, he walks. Only…… Continue reading Call to wander
Noam Chomsky Defines American Identity as Myth and Fear
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
Carry these in your hands
One of the most famous Sufi thinkers ever is Rabia, who wrote in the 8th-century. She was born in modern-day Basra, Iraq. According to folklore, Rabia was an orphan and ultimately sold into slavery; she almost had nothing except, of course, her thoughts. Legend has it that Rabia was once seen praying with a halo…… Continue reading Carry these in your hands
This is Why People Love Sufism
Sufis are very inclusive and open-minded. They believe that God is everywhere. They quote Qur’anic passages like, ‘Wherever you turn, there is the face of God’ (2: 115). If God is everywhere, then God can be seen in all religions too. A Sufi would not only be comfortable praying at a church or synagogue or…… Continue reading This is Why People Love Sufism
Nafs and the stages of ‘self’
The Arabic word nafs is variously translated as ‘soul’, ‘self’, or ‘ego’. The nafs has seven levels or stages of development that correspond more or less to the seven stages of the Sufi Path. The Path, which leads to a transformation of consciousness, can therefore be described as the refinement and purification of the soul. The seven…… Continue reading Nafs and the stages of ‘self’
The “Fundamentalist” Folk Devil
I just finished reading an interesting article given to me by Ronit Lentin titled ‘Islamophobia: a very (Post)modern fear?’. It was written by Pnina Werbner as a presented paper at the Closing Conference of Cost A2 in Brussels, December 7-9, 1995. One particular point of Werbner’s stuck out from the rest, which is, the concept…… Continue reading The “Fundamentalist” Folk Devil
Fascinating and timely forthcoming book: ‘The Thistle and the Drone’ by Akbar Ahmed
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
My diary: 1 year, 100 cities, 75 mosques, and one question…
This archive documents my writings from the ‘Journey into America’ book and documentary project. The writings here are my own personal opinions and don’t necessarily reflect the overall message of ‘Journey into America’. Most of these entires are ‘notes in the field’, but you may also find published articles. In addition, included here are short…… Continue reading My diary: 1 year, 100 cities, 75 mosques, and one question…
Religion: The science of the sociology of religion
Note: Christian Smith of the University of Notre Dama recently wrote an important piece in Footnotes of the American Sociological Association on the importance of taking the sociology of religion seriously. Essentially, Smith wonders ‘why, when it comes to religion, do so many sociologists suddenly stop being sociological and become ideological and ignorant?’ The…… Continue reading Religion: The science of the sociology of religion
Jesus mosaic at Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia was perhaps the most beautiful building I’ve ever seen in person. This mosaic of Jesus was one of my favourite parts of the trip.
One of my favourite films: ‘Baraka’
Baraka, a word which means ‘blessing’ in a multitude of languages (it’s also a Sufi word which means ‘breath of life’), is a film directed by Ron Fricke in 1992. Why do I like ‘Baraka’ so much? Perhaps it’s because it has absolutely no story line, or at least not an overt one. The film…… Continue reading One of my favourite films: ‘Baraka’
Stand by 60 Minutes for report on Israel’s occupation and persecution of Christians
I just received an e-mail requesting that I stand by 60 Minutes, which is under attack for airing a report which was critical of Israel’s occupation and its persecution of Christians. The e-mail from a leader at Jewish Voices for Peace read as follows: This week, something rare happened: A major U.S. media outlet actually…… Continue reading Stand by 60 Minutes for report on Israel’s occupation and persecution of Christians
New survey confirms quote on sexuality in University Times
In February, a journalist from TCD’s University Times asked me a few questions on Irish youth and their position towards sexuality. Rachel Levin paraphrased our conversation: Sociology Lecturer Craig Considine explains this silence. ‘Now that people are turning away from the Catholic Church, who is the authority on sex? Who has the credibility to advise?…… Continue reading New survey confirms quote on sexuality in University Times
Wondering About Ireland’s Immigration System
I’m heading tomorrow morning to meet with a Pakistani friend who I met back in January. This young man, whose name I’ll keep anonymous for security purposes, is a native of Islamabad, Pakistan. He arrived to Dublin via work visa over eight years ago. When his work visa ended he filed the necessary paperwork to live (legally) in Ireland. His…… Continue reading Wondering About Ireland’s Immigration System
Attending event with Ahmadiyya community in Dublin
Last week I was invited by Imran Ahmed, member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association, Ireland and Dublin City Interfaith Forum, to the 6th Interfaith Peace Conference on April 28th in Lucan, County Dublin. The conference, titled ‘Purpose of Religion, will be attended by people and speakers from major religions to strive towards peace in Ireland.…… Continue reading Attending event with Ahmadiyya community in Dublin
The mystery of faith for a young Dublin man
There is a young Dublin man who had been ‘lost’ for nearly 10 years. ‘I have seen it all, done it all, laughed harder than most, and definitely partied harder than all. I had all the pleasures in the world – beautiful women, a good physique, and charming looks’, he said. The young Dublin man…… Continue reading The mystery of faith for a young Dublin man
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