Obama (finally!) Reaching Out to American Muslims - Progressive Revival

After some major bumps along the way, there is finally a very encouraging sign in terms of the relationship between the historic Obama Presidential campaign and the six million strong American Muslim community.

The Obama campaign has had a complex relationship with Muslims. Muslims have loved Obama, but for long time the campaign hasn’t seemed to love them back….

This week, a global bid to connect Muslims and Christians | csmonitor.com

Top-tier religious leaders in the Muslim world are emerging as major proponents of dialogue with Christians and other world faiths. With two distinct initiatives this month, they are breaking new ground and sending signals to Muslims and others globally that interreligious understanding and joint action are Islamic values.

Those involved see the initiatives, if sustained, as breaking down misperceptions, strengthening mainstream religious voices on the world stage, and diminishing the influence of extremism.

This week, Yale University hosts the first of four meetings between prominent Muslim and Christian leaders from across the globe, with discussions rooted in foundational principles of the two faiths. The conference beginning Tuesday is the first fruit of “A Common Word between Us and You,” the letter sent last fall by 138 Muslim leaders from 40 nations to the leaders of the world’s Christian churches.

It follows a separate initiative, held earlier in July in Madrid, called by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, who surprised the world by urging 200 Muslims, Christians, Jews, and people of Eastern religions to gather together for purposes of dialogue and reconciliation. While some people expressed skepticism because of the Saudi kingdom’s continued restrictions on other faiths, many conferees were encouraged.

“When the king says publicly that diversity is a sacred notion in Islam … that’s a big deal,” says Rabbi Brad Hirschfeld, president of the National Center for Jewish Learning and Leadership in New York, who attended the conference. “It’s world-changing.”

Zaytuna Institute & Academy :: Count Me In!

Zaytuna Institute, we’re happy to report, is busier than ever. Now, we’d like to count on you to help us create an exciting future for Islam in America.

All the rapid growth we’ve been experiencing recently—growth you can read about in our Quarterly Newsletter—means we need to work harder to raise money to finance Zaytuna’s increased activity. What we need is financial stability so we can have planned growth. And that means developing a base of donors who see the wisdom of giving a regular monthly donation.

Qualities of an Exemplary Leader

We are living in a world where there could obviously be more peace. As Muslims, we realize this fact more than most people, as the peace of many of our brothers and sisters in various parts of the globe has been tragically disrupted –in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, and other locales. Similarly, we are living in a world where there could be more justice. We read almost daily of assassinations in various parts of the world, where terrorist groups, military forces or intelligence services, oftentimes in summary fashion, declare victims guilty, and then proceed to execute them. Unfortunately, such unprincipled political behavior has become increasingly common in both the foreign and domestic policies of this country, causing untold damage to her image and credibility abroad.

These two issues, peace and justice, are joined in the slogans we hear from many activists, especially here in the United States, “No Justice, No Peace!” [1] This linkage is logical, as justice must be considered one of the indispensable prerequisites of any lasting peace. This article intends to briefly look at the ideas of peace and justice in Islam and explore their deeper significance in the life of a Muslim.

Islamic Divorce in North America: A research study

In July of 2006, Dr. Julie Macfarlane
received a grant from the Social Science and Humanities Council of Canada
to conduct an empirical research project on the topic of Faith Based
Dispute Resolution, and specifically Islamic Family Law as it relates
to religious divorce. The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding,
of which Dr Macfarlane is a Fellow, is also a partner in this research.

The goal of the project is not to evaluate whether the use of Islamic
divorce is “good” or “bad”, but to understand
why people choose to use such processes and what it means to them. Dr.
Macfarlane has interviewed more than 110 people to date, from the Imams
who often oversee Islamic divorce processes, to the men and women who
choose to use the Islamic divorce process as well as those who are community
specialists and leaders (for example Muslim lawyers, social and community
workers within Muslim communities). Her grant continues until 2009.

In Arid Egypt, a Struggle to Grow Enough Food - The New York Times > Business > Slide Show > Slide 1 of 12

With exploding populations and diminishing water resources, the nations of the Middle East and North Africa are struggling to secure a reliable food supply. Cairo’s population has grown so big - an estimated 17 million people - that hastily constructed brick-and-concrete apartment buildings have sprouted amid the farm fields.

Abdal-Hakim Murad - Articles

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At Sidi Mas’ud Khan’s excellent site (www.masud.co.uk) for traditional Islamic knowledge.

Book Unmasks ‘Rational Actor’ as Impulsive Animal : NPR

When we make decisions, we think we’re in control and making rational choices. But are we? Dan Ariely, author of the book Predictably/Irrational, unmasks the subtle but powerful tricks our minds play on us.

Islamica Magazine - Open Letter Concerning Anwar Ibrahim

In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful

May Peace and Blessings be upon the Prophet Muhammad and his kin

“ … [M]ake peace between them justly, and act equitably. Lo! Allah loveth the equitable. / The believers are naught else than brothers. Therefore make peace between your brethren and observe your duty to Allah that perhaps ye may obtain mercy.” (The Holy Qur’an, Al-Hujurat, 49:9-10)

OPEN LETTER CONCERNING DATUK SERI DR. ANWAR IBRAHIM

Al-Salaamu ‘Alaikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuhu,

We, the undersigned, believe the honorable brother Datuk Seri Dr. Anwar Ibrahim to be of the highest ethical and moral integrity, a devout Muslim and a devoted father and husband. He is universally recognized as an advocate for justice and fairness, and he has a long history of promoting Islam and championing Islamic ethical and charitable causes.

We are deeply concerned about the physical safety and freedom of our respected brother Datuk Seri Dr. Anwar Ibrahim. We are troubled by the unsubstantiated and clearly scurrilous claims made against him and his character. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:

“O ye who believe! Shun much suspicion; for lo! some suspicion is a crime. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you love to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Ye abhor that (so abhor the other)! And keep your duty (to Allah). Lo! Allah is Relenting, Merciful.” (The Holy Qur’an, Al-Hujurat, 49:12)

Our beloved Malaysia is today one of the leading countries of the Muslim Ummah. It is an example of a successful modern Islamic country, and in many ways a model and example for other Muslim countries. This has been due to the Grace of Allah and then largely to the historical and invaluable efforts and contributions made by… [read on]

France rejects Muslim woman over radical practice of Islam | World news | The Guardian

France has denied citizenship to a Moroccan woman who wears a burqa on the grounds that her “radical” practice of Islam is incompatible with basic French values such as equality of the sexes.

The case yesterday reopened the debate about Islam in France, and how the secular republic reconciles itself with the freedom of religion guaranteed by the French constitution.

IRAQ: ‘Special Weapons’ Have a Fallout on Babies

- Babies born in Fallujah are showing illnesses and deformities on a scale never seen before, doctors and residents say.

The new cases, and the number of deaths among children, have risen after “special weaponry” was used in the two massive bombing campaigns in Fallujah in 2004.

After denying it at first, the Pentagon admitted in November 2005 that white phosphorous, a restricted incendiary weapon, was used a year earlier in Fallujah.

In addition, depleted uranium (DU) munitions, which contain low-level radioactive waste, were used heavily in Fallujah. The Pentagon admits to having used 1,200 tonnes of DU in Iraq thus far.

Many doctors believe DU to be the cause of a severe increase in the incidence of cancer in Iraq, as well as among U.S. veterans who served in the 1991 Gulf War and through the current occupation.

“We saw all the colours of the rainbow coming out of the exploding American shells and missiles,” Ali Sarhan, a 50-year-old teacher who lived through the two U.S. sieges of 2004 told IPS. “I saw bodies that turned into bones and coal right after they were exposed to bombs that we learned later to be phosphorus.

ChangeThis Newsletter: 48.03 Chindia Rising: Why the Rise of China and India is Inevitable by Jagish N. Sheth

Click here to visit the site.
Click here to download the PDF.

“Rudyard Kipling, who proclaimed that ‘East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet’ has already been proven wrong with respect to Westernization of heritage-rich and tradition-based China and India. He will be proven wrong again as we witness what I refer to as the Easternization of the world.

[…]

In short, it will be less a clash of cultures and more a fusion of cultures across arts, architecture, science, law, engineering, medicine and management traditions and perspectives.

[…]

The rise of Chindia is not only inevitable, but it will be beneficial to the world economy. It will be, of course, beneficial to businesses and entrepreneurs, but also to the masses at the bottom of the pyramid (people who earn less than two dollars a day).”

Walking to Work, Slowly

A while back, my father-in-law (my wife’s father) was reflecting on the fast pace of life–and he’s very much a “participant” in the world of techology (having excellent computing skills, and know-how of apps like Photoshop and cutting-edge video editing).

He mentioned something beautiful:

When he’d walk to work (before retirement), he’d make it a point to walk slowly, and to enjoy those brief moments before beginning work. To smell the breeze; to see the green of trees and plants; to feel the air on his cheeks; to behold the birds flying and chirping. To see God’s creation in all its glory.

Subhan Allah.

“Verily, in the creation of the heavens and earth are signs for those who reflect….” [Qur’an, 3.190]

reportonbusiness.com: RBC plans to enter Islamic finance market

A new generation of Islamic banks, which adhere to the sharia prohibition on interest, is setting its sights on the West. As the wealth of Gulf countries swells, Western financial players, – including some Canadian banks – are looking to tap these pools of capital

Zaytuna Institute & Academy