Our own iMuslim interviews Amr Khaled.
Amr Khaled Green Guide
Reply
Author Archives: manas
Generational Change of Barack Obama
Muhammed S. Mehtar at Islam in action-
The majority of Muslims in the United States were pleased to campaign resourcefully and successfully, and remain proud to have been part of sharing in the historic vote for the agent of positive change. President Barack Obama’s ideas invigorated the majority in comparison to his contemporaries. Such sentiments are shared within the US and abroad, be it amongst the allies of the United states or her foes.
President Obama’s energetic approach and his campaign showed great potential, and there is much hope for his promises to be made true. The hope, energy, and overall positivity of his campaign logically demands the support of not just Judeo-Christian minded Americans, but American Muslims in vast numbers as well. Islam being a religion of change itself and change in comparison to religions that preceded it, Muslims have once again chosen the path of newness and have thus trusted the words of President Barack Obama for a better America and more gentle and reconciliatory world.
Thus, on the national front, the choice of Mr. Obama by Muslims in America is a result of the perception that an Obama choice would result in greater equality and understanding between Muslims and their neighbors. On the international front, an Obama victory signals more peace and security and a smoother working relationship between the US and foreign nations seeking a better and more equitable future for their people.
BBC on the Burner
BBC refused to air request for Gaza aid to “maintain neutrality“.
You can register your own complain here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/
Here is what I wrote:
I wish to complain about the BBC’s decision to not allow the DEC appeal for Gaza to go ahead. This is a very disgraceful decision and will cost lives on the ground. I do not buy the BBC’s official line that it affects its impartiality since this was not a concern for other similar appeals. I can only think that the BBC has succumbed to some external pressure from a foreign government. This is the BRITISH Broadcasting Corporation and as a license fee payer I am angry, annoyed and disgusted at this decision for which there is no conceivable reason. Could you please publish the minutes of the meeting in which this decision was made and why and I would like to know which of the directors/trustees decided against the DEC appeal?
EVERYONE I have spoken to, regardless of their ethnic or religious background, cannot understand this ludicrous and cruel decision, it would seem that the overwhelming majority of the BRITISH public do not agree with you. In fact I think it is safe to say that given this it is the BBC that is currently not acting impartially.
Yours angered, annoyed and disgusted.
Masud A. Khan
All the more reason to support Al Jazeera.
Monster
Mr. Moo wants a monster.
Is political Islam a threat to the West?
Over at Goatmilk, there’s a review of the Doha debates about West and Islam
As the world witnesses Muslims frequently embracing “Islamic” political parties in the Middle East, many ominously foresee this trend as an inevitable threat to “the West.”
This contentious issue anchored last week’s prestigious Doha Debates moderated by veteran BBC journalist Tim Sebastian in Qatar, which hosts controversial topics in front of a diverse, engaged audience of 350 people. The motion “This House Believes that Political Islam is a Threat to the West” was defeated by 51% to 49% following a vote from the passionate audience, which included several members from the Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow conference who were invited to observe and participate.
In support of the motion, Maajid Nawaz, a former leader of the radical Hizb ut-Tahir who has since totally renounced his affiliations, stressed that Muslims and Islam are not inherently undemocratic or extremist, but rather the modern politicisation of Islam creates a dehumanising ideology soaked in separatism and violence. As he told me after the debate, “Political Islam is an ideology. They believe in exporting this divisive ideology to Muslims in the West… terrorists emerge from these parties. They don’t believe in our same democratic values.”
However, Shadi Hamid, a research fellow at Stanford University debating against the motion, disagreed: “With the exception of Hamas or Hizballah, every single mainstream Islamic party has renounced violence.”
Hamid’s debating partner, Sarah Joseph, Editor of the Muslim lifestyle magazine Emel, won over the audience by vocalizing her frustration at the nebulous and generalized definitions of “the West” and “political Islam.”
Meanwhile, Yahya Pallavicini, an Italian Imam and government adviser, argued for the motion lamenting the misuse of religion by Islamist political parties who selfishly hijack theology to “legitimise violence” and demonise women.
Reforming The Logic Of Islamic Movement
The Strategy And Logic of Reform
No Muslim can say that there is no need to reform the degraded and stagnant condition of the Ummah. We shall now, InshAllah, indicate the way by which the Ummah may achieve the incumbent reformation. At the outset it should be understood that the change, the revolution which, the Ummah has suffered is a spiritual ailment. Spiritual ailments like physical ailments have causes. It is common practice that in the case of curing a physical disease we must first aim to determine its causes then work to eliminate them so as to achieve health and well-being. Likewise, in the case of the ailment of the Ummah we apply the same logic used to work with physical ailments to the treatment of spiritual diseases i.e., we aim to identify and then eliminate the causes of disease once eliminated, spiritual health and vigor will be established.
First Principles of Reform
The two essential principles of reformation that we ought employ in revitalizing the Ummah are:
1.) Proper diagnosis of the reality and condition of the Ummah so as to establish the causes of the diseases we suffer.
2.) Determine the ways and means of eliminating these causes.
Much more at Imam Webb’s site.
Ingrid Mattson of ISNA Target of Smear?
Ingrid Mattson
The terrorist smears and attempts to discredit reputable Muslim leaders and organizations never ends, it seems that the more distinguished and reputable an organization or Muslim becomes the requisite attacks on their character and dubious links to terrorism soon follow so that questions can be raised to further misinform the public and voices silenced.
More at the Muslim Apple.
“My Last Strange Post”
Back in 2003, you may remember a little something termed shock and awe, I was at home and somewhat mesmerized by the images on the news, I watched it day and night, basically rendering myself almost completely non-functional. I had never in my life seen anything that terrifying. After a while, I finally looked away. Subsequently, I realized that I had a problem handling “sadness”. I really could not handle it. I banned myself from anything sad – news, movies, stories – whatever it was, as long as it was sad, I avoided it like the plague.