Akram's Razor - Reflections on Islam, Muslims & America

"Winter's Bone"

If you like good movies, you need to see this amazing film.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to Christian friends out there.

The Arab Street is owed an apology!

Most of the time I post stuff about Denmark, it tends to be bad news--of course, if you're a Muslim observer of Danish politics there's often been, sadly, pretty good reason for that--so I thought I'd try to atone a bit by translating this very thoughtful and topical piece by a Danish pundit on the lessons of the Arab Spring.

One could quibble about a few small things (e.g., identifying Saudi-funded establishments as "ultra-orthodox"; their claim to orthodoxy is rather debatable), but I think his thesis is dead-on. For years, it's been customary to dismiss the Arab masses with this offensive shorthand that casts them as a mindless  herd of animals, and Western media need to eat some crow now that their lazy, dehumanizing cliches have been so spectacularly disproven.

[Moved it over to the Tikkun Daily blog.]

No doubt I've translated some things poorly, so Danes lurking out there are encouraged to chime in and correct any mistakes.

You'll note that this isn't in Jyllands-Posten (the newspaper that became an international household name by publishing the infamous political cartoons that launched a thousand protests, demonstrations and ugly stereotypes).  Denmark has a number of national newspapers. Unlike Jyllands-Posten, Politiken is on the Left--the Danish equivalent of The New York Times, not that I find the Gray Lady  particularly leftist most of the time--and when it comes to the cartoons and Danish Muslims it has almost been "The Anti-Jyllands-Posten."

Its then editor in chief, the recently deceased Tøger Seidenfaden, was very critical of the decision of his counterpart at Jyllands-Posten (Fleming Rose) to publish the cartoons--as was I at the time--and one of its most prominent columnists, Rune Engelbreth Larsen, has long been a one-man Danish answer to the Southern Poverty Law Center, exhaustively documenting the rising tide of xenophobia and Islamophobia within Danish society and giving the desperately-needed straight dope on the significance of the cartoons and the factors in their bizarre transformation from mole hills to mountains.

Speaking of how different Politiken's political role has been, the newspaper under Seidenfaden's leadership even went so far as to issue an apology last year to Muslims for the cartoons. They were reacting to an international class action suit by Sayyids (i.e., descendants of the Prophet, peace be on him). Ironically, here we part company, as I think this move was a big mistake, not to mention a pointless gesture given how Seidenfaden and Politiken had nothing to do with the cartoons in the first place.

Now, I respect the good intentions at work and think the desire to turn a new page in Danish-Muslim relations was quite understandable, but the lawsuit was a farce. Its premise (that a group a Muslims who happen to be allegedly descended from the Prophet were especially harmed by the cartoons and somehow had legal standing to seek damages on his and/or the Ummah's behalf) was absurd, geopolitically counterproductive and self-evidently contrary to the precepts of international law.

That lawsuit reminds me of these short-sighted and ultimately dangerous campaigns by Middle Eastern countries to get the UN to outlaw blasphemy. It's rather embarrassing to see representatives of Muslim countries displaying such appalling ignorance of the fundamentals of law and Western political values  (though this is obviously intended more for domestic political consumption, not unlike the immoral, theocratic blackmail over family planning and abortion that Washington regularly engages in when Republicans are in charge). International law should only (and, indeed, ultimately can only) concern itself with the welfare of human beings, so the advocacy of pet religious dogmas or even religious faith itself simply has no place in such matters.

To go down any other road calls the entire legal edifice into question. And, besides, if these leaders had any understanding of law, they'd realize there already was a legal framework for taking action against Islamophobic demagoguery. To the extent real harm is being caused by such cases of "blasphemy," there  undoubtedly already is legal precedent under international law by virtue of their incitement of hatred between communities (not unlike how anti-Holocaust denial laws work).

But I digress, as usual.

Update: I've moved the translation over to Tikkun Daily blog.

 

The murder of a pro-Palestinian activist & why "Tawhidi" groups often are anything but

Sickening news from Gaza. A volunteer for the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) appears to have been murdered by a rogue Palestinian faction. God rest his soul and reward him for his work for justice.

Vale Vittorio Arrigoni, 'hero of Palestine' | Pennie Quinton | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

Hearing of the murder of Vittorio Arrigoni, a committed peace activist who for the last 10 years campaigned for recognition of Palestinian human rights under Israeli occupation, has left me shaking and crying with rage at the sheer cruelty and stupidity of those who would carry out such an act. According to news reports, Arrigoni was murdered by the Tawheed and Jihad group, which operates in the Gaza Strip in opposition to the Hamas government.

This is off-topic, but I have to say that it's a sad commentary on the state of "Islamist" movements that the presence of "Tawhid" (i.e., the Islamic term for true monotheism, in contrast to the idolatry or shirk that permeates the world; Tawhid is the most important and sacred principle of Islam) in an Islamic organization's name regularly seems to correlate with ignorance, intolerance and extremism. (For those that don't know, Wahhabis and Salafis often fancy themselves the sole proponents of Tawhid. Indeed, the willingness to excommunicate other, less obscurantist Muslims as "idolaters" based on narrow doctrinal differences and the extreme Manichean view of the world that that belief entails were probably Muhammad Abdal-Wahhab's most enduring contribution to Islamic tradition.)

I'm reminded of the way dictatorships invariably describe themselves as democracies. Sometimes, it seems to be an iron law of contemporary Islamic intellectual life that those preaching most loudly about Tawhid are, when you scratch the surface, purveyors of some form of Shirk. It's downright Orwellian.

Am I alone in perceiving this perverse pattern?

Timely report on French women and the veil

A very timely study on Muslim women and the veil in France has just been released by the Open Society Foundations. It's available for download in English. Unveiling the Truth: Why 32 Women Wear the Full-Face Veil in France | At Home in Europe Project | Open Society Foundations

This report from the At Home in Europe Project aims to distinguish myths and misrepresentations surrounding women who wear the full-face veil from the actual experiences and testimonies of the women themselves, by reporting on the women’s backgrounds, their decisions to wear the veil, their daily experiences in public, and their views on the legislation.

Based on the testimony of 32 women across France, Unveiling the Truth offers the opportunity to hear directly from the women who are affected by the ban on face coverings, all of whom freely chose to wear the veil without, and often inspite of, pressure from family members and spouses. The stories they tell about their lives are sometimes humorous but more often than not heart-rending, especially in relation to their treatment by strangers, members of their communities, the media and politicans.

Contrary to the usual stereotype of Muslim women who wear the face veil, the majority of women whose voices are heard are like any other French woman with active social lives: working, attending classes, seeing friends, eating out, playing sports and actively engaging in local activities. [MORE]

I haven't read it yet--and I am no fan of the niqab in a Western context, it must be said--but I'm sure this research exposes how shallow, ironically sexist and disconnected from reality these hysterical calls for a "burqa" ban in France are. (This isn't ultimately about Muslim women, either. It's Sarko's transparent and demagoguic gambit to reverse electoral gains by the odious far-right anti-immigrant National Front Party.)

As is often the case, I'm amazed and inspired by all the vital work that George Soros does. One might call him the "Jimmy Carter" of Billionaires (a comparison I find the highest praise). If only more of the super-wealthy had the vision to dedicate a portion of their resources to promoting social justice and desperately political and civic reform as opposed to endlessly squandering it on "philanthropy" that really amounts to little more than self-interested lobbying (a la the Koch brothers, Pete Peterson, the Waltons, and so on, whose "activism" and proposed "reforms" consistently happen to shower them or their businesses with tax breaks).

I'm reminded of Fareed Zakaria's excellent (and surprisingly radical) reflection on the many woes besetting American political life, The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad. It, explores, among many other fascinating indices of our nation's politico-cultural decline,  how American political and economic elites no longer feel obligated to give a damn thing back to society, in striking contrast to their peers in all previous generations. As American society becomes anachronistically feudal, it's perverse and perplexing for so the few among America's ruling class to be willing to even live up to a basic social principle of the medieval European feudal order, namely the notion of La Noblesse oblige (or "Nobility obliges [one to do something for those who are less fortunate])."

Throwing the book at the "Irvine 11"

I have a post on Tikkun Daily on the latest development in the "Irvine 11" saga.

"If the'“Irvine 11' are to do time, what about Tea Party organizers?":

Criminal charges have been filed against the “Irvine 11″ – the ring leaders of a large group of Muslim students at University of California, Irvine who repeatedly disrupted a speech by Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren last February, sparking outrage – which could result in 6 months of prison time. This draconian and unprecedented overreaction raises a host of issues and is being criticized by many in the UC Irvine community. [MORE]

The Guardian's neato interactive timeline on the Jasmine Revolutions

Wow, this interactive timeline for the Jasmine Revolutions on The Guardian website is way cool. (And psychedelic, man!)

But they really need to update its data. It's 2 weeks out of date and this stuff is still going down.

Breaking down the Murfreesboro Mosque controversy

This is great stuff from the backwoods sages at Red State Update.  (HT: Goatmilk) It's from last year, but its barbs are only becoming more apropos by the day. In fact, it probably won't even be satire much longer.

I love the part about the naked ignorance and prejudice of these protests giving rednecks a bad name.

---

 

Great documentary on Sufi music

If anyone is looking for a lush, inspiring and accessible multimedia introduction to Sufism--not to mention a reminder of the great beauty also exists in much maligned places like Pakistan--I highly recommend "Sufi Soul: The Mystic Music of Islam."

It's a bit light on theory and oversimplifies a bit at times, but it makes up for that with rich footage and wonderful excerpts. It crisscrosses the globe to bring you vivid glimpses of Islamic mystical practice set to music--from Nusrat Fath Ali Khan to Youssou N'dour--articulately glossed by historian William Dalrymple.It's a sumptuous tour.

Here's an excerpt:

 

The uncut recordings in extras aren't to be missed. For heaven's sake, don't just watch the YouTube snippets.

I've sometimes found Dalrymple's commentary in the international press on Muslims unbalanced and overly alarmist (i.e., Eurabian)--though, one must admit, they're always a pleasure to read--so it's interesting to see how enthusiastic and knowledgeable he clearly is about Sufism. Too bad in other endeavors he seems so quick to see/assume the worst in Muslims.

I hope there are more films like this. This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of potential material. It's amazing how few films have been made about Sufism at a time Rumi is America's best selling poet.

It is available on NetFlix, though I think I'm going to buy it, as with the uncut extras it's practically an album, too

 

Wicked fun for the whole (Muslim) family

Check out Hamzah Moin's inspired, subversive suggestions for Islamically-themed board games.



Fun-Filled Muslim Board Games – Maniac Muslim

Everywhere I go I see boring board games made by Muslims. Muslim Trivia this. Islamic Quiz that. Why must we bore our Muslim children to death with such uninspired board games? Who thought it would be a good idea to use our brains?

Throw those brains away! I’ve invented some of the best Muslim board games EVER. These would sell like hot cakes. I was inspired by hit board games of today!

I was rolling at the mere sight of the memory game, and the new jail in Monopoly is so brutally funny it could cause cardiac arrest.

My comment on Facebook just now:

Brilliant stuff, though as I said in a comment that's yet to be posted, Masjid Monopoly could be even better if it focused less on ethnicity(some of my suggestions: crazy Salafi inner-city mosque, rich suburban doctors & engineer mosque, New Age Sorta-Sufi mosque, Qadiani Don't-Call-This-a-Mosque, ...). That "Sister Section" is pure genius, though.

Then there are parlor games, which offer the true mother lode. A few proposals of my own:

1. "Pin the Takfir on the Ummah"
2. "Do Interfaith Dialogue and Preach About Islamic Reform Without Taking on Stupid-But-Widespread 'Traditional' Beliefs" (a cross between "Taboo" and "Twister")
3. "Talk Like a Feminist But Interpret Like a Caveman" (a variation of the preceding)
4. "Let's Steal Sufism" (a game where players vie to formulate the most seductive yet internally incoherent and ahistorical New Age interpretation of Sufism--especially based on the writings of Rumi or Ibn Arabi--delinking it completely from Islamic faith and practice)
[Strictly speaking, this belongs in a non-Muslim list.]
5. "Respond to Idiotic, Erroneous and/or Deeply Prejudiced Critiques of Islam in post-9/11 America Without Raising Your Voice" (a game that's getting harder and less enjoyable by the day)
6. "Caricature Islam So Ridiculously that Only Usama Bin Laden and Robert Spencer Take You Seriously as a Commentator on Islam" (most often played in redneck non-Muslim and hardline Zionist circles, but which has a cult following in Washington DC among Neocon-anointed "moderate Muslims" and ex-Muslim "reformers")
7. "Caricature non-Muslim Beliefs so Egregiously That Only Mullahs In Peshawar Recognize Them" (the rage during the 1980s, but now rather out of fashion)
8. "List the Differences between Protestants, Catholics and Greek Orthodox" (an extremely challenging game that usually stalls after difference #1--especially among in-Muslim-majority-country-born Muslims--though to be fair most non-Muslim Americans can't do much better)
9. "Make Up the Most Fanciful Theory to Explain the Origin of Sufism" (past game-winning gambits: Neoplatonism, crypto-Shiism, Judaism, Colonial Conspiracy, ...)*
10. "Attack Wahhabis for Beliefs Many Muslims Hold" (an all-time classic: a well known North American Muslim commentator identified sexism and belief in eternal damnation for non-Muslims as hallmarks of Wahhabism; that narrows it down)
11. "Find a Mortifying Headline First"  (a group scans through a pile of newspapers; the first person to find a story that makes everybody embarrassed to be a Muslim wins)
12. "Camouflage Your Questionable Opinion/Hang-up with Decontextualized 'Proofs' from the Quran and Sunnah" (a rare game that truly everyone has an equal chance of winning)
13. "Repackage Kneejerk Secular Convictions as 'Progressive Islam'" (a variant of the preceding)
14. "Pass Off an Increasingly Untenable, Anachronistic 'Traditional' Belief as Incontrovertibly Confirmed by Ijma"
15. "Put a Happy Face on the Latest Tragedy/Outrage 'Back Home'" (perhaps the most challenging of them all)

One could go on forever. I haven't felt this inspired to create since Haroon Mughal's "Desi X-Men," which (sadly) no longer appears to be available online.

* All of these have been argued by Muslim "scholars" at various times. The latter-most was voiced by a professor at Al-Azhar, of all places, only a few years ago.