Let’s Talk about Jihad, Baby–Actually.. Let’s not.
Below is a revised version of a couple of emails I sent in an exchange over the general topic of the responsibility of the American/Canada Muslim communities to address misconstructions/abuse of ‘jihad’. It seemed to me that were some important considerations missing in this conversation (coming in the shadow of the Boston bombings and the obsession over the Tsarnaev brothers’ “religiousity”) as well as some problematic assumptions being made about the nature of crime and violence.
Let’s Talk about Jihad, Baby–Actually.. Let’s not.
Below is a revised version of a couple of emails I sent in an exchange over the general topic of the responsibility of the American/Canada Muslim communities to address misconstructions/abuse of ‘jihad’. It seemed to me that were some important considerations missing in this conversation (coming in the shadow of the Boston bombings and the obsession over the Tsarnaev brothers’ “religiousity”) as well as some problematic assumptions being made about the nature of crime and violence.
Dr. Seuss on the Boston Bombings. Kinda.
Leave it to one of the most beloved children literature’s authors to provide the most real and on point insight regarding the ownership and use of agency.
Dr. Seuss on the Boston Bombings. Kinda.
Leave it to one of the most beloved children literature’s authors to provide the most real and on point insight regarding the ownership and use of agency.
Mosqued and UnMosqued: A Look at the Conversation on American Muslim Religious Spaces
Mosques, much like any other space, are complicated meeting points of identity, belief, mores and change. Despite the rigidity of concrete and wood, structures and spaces have an amazing ability to really inform, impact and change not only our individual lives but also our social relations and standing. For this reason the discussion of mosque space, not just as a physical space but the point of arrival of Muslims into their respective communities and the formation of their relationships with one another, remains a conversation that requires to not only be heard but amplified.
Mosqued and UnMosqued: A Look at the Conversation on American Muslim Religious Spaces
Mosques, much like any other space, are complicated meeting points of identity, belief, mores and change. Despite the rigidity of concrete and wood, structures and spaces have an amazing ability to really inform, impact and change not only our individual lives but also our social relations and standing. For this reason the discussion of mosque space, not just as a physical space but the point of arrival of Muslims into their respective communities and the formation of their relationships with one another, remains a conversation that requires to not only be heard but amplified.
Lamenting Gaza: Fear, Justice and the Enemy
There was too much anger and I didn’t know how to make sense of it all. I felt no sympathy for the Israelis who claimed suffering and fear–this frightened me. Despite my very committed views on the situation, justice is justice and injustice is injustice. Was I really weighing some human lives as more worthy than others? I fought against this, trying to put people before borders and violent words. But it was hard.
Lamenting Gaza: Fear, Justice and the Enemy
There was too much anger and I didn’t know how to make sense of it all. I felt no sympathy for the Israelis who claimed suffering and fear–this frightened me. Despite my very committed views on the situation, justice is justice and injustice is injustice. Was I really weighing some human lives as more worthy than others? I fought against this, trying to put people before borders and violent words. But it was hard.
To Vote or Not To Vote? My Head Hurts.
Is it wrong to abstain from voting, even with good reason? Or is no reason ever good enough? Is to abstain to disenfranchise yourself unnecessarily as well as remove yourself from the most basic form of participation in the public?
To Vote or Not To Vote? My Head Hurts.
Is it wrong to abstain from voting, even with good reason? Or is no reason ever good enough? Is to abstain to disenfranchise yourself unnecessarily as well as remove yourself from the most basic form of participation in the public?
Why a Georgetown Professor Called Me a ‘Rabid’, ‘Vapid’ Occidentalist Moron
C. Christine Fair, of Georgetown University, calls me a racist moron and troll. Why?
Why a Georgetown Professor Called Me a ‘Rabid’, ‘Vapid’ Occidentalist Moron
C. Christine Fair, of Georgetown University, calls me a racist moron and troll. Why?
