Assalamu aleikum and we begin this week with the sad passing of Michael Jackson, one of the few people in the world who hardly needs an introduction. Jackson's sudden death last Thursday came at the end of a troubled career beset by court cases, health problems, and financial woes. But among the many secrets in Jackson's life were his various associations with Islam and Muslims, which led many to believe that he
died a Muslim. Key in this assumption was Michael's relationship with his brother Jermaine, a Muslim convert for over 20 years. Jermaine had repeatedly talked about his interest in getting Michael to convert, introducing him to Bahraini royals (ok, bad example) and the Nation of Islam folk that became his security detail in his later days (er, another bad example). Despite many of the rumours being
denied by those said to be involved, Internet chatter amongst Muslims showed a persistent hope or belief that Michael was a Muslim, in what contributing writer Ali Eteraz calls "
Muslamism" - an unyielding desire to associate Islam with notable personalities with scant evidence. Despite this, there is still a degree of uncertainty about the Muslim angle which will be buried along with Michael (depending on how he's buried). More importantly, many millions of Muslims around the world will simply miss his talent, his otherworldly dancing, and the many songs that will live on forever. More on this story on the site
here (and
here and
here).
This week on the site, an interview with Osama Saeed, the Scottish National Party's next candidate for British Parliament from Glasgow. Also, more on the infamous burkha ban proposed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Off the site, there's a new movie opening this week that looks at the issue of capital punishment in the Muslim world - specifically, the stoning of women in Iran for alleged sexual infidelity.
The Stoning of Soraya M. dramatises the true story of a man in post-revolutionary Iran who wants out of his marriage and frames his wife with accusations of adultery. The resultant sentence, common in modern Iran, is being stoned to death while partially buried in the ground. Starring veteran Iranian actress Shohreh Aghdashloo and
The Passion of the Christ's Jim Caviezel, the film
brutally depicts the actual stoning incident - which resonates in the current Neda-driven Iran narrative. However, the
New York Times called it "
torture porn" and the film is being seen by conservative fans as a referendum on Islamic practice (never mind that given the 4 witnesses to the actual act of adultery required, such a punishment could not realistically take place). As Aghdashloo describes (correctly), stoning has “been happening since the Stone Age, in Judaism, Christianity, Islam,” noting that “stoning isn’t mentioned in the Koran” and “has nothing to do with Islam. It’s under the category of superstitions and traditions, but obviously those who have hijacked Islam are manipulating people and using this as an Islamic law. It is not, really.” Whether or not audiences will leave a screening of
The Stoning of Soraya M. with the same impression remains to be seen.
Finally, we've had the pleasure of working with the US State Department's Farah Pandith for nearly five years now on a variety of issues and initiatives in the US and abroad. Farah, a Muslim American, has just been
appointed as the new Special Representative to Muslim Communities, a new position created by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Though a Bush appointee at State, Farah was able to enable some very Obama-like outreach to Muslim communities around the world - especially in Europe. We were involved with a number of these projects in Spain, Italy, and Austria that helped network European Muslim activists that otherwise would not have met, in part due to the ethnic and linguistic differences between European Muslims and the complexities of inter-European politics. Farah's parents immigrated to America from the Kashmir region of India - which meant many Kashmiris were
overjoyed at having one of their own reach the Obama administration. Though some may have suspicions about Farah's earlier appointments in Republican administrations, it is a testament to her professionalism that she has been able to stride the ideological differences between the two parties to promote constructive change for Muslim communities at local levels, based on their needs and "nuances" (as she re-iterated at her introductory
press conference. Congratulations, Farah, and thanks for having your first press interview approved - with us (coming soon)!
