altmuslim this week - december 22, 2008 - This week, a successful Hajj in a city you won't recognise within a decade. Also, Obama reaches out to the Muslim world and American Muslims reach out to Obama's new favourite pastor Rick Warren (who reaches out to a lesbian rock star at the same time). 
|
The preacher and the pop star - What happens when you put together a Muslim convention, an evangelical preacher, and a (lesbian) Grammy-award winning rock star? The answer is an extraordinary and historic day. (December 27, 2008)
Your second Muslim life - Finland's Muxlim has launched a trial version of Muxlim Pal, an online virtual world geared towards the "Muslim lifestyle." But can one attract those sympathetic to Muslims while repelling those antagonistic to them? (December 11, 2008)
|
altmuslim review 030 - Free speech - is it something Muslims can live with? In this episode, we talk about how Muslims cope with (and benefit from) free speech in Western societies. Also, an extended interview with Jewel of Medina author Sherry Jones discussing her controversial book. (October 10, 2008)
altmuslim review 029 - A vibrant Muslim media could have an opportunity to restore balance to the Muslim public image - if it can get on its feet. In this episode, we explore the state of the Muslim media. Also, an interview with the creator of "Muslim Cafe", Navid Akhtar. (July 5, 2008)
|
|
Recent and upcoming talks and offsite articles by altmuslim contributors
Shahed will be speaking about Muslims in the political process at the 8th annual Texas Dawah Convention in Houston, Texas (December 27, 2008)
Skyscraping ambition for Mecca, Ali Eteraz, The Guardian (UK), Comment is Free (December 18, 2008)
Zahed will be leading a technology workshop for European Muslim professionals at the Salzburg Global Seminar, Salzburg, Austria (November 16-20, 2008)
Zahed will be a keynote speaker at the inaugural meeting of the Network of European Muslim Technology Entrepreneurs, in Madrid, Spain (November 14, 2008)
Shahed will be a featured panelist at Red Faith/Blue Faith: Religion in the 2008 Election and Beyond at the Center for American Progress in Washington, DC (November 7, 2008)
Let the Global Islamic Conspiracy Begin, Ali Eteraz, Jewcy, (November 5, 2008)
Zahed will be a guest on Press TV's Islam & Life, hosted by Tariq Ramadan, speaking on French and American Muslim experiences (November 3, 2008)
Zahed will be a guest on Irish broadcaster RTE's Spectrum radio show, speaking about Barack Obama and the Muslim factor in the US presidential election (November 1, 2008)
Shahed will be a guest on the nationally syndicated radio show Interfaith Voices, speaking about the "otherization" of American Muslims (October 23, 2008)
Powell's remarks rebut the idea of Muslims as political kryptonite - Wajahat Ali, The Guardian (UK), Comment is Free (October 22, 2008)
Today's Boo Radley: Muslim Americans - Wajahat Ali, The Washington Post (October 20, 2008)
The Republican red scare, Wajahat Ali, The Guardian (UK), Comment is Free (October 11, 2008)
Heritage was mixed a long time ago - Irfan Yusuf, Sydney Morning Herald (September 30, 2008)
Shahed will be a guest on BBC Radio 4's " Sunday" programme speaking about the Jewel of Medina controversy (September 28, 2008)
Dangerous liaisons, Wajahat Ali, The Guardian (UK), Comment is Free (September 27, 2008)
Another attack - in the name of whose Islam? - Irfan Yusuf, The Age (Australia) (September 22, 2008)
Violence against women won't stop until men speak out - Irfan Yusuf, New Zealand Herald (September 12, 2008)
Shahed will be participating in a panel discussion, Sourcing Islam, at the Religion Newswriters Association conference in Washington, DC (September 20, 2008)
Muslims have nothing to fear from this book - Shahed Amanullah, The Guardian (UK), Comment is Free (September 9, 2008)
Rushdie is no believer in free speech - Irfan Yusuf, The Age (Australia) (August 8, 2008)
|
|
Media appearances and analysis featuring altmuslim editors
Domestic crusader - An associate editor of the publication AltMuslim.com—“it’s neither too apologetic nor too antagonistic”—Wajahat exhorts wealthier American Muslims to invest in their own future by creating think tanks and scholarships in art and media instead of collecting luxury cars. “We have to break out of our culturally isolated bubble,” he says.
(October 11, 2008)
National publisher kills Spokane journalist’s book - [Amanullah] sent e-mails to about 200 graduate students in Islamic studies, telling them of Spellberg's "frantic" call and asking if they had heard about the novel. "What I got back was a collective shrug of the shoulders," says Amanullah. "The thing that is surreal for me is that here you had a non-Muslim write a book, and you had a non-Muslim complain about it, and a non-Muslim publisher pull the book." (August 20, 2008)
Self censoring Muslims - "But Amanullah says he never wanted the book pulled. 'I'm upset the book wasn't published,' he said, 'not because I agree or disagree with the book.' For him, 'I don't want to be in the position where we are stifling speech. Preemptive censorship is not in our interest. That's worse than even censorship. We're not going to silence our way out of problems.'" (August 12, 2008)
You still can’t write about Muhammad - "But Ms. Spellberg wasn't a fan of Ms. Jones's book. On April 30, Shahed Amanullah, a guest lecturer in Ms. Spellberg's classes and the editor of a popular Muslim Web site, got a frantic call from her. "She was upset," Mr. Amanullah recalls. He says Ms. Spellberg told him the novel "made fun of Muslims and their history," and asked him to warn Muslims." (August 5, 2008)
Why the silence? - "Both reactionary religion and militant secularism are on the rise, with both displaying a rigid certainty and a desire for power that will do nothing to benefit society. In this context, it is vital that people with open-minded faith speak up and demonstrate alternatives. [altmuslim.com has] set many good examples in this regard." (January 8, 2008)
|
|
We are proud to share content, resources, and strategy with the following media partners:
|
|
|
Terrorism
An Al Qaeda bluff is called
Posted by Zahed Amanullah on November 24, 2008
Beside the recurring theme during the 2008 US Presidential election that Barack Obama was secretly a Muslim (or merely a terrorist sympathiser), everyone was on the lookout for an 11th hour message of support from Al Qaeda, similar to the one that arguably helped George Bush during his successful 2004 run only days before the election. It had already been floated by the John McCain camp that Hamas and Iran preferred Obama to McCain (because Muslims like each other, of course) and that Al Qaeda would be seen as no different. But to Obama's benefit, not a word was heard from the two chief Al Qaeda leaders, Osama bin Laden and Ayman Al-Zawahiri, before the election took place.
So did Zawahiri and Co. resort to some reverse psychology, perhaps noting how their endorsement of Bush in 2004 killed the campaign of the Iraq War opponent John Kerry? Considering the symbiotic relationship Al Qaeda has had with the Bush administration, that seems unlikely. The relative absense of commentary from Zawahiri during the campaign probably indicated some confusion on what Obama really represented (a key McCain-Palin allegation, of course). But now that one of Al Qaeda's chief arguments has been neutralised with Obama's election - America's alleged antipathy towards non-whites - Zawahiri has responded with some race-baiting of his own, calling Obama a "house negro," unlike the honourable Al Hajj Malik Al-Shabazz (that's Malcolm X to you).
For the many non-Arab Muslims who have noticed the Al Qaeda leadership as being near Arab supremacist, this is a bit much (not to mention the widespread third-world joy at seeing a person of colour take over the "White" House). Malcolm could at least get away with such a description of subservient blacks (which he later rescinded, by the way) because he shared their race. For the Arab-dominated Al Qaeda to play this card speaks of their ever-growing irrelevance and the potential ascendancy of a "third way" that neither whitewashes Western imperialism (don't screw this up, Barack) or resorts to the violence, polarisation, and authoritarianism inherent in Al Qaeda itself.
The bilateral neocon-Al Qaeda alliance is ending. Savour it.
We try to remove any comments that do not conform to our netiquette guidelines. If any comments remain that are in violation, please let us know. The presence of offending comments does not necessarily reflect the views of the editors of altmuslim.
|
|
