Geeking out at SXSW Interactive - There is no better place to mingle with other geeks than at South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive, one of the largest Internet-focused conferences in the country, where we presented a panel discussion on "Online Extremism - And The Muslims Who Fight It"  (March 20, 2008)
Like “Groundhog Day” - What happens when you get 200 academics, activists, policy wonks, politicians, and journalists - all with opinions across the spectrum - into a room to try to determine the best course of action to improve the relationship between the US and the Muslim world? Unfortunately, not much. (February 24, 2008)
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altmuslim review 027 - This month, we have a special report from the US-Islamic World Forum in Doha, Qatar. Also, an interview with Dalia Mogahed, co-author of the forthcoming book "What a Billion Muslims Really Think" (March 7, 2008)
altmuslim review 026 - The US presidential race is in full swing, and we discuss Muslim involvement in the campaigns and our attempts at a block vote. Also, a perspective from recently elected San Carlos city councilmember Omar Ahmad. (January 29, 2008)
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Recent and upcoming talks and offsite articles by altmuslim contributors
Shahed will be participating in a panel discussion, Sourcing Islam, at the Religion Newswriters Association conference in Washington, DC (September 20, 2008)
Zahed will be a guest on BBC Radio 4's " Sunday" programme speaking about religious podcasting (May 4, 2008)
Rafia and Shahed will be guests on South Africa's Channel Islam, speaking about interpreting Islam in the modern world (March 28 & April 4, 2008)
Shahed will be speaking at the CAMP International Leadership Summit in Princeton, NJ (March 29, 2008)
Shahed will be a guest on Radio Tahrir, airing on WBAI 99.5 FM in New York, speaking about the Muslim block vote (April 1, 2008)
Shahed will be appearing on The Agenda with Steve Paikin for a recap of altmuslim's SXSW panel "Online Extremism" (March 26, 2008)
altmuslim is hosting a panel discussion at 2008 SXSW Interactive, "Online Extremism (And The Muslims Who Fight It)" (March 9, 2008)
Count blessings, then tally taxes - Hesham Hassaballa, Chicago Tribune (February 24, 2008)
'Busharraf' gets the people's message - Irfan Yusuf, New Zealand Herald (February 22, 2008)
Shahed will be participating in the US-Islamic World Forum in Doha, Qatar (February 17-19, 2008)
Sharia an unlikely threat - Irfan Yusuf, stuff.co.nz (February 13, 2008)
Converts' dangerous pull towards extremism - Irfan Yusuf, Sydney Morning Herald (February 7, 2008)
Safiyyah will be appearing on The Agenda with Steve Paikin for a debate on "Today's Young Muslim Women" (February 1, 2008)
Sidelining the loud-mouthed cultural warriors - Irfan Yusuf, Canberra Times (January 10, 2008)
Safiyyah will be guest writing at the TVO website offering commentary on the two-part TV series Britz (February 2008)
Fault lines of a nation - Irfan Yusuf, The Age (December 31, 2007)
Is there room at the inn for a Muslim holiday in America? - Shahed Amanullah, Chicago Tribune (December 23, 2007)
Can Pakistan's non-violent past save its future? - Shahed Amanullah, Beliefnet.com (December 28, 2007)
Not your father's hajj - Shahed Amanullah, Beliefnet.com (December 17, 2007)
Shahed will be speaking at the MPAC Annual Convention in Long Beach, CA about Muslims and new media (December 15, 2007)
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Media appearances and analysis featuring altmuslim editors
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)
Does the US tolerate anti-Muslim speech? - "You see more hostility towards Muslims now than you did the year after 9/11," says Shahed Amanullah, editor of a Muslim web-zine, AltMuslim.com. He and other observers point to America's failure to capture Osama bin Laden, the continuing difficulties in Iraq and Afghanistan, and news of terrorist plots overseas as reasons why many Americans feel hostile towards Muslims. (December 7, 2007)
In the great Berkeley free speech tradition - [Amanullah] claims no personal agenda other than concerned dad. “I want my children to grow up in a country where they, as Muslims, feel valued,” he says, “and where their religion doesn’t contradict their nationality.” (November 9, 2007)
Shaping the debate on Muslims - The publication [altmuslim.com] promotes critical analysis, discussion, and debate within the Muslim community in the West while also showcasing commentary for non-Muslims who want a sense of the dialogue going on among Western Muslims. (October 19, 2007)
Blogging Where Speech Isn’t Free (.mp3) - Many nations have no tradition of free speech, and in those contexts, blogging can be extremely dangerous. How can those bloggers protect themselves, and how can we help them? (Panel discussion at SXSW Interactive, Austin, Texas, March 11, 2007) Audio available here. (July 9, 2007)
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2008 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE GUIDE positions, quotes, and insider notes |
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Getting out the (educated) vote
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2008 ELECTION GUIDE
The Muslim factor in the 2008 vote
BY THE STAFF OF ALTMUSLIM.COM
Even if Muslim Americans are only a fraction of the overall US electorate, there is no mistaking that Islam and Muslims are central to the 2008 campaign for US President. Whether we like it or not, many of the key issues - the war in Iraq, counter-terorrism, immigration, and foreign policy in general - are affected by public perception of Islam and Muslims. It is a strong enough association that many candidates have played on fear of Islam or Muslims in order to draw votes. Since we are already a part of the process, we might as well participate on our own terms. That's why we've put together this guide to the 2008 elections, where you can read commentary on the various candidates, compare their stands on issue of importance to the Muslim American community, and learn some insider perspectives you may not have been aware of. Click on a candidate's photo above to learn more. We aim to improve this section constantly through the elections, so if you have any information that isn't listed here that you think needs to get out to our readers (personal experiences are especially welcome), please let us know so that we can add it to the guide.
Related links:2008 Election Guide (.pdf) by the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
2008 Election Guide by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Rock the Muslim Vote group at ummah5.com
Muslim and Arab Vote 2008 Facebook group
American Muslim Voter, website of the American Muslim Taskforce
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Muslim electorate
Making the Muslim vote count
By Inayat Lalani, April 22, 2008 The American political system is constructed along extraordinarily fair principles, and if properly engaged, Muslims can have an effect on the 2008 election beyond their proportional numbers. ( 7 comments) |
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US Elections
Blocking the vote
By Shahed Amanullah, March 18, 2008 Block vote proponents are faced with two bad choices: either tell Muslims to abandon the candidate that the majority supports, or take credit for a block of votes they had nothing to do with creating. ( 5 comments) |
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US Elections
A sartorial smear
By Mas'ood Cajee, February 27, 2008 With a simple photo in traditional African garb, an uneasy instinct has emerged to frame Barack Obama in ways that speak to middle America’s deepest racial, religious, and cultural fears. ( 8 comments) |
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US Elections
Our Obama problem
By Firas Ahmad, February 20, 2008 With presidential candidate Barack Obama's surge ahead of Hillary Clinton in the nomination process, American Muslims are now asking how you root for a candidate who doesn't want you to root for him? ( 21 comments) |
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US Elections
Why Muslims should support Ron Paul
By Sister Nadja, February 7, 2008 I want a candidate who has no desire to go adventuring in other countries and who will actually follow the Constitution. Right now, the only one on that page is Ron Paul. ( 3 comments) |
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US Elections
A seat at the American political table
By Hady Amr, January 29, 2008 The American Muslim community has a choice. It can stay out of politics or it can take a seat at the most important lunch counter in the world — the American political table. ( 9 comments) |
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US Elections
Should Muslim Americans vote conservative in 2008?
By Suhail A. Khan, January 29, 2008 In facing today's many challenges, Muslim Americans should consider that Republican candidates seek to empower individuals and families and not expand the power and reach of the federal government. ( 9 comments) |
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Campaign rhetoric
The politics of exclusion
By Rabab Fayad, January 14, 2008 While Democratic presidential candidates use language that reflects the complexity of global terrorism, Republican presidential candidates resort to overt scare tactics in an effort to garnish the vote. ( 13 comments) |
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US Elections
Barack’s opportunity
By Hesham Hassaballa, January 5, 2008 When the whispers of Barack Obama's Muslim heritage first surfaced, Obama remained almost completely silent. When the whispers emerge once more, this opportunity should not be lost again. ( 31 comments) |
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US politics
A Muslim like Obama
By Manan Ahmed, December 4, 2007 The rumors about Obama’s faith are based on America's long history of mistrust and misapprehension of Islam, a faith that we associate with our own ‘Others’. ( 3 comments) |
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Election 2008
Wild frontiers of our localized world
By Manan Ahmed, August 7, 2007 Last week, Barack Obama delivered a major speech at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Despite its virtues, it is overall an erroneous reading of the world's geo-political landscape. ( 40 comments) |
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Barack Obama and Islam
A little religion might be a little too much
By Hazem Kira, April 11, 2007 Can a presidential candidate with a Muslim heritage get elected to the highest office in the land? Or will they have to wait 70 years (as Jewish-Americans did) before contemplating the possibility? ( 4 comments) |
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