Checking up on the Nation of Islam

I searched Nation of Islam on google news and I started reading this article that was somewhat normal  by Louis Farrakhan and then I got to the section I pasted below that talks about aliens. When I was reading the Malcolm X talk about the Nation of Islam I got the image of a cult in my head. Statements made your leader discussing aliens during what is suppose to be a religious address to your followers does not help your cause. I wish all the best to the Nation of Islam. I hope this article does not hurt their organization.

This man who came, He pointed out to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad a dreadful looking plane in the sky. He said it was a manmade mechanical object measuring a half-mile by a half-mile; and in it were 1,500 little planes made like the sphere of spheres—the universe. But these are “little wheels” that Ezekiel saw 595 B.C. He had a vision of a wheel in the middle of a wheel, in the middle of the air that was a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

And today, The Wheel that Ezekiel saw, that Master Fard Muhammad pointed out to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad around 1931, is a reality that is being talked about by governments and scholars and scientists all over the world. They call them UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects).

They’re not from another planet, brothers and sisters. They’re not aliens. They’re human beings just like you with superior wisdom to the wisdom of this world. That is why the government of America calls it “Top Secret,” because it cannot bring itself to admit that there is another Power; that there is more wisdom greater than any wisdom that they have. And that this sphere of spheres that is up above our heads, this government has no power to defeat it. It is there for two reasons: One, is the destruction of the wicked; and, two, is the planting of a brand new civilization on the earth.

Bill Maher

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iio0nMx3qRY

You really only have to watch the first one to realize that Bill Maher is a complete moron. I do find some respect in the fact that he is talking about what he believes in and he is not holding back. Although, someone as dumb as him should not host their own show. I believe that religion gives people to believe in, perhaps the values of an after life holds as extrinsic motivation to live a life that is as pure and non-violent as possible. However, Bill Maher is really just trying to get under people’s skin. But seriously how cool is Cornel West? Mos Def is kind of dumb and Black Star is overrated. Talib Kweli and Mos Def are both Muslim though. I just realized that.

Response to Metalhammer

The first song was much more “artistic” than the second one. I cannot see how the first song would be taken for something offensive. If anything the argument should be whether or not it is Muslim art. Music was made to something that is very distinctive to Islam. Does this contsitute as Muslim art even though it was not made by Muslims? The second video however, is somewhat offensive. The guy looks really awkward doing that up on stage, however, I do not think he was trying to insult anyone. I do not think anyone would be that ignorant on purpose.

Response to Metalhammer

In my eyes, sampling anything is fair game as long as you do not harm anyone else. From what I take from it, the first video clearly liked the sound of the Azan, so they used it on their track. Even though Muslim prayer is very sacred, it is also a very interesting sound. 

The second video is a little different. He doesn’t look as though he deliberately wants to offend anyone, but it’s obviously offensive to mock anyone. They probably don’t even understand what they are doing when they are dancing in those positions. 

I feel like artistic expression can be used to take things very far and often art offends somebody in society, no matter what it is. Some Christian art is considered the ‘best’ out there, but i’m sure that a lot of offends people of other religions and cultures. To portray God as a white male with  long brown hair and a beard straight up offends me!!!!!  Who knows what he really looks like, that was just someone’s artistic expression that just caught on.

Metalhammer **caution to those easily offended**

so, one of my friends was ecstatic to tell me about something she found on youtube. it is a video of a German synthpop band called AND ONE. this band has a song called METALHAMMER. in wacky german synthpop fasion, they sampled the Azan which is the muslim call to prayer. now, by doing this, do you think they meant to offend anyone? how far is artistic expression allowed to be pushed and still be called artistic? in my opinion, its fine. however, while searching for it on youtube, i happened to stumble upon another german synthpop group which covered METALHAMMER. this time, i think they may have gone a bit too far by having one of the singers pretend like he is prostrating and then begin dancing in the kneeling position. too far?

here is the song:

here is the cover of the song:

Malcolm X Movie

This is a response to essientely everybodys response on the movie. I agree that Ella should have been in the movie. What I dont understand most of all is how they did not include Muhammad Ali. Not only a prominant figure in modern American history, but also a very prominant American Muslim. I think Spike Lee should have included him. I also think Elijah Muhammad in that movie looked like a goon. With those glasses on and that ridiculous hat. If that is how he looked in real life I do not see how anyone could have taken him seriously. Take your glasses off.

Praying from Space

I know that once in class we talked about how Muslims pray in different parts of the world, and how they usually face Mecca while in prayer. I just read an interesting article about the difficulties of Muslim prayer from space. Since Muslims pray five times a day at different times according to the position of the sun and the definition of a day. In space, astronauts go around Earth one time every 90 minutes. Will this count for one day? It seems very tricky. Also, it is almost impossible to pin point where exactly the city of Mecca is when you are way up there. The guy interviewed in the article said that just facing Earth will probably be good enough. I guess that about 150 scientists, astronauts, religious scholars and academics are gathered in Malaysia for an “Islam and Life in Space” seminar. Sounds like a great time. 

Malaysian Muslim astronauts took off with the Russians soon after this article was published in 2006.

Pashtuns/Pathans

Being a Pathan myself, I am very intrigued by the cultural background, historical significance, and origins of Pathans.  In Pakistan, they make up a large percentage, although they’re still in the minority.  I believe in Afghanistan, they roughly account for 40 percent of the population.  Thus, the Taliban presumably consisted of mostly Pathans.  My question is, how much of what the Taliban preached was Pasthunwali (the presumed code of Pathans) code, as opposed to true Islamic law.

Pashtunwali code is pretty out there.  Most of it is represented through uneducated Pasthun tribes, whose cultural practices are quite bizarre, relative to “the West”  even in regard to Islamic teachings.  The whole not allowing girls to go to school and forcing them to stay at home thing is really more so a cultural practice and not necessarily an Islamic one.  Take for instance, the wife of the Prophet, Khadijah.  She was a business women and it was through her business that the Prophet was provided for!   Most of what is covered in the news regarding the Taliban and its practices really simply sounds like, to me, more than anything,  cultural practices of uneducated villages.

Anyhow, does anyone really know where Pathans come from?  There is little research available regarding the origins of Pathans.  The most common thought is that they are descendants from Persian tribes. However, many mirgations have taken place as well as invasions. Thus, I’ve also heard that they may be descendants from Alexander the Great or the remnants of a lost Jewish tribe. I’m so confused. *sigh*

Musilms in Darfur

I just realized a few things about the crisis in Darfur that have strongly sparked my interests. I read a testimonial given by a Sudanese man who spoke to a reporter. He was so confused because he was a Muslim, but he had never seen any Arab person (most of the people of Northern Sudan) come to give anyone aid. He was crying because he thought that Muslims were supposed to help out other Muslims, but the government and the people of the North only kill them and their families. 

I think the main target for the rebels in Darfur are the “black” Africans. They, the Africans of Arab decent, want to be the only ones occupying the region. The man who cried thanked America for all of the aid that they had received, because without it, they would have absolutely nothing. 

I know that there are many sparks in this fire, but it’s striking to see people of one faith killing their brothers.

Response to marXist

I think that you can see a few aspects of Marx’s socialism in the life of Malcolm X. X was always a very strong proponent of working together for the greater good of the society. I don’t think Marx would have agreed that it would have worked to just have one race work together, for I think he would have wanted everyone, no matter their ethnicity, to work together. Malcolm wanted everyone to be equal in their wealth and stature, another component of Marxist Socialism. 

I do personally think that the biggest link between Malcolm X’s preaching and Marxist socialism is the ever so popular class struggle. I can see similarities between the two figures. Malcolm speaks of raising the standards of the African American community to be equal to that of the whites. Marx wants the Proletariat (worker) to rise up and be equal to the Bourgeoisie (owners). This seems like an arguable topic, but it’s interesting to see the correlations.