Too much symbolism?

Salazar vs. Buono is an ongoing Supreme Court case regarding the Establishment Clause. Currently, there is a cross at the Mojave National Preserve that honors the war dead. Buono is a former employee of the preserve and Salazar is the Secretary of the Department of the Interior.

Our discussion on America being a Christian State made me think of the truth in the implication. Justice Scalia said that the cross is symbolic around the world. But, should this apply to the Jewish people, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, etc…

It’s understandable if the cross represents the Christian war dead at cemetaries. But, does it represent the war dead at a memorial? Is it fair? and going back to the question from class…what if the Qur’an replaced the Constitution? What if a crescent-star was the replacement of the cross? Practically, what are the differences? Wouldn’t there still be differences in interpretation? Wouldn’t there still be a Supreme Court in order to determine which interpretation was correct to the Qur’an? How big of a role does Christianity truly play in the United States?

Free Will vs. Predestination?

I’m not sure if whether I am oversimplifying the matter, but I don’t feel it is that conflicting. Much like the religion vs. science debate, I feel that free will and predestination somewhat go hand-in-hand. So, if humans are bestowed with free will from God, they have the ability to choose. Predestination then just means that God knows what they will choose. God isn’t choosing for them, but just knows what will happen. Or, if we read a book, we don’t know what will happen next, what the characters will choose, or what will happen at the end. We wait for the characters to choose their actions, right? And then we are able to see what happens next. God, being All-Powerful, has already read the book and knows what will happen. Does that make sense? I know the questions of WHY? or HOW? come up, but, to me, it’s not vital to how I live. I just feel that there is no need to know everything that God has planned, nor is it even comprehensible by us mere humans. Overall, yes, there are unanswered questions. But, maybe, they are meant to be answered.

Honor Killings

 

I know this is a bit dated, but Rana Housseini spoke in October about her research on honor killings in Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, Iraq, and the United States. She is a Jordanian feminist and journalist who was introduced to the concept of honor killings when she read about the murder of a sixteen-year-old girl. Her brother killed her in order to preserve the honor of his family. Thinking the situation a bit odd, Housseini went to investigate the matter. Through her research, she found that the girl’s brother had continuously raped her and threatened to kill her if she told anyone. She became pregnant, got a dangerous abortion, and was then married to a man thirty-seven years her senior. When the husband divorced the girl six months later, her second brother picked her up and killed her. Housseini told another story where a mother axed her daughter to death because she was thought to be getting out of a taxi. All this done in the name of honor. Ms. Housseini concluded her speech stating that no culture or religion advocates murder. Furthermore, her research on honor killings spans all cultures and countries. All in all, how much of a role does religion play in the culture? If honor killings occur cross-culturally, what role does religion play in those?

 

Muslims Against Sharia.org

 

So, not knowing what to blog about, I decided to google Reform and Islam. The first site that came up was Muslims Against Sharia at www.reformislam.org. Initially, I thought, “Hey, maybe this is about educating people and providing the truth about Islam. Or maybe, it is about bringing Muslims back to the Qur’an and spiritual side.” But,the bold print of the topics and their goals definitely proved me wrong. The goals for this organization are to educate Muslims about the dangers presented by Islamic religious texts, educate non-Muslims about differences between Moderate Muslims and Extremists, and finally, to educate everyone that Moderate Muslims are victims, as well. Ok. I understand the second goal, kind of agree with the third one, but am confused with the first. Reading further, their Manifesto cleared up some questions, but mostly provided new ones. One of the points is to acknowledge the mistakes made; I believe they

mean that it is important to recognize the reason for the religious travesties in the world. So far, so good.

Then, they speak of inconsistencies in the Qur’an…but, if the Qur’an is Islam, would that not seem to say that there are inconsistencies in Islam? But, then again, they say “Islam has no place for violence.” This confuses me. I mean, if a Muslim believes there are inconsistencies in the Qur’an, and if Islam encompasses the Qur’an, how can Islam be perfect and the Qur’an imperfect? I find this statement of the organization to be at a great fault. Especially, all the works we have read advise Muslims to go to the root of Islam (go to the Qur’an) and reconnect with God. The organization further states that since some of the phrases in the Qur’an are outdated, it is important to keep up with current times. I just feel that this defies the principles set forth by the works we have read. Personally, I think saying the Qur’an is “not current” and has faults strikes an integral part of Islam. Why must what is current determine what should be followed and right? I think I have much more confidence in the works of Rumi, Ghazali, Iqbal, and al-Muhasibi than the organization. But, if you are able to look at the site, what do you think? Is it just me who feels that their manifest defies some key principles of Islam?

 

Unexpected Discussions from Career Fair

At the Career Fair today, I was working at one of the tables and had some interesting conversations with the worker next to me and those applying for internships…

The man next to me introduced himself as a devout Catholic who was recruiting for a religious organization. After introductions, and realizing I was a Muslim, a few topics came up…

First of all, he asked me how on earth I could believe in the Qur’an that advocated “jihad” and mass murder. So, I explained what jihad really meant, what the Qur’an really said, and that just because a few extremists were acting “on behalf of religion,” Islam did not accept their behavior. He then told me that he believed the media and radio statements were true and that Muslims were horrible murderers and anti-Christianity…which, I responded that was media and not reality. The next topic was the “hatred” between Pakistan and India and if whether Afghanistan was included in the same context. To that, I gave him a super brief history of Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan to which he replied “Oh, so you guys are all the same.” …The next topic was how Islam oppressed women. And representing a domestic violence organization, I told him that females have been repressed in every society, not just in Islamic ones. And of course, Pres. Obama, McCain, and Palin came up. and much, much more. Needless to say, I was EXHAUSTED at the end of the three hours and felt I had given a final presentation on my life and about women, South Asia, and Islam. eek. The good part: he was no longer scared of Muslims at the end and was willing to take a class on Islam to further his knowledge!

Another short story: A man who was looking for work, came up to the stall and I told him about the organization. But, I was unable to convince him that I was born in Chicago and have lived here my entire life. He was certain that I was not from the United States…

To these two discussions, I have a few, possibly rheutorical and obvious questions/statements

Dear God, how much does media run this world?!? Has there been any change since post-9/11 ideology of Islam to now? Are people still afraid of Muslims? Why do they believe in the media so quickly? Why not take a class or read a book? How can we help stop people from making generalizations about an entire community?

At the Career Fair today, I was working at one of the tables and had some interesting conversations with the worker next to me and those applying for internships…

The man next to me introduced himself as a devout Catholic who was recruiting for a religious organization. After introductions, and realizing I was a Muslim, a few topics came up…

First of all, he asked me how on earth I could believe in the Qur’an that advocated “jihad” and mass murder. So, I explained what jihad really meant, what the Qur’an really said, and that just because a few extremists were acting “on behalf of religion,” Islam did not accept their behavior. He then told me that he believed the media and radio statements were true and that Muslims were horrible murderers and anti-Christianity…which, I responded that was media and not reality. The next topic was the “hatred” between Pakistan and India and if whether Afghanistan was included in the same context. To that, I gave him a super brief history of Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan to which he replied “Oh, so you guys are all the same.” …The next topic was how Islam oppressed women. And representing a domestic violence organization, I told him that females have been repressed in every society, not just in Islamic ones. And of course, Pres. Obama, McCain, and Palin came up. and much, much more. Needless to say, I was EXHAUSTED at the end of the three hours and felt I had given a final presentation on my life and about women, South Asia, and Islam. eek. The good part: he was no longer scared of Muslims at the end and was willing to take a class on Islam to further his knowledge!

Another short story: A man who was looking for work, came up to the stall and I told him about the organization. But, I was unable to convince him that I was born in Chicago and have lived here my entire life; he was certain that I was not from the United States…

To these two discussions, I have a few, possibly rhetorical and obvious questions/statements:

Dear God, how much does media run this world?!? Has there been any change since post-9/11 ideology of Islam to now? Are people still afraid of Muslims? Why do they believe in the media so quickly? Why not take a class or read a book? How can we help stop people from making generalizations about an entire community?

Substance?

I know this is from last week’s lecture, but oh well.

By the end of class last week, we were discussing Hassan al-Banna’s Toward the Light and Sayyid Qutb’s Milestones. We concluded that writings like these gave the author’s opinion of what to do, but had no concrete substance. I was just wondering, then, if whether the writer’s reference to the Qur’an was their substance…did al-Banna and Qutb advise the reader to go to the Qur’an and find all the answers there? Is that why they never gave any of their own methods and understandings? But, then again, al-Ghazali and Rumi state their personal methods, in addition to learning from the Qur’an.

An additional point is that aren’t al-Banna’s and Qutb’s texts merely political theories? Their only justification is the Golden Age for Muslims, but that’s it. And What is the likelihood that such a society is possible today? I believe that more than putting their philosophy into practical use, their methodology simply serves to bolster the people’s self-esteems. The authors merely provide utopian statements wihtout a method of applying them practically. But, maybe simply giving people hope is good enough…

I know this is from last week’s lecture, but oh well.

In class last week, we were discussing Hassan al-Banna’s Toward the Light and Sayyid Qutb’s Milestones. We concluded that writings like these gave the author’s opinion of what to do, but had no concrete substance. I was just wondering, then, if whether the writer’s reference to the Qur’an was their substance…did al-Banna and Qutb advise the reader to go to the Qur’an and find all the answers there? Is that why they never gave any of their own methods and understandings? But, then again, al-Ghazali and Rumi state their personal methods, in addition to learning from the Qur’an.

An additional point is that aren’t al-Banna’s and Qutb’s texts merely political theories? Their only justification is the Golden Age for Muslims, but that’s it. And What is the likelihood that such a society is possible today? I believe that more than putting their philosophy into practical use, their methodology simply serves to bolster the people’s self-esteems. The authors merely provide utopian statements without a method of applying them practically. But, maybe simply giving people hope is good enough…

The Simpsons and Bashir

While I was procrastinating today, I decided to watch Simpsons on Fancast, the episode entitled “Mypods and Boomsticks.” Spolier Alert. In this episode, Bart befriends Bashir bin Laden from Jordan…you can probably guess where the episode is leading to. The guys at Moe’s tell Homer that Bashir and his parents are terrorists and Homer believes them. The part I found comical was whenHomer says something like he will only believe the family members are terrorists when he sees a tv show lying about the matter.I mean, it clearly makes fun of how people are quick to judge what the media depicts. Hopefully, those who watch the Simpsons will realize the truth…Don’t worry, in the end, Bashir’s dad isn’t a terrorist…he’s a demolition man. Simpsons…teaching good values.

Power of Differences

After talking about Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X in class, I thought back to our discussion on Muhammad (P.B.U.H) being the last Prophet. In current time, I believe the Muslims need a role model or a leader. There is always something circulating that relates Muslims to terrorists. Further, Muslims fight other Muslims about different sects, wealth, and modernization. When I meet some aunt or uncle (not related), the first question is ‘where are you from?’ Why does that matter? Then, it is followed by ‘what province or city?’ If I am from Multan or Lahore or Karachi (cities in Pakistan), does it really matter? I just do not understand why people focus on this more than one’s views or opinions…Because of little matters,conflicts and differences continue to rise and separate people worldwide. As an example, in my high school there were clear divisions of Muslims (the modern group, the moderates, religious, and those who would never identify themselves as Muslims). And the groups did not get along with each other even when tried. Anyways, the main point is that it is sad (and I know this is cheesy but oh well) how we (everyone) cannot get along. Sigh.

Response to “Obama…” (sort of)

Do people not learn from their mistakes? I mean, what on earth is going to be accomplished by attacking Pakistan? Is it not apparent that the Iraqi War was a mistake and failure? I have difficulty understanding why some continue to remain oblivious to the negative consequences just so, their actions are taken. If Obama attacks Pakistan, what is going to be the benefit? As if wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are not enough…Kind of straying from the previous post, I feel horrible for those affected in the Mumbai attacks. Yet, I do not understand where the proof is for blaming the entire Pakistani population in the matter. I heard the attackers were supposedly trained in Karachi, but how does that prove the people of Pakistan are to be blamed for this? I also think Pakistan should take a stronger stance. I mean, it seems as if rather than trying to help, everyone else is just instigating the fight between Pakistan and India. Enough is enough. Since 1947 there has been conflict. The leaders NEED to deal with the matter now rather than wait for a solution to magically appear. What is it going to take for people to wake up from their dreams to see the nightmare they have created in the real world?

Paradise Now…

I think the movie is extremely well-made and true to reality! I saw the movie last year and I think it does a great job of showing the side of the normal (not extreme) Palestinian people. My answer to who is at fault: the people who brainwash others into committing the crimes. I do not blame the Israelis, nor the Palestinians. I do not blame the Jewish nor the Muslim. I blame the individuals who misconstrue religion and dreams in order to better themselves. In my opinion, people like Jamal (that was his name, right?) and Abu Salim are inhumane and disgusting! They themselves do not use their bodies as the weapon, but convince others to do so. A couple of years ago, when the suicide bombings started happening daily in the Middle East, I asked my mom “Why and how can people kill themselves and others when it is a sin to do so and say it is in the name of Islam?” My mom replied that you have to realize where those individuals are coming from, what circumstances they grew up in and what they think will help them reach Heaven. In the movie, we saw how the lives of the characters was, in fact, Hell and how their loved ones had died and they could not see anything else as working. The brainwashers take these vulnerable people and manipulate them further. When I was really young, my mom got a call from her brother telling us that my cousin ( 16 yrs old, who had become a suicide bomber for Kashmir) had been killed by a bomb and those who had taken him bluntly told my aunt that no remains were intact. No matter where, and no matter what the cause, I think those people who brainwash the younger and vulnerable ones are 100% to blame. Religion is just an excuse they use for their own gain.