Saturday, May 8, 2010

The Rise of Intellectual Reform in the Islam

http://fora.tv/2010/04/20/The_Rise_of_Intellectual_Reform_in_Islam

Summary

In a world increasingly governed by ideals of democracy and pluralism, this program explores both the evolution of religion and freedom in Islam -- focusing on the recent rise of intellectual reform and the role of the religious intellectual -- as well the debate surrounding these changes.

Featuring Baber Johansen, Professor of Islamic Religious Studies at Harvard Divinity School; Ebrahim Moosa, Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at Duke University; and Abdulkarim Soroush, philosopher, reformer, Rumi scholar, and former professor at the University of Tehran. Talal Asad, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at the Graduate Center, moderates the discussion.

via Dustin

Pakistanis pose as Indians after NY bomb scare

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64655Y20100507

via Wajahat

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

مباشر مع الدعية الإسلامي حمزة يوسف محطات في حياته



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6BT_1dwIH0

Jazaka Allah khair, Yusuf!

Rabbi Lerner's home vandalized by zionists

http://www.jpost.com/JewishWorld/JewishNews/Article.aspx?id=174711

via Zack

Our Hearts Are Calling Out by Imam Zaid Shakir

http://www.newislamicdirections.com/nid/notes/our_hearts_are_calling_out/

via Stephen

Wajahat Ali: Against terror, our liberty is our best defence

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/may/04/new-york-terror-plot

Haroon Moghul: What Does China Have to Do with Islam and Democracy?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/haroon-moghul/what-does-china-have-to-d_b_561823.html

Robert Dreyfuss: Times Square bomb plot: Don't rush to judgment

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/may/03/times-square-bomb

Monday, May 3, 2010

"I know that societies often have killed the people who have helped to change those societies.

And if I can die having brought any light, having exposed any meaningful truth that will help to destroy the racist cancer that is malignant in the body of America -- then, all of the credit is due to Allah. Only the mistakes have been mine."

-Last paragraph of the Autobiography of Malcolm X

via Amjad Tarsin

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Frank Rich: If Only Arizona Were the Real Problem

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/opinion/02rich.html?hp

via Haroon Moghul :)

Interfaith dialogue in Union seeks to foster religious understanding

http://www.independentcollegian.com/news/interfaith-dialogue-in-union-seeks-to-foster-religious-understanding-1.2241557

Accountability in the Muslim vision of heaven

One might get the impression from the end of a New York Times book review by Mark Oppenheimer, that a Muslim vision of heaven including 'accountability' is some 'minority' view...Actually it's a pretty standard...Below are a few verses from different sections of the Qur'an about people being held accountable on the Day of Judgement for their deeds (and even asked concerning the blessings they enjoyed):

"That day mankind will come forth in scattered groups to be shown their deeds. And he who has done an atom's weight of good will see it, And he who has done an atom's weight of evil will see it." (99:6-8)

"Then, on that day, you will be questioned about the blessings [you had been given]." (102:8)

"He who does an evil deed shall be repaid its like, while he who has faith and does good works, whether male or female, shall enter the Garden, where they shall have provision without measure." (40:40)

"And the earthy will shine with the light of it's Lord, and the Book will be placed open, and the Prophets and the witnesses will be brought, and the people will be judged with full equity, and none will be wronger. And each soul will be paid in full for whatever it had done. And He knows best what they do." (39:69-70)

"And We set up a just balance [scales] for the Day of Resurrection. Thus, no soul will be treated unjustly. Even though it be the weight of a mustard seed, We shall bring it forth to be weighed; and Our reckoning will suffice." (21:47)

"And the Book [of deeds] will be placed and you will see the sinners fearful of that which is [inscribed] in it. And they say: "Woe to us! What kind of book is this that omits nothing small or great but all are noted down?" They will find all that they did placed before them, and your Lord will wrong no one." (18:49)

As for the much-repeated claim about "the fundamentalists who are moved — sometimes to violent suicide — by the promise of being serviced by dozens of dark-eyed virgins" see this earlier post.