Faith in Progress

Interfaith Leaders in Virginia Model Friendship

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:09:34 -0400

Interfaith Leaders in Virginia Model Friendship

"The struggle is that feeling overwhelmed with a past full of trauma can create something I hate more..."

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:40:18 -0400

“The struggle is that feeling overwhelmed with a past full of trauma can create something I hate more than anything: paralysis.”

- Trafficked

Narendra Modi & Right Wing Politics in India

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:20:25 -0400

In countries where materialism has been unleashed after decades of self-effacement, people have told their politicians that they don’t really care about democracy, free speech or religious tolerance, as long as they help people get richer.

Sound familiar?

Party Till Fajr: We are in this TOGETHER

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 11:13:47 -0400

Party Till Fajr: We are in this TOGETHER:

partytilfajr:

We divide ourselves because of what we think someone is, but seldom because of what they are.

This appeal to a genre/themed approach to Islam is our greatest test as a community, because it can not only create spaces where ignorance can grow, but also where the solutions to that ignorance can be kept away from those that need it.

I mean, look at how God speaks about the Muslims:

O you who have attained to faith! Be conscious of God with all the consciousness that is due to Him, and do not allow death to overtake you ere you have surrendered yourselves unto Him.

And hold fast, all together, unto the bond with God, and do not draw apart from one another. And remember the blessings which God has bestowed upon you: how, when you were enemies, He brought your hearts together, so that through His blessing you became brethren; and [how, when] you were on the brink of a fiery abyss. He saved you from it. In this way God makes clear His messages unto you, so that you might find guidance,

and that there might grow out of you a community [of people] who invite unto all that is good, and enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what is wrong: and it is they, they who shall attain to a happy state!

- The Holy Qur’an [3:102-4]

Don’t you see that we have to realize that we are in this together?

That’s in The Qur’an, He is urging us to see others, those who were once your enemies, as those who are your brothers and sisters and a key towards your salvation.

And yet, how do we see this command? As something that is unrealistic, something we could never agree to, something that doesn’t “apply to us.”

But, why do we reject it here, but when it is in other places, suddenly, we’re open to it?

In The Avengers, all the superheroes are fighting each other, suspicious of each other, doubting each others’ intentions, sure that the others were not worthy of their respect. Yet, when they come together they are able to do amazing things.

And we eat that up, and we talk about how great it is, not just from The Avengers, but anything like that.

Why?

Why is it when it’s in a movie we’re like:

But when God says it we’re all like:

The reasons may vary, and I know I’ve done this (dividing) myself, but, I’m going to be frank, I’m done with it.

The Ummah can’t afford us to create barriers between ourselves and simply explore different perspectives from those who want to share them, we have to incline ourselves towards our brothers and sisters in Islam, even if they don’t think they are ours.

I realize there is pain, I realize there are Muslims who have hurt us, who have discarded us, but we cannot create change by allowing them to have made choices for us before we have had the chance to make them ourselves.

The stories of the Prophets are littered with pain and difficulties, but why? Is it just to give us a theological “pep talk” when we’re facing tough exams? No, they are designed to give us patience and fortitude to incline ourselves to the good despite overwhelming reasons to forsake justice, towards changing the way we do things, and we must make a change to our approach, because clearly, the way we’re doing things right now isn’t working.

We must listen to those who we disagree with; we must be open to learn from those we disregard; and we must teach those who do not know what we know, for how can we be angered by those who act without knowledge, especially when we (think) we have said knowledge?

It’s the only way things can change, and I’m not satisfied by simply engaging those who think like I do, because I have much to learn, even from those who think quite differently to me, and our Ummah will get stronger the sooner we realize this.

I pray this reaches you and your families in the best of health and Iman, insha Allah.

"The United States, upholding to our beautiful Bill of Rights, has survived (albeit on a sometimes..."

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 12:40:10 -0400

“

The United States, upholding to our beautiful Bill of Rights, has survived (albeit on a sometimes bumpy road) two world wars, the Cold War and innumerable challenges without a massive, all-inclusive destruction of our civil rights. Keep in mind that the Founders created the Bill of Rights, point-by-point, specifically to address the abuses of power (look up the never-heard-from-again Third Amendment) they experienced under an oppressive British government. A bunch of angry jihadis, real and imagined, seems a poor reason to change that system. Prior to 9/11 we did not have a mass-scale terror act (by foreigners; American Citizen Timothy McVeigh pulled one off.) Since 9/11 we have not had a mass-scale terror attack. We can say 9/11 was a one-off, an aberration, and cannot be a justification for everything the government wishes to do.

[…]

…despite all this intrusion into our lives and violations of the Fourth Amendment, the system completely missed the Boston bombers, two of the dumbest, least sophisticated bro’ terrorists in the world.

”

- A Child’s Guide to Why NSA Surveillance is Bad (via wilwheaton)

"I believe that at this point in history, the greatest danger to our freedom and way of life comes..."

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 12:30:51 -0400

““I believe that at this point in history, the greatest danger to our freedom and way of life comes from the reasonable fear of omniscient State powers kept in check by nothing more than policy documents.” The steady expansion of surveillance powers, he wrote, is “such a direct threat to democratic governance that I have risked my life and family for it.””

- Snowden, in exchanges with Post reporter, made clear he knew risks (via wilwheaton)

"You never know how strong you are, until being strong, is the only choice you have left, in order to..."

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 13:43:17 -0400

“You never know how strong you are, until being strong, is the only choice you have left, in order to move on.”

- Sexual Abuse Survivor

The privileged male gaze

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 11:00:29 -0400

Yesterday I posted some content about one young Muslim’s reflections on how her hijab disrupts the normal “cruising for chicks” (aka the privileged male gaze) that some guys around her University do. The title of her post was “Why do white guys hate my hijab”.

But this is the same problem that plagues Egyptian women. See some of the videos below:

The video below is a recently created Public Service Announcement. It shows how there was a time in Egypt when sexual harassment and violence were not as prevalent. Both the above video, and the one below show how even modest clothing and the hijab don’t protect these women from abuse.

Why do Guys hate my Hijab? - The Feminist Wire

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 12:40:00 -0400

A guest article over at The Feminist Wire tells a story of a young woman who wears Hijab and the abuse she gets sometimes, particularly from young white males. Reflection on this experience yields this conclusion:

“So that’s why these white guys hate my hijab – the way I look interrupts their ‘cruises for chicks.’” More specifically, the way I dress denies them their privileged white male gaze – a privilege that society has taught them is their right, especially over women of color.

Wow. This is the awe inspiring power of faith.

The Quran says in Chapter 33, Verse 59 (I’ve bolded some words for emphasis):

“O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.”

Abdul Sattar Ahmed writes a great post about how this is exactly the protection Hijab is supposed to provide women:

In Islam, hijab is not demanded of women by men. Hijab and modesty is ordered upon women by the Merciful Ever-Living, Ever-Watchful God, as a protection and a barrier. A means of interacting in society while holding the line against anyone who would seek to harass, hit on, annoy, or irritate them. It is an outward symbol of an inward spiritual reality and aspiration. It is not a political flag for the Islamic state, it is not a sign of women’s subjugation to men, it is not a litmus test for religiosity, and it is not a measure of a woman’s piety, family background, or sign of her upbringing.

"God, give us discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that instead..."

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 11:17:00 -0400

“God, give us discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that instead we may live deep within our hearts. Grant us anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that we may wish for justice, freedom, and peace. Bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in the world, so that we can do what others claim cannot be done. Amen.”

- Common Prayer via Sojourners Blog

I found this prayer particularly moving and appropriate for our world seems inundated with easy answers, half truths and superficial relationships.

kateoplis: → Behold the art of the interview ←

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 10:36:16 -0400

kateoplis:

→ Behold the art of the interview ←

"Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better."

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 10:00:14 -0400

“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”

- Samuel Beckett

Fed Chair Bernanke on Meritocracy

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 18:00:11 -0400

From his speech at Princeton:

A meritocracy is a system in which the people who are the luckiest in their health and genetic endowment; luckiest in terms of family support, encouragement, and, probably, income; luckiest in their educational and career opportunities; and luckiest in so many other ways difficult to enumerate—these are the folks who reap the largest rewards. The only way for even a putative meritocracy to hope to pass ethical muster, to be considered fair, is if those who are the luckiest in all of those respects also have the greatest responsibility to work hard, to contribute to the betterment of the world, and to share their luck with others. As the Gospel of Luke says (and I am sure my rabbi will forgive me for quoting the New Testament in a good cause): “From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded” (Luke 12:48, New Revised Standard Version Bible). Kind of grading on the curve, you might say.

Why French Kids Don't Have ADHD

Fri, 31 May 2013 16:20:04 -0400

From this article:

French child psychiatrists, on the other hand, view ADHD as a medical condition that has psycho-social and situational causes. Instead of treating children’s focusing and behavioral problems with drugs, French doctors prefer to look for the underlying issue that is causing the child distress—not in the child’s brain but in the child’s social context. They then choose to treat the underlying social context problem with psychotherapy or family counseling. This is a very different way of seeing things from the American tendency to attribute all symptoms to a biological dysfunction such as a chemical imbalance in the child’s brain.

A Concise Summary of Islam

Fri, 31 May 2013 10:00:13 -0400

A concise summary of Islam as a faith of spirituality, belief and action (via Party Till Fajr)

Allah is the Arabic word for God, and the Islamic conception of God is of strict monotheism, generally understood by the concept of Tawhid, which is The Unique Oneness of God, which is best explicated by The Qur’an’s 112th Surah (chapter):

In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace:

Say: “He is the One God: (1)

“God the Eternal, the Uncaused Cause of All Being. (2)

“He begets not, and neither is He begotten; (3)

“and there is nothing that could be compared with Him.” (4)

Now as to what defines Islam, there can be many definitions, but Islam is generally understood as one’s submission to God, and this submission is what defines our piety. Yet, how does one define piety?

The Qur’an answers this question quite succinctly:

“True piety does not consist in turning your faces towards the east or the west - but truly pious is he who believes in God, and the Last Day; and the angels, and revelation, and the prophets; and spends his substance - however much he himself may cherish it - upon his near of kin, and the orphans, and the needy, and the wayfarer, and the beggars, and for the freeing of human beings from bondage; and is constant in prayer, and renders the purifying dues; and [truly pious are] they who keep their promises whenever they promise, and are patient in misfortune and hardship and in time of peril: it is they that have proved themselves true, and it is they, they who are conscious of God.”

The Holy Qur’an [2:177]

The Qur’an answers the question as to why we were created, where in the 51st Surah’s 56th ayah we get the following:

“And [tell them that] I have not created the invisible beings and men to any end other than that they may [know and] worship Me.”

Now, in order to understand this ayah, Muhammad Asad, the Islamic scholar who wrote the English translation of The Qur’an that I use the most, explained the above statement with the following:

Thus, the innermost purpose of the creation of all rational beings is their cognition (ma’rifah) of the existence of God and, hence, their conscious willingness to conform their own existence to whatever they may perceive of His will and plan: and it is this twofold concept of cognition and willingness that gives the deepest meaning to what the Qur’an describes as “worship” (‘ibadah). As the next verse shows, this spiritual call does not arise from any supposed “need’ - on the part of the Creator, who is self-sufficient and infinite in His power, but is designed as an instrument for the inner development of the worshipper, who, by the act of his conscious self-surrender to the all-pervading Creative Will, may hope to come closer to an understanding of that Will and, thus, closer to God Himself.

Optimist vs. Pessimist

Wed, 29 May 2013 14:20:00 -0400

I love this quote because it summarizes how I feel about trying to change the world for the better. The challenges are grave, but amazing people are everywhere doing their best.

When asked if I am pessimistic or optimistic about the future, my answer is always the same: If you look at the science about what is happening on earth and aren’t pessimistic, you don’t understand data. But if you meet the people who are working to restore this earth and the lives of the poor, and you aren’t optimistic, you haven’t got a pulse. What I see everywhere in the world are ordinary people willing to confront despair, power, and incalculable odds in order to restore some semblance of grace, justice, and beauty to this world. — Paul Hawken

Josh Barro didn’t leave conservatism. Conservatism left Josh Barro.

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:00:08 -0400

Josh Barro didn’t leave conservatism. Conservatism left Josh Barro.:

The Republican Party’s incredible shrinking policy agenda.

As a policy person, I can tell you this is absolutely true, especially on health care:

As the Republican Party’s range of acceptable policies has narrowed, the Democratic Party’s range has expanded. Stimulus based entirely on tax cuts? It’s not their preference, but they’ll take it. Market-based approaches to environmental regulation? Sure, why not. Capping the employer-based exclusion for health care? Of course. Hundreds of billions of dollars in entitlement cuts to help reduce the deficit? Uh-huh.

If you imagine a policy spectrum that that goes from 1-10 in which 1 is the most liberal policy, 10 is the most conservative policy, and 5 is that middle zone that used to hold both moderate Democrats and Republicans, the basic shape of American politics today is that the Obama administration can and will get Democrats to agree to anything ranging from 1 to 7.5 and Republicans will reject anything that’s not an 8, 9, or 10. The result, as I’ve written before, is that President Obama’s record makes him look like a moderate Republicans from the late-90s.

"The truth is, the weak economy is not out of the hands of corporations. They don’t have a tax..."

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:37:49 -0400

““The truth is, the weak economy is not out of the hands of corporations. They don’t have a tax problem. They don’t have an economic problem. They don’t have a problem of an unskilled workforce. Instead, they have an innovation problem. These companies could, for instance, invest in new initiatives or expand their business models. Very few, if any, companies are doing that.””

- Gaurdian Business Reporter Heidi Moore

Canadian sisters on front lines of rebuilding Somalia

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:12:00 -0400

Canadian sisters on front lines of rebuilding Somalia:

Two sisters from Ottawa are fighting gender violence and terrorism in Somalia. One is a military commander; one speaks out for womens rights and supports victims of violence.

Their father, Elman Ali Ahmed, would be proud. Ahmed was a well-known peace activist in Mogadishu during the early 1990s, when Somalia’s government collapsed and sectarian warfare enveloped the country. With his wife, he cared for orphans and ran community programs, including one called “Lights for Peace,” which lit the city’s dark corridors, controlled by rival warlords.

liberalsarecool: The GOP hates students, loves their debt...

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:11:00 -0400

liberalsarecool:

The GOP hates students, loves their debt payments.