Christian Ramadan Drummer

I love these interfaith stories...

American Mosques are Actually a Great Deterrent Against Violent Extremism

Politicians and Islamphobes tell us that American mosques are breeding grounds for radicalism. This article from Huffpo says "not so much."

Pull quote:

A 2012 CUNY Law School report, “Mapping Muslims: NYPD Spying And Its Impact On American Muslims,” found that “surveillance of Muslims’ quotidian activities has created a pervasive climate of fear and suspicion, encroaching upon every aspect of individual and community life.”

“Surveillance has chilled constitutionally protected rights—curtailing religious practice, censoring speech and stunting political organizing,” the report said. The surveillance also “severed the trust that should exist between the police department and the communities it is charged with protecting.”

Funding Islamophobia

The Fear, Inc. website has been around for a while.

A more recent article from the Guardian tells the report released by CAIR and University of California, Berkeley, on how Islamophobia is promoted by some deep-pocketed donors.

Click here to go to the University of California, Berkeley website where you can download a pdf file of the entire report.

Not All Muslims are Alike...

Attempts to humanize Muslims may have the opposite effect. From the article:

Is there really something wrong, however, with bearded, camel-riding, falafel-loving, alcohol-shunning, conservative Muslims who meet their fully veiled wives through arranged marriages and who passionately campaign against the U.S. government’s crimes? Of course not, but these videos unwittingly imply that there is something to dislike, if not fear, about them. They also marginalize the many Muslims around the world who identify with these “bad” qualities.

Read the whole thing here.

Seva = Service

A Sikh motto says "pray, work, give."

This article is a good example of how the Sikhs live out the giving part of that motto.

Orlando

This week brought another horrible mass shooting, this time at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. The killer has been identified as a Muslim.

The New York Times story, with videos, can be found here.

Since the event there have been reports that the killer, though nominally Muslim, was in fact not religious. Although he claimed allegiance to ISIS (and, apparently, other, competing Islamic terrorist groups) his motivation seems to have been complex. He was violent, homophobic, possibly conflicted about his own sexuality.

See the Time magazine story, with more video, here.

In response, there have been interfaith expressions of sympathy and condolences for the victims' families, not the least from Muslims.

Another story with video, this one from Huffpo.

Of course there are some religious folk who use the incident as an opportunity to peddle hate in God's name.

Like this sicko. I wonder where he was radicalized.

The Southern Baptist Convention's response seems torn between sympathy and legalism...

I don't necessarily agree with the spin of this story, but the facts can be found in it nonetheless.

But many, perhaps most responses from religious groups have been supportive.

Read what happened when an Orthodox Jewish Congregation went to a gay bar.

Five Little Known Facts about the Publication of the Book of Mormon

1. The first portions of the Book of Mormon available to the public were pirated.
Using E. B. Grandin’s printing office in the evenings and on Sundays, Palmyra newspaperman Abner Cole printed a newspaper that caused some stir in the neighborhood. Cole felt called to spread enlightened thought to Americans. Writing under the pseudonym of Obediah Dogberry, he presented to his readers the first chance to read portions of the Book of Mormon. First Nephi, chapter 1; parts of First Nephi, chapter 2; and parts of Alma, chapter 43 were published in three of his January 1830 issues.
When the Smith family learned that Cole was printing unauthorized excerpts from the Book of Mormon, they sent for Joseph Smith, who was living in Harmony, Pennsylvania. Joseph Smith successfully convinced Cole to stop pirating the text, but the excerpts printed in Cole’s Reflector still represent the first time any Book of Mormon text was available to the public.

Click through for the rest...

Where Were They Radicalized?

Huffpo has an op-ed piece about a hate group in Texas. The article raises my new favorite questions when learning of any religious extremist: Where were they Radicalized?

Inforgraphic: Light Ceremonies in Many Religions

 The imagery of light plays an important role in many faiths. If you have trouble reading this infographic, scroll to the bottom and click "source."




Source

Ramadan in Finland

Islam's month-long fast presents special challenges (and requires some compromises) in a land where the sun never sets...

Cultural Advisers (sic) in Hollywood

Hollywood's depictions of Muslims feed Islamophobic stereotypes. According to an article in the Deseret News that may be changing.

May. Be.

Point/Counterpoint

I found both of these articles on the same day.

On the one hand, Michael Shermer argues that religion does not increase morality. Morality has increased only by secular, Enlightenment values.

On the other hand, Megan Brandsrud reports that religion is good for one's health and well-being.

I'm not wholly convinced by either argument. Together, however, they point out the fact that religion is a mixed bag. To use Charles Kimball's terms: authentic religion increases human well-being; corrupt religion is destructive of the human spirit.

The Many Faces of Atheism

An article in the Calgary journal about "how atheists are establishing community, advocating for causes, and promoting interfaith discussions."

Click here.

Islamophobia: What would you do?

This has been around a while. In 2010 John Quinones did an episode of "What Would You Do?" dealing with Islamophobia in a Texas bakery.

Recently, it happened, unstaged, in an Ice Cream Parlor in Orange, California...

Check out this link.

Muslim in America

I can't believe I never posted this! Nine short stories about life as an American Muslim...

Click here!