Salaam,
I am pleased to announce that Al Mihrab has moved to Patheos.com, at the following new URL:
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/almihrab/
Please bookmark that new link and follow me there for all my latest blog posts!
(The old version of Al Mihrab here on wordpress.com will remain as an archive)
Check out my latest blog post about the Islamic tradition of Aqiqah here on Patheos!
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/almihrab/?p=718
Irfan
Recently I read Fawaz A. Gerges’ latest book, “Obama and the Middle East: The End of America’s Moment?” (2012). Gerges is a professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics & Political Science. I must admit, that I was skeptical at first, and did not think there would be anything new, but after reading it, I was shocked to learn some of the insights on US foreign policy over the past almost 70 years since World War II.
Gerges, who also serves as the director of the Middle East Centre at the LSEP, gives valuable historical context from his very detailed research and interviews with top officials in government as well as in the media. He also includes public statements and important behind the scenes information taken from the memoirs of world leaders such as Kissinger, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Netanyahu and many others.
Some items in Gerges book, such as Israel’s influence on US Foreign Policy may be well known to Arabs and Muslims – especially those who live overseas, but many Americans probably do not understand the full breadth of Israel’s strangle hold on the US Congress and the President of the United States.
Read the Rest of the Review Here on Patheos.
Islam and Muslims have been in the news often over the past 11 years. Ever since the tragic events of Sept. 11th, 2001, the US Media has been fascinated to know what the Qur’an – the holy scriptures of Islam, actually teaches and instructs it’s followers to do. Many Muslims, as well as Non-Muslims, unfairly take quotes from the Qur’an out of context and use them to justify acts of violence, ill treatment of people of other faiths, and oppression of women in Muslim countries. Moreover, many practices by Muslims are viewed as Islamic-only.
For example, many people believe that only the Qur’an requires women to cover their head, but how many people know that the Bible instructs women to cover their heads as well, at least when they are praying?
Read the Rest of the Post Here on Patheos
Does the first experience of Ramadan begin the same for everyone? It all depends on the time and where this all takes place. Consider the time to be during the year 1955 or early 1956, and the place was Oakland when I experienced my first month of fasting. I don’t remember for sure just what time of year it was since time has elapsed.
The ordinary calendars said nothing about when Ramadan should begin. There was very little printed literature available, except what I received in the mail from well-wishers in Africa and the Fiji Islands. Even once in a while I would get something from India or Pakistan, but they only said that the month of Ramadan was somewhat close to some equivalent month on our American Calendars. There were “Turko Tartar” community members here in the Bay Area and they had a calendar with the important Muslim holidays printed on it. Since they were some of the founders of the Islamic Center of San Francisco, we followed their advice and learned what day Ramadan would begin.
Fasting should begin just before dawn appears. When is dawn?
Read the rest of the article here on Al Mihrab Patheos.
Check out my latest blog post on the Top 10 ways on how NOT to build a Mosque in North America
Check out my latest blog post on Patheos about the “Batman-Ramadan” situation here.
Hello All
My blog has moved onto the Patheos.com website. Here is the direct link:
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/almihrab/
This site will still be online, but I will only be publishing new posts on my blog at Patheos.
Please check it out and let me know what you think!
Peace
Irfan
Asheer Akram, an artist and sculptor of Pakistani descent, was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1984. He and a group of artists and artisans from Kansas City, Missouri have started the “Pakistani Cargo Truck Initiative” – which is formatted around the visual aesthetic of the cargo trucks of Pakistan and the ideas that surround their intended purposes.
“We are building a cargo truck in the traditional Pakistani-style with a Midwest twist and a new function.” Says Akram. “For this project we have selected a 1952 Chevrolet grain truck as a shell. This style of truck is distinctly American and has been a long-standing staple in the farming industry of the Midwest. We will be tasking Midwest fine artists and artisans with taking the basic format of the traditional Pakistani cargo truck and breeding it with an American aesthetic to create a completely original, functional and culturally mixed final product. The truck will be displayed as a piece of fine art and used as a tool for social and cultural enrichment. We intend to travel this truck from one coast to the other bringing a visual aesthetic not seen by the majority of the population, to teach sculptural workshops and bring awareness to people of the importance of cultural enrichment and understanding.” Akram said.
Asheer’s team is made up of local Kansas City artists as well as others from around the country. Some of his team members include local ceramicists (Kansas City is considered to be the “Mecca” of ceramic tile and paneling in the United States), Brock Deboer & Linda Lighton. The Truck will be painted by locals Chris Foxworth and Lauren Travers.
Bill Heineken will be making the truck bling, with custom spinners for the wheels. “You heard right, it wouldn’t be Midwest meets Mideast without SPINNERS. Heineken is a genius with laser production metal fabrication and has worked with architects and artists alike.” Says Akram.
The truck’s exterior woodwork will be created by Jorge Calvo. Local Kansas City glass artist Kathy Bernard will create stained-glass like elements for the top of the cab and cargo bed. The Truck will be carrying some cargo of a compact printing press which will be built by local artist and printmaker, Jesse McAfee.
“The visual component of these vehicles [Pakistani Cargo Trucks] create a hierarchical system of value and class; the more ornate and beautiful the truck is, the more valuable the goods they will be carrying.” Says Akram.
They have started a “Kickstarter” campaign to help raise the $30,000 needed to make this project a reality. The Deadline for fund raising is May 5th. Check out the link here for more information: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/56345699/pakistani-cargo-truck-initiative?ref=live
FBI Love (Sung to the tune of Drake’s “Crew Love”)
[Verse 1]
Get your nose out of our masjid board
What you bothering us for?
There’s a room full of Pakis
What you following me for?
This aint no damn terror plot
So what you trying to entrap us for?
Cause you think we gonna blow like a C4?
Nah, sorry we cant afford to blow like a C4
Undercover agents keep the case going
with their Fake ID’s – throw em in the trash
we going straight to the top
and complaining to the President
With a hand full of dead presidents
nah we all not born foreign
Law enforcement’s been poisoned, from media flowing
so-called Terrorist experts pushing out excrement
they need to clean out their colon
Yea i said, clean out your colon, why?
Cause
[Hook]
They Hatin the Truth
[Verse 2]
Smoking Hookah under star projectors
I guess we’ll never know what FBI friends gets us
But seeing our people get spied on
Took the place of that desire to have police certificates on the wall
And really, I think I like who I’m becoming
There’s times where I might talk like it’s nothing
There’s times when I might blow up
For all my soldiers just to see the looks on all they faces
all it took was patience
I got a lotta friends to come up off the block for me
The same ones that’ll come up off the hip for me
The realest pakis say I’m an ABCD
I told my story, and made history
Tell them I’mma need reservations for 70
I’ve never really been one for the preservation of ego, nah
Much rather be humble and speak the truth while i’m breathing
That FBI and PoPo is everything you believe in, I know
[Hook]
[Outro]
We aint blowing like a C4
Sorry we too poor to blow like a C4
(If you broadcast your concerns, Paki, then your phones gonna be tapped)
Copyright 2012, Irfan Rydhan
Al Mihrab at Patheos.com
Al Mihrab 