Personally, I think Islamophobia is a bad term. Islam is perfect, Muslims are not. Therefore I can understand concern over “extreme” Muslim (or Christians, Jews, Hindus, etc.), however concern over Islam itself is a bit beyond my comprehension.
July 31, 2007
Hey There Khalilah
This is one of the funniest videos I have seen on YouTube in a while. If you want to see more of Remy’s videos, like the one below, check the link: http://www.youtube.com/user/GoRemy
July 30, 2007
Tyson – Artist in Profile
Artist: Tyson
Genre: Hip Hop, R&B, Soul
Click Here to Preview Tyson’s Newest Album “Public Service Announcement”
Classic in the most classic elements of Hip Hop. He has set a new standard of practice and application in lyrical versatility and delivery. The Big Bang Theory is that the rap game exploded and left Tyson, alone, standing in front of a microphone, and from this was born 15 tracks or atmospherical production laced in truth. This is more than having the game sewn up; this is the proverbial protocol in storytelling. This verbal Cinematographer paves a path of emphatic feeling, emotion, and experiences for us to saunter and remember. Like an artist he lays down melodic sketches of love, life, and struggle which have been coloured by his love for Allah and his beliefs. His style is expressive and free flowing. The threshold and dynamic range of his vocal dexterity remains limitless and unmatched. This album [as is his character] is natural and untreated, authentic in context and thesis, one can not help but to find themselves lost and found in this experience. Tyson has created a tier of excellence in his ability to weave life, love, struggle, truth, passion, and spirituality, beautifully throughout the album entitled: The Ghetto Messiah. A work of Art.
July 29, 2007
Press TV – New 24 Hour English News Channel
Click Here to Visit Press TV on the Web
Click Here to Watch the channel live (requires Windows Media Player)
Taken from the Press TV site:
“PRESS TV is the first international Iran-based news network to broadcast in English on a round-the-clock schedule. Our Tehran-based headquarters is staffed by media professionals from around the world. PRESS TV has an extensive network of bureaus located in the world’s most strategic places.
PRESS TV offers broad news coverage, specifically focusing on the Middle East.PRESS TV dares to tackle the controversial global news agenda and broadcasts cutting-edge documentaries with political, social and economic contents.PRESS TV’s goal is to present a deeper analysis of current affairs, aiming to show the other side of the story.”
Personally, I have watched the channel, and really enjoyed it. And, best of all, its free, so what are ya waiting for…
July 26, 2007
Illume Media Making Waves in the Muslim Community
Visit Illume Magazine on the web at www.illumemedia.org
What is Illume Magazine?
Illume Magazine is an independent media publication that aims to connect to the peoples of America and to the global electronic community in aneffort to present the beauty of Islam through web and print media.
Why Illume Magazine?
In recent years, Islam has seen an increase in attention from the mainstream media, but this attention generally presents a distorted image of Islam, which avoids addressing critical issues. The mainstream media is flooded with misinformation regarding Islam, and this is largely due to ignorance. However, the reality of the situation is that a large body of informed perspectives exists outside the mainstream. Illume Media seeks to act as an alternative media outlet for these perspectives.
Why the title, Illume?
Taking from the Prophetic Attribute, Siraajan Muneera, which means an Illuminating Lamp, Illume Magazine has been founded as an independent voice to disseminate both readily available material and original works through one medium as a means for enlightenment of the masses.
What is the philosophy behind Illume Magazine?
The organization serves to connect the hearts of the Ummah since unification is not possible without a connection. To that end, Illume Magazine looks to connect existing organizations in order to make their information available to a larger audience.
In doing so, Illume Magazine wishes to educate, invite, and enlighten humanity to the beauty of Islam and become Muslims in action regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, social status, etc. This is done by providing access to resources including, but not limited to, scholarly articles, discourses, commentaries on current affairs, notification and coverage of community events in various regions and articles on personal reflection. In keeping with the idea of reaching out to a broader audience, there are spotlights on traditional foods from different cultures, forums for art and poetry, literature and restaurant reviews. In attempts to create an interactive experience, readers can view and listen to video and audio of lectures and seek answers and advice from knowledgeable experts.
CAIR Rep Discusses ‘Good Faith’ Provision of Security Bill
CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper supports the “good faith” provision of the so-called “John Doe” bill on MSNBC’s “Tucker.”
Seven 8 Six – Artist in Profile
Visit Seven 8 Six’s Official Website at www.seven8six.net
The name SEVEN8SIX (or 786) is a popular numeric shorthand for the Islamic bismillah,or saying, “In the name of Allah,
the Beneficent,the Merciful.” The talented singing group consists of Shahaab Quraishi, Omar Razzacki, Zafar Razzacki, Muhammad Saadullah (Saad), and Muhammad Saeedullah (Saeed). These five guys come together to share a single stage with a single voice. SEVEN8SIX is the definition of harmony.
SEVEN8SIX first began in the summer of 2001 in the suburbs of Detroit. The group began as the guys unknowingly came together to sing at a friend’s wedding. They received such a positive response to their performance that the five decided to stay together as a group and direct their talents towards delivering an Islamic message. The group performed as SEVEN8SIX for the first time at the 2002 ISNA convention in Washington, DC. Most of the group’s subsequent public appearances have been at large concert events organized by Muslim groups, including major events co-sponsored in part by the Islamic Society of North America and other community organizations around the United States. Omar is currently studying at the University of Michigan in preparation for law school. Saad, who plays the tabla during performances, graduated from Eastern Michigan University, where he is a double major in Economics, Fine Arts, and is in the process of going to dental school. Zafar has a B.S.E. degree in Chemical Engineering and an M.S.E. in Biomedical Engineering. He currently does research at the University of Michigan and is planning to pursue an MD and a career in medical research. Shahaab, who attended the University of Michigan-Dearborn, majored in Economics and minored in Computer Information Systems. After working for a prestigious consulting firm, Accenture, he now does marketing strategy at Ford Motor Company. Saeed is a pre-med student at Eastern Michigan University and plans to pursue a career in medicine.
This group is working far and wide to please Allah (SWT). As Shahaab says, “We are using SEVEN8SIX as a tool for propagating Allah’s message. Although we all love to sing, that is not the reason for the group. It is something we do well together and share a passion for, but more importantly, we share a passion for being Muslim and spreading the message of Islam. None of us claims to be perfect, or that we do everything correctly, or even try to preach to others. We just want to open people’s eyes to what Islam truly is about and to tell the youth of this country that we know what you are going through and simply…we understand.”
SEVEN8SIX has grown tremendously since their first performance. Not only have they grown as singers and performers, but also as people. Each member of SEVEN8SIX is extremely thankful for everyone’s support and dua’s. “Insha’Allah, we look forward to a lot more together as a group and hope that everyone, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, can share in all that we put out. Ameen.”
July 25, 2007
The New Swimsuit Issue
Source: Time Magazine
Move over, Tankini. Since the full-coverage swimsuit dubbed the Burqini (as in burqa plus bikini) hit the international market in January, devout Muslim women have been snapping them up. The polyester suits were designed to accord with Islamic laws that require women to dress modestly and to eliminate the risk of drowning when the yards of fabric used in traditional burqas get soaked. Now, however, non-Muslim beachgoers are getting into the full-covered swim. Whether women are worried about health, weight or the tolls of age, the Burqini offers a comfortable alternative to a skimpy two-piece or clingy maillot.
The demure suits, pioneered by two Muslim women on opposite sides of the globe, are like lightweight, loose, hooded wet suits and hide everything but the face, hands and feet. Australian retailer Aheda Zanetti, 38, says she was inspired to design her Burqini after watching young Muslim girls struggle to play netball in bulky layers. Her competitor, California microbiologist Shereen Sabet, 36, came up with her full-coverage Splashgear suits after searching in vain for Islam-appropriate scuba gear. The UV-resistant, stretchy swimsuits start at $90 and have found upwards of 6,000 buyers–most of them online–in locations as varied as Malaysia, South Africa, Mexico, Ireland and the U.S. “I’m a very small business with a product the whole world wants,” says Zanetti.
Conservative Christians, cancer patients, burn victims and senior citizens, among others, have shown surprising interest. Joanne Martinez, 37, of San Clemente, Calif., bought a Hawaiian-print ensemble to stave off chills during late-night dips. Her mother Norma Suarez, 69, got a suit because her medications make her skin sun-sensitive. “We’re both hooked,” says Martinez. Meanwhile, Kathleen Petroff, 59, of Helendale, Calif., bought her Splashgear suit for a snorkeling trip, after weight gain from multiple-sclerosis treatment made her old suit unappealing. If not for Sabet’s design, she says, “I would have missed swimming with the dolphins.”
Anne Cole, the designer whose 1997 invention of the tankini was a landmark for conservative swimwear, lauds the reasoning behind the modest suits. “A woman should, above all, find a suit she can feel comfortable and be herself in,” she says. But the new swimsuits have drawn criticism from both East and West. “This is like playing a game with Allah,” asserted a poster on the website ShiaChat, complaining that the stretchy fabric reveals curves. Zanetti’s design has also brought out anti-Muslim sentiment since she’s become a high-profile member of the Islamic community. She has been called a terrorist online; she says she has even received a death threat.
Some feminists charge that burqas in any form are offensive to women. “Clearly you’re not considered a full human being if you’re mandated to cover yourself head to toe in this tent,” says Taina Bien-Aimé, executive director of Equality Now, the international women’s-rights watchdog. Sabet responds that Muslim men too have a dress code: the Koran forbids them to wear saffron or silk or expose skin from navel to knee. But Imam Mohamed Magid, who heads a moderate mosque in Sterling, Va., calls debate over Islamic clothing misdirected. “I wish there was more talk about women as leaders rather than talk about whether nail polish is acceptable in Islam,” he says. “We need to move forward.”
Still, in this bare-it-all age of the string bikini, when young girls take wardrobe cues from Paris Hilton and body-image pressure is intense, the Burqini swimsuit is making a statement. And that’s the point, the designers say: the suits allow women, Muslim or not, to choose comfort over conformity. “I know it sounds like an oxymoron,” says Sabet. “But this is really about freedom.”
Iran’s Cosmetic Craze – Al Jazeera English Report
Changing the creation of Allah? Seems quite questionable of an act if you ask me. Being of Iranian heritage, and having visited Iran many times in recent years, I can safely say that Iranians don’t get their noses altered for mainly medical reasons, but rather to look more Western. If that is the case, how can any of them answer to Allah (God) on the Day of Judgement as to the reason they altered the way Allah (God) created them. Truly, I am dumbfounded.
July 24, 2007
“Allah Made Me Funny-The Official Muslim Comedy Tour” to Be Made Into Feature-Length Concert Film
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA — 07/24/07 — “Allah Made Me Funny – The Official Muslim Comedy Tour” which features three of America’s top Muslim comics including Preacher Moss, Azhar Usman and Mohammed Amer will be made into a feature-length concert film that will showcase the comics’ on-stage performances and shine a spotlight on their lives, announced Dave Chappelle, the project’s executive producer.
Chappelle along with Unity Productions Foundation’s Michael Wolfe and Alex Kronemer will serve as the film’s executive producers. Moss and Usman will serve as producers through their jointly-held production entity, Handshake Productions LLC. Established indie filmmaker and documentarian Andrea Kalin will direct.
“Allah Made Me Funny is one of the funniest and most important comedy shows in America today. These guys are pioneers in the world of Muslim comedy and I am proud to be attached to this project,” said Chappelle.
The film will include live stand-up performances from each of the comics, along with some stylized documentary elements. Principal photography is scheduled for August 24 and August 25 at the Heritage Forum in Anaheim, California. The film’s producers also intend to incorporate an original musical score, ranging from jazz to hip-hop to R&B, with contributions from prominent and independent musical artists. A soundtrack based on the film is also under development.
Since launching in 2004, “Allah Made Me Funny – The Official Muslim Comedy Tour” has performed hundreds of shows throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. The Tour was initially created to relieve tensions and serve as a bridge-building tool between Muslims and non-Muslims to address negative stereotypes about the Muslim religion and culture in a post-9/11 world.
“Comedy gives people of all cultural backgrounds an opportunity to drop their guard and open their minds. Our goal with this film is to make audiences laugh and think,” said Preacher Moss.
Since its inception, the Tour has gained international recognition and praise by cultural and religious organizations globally and has attracted significant media attention including stories by The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX News, The San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post, Time Magazine, Newsweek International, BBC, CBC, and dozens more.
