Monthly Archives: September 2007

Interfaith Understanding: Not Islamo-Fascism

With reference to “Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week” (the week of October 22-26, 2007), it is alarmingly odd to hear that there persist to be individuals and so-called neoconservatives in university campuses who claim to be more knowledgeable than that the rest of society [and claim the right] to justify their prejudice against Islam and Muslims.

Instead of hate rhetoric aimed at teaching American students how to stigmatize Islam as fascist, the effort should be made to bring Muslim, Christian, Jewish and other religious communities together to increase dialogue, understanding, and peace. We have many examples of those who were misguided by naïve teachers before and after the tragic events of September 11. Continue reading Interfaith Understanding: Not Islamo-Fascism

On the Jihadwatch Watch

by Vernon Schubel, Kenyon College

I have been working on a book on Humanism in Islam and in an introductory chapter I dig deeply into Jihadwatch because I believe it is primarily designed to deny the humanity of Islam by reducing it to a totalitarian political system. I feel I need to bathe whenever I read Jihadwatch. Robert Spencer, David Horowitz and his compatriots often assert that they are not against Islam only “Islamo-facism.” But they in numerous places identify the two as the same. On its banner head, Jihadwatch.com has a link to a remarkable article by the author and film maker Gary P. Davis called “Islam 101,” which he describes as a summary of the ideas in his book, Religion of Peace? Islam’s War Against the World, and film, the equally ominously titled, Islam: What the West Needs to Know –an Examination of Islam, Violence and the Fate of the Muslim World. According to Davis, “Islam 101” is designed “to help people become better educated about the fundamentals of Islam and to help the more knowledgeable better convey the facts to others.” Davis warns his readers that Muslims and Muslim apologists will try to tell them that Islam is a “religion of peace.” But he tells them that this is not true. Instead he presents Jihad defined narrowly as armed warfare against non-Muslims as the core of Islam. And he argues that this is the case because Islam is not “a personal faith.” It is instead “a political ideology” that exists in a permanent state of war with non-Muslims. In fact Davis equates Islam with fascism saying:

The misbegotten term “Islamo-fascism” is wholly redundant: Islam itself is a kind of fascism that achieves its full and proper form only when it assumes the powers of the state.

In another place he states:

It is important to realize that we have been talking about Islam — not Islamic “fundamentalism,” “extremism,” “fanaticism,” “Islamo-fascism,” or “Islamism,” but Islam proper, Islam in its orthodox form as it has been understood and practiced by right-believing Muslims from the time of Muhammad to the present.

So it should be clear “Islamo-fascist awareness” is designed here to identify Islam with Fascism.

The fact that these people have access to power, media, and political campaigns is extremely serious. This needs to be challenged at every turn by pointing out that Islam cannot be reduced to isolated verses in its primary texts. Instead, Islam arises as the dialogue of Muslims with the Qur’an, the life of the Prophet and the events of its early history as they use those events to think and respond to their own current circumstances. Muslims are as diverse in their responses to their religious sources as any other religious tradition.

Bulldozing the [Arti]Facts

As an individual in Academe who has already achieved the career-defining rite of pedagogical passage known as “tenure,” the issue of a fellow scholar potentially being denied tenure in a highly politicized media campaign becomes an issue of concern. I am not so puffed up to think that tenure status is ipso facto a mark of praiseworthy expertise. There are far too many examples out there of professors who are not any better for having been collegially granted a life sentence or who drop out of publishing and professional sight once they are “in.” Some use the bestowed honor to promote their own partisan views at the expense of teaching others by example to enhance critical thinking. But one thing that I do find sacred about the status is that it is necessarily judged in the local academic context. If one’s peers and administrative lords agree that a certain professor deserves tenure, then so be it. It is not as though a pope is being elected to shepherd the whole flock. Outside interference is indeed interference, especially when the deliberated judgments of a range of responsible individuals at a major college are being challenged.

One current case at Barnard College has hit the media, a rarity except when an outside group has a strong partisan bias. This is the case of Nadia Abu El-Haj, who teaches anthropology. Continue reading Bulldozing the [Arti]Facts

Image Wars and Westernization

[On the sixth anniversary of the September 11 tragedy, it is worthwhile revisiting comments made soon after the event. The following is an excerpt from a commentary by Michael Sells, reflecting on events before Afghanistan was invaded and Iraq was occupied. His full reflections are available by clicking here.]

I’m been giving talks on the various components behind the current situation. Today’s rumination is sparked by an 8th grader question at a forum I was giving: “why can’t we find Bin Laden if he’s always on TV.” The question knocked me out. The 8th grader had hit upon a core problem.

Bin Laden is a guy living with the Taliban who have banned all images (except for identity card photos), blown up ancient Buddha’s, but who invite Western camera crews in to make videos of them themselves smashing TV’s, tearing up video and audio cassette film, and stomping on photographs. At the same time they encourage Bin Laden to make regular videos of himself to be shown throughout the world on a regular basis. And they invite Western media in to photography and image both Bin Laden and their ritual destruction of images and media. Continue reading Image Wars and Westernization

The Letters of Badr Shakir al-Sayyab: #3


[Statue of Badr Shakir al-Sayyab in Basra, Iraq.]

[Note: This is the third in a series of translations of selected letters of the noted Iraqi poet Badr Shakir al-Sayyab. Click here for #1 and click here for #2.]

Letter #3 (5/7/1947)

My Dear Brother, Saleh, (Jawad al-Tu’mah)

As I write to you, I am suffering from the most difficult and severe physical condition, but I feel that loneliness weighs more heavily on me than illness itself. I have waited a very long time for the arrival of a letter from you. You said that you would begin writing… but I forgive you because I can surmise why you have forgotten or have become oblivious to the fact that there is a lonely person out there whose sorrows would be alleviated by your letter. It is spring, and not only flowers blossom in spring, but hearts and souls as well. Perhaps the decadent spring has stretched its tender fingers to your heart, tickling it and awakening it to love or perhaps the approach of final examinations has distracted you from everything except studying and being diligent. Continue reading The Letters of Badr Shakir al-Sayyab: #3

The Land and the Book #3: Under the Cedars of Lebanon

The Land and the Book by William Thomson revels in the open countryside, where the author would have the pilgrim join in under the stars, especially when the bed is stretched out in a grove of cedars on Mt. Lebanon. Here is the missionary’s description of the magic of the cedars over 150 years ago.

Have you ever visited these cedars?

Many times. They are situated high up on the western slope of Lebanon, ten hours south-east from Tripoli. Besherrah is directly west, in the romantic gorge of the Khadusha, two thousand feet below them, and Ehden is three hours distant on the road to Tripoli. In no other part of Syria are the mountains so Alpine, the proportions so gigantic, the ravines so profound and awful. You must not leave the country without visiting the cedars. Continue reading The Land and the Book #3: Under the Cedars of Lebanon

Bin Laden: Another Sequel

Probably the last pre-October surprise that President Bush wanted as we approach the sixth anniversary of the tragedy of 9/11 is a new videotape from Osama Bin Laden. The bearded man who still appears on the White House “Wanted: Dead or Alive” poster has defied attempts to find him and bring him to justice. Billions of dollars and far too many sacrificed American, Iraqi and Afghan lives later, the icon of those who despise American foreign policy in the Middle East will not disappear. Rumsfeld, Gonzales and Rove have been jettisoned to the neocon mash potato lecture circuit, but the lame duck president may very well leave office while Osama is still sitting in front of the cameras. What does a man like Osama think about in exile? Continue reading Bin Laden: Another Sequel