Amman Adventure & Middle East Reflections

An Event to Follow

danielebert4 — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:20:20 +0000

This week (July 28-31), Yale University is hosting the “Loving God and Neighborhood in Word and Deed: Implications for Muslims and Christians” conference, involving more than 60 Muslim participants (mostly from the Middle East), a similar number of Christians (including Brian McLaren), and nine Jewish guests.

An “emergent” turn among some Muslims will surely draw multiple reactions. Consider the following post:

“I hate to admit it, but I don’t like going to mosques. Whether it’s the crudely written signs informing me I must cover myself, or the awkward way men and women avoid each other, or the Friday preaching that is just so irrelevant to my life, I usually feel happiest when I’m walking out the door.

I long for a Muslim environment that is spiritually fresher, deeper, and, perhaps most importantly, untainted by a Saudi-style conservatism or bitterness over the war on terror. With a small but growing number of “emergent Christians” – and now “emergent Jews” – reinventing the very idea of religious communities, I have also begun to hope for the emergence of a post-modern, post-9/11 Muslim faith life.”

The Muslim World

danielebert4 — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:33:04 +0000

The Muslim World is a helpful journal devoted to the study of Islam and Christian-Muslim relations. It is edited by The Duncan Black Macdonald Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, Hartford Seminary, Connecticut. One can find many useful resources here. Its hope is rather optimistic in these dark days: “It is committed to the premise that through intensive study and academically guided dialogue, mutual respect and cooperation between Muslims and Christians can and must develop.” If only things were this easy. But surely, where we can, we must work and pray for peace.

Feeding off the Hunger of the Poor

danielebert4 — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:15:35 +0000

An article by Borzou Daragahi of the Los Angeles Times, and published by the Boston Globe has the odd title “Hard-line Islamists feed off anger of poor.” The article is worth a read for a variety of reasons. In the complex situation of the Middle East and beyond, the very basic question of hunger and thirst is surely at a critical level. We neglect this to the detriment of not only a modicum of social stability, but our own humanity. That is not to suggest that the solutions will be easy — they never are! It also raises the question of who is really paying attention. One could read the article as implying that the Islamists are taking advantage of the tragedy of human hunger for their own political/religious agenda. It is undoubtedly an intentional part of a strategy. But if our response is also one of action for the sake of our own security and political advantage, then who is really “feeding off the hunger of the poor.” Shouldn’t we care for the hungry simply because they are hungry?

See the news report on the UN Global Food Summit:

“Delegates from 183 countries at the Rome talks were supposed to issue a resounding declaration on Thursday on ‘eliminating hunger and securing food for all’.”

“But squabbling about trade barriers and geopolitics raised the prospect of the statement being scrapped.”

The Impurity of Purity?

danielebert4 — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:11:02 +0000

The third from the last Sura of the Qur’an (112) is titled “al-Ikhlas,” which means “The Purity.” It is allegedly one of the earliest revelations of the Prophet Muhammad. It reads as follows:

In the name of God, Most
Gracious, Most Merciful
Say: He is Allah, the One and Only!
Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
He begetteth not nor is He begotten.
And there is none like unto Him.

A basic spiritual exposition of the Sura can be found here. Al-Iklas is an expression of Islam’s fervent devotion to the “oneness” of God. Naturally orthodox Christians and orthodox Muslims disagree about the nature of the one, true, and living God.

With this as a background, the posting [translated at Memri,org] of a jihadist platform by “The Islamic Party of East Turkestan (a mainly Muslim autonomous region in northwestern China) on the Islamist forum “Al-Ikhlas” on May 21 was particularly striking.

The platform includes the following statements:

“We are a group that promotes jihad for the sake of Allah… Its members, [united in] monotheism, devoutness, piety, and jihad for the sake of Allah, aim to liberate Muslim East Turkestan from the apostate
Communist Chinese occupation… and impose shari’a [law] in [this region]. By cooperating with the Muslim mujahideen throughout the Islamic world [we aim to] restore the Islamic Caliphate and impose shari’a throughout the world.”

“To cooperate with all the groups waging jihad for the sake of Allah throughout the world, in order to repel the attacks of the apostates…and drive the Crusaders, Zionists and apostates from our Islamic
world.”

“We believe that any presence of the apostate Chinese occupiers – be it military, governmental, political or economic – is a legitimate target for jihad… This statement is a declaration of war upon them,
and they must therefore leave East Turkestan immediately.”

“We consider the presence of Chinese immigrants in Muslim East Turkestan illegitimate. They represent the most tangible form of Chinese occupation… They must leave Turkestan and return to their
places of origin. This statement is [our] first and last warning [to them].”

“We reject…the deviant [ideology of] democracy in all its forms and [declare] our opposition to them.”

The Dishonor of Honor

danielebert4 — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 02:49:13 +0000

In an important article translated and posted at MEMRI.org, a Saudi activist by the name of Wajeha Al-Huwaidar speaks out against honor killings. There is evil in the world, and it is to our shame if we do not speak out against it as well.

Dreams and Shadows

danielebert4 — Mon, 19 May 2008 11:03:20 +0000

The subtitle of this book by Robin Wright is “The Future of the Middle East.” There are chapters on the Palestinians, Egypt (two chapters), Lebanon (two chapters), Syria, Iran (two chapters), Morocco, and Iraq. The book is well-written and is based on Robin’s many years of first hand experience in the Middle East. The book is like a primer on the Middle East that focuses on both the opportunities and obstacles which confront democracy. There are some wonderful sentences in the book, such as: “Petroleum and democracy do not mix well” (p. 9). Or the quoted comment that the Arab world is developing, but that for now “the trend is toward participatory despotism” (p. 8).

Sharia and Democracy

danielebert4 — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 12:19:30 +0000

I have just read a book which I highly recommend: Arguing the Just War in Islam, by John Kelsay. The early chapters are important and lay a foundation; the final chapters are essential reading. You will find here also references to a scholar at Emory University, whose lecture you MUST listen to: “The Future of Shari`a: Secularism from an Islamic Perspective,” Annual Currie Lecture, The Center for the Study of Law and Religion, Emory School of Law, January 29, 2007. It is available at: http://sharia.law.emory.edu/fr/welcome. If and when you have time to read and book (it is not long) and listen to and watch the lecture, I would love to hear your reactions. I found these items stimulating and encouraging.

With regard to women in Islam, you might also find the following helpful: “In Recognition of Women,” by Kaled Abou El Fadl.

Forthcoming: Murder in the Name of Honor, by Rana Husseini

danielebert4 — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 20:31:51 +0000

Chronogram Magazine – April 01, 2008 – No Honor in Killing via kwout

What Would You Have Done?

danielebert4 — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:17:53 +0000

Sada Cumber: U.S. Special Envoy to Muslim Nations

danielebert4 — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:50:24 +0000

President Bush has finally appointed a special envoy to the Organization of Islamic Conference, a caucus of 57 Muslim nations. He is Sada Cumber, a Pakistani native, an entrepreneur from Texas (recently chairman and CEO of SozoTek, a technology company).