Archive for December, 2007
Jesus (pbuh) is also a revered prophet of Islam
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: coexistence, diversity, Fedwa Wazwaz, interfaith, Jesus in Islam, multiculturalism, Muslim view of Jesus, Muslims in Minnesota
Comments(4) By Fedwa Wazwaz
Jesus, son of Mary, peace and blessings upon them, is a revered religious figure and the bedrock of Christianity. He also is a venerated figure in Islam, the faith of some 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide.
The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings upon him, said: “Both in this world and in the Hereafter, I am the nearest of all the people to Jesus, the son of Mary, peace and blessings upon him. The prophets are paternal brothers; their mothers are different, but their religion is one.”
Like Christians, Muslims believe in the virgin birth of Jesus, upon him be peace, and in his miracles. Jesus’ life and mission are mentioned in eleven chapters of the Qur’an. A few of the chapters are titled: Maryam (Mary the mother of Jesus); Imran (noble family of Jesus), and Ma’ida (the Last Supper). Jesus, upon him be peace, is glorified in the Qur’an and is referred to as “the Messiah,” “a Word of God,” and “a Sign of God.”
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The Crescent shines for all
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: christian, coexist, crescent, cross, Islam, jewish, moon, multicultural, muslim, Nahid Khan, ottoman, turkey
Comments(6) Muslims don’t hold the patent on moon and star symbols
By Nahid Khan
One of the few benefits of our increasingly stop-and-go traffic situation in the Twin Cities is the increased opportunity to read bumper-sticker messages and think about the process of communication through this medium.
Recently, I have been noticing more and more cars sporting a nifty bumper sticker (and lately, posters and banners, including one hanging from a building on the West Bank campus of the University of Minnesota) that I want to get my own hands on. This is because it makes a thought-provoking declaration of support for pluralism in American society and perhaps the world.
The message states the word COEXIST, but the message is not limited to that one word. The word itself is designed to demonstrate the concept of coexistence, and this has been done by an imaginative and visionary designer by replacing the letters with symbols of several religions, philosophies and scientific concepts resembling the letters replaced.
I have to admit that seeing a crescent representing the first letter of the COEXIST concept always makes me smile, and that is not just because the symbol represents the religion of Islam.
Certainly, the history of the Muslim world is a history of diverse peoples interacting, trading and migrating, and of their mutual involvement in learning as well as in the synthesis and creation of knowledge, and to me, that alone justifies the use of a symbol for Islam in this message promoting pluralism.
But because the crescent is a symbol that has been used by people in many cultures and civilizations long before, and beyond, the culture of Islam to represent things higher than this Earth, the crescent itself is a sign of what various cultures and civilizations share in a history that belongs to all humanity.
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For engaging the U.S. public, Congressman Ellison is a role model for Muslims
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Guest bloggers, diversity, muslim, Islam, religion, Qur'an, middle east, ellison, assalaamu, aljazeera, pluralism, glenn beck, virgil goode, Islamophobia, ghulam haniff
Comments(2) By Dr. Ghulam M. Haniff
Last spring King Abdullah II of Jordan concluded his speech to the joint session of the U.S. Congress with the familiar salutation, “Assalamu-alaikum!” Immediately, in response a booming voice rang out from the center of the chamber with a loud “Walaikum-assalam.” Everyone present was stunned.
For a long moment there was a hushed silence. No doubt, some wondered whether this was an exchange of some secret message right in their midst. By then many heads had turned around and recognized the new face. It was none other than the first-term Congressman Keith Ellison, (D-Minn.), the newly elected representative from the fifth district of Minnesota.
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Muslims’ pilgrimage and Eid: Celebrations of Abraham
Filed under: Tamim Saidi | Tags: abraham, adha, eid, hajj, ishmael, Islam, muslim, pilgrimage, Tamim Saidi
Comments(2) By Tamim Saidi
Muslims’ Pilgrimage and Eid are celebrations of Abraham’s life and his struggles. Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice), which is the second of Muslims’ major annual celebrations, will be celebrated around the world, including Minnesota, around Dec. 20, 2007 (and about 10 days earlier each year thereafter).
The two eids, Eid of Sacrifice and Eid of Ramadan, are joyous celebrations for the 1.5 billion Muslims around the world, and are as significant to the Muslims as Christmas is to Christians.
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Myth-busting
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: abraham, arab, Elias Karmi, freedom, hate, isaac, ishmael, Islam, israeli, jewish, middle east, muslim, third world
Comments(0) Some myths in Middle East politics and religion need to be deconstructed.
By Elias Karmi
Myth: The “Ancient Feud”
Unfortunately, a few academics have fallen for this one. The myth is that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is rooted in an ancient feud between Ismael, the perceived ancestor of the Arabs, and Isaac, the ancestor of the Children of Israel, both of whom are the sons of Abraham from different mothers.
From the point of view of Muslims, this is particularly absurd. Muslims highly revere both Ismael and Isaac – peace be upon them – as holy prophets whose brotherhood transcends sharing one father. Prophets are the highest humans in good manners and their presumed falling into feuds would be quite substandard.
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A U.S. Muslim response to teacher’s jailing in Sudan
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: cair, gibbons, Guest bloggers, hooper, Islam, muhammad, muslim, sudan
Comments(1) or, What Would Muhammad Do, Part 2
By Ibrahim Hooper
{Note: The author is a University of Minnesota graduate who worked in television and educational outreach in Minnesota before becoming national communications director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). Because of user interest in the furor over the British teacher jailed in Sudan for allegedly disrespecting the prophet, EngageMinnesota is reprinting Mr. Hooper’s commentary with permission.}
During last year’s protests over publication of the Danish cartoons designed to insult the Prophet Muhammad, I wrote a commentary called “What Would Muhammad Do?”
Given the ongoing controversy over the jailing of British teacher Gillian Gibbons in the Sudan for “insulting Islam,” perhaps it is time to remind us all how the Prophet himself reacted to insults, both real and perceived.
Even if Ms. Gibbons had the intent to cause insult, which does not seem to be the case, Islamic traditions include a number of instances in which the Prophet had the opportunity to retaliate against those who abused him, but refrained from doing so.
“You do not do evil to those who do evil to you, but you deal with them with forgiveness and kindness.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
That description of the Prophet Muhammad is a summary of how he reacted to personal attacks and abuse.
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