Comments on: My Time in a Madrassa

By: mlynxqualey

mlynxqualey — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:50:01 +0000

This bit of (related) sensibility from the Bush administration is quite surprising to me:

‘Jihadist’ booted from government lexicon
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i3X6Gha4z-MCq9pU0vC4FWqDCXrwD908CUGO0

By: mlynxqualey

mlynxqualey — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:56:45 +0000

Roscoe,

Both are important–words and actions. Our ideas shape, and our shaped by, the language that we use. There is no way to separate human words, thoughts, and actions.

Certainly, any abuses that occur in any school–anywhere in the world, exacted by anyone–are terrible, reprehensible, something we all should address. Children are vulnerable and deserve our special protection.

However, let’s not forget that abuses exist and are perpetuated by the stories we tell ourselves, by ideas and by language. If we decide that the word “madrassa” means “terrorist,” it is a way of relating to the Arabic-speaking world, a way of defining relations…and, from this, actions–and abuses–follow. (For historic examples, look at the ways language has been used to define and frame African-Americans, how it was used during the Rwanda genocide, against European Jewry, against Palestinians. And the sorts of violence these framings/namings entail.)

And, of course, thanks for your comments!

By: zainib

zainib — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:49:19 +0000

Very well written and courageous article, Marcia. I hope your message of common sense gets out. When we first heard about Al-Qaeda, after 9/11, the Arabic reader my kids used, to learn basic Arabic letters, was called a “qaeda”, which, to me simply meant “a book that teaches basic Arabic”. My husband would cringe every time I called the kids, “Come here for your qaeda”, and suggested I used a different word, one that had not been “uglified”. I did not think I should change the name of something as innocent and harmless but I have noticed that over the years I have unconsciously dropped the word. Thank you Marcia for reminding me that my kids read a qaeda and it is ok! My kids are on the waiting list for TIZA and I am a mother who will not let them watch ANY violent tv shows, play ANY violent video games, or even even joke about hitting or hurting someone. I say to them, “kids isn’t there enough fighting in the world?”. We can all agree on that one.

By: 1roscoe

1roscoe — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 06:58:03 +0000

here is the link to Madrasah – An Islamic School To Learn ‘Ignorance’ Written by Sujit Das
Thursday, 03 April 2008
http://islammonitor.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1252&Itemid=64

By: 1roscoe

1roscoe — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 06:48:25 +0000

There are different kinds of madrassa, just like there are different people of different races, gender, ethnicity, nationality, religion, and/or sexual orientation.
Instead of dealing in semantics (school, escuela, madrassa, école)and worrying about what Katherine Kirsten wrote, you should be more concerned about the bitter experience of a 12 years old and his time in a Madrassa, a student from Kenya who had this to say:
“It was a terrible place, they chain both legs and both arms, sometimes hands and feet together, They beat us at lunch time, dinner time and grab both legs and hands and give us lashes on the buttocks. We sleep in chains, eat in chains, and go to the toilets in chains. Sometimes we are hooked on the roof in chains and left hanging. We have to memorize the Koran and get punished if we cannot recite the Koran in the classroom”.http://islammonitor.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1252&Itemid=64

And also show some concern for what is going on in these radical Pakistani madrassas today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a4_UGGIcCI
watch this clip from UK television, a horrifying look at the rising Islamic supremacism in Pakistan, as extremist, jihad-promoting madrassas flourish despite Pervez Musharraf’s many pledges to crack down on them.

All Minnesotans and especially the Minnesota Muslim community needs to speak out against these violent acts of brutality against children.
For Gods/Allah’s sake let you voices be heard.