SIGNS OF THE TIME

Right-wing bloggers call me un-patriotic because I don't accept the Thanksgiving mythology, nor do I celebrate it as a holiday. Hey, to me my way of  life (and to us, ours) and to you, yours. No problemo. But don't get it twisted and don't conflate my principled stance based upon justice with your jingoism. Africans don't celebrate slavery, the Japanese don't celebrate the days when the bombs were dropped on Hirsoshima and Nagasaki, the Jews don't celebrate the holocaust, Palestinians don't celebrate the Nakba, so why should I (or we) celebrate "Thanksgiving'" ? Because the colonizers of America do?  If those who dropped the bomb, manned the gas ovens, and usurped the holy land have their own public relations spin on their deeds, or celebrate doing so, then should those on whom the bomb was dropped, or who were marched into the ovens, or whose bones are buried beneath the cities of this land accept the spin and celebrate as well? The popu...

Every Muslim should denounce the continued bigoted and racist anti-Muslim statements of individuals involved in last night’s Republican candidate presidential debate. Stating “Obviously, Muslims would be someone you look at, absolutely," former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum identified Muslims who are “younger males” as deserving more scrutiny at airport checkpoints. He declared "The radical Muslims are the people committing these crimes, by and large, with younger males" . Herman Cain , who has made anti-Muslim statements before , continued to show us what black (meaning African American, as opposed to other ethnicities like Arabs, Southern Asians, etc. all of whom can be found in pluralistic America) Uncle Toms look like in the 21st century. In a GQ interview earlier this year Cain said "I have had one very well known Muslim voice say to me directly that a majority of Muslims share the extremist views." He never identified who the owner of that voice...

As-Salaamu 'Alaikum wa Rahmatullah During this, the 10th year anniversary of the tragedy of 9-11, we continue to correct the false narrative around Muslims in NYC and how we have responded over the years. For first installments on what will be a gradual building of a web-site on that subject, go to mibnyc.com to see: 1- An interview with a Muslim first responder from MIB 2- A Muslim 9-11 survivor of destruction of the twin towers 3- On-going activism by yours truly Much more to come between now and next year, insha'Allah peace and power, Imam Talib

INTRODUCTION: As expected, Peter King's latest convening of a congressional hearing has proved deeply flawed. On Thursday, June 9th the House Committee on Homeland Security announced its intention to hold a second hearing focused upon the “radicalization” of Muslim Americans, which subsequently took place today, Wednesday, June 15, 2011. The stated purpose of Congressional investigative hearings is the collection and analysis of information, particularly in the early stages of legislative policymaking. Last January when he announced his intention to hold the first in a series of such hearings, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) identified his committee’s mandate as an “ examination of the threat of Islamic radicalization”. He dismissed criticism of the focus of his hearings, his methodology for gathering information, and the accuracy of some of his assertions, as the whining of those concerned only with “ political correctness”. On the 9th, Mr. King stated that the latest hearing convened by h...

The Meaning of Manning Marble’s Biography of Malcolm X By Imam Al-Hajj Talib ‘Abdur-Rashid Comments delivered at the Institute of the Black World 21st Century Forum Saturday, May 7, 2011 Thanks and honor to the Institute for the Black World, 21st Century, and my friend and respected colleague, Dr. Ron Daniels. The late professor Manning Marable is someone whom I have respected over the years for his scholarship and activism in African American studies, and the labor and anti-war movements, and especially on Malcolm X. I had been aware over the years of Dr. Marable’s work on Malik Shabazz’ biography, so it was with great interest that I anticipated the release of his book. I believe that accurate and detailed accounts of the character and deeds of great men and women illuminate their greatness, and the greatness of the causes to which they have dedicated their lives. As such, while reading “Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention”, I was thrilled, inspired, stunned, energized, and empowered, b...