Tag Archives: Muslims

Study: American Muslims Pose Little Threat

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In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved

Let me start with this: I have never understood and completely abhor those fellow Americans who plot to hurt innocent people in this country. It is a betrayal beyond all measure, and they deserve to be punished severely, if convicted of the allegations made against them. And, definitely, homegrown terrorism is a threat that must be dealt with. Yet, especially during this election season, we cannot let alarmism and fearmongering win the day.

Some elected politicians have talked about the threat from – not “homegrown terrorism” in general – but “Muslim” or “Islamic” homegrown terrorism specifically. Congressman Peter King, chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, held four hearings in 2011 to examine “the extent of Muslim-American radicalization by al-Qaeda in their communities today and how terrible it is, the impact it has on families, how extensive it is, and also that the main victims of this are Muslim-Americans themselves.”

A study by the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security examined Muslim homegrown terrorism, and it declared:

Threats remain: violent plots have not dwindled to zero, and revolutionary Islamist organizations overseas continue to call for Muslim-Americans to engage in violence. However, the number of Muslim-Americans who have responded to these calls continues to be tiny, when compared with the population of more than 2 million Muslims in the United States and when compared with the total level of violence in the United States, which was on track to register 14,000 murders in 2011.

As the report says, this number is not “negligible,” but it is far less than some people would have you believe. And the number of plots and those who support them have been decreasing:

In addition to the decline in violent plots, the number of Muslim-Americans indicted for support of terrorism — financing, false statements, and other connections with terrorist plots and organizations, aside from violent plots — fell from 27 individuals in 2010 to 8 in 2011, bringing the total to 462 since 9/11.

Again, not “nothing,” but not a “scourge” as some would have you believe. In fact, a significant proportion of those plots were foiled by Muslims themselves: 

Muslim-Americans continued to be a source of initial tips alerting law-enforcement authorities to violent terrorist plots. Muslim-Americans turned in 2 of 14 individuals in 2011 whose initial tip could be identified, bringing the total to 52 of 140 since 9/11.

The findings of this study have been replicated by other studies as well. The point is: homegrown terrorism is a very important issue, and again, as an American I expect law enforcement officials to expend every effort to stop terror plots from being materialized. But, as Professor Charles Kurzman, author of the current study, told the New York Times: 

terrorism by Muslim Americans  [is] “a minuscule threat to public safety.” Of about 14,000 murders in the United States last year, not a single one resulted from Islamic extremism, said Mr. Kurzman

Let not the forces of hatred succeed in dividing us through fear and misinformation. Let us be a better people and better nation than that.
Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/commonwordcommonlord/2012/02/study-american-muslims-pose-little-threat.html#ixzz1lqif3AaP

Sharia and Shopping

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In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved

Year after year I watch as the holiday shopping season begins and ends without much incident for me. Indeed, it is a good time to scoop up some really good deals on whatever I may need: luggage, electronics, and the like. Yet, I am not a part of the frenzied shopping scene, because I do not celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. While that does not mean I do not honor and revere Christ, which is something that I do as a devout Muslim, nevertheless, I am not out shopping for various gifts for family and friends.

Yet, sometimes, I wonder what it would be like if there was an “Eid shopping season,” which are the main Islamic religious holidays. I wonder how it would be if there was a “Black Friday,” which is also the Muslim Sabbath, for the Muslim holidays. I wonder what it would be like to have Muslim holiday songs playing non-stop on a number of radio stations. I wonder what it would be like to have people’s houses all decorated with lights for the Eid holidays.

Indeed, I do not have to wonder about such things. All I need to do is travel to a majority Muslim country and experience this myself during Ramadan and the days afterward. Yet, I wonder what that would be like with an American consumerist bent: “Hurry now for your last-minute Ramadan deals!” “Come in today for pre-iftar (sunset meal) doorbusters!” “Eid is around the corner, and these fantastic sales won’t last forever!”

True, this “Muslim holiday shopping season” would occur a little earlier each year, because the Islamic religious calendar is a lunar one. Still, an American Muslim holiday shopping season would be kinda cool.

Now, now, relax: I am not trying to pour “Sharia law” all over you. This feeling comes out of a small amount of sadness over the degree to which forces in our country are actively trying to marginalize the American Muslim community, to make it the perpetual “Other” that must be feared and fought. Indeed, whenever companies try to market to the Muslim community — such as Whole Foods during Ramadan or Butterball turkeys during Thanksgiving — there is almost always a cry of alarm that Muslims are trying to “Islamize” the United States and force “Sharia law” down everyone’s throats. The same goes with the reality program “All American Muslim,” which is currently airing on TLC.

During the Republican presidential campaign, the degree of Muslim-bashing is astounding. When asked who should be profiled, former Senator Rick Santorum replied: “Well, the folks who are most likely to be committing these crimes. “If you look at — I mean, obviously, it was — obviously, Muslims would be — would be someone you’d look at, absolutely. Those are the folks who are — the radical Muslims are the people that are committing these crimes, as we’ve — by and large, as well as younger males.”

Herman Cain remarked that when his doctor with an Arab-sounding name turned out to be Christian, he said: “Hallelujah! Thank God!” This is not to mention the hysteria of Newt Gingrich, the latest Republican frontrunner, about the “threat” posed to the United States by “Sharia law.”

Deep down, I know that this anti-Muslim sentiment is not reflective of the whole of the American people. By and large, the American people have been welcoming and kind to their Muslim neighbors, which has been confirmed by polls of American Muslims and my own personal experience as an American Muslim. Nevertheless, it still does bother me that there are those who want to “otherize” (using Reza Aslan’s term) me simply because of my faith. It does serve to motivate me more to engage my society: get to know my neighbors, participate in the local life of my community, vote in each election, large and small. And I know that, in the end, these friends and fellow community members will accept me as one of their own, even though I don’t light up my house during the Christmas season. That’s because I know my people — the American people — are very good people indeed.

This first appeared in Middle East Online.

Hajj Lessons: How to Improve Our Ummah

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In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved

October 28 marked the first day of the last month of the Islamic calendar, Dhul Hijjah, and it marked the beginning of the Hajj season. Now, millions of elated pilgrims are descending upon the valley of Mecca to perform this truly amazing, once-in-a-lifetime event. I was blessed to perform the pilgrimage in 2003, and it was the most powerful spiritual experience of my life.

When everyone is dressed in the ihram garb, which are two white unstitched cloths (for men, and any loose, full-coverage garments for women), they are commanded by God to avoid hurting or harming anyone in thoughts and deeds. At this time, more than any other I have ever experienced, one can sense the ideal nature of theummah, or global Muslim community: An entire human family working together in peace and harmony.

As I and the rest of the world witnessed the recent release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, after a relentless pursuit by not only his family, but the entire nation of Israel and much of the Jewish Diaspora, I lamented the state of our own ummah. Sadly, I did not think that we, as Muslims, have the same sort of care for our own as Israel had for Gilad Shalit.

A natural question that comes out of this lament is: What can we do about it? Is there anything that we, as individual Muslims, can do to help make the ummahbetter? Yes, we can support the myriad of relief organizations that tragically have no shortage of work to do helping the poor and drown trodden of the Muslim world. But is there something beyond this that we can do to make the ummah act as if it is wearing the ihram garb?

Indeed, there is.

We can begin by greeting each other with the greeting of “peace.” The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, “Spread greetings of peace, feed (the poor and needy), behave kindly to your relatives, offer prayer when others are asleep, and you will enter Paradise in peace.” Reportedly, he said this soon after he arrived in Madinah, where he built the first Muslim ummah. And notice, the first thing he said was to “spread greetings of peace.”

We must do the same. So many times, I have noticed that when I see a fellow Muslim and say, “Assalamu-alaikum,” I either get no response at all or a muffled grunt at best. Sometimes, I do get a response and even a smile, and the connection I make with that brother or sister is amazing. In fact, when we say, “Assalamu-alaikum,” we are doing something quite profound: We are asking God to send down His peace upon you. It is one of the best things that we can ask God to do for someone.

We must do more of this. We must say, “Peace,” to every Muslim we see, and whenever we are greeted by a fellow Muslim, we must — I repeat, must — respond in kind. It is fulfilling the command of God: “But when you are greeted with a greeting [of peace], answer with an even better greeting, or [at least] with the like thereof. Verily, God keeps count indeed of all things. (4:86)”

When I visited Cairo over five years ago, everyone said “Assalamu-alaikum” to everyone else. Even Christians say “Assalamu-alaikum.” It was devoid of any real meaning for me. Although the greeting was used constantly, I felt there was a lack of meaning behind it. But here in the West, when I see a fellow Muslim smile and say “Assalamu-alaikum,” it means something very special, whereby I am making a connection to a fellow believer and human being and praying for their peace from the Lord.

God tells us: “Verily, God does not change men’s condition unless they change their inner selves. (13:11” The change must begin with us, and the thing that we can do right now is to “spread peace” amongst ourselves. When we all start to do this, the bonds of our brotherhood and sisterhood will grow in strength and quality. And, God willing, the state of our ummah will improve for the better.

This first appeared on Patheos.com

Security and Trust vs Suspicion and Scapegoating

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In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved Lord

Ever since 9/11, the American Muslim community has been placed under a tremendous amount of scrutiny. Even now, more than ten years after those terrible events, the cloud of suspicion has not lifted over the community. According to a months-long investigation, the Associated Press has published an article claiming that the New York Police Department, with apparent help from the CIA, has engaged in an aggressive intelligence-gathering operation within the Muslim community. According to the article:

The department has dispatched undercover officers, known as “rakers,” into minority neighborhoods as part of a human mapping program, according to officials directly involved in the program. They’ve monitored daily life in bookstores, bars, cafes and nightclubs. Police have also used informants, known as “mosque crawlers,” to monitor sermons, even when there’s no evidence of wrongdoing…Many of these operations were built with help from the CIA, which is prohibited from spying on Americans but was instrumental in transforming the NYPD’s intelligence unit.

An enormous amount of taxpayer money, $1.6 billion since 9/11, has been spent on such an operation. In addition, Wired magazine reports that highly inflammatory anti-Islam materials have been used to paint the entire American Muslim community as “violent” and “radical.” According to the article: “The FBI is teaching its counterterrorism agents that ‘main stream’ [sic] American Muslims are likely to be terrorist sympathizers; that the Prophet Mohammed was a ‘cult leader’; and that the Islamic practice of giving charity is no more than a ‘funding mechanism for combat.’”

The facts, however, consistently belie the contention that the American Muslim community is a violent “fifth column.” According to a U.S. Justice Department study conducted by two North Carolina Universities:

Although the vast majority of Muslim-Americans reject extremist ideology and violence, a small number of Muslim-Americans have radicalized since 9/11. In the eight years following 9/11, according to our project’s count, 139 Muslim-Americans committed acts of terrorism-related violence or were prosecuted for terrorism-related offenses that involve some element of violence. This level of approximately 17 individuals per year is small compared to other violent crime in America, but not insignificant. Homegrown terrorism is a serious, but limited, problem.

The reasons for this, according to the study, are: (1) public and private denunciations of violence, (2) robust self-policing practices and community building, (3) heightened political engagement, and (4) an assertive Muslim-American identity which, the study has shown, has served to undercut the radical message that American values and practices are hostile to Islam. Moreover, opinion polls have consistently shown American Muslims to overwhelmingly reject violence against innocent people, much more so than their Christian and Jewish compatriots.

A recent Gallup survey asked if attacks on civilians by individuals or small groups is ever justified, 89% of Muslims said it is “never” justified. This is more than Protestants (71%), Catholics (71%), Jews (75%), Mormons (79%), or those without any religious affiliation (76%). Asked if it was “sometimes” justified, Muslims were the least in saying yes. A more recent Pew survey has reiterated these findings, with 81% of American Muslims believing that suicide terrorism is never justified.

Further, according to Michael E. Rolince, former FBI Special Agent in Charge of Counterterrorism in the Washington D.C., field office:

“We conducted about a half a million interviews post-9/11 relative to the attacks of 9/11, and this is important because your community gets painted as not doing enough and you could have helped. I’m not aware — and I know 9/11 about as well as anybody in the FBI knows 9/11 and that’s not bragging that’s just the reality — I’m not aware of any single person in your community who, had they stepped forward, could have provided a clue to help us get out in front of this.”

He said this in 2005 at the Muslim Public Affairs Committee’s annual convention.

So, why the continued suspicion and mistrust of the Islamic-American community? Leave aside the fact that making sweeping generalizations and painting an entire community with the sins of its criminals is patently un-American. Making all Muslims out to be “terrorists-in-waiting” hurts our national security. As the article in Wired says:

The FBI isn’t just treading on thin legal ice by portraying ordinary, observant Americans as terrorists-in-waiting, former counterterrorism agents say. It’s also playing into al-Qaida’s hands. Focusing on the religious behavior of American citizens instead of proven indicators of criminal activity like stockpiling guns or using shady financing makes it more likely that the FBI will miss the real warning signs of terrorism. And depicting Islam as inseparable from political violence is exactly the narrative al-Qaida spins — as is the related idea that America and Islam are necessarily in conflict.

Now, I am under no illusion of the daunting task of preventing another terrorist attack placed before law enforcement officials all across this country. I think I can safely speak for all Americans when I say that I expect nothing less than a relentless effort on the part of law enforcement to root out every single potential terrorist or terrorist plot. But training law-enforcement officials to fear every single peaceful, law-abiding Muslim citizen sends a chilling message of deep suspicion and mistrust, as well as frank betrayal, when what is needed is even stronger collaboration and cooperation.

The American Muslim community is a willing partner in the fight against terrorists who seek to harm innocent Americans. Many domestic terror plots by Muslims, in fact, have been foiled by the American Muslim community itself. I can see how most Americans would think it to be understandable, if not logical, to spy on the Muslim community, given that Muslim extremists successfully attacked NYC twice. Yet, I fear that such spying will further damage an already frail relationship between the Muslim community and law enforcement, and this is the last thing that either party needs. I hope and pray that, through these revelations, smarter heads in our law-enforcement agencies will prevail.

This article first appeared in Middle East Online.

“Never Let Your Hatred Move You…”

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In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved LORD

This was published on my Beliefnet blog, Common Word, Common Lord, on September 11

It seems hard to believe that ten years – a full decade – have passed since that horrific day in September when the country endured a trauma unlike any she has ever suffered. I still remember the unimaginable scenes of terror, horror, dread, and destruction. I hoped and prayed that what I beheld on the television screen was a terrible dream, with the disgusting realization that it was no dream at all.

Reflecting over the past decade since 9/11, during which almost everything that has occurred had something to do – either directly or indirectly – with said attacks, there is one thing that comes into my mind time and again:

Never allow your hatred of a people lead you to commit injustice… (5:8)

This verse of the Qur’an, perhaps one of its most powerful, is wholly relevant to the events that transpired in the decade since 9/11.

Of course, our country had the right to bring those who attacked our country to justice. Of course, our country has every right to pursue those barbarians who seek to harm our people at every chance they get. But, that should not mean that we give ourselves the right, in the name of 9/11 and those who died on that day, to attack, and bomb, and invade at will all across the globe. It is not right or honorable or proper to lead to the deaths of tens of thousands and the displacement of  millions of equally innocent people in the name of self-defense.

We must “never let [our] hatred of [those vicious barbarians] lead [us] to commit injustice...”

Some of our people have shown us – meaning the American Muslim community – an ugly face. Some of our people, seeking “revenge” against the terror committed in the name of our faith by those who do not truly follow the faith, have attacked American Muslims, attacked their houses of worship, attacked women who wear the headscarf, and tried to make them feel unwelcome in their own country. They must remember to “never let their hatred [for the terrorists] lead them to commit injustice.”

These terrorists have nothing to do with us. We have nothing to do with these terrorists. They are mindless murderers, who twist our faith to try to justify their violence and murder. They are like all religious extremists: they will use their sacred texts to justify their actions. But, that does not mean that what they say is true. That does not mean that we are like them. We are not like them. Attacking us and smearing our faith does not fight the terrorists: it only emboldens them to continue their violence.

Please remember: “never let your hatred [of the terrorists] move you to commit injustice” and attack American Muslims. We are on your team and are part of your family as Americans. We are not the enemy: the terrorists are…and we are not those people.

On the same token, we must remember that, despite the actions of those ignorant people among us who seek to lump all Muslims into the same “terrorist” bag, the majority – the overwhelming majority – of our people are good people who are not like the ignorant among them. The majority – the overwhelming majority – treat their Muslim neighbors with kindness and respect, becoming of the spirit of America. Despite the hatred of those ignorant people, we American Muslims must “never let [the hatred of the ignorant ones] move [us] to commit injustice.”

We American Muslims must never let the hatred of the ignorant make us recoil in hatred and separation from the rest of our country and her people. Despite the actions of the few ignorant ones among us, it must never let us give up on America. America is beautiful, her Lord is Beautiful, and her people are beautiful, despite the ugliness of the ignorant.

On this day of prayer and remembrance, ten years after the horrific attacks on our country, we must all – every American of every stripe – pledge to reject the hatred of those who want to hate. We must pledge to work together, be together, and move forward as one people. It is the way the Lord wants us to be, and it is the way we can honor those who died on 9/11, ten years ago.

So Very Glad I Did It

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In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved LORD

It has only been a few days, but it almost seems that Ramadan is a distant memory. Now, I am eating and drinking during the day, and although it still feels a little weird, it is a most welcome change. Indeed, I am trying to keep up  the good habits I learned during Ramadan, and I am trying to keep it’s spirit alive for as long as possible. Yet, when I reflect over the past month of fasting during the very hot days of August, I can only smile with happiness.

I am so very glad I did it.

It feels so great to have been able to fast during the month of Ramadan this year. There is a tremendous sense of accomplishment, perhaps because of the fact that the days were long and frequently hot. Yet, on a more important level, I am so glad that I was able to suck it up and fast despite my tremendous fear as the month started. I am so glad that I overcame my weakness and stuck it out for God.

More than any other ritual practice of Islam, fasting is the one ritual that God says is for Him. According to the Sacred Tradition, God said: “Fasting is for Me, and I give the reward for it.” That is because, more than any other ritual practice, you can’t fake fasting. When you are alone – and it is hot, and you are very, very thirsty – you simply cannot keep fasting if you are doing it for show.

But, if you are doing it for God, as an act of love in return for His tremendous love for you, then despite all the thirst and hunger in the world (assuming you don’t get sick), you simply will not break down and eat or drink. You will suck it up and stick it out. At least, I did so, even on days when I could not bear the hunger or thirst. And I am so happy that I did, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to do so.

I hope and pray that the Lord will accept my fasts this year and every subsequent year until the day I die. Although I can’t predict the future, I do pledge that I will do my best to fast and fast faithfully each and every year, because I love God so very, very much.

And that is because He loved me first.

Ramadan Realities

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In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved Lord

This was published on the Beliefnet blog, City of Brass:

As Ramadan approached, I had no small amount of dread. Fasting, of all the ritual practices of Islam, is the most difficult for me to do. I am not happy to admit this, but this is one of my (many) human weaknesses. Add to that the long, hot days of summer, and you get dread on my face and in my soul. In fact, I addressed this fear in a poetic letter to my soul just before the month began.

Now, Ramadan is here in full force, and I will just have to suck it up and fast. It is strongly recommended to eat a pre-dawn meal/snack called suhoor, and it is for good reason, too, especially in the long days of summer. But, I usually do not do so: I don’t feel well afterwards, and it makes the entire rest of the day even more difficult. I remember once during Residency, I ate gyros for suhoor, and I regretted it SO much. I had horrific heartburn the entire first half of the day, and I could not take anything to make it better. Never again, I said to myself. Mostly, my suhoor is a large heaping of water to help keep me as hydrated as possible for the coming day of fasting.

Yet, no matter how much water I will drink before the time to stop eating and drinking, it is inevitable that I will get thirsty as the day wears on. So, I change some of my routine: I stop working out in the morning throughout Ramadan. I could – theoretically – get up at 3 AM and hit the elliptical…but that is madness. I need sleep more than I need exercise, especially during Ramadan, when I stay up a little later to pray special prayers. So, no exercise for me. Last year, when I was training for the Chicago Marathon, I also skipped my Ramadan runs. And, I was still able to finish the race with a time of 5:37, thanks be to God.

Also, I frequently have “Ramadan stashes” in my lab coat pocket for after sunset: it might be a small pack of M&Ms, or – like yesterday – a piece of Ghirardelli’s chocolate, or a small chocolate bar. The Prophet (pbuh) used to break his fast with dates, and I definitely do that as well. Yet, I take it to the next level: I make a date/milk delight: I soak dates in an ice cold cup of milk for several hours before sunset. Many times, I will also add some walnuts. It is AWESOME. Things such as these makes sunset something to which I look forward, and it makes breaking my fast all the sweeter, both literally and figuratively.

One good thing about fasting during the summer is that there is a lot of time for spiritual reflection and recitation/reading of the Qur’an. And that is the whole point of the fast of Ramadan: to take away food and drink for just enough so that you can think “upward,” and reflect over the enormous blessing of having food and drink every single day and not even thinking about it. Thus, I should be motivated to help the poor and hungry who – many times – do not have even one square meal a day. And suprisingly, many said people are right here in the United States.

And, Lord, are there blessings in Ramadan. Everything seems to go much more smoothly during Ramadan. In fact, many of the most important things in my life have happened during Ramadan. My medical school interview was during Ramadan: I was accepted three months later. I had a very important high school track meet during Ramadan also. My coach told me that, in order for our team to win first place, I had to throw the shot put 42 feet at least: my distance was 42 feet and six inches. Just yesterday, coming home from vacation, the airport security experience was the easiest ever. Yes, I have to not have my coffee in the morning, but there are so many good things that come with the month of fasting.

All in all, Ramadan is a very good thing, but it is not without hardship and dread on my part. All I can do is fast to the best of my ability, try to clean up some of the bad habits I have learned throughout the year, polish my spirituality and improve my ritual practice, and pray that the Precious Beloved Lord accepts my efforts. Knowing how Beautiful He is, I am confident He will do just that.

Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/cityofbrass/2011/08/ramadan-realities.html#ixzz1UY3P8qHX

Chicago Tribune: Muslims Promote Ramadan, not Whole Foods

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In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved Lord

This was published on the Chicago Tribune’s religion blog, The Seeker.

 

Initially, I was very disappointed in Whole Foods for apparently “caving” to the screams of a small number of bloggers and choosing not to “promote” Ramadan. Yet, neither Whole Foods, nor any other corporation needs to “promote” Ramadan. Ramadan is not a product in need of a nationwide marketing campaign.

In an e-mail, Whole Foods had this to say:

“There has been a little controversy surrounding the introduction of our Halal certified “Saffron Road” frozen products. While there has been some positive response from our Muslim customers there have been some negative comments from some other customers. While we want to continue with the program, it is probably best that we don’t specifically call out or “promote” Ramadan…we should not highlight Ramadan in signage in our stores as that could be considered “Celebrating or promoting” Ramadan.

It later reversed course, insisting that it will continue the Halal marketing campaign:

Kate here from Whole Foods. To set the record straight, Whole Foods Market is NOT cancelling our current halal promotion, which is centered around the timeframe of Ramadan. We invite shoppers seeking out not just halal certified products, but products that also meet our high quality standards to try Saffron Road and other regional offerings in our stores.

We never sent a communication from our headquarters requesting stores take down signs at all. We have 12 different operating regions and your reacted by sending out directions to promote Halal and not specifically Ramadan after some online negative comments and after viewing signage made by one individual at a store that didn’t point to these products.

We’re excited to be offering high quality halal products for our shoppers and we stand behind them and our promotion of them, just like we do with other seasonal and holiday products.

Nevertheless, they still will not “promote” Ramadan.

Ramadan is the most important spiritual month for Muslims the entire world over, during which the faithful attempt to improve their lives through fasting, meditation, prayer, and charity. Through abstaining from food and drink during the long, hot summer days of August, spending hours in prayer and the reading of scripture, and giving in charity to those who are less fortunate, Muslims all across our country are highlighting what Ramadan is all about.

Placing or taking down signage that says “Ramadan” in some Whole Foods store somewhere will neither enhance nor diminish the importance of the month. Ramadan – as with Passover, Hanukkah, Christmas, and Easter – lives in the hearts and lives of the Muslims, Jews, and Christians who celebrate and honor those times of the year.

Whole Foods can breathe a sigh of relief.

Dr. Hassaballa on the BBC’s Newshour (7/31/2011)

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In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved Lord

By the Grace of the Almighty, I was interviewed on the BBC’s Newshour program on July 31, on the eve of Ramadan, about what Ramadan means to me as a Muslim. You can listen to the program here (skip to Chapter 7 and 8):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00j30wd#p00jhz8h

What Is The Matter With Thee?

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In the Name of the Kind and Beautiful Precious Beloved Lord

What is the matter with thee?
Why the dread and melancholy?
Simply because you must go without food?
Your disposition sours and dark is your mood?

What is the matter with thee?
Why from this blessed month do you flee?
Simply because from drink you must abstain?
You shake in fear and grimace in disdain?

It is only for a time that is truly short
That you must fast and wait in this sort
Do not fear, my weak and pathetic soul
You will have your drink and dinner roll

Yet, don’t you see and actually realize?
Don’t you stop and think to recognize?
That as you frown because you can’t take a sip,
You will embark on an everlasting sacred trip?

Don’t you see and pause to think?
That beyond that sweating, ice-cold drink
Is a world of blessing as far as you can see
Full of His Bliss, Grace, Love, and Mercy?

So stand up tall, my weak and pathetic friend!
As all good things, Ramadan will eventually end
But, endure the pain with grace for just a while
And our Precious Beloved will look down with a smile

So, my soul, what is the matter with thee?
Why shake you in dread and melancholy?
This is the time to live in His Love and Mercy
And for our struggle, the Precious Beloved will set us free