Every so often, a book comes along that forces us to radically re-think our basic assumptions.  Wilkinson and Pickett's The Spirit Level, a culmination of fifty years painstaking research work, is exactly that.  What is most remarkable of all is that after half a century of research and numerous scatter graphs later, two British Professors of Epidemiology draw conclusions that look remarkably similar to those recommended by the Qurʾān and Sunnah fourteen hundred years ago.

In the wake of the riots, many of us ask ourselves: how can we build a society where people are happy, healthy and safe? In the midst of the financial crisis, we ask how to maximize economic progress and entrepreneurship?  The answer to these questions lies in something that Western societies have been failing to do for many years now, with major consequence.  Simply reduce the gap between rich and poor.

Using multiple sets of data from organizations such as the US Census, WHO, World Bank and United Nations, comparing a spread of developed countries, Wilkinson and Pickett show time and time again that countries that are unequal come out worst.  Whether it's societal trust, literacy rates, crime, drug abuse, childhood welfare and even rates of imprisonment, we are shocked to discover that America, Britain and Portugal do the worst.  The best performing countries include Norway, Sweden and Japan which conversely have much greater equality.

What is notable is that the countries that do worse on one measure of social deprivation tend to score worse on every measure.  Astonishingly, the US and the UK do worst on mental illness, women's status, life expectancy, infant mortality and even international aid given. According to the statistics, we are even more violent and conflict ridden than the other countries sampled.

Admittedly, there is no data from the developing world, simply because this is unavailable, but the evidence consistently points to a relationship much more connected to financial inequality than culture, religion or even national GDP.

The research also concludes that inequality does not just affect the poorest in society, but also the richest, who do less well than they would have done in a more equal country. Reducing the gap between rich and poor will increase everybody's well being and life expectancy, it is argued.

So how does this research connect to Islam? The study concludes that it does not matter how you reach equality, but merely that you do reach it.  Intrinsic to Islam, are two major mechanisms that level out wealth.  One is the clear prohibition of interest:

“O you who believe! Fear Allāh, and forgo any remaining usury.” (2:278)

Interest is one of the main reasons that the rich are getting richer and the poor remain dependent.  Through the maintenance of debt such as mortgages and IMF loans, there are few opportunities by which the poor can escape the pit they are in.

Secondly, Islam reduces inequality by enforcing zakāh (obligatory charity).  Although this is only 2.5% of one's surplus wealth given annually, it is a very effective way of re-distributing societal wealth, particularly when it comes from the very rich.  The encouragement of further charitable giving in other parts of the year, such as Ramaḍān and 'Īd, also further reduces inequality, which as we now know helps to improve society for everyone.

Why does a relationship exist between inequality and social deprivation? The authors suggest that the tendency of the rich to look down upon the poor, or the perception by  the poor that they are discriminated against may be the reason for poor performance.  In 2004, Hoff and Pandey, two World Bank economists, did an experiment in India where they took 321 high caste boys and 321 low caste boys and gave them a maze-solving task.  The first group did the puzzle without being aware of each other's castes.  The second group of boys was asked to first stand up and declare their name, village, caste and parentage.  The results showed a dramatic drop in performance of the low caste boys and an improvement in the high caste boys.

Resentment and anxiety due to discrimination, they argue, may explain poor mental health, personal achievement and greater crime rates.  As the poor are increasingly ghettoized, the problem is continually compounded – few role models, bad experiences and low aspirations.

Once more, Islam has within it the capacity to prevent this kind of decline.  Gatherings such as the five daily prayers, the Friday sermon, 'Īd gatherings and even Ḥajj force the very rich to stand shoulder to shoulder with the very poor, as the whole community come together with one purpose – the worship of Allāh.  A rich Muslim can never fully isolate himself from the problems of his poorer brother, nor can he justify looking down upon him, for he knows that the only thing that matters with Allāh is his piety and not his wealth.  Indeed, if he was genuine in increasing his status with Allāh, he might do this by giving charity to his poor brother discreetly and in a way that would not affront his brother's dignity (as is clearly commanded in the Qurʾān).

What remains to be seen is whether Wilkinson and Pickett's powerful book can impact society sufficiently to bring about change.  Will the average person who hears about the findings care enough to act on it and lobby government?  Everyone benefits after all.

I hope so for the sake of humanity.  Yet there remains some doubt.  I do not believe that the rich will stop hoarding wealth voluntarily. It is unlikely that the socially deprived will get to hear of this work through the popular press.  And so it rests upon the educated to equip themselves with this knowledge and disseminate it to their friends to create something of a democratic tidal wave.  Whilst the work has been very well received, is there enough societal momentum to sustain a change?

As Muslims, this should be a subject area that we care deeply about.  The Prophet is reported to have said, “He is not a believer who eats his fill while his neighbor is hungry.” [Tabarani]

So I put it to you, the reader: will you stand up and make a change?

Perhaps you've tried to ignore it as I have. But you cannot.

Why? Because it's everywhere.

No, it's not the wildly fluctuating winter temperatures. It's not the political wrangling in Washington. It is Harry Potter.

Last summer, the final installment in the Harry Potter movies came out. And this time, I learned to accept the fact that Harry Potter was going to be big no matter what. And whether I liked it or not, millions of young Muslims were going to watch the last movie in the series.

You've probably heard much of the same rhetoric I have over the past ten years. Ever since Harry Potter became an international phenomenon, Muslim parents, speakers, lecturers and imams have spoken out against the boy with the scar.

• “Magic and sorcery is becoming more accepted in today's society.”

• “The devil is trying to influence your children to believe magic is okay.”

• “Harry Potter is eeeeevvviiiillll!”

I'm not here to defend Harry Potter. There are some things about the series I don't really care for either. Like the whole “Dumbledore is gay” thing.

Nonetheless, I believe there is good in everything. For instance, I'm not a fan of U.S. foreign policy. But there are many things I like about the United States.

With that in mind, I wanted to create a list of things we (people who have read or watched the series) can take from Harry Potter that might actually benefit us. Inshā'Allāh, we'll see that the boy with the scar can teach us something after all.

1. There's Nothing Wrong With Mudbloods.

In the Harry Potter series, there were wizards who were pure-bloods and wizards who were “mudbloods.”

Pure-bloods were wizards who came from a pure wizarding family. Mudbloods were wizards who were born from Muggle (human) parents.

In the story, many of the pure blood wizards felt they were better than the mudbloods. In fact, the term mudblood is actually a derogatory term for Muggle-born wizards.

• Some pure-bloods hold a supremacist attitude towards mudbloods.

• Some pure-bloods refuse to marry mudbloods and look down on wizards who do.

• Some pure-bloods even treat mudbloods as second-class citizens.

Unfortunately, we have some of these same problems in the Muslim world. As an African-American son of Muslim converts, I've seen my fare share of “Pure-Blood Supremacy” amongst Muslims.

• Some Muslims who come from the Middle East or Indian subcontinent seem to think I'm ignorant about Islamic laws and  requirements.

• Some Muslims seem to think American Muslims have not memorized much Quran or learned the rules of Tajwid.

• Some Muslims refuse to let their children (especially their daughters) marry outside their race, nationality, or tribe.

One of the best lessons learned from Harry Potter is that it's perfectly okay to be a Mudblood. Furthermore, a Mudblood is often just as good a wizard as a Pure-blood.

The same holds true for Muslims. An American-born Muslim may be just as knowledgeable about Islam, and just as good a Muslim as our foreign-born brethren.

2. Don't Be Afraid To Say You-Know-Who's Name.

Voldemort is the main antagonist in the series. He's Harry Potter's arch enemy.

Before the beginning of the series, Voldemort and several evil wizards stage a rebellion and take over the wizarding world. This resulted in the death of several wizards, including Harry Potter's parents.

Eventually, Voldemort is defeated, order is restored, and things go back to normal. However, the legacy of Voldermort's reign is so traumatic just about everyone is afraid to say his name.

Instead they refer to him using cryptic phrases such as “You-Know-Who” and “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.” Only Harry Potter, who is initially ignorant of Voldemort's evil deeds and Professor Dumbledore are brave enough to say his name.

Perhaps you've noticed some topics that are taboo in your Muslim community also. Sometimes, it seems like Muslim leaders and parents are afraid to talk about some of these sensitive subjects.

Topics such as:

• Sex

• Drugs

• Terrorism

• Racism

This list may differ based on your locality and community. But it's still the same song. The people in positions of leadership don't want to ruffle feathers and so they stay away from these serious topics.

Don't be afraid to say Voldemort's name. Don't be afraid to talk about these topics that are important and impact us all.

3. You Can Influence the Sorting Hat

In the first Harry Potter novel, the new students at Hogwart School of Witchcraft and Wizardy go through a sorting procedure to see which house they will belong to. They take their turns under a talking hat that reads their mind and analyzes their character.

Based on this information, the Sorting Hat places them in one of four different houses within Hogwarts:

• Gryffindor

• Slytherin

• Hufflepuff

• Ravenclaw

When it was Harry's turn to go under the Sorting Hat, it wanted to place him in the Slytherin house. Based on Harry's character and abilities, the Hat felt Harry would have been a great addition to that house.

But Harry did not want to go to Slytherin. Instead of giving in to the Sorting Hat, Harry resisted and insisted he belonged in the Gryffindor house. Eventually, the Sorting Hat gave Harry what he wanted, and sent him to Gryffindor.

What about your Sorting Hat? Are members of your family or your community trying to make you fit into a mold that you don't belong?

Are they insisting that you follow a career path that you're not interested in?

Are they trying to make you marry someone you don't want to marry?

I'm not at all suggesting that you rebel or disobey your parents. However, it is important that you make it clear what you want, especially if you have proof based on Islam. Let them know, in the most respectful way, that they shouldn't push their dreams and desires on you.

Yes, you can influence the Sorting Hat.

4. You May Have to Join Dumbledore's Army.

In the story, Harry's friends realize the danger around them as Voldemort grows stronger throughout the series. They are upset there is no one to teach them how to defend themselves against their enemies.

Hermione, one of Harry's closest friends, suggests that Harry teach them Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry has had the most experience fighting against dark magic and agrees to secretly teach his friends what he knows.

This group of friends calls themselves “Dumbledore's Army” after the Hogwarts headmaster. They play a critical role later in the series when Voldemort's followers begin their assault.

Is it time for you to join Dumbledore's Army? Are you ready to expand your knowledge of Islam, but there's no one to teach you?

It may be time to go in search of this knowledge for yourself. With the vast possibilities of the internet, you can now get a very sound understanding of Islam without leaving your home, through online Islamic institutes.

Don't wait for someone to start the class at your local Masjid. Be proactive. Go out there and get the knowledge you desire.

5. Muggles Are Boring.

Three of the most unlikeable characters in the entire series are his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Cousin Dudley. They adopt Harry after the death of his parents before the start of the story.

But they are hardly the loving sort.

They mistreat Harry and hate all things magic and out of the ordinary. They are the epitome of Muggle boorishness.

They are straight-laced, uptight and arrogant.

But most of all, they are boring. And they want Harry to be the same. They hate the fact that he's a wizard and they try their best to suppress his true identity.

Don't be like the Dursleys. It's okay to be different.

Being a Muslim in the West is not easy.

• You dress differently.

• You eat different things.

• You don't celebrate the same holidays.

It's so much easier to be like everyone else. It's much easier to try to fit in with the rest of the Muggles.

But Muggles are boring. And you're not a Muggle.

Don't be afraid to wear your hijab. Don't be afraid to grow your beard. Don't be afraid to tell the Muggles you don't celebrate Christmas or drink alcohol or deal with interest.

Don't be a Muggle.

And don't be a wizard either.

Be the best Muslim you can be.

Recently, I read a book titled Green Deen: What Islam Teaches About Protecting the Planet by Ibrahim Abdul-Matin who is an environmental policy consultant and has worked for Green For All, Green City Force, Interfaith Leaders for Environmental Justice, the Prospect Park Alliance, and the New York City Mayor’s Office of Long Term Planning & Sustainability. The book, which is available on Amazon, has a very unique approach to this issue of Islam and the environment.

It is divided into an introduction and four parts (Waste, Watt, Water, and Food), and serves as an educational tool for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. In the introduction the author briefly introduces the reader to Islam and its concepts, and then he talks about the motives behind writing this book. One interesting section of the introduction was “The Six Principles of a Green Deen” which incorporated the concepts of Tawheed (monotheism), pondering over the signs of Allāh on this earth, humans as guardians and protectors of this planet, Muslims as being just even to the environment, and promoting balance with nature. He elaborated and articulated how Islam promotes fairness and peace to earth and what is surrounding us.

In the first part of the book, Waste, he started by asking the very captivating question “How do you relate to trash, to waste, to consumption?”, which automatically connected my mind with his.  It took me a few minutes to think of an answer before I continued reading the book just so I would examine where I stand vs. where the author stood, and the difference was huge. If we take a closer look into our Muslim homes, masajid, and community centers, we will find that the main theme connecting them all together is over-consumption. This part of the book sets the stage up for us to start thinking of ways and solutions to overcome these issues.

If you live around New York or the northeastern United States, then you will relate to part two of the book, Watt. It is interesting how the world lived pre-Industrial Revolution when the only source of energy was fire. The author alludes to the usage of cleaner energy and less dependence on carbon and its derivatives. He talks explicitly about the various industrial practices that left the environment naked of its natural resources. Coal mining and oil drilling were the main two areas that the author brought to light in this chapter. He suggested a few solutions like solar, water, and other renewable sources of energy. The interesting part was the verses he quoted in support of his solutions. Look forward to that.

He decides to pack up and fly across the country to go and spend some precious time with his beloved professor before his inevitable death from this incurable disease. Professor Morrie sits with him on Tuesdays and talks to him about the big things in life i.e. love, family, marriage, aging, greed, fear, society, culture, and death. It was a very touching story about a student and his teacher giving him one final lesson.

My focus in this post is on only one of the topics that the professor expounded upon: death. It is the ultimate of inevitabilities, yet the vast majority of human beings do not want to discuss it or even think about it. Here’s what Professor Morrie said about death and how we should view it:

“Learn how to die, and you learn how to live.” So what exactly does he mean by this statement? He goes on to explain:

“Everyone knows that they’re going to die, but nobody believes it. If we did, we would do things differently.”

Hmm, interesting. He continues:

“To know you’re going to die, and to be prepared for it at any time…that’s better. That way you can be more involved in your life while you’re living.”

More involved in your life while you’re living? Wow! Simply stated, yet very meaningful. He continues:

“Everyday… ask… is today the day? Am I ready? Am I doing all I need to do? Am I being the person I want to be?”

What powerful questions! The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to encourage us to make much remembrance of the destroyer of pleasures (death). Remember it often. When we do that, it helps us to stay focused and use our time wisely. Professor Morrie goes on:

“…most of us all walk around as if we’re sleepwalking. We really don’t experience the world fully, because we’re half asleep, doing things we automatically think that we have to do.”

What he meant by this was that we spend so much of our lives doing things that we think are extremely important when in reality they are not. For example, we work tirelessly so that we can buy that item we wanted or get that promotion we wanted, all at the expense of precious time spent with family and friends or in contemplation and prayer.

The student in the book (the author Mitch Albom) responds, “And facing death changes that?” Professor Morrie says:

“Oh yes, you strip away all that stuff and you focus on the essentials. We are too involved in materialistic things and they don’t satisfy us. The loving relationships we have, the universe around us, we take these things for granted.”

I couldn’t agree more.

In order to emphasize this message of the finality of life to the reader, Albom describes in heart wrenching detail the physical demise of his former professor. As the book moves along, the physical state of his professor gets worse and worse and the author makes it a point to describe this slow withering away in great detail. The beginning of the book describes a man who loves to dance and go for long walks with his students. The end of the book describes a man who can’t walk, breathe properly, nor feed and clean himself. Probably the most poignant of these descriptions for me as the reader is when the professor concedes that he can no longer clean himself after his excretions. He concedes to these physical limitations, yet still refuses to feel sorry for himself or lose his positive spirit.

At first, I wondered why the author went into so much detail in physically describing Professor Morrie’s demise, but after some reflection I realized the reason. One of the main points that the professor tried to get across to the author, his last student, is that we should accept the fact that we’re going to die. As we are all well aware, we live in a death-denying culture. We live in a culture in which everyone dreams of being young again and staying young for eternity, a culture in which we take our old and decrepit and put them in buildings by themselves so we do not have to be witnesses to their demise.

But in doing these things, we are merely denying our own destinies. We are not allowing ourselves to witness the realities that will one day face us as well. Essentially, we are making it harder for ourselves for when we get old, and we’re building a culture that neither appreciates the wisdom of the elders nor sets a place for them at the table. We take our old and put them in institutions far from our view so we don’t have to see their illnesses and their physical limitations and therefore we don’t have to think about our own end.

Is this the kind of culture that we want to establish as Muslims here in the West? I certainly don’t think so.

One of the best things that my parents did for my siblings and me was to bring my grandparents from overseas to live with us during their old age. My grandparents moved in with us, because they could no longer take care of themselves. In our culture nowadays, this may seem like a huge burden! But for me as a nine year old kid, this was a great blessing.

I remember like it was yesterday, holding my grandmother’s hand and being so surprised by the looseness of her skin and her large protruding veins. I would sit there and stare at the blotches of discoloration on her face wondering if they had always been there or if they were a result of her old age. One day I asked my mom to show me an old picture of my grandmother when she was young, so she found one. When she showed it to me, I understood right at that moment as a nine year old boy what millions of adults in our country fail to accept and embrace: if Allāh (God) keeps us alive long enough, we are all going to have wrinkles and blotches on our skin one day i.e. we’re all going to face a slow, physical withering away.

I remember, as time went by, I had to help my grandmother get out of bed and I always looked forward helping her in whatever way I could. Sometimes my insistence on helping her actually became a burden, since a nine year old boy moves at a slightly different pace than a woman in her 60s. I would hold her hand and try to force her to run with me to our destination. Of course she could not do so, but I tried anyway. I remember my grandmother’s beautiful smile, and in particular, I remember a look that she gave me when I placed my Yankees baseball helmet on top of her head (yes, over her hijab) and took a picture with my arms wrapped around her.

My grandfather, like my grandmother, also had deteriorating health, so I had to begin helping him do basic menial things that we take for granted everyday, like bathe. He could no longer stand in the shower nor reach all parts of his body, so he used to sit down in the tub (with a cover over the lower half of his body) and I would apply the soap to his back, which he could no longer reach himself, and his hair.

What I’m trying to say is that I cherish those experiences so much, and it’s because of those experiences that I understood early on in my life what old age meant and what it entailed.

The greatest lesson I learned was when my beloved grandmother woke up one morning completely discombobulated. She didn’t know where she was, what day it was or even who she was. I stood there quietly at the doorway of her bedroom watching as the paramedics asked her questions that she could not answer. When my mom saw me standing there watching the scene unfold, she immediately reprimanded me and told me to leave the room. The last time I saw my grandmother alive was when she was being rolled out of my house on a stretcher into the ambulance that was parked in our driveway.

The next afternoon, as I sat on the school bus looking out of the window about to get to my stop, I saw many cars parked outside of my house and I immediately knew what happened.

I attended my grandmother’s funeral. I saw her body being lowered into the ground, and her grave being covered by dirt. I prayed for her and said goodbye.

The reason that I mention all of this is not just to simply reminisce on the life of my grandparents. Rather, it is to show that the elders of our society can play a great part in our lives. They can teach us lessons in their lives as well as in their deaths, lessons that can last a lifetime.

It is because of my grandparents and my experiences with them that I can now easily accept and understand death as a part of life.

I do not want our society to become one that does not value its elders. I do not want to accept a culture in which people do not tend to the needs of the elderly when they need us, as they tended to our needs when we needed them.

I still see my grandmother in my dreams to this day. I have a recurring dream in which I walk into a room and see my grandmother standing there. I immediately run to her and give her a hug and ask her how she’s doing; she tells me she’s doing well. I tell her that I miss her, and she gives me that same smile that warmed my heart twenty some years ago.

I pray that Allāh (God) blesses my beautiful grandparents with a peaceful existence in their graves and gives them a place in heaven. I pray that Allāh blesses me with the ability to see them and hug them again in heaven. I pray that Allāh gives us the wisdom to take care of our elders and to learn from them. Āmīn.

It was big. It was glossy. It was colourful. It kinda looked like LouLou or Glamour or some other teen girl magazine… except that it had… it had… it had a hijaabi on the cover! It was… Muslim Girl Magazine.

“To Enlighten, Celebrate and Inspire.” A magazine for Muslim girls in the West, showcasing their realities and encouraging them to greater heights.

I admit it, I'm a sucker. They got me at 'Muslim Girl Magazine.' I grabbed it, stared at it some more, and then folded it to my chest with the kind of emotion you usually feel when you've finally met someone whom you dreamt of for years, and now here they are right in front you. And then I had to fork out sixteen dollars to take it home, but what the hey. My joy at finding a fancy magazine aimed towards, and featuring, Muslim girls blinded me to any concern about dents to my wallet. There was also some vague notion about my duty to the readers of MuslimMatters to bring attention to and analyse relevant media issues… but mostly I was just excited.

I paid. I took it home. And then I experienced the sinking feeling of disappointment that you experience after you find out that the person you dreamed of meeting, whom you've now finally met, isn't really what you were expecting or hoping for after all.

Before I launch into a ruthless and scathing critique, let me first say that I think the premise of the magazine is wonderful, and I commend its creators for marshaling the resources and talents to put together such a professional and high-quality publication. The layout is fantastic, the photography is top-notch, the entire thing is impressive and, at a glance,  it's almost everything I dreamed that a Muslim girl's magazine would look like.

Until you get to the content.

The Good Stuff

Let me be fair and at least give credit where credit is due. The magazine begins with an editorial introducing the issue's theme, which is Ramadhaan. Features included in the magazine were the “Ask A Girl!” column's thoughts and tips from readers on how to kick bad habits during Ramadhaan; medical experts' suggestions on how to eat well, stay healthy, and benefit from fasting in every way; a reflection on the spirit of Ramadhaan; and a report on the growing phenomenon of high school and university Fast-A-Thons, sponsored by the Muslim Students' Associations. Fun pieces included a “Ramadhaan I Am” quiz, a “Top 10 Ramadhaan Resolutions” list, and short anecdotes submitted by readers about their Ramadhaan experiences with friends, family, and school.

Additional pieces of the magazine also caught my interest, and I read them carefully. The “Muslim Girl Mailbox” surprised me somewhat, as it revealed how diverse the magazine's readership really is - from an Indian Catholic girl and a non-hijaab wearing 'average Muslimah' to munaqqabaat. An interview with a Muslim girl studying martial arts with her father and uncle was enjoyable, as it reminded me of my own brief stint in the field. Also appreciated was a full-length interview with sister Ingrid Mattson, who had just been elected as president of ISNA, as well as a short article titled “Finding the Prophet in His People,” by sister Ingrid herself.

Other commendable sections included a Health & Lifestyle Q-&-A column, a feature on cybersafety for Muslim girls, and a full-length report on the admirable work of a Muslim girl who single-handedly founded a non-profit charitable organization for Iraqi children whose lives were devastated by the war. A multi-cultural recipe corner had me drooling. Finally, the travel section was great (a tour through Turkey), and I really liked a cute little page titled “GirlSpace,” about the girls and their relationship with their masaajid.

The Bad Stuff

With all the good stuff in the magazine, I thought at first that the bad stuff would be minimal, or at least easy to gloss over. As I kept going through the magazine and thinking about its readers, however, I just couldn't let it go.

First of all, I was disappointed with the fashion spread. I'm as taken by sparkly shiny pretty things as the next girl out there, but personally I didn't think that a fashion spread featuring made-up, de-hijaabed girls was quite appropriate. Okay, I get the whole “not all Muslim girls wear hijaab” and “modesty is the key, just keep covered and you can still look gorgeous!” thing, but I still don't agree with it. There are many other ways to showcase pretty clothes with showcasing the pretty girls along with them.

What I found even more upsetting, though, was the inclusion of product and media reviews that not only mentioned, but praised, musicians and other other dubious, if not outright haraam, characters/ behaviours. There's an entire spread on “Grammy Award-winning Songwriter Zuriani Zonneveld,” a page dedicated to music as part of the “Hot List” section, and a review of the TV show “Gossip Girls.” As someone involved in trying to encourage young Muslim girls to not listen to music and pursue more halaal forms of entertainment, I didn't appreciate this publication – which should be helping me out here – giving a totally contrary message.

Nor was I impressed with “Muslim Girl of the Month,” and “Muslim Girl International,” where the girls featured weren't exactly what I'd encourage my girls to look up to and follow. No doubt, it's great that Muslim girls are getting more exposure and in a positive light, but I for one do expect that practicing Islam is one of the main requirements in order for someone to be considered a role model.

Conclusion

The magazine has a lot of promise and potential and does deliver some measure of material that is quite impressive; however, it also has an undeniably “progressive/ modernist” slant to it which I find a major drawback. As much as I love seeing a magazine aimed at Muslim girls, employing techniques that other mass media use to draw in the readers, I would be very, very hesitant to recommend this magazine to Muslim girls. It may, perhaps, be a way of inviting and attracting the attention of those interested in Islam, or those with only a tentative connection to the Deen; but I do think that for the majority of Muslim families who are trying to encourage their daughters and sisters to be stronger, this isn't the best magazine for them to turn to.

While I think that MGM is indeed a ground-breaking publication in that it's dared to try something utterly different from the mainstream media in terms of content while relating to it in style, the mentality behind it isn't one that I support. Inshā'Allāh, I hope that in the future there will be more Muslim-centred publications that combine a solid, more Deen-y agenda with an element of fun and fancy, that can have a greater, more positive effect on the Muslim girls of this Ummah.

Next up: A review of SISTERS magazine!

Upon receiving the book from the publishers (TSAR books, whom I thank for sending me a copy), I admit that I was extremely suspicious and cynical of what it might contain – my opinion of Canadian Muslims is, unforunately, rather low after having seen what it is that it is produced by them in the media. The majority of those who have any presence in the public eye tend to be either of the 'progressive' strain or cringe-inducingly wishy-washy (feel free to bash, flame, and lynch me now…).

I digress. The book, as I said, is a collection of essays – 11 of them, titled and authored as follows:

• Muslims and the Rule of Law; Haroon Siddiqui
• Bearing the Name of the Prophet; Syed Mohamed Mehdi
• Knowing the Universe in All Its Conditions; Arif Babul
• Raising Children in a Diverse World; Rukhsana Khan
• Islamic Theology and Moral Agency: Beyond the Pre- and Post-Modern; Anver M Emon
• Muslim Girl Magazine: Representing Ourselves; Ausma Zehanat Khan
• Towards A Dialogical Discourse for Canadian Muslims; āmīn Malak
• Islamic Authority: Changing Expectations Among Canadian Muslims; Karim H Karim
• A Case of Mistaken Identity: Inside and Outside the Muslim Ummah; Anar Ali
• Victim or Aggressor? Typecasting Muslim Women for their Attire; Natasha Bakht
• Politics Over Principles: The Case of Omar Khadr; Sheema Khan

It is difficult to make a judgement of the entire book, to label it as either “good” or “bad.” From an 'aqeedah point of view, my worst suspicions were confirmed – Ismailis, progressives, and flat-out atheists were the majority featured, with the exception of the slightly more 'mainstream' Haroon Siddique, Sheema Khan, and children's author Rukhsana Khan. However, it must be noted that most of the essays did a surprisingly good job at not portraying their chosen topic with too much of a slant towards the author's ideological leaning (with the except of “Bearing the Name of the Prophet,” which I found to be absolutely ridiculous and nonsensical).

Political/ Media

Three of the essays dealt specifically with mainly political issues, drawing on well-known incidents involving Canadian Muslims. Haroon Siddique's Muslims and the Rule of Law, Natasha Bakht's Victim or Aggressor? Typecasting Muslim Women for Their Attire, and Sheema Khan's Politics Over Principles: The Case of Omar Khadr were all excellent.

Muslims and the Rule of Law covers the presence of Islamophobia in Canadian politics and media, discussing such high-profile cases as the Maher Arar tragedy, the 'Shari'a court' controversy, the infamous Maclean's brouhaha,  the disturbing Quebec “reasonable accomodations” xenophobia, and much more. Siddique did a fantastic job in analysing the coverage of these incidents in the media, and the political and social responses that were broadcast all over the country. He criticizes and refutes the popular Islamophobic arguments found both in the media, political statements and actions, and amongst the general Canadian population; effectively using Canadian law, examples of  anti-hate and hate-speech incidents from Canadian history, and plain old logic to point out the many faults and inconsistencies of the Islamophobic arguments. The essay concludes with the warning that unless anti-Islam and anti-Muslim sentiments are effectively combated, the very nature of Canada's tolerant and inclusive foundations will be destroyed.

I strongly recommend Sheema Khan's article Politics Over Principles: The Case of Omar Khadr for its excellent coverage of one of the most tragic ongoing events in Canadian history. She discusses the background of the case, the latest developments as of publishing date (2008), and the huge waves it has caused in the fields of law, human rights, and politics. Her essay is one of the most comprehensive summaries I have read so far on the subject, drawing upon indisputable sources and emphasizing the shocking oppression being perpetrated in a land that claims to stand for justice and freedom.

Victim or Aggresor? Typecasting Muslim Women for Their Attire by Natasha Bakht was, to me, surprisingly good. She discusses the contradictory stereotypes put out by the media in their coverage of Muslim women, specifically Muslim women who wear hijaab. She lists and refutes the attitudes we have found common in media presentation of Muslim women, specifically those of “Protecting Muslim Women from the dangers of hijaab” and “Protecting Canadians from fraudulent Muslim women.” She refers to the flurry of anti-hijaab bans in the field of sports, and the absurd veils-and-voting incidents. Her analysis of “unhelpful Muslim responses” is also spot-on, pointing out the danger of self-appointed 'Muslim representatives' such as the Muslim Canadian Congress who make matters worse when they issue statements declaring that hijaab is simply a patriarchial tool to control women.

Spirituality/ Philosophy

My reaction to the two essays, “Bearing the Name of the Prophet” and “Knowing the Universe in All its Conditions,” were mixed. The former annoyed me intensely, being as it is the insistence of an atheist of Shi'i background that one need not believe in or practice Islam in order to be Muslim. Quite frankly, the piece is a load of hogwash… although it did alert me to the prevalency of the idea of self-identity and (what I perceive as) its absurdity. The idea that one is Muslim simply because they call themselves so, and not because they actually believe in Islam, is about the same as one considering themselves a doctor simply because their father was one. However, I'll save my spiel on this subject for another time.

The other essay, Knowing the Universe in All its Conditions, is by an Isma'ili. Arif Babul, the author, makes it clear from the beginning what kind of faith background he is coming from, which is good to know as he does refer to Isma'ili beliefs and mentalities throughout his article. That being said, however, the essay is actually a personal, spiritual reflection about how the author does not consider his career as an astrophysicist to pose a challenge to his beliefs, but rather affirms them. Once one filters out the skewed 'aqeedah, the essay is quite good and most of it is easy to relate to.

The third article which could be included in the category of philosophy is a rather obscure work titled “Islamic Theology and Moral Agency:  Beyond the Pre- and Post-Modern.” To tell the truth, I struggled to get through it without falling asleep, as discussions on qadaa wa'l qadr and its nuances as debated amongst the Mu'tazilah and Ash'arites are not my cup of tea. Sheikh YQ might be interested in it though :)

Muslim Identity in the West

The rest of the essays touch upon the general theme of Muslim identity in the West – raising a family, creating Muslim-friendly media, personal reflections, interactions between the Muslim community and non-Muslim society, and the changing internal views of members of the Muslim community.

A Case of Mistaken Identity: Inside and Outside the Muslim Ummah by Anar Ali was not particularly impressive – a short musing by an Ismaili about growing up as one of the few coloured people in his school; feeling unrepresented by self-appointed spokespeople of Muslims such as Irshad Manji; and his personal experience in writing a children's book about Ismailis.

In Raising Muslim Children In A Diverse World, Rukhsana Khan reflects upon the difficult, yet not impossible, task of bringing up Muslim children who are aware of their non-Muslim surroundings but firmly grounded in their Deen. She shares stories of her own childhood, and from the journey that continues as she raises her own children in Canada. Her personal anecdotes make us aware that no matter how many times the issue is discussed, Muslim families in the West continue to struggle with the challenges of Islamic parenting in a non-Muslim society. Overall, the essay is good and great to share with non-Muslims who may be interested in the challenges that Muslim parents face in the West.

Muslim Girl Magazine: Representing Ourselves by Ausma Zehanat Khan is a look at the background and birth of Muslim Girl Magazine by one of its founders and editors. I was particularly interested in this article as I once purchased a copy of the magazine to review for MM (my apologies for not having gotten around to it yet), and have a lot to say about it. It was, as expected, a summary of how a group of people felt that the views of Muslim girls were either being sidelined or skewed, and that a new medium was required to fully represent them. Thus was Muslim Girl Magazine born for the Western Muslim teenage girl… to “enlighten, celebrate, and inspire.” Stay tuned for my own full review of the magazine, coming to MM sometime in the future (more likely distant than future), inshā'Allāh.

Towards A Dialogical Discourse for Canadian Muslims by āmīn Malak is a discussion of how Canadian Muslims can reach out, connect, and dialogue with other Canadian citizens as a means to overcome anti-Islamic sentiments and prejudices in general. Basically, it goes on about the responsibilties of Muslims and non-Muslims alike to overcome isolationism, extremism, and stereotypical cliches. I personally found the essay tiresome, if only because this is a topic which has been discussed to death both in the Muslim community, in interfaith/ inter-community dialogues, and online. Nonetheless, it was nice to see these oft-expressed thoughts and sentiments being put down on paper and through a medium that will reach out to a wider audience (although it contains a distinct flavour of modernism/ progressiveness that I find distasteful).

Islamic Authority: Changing Expectations Among Canadian Muslims by Karim H Karim was another one of the “meatier” essays which caught my eye. It actually happens to be a summary of a research project that the author was involved in; the findings of which have since been publicized in various media articles including this one in the Toronto Star. The essay examines the way that Canadian Muslims/ Western Muslims in general view 'Islamic authority' (that is, the leaders and sources of Islamic knowledge in the Muslim community) and the attitude that they extend to them.

The focus is on the shift of mentality from the 'back home'/ traditional attitude of trusting fully in the words of the Imam/ Sheikh/ Maulana/ Mufti, to a new way of dealing with Muslim leaders – critically, often doubting or challenging their qualifications and their ability to comprehend, understand, and deal with the context of Muslim life in the West.

The study, conducted in Canada, the U.S., and the UK, asserts that “The faithful no longer continue to think of traditional authorities in the same manner as in the past. This appears to be happening because they tend to have more education than religious authorities, enjoy access to primary intellectual sources of Islamic traditions, continually come into contact with new ideas, and are able to use communication technologies to discuss religious issues over vast distances.” The article expresses findings which have, up until now, been recognized only implicitly in community circles – basically, the changes which the Muslim community in the West at large has been experiencing, as it evolved from being founded by immigrants to incorporating young Muslims born and raised here, struggling with the challenges of studying the Deen and implementing it.

Interestingly, the essay refers to the growth of such institutes as the Muslim College in London and the Zaytuna Institute (although I was disappointed to not see mention of alMaghrib), and how part of the 'implicit criteria by which [Canadian Muslims] asses the validity of Islamic authority' has come to include having both an Islamic and secular educational background, as well as being involved in social and/or political activism and work. A variety of quotes from participants in the study are included, expressing differing opinions and mentalities which are prevalent amongst Western Muslims across the ideological spectrum.

The essay concludes that “the sociological conditions that exist presently for Muslims in the West are historically unique,” and I think that this something most of us can agree with. Indeed, this essay was certainly intriguing, for even if it didn't bring to light anything that we don't already know, it still emphasized many important points for those of us involved in community activism and Islamic education need to be aware of.

…

Most of the essays in Belonging and Banishment provided food for thought and were worth the time I spent on them. If nothing else, I appreciated that trends and ideas which have been tossed around, expressed, argued about, and developed by the Muslim community have been brought together in such a concrete manner. Although I disagree with a great deal of what was said in several of the articles articles, I think that for those who aren't easily confused or impressed by philosophical or intellectual types, it's a good book to have on hand.

As a whole, I am cautious of recommending the book to all and sundry; there are a few essays which I feel are great for general reading and sharing with friends and colleagues, but there are also a few which I feel can only be fully understood if one has a relatively thorough background in the history of Muslims in the West and their current socio-ideological situations. Certainly, I will be keeping this book as a reference text of sorts, and I have no doubt that many of the thoughts expressed within it will be excellent fodder for future essays, articles, and even books and lectures.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

A few lessons many of us often learn in childhood or early in life-

• Always look at those who haven't been given what you have so that you are thankful
• Try to imagine what someone else goes through before criticizing them
• Things are not always what they seem

I recently read two books, and while they don't necessarily have any intrinsic Islamic benefit, per se, I did find them to be quite interesting. They orient around the idea of submerging yourself into a lifestyle or culture that is not your own, in order to better understand it.

If nothing else, it really made me thankful for the blessing of Islam. I feel that many Muslims often live in an insulated reality. Even though we may be 'integrated' into society, we still often don't have a full grasp of the problems that many segments of society face.

There are a large (and growing with the recession) number of Americans who not only live paycheck to paycheck, but do so while working odd-jobs. Many of these people have no stable family, or even a place to live. Rather, they work whatever jobs they can find (Wal-Mart, janitorial positions, fast-food, and so on) while being relatively homeless – staying in motels and weekly stay inns when enough money is saved.

Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich tells the story of how she attempted to live this lifestyle for a number of months – joining the 30% of Americans who live on less than $8/hour. The book itself has received mixed reviews from readers, but I definitely felt it was a worthwhile read – if nothing else than to open our eyes a bit more at some of the problems many people around us face.

Gang Leader for a Day by Sudhir Venkatesh was a really amazing read. I first heard about Venkatesh from reading Freakonomics when they discussed how much crack dealers really make. The book details an Indian guys descent into the housing projects of Chicago and learns how the drug trade works, and how this community supports itself while the outside world has more or less turned a blind eye to them. Again, there is no real tangible Islamic benefit that I can outline for this book, other than that I simply wished so hard while reading the whole book that the message of Islam properly reaches them. [Side note - watch this video if you are a Freakonomics fan - Why do Crack Dealers Still Live with their Moms?]

One issue that came up a bit indirectly was a slightly better understanding of some of the immigrant Muslim conflict with indigenous Muslims. Being on the 'immigrant' side of it, I can say with confidence that the issues discussed in these two books area not really issues that are focused on. Simply put, many immigrant Muslim families have never had to deal with drug abuse or poverty. Or if they have dealt with poverty 'back home' they have quickly forgotten about it here.

For Muslims to make a positive impact where we live, we all have to start taking a vested interest in all the societal problems around us, and show how Islam can help fix them. I'm reminded of the stories I have heard about Imam Siraj Wahaj's masjid, and how they took drugs out of their neighborhoods.

I also wanted to share this video from the author of The Year of Living Biblically. The author spent a year of his life basically trying to implement every single commandment that is in the Bible – including flogging. To put it another way, it was a year of being a dhahiri Christian. I haven't read the book yet, however, it does look interesting. The author, AJ Jacobs, discussed some of his experience at TED:

Lastly, this is a story that cannot be passed up – and it is a captivating Muslim story of a man who … actually, I can't really summarize it properly. I simply suggest you go read it - http://www.suhaibwebb.com/blog/general/a-day-ill-never-forget-giving-the-khutbah-on-96th-in-nyc-and-meeting-an-amazing-brother/

This being a blog, and you reading this article via the website, an RSS reader, email, or your mobile phone means you have some familiarity with social technologies and social media. These technologies are transforming the way people think and interact. 

In the groundswell, relationships are everything. The way people connect with each other – the community that is created – determines how the power shifts (p. 18). 

The average person now has the potential to reach an audience sometimes as large as a mainstream media outlet. This of course has its positives and negatives, but what is important is knowing how to utilize these technologies and how to keep up to speed with the way it changes our interactions with one another. 

I often feel the Muslim world is 2 steps behind in all technologies. When the world was listening to CD's, Muslims still insisted on using audio cassettes. Now when the entire world has shifted to mp3, many of our Muslim media companies unfortunately are still clinging to the CD age. Being a step behind everyone is never a model of success in any environment. 

The internet itself spawned many changes in the Muslim communities around the world. It facilitated the sharing of knowledge, but also deviance. It created online communities of like-minded people, but in some senses it also encouraged their withdrawal from real life communities. Many internet-savvy Muslims had their first experiences with social media by joining various forums and message boards. This spawned new relationships and introduced people to a myriad of issues they were previously unaware of. 

The forums fad has faded for many (myself included), but new technologies have replaced them – Facebook, Digg, Twitter, YouTube, and so on. The key factor that all these platforms have in common – and the key indicator of their success – is the relationships they create. 

…when it comes to a new technology…the relationships are paramount. A tool that enables new relationships in new ways will catch on faster than one that doesn't. 

Wikipedia is a good example, as is Twitter (more on Twitter later),

Twitter doesn't add media to existing forms of communication like blogging and texting, but it permits people to broadcast and subscribe to a constant stream of content in a new place…

…Facebook gave people power to connect without corporate supervision; Wikipedia allowed them to create without expert approval…

Essentially what you have are technologies – changing dynamically – that enable new relationships between people. They create new ways of sharing information and ideas. They also fulfill other basic human desires. You can keep up with friendships, make new friends, or simply make a positive contribution to society. Wikipedia became the largest encyclopedia in the world based on the altruistic impulses of people (p. 61). 

Others find it to be a creative venue where you can not only express yourself, but more importantly, get feedback and criticism from others. Take MuslimMatters for example. Most of us are not professional writers by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a passion and a hobby that we can continue to develop based upon feedback from the readers.

This is actually one of the key factors of success for social media is the interaction. You can put up a video on YouTube, a picture on Flickr, or a blog post, and immediately get positive and negative feedback from a pool of people you would otherwise not have access to. The ownership no longer belongs to the maintainers of the site, but it belongs to the readers as well. Burger King ran some commercials about how the average customer reacted when they announced the Whopper was discontinued. In the corporate world, the corporation can often dictate what is and isn't sold, and the customer is often left without a voice. 

Online is a different story though, and the relationsips enabled by these technologies force a 24/7 quality control process. If your favorite website puts up something ludicrous, the people reading it will comment accordingly – and you are forced to listen. If that conversation disappears, then the platform has lost its influence and no longer fulfills its purpose. Imagine having a facebook account, and not having any friends added. There's simply no point. 

One of the greatest benefits of social media though is that it is the ultimate word of mouth. I previously touched on this in 2 past articles on Digg/Reddit and Stumbleupon. For example, no one chooses to watch a commercial on TV, but they do choose what to watch on YouTube. How to capture that 'viral marketing' energy is another strategy expounded on in some detail in this book, but I would recommend that people just go read it because it's not really something that can be summarized here. 

In the world of social media, the audience has a choice. If you don't like a particular blog you simply move on to another one. If your engagement to someone ends up in a nasty split, you simply change your Facebook status to single and people will get the message and cause lots of fun drama. 

The fun thing about it is that it really forces the best to rise to the top. Think about a place like Amazon.com. Most people go there to purchase goods, but a large number of people also go there to read product reviews. Each review is also rated as being helpful or not. You can immediately gauge the importance and quality of a book by seeing its star-level review, and also the number of people reviewing it. It's an immediate way to get an honest assessment of almost any product. That is another driver behind the power of social media. You might see an infomercial on TV for some product that looks amazing, but you simply need to google its reviews to see what people actually thought about it. 

One of the things I look most forward to is that it is shifting us away from weak and often misleading types of marketing strategies to forcing better products and better quality – otherwise the 'groundswell' of people will never allow this product to 'rise' up in this new world of new relationships. 

I initially wanted to get into the specific technologies that are available, but that would be too lengthy and fairly counter-productive since new technologies are always coming out. What I feel is an important challenge though, is to force Muslim organizations to open up to their community. Open up your masjid website to let people leave comments about activities. Keep your community in the loop of different events via the media available. Involve the common person in the process. As the rest of the world moves in this direction, our Islamic organizations will fall behind if this step is not taken. 

One example I want to leave you with is the use of Twitter. SaqibSaab wrote an excellent article about it on his blog, and he highlighted a real life example of how a Masjid in Texas is utilizing social technologies like Twitter to increase participation in the community and keep a transparent relationship with them in regards to their progress. 

The other reason I mention Twitter is because it is a good example of a technology that was founded for one purpose, but once the 'groundswell' of people got involved it took on all kinds of unexpected uses. I have embedded a video below of the founder of Twitter talking about this (warning: there is some music and women without hijab in the opening sequence). 

Anyone who is involved in dawah projects, or any kind of Islamic organization should really read this book and start thinking of ways to utilize these technologies to their benefit. We should utilize whatever means we have around us to bring benefit to our communities, and it is time we got ahead of the curve for once instead of being behind it all the time. 

Lastly, I leave you with this somewhat unrelated video about the importance of shukr in today's technologically advanced time.

Please leave a comment or email me at ibnabeeomar /a t/ muslimmatters . org for any feedback. 

Blurb from the book jacket:

“My name is Safia Dirie. My family has always been my mum, Hoyo, and my two older brothers, Ahmed and Abdullahi. I don't really remember Somalia – I'm an East London girl, through and through. But now Abo, my father, is coming from Somalia to live with us, after 12 long years. How am I going to cope?”
Safia knows that there will be changes ahead but nothing has prepared her for the reality of dealing with Abo's cultural expectations, her favourite brother Ahmed's wild ways, and the temptation of her cousin Firdous’s party-girl lifestyle. Safia must come to terms with who she is – as a Muslim, as a teenager, as a poet, as a friend, but most of all as a daughter to a father she has never known. Safia must find her own place in the world, so both father and daughter can start to build the relationship they both long for. From Somalia With Love is one girl's quest to discover who she is – a story that, while rooted in Somali and Muslim life, strikes a chord with young people everywhere.

I recieved the book in the mail recently, and I was so eager to read it that I couldn't wait – I snuggled down with a blanket and devoured the book immediately!

In short: It's awesome.

A while back I wrote a quick blurb on another book for Muslim teens (Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah), and mentioned how happy I was that at least there was something out there for Muslim girls. I'm even happier now that “From Somalia, With Love” has arrived on the scene, delivering an even better story and providing an even better alternative.

Safia Dirie is a young Somali Muslim girl, somewhere in her mid-teens. Growing up in London, navigating through non-Muslim society while maintaining a close connection to her family and extended community, Safia represents the majority of Muslim girls in the West: practicing, religious, often from a “different” (i.e. immigrant) ethnic background, but very much Westernized.

The story begins with the news of her father's return from Somalia, after more than a decade of being thought dead. What should be a touching family reunion, however, ends up becoming an awkward change in family dynamics.

Abo's arrival is a catalyst for Safia: the close bond between her and her mother begins to fade, and her brother Ahmed's behaviour adds more to her worries and problems. Lonely, unsure of what to think or do, Safia drifts away from her family and best friend and begins to connect with her cousin Firdous. Firdous, however, is one of the least reputable girls in the family, given to partying and hooking up with guys. And although her aunt warns her about Firdous, Safia continues to spend time with her cousin and as her situation at home gets worse, is soon drawn to things she would never have considered before. Before she knows it, things begin getting out of hand – will she be able to stop before it goes too far?

The story concludes with a beautiful end, reminding us that as difficult as it is to be a Muslim kid, we can still hold onto our Islam and find our niche in the world. Muslims can have happy endings too!

Sister Na'ima has done an amazing job in creating a small world and a character which accurately reflect the situations of many Muslim teens. Few books successfully incorporate beautiful writing and a realistic storyline with faith and morals, but sister Na'ima has done it with this story. Her talent really shines through and I do hope that this is just the first of many more books of the same genre, inshā'Allāh.

My only quibbles with the book were that it was shorter than I'd hoped, and I felt that there could have been a bit more attention and emphasis on Safia's relationship with Allāh, especially in those moments of weak emaan. And while I initially thought that the details of the conflicts and eventual resolution were somewhat oversimplified, I guess it makes sense to keep it that way for the intended audience (preteens/ early teens).

I give “From Somalia, With Love” 4 stars out of 5, and strongly recommend it for Muslim girls aged 11 and up. Actually, this book would be great for Muslim and non-Muslims alike! It would also make a fantastic addition to a public, personal, or school library.

Published by Frances Lincoln, and quite reasonably priced ($7.95 U.S.), you can buy “From Somalia, With Love” from Amazon, Chapters/ Indigo and any major bookstore in your vicinity (check for availability).

Just a note, the book won't be released in Canada until February, so Canadians will have to wait for it… but make sure you pre-order it so that you don't forget!

What about Islam and Jihad?

The term jihad is a loaded term with multiple and conflicting meanings. It was used for the Afghan resistance, and since then for every struggle involving Muslims fighting resistance and liberation as well as extremism and terrorism (Bosnia, Kosovo, Chechnya, Kashmir, Bali, Gaza, etc.). The Bin Ladens, along with many non-Muslims ironically, conflate jihad with a Muslim holy war against unbelievers. But many observant Muslims will deny that link, but point to the Crusades as the origin of “holy wars.”

To most Muslims, jihad implies honor and sacrifice for others, even when interpreted military, it comes with many conditions, including the writ against targeting civilians. Using jihad and terrorism as synonyms is wrong and counterproductive, and the meaning of Jihad to Muslims is much more nuanced than what many Western commentators invoke.

Religion & Politics: Yesterday and Today

While people find linking of religion and politics in Islam as being peculiar, it belies history throughout which politics and religion have been linked. Judaism's King David and King Solomon conquered and settled at the behest of God, Christianity's kings and emperors were crowned by the Pope and fought crusades for expansion. Hinduism's kings upheld “divine order” and used the doctrine of dharma to support the caste system.

In recent decades, religion has been used in wars of liberation and for terrorism throughout the world: Muslim Bosnians, Christian Serbs, Catholic/Protestants Irish, Muslims and Jewish fundamentalists in Israel/Palestine, etc.

Religion and Suicide Terrorism

Is religion a key precipitator of such terrorism?

The best research on this has been done by Robert Pape (referred to sometime ago on MM), author of Dying to Win: The Logic of Suicide Terrorism:

The central fact is that overwhelmingly suicide-terrorists attacks are not driven by religion as much as they are by a clear strategic objective: to compel modern democracies to withdraw military forces from the territory that the terrorists view as their homeland. From Lebanon to Sri Lanka to Chechnya to Kashmir to the West Bank, every major suicide-terrorist campaign-more than 94% of all the incidents-has had its central objective to compel a democratic state to withdraw. [Source: Interview on The American Conservative]

However, both religious and secular groups often frame their terrorist acts within a powerful religious context: Tamil Tigers using Hindu identity against Sinhalese Buddhists in Sri Lanka, Hamas using Islamic identity, even Al-Aqsa Martyrs, a secular militia using Islam, etc. Although suicide attacks seem to evoke Hamas as the originator, the most devastating suicide attack was against the US Marine barracks in 1983, killing 241 US soldiers, motivated by Hezbollah with the attackers belonging to diverse religious backgrounds. In Lebanon attacks since the 80s, attackers have included 8 Muslim “fundamentalists”, 3 Christians, and 27 communists/socialists.

Pape's research also concluded that two-thirds of al-Qaeda suicide terrorists from '95 to '04 were from countries where the US had a heavy presence of troops since 1990. There was no suicide terrorism in Iraq before the invasion and occupation. But it was used by both Shias and Sunnis in their sectarian conflicts and in trying to end US occupation.

What do Muslims say about Western countries and Leaders?

While political radicals are more negative than moderates in their opinions about the West as a whole, stark differences exist between views about individual countries in the West. France and Germany have unfavorable levels of only about 25%, while UK is at 68% and US at 84% unfavorable. Similarly, 90% of political radicals and 62% moderates have absolute dislike for Bush. The number drops to 70% and 43% for Blair, and drops to minority levels at 39% and 24% for Chirac.

Furthermore, the US is considered “aggressive” by 81% of radicals, 67% of moderates, while only 8-9% of radicals and moderates see France or Germany as aggressive. So, in conclusion the data obliterates the suggestion that radicals or for that matter, the average Muslim, holds some overwhelming blind hatred for all of West and all of Western culture.

How is America viewed specifically?

Not very kindly of course. While America's stated policy is to promote democracy, a sizable chunk of the Muslim/Arab population isn't buying it. About 50% moderates are skeptical about this official US policy statement, while 72% of political radicals don't buy it.

Muslims' skepticism is based on what they believe are double-standards exhibited by the US on democracy and human-rights. A politician and community leader in Nigeria remarked that US and the UN turn a blind eye towards Israel when it attacks Palestine, but when there is a counter-attack by Palestinians, it is condemned as terrorism. As a female student at American University of Cairo, a leading institute of Western education, quipped:

Bush has given Israel carte blanch to attack Palestinians and Lebanese. The war on terror is an open-ended war on Muslims.

Ultimately, the authors conclude:

For the politically radicalized, their fear of Western control and domination, as well as their lack of self-determination, reinforces their sense of powerlessness. Thus, a belief has developed among the politically radicalized that they must dedicate themselves to changing an untenable situation.

Importance of religious & cultural identity

Modern post-World War II Muslim nations' hopes of a bright future were not grounded in the reality of having arbitrary borders drawn by European colonial powers. It placed people with historical rivalries into the same nation, a fragile process that led to later conflicts and civil wars, such as in Lebanon and Iraq.

Arab nationalism movements led to the tumbling of Western-appointed rulers. At the same time, Islamic movements such as al-Ikhwaan (Muslim brotherhood) started attracting thousands of members in various Arab countries.

The 1967 Arab defeat to the Israelis was a watershed moment for Arab pride and identity. Governments started turning to Islam as a “stay in power” strategy. Thus, since 1970s, religion and culture have become more integrated in Muslim politics and society. Religious identity is important to both political radicals and moderates, and what they most admire about themselves and their nations. But more radicals (65%) give top priority to holding on to spiritual/moral values compared to moderates (45%).

On the other hand, one of the biggest resentments for both moderates and radicals towards the West is its “disrespect for Islam”, and “improving the presentation of Islam to the West” was a top response from both groups in what the Muslim world could do to improve relations with the West.

The “war against Islam”

Across the Muslim world, the belief of a Western war against Islam and Muslims has become a popular theme, with majorities in many Muslim countries believing that US's goal is to “weaken and divide the Islamic world”.

There is a strong fear of the appeal of Western culture in movies, music and programs that encourage permissiveness and considered as an assault on Islamic character. What Muslims resent the most was consistently answered as “sexual and cultural promiscuity”, followed by “ethical and moral corruption” and then “hatred of Muslims” for both radicals and moderates. Another source of resentment is the depiction of Muslims in Western media.While a significantly greater proportion of the political radicals cite Western cultural saturation, immorality and moral corruption as top reasons for resentment, not even a small percentage suggests that the West should “stop being immoral and corrupt” in order to improve relations with the Muslim world.

What Muslims request for better relations has nothing to do with asking people in the West to change who they are, but rather what they do: to respect Islam and Muslims and make concrete changes in certain aspects of foreign policy.

This commitment to cultural values and the fear of Western hegemony drives political radicals to be much more fearful about the threat of foreign interference in their countries, relative to moderates who are more worried about economics. This fear extends to a distrust of the West's desire for coexistence and pessimism about the future. Radicals (50% of them) are also more committed and believe that it is “completely justifiable” to “sacrifice one's life for something one believes in”, while 18% of moderates believe this. So, although both moderates and radicals are concerned about Western bias and interference, the greater intensity and fear that radicals have about the West makes them a more fertile ground for terrorism recruiting.

Is sympathy for terrorist acts a Muslim monopoly?

We keep hearing that Muslims support terrorism much more than other groups, despite data showing that Muslim sympathy for terrorism is NOT driven by religious reasons.

Ironically, Muslims on average are more likely to condemn attacks on civilians unequivocally than even the general American public! A recent study shows that:

Only 46% of Americans think that “bombing and other attacks intentionally aimed at civilians” are “never justified”, while 24% believe these attacks are “often or sometimes justified” [See poll]

Similarly, 6% of American public thinks that attacks in which civilians are targets are “completely justified”, compared to Lebanon/Iran (2%) and Saudi Arabia (4%). Muslims in Paris and London are equivalent in their justification of attacks on civilians, even for a “noble cause”.

So, why does terrorism continue to flourish in Muslim countries, despite Muslims' rejection of terrorism?

What these results indicate is that terrorism is as much an “out group” activity as any other violent crime.

Just like violent crimes (murders, rapes, etc.) continue to occur in US doesn't mean that Americans are fine with them; similarly the presence of terrorism is not evidence of Muslims' acquiescence to it. The statistical data indicates the opposite.

Diagnosis or misdiagnoses

Blaming Islam for terrorism is wrong and has serious repercussion. It reinforces radicals' views about the West's war on Islam, and alienates the moderate majority. Bush's use of the word crusades in describing the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq (what some call a Freudian slip) doesn't help matters.

Americans and the vast majority of Muslims despise extremism. According to the polls, Americans least admire “radicalism” in the Muslim world, and similarly Muslims' top concern about their own society is extremism. This should not be surprising since Muslims have suffered the most from terrorism. Terrorists are not glorified; they are rejected by the vast majority of Muslims.

This then is the good news, plus the fact that 90%+ Muslims are in the “easier” moderate category. The bad news is that there is a sea of misunderstandings and misperceptions that Muslims have about the West and vice-versa, as well as the presence of many politically radicalized individuals who could move either way (to moderation or to greater extremism). While many Muslims (radicals and moderates) admire the West's technology, freedom of speech, and value of hard work, Americans when asked what they know about Muslims had two predominant responses: “Nothing”, and “I don't know”.

There are 1.3 billion Muslims today worldwide. If the 7% (91 million) of the politically radicalized continue to feel politically dominated, occupied and disrespected, the West will have little, if any, chance of changing their minds.

Key Points:

• The majority of respondents in predominantly Muslim countries condemn the vents of 9/11
• The minority (7%) who condone attacks and view the US unfavorably are no more religious than the general population
• What distinguishes political radicals from others is their perception of the West's politics, and not its culture.