It was an impulsive and half-baked idea that changed our lives forever. During Ramadan 2010, Islam's holy month of fasting and reflection, we hopped in a car and drove across America, stopping each evening to break our fast at a different mosque in a different state. We drove over 13,000 miles during the trip and blogged about it daily on our site, www.30mosques.com. We prayed in the infamous "Ground Zero Mosque," got pulled over by a cop in Mississipi and stumbled upon one of the first mosques ever built in the United States when our car broke down. Along the way we also met the protagonist of Dave Eggers' bestselling book Zeitoun, Cambodian Muslim victims of the Khmer Rouge, a Pakistani-Mormon couple, and many, many others, all of whom are part of the diverse Muslim-American community.
Our journey explored what it means to be Muslim in America today and served as a powerful counter-narrative to the media's image of a monolithic Islam.
The project gained widespread coverage on several national media outlets including CNN, ABC News, NPR and even the Huffington Post, but the success really should be credited to our thousands of readers using Facebook and Twitter to buzz about the trip. Thanks to them, we were able to finance the entire project on individual contributions instead of large corporate sponsors.
Outside of this project, we are both respected in our professions as storytellers - Bassam as a cultivated filmmaker and an award-winning ad writer and Aman as an animated writer and standup comedian. When we came together as friends for this project, we told stories about Muslims in ways that nobody ever could. We spent time rolling down slides with kids in Jacksonville, laughing with Bosnians in Idaho - all in hopes of sharing intimate moments with Muslims in America that is seldom seen.
This year's Ramadan, we're finishing what we started. We will be back on the road visiting the 20 states we didn't get a chance to visit - including Alaska and Hawaii. The remaining 10 days will have us revisiting some of the most compelling communities from last year. We felt we've only scratched the surface when it came to telling compelling stories about Muslims in this country and it is a no brainer for us to continue this journey.
Islam in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mosque Controversy: Does America Have a Muslim Problem? - TIME
Five myths about Muslims in America - The Washington Post
30 Mosques in 30 Days: An American Trip - Photo Essays - TIME
Ramadan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
IslamiCity.com - Ramadan Information Center - Islamic Fasting
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The word, "Dhimma", simply means "taking responsibility [of someone or something]".
"Dhimmi" is a person whose responsibility the majority has taken to ensure that he is well-protected and that he is freely able to live according to his religious or non-religious beliefs, laws and lifestyle.
o11.0 NON-MUSLIM SUBJECTS OF THE ISLAMIC STATE (AHL AL-DHIMMA)
[…]
In addition, they:
(1) Are penalized for committing adultery or theft, though not for drunkeness;
(2) Are distinguished from Muslims in dress, wearing a wide cloth belt (zunnar);
(3) Are not greeted with “as-Salamu ‘alaykum”;
(4) Must keep to the side of the street;
(5) May not build higher than or as high as the Muslims’ buildings, though if they acquire a tall house, it is not razed;
(6) Are forbidden to openly display wine or pork, (A: to ring church bells or display crosses,) recite the Torah or Evangel aloud, or make public display of their funerals and feastdays;
(7) And are forbidden to build new churches.
[…]
o11.10 The agreement is also violated [when the non-Muslim]
(1) Commits adultery with a Muslim woman or marries her;
(2) Conceals spies of hostile forces;
(3) Leads a Muslim away from Islam;
(4) Kills a Muslim;
(5) Or mentions something impermissible about Allah, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), or Islam.
o11.11 When a subject’s agreement with the state has been violated, the caliph chooses between the four alternatives mentioned above in connection with prisoners of war (o9.14).
[death, slavery, ransom or release]
http://www.shafiifiqh.com/maktabah/relianceoftraveller.pdf
As opose to this :2:62 (and also 5:69) VERILY, those who have attained to faith [in this writ], as well as those who follow the Jewish faith, and the Christians, and the Sabians49 – all who believe in God and the Last Day and do righteous deeds – shall have their reward with their Sustainer; and no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve
So in the Talmud, gentiles are no different than the beasts of the field. Look at what Rabbi Ovedia Yusef ( Head of the Shas Council) stated "Gentiles are meant only to serve Jews..." See this article on Jpost : http://www.jpost.com/JewishWorld/JewishNews/Article.aspx?id=191782
And According to Chrisitans, if we are not Christians, we get the eternity in hell thing.
Talmud is for theJewish.
What about abrogation in quran?
http://www.thepersecution.org/ai/ai110729uk.html
Being a Muslim requires that one believe in the finality of prophethood. That is, that the Prophet Muhammad (SAW = may the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) was the best and LAST of those sent to mankind with a divine message.
Mirza Ghulam Ahamad, the Ahmadi founder, who also claimed to be the reincarnated Buddha, reincarnated Jesus Christ, and the Mahdi, first claimed to be a Prophet after Muhammad (SAW). This removed him, and all his followers from Islam, unless they renounce blasphemy and take Shahadah.
Please don't try to get into some big debate with me. Outsiders don't define our religion, we do.
No reply option, hence
That said, can I ask you to substantiate your figures? The anecdotal evidence you offer in your posts is, well, anecdotal. Thanks.
=================================================
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_converts_to_Islam
http://islamineurope.blogspot.com/2011/01/uk-up-to-100000-converts-to-islam.html
The above may give you some ideas
Not to mention what is happening in Germany and Britain.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43018130/ns/world_news-europe/t/irish-muslim-arrested-over-obama-death-threats/
An Irish Muslim convert was arrested in Dublin Thursday over his reported death threats against President Barack Obama, police said.
http://islamversuseurope.blogspot.com/2011/06/mohammedan-convert-in-austria-planned.html
An Austrian terror suspect arrested this week was plotting to crash a plane into the Reichstag building in Berlin, which houses the German parliament, a report said Saturday. Officials said a German with links to the suspect was also detained.
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/places/culture-places/beliefs-and-traditions/us_ramadanindenver.html
Faved.
And .... along those same lines .....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V4ePb3aOT0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzDloHnxwUo
As well as what it's like to be a Muslim in Pakistan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIKQfGahBf4
As well as what it's like to try to bring the true spirit of Islam back to Pakistan, via "Rock and Roll Jihad" .....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2gmk8zzS7I
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This point is usually ignored by the so-called critics of Islam when they suggest limiting their involvement with the rest of the society, especially when they resort to social activism.
The Muslims who are born in America are equal citizens and they, as well as those American Muslims who were not born in America, work very hard for the overall welfare and progress of America.
So when a Muslim asks that he wants to go for Friday prayer and take a longer lunch and will put in extra hours to get the job done, so long as the extended lunch hour does not interfere with any immediate work or meetings, he or she should not be told to keep his/her religion a private matter and not make such a request.
Their contributions to the American society must be taken into consideration.
How come you are not like the other non-Muslims engaged in a negative propaganda against us Muslims?
What is the secret to your such a positive approach?
Thanks,
Quite unusual of the way of 13,000 miles!
But not uncommon, on neither finding nor just mentioning "the way" to man's divinity.
Clearly, until one gets to know "the way," traveling year after year to the end of time, is just another way of forgetting oneself along the way of traveling.
Non-military personnel for instance are not permitted to enter certain restricted areas like the military stations or bases (cantonments).
In every country there are certain areas where a common citizen of that country cannot enter. Only a citizen who is enrolled in the military or those who are connected with the defence of the country are allowed
Islam is a Universal Religion for the entire Ummah. The cantonment areas of Islam are the two holy cites of Makkah and Madeenah.
Here only those who believe in Islam and are involved in the defence of Islam i.e. the Muslims are allowed. Others may pose a security risk
It would be illogical for a common citizen to object against the restriction on entering a cantonment area.
Similarly it is not appropriate for non-Muslims to object against the restriction on non-Muslims against entering Makkah and Madeenah.
There are many Hindu temples which restrict the entry of women.
Some temples allow the women to enter but they are not allowed to touch the idols kept at the sanctum of the temple, some temples do not allow women who have their monthly periods, some temples do not allow people belonging to a particular castes, many temples do not allow non-Hindus beyond a certain point.
So the same way about three kilometres radius within the Scared Kaaba is a restricted zone entry for Muslims only
But today, humankind has generally grown in its levels of consciousness to recognize unity and integration in all levels of reality, which is what "tawheed" (Divine Unity) essentially means.
So, I don't see why the non-Muslims, especially the followers of earlier revelation, should be completely barred from entering these two sites.
They will certainly not enter the two sacred mosques (one in Mecca and the other one in Medina) to offer prayers, for these sites are usually very occupied 24/7/365, but I don't see any problem allowing the non-Muslims to visit them.
I wish everyone could also be so mature as to acknowledge the weakness in their own positions rather than trying to justify them.
The non-Muslims were not prohibited from entering the Prophet's mosque in Medina.
Quite the contrary.
There was a delegation of Christians who visited the Prophet in Medina. The Prophet not only allowed them to enter his mosque (now called Masjid al-Nabwi), he let them perform their religious rites, which included beating the drum.
So, this prohibition of not allowing the non-Muslims in the Prophet's mosque in Medina is utterly un-Islamic and goes against the Prophet whose mosque the Saudi Wahhabis control.
I am so excited about reading all the new places you'll visit this year- Alaska and Hawaii to name to name a few.
Safe travels & Ramadan Kareem.
And then ask when was the last time a six year old has been married in Islam?
I think you will agree that one has happened a while ago and one has happened today.
http://frontpagemag.com/2011/07/25/new-saudi-fatwa-defends-pedophilia-as-%E2%80%98marriage%E2%80%99/
Fawzan insists that nowhere does Sharia set an age limit for marrying girls: like countless Muslim scholars before him, he relies on Koran 65:4, which discusses marriage to females who have not yet begun menstruating
http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/index.php?page=showfatwa&Option=FatwaId&Id=88089
Getting married at an early age is something that is confirmed by the book of Allah, the Sunnah of his Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam), the consensus of the scholars and the actions of the companions, and the Muslims who came after them.
http://translate.google.com/translate?ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsru.co.il%2Fworld%2F03feb2011%2Fimam707.html&sl=ru&tl=en