So, there’s all this talk going on in Blogistan about race relations and what not in the American Umma. And Ubah made a suggestion about Sister Aaminah and I getting together with a few other sistes to start a sisters publication. I would love to start something up but I can’t really do anything until late July. I gotta pass this class and defend my thesis already so I can close this chapter of my life.
But wouldn’t it be great if we had some kind of publication out there addressing all of these issues? Ya know–people falling in and out of the deen, racism, classism, sexism, ignorance of the deen, spousal abuse and sexuality? Of course some folks would hate it but they wouldn’t be able to stop talking about it.
These issues were and continue to be addressed on MWU.com. But I think we all know the reasons why that website and its group, the PMUNA, went downhill. I mean, if you want to engage the conservative imam at your mosque about women’s prayer, it’s probably best not to write an article about him being a closet homosexual.
So, how ’bout it? State of the Umma? The American Umma?
In light of Dr. Lang’s pleas to our community, it’s obvious that the formation of an American Muslim culture is sloooooooooooow to take root. We really can’t afford to move at glacial speed. There are dozens of Muslims that are trying to meld the best of American culture with Islam. But as Shaykh Hamza mentioned at the 2005 Tampa Minara program, “10% of the Amerian Muslim community is active while the other 90% is just doing their own thing.”
Brothers and sisters, I asking for us all to take part in cultural coup of the current leadership. I’m not talking about an angry overthrow of the unchanging, stagnant mosque board. We have to go outside of the masjid to get work done. I’m talking about a gradual transfer of power. Now there’s some progressive mosques out there and if you live around one, please support it and make dua for that community. But…what’s stopping us from forming our own local support groups?
Okay, I’m getting off track. I may come back to this. This was going to be a gripe about our problems but we are well aware of those things.
Leena said,
March 20, 2007 at 8:01 pm
Sounds good..
BTW, Have you heard about Jeff Lang’s project, Generation Islam? http://generationislam.com/
Izzy Mo said,
March 20, 2007 at 8:15 pm
OOOOH, this is cool. This is my first time hearing about this! Alhamdulillah, this is a wonderful idea! Thanks SIS!
ubah said,
March 20, 2007 at 9:56 pm
Looooool Izzymo, Rome was not build in a day. Finish your degree that is important, first thing is first. You can start the end of this year, next year, or even the one after that. Islam is here to say, and also all the topics you mentioned are not going away anytime soon.
Title suggestion if it is not already taken “Breaking down the walls” Just a suggestion.
Breaking down the walls of ignorance Inside and outside Islam, breaking down the walls of silence of abused, racism, sexism, and all other isms out there. Feminism too looool I think feminism in Islam belongs to that other ism I mentioned above. Feminism is moot point in Islam.
The only way to have a dialogue is to give people a voice, voice to the mad man, the mullah and the moderate alike.
In my opinion Muslimwakeup.com failed because they could not connect to anyone, neither fundamentalist nor the progressive. They could not connect the Muslim fundamentalist because MWU was too out there for them, and they could not connect the once who call themselves progressive, because the progressives are trying to run as far away from Islam as possible. They could not connect to the rest of the world, because if one wants a muslim to speak about or against Islam, they want the Rushidie, Hirsi and other former muslims who bash Islam.
I kinda follow MWU in the beginning for a little while but they lost me, something about them did not make sense to me. I stop reading them.
altaf said,
March 21, 2007 at 9:26 am
unfortunately, neither the MWU - nor Lang’s project would meet the needs of the people i tend to work with — MWU for obvious reasons — Lang’s project appears to be geared towards a specific socio-economic class of Muslims — middle and/or upper middle class or upwards. Besides i’m not much of a fan of El Fadl.
in my area, there are some grassroots type masajid that do wonderful work, and are directly connected with their respective communities — these days these types of masajid would be branded as extremist/salafi etc. — but they are the ones who have stayed thick and thin within the “inner cities” neighbourhoods — they did not change their tune and become all “moderate” post 9/11. As such, for the kind of work that I’m interested in : one that is holistic and does not ignore sexism racism and especially not classism , nor ignore taking a strong anti-war/imperialist stand just to please the funders —in that respect, some of these masajid have done the best works.
i think it would be better to contribute to already existing online mags. — than starting yet another mag. Usually Muslim mags. are the way they are ’cause of lack of contribution - not necessarily ’cause they don’t wanna address the issues.
UmmZaid said,
March 21, 2007 at 3:44 pm
Salaam ‘Alaikum
First, a note. I know the woman who founded (or one of the women who founded) Generation Islam. It’s her baby. Mr. Lang is, as far as what she’s told me, an advisor, but not going to be actively involved in their day to day operations and projects. But this is something she’s been working towards, on her own, for years.
Second, the idea is good, and I think it would be enhanced by making this journal whole-istic. The issues mentioned, for example, are salient ones, but you need to make sure that you don’t fall into the sickness of American Muslims and that is forgetting the inner spiritual life. We talk about these things, and we acknowledge that they are due to our inward shortcomings, but then we often don’t do anything about it, ykwim? The spiritual life isn’t the sole provine of “the Sufis.” We need to make sure that we are equally emphasizing the social issues that cause problems and get a lot of attn from the media as well as the inner life. And my personal opinion is that many Muslim magazines often have a token “deen page” and a token “reflection page,” and the rest of the space is devoted to political and social issues.
Just throwing htat out there.
Izzy Mo said,
March 21, 2007 at 5:01 pm
Walaikum salaam,
Ubah: My friend gave me some wonderful advice the other day. She said that she had to remind herself that the world will keep on spinning if she didn’t have her hands in everything. LOL. I often forget to just relax and get out of the activist mode from time to time. As far as for MWU, I had a very brief fling with them too until their articles got waaay out of hand. But if I do this, and this is a big IF, I would want the publication to be positive and uplifting. Hearing about the umma’s problems can be an iman killer. Thanks for the suggestions.
Altaf: Ah, the progressive spirit of California!
May it always reign! Thank you for the advice, though. I commend Dr. Lang for his efforts but I guess we all have to work in areas where we feel the most comfortable or have the most experience. May you and him both be rewarded for your efforts. 
Umm Zaid: I gotta that website again to get her name. Masha’Allah, it was started by a sister. Now about your advice…that’s one of things I love about Seasons is that it is whole-listic. But as you stated, you know how hard it is to talk about the “spiritual life” without being branded as a deviant Sufi. Or when the deen is discussed, it’s done in a very dry technical manner. Welp, this won’t be years from now anyway.
Aaminah said,
March 21, 2007 at 5:17 pm
Asalaamu alaikum.
100% in agreement with UmmZ (as always - I think you are my twin, but you are the good one, LOL).
We need to address real issues but with SOLUTIONS, not just complaining and discussing them to death. We all know what they are already, so just rehashing them serves no purpose. But we also need to realize and present that the SOLUTIONS are WITHIN ISLAM. It’s ALL in the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and we do not need to reinvent the wheel, as they say. A huge part of the issues we complain about is grounded in the lack of following the Qur’an and the Sunnah, so it is only logical that a big part of addressing those issues would be in building the foundation of good inner spiritual knowledge and practice.
So yeah, let’s not fill it up with useless chatter about current events, but thought-provoking response to them that is based in a reminder of our larger responsibility. And let’s skip the “Sister’s Page” where we talk about hijab until we are blue in the face, let’s skip the “Reflections Page” which is the only place where you read ahadith or which includes the requisit conversion story. Better writing on the variety of issues interspersed throughout the publication is the better way to go.
HijabMan said,
March 23, 2007 at 6:26 pm
“10% of the Amerian Muslim community is active while the other 90% is just doing their own thing.”
good to know you are apart of the 10%.
JDsg said,
March 25, 2007 at 4:29 am
Off-topic: Apply!
Muhammad-Nur said,
March 25, 2007 at 12:31 pm
“it’s obvious that the formation of an American Muslim culture is sloooooooooooow to take root. ”
Could you assist me an define what you consider American Muslim culture and what about it is not taking root and where its not taking root?
Izzy Mo said,
March 25, 2007 at 6:22 pm
Salaam alaikum everyone
Aaminah: Good points, sis.
Hijabman: Insha’Allah, brother. Insha’Allah. LOL!
Shaykh JD: Yes! Jazak Allah khairn!
Muhammad Nur: Okay.
I would picture a healthy American Muslim culture where Muslims are able to develop important institutions outside of the masjid such as clinics, art galleries/museums, social organizations, etc. These things are talking place but there are certain road blocks such as funding, apathy and general issues amongst Muslims of different races. I would also include that we should have a strong independent media and the ability to overcome our current racial divide which I think will be overcome by this generation and the ones that come after it. These things are taking place, just slowly. We are still in the pioneer stages but insha’Allah, we are getting there. Umm Zaid wrote this entry on her blog which better explains my point.
http://www.sunnisisters.com/?p=1717
Dynamite Soul said,
March 29, 2007 at 1:09 am
As salaamu alaikum,
This is a great idea. Our ummah is having issues that we seem to ignore or brush under the rug in America. We have waaaay too many issues here that need to be resolved and I think that if we address these problems in a way which is truly out of love and concern, we will avoid the pitfalls others have made when tackling such issues.
It’s been a while but I am still keeping up with ya!