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 Diary >> Affan Chowdhry The New Statesman suffers from historical amnesia The Height of Opulence in Abu Dhabi Where the wine flows like lassi Q in the News Iran's mystery DJ Women slipping thru’ the gaps >> Samira Ahmed The Rock Star and the Mullah >> Fareena Alam "A modern day hippie in search of love" >> Abdul-Rehman Malik Handing Victory to the Terrorists >> Shami Chakrabarti and Megan Addis Who is Sania Mirza? >> Siraj Wahab Democracy Inside Out: The Case of Egypt >> Louay Safi Turks: A Journey of a Thousand Years >> Isla Rosser-Owen Raising Aspirations >> Raihan Alfaradhi Bleedin' Islamophobia >> Yakoub Islam Disappeared in America The Muslim Blogosphere >> Shahed Amanullah Blogger's Manifesto >> Haroon Moghul The politics of common purpose >> Ian McCartney Waking up to Progressive Muslims >> Nazim Baksh The Shariah Firestorm in Canada >> Faisal Kutty Renewing Our Faith in Common Ground >> James Abdulaziz Brown Hafiz Gulammohammed Bora >> Fuad Nahdi Chicken Soup for the Muslim Soul >> Sana Khatib Mourning the Unknown >> Abu Anon Youssou N'Dour wins world music award Fun times for Oxbridge Muslim Alumni Deenport Mania Book views |
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New Voices
Emerge: The Muslim Blogosphere Page 33 For
the last three years, it has been “all Islam, all the time.” Overnight
“experts” and grey-suited pundits have tried to decipher what we are
thinking, where we are hiding, and our alleged plans for world
domination. Our voices haven’t counted. Enter the Muslim blogs. As Shahed Amanullah reports, bloggers
are challenging popular perceptions of Islam from cyberspace and
creating an online community that is turning conventional wisdom on its
head. Now let’s back up a bit to that fateful day in 2001. While Muslims have never really been good at expressing the diversity of their opinion to the public at large, we faced collective choices that would forever change the nature of our community. Would we remain silent, wishing that the wave of chaos would wash over us, hopefully leaving us unaffected? Or would we stand up for ourselves, giving voice to a people who have been talked about often yet who rarely talk themselves? Would we circle the wagons against criticism of our community, or would we own our own problems and begin to change Muslim attitudes and behavior through our expression? Thankfully, the Internet had arrived several years earlier, and that has given hundreds, if not thousands, of Muslims the opportunity to take the proactive route. With the advent of the Web, Muslims around the world who lived mainly with people who shared their cultural and spiritual beliefs (and living in countries where free expression was rare) were exposed to the breadth and depth of the ummah for the first time - from Salafi to Sufi, from practicing to secular, from conservative to Marxist, and all the colors in between. Some couldn’t deal with it, descending into endless flame wars on bulletin boards. Others gasped in horror and turned away from the screen. But, for those who embraced this brave new world, an enriching dialogue began. And the Muslim blogosphere - the interactive world of Muslim-themed weblogs - was born. Today, there exists a plethora of opinion, analysis, expression, and debate that puts an end to the myth that Muslims are mindless automatons, just waiting for the right fatwa that will put a mass killing machine into motion. Most are in English, although a growing number are in Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, and other languages of the Muslim world. Some are educational - blogger Thabet of “Muslims Under Progress” (underprogress.blogs.com/weblog) never ceases to amaze with his deep knowledge of Islamic history and law. Some cover the news so that you don’t have to - the incredibly popular Laura Poyneer, otherwise known as Al-Muhajabah (muhajabah.com), either has a lot of time on her hands or is a speed reader. Some just astound you with the quality of their writing - if Haroon Moghul (avari.blogs.com) doesn’t win a writing award at some point in his literary future, there is no justice in this world. And some are just plain funny - Abdusalaam al-Hindi’s (abdusalaam.blogspot.com) take on stereotypical khutbahs is already an Internet classic. This year, these and other Muslim bloggers were honored by their peers and readers with the first annual Brass Crescent Awards, an online “best blog” competition held by City of Brass (cityofbrass.blogspot.com) and my weblog, alt.muslim (altmuslim.com) with the objective of highlighting the best of the Muslim blogosphere for those just getting to know the talent and diversity of the online Muslim ummah, as well as providing recognition to those who have toiled hard with their writings, wondering if anyone cared. Hundreds of votes were cast in this year’s awards, even though three was only one week notice given, and people were given an opportunity to discuss - in a weblog, of course - the nominees before voting. (This year’s winners are featured at altmuslim.com/brasscrescent.php and in the following pages.) Next year, we hope that the excitement generated by the first Brass Crescent awards, and the favorable reception given to the winners, will bring in more nominations and a more spirited pre-election debate. Some of the categories are straightforward, focusing specifically on the writings, including “Best Blog”, “Best Post” and “Best Writing.” This year, Haroon Moghul, a newcomer to blogging who left law school to focus on his writings and pursue a PhD in Islamic Studies, made a clean sweep of all three categories with his unique writing style, rich with multicultural references, smart self-deprecation, and just a touch of irony. Haroon also has an excellent self-published memoir about his travels in Saudi Arabia, which is as side-splitting and simultaneously thoughtful as his blog posts. It was a close call in each of the three categories, with Abusalam al-Hindi, Laura “veiled4Allah” Poyneer, Zack Ajmal, and Muslims for Progress’ Thabet - all Muslim blogosphere veterans who have been posting for several years - close behind. Other categories, such as “Best Thinker” and “Best Commenter”, are meant to highlight emerging Muslim web personalities and encourage those out there who are still wary of public expression to see how rewarding it can be for their readers. This year, the same blogger swept both categories - the anonymous author of Silent Spring (silentspring.diaryland.com). Unlike most Brass Crescent winners who blog from various Western countries, Silent Spring hails from Pakistan, and blogs in English for a mainly English-speaking audience. While women are well represented in all categories of awards, there is a sisterhood of sorts among Muslim women bloggers, and the “Best Female Blog” category was created to highlight the unique discourse among them. Australian blogger Umm Yasmin (maryams.net/dervish) took the prize in this category, with her well-written entries about motherhood, conversion, and global politics. Her latest entries include a series on “Becoming Muslim” and reflections on this year’s Muharram. Since one of the goals of the Brass Crescent Awards was to share the best of the Muslim web with the greater blogging community, we created a “Best Non-Muslim Blog” that would recognize non-Muslim bloggers that had a respectful attitude towards Islam and whose posts reflected a desire to bridge the gaps between Islam and the West. The prolific Juan Cole (juancole.com), a professor of history at the University of Michigan, took this prize for his pointed political commentary. Our intent in creating this category was to foster better interfaith relations, but Cole’s exclusively political site showed that Muslim surfers are looking for something else. Some categories are meant to be temporary, highlighting a particular cultural phenomenon or phase that the Muslim world is going through. The writings emanating from Iraq (before, during, and after the invasion) are a window to the world that few, Muslim or not, have seen firsthand. This year’s “Best Iraqi Blogger” went to Riverbend of Baghdad Burning (riverbendblog.blogspot.com), with Aunt Najma of A Star from Mosul (astarfrommosul.blogspot.com) close behind. Both write from the “Arab street” so-called “experts” like to talk about, but this street comes across as so much more human than the other one. These blogs are a finger on the pulse of Iraqi society that is ignored in the mainstream press. Many Muslim bloggers like to focus on one subject for several days or weeks, creating a series of articles that can stand alone as an authoritative work. The “Best Series” award recognizes these efforts, and this year’s winner was Leila M (sister-scorpion.blogspot.com) who wrote a series last year on Muharram that did more to educate Sunni Muslims about Shi’a beliefs than anything you could find at an Islamic bookstore. Honorable mention went to Zack Ajmal (zackvision.com), whose collected posts on marriage were nominated in this category. The first Brass Crescent Awards isn’t meant to be a completely authoritative take of the best of the Muslim web. In fact, those weblogs that won did so mainly because those who voted for them found out about the awards first, and spread the word quickly to other fans. By next year, however, we plan to get at least ten times the voters we did this year, and hopefully double the number of nominations. More Muslims start blogging every day, creating a tapestry of creativity, insight, and scholarship that stands in direct contrast to the images of Islam traditionally seen in the media. The Brass Crescent Awards recognises those Muslims who enter the online fray to enrich the lives of their readers, as well as creating a showcase for the wider Net to sample from. Best Iraqi Blogger, ‘Groceries and Election Results’, Riverbend (Baghdad Burning) riverbendblog.blogspot.com “And is Iran so bad?” He finally asked. Well no, Abu Ammar, I wanted to answer, it’s not bad for *you* - you’re a man… if anything your right to several temporary marriages, a few permanent ones and the right to subdue females will increase. Why should it be so bad? Instead I was silent. It’s not a good thing to criticize Iran these days. I numbly reached for the bags he handed me, trying to rise out of that sinking feeling that overwhelmed me when the results were first made public. It’s not about a Sunni government or a Shia government - it’s about the possibility of an Iranian-modeled Iraq. Many Shia are also appalled with the results of the elections. There’s talk of Sunnis being marginalized by the elections but that isn’t the situation. It’s not just Sunnis - it’s moderate Shia and secular people in general who have been marginalized. The list is frightening - Da’awa, SCIRI, Chalabi, Hussein Shahristani and a whole collection of pro-Iran political figures and clerics. They are going to have a primary role in writing the new constitution. There’s talk of Shari’a, or Islamic law, having a very primary role in the new constitution. The problem is, whose Shari’a? Shari’a for many Shia differs from that of Sunni Shari’a. And what about all the other religions? What about Christians and Mendiyeen? Is anyone surprised that the same people who came along with the Americans - the same puppets who all had a go at the presidency last year - are the ones who came out on top in the elections? Jaffari, Talbani, Barazani, Hakim, Allawi, Chalabi… exiles, convicted criminals and war lords. Welcome to the new Iraq. Honourable Mention Best Non English Blog, ‘Arranged Marriage’, Zack Ajmal (Procrastination), zackvision.com/weblog/archives/urdu When parents go looking for a spouse for their child, they consider beauty, ethnicity, religion, education, social/financial status and even horoscopes. Which of these criteria are superficial? There are times when a guy’s mom would reject girls because of the smallest “defects” in physical appearance. Or because of the girl being a bit older than the guy (even by a few months). Ethnicity and religion are very important factors that most parents don’t overlook for arranged marriages. I know a number of guys whose families insisted that they had to marry another Pathan (an ethnic group in NWFP, Pakistan and in Afghanistan) even though these guys and their families had otherwise completely assimilated in Lahore or Karachi for hundreds of years. No one in their families spoke Pashto or Dari, the languages that Pathans/Pashtuns speak. Still their families would not think of marrying someone outside their definition of the tribes that comprise the Pathans. Imagine how many parents in the US are comfortable with their children marrying someone of another race. Now think what would happen if these parents could decide who could or could not marry their kid. The result would definitely be far less miscegenation. And that’s what happens in societies with arranged marriages. In the end, the discussion of arranged and love marriages comes down to which is better. Obviously, the one that leads to more successful marriages. Proponents of arranged marriage claim that it is more successful, but their definition of success focuses on divorce rates. Best Group Blog, Muslim apostates cast out and at risk from faith and family, Thabet (Muslims Under Progress), underprogress.blogs.com (On apostasy) First, regardless of how and when (of even if) the ‘law of apostasy’ is applied, it isn’t applied by anyone other than the authorities charged to do so. [1] Muslim citizens of the United Kingdom are not such an authority and never have been. It is ironic that in their delusional flusters to ‘defend the honour of Islam’, some Muslims tend to disregard the basic structure of Islamic legal systems throughout history: that of acting within defined ethical boundaries. Acts of criminality are judged by an appropriate person (a qadi usually and not Uncle-ji or Mamoo-jan talking over a bowl of zarda) and then, depending on the verdict, punished by the authorities charged to do so (in our current time this would be the State). Personally, If I did come across someone being attacked on the street for ‘leaving Islam’, I know what I would do - take the individual into my house and protect him from the self-righteous cretins who believe themselves to be manifestations of God’s justice. And even after all those points are considered, there is no law against changing one’s religion in the UK, though there are laws against causing harm to, or threatening, another individual. Muslim citizens are required to abide by the laws of the state, as long as they are not required to act contrary to their beliefs. Secondly, many Muslims who live as minorities talk of acting to mitigate against the potential for ‘harm that can be caused to Islam (or Muslims)’. Better still, of acting to promote a good image of Muslims and Islam, for the purposes of da’wah. Now it might just be the salty sea air talking, but I do not see how throwing a brick through the window of a man’s house, who was once Muslim and is now a Christian, which leads to this story being daubed across the pages of a leading newspaper, that fuels the Spencerites and Pipesians and their crackpot missions of Jihad Watch and Dhimmi Watch, and allows celebrity naysayers like Ibn Warraq to repeat “I told you so”, will aid this reduction of potential for harm. If anything, it will have the opposite affect. Best Blog, Best Writing, Best Post, ‘Explaining the Mideast to the Midwest’, Haroon Moghul (avari-nameh), avari.blogs.com Minus a brief flirtation with all things German, Iran has long been fascinated by France. Their modernization came primarily through contacts from the French. Their modern Persian includes French terminology, and anyway, sounds like French far too often. It must be an eerie coincidence. Like the French, too, the Iranians overthrow their governments with alarming regularity. The French, who love revolutions and occupations by foreign powers, are currently enjoying their Fifth Republic. The Iranians, on the other hand, have enjoyed in the span of a century a Constitutional Revolution, two foreign occupations (!), a White Revolution and the infamous 1979 Islamic Revolution (like the French, the Iranians have a problematic relationship with their religion: Iran is the only Muslim country to ever be ruled by clerics, so far as I know, and in this regard, may produce the kind of virulent and ridiculous secularism that dominates France today. The countries should marry and produce children). There is another thing about the Iranians, too. They can’t get over the Arab invasion of over a millennium ago. Avari-Nameh has decided: There will from this post forwards be a strict 500-year pansie girlie man whining limit. After 500 years, one must cease pissing and moaning, because at that point, whatever it is, it really is your fault alone. Incredulous that the barbaric Russians - I mean Arabs (see how easy it is to get analogically confused?) - could have conquered their brilliant, cultured civilization, the Iranians have long nursed a grudge itself the size of some middling Arab powers. Unfortunately, were it not for the Arab-Islamic invasion, Iranian culture probably would not have risen to the global level it did, for the centuries during which Persian was the lingua franca (get it?) of the Islamic world. For the Muslim world, Persian fast took the place of Arabic in many cultures and became a mark of achievement. For a long time, sophisticated Europeans had to use French, too. So why, pray tell, are the Iranians so mad, if the Arab invasion indirectly made their language all the more prominent and global? (Tellingly, Iran is once again on the rise, along with Turkey, while the Arab world plods along. Though France is not on the rise, and Russia may well be. Except for Chechnya.) Best Female Blog, ‘Appropriately Subversive’, Maryam (Dervish), www.maryams.net/dervish While I am willing for myself to ‘deal with’ aspects of patriarchy in Muslim community life (negotiate space), I do not want that for my daughter. I do not want to raise her believing that Islam teaches she is a second class citizen. Let me get this straight off the bat. I strongly believe that at its core Islam is an egalitarian faith which views man and woman as complimentary partners and that each person has the same fundamental duty to respond to God’s will regardless of their gender. I believe that Islam teaches that all human beings are equal and can only be distinguished by piety. However, I also recognise that Islam has been culturally manifested in very patriarchal fashions and that these manifestations claim to be representing “true” Islam. Islamic law in particular has often codified patriarchal readings of Islam into a canon of orthodoxy that is difficult to question without challenging some fundamental ideas of who gets to speak authoritatively “for” Islam. I think that the Quran and the Prophet, God love him, recognised the limitations of the societal structures of the period into which the Muhammadan expression of Islam first dawned (including notions of masculinity and femininity) but as Farid Esack has written elsewhere. But I also believe there is an underlying ethic of equity which transcends - is more real - than the cultural clothing which Islam wears at any one time period. Therefore I remain a Muslim trying to seek out those egalitarian readings wherever I may find them. But now that I have had a baby - and a baby girl at that - I want more for my daughter than what is currently on offer in the Muslim community. I want her to be valued and cherished as a human being, not relegated to second class because she is female. I want her to play a vital and active role in her faith community, not stand on the side-lines as a marginalised spectator. I want her to have access to all the resources, facilities, opportunities that a brother might have. I want her to have a voice that is equal to any Muslim man who is her peer in knowledge, wisdom and piety. |