Sunday, August 22, 2010

Blogust 22, 2010

The 3L year has finally started and it will end very rapidly. This is one of the certainties of life.

- I will not have enough time to study.
- I will not have enough time to finish my work.
- I will not have enough time to have enough time.

This is something I have learned to accept. Which is why in the time I have, I do the best work I can possibly do, and I encourage others to do just go all in instead of biding your time. Because, guess what, you won't have enough time.

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Currently, there are two "news items" that have sparked massive debates and have thrust Islam into the spotlight. I refer to the NYC Islamic Cultural Center and 1 in 5 Americans being stupid. I mean, 1 in 5 Americans believing Obama is a Muslim. I will address the former only because the latter is so ridiculous that, oh bother, I am addressing it!

Quick, change the subject!

The NYC Islamic Cultural Center is an Islamic YMCA. That is all it is. A YMMA. Young Muslim and Muslimah (female form of Muslim) Association. It sounds like "yummy". Which is great because it will have a culinary arts school in there. Oh, right, it will also have two floors for praying.

The cool thing about a Muslim place of worship is that it is completely void of any images, idols, pictures, empowering scents, music, etc. It allows you to be before you and your God. So, all are welcome to pray within a mosque and they can do so without there being a "Star and Crescent" hanging over them, without having to impress members of the opposite sex (mosques tend to be separated by sex), and without hearing any chanting/etc (except for when the Muslims gather to pray and recite Quranic verses).

YMMA (I am going to call it this from now on) is located a couple blocks from where the Twin Towers once stood. People are offended. But I think the YMMA is more a beacon for peace. People think otherwise and say that the building will be a trophy for the Taliban. I feel like the building will be

more of a statement, "Yeah, the terrorists claimed to be followers
of Islam, but guess what, that
isn't Islam. The people who died that day died as a result of extremists, not as a result of a faith
that seeks to search and destroy. Come join us and find out more about Islam. And while you're here, play a little basketball, maybe try this quiche I just made. It is yummy."

So really, the debate is just coming from people who "learned all they needed to know about Islam on 9/11" not taking that step forward and learning what the other side has to say. I read a book called "Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet" by Karen Armstrong a
few years back and really enjoyed it. She provides a well-researched historical look at Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Arabia before, during, and after his life. She has since written another biography which I look forward to reading to. Well, you know,

when I have some time.

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