upcoming topics

ideas for possible thinking out loud posts: post 1- "nice pants!" muslim courting rituals in america among the 2nd generation, my thoughts on the after-hours lobby culture of ISNA; post 2- "identity crisis" as an advisor to a local youth group, i would like to expand upon some ideas i have about the question of IDENTITY.

islamic erotica

dr. sherman jackson mentioned erotic literature in a talk about the need for american muslims to produce culture. many at the muslim student retreat he said this at had no idea what he was talking about, not having read any erotica (being the pious muslims that we are). i too have no idea what he was talking about, because i have yet to read real islamic erotica. i have a translation of a book attributed to the great classical scholar Imam Suyuti my library. it is simply perverted a european orientalist attempt to give his society lady readers (the same people who popularized the erotic arabian nights) some entertaining literature and gain points with the chicks who want an "experienced" man. it tells us more about orientalists and victorian england's high society than it does about imam suyuti's teachings on marriage-love and his islamic law of sexual positions, if he ever had such a thing. but it's all we have in english along with Ibn Hazm's "Ring of the Dove" and the work known as the arabic kama sutra "Perfumed Garden" translated by Burton (it's online). Some muslims find erotica offensive. ...there are those who say, "dude, i don't have to see it for my self to know [____](insert haram object) is wrong." i say you DO if you want to make a judgement about it. you can always say "i don't know, i've never seen [_____]." i say if we're dealing with the topic of producing "islamic culture" in a new context like america, we need to understand the things we make judgements about. we complain about some dude giving a fatwa about life in america without KNOWING the details right? so what's the difference here? I agree with dr. jackson, erotica should be a part of the cultural production of american muslims. I'm looking forward to it. I hope he's advocated this at lectures where open minded writers are present.