europeanizing muslims

i've been thinking much about this issue over the last few weeks. NPR has also been airing a series of great reports detailing the problem, country by country. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4182321 I want to use them in my islamic school class to discuss the issue with my students. I will use it to teach lessons about identity, of course, but also fear. I want to hear the muslims that appear in these reports and articles make a distinction between the issue of assimilating immigrants with a different culture and race; and the issue of dealing with a belief system that, while it may inspire an immigrant's culture, goes beyond culture and race. each issue may have separate ways to address it. but both revolve around the question of what is the basis of a person's identity.... Here's a reference to the colonial past. Colonialism changed the europeaness of the europeans. The colonizing soldiers, merchants, and civil servants started imported islamic beliefs and ideas into europe long before any muslim people came. So, its too late to have purity, and any attempt to purify will only make our society as "evil" as the "evil" we say we are trying to fight. attempting to purify we will only be feeding the beast that is at the root of the problem... I can see the choices the european govenments have to make: - the left desires to continue in the direction they were headed, transitioning from ethic nationalism to a more pluralistic, multi-cultural, secular, humane ideal. but each high profile crime committed by a muslim will make this harder. - the right wants to purify their land of muslims and go towards some mythical idealized past. but we all know where that can lead. - OR like america both parties can support some sort of "find them and kill them" militarized security state. where difference is tolerated as long as it isn't seen as a security threat. but sacrificing democracy and civil rights affects everyone in the state, just ask the americans who were trying to protest the free trade meetings here in Miami a few months ago... none of these choices are good. on the side i see an effort to sponsor and promote a domesticated version of islam. but isolationist conservative muslims will not trust it. especially if it involves acceptance of the unorthodox. by the way, i'd ask those who desire assimilation: why did the puritans not want to assimilate into native america? its probably the same reason why isolationist conservative muslims will not want to assimilate into secular america?... some poeple feel a need to establish a noble order, regardless of the way they are percieved by the natives of that land. is that bad? also, is a minority that holds power exempt from assimilation? Some arabs, turks, and jews are/were just as arrogant and proud and racist as some of the Europeans that ruled in the middle east, india or africa. so, this beast has now manifest as the issue of "assimilating muslims into europe". i don't know what will happen there or here... the beast is fear. the minority fears a loss of identity (or these days, death!). the majority fears change (or these days, death!)... - fear is a hard thing to overcome. and once it starts feeding a hatred it becomes an even more powerful enemy within... knowledge and understanding can fight fear. If not Islam, take a lesson from Darth Vader. we need Obi Wan teach the next generation... Not force, but "the force" will maintain a republic! Fear, Hate, Violence will only lead to the Dark Side my friends! peace and love.

annimated prophet

eid mubarak, eid marks the release of a new animated flick by the FineMedia Group: "Muhammad-The Last Prophet." they screened it in several theaters on this holiday. i saw it and only one of the kids i took started falling asleep towards the end, more because it was dark and after 9p.m. and not because of the film itself. i praise the intention and the quality of production. i think we need more of these films. and i hope the quality continues to improve. but i had some thoughts i want to share with yall. - thought 1: while essentially an animated version of "The Message" it has some differences. Hazrat Hamza or Hazrat Zayd are not shown this time around. and to make it easily digestable for kids, an anonymous companion is invented who basically narrates portions of the story to his child in a post-prophet muslim mecca. not a bad strategy. though it could have used a couple of cut aways where after an important event the child would ask the father a question and he would help the kid understand the lesson he learned through something the prophet said to them. that would have helped, since the prophet was not allowed to be shown. this should have been done especially for the battles. instead of sword fights where they show people killing. just because you don't show blood, does not mean its OK for kids, or they know whats going on. - thought 2: i want to find the producers and ask them why if the film is aimed at children, why not animate youth companions like Hazrat Sad, or Hazrat Zubayr or Hazrat Zayd or Hazrat Aisha? Why only Hazrat Bilal and not other important companions? i wonder if its because he was a slave that he is OK to be depicted. i hope not! i find it extremely offensive, that he is somehow not included in the undepictable class. whats up with that?!? and since when did Hazrat Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali and select others attain the same status as the Beloved Messenger of Allah. Peace be upon then all. maybe its because they are "those promised paradise," or"mothers of the believers," or "ahl-e-bayt" i don't know? why not show a young woman like Asma bint Abu Bakr helping her father and the prophet migrate? - thought 3: while i'm on the topic of undepictables, if the big conservative barrier of depicting humans in muslim art is already being broken, why not follow the example of those who broke this barrier before? why not depict the prophet with a veil over his face? why title the movie "Mohammad-the last prophet" when the prophet is not shown. the key topic is Islam not Muhammad. can this be considered false advertising? anyways... it wasn't all bad. my 7 year old cousin would recognise stories she learned in islamic school and blurt out exitedly: "hey, i learned about that!," especially with the whole spiderweb at the cave moment. there should've and could've been many more moments like that. it would've made for a much better movie. i give it 3 out of 5 stars. its a shoulda-woulda-coulda kind of film.