My Take: What Tsarnaev gets wrong about Islam – CNN Belief Blog - CNN.com Blogs. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the Boston Marathon bomb suspects, reportedly wrote that “an attack against one Muslim is an attack against all” on the wall of the boat in which he was hiding from police last month. Variations of this refrain seem to be common among angry young Muslim men, especially those who are attracted to violence. However, such a view ignores history, religious thinking and contemporary reality. It should be seen as a crass advertising slogan rather than a declaration of belief. Continue reading

My Take: What Tsarnaev gets wrong about Islam – CNN Belief Blog - CNN.com Blogs. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the Boston Marathon bomb suspects, reportedly wrote that “an attack against one Muslim is an attack against all” on the wall of the boat in which he was hiding from police... Continue reading

Opinion: After 9/11, reaction to Muslim Americans more nuanced However, whatever we learn about them does not tell us why they did what they did – only parts of who they are. It is easy, in the initial aftermath of the bombings, to make careless associations between identity and motive, similar to post 9/11 reaction. But this time, there is a change in rhetoric of how potential suspects are identified, particularly if they are Muslim. It is because of this change we are learning to move past paralyzing fear and maturing in how we think of what it means to... Continue reading

Opinion: After 9/11, reaction to Muslim Americans more nuanced However, whatever we learn about them does not tell us why they did what they did – only parts of who they are. It is easy, in the initial aftermath of the bombings, to make careless associations between identity and motive,... Continue reading

Junaid Jahangir: Why All Muslims Are Talking About Queer Sexuality. In February, U.K. based Muslim MP Sadiq Khan received death threats for voting in favour of same-sex marriage. Ignoring Muslim voices that condemned these threats, many commenters generalized and stereotyped the entire Muslim community. Continue reading

Hussein Rashid on the Importance of Desmond Tutu's Templeton Prize | Odyssey Networks. Desmond Tutu, the former Anglican archbishop of Cape Town who fought against apartheid in South Africa, was named the 2013 Templeton Prize winner Thursday. What Tutu shows is that theology is not divorced from the world, says Hussein Rashid, an associate editor at Religion Dispatches. Religion can help us understand the world and engage with modernity. "We can start exploring ways in which theology, study of religion and activism are all interrelated and interconnected in order to build healthy and more resilient communities," Rashid said. The Templeton... Continue reading

Hussein Rashid: Take the State out of Marriage | Odyssey Networks. As the Supreme Court considers two cases on gay marriage this week, arguments on both sides of the issue are heating up. Perhaps it’s worth reconsidering whether the state should be involved in the institution of marriage to begin with, says Hussein Rashid, an associate editor at Religion Dispatches. “The state should not be involved in matters of religious duties and obligations,” he says. Continue reading

I recently joined the Advisory Board of startup called Everplans. From the website: Given how important this topic is, we think end-of-life deserves the attention that people give to other important life events like marriage, birth, and career change. Even though there are resources available for many of the bits and pieces of this process, there’s nothing out there that knits it all together into a single, clear end-to-end view of what needs to get done. Our mission is twofold: 1. To empower you to make confident decisions about how you want to be treated at the end of your... Continue reading

‘Mapping Muslims’ – New Report Reveals Devestating Effects NYPD Surveillance has on Muslim Community. By the end of last February, after Patheos first covered the breakdown of trust between the NYPD and the area Muslim community, the trust deficit grew even deeper when a series of ongoing articles from the... Continue reading

‘Mapping Muslims’ – New Report Reveals Devestating Effects NYPD Surveillance has on Muslim Community. By the end of last February, after Patheos first covered the breakdown of trust between the NYPD and the area Muslim community, the trust deficit grew even deeper when a series of ongoing articles from the Associated Press exposed wide-reaching domestic surveillance programs set up for the NYPD by the CIA. The last straw came with the report that the NYPD had been conducting secret surveillance on Muslim Student Associations at 16 colleges across New York and northeastern United States. Click here to see how several... Continue reading

Agora Gallery - Fahim Somani - Exhibition Announcement. Pakistani-American, Houston-based artist Fahim Somani creates expressionistic, calligraphy-inflected compositions which are not only exquisite formal experiments full of delightful painterly flourishes, but aesthetic bridges between two cultures. While drawing on the text of the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam, Somani incorporates... Continue reading

Hussein Rashid on the High Price of Islamophobia | Odyssey Networks. Islamophobia is alive in America, and Hussein Rashid sees it playing out among Sikhs, often mistaken for Muslims. In the most recent example, a member of her own party mistook a Californian GOP candidate, who is Sikh, for being a Muslim. “The reality is that Islamophobia has very real consequences and more and more victims of Islamophobia and Islamophobic rhetoric tend to be non-Muslims,” Rashid said. Continue reading

Hussein Rashid on the High Price of Islamophobia | Odyssey Networks. Islamophobia is alive in America, and Hussein Rashid sees it playing out among Sikhs, often mistaken for Muslims. In the most recent example, a member of her own party mistook a Californian GOP candidate, who is Sikh, for being... Continue reading

One of my first forays into more academic blogging. Critical Questions Series 2: Hussein Rashid | Bulletin for the Study of Religion. In a more popular context, we see the ways in which religious illiteracy, historical amnesia, and political expedience have combined to create Islamophobic narratives informed by knowledge produced in the academy. Continue reading

Critical Questions Series 2: Hussein Rashid | Bulletin for the Study of Religion. In a more popular context, we see the ways in which religious illiteracy, historical amnesia, and political expedience have combined to create Islamophobic narratives informed by knowledge produced in the academy. Continue reading

Hussein Rashid: A Gay Mosque?. The recent story of a gay mosque in Paris raises conflicted feelings in me. On one hand, I recognize the need for safe spaces of worship, where people are not constantly being threatened for who they are. However, I also fear that creating a separate... Continue reading

Islamophobia is Real, Mr. Mayor—A New York City Muslim Explains | Religion Dispatches. In fact, one of the amazing elements of Islamophobia is the denial of its own existence—as Nathan Lean explains. In his article, Lean also offers several examples of the impact Islamophobia has had on the lives of... Continue reading

Thank you for taking part in my class today at Iona College. Here is a link to a rough cut of a podcast on Muslim contributions to American Musics. Please click through on some of the embedded links. The book I mentioned in my presentation is: Continue reading

Broadcast Series Explores ‘Religious Liberty’ | www.gcnews.com | Garden City News. Joining Dr. Scott for this look at humanity’s pursuit of religious liberty in America and around the world, are guests: Dr. Hussein Rashid, Associate Editor, Religious Dispatches; The Reverend Lynn Sullivan, Associate Minister, Garden City Community Church; Dr. Richard Dina, Senior Consultant, Adelphi University’s Center for Nonprofit Leadership; and Rabbi Dr. Barry Dov Schwartz, Chaplain, Nassau County Police Department, Mercy Medical Center and Adelphi University. Continue reading

Proud to announce that I am part of Cohort V of American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute. Current Fellows | Center for Religion & Civic Culture. The American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute (AMCLI) develops and trains American Muslim leaders who are committed to civic engagement. AMCLI strives to empower these pioneering leaders to realize their full potential, and in doing so, have a more effective and sustained impact on the issues affecting their communities, and America at large. Our nation is stronger when all citizens participate in shaping our democracy. Continue reading

Debate Watch 2012: The God-fearing voter : Long Island Report. Interviews with Hofstra Hillel Rabbi Dave Siegel, the Catholic campus chaplain Father Gregory Rannazzisi, and professor of religion Hussein Rashid shed light on how religion affects the issues and how it will influence the conversation between candidates and voters. Continue reading

From the same folks who brought you All-American. Pre-order and get 40% off now. Looks like a great anthology. White Cloud Press And Riverwood Books - Demanding Dignity: Young Voices From the Front Lines of the Arab. Demanding Dignity: Young Voices from the Arab Revolutions brings together essays written by... Continue reading

A write-up from an event I did last year. Just "popped" on Google. Islamic Scholar Instructs New York-Area Clergy. Clergy from the New York City area representing various faith traditions received an overview of Islam from a noted scholar of the religion. Continue reading

Got a shout on this blog about my work on American Muslim musics. John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” – meccastars. Other scholars, such as Dr. Hussein Rashid of Hofstra University, also have studied the effects that Islam has had on Blues, Jazz, and other forms of American music. Continue reading

Annual McGinley Lecture to Address Life After Death. Patrick J Ryan, S.J., the Lawrence J. McGinley Professor of Religion and Society, will deliver the annual fall McGinley lecture, “Life After Death, Hopes and Fears for Jews, Christians and Muslims.” Father Ryan, who has dedicated his work to facilitating a trialogue... Continue reading