More Muslim Street

Well, the initial plan was for a seven show series, but now the time has been extended. The Muslim Street will soon be a permanent show on KPFT!

I want to take a little space to thank those who listen regularly and to appeal to your sense of responsibility. It is all too rare that we have a space with a significant audience where discussion of issues dealing with Islam and Muslims can be discussed by Muslims who are knowledgeable and articulate. KPFT a tiny radio station (the station is smaller than my own modest, middle-class dwelling) in the reddest of red states, Texas, has provided that space.

KPFT is commercial free radio, it is public and community based. In short, KPFT exists because it is supported by its listeners. That would be you. If you appreciate The Muslim Street, please join or contribute. If you only have five dollars that is fine. You can become a member of the station for only $35.00 and if you are student or someone with a limited income you can join for only $25.00. Without KPFT there is no Muslim Street radio show. If you can, please help KPFT continue to provide airtime to marginalized voices and further the Pacifica network objective, the Islamic objective, of peace, cooperation and understanding amongst humankind.

Islam and Social Justice

On Monday January 15th, Sami Hijazi spoke with Sheikh Safdar Razi and Zafar Bangash on Islam and social justice. Listen here.

Femperialism

Dr. Mohja Kahf Itrath Syed
On Monday January 8th, UmmAli spoke with poet and professor Mohja Kahf and Itrath Syed on how feminist language and institutions have been used to further the aims of American imperialism. It was a wonderful discussion that touched on other issues of feminism and representations of Muslim women. Listen here.
For further critique of this issue see these links:

Activist Sonali Kolhatkar’s essay “Saving” Afghan Women.”

Katharine Viner’s “Feminism as Imperialism“

The “War on Terror” Prejudice and Psychological impact on the Muslim community

Dr. Mona Amer

On Monday January 1, UmmAli spoke with Mr. Sami Hijazi and Dr. Mona Amer on the psychological impact the war on terror has had on American Muslims.

As we learned on last week’s show, the American Muslim community is diverse, but the discrimination faced by Muslims has been felt across class and color lines. Muslims of African, European, Arab, South Asian have been subject to racial profiling, detention without charge, harassment and a number of other hardships. Listen here as we discuss the psychological impact these things have had on the American Muslim community.

Who Are American Muslims?

Dr. Liyakat Ali Takim
Dr. Ihsan Bagby

On Monday, December 25th we spoke with Dr. Ihsan Bagby, academic and researcher of the American Muslim community. He has authered a few studies on the American Muslim community including the largest comprehensive survey of American mosques titled The Mosque in America: A National Portrait.

We also spoke with Dr. Liyakat Ali Takim, Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Denver and author of The Heirs of the Prophet: Charisma and Religious Authority in Shi’ite Islam , who gave us extra insight into the the American Shi’a Muslim community. Listen to the broadcast here.

Jihad, Resistance, Just War and Terrorism

Jihad is all over the news and everyone from Muslim apologists to right-wing pundits offer their soundbite sized definitions of this concept, but what is Jihad really? On Monday, December 18 host Sami Hijazi speaks with Zafar Bangash on jihad, just war, resistance and terrorism. Listen to the show here.

Zafar Bangash is founder and former Editor in Chief of Crescent International Newsmagazine, which bills itself the newsmagazine fo the international Islamic movement. He is currently head of the Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought, a Muslim think tank which focuses on analysis and activism around issues of Islam and Western imperialism.

For further reading on Islamic concepts of Just War see these links:

The Spiritual Significance of Jihad by scholar Sayyed Hossein Nasr

A Very Basic Summary of Islamic Rules of War

Martyrdom: Arise and Bear Witness A Collection of Essays by Dr. Ali Shariati

Heroes or Terrorists? Who Is Hizbollah?

On Monday, December 11, 2006 UmmAli spoke with Ibrahim Mousawi, cheif editor of foreign news for Al Manar television. Listen to the podcast here.

For more information about the organization known as Hizbollah and the current protests in Lebanon, see these links:

Lara Deeb’s article, Hizbollah A Primer is one of the best online sources of information on the history and ideology of Hizbollah. In fact, in its brief summary it outstrips even longer works like Hala Jaber’s Hizbollah: Born With a Vengeance. Click here for Ms. Deeb’s article.

Although her framing of the protest in Lebanon as a “Shi’a sit in” is inaccurate–the opposition in the streets are comprised of segments of all of Lebanon’s confessional groups including Shi’a and Sunni Muslims, Druze, Christians and Communists–Megan K. Stack’s L.A. Times article, Shiite sit-in brings a new flavor to Beirut is one of the few pieces in mainstream American media that dares to offer an accurate class analysis of the current protests. Click here for Ms. Stack’s piece