tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8298604493829335934.post1229513304680667986..comments2023-08-07T08:58:20.097-04:00Comments on My Islamic Perspective...: A little food for thought on Thanksgiving...thelegacymakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17590688796702356996noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8298604493829335934.post-48243664804573908652008-12-03T04:21:00.000-05:002008-12-03T04:21:00.000-05:00you two*, lol.you two*, lol.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8298604493829335934.post-2193211771545492202008-12-03T04:20:00.000-05:002008-12-03T04:20:00.000-05:00Indeed I am; but fortunately/ unfortunately, I lea...Indeed I am; but fortunately/ unfortunately, I leave this month for the States, inshaAllah! However, rest assured that my family = me and if you ever make a trip they will be sure to spoil you and I could make arrangements for them to host you; so you would only have to worry about your plane ticket and other expenses. Send me a FB message with your or your wife's email information etc (in case I ever disable my facebook lol) so that we can stay connected. <BR/><BR/>I love that you too travel the world!<BR/>MashaAllah:)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8298604493829335934.post-49273328856209843422008-12-02T22:30:00.000-05:002008-12-02T22:30:00.000-05:00Also, the wife and I would love to come to Senegal...Also, the wife and I would love to come to Senegal, are you still there?thelegacymakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17590688796702356996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8298604493829335934.post-56513191830453396872008-12-02T22:29:00.000-05:002008-12-02T22:29:00.000-05:00Wa Alaikum As salaam!Thank you, Masake, for this w...Wa Alaikum As salaam!<BR/><BR/>Thank you, Masake, for this well thought and written perspective. We should all be aware of the "true" story and history of America's origins and beginnings. To honor and celebrate the actions of a figure like Columbus while understanding the monstrosities that took place is a mistake that the school systems and American culture facilitates every year. As with the "story" that accompanies Thanksgiving is often one of false perception and misguided history. <BR/><BR/>I do believe, however, in seeing the SPIRIT of Thanksgiving, in its simplest form with its simplest cultural associations. The spirit of Thanksgiving is an Islamic spirit as well as an American spirit. And for many Muslims, it is these type of celebrations that will bring both non-Muslims and Muslims closer together. Yet, we will be accountable for not seeking and understanding the true story behind the Native American perspective (a parallel perspective as the early African slaves in the Americas) and for that I thank you Masake for this reminder!thelegacymakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17590688796702356996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8298604493829335934.post-39866592962774807152008-11-30T07:40:00.000-05:002008-11-30T07:40:00.000-05:00Salaam Alaikum;While the 'spirit of of giving than...Salaam Alaikum;<BR/><BR/>While the 'spirit of of giving thanks' is one that is commendable- I think that it is important to remember what the story of 'thanksgiving' the pilgrims celebrated means to the original inhabitants of this country/ it is a story of bigotry, hatred and genocide, nay extinction, if you look at it from a Native American perspective. As of such, I would have to disagree that it is something Muslims or any other group for that matter, should support. For many who have relatives who still hold on to it; I believe that Muslims should be the voices for the Native Americans in their families, acknowledging that the idea of gratitude is good but is this holiday something to be commemorated?<BR/><BR/>I believe that words and ideas are living- and thus never stagnant, and as such, the conception of what the thanksgiving holiday is and its historical legacy, I feel, must be taken fully into account. Thanksgiving, Columbus day and many other colonial or European settler related holidays cannot be isolated from what these entailed and still do. In fact, in elementary schools all over the country, Thanksgiving is definitely associated with Pilgrims, their early years and interactions with Native Americans. However, what they have done is co-opt the narrative and made one version the seemingly uncontested (especially at that level) version of events. This method, of emphasizing the good and to de-emphasize the atrocities is, according to Historian Howard Zinn, an ideological choice meant to unwittingly justify what was done. <BR/><BR/>"One reason these atrocities are still with us is that we have learned to bury them in a mass of other facts, as radioactive wastes are buried in containers in the earth." <BR/><BR/>That is precisely what goes on with Thanksgiving- the atrocities associated with the holiday are buried under these ideas of thanks, and turkey and family. All of which is seemingly good; but ideas are nothing without their manifestations- the legacy of the Thanksgiving holiday clearly not being halal, in mine own eye. Since we are talking about settlers, and we are Muslims, say for instance we were Palestinian and that on this day, the Israelis were celebrating the holiday in which they give thanks for arriving in Palestine, for being with their families, etc. Now as Palestinians, I'm positive we would not celebrate this day- in fact, it may very well be a day of mourning- the forced removals from our home, the killing of innocent civilians, the loss of our family and all our livelihood. No; even if we agreed with the rhetoric of the holiday, and we believed in it, we would refuse to commemorate this. If anything, we would choose this day to remind ourselves that injustice and oppression should never be allowed to be celebrated or embraced. The struggle against it must continue.<BR/><BR/>Verse 4: 75 :<BR/><BR/>"And how could you refuse to fight* in the cause of God and of the utterly helpless men and women and children who are crying, "O our Sustainer! Lead us forth [to freedom] out of this land whose people are oppressors, and raise for us, out of Thy grace, a protector, and raise for us, out of Thy grace, one who will bring us succour!" <BR/><BR/>Neither would the Jews commemorate any Nazi holiday, however righteous the rhetoric of that celebration is. While it is challenging to break from the tradition when so many engage in it and family members turn deaf ears, maybe labeling you the kill joy for bringing these issues up- someone still has to speak truth. Eventually, traditions will shift within families, and maybe there will come a day where people when it will be to a reminder of the legacy of greed, war and genocide and as a yearly renewed commitment to tangibly be in solidarity with the oppressed people of the world, even if it means making sacrifices or being uncomfortable. <BR/><BR/>Meanwhile, I recommend reading the first chapter from Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States. <BR/><BR/>Columbus, The Indians and Human Progress<BR/>http://www.historyisaweapon.org/defcon1/zinncol1.html<BR/><BR/><BR/>Thank you for your blog post and for this blog in general, which I actually do follow :)/ keep posting and may your posts and the exchanges it generates be of benefit to you and to your readers. Amin.<BR/><BR/>Take care and Salaam Alaikum,<BR/><BR/>MasakeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com