C L O S E R – Zo, zo Zizou?!

Posted on July 10th, 2006 by .
Categories: Some personal considerations.

Before the WorldCup final on islamicate Zizou was ‘elected’ for President

Cut to 2006, Paris is burning. Young Muslims and Arabs are the target of suspicion, police brutality, and racism. Once again, the French team led by the greatest player of the past 40 years, Zinadine Zidane, are about to unify a country. The timing could not be more perfect. Zidane, the son of Algerian, Berber, Muslim parents, comes out of retirement to send France past Spain and the heavily favoured Brazilians for one final game against Italy. On Sunday, I hope that the streets of Paris burn only with the desire of all French citizens to see France win. I hope to hear millions chant “Zizou for president”. I hope to hear the Marseille being sung by hijab covered women and half-naked drunken louts. Imagine, the French nation actually chanting for a Muslim immigrant to become president. This is why I love the World Cup. Muslims need more heros and role models that are not sitting in a cave somewhere thinking how best to kill lots of people. “Allez Les Bleus” not just for the French, but for all of us Muslims looking for something positive in the news about one of our own that does not include the word extremist or militant.

Allez, Zidane what was burning in your head that must have been so fierce, it looked like the French riots of last year all over again in the back of your mind?  Forget the fact that Italy has won, forget the fact that the French were better (certainly in the 2nd half), forget the tormenting excitement of the last minutes; we only talk about Zidane being ejected. Yes it is a tragic end to his career, what was he thinking? He should get another red card for just being so stupid and letting his team down. And Materazzi, if ever gets out what you said, you should be expelled as well for unfair play, provoking one of the best players of the last ten years and probably for your remark itself as well.

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TBS Journal – The Appeal of Sami Yusuf and the Search for Islamic Authenticity by Christian Pond

Posted on July 10th, 2006 by .
Categories: Youth culture (as a practice).

TBS 16 The Appeal of Sami Yusuf and the Search for Islamic Authenticity by Christian Pond

Well-dressed, sporting a fashionably cut, close-cropped beard and preferring tailored black suits to traditional dress, he is famous for his glitzy religious CDs and music videos. Born in 1980 to Azerbaijani parents, Sami Yusuf grew up in London and first studied music under his father, a composer. From a young age he learned to play various instruments and at the age of 18 was granted a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London.(2) In 2003, Yusuf released his first album entitled Al Mu’allim (The Teacher). Along with the Al Mu’allim also came the release of the first “Islamic music video” for the album’s title track by the same name. Both the video and the album were immensely popular throughout the Muslim world, where even in conservative Saudi Arabia album sales topped 100,000 copies.(3)

Yusuf’s message is one of tolerance and integration. In Yusuf’s music, talk of infidels and jihad are replaced with appeals to God’s love and the beauty of religion. “Islam teaches us to be balanced, to be in the middle,” Yusuf says, adding that “Islam is not a religion of extremism, and my message is balance.”(4) Yusuf believes that the majority of Muslims hold Islam to be a religion of peace and tolerance(5) and so Muslim youth, especially in the West, should be proud of their religion. “My message (to the youth) is … to be proud of your religion, be proud of who you are whether you’re from Pakistan or from Saudi Arabia or from Algeria or from Morocco or anywhere in the Muslim world … just be proud of who you are.”(6)

Thanks to Sami Ben Gharbnia for submitting this one here.

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about:blank – Alaa en de belegering van de Egyptische Blogosphere

Posted on July 10th, 2006 by .
Categories: Blogosphere.

about:blank – Alaa en de belegering van de Egyptische Blogosphere

About:blank heeft, net als dit weblog al eerder, een paar linkdumps en entries over de arrestatie van Alaa geplaatst. Youssef Boussaid beantwoord in een stuk op ‘About:blank’de volgende vragen: Wie is Alaa en wat was de reden van zijn arrestatie en die van 10 andere webloggers? Waarom lopen de Egyptische webloggers gevaar in het land van de farao’s?

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