C L O S E R Blogosphere - 7/8 - C L O S E R

The day I met the ‘respondent’ Kafeel Ahmed « Islam, Muslims, and an Anthropologist

Posted on August 4th, 2007 by .
Categories: Blogosphere, International Terrorism, Religious and Political Radicalization, Research International, Young Muslims.

Kafeel Ahmed, an Indian-born aerospace engineer, who the British authorities say drove a burning Jeep Cherokee into a terminal at Glasgow Airport in a botched terrorism attack died Thursday night in a hospital in Scotland, the police said.

The man, 28, sustained severe burns over 90 percent of his body and had remained in critical condition since the failed attack on June 30. The Jeep was loaded with gasoline and burst into flames as it hit the airline terminal.

On Dr. Marranci’s blog a very interesting, personal and sensitive entry about Kafeel Ahmed who was a ‘respondent’ of him in one of researches. A must read:

The day I met the ‘respondent’ Kafeel Ahmed « Islam, Muslims, and an Anthropologist

I still remember his jokes about me being Italian, and the references to the film ‘The Padrino’. Kafeel, the Kafeel who I knew from 2001 to 2003, when I left Belfast, was a very welcoming person, very reserved and shy. Yet when you came to know him better, you discovered his intellectual side, his strong belief in Islam as justice and God’s love. He was a very calm, quite ‘westernised’ Muslim, ever ready to laugh at jokes. Interested in sport, particularly cricket, we spent time speaking at my preferred coffee shop in Botanic Avenue about Muslim identity, the experience of living in Northern Ireland as a Muslim, the tension between India and Pakistan, and the Palestinian Intifada.

Interesting blogs

Posted on July 23rd, 2007 by .
Categories: Blogosphere.

I have discovered two interesting anthropology blogs, I would like to recommend:

The Jawa Report: WordPress Hosted Terrorists Announce Media Campaign to 'Infiltrate' Infidel Websites, Support al Qaeda in Iraq

Posted on June 20th, 2007 by martijn.
Categories: Blogosphere, International Terrorism.

The Jawa Report: WordPress Hosted Terrorists Announce Media Campaign to ‘Infiltrate’ Infidel Websites, Support al Qaeda in Iraq

When Yahoo was notified that they were hosting a GIMF website which openly supported al Qaeda, they had the class to take that website down. But WordPress? Not so much. After several posts about WordPress hosting GIMF webpages, with all the complaints that come with such posts, nada on WordPress’s end. Don’t even get me started on the Google owned blogspot and all the terrorist supporters over there…….

I have been following these WordPress sites for a while now, and it would be interesting to see how providers cope with these issues. Don’t bother by the way, you won’t find the sites in my blogroll.

The Jawa Report: WordPress Hosted Terrorists Announce Media Campaign to ‘Infiltrate’ Infidel Websites, Support al Qaeda in Iraq

Posted on June 20th, 2007 by .
Categories: Blogosphere, International Terrorism.

The Jawa Report: WordPress Hosted Terrorists Announce Media Campaign to ‘Infiltrate’ Infidel Websites, Support al Qaeda in Iraq

When Yahoo was notified that they were hosting a GIMF website which openly supported al Qaeda, they had the class to take that website down. But WordPress? Not so much. After several posts about WordPress hosting GIMF webpages, with all the complaints that come with such posts, nada on WordPress’s end. Don’t even get me started on the Google owned blogspot and all the terrorist supporters over there…….

I have been following these WordPress sites for a while now, and it would be interesting to see how providers cope with these issues. Don’t bother by the way, you won’t find the sites in my blogroll.

Baba Ali – I'm not a scholar, I just try to tell people simple things

Posted on June 13th, 2007 by martijn.
Categories: Arts & culture, Blogosphere, Internal Debates, Joy Category.

Baba Ali: “I’m not a scholar, I just try to tell people simple things” – altmuslim.com

One of the latest internet celebrities is Baba Ali who with several colleagues founded Ummah Films, a videoblog. Zahed Amanullah did an interview with him for Alt.Muslim.com. Alt.Muslim presents Baba Ali as:

An unlikely internet celebrity, Baba Ali is on a mission to provide thought provoking, lighthearted entertainment to young Muslims around the world. We find out what makes him tick.
By Zahed Amanullah, June 13, 2007
How did I get here?
If you’ve frequented Islamic websites and blogs over the past year, especially those geared towards youth, you may have come across links to videos of a close cropped young American Muslim speaking feverishly and comically into a webcam about the anomalies and quirks of Muslim life in the West. More accurately, if you haven’t seen the young man in question, it would be something of a minor miracle. Since mid-2006, Californian Baba Ali has produced a series of 7-10 minute video clips of himself, edited in rapid fire soundbites, produced in association with a like-minded group of young Muslim filmmakers calling themselves Ummah Films. Skirting fine lines between (near) preachiness, offbeat humour, self-deprecation, and sincere earnestness, Ali’s “The Reminder” series of videos has struck a chord with countless Muslim youth around the world facing the same questions he poses regarding marriage, extremism, and the norms of Islamic behaviour – in addition to his own anecdotes (such as the story of his converting to Islam). In the space of a year, he has arguably become the Muslim world’s first bonafide Internet celebrity (erm, besides Mahir and scary people with knives). Normally, producing video weblogs – or vlogs – would be seen as inconsequential in the age of the millions of contributions to MySpace and YouTube (even more so when some of the more popular ones turn out to be frauds). And for many over 30 or non-native English speakers, Ali’s hyperkinetic delivery and youth-oriented message might struggle to make an impression. But to paraphrase an Elvis record, millions of fans (the ones who have viewed his collective episodes so far over two “seasons”) can’t be wrong. A recent visit by Ali to the UK resulted in overflowing and sold out crowds at University College London, where he was treated like a rock star. His videos have been translated into a host of different languages, including Russian, French, Indonesian, German, and Dutch. Ali finds himself at a loss to explain his sudden popularity, but is keen to make the best of it, especially for the kids – his “weakness.” altmuslim’s Zahed Amanullah recently spoke to Ali, who told us about his stand-up comedy attempt, e-mail conversions, and why politics is part of the problem.

You can read more of the interview with him at Alt.Muslim or look at Ummah Films for his and others’ films. Enjoy already an example here (and yes, for my Dutch audience….it has Dutch subtitles just as we like it….)! (more…)

Baba Ali – I’m not a scholar, I just try to tell people simple things

Posted on June 13th, 2007 by .
Categories: Arts & culture, Blogosphere, Internal Debates, Joy Category.

Baba Ali: “I’m not a scholar, I just try to tell people simple things” – altmuslim.com

One of the latest internet celebrities is Baba Ali who with several colleagues founded Ummah Films, a videoblog. Zahed Amanullah did an interview with him for Alt.Muslim.com. Alt.Muslim presents Baba Ali as:

An unlikely internet celebrity, Baba Ali is on a mission to provide thought provoking, lighthearted entertainment to young Muslims around the world. We find out what makes him tick.
By Zahed Amanullah, June 13, 2007
How did I get here?
If you’ve frequented Islamic websites and blogs over the past year, especially those geared towards youth, you may have come across links to videos of a close cropped young American Muslim speaking feverishly and comically into a webcam about the anomalies and quirks of Muslim life in the West. More accurately, if you haven’t seen the young man in question, it would be something of a minor miracle. Since mid-2006, Californian Baba Ali has produced a series of 7-10 minute video clips of himself, edited in rapid fire soundbites, produced in association with a like-minded group of young Muslim filmmakers calling themselves Ummah Films. Skirting fine lines between (near) preachiness, offbeat humour, self-deprecation, and sincere earnestness, Ali’s “The Reminder” series of videos has struck a chord with countless Muslim youth around the world facing the same questions he poses regarding marriage, extremism, and the norms of Islamic behaviour – in addition to his own anecdotes (such as the story of his converting to Islam). In the space of a year, he has arguably become the Muslim world’s first bonafide Internet celebrity (erm, besides Mahir and scary people with knives). Normally, producing video weblogs – or vlogs – would be seen as inconsequential in the age of the millions of contributions to MySpace and YouTube (even more so when some of the more popular ones turn out to be frauds). And for many over 30 or non-native English speakers, Ali’s hyperkinetic delivery and youth-oriented message might struggle to make an impression. But to paraphrase an Elvis record, millions of fans (the ones who have viewed his collective episodes so far over two “seasons”) can’t be wrong. A recent visit by Ali to the UK resulted in overflowing and sold out crowds at University College London, where he was treated like a rock star. His videos have been translated into a host of different languages, including Russian, French, Indonesian, German, and Dutch. Ali finds himself at a loss to explain his sudden popularity, but is keen to make the best of it, especially for the kids – his “weakness.” altmuslim’s Zahed Amanullah recently spoke to Ali, who told us about his stand-up comedy attempt, e-mail conversions, and why politics is part of the problem.

You can read more of the interview with him at Alt.Muslim or look at Ummah Films for his and others’ films. Enjoy already an example here (and yes, for my Dutch audience….it has Dutch subtitles just as we like it….)! (more…)

The Media Line – Google Your Way to God

Posted on May 17th, 2007 by .
Categories: Blogosphere.

Google Your to Way to God
Written by Hadas Kroitoru

Just years ago, imams would physically climb up the steps of a mosque’s minaret to recite the five-times-a-day call to prayer. It was the actual voice of the imam from the top of the tower that drew Muslim worshippers to the mosque.

With the advent of technology, however, that arduous climb is simply a labor of the past.

Today, the traditional announcement is pre-recorded and broadcast over a loudspeaker from the top of the mosque’s minaret, set on a timer to be delivered five times a day.

Technology has influenced religion in other ways as well â€“ the Internet has created a global community for worshippers of all faiths, connected by just a click of the mouse.
(more…)

De nieuwe reporter – De eerste maanden van Al Jazeera English

Posted on April 17th, 2007 by .
Categories: Blogosphere.

Op de website van De nieuwe reporter een artikel van Nadine BÃ¶ke overDe eerste maanden van Al Jazeera English

De voornaamste conclusie: de zender biedt inderdaad een ander, breder perspectief dan de dominante Engelstalige nieuwszenders en is daarmee een verrijking van het internationale medialandschap.

Spiegel Online: 'The Voice of a Silent Majority': Muslim Bloggers and Journalists Speak Out

Posted on April 11th, 2007 by martijn.
Categories: Blogosphere.

The article is a little biased towards secular Muslims since bloggers from, for example, the Muslim Brotherhood are left out. Still, an interesting piece (the first out of two):

‘The Voice of a Silent Majority’: Muslim Bloggers and Journalists Speak Out – International – SPIEGEL ONLINE – News

Muslim Bloggers and Journalists Speak Out

By Henryk M. Broder

Muslim journalists and bloggers across the Arab world are speaking out to promote civil society and women’s rights in Islamic societies. But it is a hard struggle at times, with societal pressure and even fines to contend with. (more…)

Spiegel Online: ‘The Voice of a Silent Majority’: Muslim Bloggers and Journalists Speak Out

Posted on April 11th, 2007 by .
Categories: Blogosphere.

The article is a little biased towards secular Muslims since bloggers from, for example, the Muslim Brotherhood are left out. Still, an interesting piece (the first out of two):

‘The Voice of a Silent Majority’: Muslim Bloggers and Journalists Speak Out – International – SPIEGEL ONLINE – News

Muslim Bloggers and Journalists Speak Out

By Henryk M. Broder

Muslim journalists and bloggers across the Arab world are speaking out to promote civil society and women’s rights in Islamic societies. But it is a hard struggle at times, with societal pressure and even fines to contend with. (more…)

Protected: Het Nieuwsblad – Virtueel bidden en biechten

Posted on April 6th, 2007 by martijn.
Categories: Blogosphere, Religion Other.

Enter your password to view comments.

TayoBlog: No Sharia in Europe indeed!

Posted on March 30th, 2007 by .
Categories: Blogosphere, Multiculti Issues.

Former ISIM Chair Abdulkader Tayob and professor at the Radboud University of Nijmegen is currently working at the University of Cape Town in his homecountry South Africa. And has a weblog too, so I guess I have a distinguished professor as virtual colleague now. Read at TayoBlog his interesting piece: No Sharia in Europe indeed!. For the whole entry go there, but here a small quote:

Recently, a German Judge was removed from a case because she invoked the Sharia in her argumentation in a divorce case. She turned down the request by a Moroccan-born woman for immediate divorce on the grounds of physical abuse by her husband.
She argued that the woman should have expected this treatment when she got married according to the Sharia. In support of her decision, the honourable judge Christa Datz-Winter cited verse 34 of chapter 4 of the Qur’an.
German public opinion was swift, loud and clear. There was only one law that operated in Germany, some said. Others lamented the deterioration of life in Germany, brought about by those who brought the Sharia with them. Multiculturalism had definitely gone out of hand, was another response.

[…]

The judge’s response reminded me of something that has happened repeatedly in South African history. In one such incident, Pamela Scully analyzed a reported rape in George in 1850. The accused was sentenced to death for reportedly raping a respectable white woman. When it later turned out that the victim was not white, but like the alleged rapist, “a Bastard coloured,” the sentence was commuted to hard labour. The respectability or otherwise of the victim needed no assessment.
The colonial laws applied only to respectable white women. And the “Bastard coloured” woman could not hope for its protection. Like the racism of the 19th century, the Sharia of Muslims acted as a foil to put women beyond the norms of German laws and ethics. Since the Sharia over-determined the persons living in its wake, its subjects stood outside of German law and norms.
While the public rejected the judge’s decision, it also confirmed the place of the Sharia in relation to Germannness and Europeanness.

[…]

In an interview, the woman protested that the judge’s understanding of Islam was totally false. German Muslim opinion also quickly came out in her support, and against the judge. But for the German public, it was simply another demonstration that Islam had no place in Europe.
Does this mean that the particular verse of the Qur’an, or Sharia values formulated on its basis, are not subject to scrutiny? Far from it! But one cannot help noticing how culture and public opinion are re-creating a new Orientalism, perhaps even a new racism.

Muslim women & Google

Posted on March 18th, 2007 by martijn.
Categories: Blogosphere, Gender, Kinship & Marriage Issues.

Ok do the following
1) Go to Google

2) Then to images

3) Then type: muslim women (only that, without ‘the’) and press search
4) Or just click here: muslim women

5) And then tell me what you see at the first page

6) And tell me what that means.

I will get back to this later.

(re-published, because of some layout issues due to the new theme, old comments:) (more…)

Muslim women & Google

Posted on March 18th, 2007 by .
Categories: Blogosphere, Gender, Kinship & Marriage Issues.

Ok do the following
1) Go to Google

2) Then to images

3) Then type: muslim women (only that, without ‘the’) and press search
4) Or just click here: muslim women

5) And then tell me what you see at the first page

6) And tell me what that means.

I will get back to this later.

(re-published, because of some layout issues due to the new theme, old comments:) (more…)

Muslim women & Google

Posted on March 15th, 2007 by .
Categories: Blogosphere, Some personal considerations.

Ok do the following
1) Go to Google

2) Then to images

3) Then type: muslim women (only that, without ‘the’) and press search
4) Or just click here: muslim women

5) And then tell me what you see at the first page

6) And tell me what that means.

I will get back to this later.

Muslim women & Google

Posted on March 15th, 2007 by martijn.
Categories: Blogosphere, Some personal considerations.

Ok do the following
1) Go to Google

2) Then to images

3) Then type: muslim women (only that, without ‘the’) and press search
4) Or just click here: muslim women

5) And then tell me what you see at the first page

6) And tell me what that means.

I will get back to this later.

Women and bloggers in the Cities of Salt at [fikra] ÙÙƒØ±Ø©

Posted on January 24th, 2007 by .
Categories: Blogosphere.

Women and bloggers in the Cities of Salt at [fikra] ÙÙƒØ±Ø©
The January issue of the monthly M magazine of the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad has published a particularly interesting series of articles related to the power of the Internet. Sami has translated (from Dutch) one article underlining the growing role that (Arab) bloggers are playing in the democratic reform process in a region ruled by tyrants, social taboos and religious radicalism. This article is written by Carolien Roelants, Middle East Editor of NRC Handelsblad.

The issue of M Magazine also included a large part about Second Life. If you want to see something more, read my piece about it here or take a look at Sister Scorpion‘s because it looks like Leila is a new Second Life addict.

Abdel Kareem Nabil

Posted on January 19th, 2007 by .
Categories: Blogosphere.

Egyptian blogger Abdel Kareem Nabil has been charged with religion disdain, insulting the president, attempts to flare up sectarian unrest and turmoil and disrupting public security. Nabil was a law student at al-Azhar University, accusing it of promoting radical ideas and suppressing free thought. He was expelled and in his last blog entry before his arrest blamed al-Azhar for pushing the government to investigate him.

In other postings, Nabil described Mubarakâ€™s regime as a â€œsymbol of dictatorship.’â€™ Nabil was briefly detained in late 2005 after posting a commentary on riots in which angry Muslim worshippers attacked a Coptic Christian church over a play put on by Christians deemed offensive to Islam. â€œMuslims revealed their true ugly face and appeared to all the world that they are full of brutality, barbarism and inhumanity,’â€™ Nabil said of the October 2005 riots.

Hakim Abdullah The Carnival of Islam in the West (5) Â«

Posted on January 13th, 2007 by .
Categories: Blogosphere.

At Hakim Abdullah the fifth The Carnival of Islam in the West is up as usual with different, although less than before, articles that show different (personal) interests inÂ the historical and current affairs, politics, wars, civil rights and social equality.

It’s essential reading so don’t waste your time here and go and read!

A small blogosphere overview: Ethiopia/Somalia to Saudi Arabia

Posted on January 2nd, 2007 by .
Categories: Blogosphere.

The Union of Islamic Courts in Somalia seem to signify a trend of jihadism turning inwards. In a drive to cleanse the power structures and to establish some order in a chaotic weak state they use more and more violence and while at the same time maintaining their support because of the already existing chaos and corruption.
Of course the BBC has, as always, a very good coverage of the recent events in Somalia but interesting are also the different blogs (with excerpts at Global Voices). Many bloggers warn that a situation may arise comparable with that of Iraq. Of course there are also differences. No embedded journalists in Somalia, which may result in less respect for human rights according to Zenobia. And of course this war results in many refugees seeking shelter in the region which may in turn cause new conflicts Headheeb warns us. Just Thinking gives us some insight in the local reactions in Ethiopia.

The internet is not only a niche for political commentators but also a platform to discus themes and issues that are difficult to debate offline. One of such debates concerns homosexuality. Interesting, although not new, is the emergence of two blogs from Saudi lesbian women: Two Dykes and a Closet, and Saudi Ballerina. (Hat tip Fahad Albutari at Global Voices). Other interesting SaudiÂ blogs are: The Borderless Saudi Arabian, Independent Thoughts, Saudi Jeans and Serendipity

Magharebia.com – Tunisian bloggers discuss holidays, internet censorship and Algeria

Posted on December 23rd, 2006 by .
Categories: Blogosphere.

Tunisian bloggers discuss holidays, internet censorship and Algeria (Magharebia.com)

Discussions on the Tunisian blogosphere ranged from holiday celebrations and censorship to the Algerian Civil War. (more…)

Religion in second life

Posted on December 17th, 2006 by .
Categories: Blogosphere, Religion Other, Research International.

Second Life is one of a growing number of virtual worlds in which you can log on, create a personality, and engage in all kinds of activities from working at an office, to shopping, to having sex and so on. Contrary to many people I have not joined Second Life yet. It would be interesting for anthropoligists to join Second Life and do some virtual research there. Some major questions are for example: Do virtual worlds offer a space of liberation in which people can be ‘authentic,’ then they were before? Is is deep involvement with these virtual worlds an unhealthy addiction that ruins your offline social network? What are the similarities and differences between online and offline social networks? How do the structure and design of virtual worlds affect the societies and cultural mores that emerge in them? What role do identity politics play in the creation and building up of online societies and cultural communities? How is a (cultural) sense of the Self shaped online? How do you learn ‘to be or not to be’ in this virtual world?
One of the main themes that would interest me of course is the creation and expansion of religion and the identity politics of the people concerned. AnarchoAkbar has some very interesting entries on this one and I believe he is preparing a Ph.D research application in order to make Second Life a theme of his research.

In his snapshots he provides several examples of religion in Second life such as a mosque under construction, a Buddhist site (Buddhism seems to have a very prominent presence over there at SL), a synagogue and several churches (Christianity seems dominant). Although not strictly related to religion (mind that it is in many debates) is the question of Darfur and AnarchoAkbar shows that there is room for that too in SL.

Since I’m not at SL, for more questions I should probably refer you to Tom Bukowski (SL avatar):

In this virtual world, my avatar (Tom Bukowski) has an office, “Ethnographia,” which you can visit within Second Life (it is located in Dowden). As Tom Bukowski, I study cybersociality in Second Life using participant observation, interviews, focus groups, and the analysis of texts ranging from newsletters to blogs. A key element of my approach is thus to pair the study of virtual worlds with “traditional” ethnographic methods, paying attention to moments of breakdown when the social relations of the virtual world in question resist ethnographic interpretation as generally understood.

Have fun and interesting times over there!

De 'Marokkaanse' blogosphere

Posted on December 7th, 2006 by martijn.
Categories: Blogosphere.

Het kost nogal wat tijd om allerlei Nederlandse websites te bekijken. Als je dan ook nog de Marokkaanse wil bij houden dan zou je, zoals een zeer gewaardeerd collega vandaag tegen mij zei, wel eens last kunnen krijgen van contactstoornissen.

Niet getreurd want op Global Voices Online houdt Farah Kinani het heel mooi bij. In haar laatste post geeft zij een overzicht van de mooie, maar soms ook trieste gebeurtenissen: The week that was in the Moroccan Blogosphere met een aantal mooie juweeltjes. Zoals daar zijn de website van Mohammed V, voormalig koning van Marokko via Larbi, over dode mensen die toch niet echt dood zijn zoals bij Myrtus en natuurlijk posts over het Internationale Filmfestival van (waar anders?) Marrakech bijvoorbeeld via Laila Lalami. En nog veel meer. Zo nu ben ik er klaar mee en mag u lekker gaan lezen.

De ‘Marokkaanse’ blogosphere

Posted on December 7th, 2006 by .
Categories: Blogosphere.

Het kost nogal wat tijd om allerlei Nederlandse websites te bekijken. Als je dan ook nog de Marokkaanse wil bij houden dan zou je, zoals een zeer gewaardeerd collega vandaag tegen mij zei, wel eens last kunnen krijgen van contactstoornissen.

Niet getreurd want op Global Voices Online houdt Farah Kinani het heel mooi bij. In haar laatste post geeft zij een overzicht van de mooie, maar soms ook trieste gebeurtenissen: The week that was in the Moroccan Blogosphere met een aantal mooie juweeltjes. Zoals daar zijn de website van Mohammed V, voormalig koning van Marokko via Larbi, over dode mensen die toch niet echt dood zijn zoals bij Myrtus en natuurlijk posts over het Internationale Filmfestival van (waar anders?) Marrakech bijvoorbeeld via Laila Lalami. En nog veel meer. Zo nu ben ik er klaar mee en mag u lekker gaan lezen.

Amnesty International: Irrepressible

Posted on October 29th, 2006 by .
Categories: Blogosphere.

about | irrepressible.info CampaÃ±a de AmnistÃa Internacional

Internet repression is reported in countries like China, Vietnam, Tunisia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Syria. People are persecuted and imprisoned simply for criticising their government, calling for democracy and greater press freedom, or exposing human rights abuses, online.

But Internet repression is not just about governments. IT companies have helped build the systems that enable surveillance and censorship to take place. Yahoo! have supplied email usersâ€™ private data to the Chinese authorities, helping to facilitate cases of wrongful imprisonment. Microsoft and Google have both complied with government demands to actively censor Chinese users of their services.

Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right. It is one of the most precious of all rights. We should fight to protect it.

Amnesty has launched a campaign to free the bloggers jailed for telling the truth about repressive regimes. An initiative that deserves support in my opinion. This week one of the most famous Bahrainian blogs, Mahmood.tv, has been closed, blogging in Tunesia can be troubling and the same in Greece. Although there are usually ways to circumvent censorship, it must be clear that in some countries blogging can be very dangerous.

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