Bulldozing the Roadmap: Caterpillar Sales to Israel Violate Conditions of US Aid



Since 1967, human rights workers estimate that Caterpillar bulldozers have made more than 50,000 Palestinians homeless, destroying homes that pave the way for new settlements and Israel's 400 kilometer long Wall, to which the US government has also expressed opposition. The equipment used to demolish Palestinian homes is not actually purchased by Israel - it's purchased by the US taxpayer and sent to Israel.

Sex and the Saudi



Girls are married at alarmingly young ages in Saudi Arabia simply because their fathers are sick of driving them around: they just dump them on some other poor fool, who will then commence a lifetime of chauffeuring responsibilities. Not to mention that many Saudi men have multiple wives, and thus even more daughters—the headache increases exponentially. By the time the Saudi man finally gets home again, it is tomorrow, he’s halfstarved to death, dinner still isn’t done, and he’ll certainly be late to work, and people think the oil money makes them lazy!

Edward Said... Presente!



Edward Said (1935-2003) "We belong to God, and to Him is our return." (Qur'an 2:156) Prof. Said’s family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to the following organizations: Chronic Lymphatic Leukemia Research Fund, LIJMC Attention:...

Your Salvation May Be as Close as Your Laundromat: An Encounter with the United Nation of Islam



Royall Jenkins used to work as an auto mechanic and truck driver. In 1978, two angels came to Royall and brought him aboard their spaceship. They sailed the 36-year old across the starry field of night, showing him things that no man had ever seen, with the purpose of awakening him to his true identity. Royall Jenkins was Allah.

What Is “Progressive Islam” Anyway?



Over much of the twentieth century, the term “progress” did not have a positive track record. Much of the tyranny and genocide that marked our last century was clothed in the dogma of “progress” by the ideologies in power. So will “Progressive Islam” bring the same notions of “progress” that led to the world wars and the various secular massacres that followed? Or is this “progress” different, representing a clean break, within the Islamic paradigm, from recent movements that have sought to restrict Islam to a phenomenon that took place in Arabia almost a millennium and a half ago?

Mustard Gas Wall of Shame: Colin Powell Joins MWU! in Opening of Halabja Attraction



Thank you Secretary Powell for visiting the little museum of horrors at Halabja. MuslimWakeUp! is celebrating this occasion by inaugurating the giant “Halabja Mustard Gas Wall of Shame” as the next tourist attraction in this tragic little town. Let’s see what is on the plaque.

Hug Wendy Pearlman



At each signing I speak for about a half hour and then open the floor to questions. It can get pretty heated. Once a group of pro-Israel supporters launched a protest to convince Borders to cancel my reading. They said that I was a terrorist-sympathizer and that the talk would be an “affront to the Jewish community.”

Occupied Voices: Excerpts



You should watch Palestinian candid camera. Candid camera is done all over the world, and they did a Palestinian version on Palestinian TV. They want it to be funny, but it is about Palestinians and Israelis. One of the episodes is about a Palestinian guy who is running from the soldiers and he goes from house to house and says, "Can you hide me?" And this is supposed to be funny! The point is that candid camera is supposed to be about day-to-day life, and this is day-to-day life for us.

Letters from Palestine: Cell Phones, Cyber-Dating, and “Explosions of the Heart”



The messages range from sweet and innocent to high tech courting and cajoling. The cell phone has become the messenger of love in a place where occupation and tradition make young people's life, at best, challenging. Boys share their messages with each other; so do girls. Their worlds are separate yet well connected.

Why All the Fuss? Gay Marriage and the Fear of Joy Among Muslims



As a happily married Muslim couple who almost weren't, we need to speak on their behalf, even though Islam does not permit same-sex marriages. If gays and lesbians wish to pursue their own path in life, who are we to place obstacles in their way? If their choices are contrary to that of the Divine, only the Divine can be certain.

Wesley Clark’s Unanswered Questions: Will His War Record Hurt His Chances with Liberals and Progressives?



But the Kosovo war also raises some of the biggest questions regarding Clark’s own judgment and character, questions that he will need to address if he hopes to drive liberal and progressive Democratic Primary voters away from Howard Dean and, to a lesser extent, Dennis Kucinich.

Wrestling with Muzammil: The 2003 ISNA Convention



Maybe the “old guard” still runs ISNA, and maybe the House of Saud still runs that old guard. But I saw a lot of young people there, and they are claiming their spots. The med-student who smoked weed, the NOFX kid, Farah the filmmaker, Rima the poet, even me, for whatever I am. Things are changing. A distinctly American Islam has already begun to take shape.

Between Laughter and Tears: Remembering Wesley Willis



Despite Wesley’s pain in both his internal and external worlds, he filled everyone around him with absolute love and joy. Wes made hearts glow. He could say something as simple as “you’re a good person” and you wouldn’t know what to do with yourself.

Ummah WakeUp! Interview with Ani



My biggest frustration with the Muslim community has to do with the mental blocks people have. In the Qur’an, the mind is supposed to be our biggest asset, and we should use it.