Updates from Andrea Useem RSS
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08:39:08 am on July 16, 2008 |
Is it wrong for a Muslim to get plastic surgery for purely cosmetic reasons? One prof says scholars usually allow it for therapeutic reasons (eg after auto accident or mastectomy.) But he also added that most Muslims facing that choice would probably consult only with their doctors, not religious leaders. Do you know of any Muslims who’ve had cosmetic surgery?
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10:09:19 am on July 14, 2008 |
While writing a post on why forgiveness is good for you, I got thinking about Muslim traditions about forgiveness. I’m wondering: Do you think hadiths and teachings about forgiveness are not emphasized enough by Muslim leaders? Should we be talking about forgiving, say, Muslim-haters?
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11:06:34 am on July 7, 2008 |
Is there an increase in stress-related illness for American Muslims (and others who are mistaken for Muslims)? I set out to answer this question, but didn’t find any hard data, to my surprise. Wondering about your own anecdotal impressions.
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07:24:25 pm on June 25, 2008 |
Remember Hijabman’s great commentary on High Fructose Masjids? Muslims aren’t the only one with a problem. A prof at Purdue finds members of Southern Baptist churches are more likely than others to be obese. But a bunch of churches are kicking their congregants in the rear, promoting health and fitness. Any masjids out there doing the same? How about Muslim yoga?
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07:43:57 am on June 19, 2008 |
How a non-Muslim hospital chaplain helped me out. The part I left out of the story was that I first requested a Muslim chaplain, and a salafi couple showed up in the hospital room, grilled me about my religious observance and encouraged me to take Arabic classes at their mosque. Just what you need when your four-week-old son is in the hospital! I’m sure there are better Muslim chaplains out there. Know of any?
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08:07:16 pm on June 10, 2008 |
Why does Hajj make people more tolerant? (In this study, “people” = Pakistanis.) The study authors, all economist, say it’s probably because of all the social interaction with fellow Muslims with different customs, a la Malcolm X. But I wonder: maybe it’s about the religious experience itself? Having contact with God gives you a warm fuzzy feeling toward fellow man? Or that the rules of hajj encourage — maybe even force — you to be patient with others.
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07:35:20 am on June 10, 2008 |
Time to consider making it okay for Muslim women to even consider marrying a non-Muslim guy. This InFocus article, A Few Good Men, raises some important issues (even if the journalistic standards are not high.) but doesn’t mention the fiqh question — how muslim men can marry “out” but muslim women can’t — and how that contributes to the current “marriage crisis.” Question for you: Is it better for a Muslim woman to remain unmarried her whole life, or to find a non-Muslim man and have a chance at a happy married life?
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08:27:34 am on June 6, 2008 |
Why Harvard University wasn’t right in granting Muslim women “women-only” gym hours.
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06:33:22 pm on June 5, 2008 |
A sad story here about Salafi burnout (thanks to the tip from blogger Tariq Nelson).
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09:03:41 am on June 5, 2008 |
Check out Britian’s “Make Me Muslim” reality show … it’s like Spurlock’s 30 days, but in this case, you won’t be so excited about the Muslim leaders they choose. See episode one, where the man wearing the shalwar khameez tells the gay Briton that he doesn’t dress manly enough.
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09:00:27 am on June 5, 2008 |
Thinking about American civil religion… can American Muslims learn to speak this language the way Barack Obama does?
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01:06:16 pm on May 29, 2008 |
Tiny URL advice needed. I added the Firefox plug in, but can’t really get it to work… advice?
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01:02:40 pm on May 29, 2008 |
Salat and brain physiology? New research from neuroscientist Andrew Newberg shows how different forms of prayer and worship affect the brain. Too bad he didn’t study salat. But it got me thinking about the topic:
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01:04:19 pm on May 27, 2008 |
would you call this site a “muslim metafilter”?
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09:32:43 am on May 22, 2008 |
The case for barring Olympic teams that bar women from competing — hello Muslim world!
http://tinyurl.com/49jqq4
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07:57:25 am on May 22, 2008 |
Emergent Islam? I was wondering yesterday if the spirit of the emerging church — tech-savvy, anti-traditionalist, relationship-based — might have relevance for our generation of Muslims. And: why are mosque websites so bad?
http://tinyurl.com/4b4sre
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10:54:51 am on May 12, 2008 |
Salaams folks, here’s a story I have wanted to write forever, and Slate finally gave me a chance: It’s about loving and leaving Hijab:
http://www.slate.com/id/2191103/
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07:59:43 am on May 2, 2008 |
Is it exceptional to find a Muslim who both accepts a mainstream theological outlook on Islam and pushes for change — without being bitter?
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07:55:03 am on May 1, 2008 |
Okay, not sure if all will like it, but here’s what I have to say about “Fitna:”
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09:27:36 am on April 30, 2008 |
Thinking about how to help someone in Kenya find a job:
http://tinyurl.com/5bbdv9
