An article in the Chicago Tribune about the increasing political activism of U.S. Muslims.
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Fatemeh
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Andrea Useem
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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Andrea Useem
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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aziz
Some years ago, I proposed a draft of a declaration of principles for American muslims. I’d like to reprint them here and invite your comments. Of course, these should be generalized to all muslims residing in the West.
1. America, as the sole nation on earth where religious freedom is guaranteed to all, is the greatest Islamic country on the face of the Earth.
2. It is the duty of an American muslim to be a law-abiding citizen, to work hard and with integrity, and to be an asset to their community both inside and outside the masjid.
3. Shari’a is a divine code to live by, and trancends Man’s Law. Trying to mandate the practice of Shari’a by using Law is against Islam, as per Qur’an ayat 2:256: There is no compulsion in religion.
4. The American muslim will not allow non-muslims to define the faith. Our core concepts such as hijab and jihad shoudl be routinely embraced and deliberately used in dialouge with non-muslims. We do not accept the value judgement of any non-muslim upon our religious practices.
5. The American muslim is bound to excercize Al Aql al Insaan (the Reason of Man) in interpreting Islam. The American muslim is free to be a conservative or liberal, and owes no allegiance to any political party or leader.
If perhaps we can tweak these to our collective satisfaction, we might consider publishing them in some fashion.
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baraka
WaPo article on Muslims and marriage in America:
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baraka
The diversity of Muslims in NYC compiled into a book of oral histories. Available at Lulu for hard copy purchase or free PDF download. [HT: Yasmine]
