l'Islam. (Islam in France)

So this article discusses the migration of Muslims from colonized territories of France into France over time, to escape oppressive governance and in search for income. Immigration of Muslims greatly increased during the industrial boom in France, which fueled the demand for housing, or HMLs. Since then many industries have failed, factories shut down and some say that Muslims are to blame. This has lead to a great deal of discrimination in France against Muslims, making it very difficult for Muslims to gain a legitimate standing in society. I'm starting to see an intrinsic pattern here, one that may be better explained in something a little more close to home.  After the Reconstruction Era in the former Confederate states one party ruled unanimously , the Democratic party. The Democratic candidate, with only a few rouge exceptions, carried every former Confederate State for nearly 100 years. Political Scientist call it the Solid South. The reason Southerners put aside their many differences was for one reason, to keep the African-American population subordinate to Whites. I believe this is what is we see occurring in France in this exert.

Guilty Until Proven Innocent

this Article poses 4 complications that pose problems to the acceptance of Islam. The first issue is that Europeans and Middle Easterners have battled with one another for hundreds of years. Encounters such as the Crusades leave very negative perceptions of Arabs on Europeans and vice versa. The second issue is the result of 9/11 and an overall anti-Islamic stigma created in the United States. The third is the perception of Muslims as terrorists, which is often encouraged by misconstrued media. And the forth issue is the confusion of anti-Semite in Islamic culture. I feel there was a lot of information in this article, it was well written and I didn't find myself asking where I was being lead. It was very straight forward.

Managing American Islam

I never considered America to be a safe haven for individual members of religious or ethnic groups. I do understand that America is "the land of the free" where individuals can choose to practice their own religion (within reason) and express their opinions, however the thought that the American Society can serve as a catalyst   to the rights and freedoms of individuals within a religious, ethnic, or interest based faction never occurred to me. I am referring to the articles mention of the flourishing of Islamic feminism in American.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF EATING DURING RAMADAN: CONSUMPTION AND EXCHANGE OF FOOD IN A VILLAGE IN WEST JAV

When I first read the abstract of this article I assumed that it was going to be about the economic and fiscal impacts of Ramadan on the food industry. Being a Political Science major I was instantly interested, however upon further reading, I discovered my assumptions were incorrect. I was not greatly disappointing because this article was in fact enlightening. The author seems to suggest that although Ramadan is a widely observed ritual it is in fact an important time of personal reflection and a focus, or re-centering of the self, which concentrates on personal needs. When breaking fast in the evenings, individuals seldom speak to each other, seemingly everyone eats in "private". I drew an interesting parallel with this because up until now all that I have learned about Islam has seem to show that Islam is a strict focus on loving Alah and being kind to others, a "good Muslim". In my experience of Christianity I have learned that in order to love god and love others, you must first learn to love one's self. This article brought to light that interesting parallel of the importance of the "Me" in both Isam and Christianity.

Class film The Women of Hezbollah

This film was very eye opening for me. It seemed to show the complexities of Islamism by revealing a side of Islam that we have not entirely been exposed to in this class. I was astounded by the support of "martyrs" and the way that they were exemplified as heroic in Hezbollah. I believe that the most shocking thing to me were the interviews of the mother's who's son's were martyrs and their support of their son's actions. I was also very amazed by the facist tendencies of the Islamic Party of God, mainly focusing on their patriatism as well as a sacrifice of the individual for the betterment of the group (martyrs or even  children marching with machine guns a "sacrifice of childhood").

Inside Mecca

I found this film very interesting and explanatory. The explanation of the collection of stones was very interesting to me, When Allah commanded god to kill his son the and the devil tried to stray his hand, Abraham picked up a stone and threw it at the devil, which is what the people do, is they throw stones at the devils in their lives. It is a massive form or release that takes place once a year, millions of people gathering, banning together for a common cause, to get the devil out. Its is a beautiful thing to see that many people gathered together, and actual structures that exist solely for that event, that isn't related to sports.  

From theocracy to Democracy? Towards Secularisation and Individualism in the Policy of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan By Roald

I thought that this article raised an interesting point when recalling Steve Bruce's opinion that the increases modernization and urbanization in Muslim life as well as the migration of Muslims to countries with other cultures and religions tends to impede the secularization of Muslim society. Bruce believes this to be a temporary impediment and that Islamic secularism will eventually occur.  The reason I found this interesting is because it suggests that when faced with alteration and altercation a people group tends to stand firmly together, creating very strict guidelines and principles, however as these changes and confrontations subside and the seas settle these principles and structures become more lax.

Islamic Resistance in Palestine- Hamas, the Gaza War and the Future of Political Islam by Da'na

So this article focuses on the attempt to reinvent Islam and Islamic government to me more liberal so that it can be more easily understood by outsiders on the basis of outside interventions in wars and conflicts in the middle East. What I found interesting in this article is that a movement towards liberality seems to be the necessary means to resolve religious and cultural conflict. I have also come to realize how much further along Islam is in its journey towards resolving religious issues. Islam was founded nearly 600 years after Christianity. In it's 1400 years of existence Islamic theorists have come to the conclusion that a move towards more liberal practices would be most beneficial to the Middle-East. In Christianity's 1400 years of existence, Christian's were fighting the 100 Years War, burning people at the stake, disputing between 3 different Popes, as well as (and most importantly) planting the seeds of Protestant reformations. So, in reference to congruence between Islam and Christianity, will the push for a more secular Islam lead to a split in the Nation of Islam?