The latest scandal against Muslims is the ban on the wearing of the Niqab (full face veil that reveals only the eyes) in France. The ban, enforced throughout France on April 11th, 2011, further demonizes the choices and rights of all Muslims globally. Muslim women who publically sport the Niqab are faced with a fine of 150 Euros ($215). Men found guilty of forcing women to wear the Niqab may be fined up to 60,000 Euros ($87,000) in addition to a possible two-year jail sentence. An estimated 1900 women wear the Niqab in France. Two-thirds of these women are French nationals with an estimated 90% over the age of 40. President Nicholas Sarkozy’s law was passed after the majority of French parliament and the public supported the idea that the Niqab imprisoned women and contradicted the secular nations values of equality and dignity.

The Niqab is a controversial issue in both Muslim and non-Muslim countries. Muslim scholars have argued for and against the wearing of the Niqab for centuries. Some look at the face veil as oppressive while others find it liberating. Who is right? Who is wrong? I don’t know the answers to the prior questions as absolutes but what I do know is the mere ban of the Niqab in itself is an act of oppression. France pride’s itself on being one of the leaders of the “free” world. France labels itself a country that tirelessly fights for women’s rights. France boasts laws that support the practice of religious freedom. Ironically, a country of liberty for all feels entitled to oppress a group of women who choose to wear the Niqab. There are two ways to examine this situation; firstly, from a religious perspective and secondly, from a human rights perspective.

Let us delve into the possible religious explanation of the Niqab. I have researched the Quran, Hadith and Sunnah and found a few evidences that may be interpreted as support for wearing the Niqab. There is ample evidence that proves the Prophet’s (SAW) wives covered their faces in the presence of non-mahram (non-guardian) men. There is evidence that proves Asma, who was not the Prophet’s (SAW) wife, covered her face. Easily, one can conclude that wearing the Niqab is halal (permissible). The aforementioned evidence can be used to argue against the ban on the Niqab from a religious perspective. According to the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen,”No one may be questioned about his opinions, [and the] same [for] religious [opinions], provided that their manifestation does not trouble the public order established by the law” and “The law has the right to ward [i.e., forbid] only actions [which are] harmful to the society. Anything which is not warded [i.e., forbidden] by the law cannot be impeded, and no one can be constrained to do what it [i.e., the law] does not order.” The prior two clauses candidly state the French government cannot subjectively regulate and prohibit religious activity and may only do so to the extent that there is a need to safeguard the public.

Religious profiling based on dress choice is not an effective manner in securing the public as many examples confirm. On August 29th, 1969, Palestinian Muslim Leila Khaled was part of a team who hijacked a flight from Rome to Athens. She donned no Niqab, not even a headscarf. In June 2008, Maite Aranalde the world’s most wanted female terrorist and a non-Muslim, was sentenced to eight years in prison after being convicted in a Paris Court for criminal association with terrorist intent. In September 2010, France was on high alert after a would-be Muslim female suicide bomber threatened the transport system in Paris. Her whereabouts are still unknown and there is no connection to a Niqab. Colleen LaRose, a non-Muslim from Pennsylvania more popularly known as ‘Jihad Jane’ did not fit the popularized version of a “Muslim” terrorist. There have been very few women who have worn the Niqab and committed terrorist acts. In collaboration with prior mentioned examples one can safely conclude that the wearing of the Niaqb is not a security matter and the French government has yet to prove that it has been in the past.

Let us examine the human rights aspect of the Niqab ban. Let us remove the presumed religious affiliation of the Niqab from the equation. Let us focus solely on women’s rights in France. France has long been known for boasting its fight for all women, regardless of class, ethnicity, religion and race. Women in France are free to walk in Daisy Dukes and bra-type tops. Women in France are free to wear mini skirts with tank tops. Women in France are free to wear the hijab. Women in France are free to laze around topless on public beaches. Women in France are free to tattoo their entire bodies including their full face. Women in France are legally allowed to work in strip clubs that accommodate any paying member of the public. Women in France are allowed to pose in Chantelle bras and lace thongs on human-sized billboards. Yet, Muslim women are being banned from wearing a Niqab.

Banning the Niqab violates the rights of women who choose to wear the Niqab. This ban is a so-called movement to liberate women and ensure public security. However, one can equally argue that women who strut the streets half-naked may be a public security issue as well. One may argue based on statistics that the rate of rape and sexual harassment is higher in secular nations that have no limits on women’s dress. One may further argue that nudity and avant-garde dress are unhealthy for our children. However, such arguments would be considered a violation of women’s rights and thrown out of court in a heartbeat. There is no hard evidence that wearing the Niqab threatens public safety, public order, health, morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others. The ban on the wearing of the Niqab is only a hindrance in helping women who are coerced into wearing the Niqab and does absolutely nothing except impose unjust laws on those who choose to wear the Niqab. This ban will only serve to imprison women to their homes rather than liberate them.

Let us not be imprudent in our judgment and unjust in our laws. A ban on the Niqab violates the right to freedom from discrimination on the basis of both religion and gender. Furthermore, a ban on the Niqab is as much as a violation on women’s rights as it is a violation to force a woman to wear the Niqab.

A couple days ago, I mentioned on my FB status that I was going to write a post about my discussions with atheists (what I’ve read and personal discussions) and I was warned not do this post. Many times these discussions go nowhere. Maybe this one will too, but my intent is not to have a discussion on the merits (or from many atheist’s perspectivej…lack of merit) of believing in God, but list some of the arguments I’ve heard from Atheist why we shouldn’t believe in God. Most of this commentary is stuff I’ve heard over the last 10 years and what’ve I’ve read.

So let’s get right into. There’s a landslide of reasons why Atheist find people who believe in God completely irrational, but here are the ones that stand out:

1. The existence of God (and his related miracles) can’t be verified scientifically. God is no different than Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny
2. Religion is an opiate that people use because they fear the unknown of death
3. Science and religion are incompatible. They cannot co-exist
4. It’s impossible that any ancient scripture has been preserved to a point where man hasn’t corrupted the teachings. In short, these books are not the word of some powerful and omnipotent all-seeing being, but the word of man. This man (or men) were able craft a wonderful story to lead billions of people down the gingerbread path of delusion

I’m okay (as many religious people are) with not having a scientific script for everything that occurs in the world and that is probably where atheists and similar idealists draw the line. However, If you study world culture and the history of spirituality you’ll see that that there is something beyond what we see, smell and taste. My main criticisms are not leveled at some of the mainstream atheist (although I disagree with them), it’s the amateur “lazy” atheists that regurgitates the talking points of the mainstream atheists without doing any research themselves.

Can you imagine someone calling themselves a “scientist” and when asked what work he’s done, he or she regurgitates the works of their predecessors, while calling it their own? Being that the atheists consider themselves the “owners” of absolute reason and logic, do they make better decisions on economics, politics, dealing with human suffering, morality, altruism, poverty, cleanliness, human relationships, love, ethics, consideration, social causes, etc? Do they believe their logic and reason is superior to those who believe in God? Sometimes it feels that way. Is this just some “knee jerk” reaction from the religious loons who proselytize and annoy the heck out of us on subways, cable stations, and the like? I get a sense that atheists believe that anyone who believes in God, has invalidated their sense of reason. Somehow our logic gene has been destroyed and we now live a world between Candy Land, the North Pole, and Care-A-lot.

Many of the books I’ve read (Stephen Hawkings, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, etc) all have an air of superiority that would make the KKK blush. Instead of white superiority it’s reason superiority. They see themselves as the masters of pragmatism and logic while the God believers are bunch of wayward delusional bandits who can’t add anything to the human project of civilization. We are a lost cause of ancient book thumpers and we must be viewed with skepticism on our intentions to move the needle of humanity into the next evolutionary cycle. Here is a brief history lesson: America was founded on the principle of religious freedom, which includes all walks of life. I don’t remember anything in the Constitution or Bill of Rights that said, “Hey be skeptical or weary of these “Godly” folks, they have other plans for this country”.

My favorite is seeing atheist pepper their twitter and FB feeds with the “Oh, look at this crazy thing that this person did in the name of God” act. As if these individuals represent the general religious population? As if people who are atheists don’t kill, murder and make illogical decisions? The rebuttal I usually get is “But the atheist don’t proclaim that they did XYZ act in the name of atheism”. Why don’t you ask someone who gets shot in the back of the head whether it mattered whether the person believed in God or not? Guess what, the person is dead. However, grabbing edge cases (which too many atheist do), to make the case against believing in God or religion is “fringe” science. Because we have economic crises, why don’t we just get rid of money? Let’s go back to the barter system. Why can’t we agree that there are illogical people from every walk of life, irrespective of whether they follow a religion or not?

Blaming religion is like blaming the hammer manufacturer for creating a hammer which was eventually bought and used to bludgeon someone to death. Any tool can be used for destruction, no matter what the intentions of the owner. While we’re at it, why don’t we blame the iron ore mineral company for providing the hammer manufacturer with the iron ore to make the hammer. While we’re at it, why don’t we blame the dirt for providing the atmosphere for allowing the creation of the iron in the first place. While we’re at it, let’s blame the Big Bang for creating the explosion that provided the elements to allow iron to come into creation. What an evil, sick, and sadistic Big Bang you are. Look how much evil you have spawned? Oh, you mean ole Big Bang. Look what you did..you created the perfect atmosphere…which then allowed humans to flourish..which then allowed those same humans to get weapons and kill people. I hate you Big Bang. I hope your next Big Bang implodes on itself.

The bigger issue is you have too many atheist peppering their criticisms towards believers in God with words like illogical, hypocritical, irrational, delusional, ridiculous, infantile, ignorant and anti-intelligent. In addition, your alternative is often a bland and vacuous space of hi-brow vernacular that is more of a grandstanding irritant than a soft balm of constructive criticism. I’ve been talked to like I’m some lost cause. That’s okay because I believe that many religious people have had that tone with atheists. At this point we are both fighting fire with fire.

However, acting like a scientist doesn’t make you any more logical and reasonable than me. You can wear as many proverbial labcoats, pocket protectors, and beakers hanging off your sleeve, but your rationalization of the “delusional believer” has no legs. If you are going to act like a scientist, at least immerse yourself into the subject matter. I’ve had people suggest to me (the same individuals that say they are logical and reasonable) that they are skeptics when it comes to religion, while not picking up one sentence of any religious material to see where the person who believes in God is coming from. How can you be a skeptic on a subject you haven’t immersed yourself in? Just reading Stephen Hawking’s and Richard Dawkins’s blog doesn’t count.

I’m going to take a page from my 2 year old son’s favorite show Yo Gabba Gabba. Although we have our differences, at the end of the day:

All My Friends are Different, But We (I) Love Them All the Same

• Salon: Going Beyond God – Interview with Karen Armstrong
• Discover Magazine: Atheism/Religion Turing Test
• Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain by David Eagleman
• On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
• Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values by Sam Harris
• A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
• The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow
• The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever by Christopher Hitchens
• American Atheist: http://www.atheists.org/
• Reasonable Doubt: Your Skeptical Guide to Religion Podcast http://doubtreligion.blogspot.com/
• YouTube: The Roots of Morality: Does Religion Play a Role or is the Tail Wagging the Dog?

As some of you know, there is a huge campaign that has gone surprisingly viral over the last couple months which was sparked by Manal al-Sherif showcasing her “dastardly” driving skills in Saudi Arabia via a YouTube video. I guess it’s no surprise that what started out in the social space, has now continued to spawn in just about every social media corner imaginable. It’s truly fascinating to see the outpouring of support for many of the sisters in Saudi Arabia who want to drive.

The nature of this post is not to further elaborate on the injustice of the female driving ban in Saudia Arabia (just about every blog and media outlet has written about it ad nauseam from the NYTimes to Foxnews). What I want to touch on was a conversation that my wife (who is Saudi) and I were having this morning regarding the importance of other issues that have had deleterious effects on the region. For starters, how about the 62% Divorce rate in the Saudi Arabia?

Many people’s reaction to the driving ban in Saudi Arabia exhibits a certain type of repulsing, almost gaging response as if they saw a mass grave in front of their eyes. I do believe the ideology behind the female driving ban has a very gender-jim crowish feel to it. However, I would like to remind people of Ian Bremmer’s the J Curve: A New Way to Understand Why Nations Rise and Fall.

In short, countries move at their own evolutionary social, political and cultural pace. Depending on what country you grew up in, different social issues have a varying degree of importance and priority. What is socially horrific and unacceptable in America might not exhibit the same response in Saudi Arabia. We need to understand that issues are not black and white. They have varying degrees of complexity and concern. Our ladder of what is “I’ll burn the world down if I didn’t have this” is different from other countries. I’m not here to justify injustice, I’m here to put things in their proper context and priority. Let’s make sure we keep our eyes on the ball. If you’ve gone completely bat crazy because of the female driving ban, you should have gone just as bat crazy knowing about the other injustices that have had deeper, if not more negative effects on the empowerment of women in the Kingdom.

So when you wave your fist in rage from your armchair revolutionary seat at the alleged “backwardness” of certain countries just make sure you don’t spill your $6.00 Iced Vanilla Mocha Caramel Latte on your $100 dollar designer jeans and $200 dollar shoes while sitting in a country that has to print money to prevent a sovereign default, in addition to having a murder rate by firearm higher than the Czech Republic and Lithuania. It’s all about perspective.

You know, for a very long time I’ve tried to ignore the Birthers who started what appears to be a tar and feather campaign to smear President Obama since early 2008. I dismissed the Birthers as bunch of closet white supremacist cranks who would rather see the country led by Howard the Duck then a Black president. I figured they’d pause because the man is half white. However, the “one drop” rule nullified any possibility of getting good with the good ole boy (and girls) network.

Some may dismiss the Birthers as a fringe movement of the country that don’t hold any power and are just leftover DNA from the evolutionary soup that remained in it’s primitive state since the dawn of man. However, their numbers are nothing to laugh at. There about 55 million registered Republicans and I’m going to assume that the 14% of Americans that believe Obama was not born in the USA are mostly Republican. However you slice it, this is by far not a fringe movement.

I watched the Obama “submitting his long form birth certificate” press conference (i.e. black tax) and although he carried a dignified response you could can see the pain of disappointment on his face. The pain of being treated like a nigga after Columbia, Harvard, and being president of the one of the most powerful countries in the world. This is the worse type of racism—the cloaked kind. The type of racism that carries an invisible white hood. The type of racism that when decoded, carries 128 bit decrypted noose. The type of racism that lives in the back room of dusty bars and dinner tables. I find this particular brand of encoded hatred detestable. Personally I will continue my verbal assault on the Birthers because what they stand for is a throw back to the Jim Crow brand of white privilege that we, as a country, have so ardently tried to remove from the hearts of millions.

I’ve spent the last couple weeks cruising through the documentary Collapse on my IPhone. The documentary is on Michael Ruppert, a police officer turned independent reporter who predicted the current financial crisis in his self-published newsletter, From the Wilderness.

There is some pretty scary stuff in Collapse. Mr. Ruppert goes way beyond just fractional reserve banking, fiat currency and Federal Reserve monetary policy, but spends a substantial amount of time on the potential societal impacts for the human population because there are limited resources on planet earth.

This documentary serves more of reality check than another boilerplate conspiracy theory piece. As Mr. Ruppert so eloquently stated:

Of course I’ve been called a conspiracy theorist but I don’t deal in conspiracy theory, I deal with conspiracy fact

The audio above is by far some of the truest and honest reality check I’ve heard since Alan Moore’s Culture of Steam quote regarding the doubling of information.

Another other choice quote from the documentary so you know what we are dealing with:

If your in a camp with a bunch of campers, and a bear attacks, you don’t have to be faster than the bear. You only have to be faster than the slowest camper. – Michael C. Ruppert

Below is a letter that I would like to send to a Masjid that I have frequented for several years. I wrote this post right after last year’s Eid Al-Adha because my experiences at a particular Masjid have become so frustrating. For the sake of privacy I have blocked out those areas of the letter that would give any indication of the Masjid I’m referring to. This particular Masjid has done lots of good work. They provide a house of worship for Muslims, Eid, Taraweeh, Arabic classes for children and adults, not to mention do lots of charity. They have done many good works (fisabilillah), but have unfortunately come up short in binding the congregants together across ethnic and or racial lines. Although this letter was spawned from my experiences at this Masjid, this is a problem at many Masjids. Whether the Masjid is in the U.S. or abroad. I hope that this letter reaches as many people as possible (inshallah), especially those leaders (Imams) of certain Masjids. As believing Muslims we cannot choose to ignore this problem as being silent on this issue is akin to being an enabler of this problem of cultural nepotism.

As Salaam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah.

It is with great sadness and frustration that I write these words. I have been frequenting this Masjid at

As a person of African descent (African American/West Indian) I have never felt completely welcome at this Masjid. I realize that the majority ethnicity is Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi and this monolithic South Asian community has intentionally or unintentionally created a wall of “ethnic Islam” that does not bode well for those individuals who are of a different ethnicity. I’ll explain.

Several times during the closing of the Eid Khutbah and many brothers are giving their well wishes, I have found myself completely by myself and somewhat ignored. I have had congregants look away from me and bypass me to give their well wishes to others. I have also observed this ill-loving behavior towards other brothers of African descent. This might seem trivial at first glance, but I have experienced this behavioral phenomenon in this center for several years. In addition, many times during the closing prayer and the Khateeb is rattling off countries of concern, I’ve yet to hear the Khateeb mention Africa. You hear Indonesia, Pakistan, Iraq, Palestine, Middle Eastern countries etc, but never Africa. You know where one of the largest populations of Muslims are? Africa. Over 30% of the global Muslim population lives in Africa. And considering all the issues that are going on in Africa (with such a large Muslim population), this continent should be on our Islamic radar.

Not that this is merely a numbers game, but I’m bringing this to your attention because there are many brothers and sisters of African descent (whether born in America or abroad) who feel ostracized and this cognitive dissonance towards ethnicities outside of your own needs to be addressed. Ignoring the problem will deepen the cultural fault lines in the Masjid. Even a simple As Salaam Alaikum to many other brothers is often ignored. The salaam rebuttal is robotic at best. I want to make it clear that this monolithic cultural problem is an issue at many Masjids. A very good and dear family member of mine who runs several Masjids in NY) frequented a Pakistani Masjid this past Eid (Eid Al –Adha 2010) and was given the same ill-loving treatment. After the Eid Khutbah not one member gave him and his brother well wishing nor shook his hand. No Salaams and no Eid Mubarak whatsoever. Completely ignored as if he and his brothers were the invisible men in the Masjid.

The Messenger of Allah [s] further guides us by saying:

“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should be hospitable with his or her guests.”

This monolithic cultural problem is not exclusive to just South Asian or Middle Eastern dominated Masjids. I have many close friends of mine who are of Pakistani and Middle Eastern descent who have frequented majority African Masids and have been given the same cold treatment. This is a problem in many Masjids, not just yours. Several years ago I visited Dubai and attended a Khutbah were the Khateebs’s main focus of the lecture was this same ethnicity issue. Although Islam makes it clear that we are all brothers and sisters in Islam, irrespective of ethnicity, I don’t believe that many people take this important message to heart, not to mention carry it out in their day-to-day lives. I want to be very clear on this issue, I’m not looking for some type of “charity love” from this Masjid. Patronizing me or others, with guilt driven acts, condescension, or empty or contrived intentions is just as dangerous. This is an issue that has to be fixed over time. Here are a couple of suggestions. These suggestions are based on successes from other Masjids that have had this problem:

1. Do more Khutbahs on the roots of racism and indifference. By not highlighting the problem this will not build awareness among the Ummah. Hear no evil, see no evil.
2. You should seek a more diverse group of Khateebs for your Khutbahs. Get groups from every walk of life. Young, old, converts to Islam, different ethnicities (especially those ethnicities that the congregants seldom see or talk to), etc so the congregants can see the Masjid demonstrating a core part of Islam, diversity.
3. Participate in helping countries that are outside of your culture and make it clear to the congregants that the Masjid is apart of this effort. One of the Masjids I volunteer at not only help countries in Bangladesh and India, but they do a lot of work in Africa too. Keep in mind that the Masjid is not run by Africans or South Asians. Yes, there are floods in Pakistan, but there are also floods in Dakar and Benin too. We need to step out of our comfort zone and lend a hand to all in need, not just those that have the same cultural background.
4. Get the congregants of the Masjid to meet up with other Masjids that are of a completely different ethnicity and/or Madhab and utilize the common ground that all Muslims have, the Quran and related Hadiths. There is no doubt this will help to melt away some of the perceived cultural differences.

Very similar to your point in the Khutbah you did for this past Eid-Al-Adha, we have to do more than just talk. Just like our children will be watching our actions, so will the congregants monitor the actions of the Masjid. With the Masjid being a central part of the community, it is critical that we remove this oppressive disease from our hearts (Allahualim). There is a perverse level of otherness and xenophobia that exists in our Masjids. This type of behavior would be unacceptable during the days of the Prophet (PBUH), and it is unacceptable today.

Before I bring this letter to a close, I will leave you with a reminder from our glorious Quran, a paragraph from the Prophets Last Sermon and related Hadiths which specifically touches on this subject:

Surat Al-Hujurat:
“O Mankind, We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is he who is the most righteous of you” (Quran 49:13).

From the Prophets Last Sermon:
“All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.

Remember, one day you will appear before ALLAH and answer your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.”

This is a very eye-opening Hadith on the evils of discrimination, prejudice and racism. The explanation below is pulled from a lecture by Shaykh Muhammad Hannini from his lecture Loss of an Ummah by the An-Nahda Institute.
It was also transmitted, in two different versions, by Ibn al-Mubarak in his two books, Al-Birr and As-Salah, that a disagreement occurred between Abu Dharr and Bilal. The context of this hadith is Abu Dharr and Bilal were having a discussion among the other companions about the war. Abu Dharr mentioned something and Bilal corrected Abu Dharr. Abu Dharr got extremely upset and said “Even YOU, son of a black woman is going to tell me that I am wrong?” After hearing this Bilal was extremely upset and said to Abu Dharr, “By Allah, I will complain to Rasulullah (PBUH) to tell him about what you said.” Bilal went to Rasulullah (PBUH) and said Rasulullah, “Did you hear what Abu Dharr said?”. The Prophet responded, “What did he say about you?”. Bilal then explained the incident between him and Abu Dharr. Rasulullah (PBUH). After hearing this, the honorable face of Rasulullah (PBUH) changed. With Abu Dharr using skin color he was threatening the bond of the brother’s and sisters.

The identity of emaan is being threatened. When you call someone the son of a black woman, this is not something light. After the news had spread about the incident, he went to the Rasulullah (PBUH) in the Masjid and said to The Messenger (PBUH) The Messenger (PBUH), “As Salaam Alaikum”. Abu Dharr later reported that he wasn’t sure if the The Messenger (PBUH) answered him back. The Messenger (PBUH) of Allah (saw) was extremely upset by Abu Dharr’s comment, so he (saw) rebuked him by saying, “That is too much, Abu Dharr. He who has a white mother has no advantage which makes him better than the son of a black mother.” In addition to this he said to Abu Dharr, “Did you tell him (Bilal) about his mother ? Did you put him down because of the color of his mother? You are a man who has jahiliyyah (kuffur) [disbelief] in him”. Abu Dharr cried. He went to Rasulullah (PBUH), “Forgive me, and ask Allah (SWT) to forgive me.” He left the Masjid weeping with tears. This rebuke had a profound effect on Abu Dharr, who then put his head on the ground (dirt) swearing that he would not raise it until Bilal had put his foot on his face. He said to Bilal, “You are the honorable person, and I am the humiliated person”. Bilal cried, and then came close to the cheek of Abu Dharr and hugged him, then said “Abu Dharr, a forehead that does sujud to Allah, does not get stepped on, but rather gets kissed”.

As quoted in Islam The Natural Way by Abdul Wahid Hamid p. 125

A man once visited the Prophet’s Masjid in Madinah. There he saw a group of people sitting and discussing their faith together. Among them were Salman (who came from Persia), Suhayb who grew up in the Eastern Roman empire and was regarded as a Greek, and Bilal who was an African. The man then said:

“If the (Madinan) tribes of Aws and Khazraj support Muhammad, they are his people (that is, Arabs like him). But what are these people doing here?”

The Prophet became very angry when this was reported to him. Straightaway, he went to the mosque and summoned people to a Salat. He then addressed them saying:

“O people, know that the Lord and Sustainer is One. Your ancestor is one, your faith is one. The Arabism of anyone of you is not from your mother or father. It is no more than a tongue (language). Whoever speaks Arabic is an Arab.”

These proofs and evidences demonstrate that tribal ties, exclusive ethnic allegiances and blind nationalism have no place in Islam. Muslims are commanded to stick together and not disassociate themselves from each other because they come from different ethnicities. I’m not naïve to believe that JUST one cultural center is the core problem, it’s the lack of good manners, etiquette, and a need to reinforce a lovingly brotherhood/sisterhood which seems to breed in certain Masjids. The cultural polarization that is created from this behavior is like acid being poured on the bonds of the believers.

With much sincerity and respect,
Malik

• Loss of An Ummah by Mohammed Haninini
• Falling in to the Trap of Nationalism or/racism
• VIDEO: Explaining the Hadith Series 2 – (Racism & Tabari)
• 33 Tips to launch your personal Jihad against Racism and Nationalism
• Hospitality towards Guests
• Prophet Muhammad: The Hospitable

..MILK?! Oh you thought that was a white russian in that screenshot? Oh yeah I’m sure you thought something else. Yeah my non-Muslims friends and family saw the title and probably thought “What? I thought Malik didn’t drink alcohol?” and my Muslims friends probably said “Oh no, astagfurillah, Malik drinks alcohol?”. No, I don’t drink alcohol (circa 2004) and inshallah I never will. I converted to Islam in 2007. Maybe you didn’t even think of any of these things, but I’m just having a little fun here. Even my mouthwash doesn’t have alcohol in it, nor do I use vanilla extract because of the process of using alcohol to create the extract. Strictly vanilla powder my friends.

To be honest, this post is not about why I drink milk or the countless ways I avoid ingesting alcohol, but the title was used to catch your attention. However, this post is about how alcohol (even though I don’t drink it) still seems to impact my life. As many of you know, Muslims are prohibited from drinking alcohol and ingesting any other intoxicant. But lets take it a step further. Not only are Muslims prohibited from drinking alcohol, they are also prohibited from being in areas were alcohol is served, like restaurants and bars. It’s not easy when you are out and about, but I try my best. Trying to find an establishment in the U.S. that doesn’t serve alcohol is like trying to find a congressman or congresswoman in Washington that doesn’t have a lobbyist as his or her shadow. Even social events like weddings and/or gatherings at a house where alcohol is being consumed is a problem. It’s one of the reasons why I have gatherings at my house because I don’t want my family around alcohol, but here is the problem:

In today’s society, especially in the U.S and Europe, drinking alcohol is the norm. It is socially accepted drink of choice. Everywhere you go, and no matter what event (even so-called “religious” events that celebrate the birthday of prophets) people are going to drink, and more than likely get wasted. Obviously we have our religious obligations (and many of us are proud to uphold them), but no sober person wants to be in that type of environment. at least the sane sober folks. I’m going to try my best not to bash people who drink alcohol. That’s not really what this post is about. Listen, if you want to drink, have a blast. I don’t agree with it, but to each his own. My issue is the balance between my beliefs and my close family members and friends.

This issue happens often because most of my non-Muslim friends and family drink. (even some of my Muslim friends drink). Basically my non-Muslim friends and family want me to, as they like to say, “make an exception”. This usually means the following:

Because of our long lasting friendship or family connection over the last couple decades we feel that it wouldn’t be a big deal if you attended ______________ event. We love you and we want to see you. We know you and your family have this Muslim thing with the alcohol and we just don’t see how you can’t separate Church and State (in my case Mosque and State) then come on by. You don’t have to drink, but we are going to drink.

I’m sure you can see the conundrum. For the sake of argument, lets say that in some weird universe somewhere in the Quran, it gave the pass for Muslims to attend events were there was alcohol, but as long as you didn’t drink alcohol, everything is okay. The part that people don’t understand is it’s not just alcohol itself, but how alcohol impacts the person consuming alcohol and the people around the alcohol. Let’s say I wanted to attend a social event with a group of friends. Half of the people have poor spending habits and the other half have great spending habits. While I’m at the event, do I really care what the net worth is of any of the individuals at the event? No, because the context of the event and the people attending have no direct connection. But let’s change the context and instead of just a random gathering of folks socializing, it was an event about starting your own business and everyone at the event had to put their money together. Same people from the first event, but we now have a set of issues. The fact that second event is tied to money and savings, puts the folks with poor spending habits against the folks with good spending habits.

Lets jump back to the topic of alcohol. A group of Muslims being in the context of another group of people drinking alcohol is straining the belief of the Muslim. This is not a light matter. If it was, I wouldn’t be spending more than 500 words talking about this stuff. The believing Muslim does not want a strained relationship with Allah, but at the same time wants his closest friends and family to understand the importance of adhering to his or her faith. For believing Muslims, there is no dualistic behavior based on external circumstances. I know most people practice their faith like this, using a set of subjective criteria and put bits of pieces of their faith into practice under a secular framework. I’m sorry but Muslims don’t roll like that.

So what about the “Can you make an exception?” line I always get. No. I love you friends and family, but NO. A better question is “Can you make an exception?”. The part that is bewildering to me, is most people drink all year round. Whether it’s at birthday parties, weddings, going to clubs, restaurants, sporting events, after work drink at home, go out with co-workers drink, even religious events. So being that you drink 99% of the time, why not make an exception for those who don’t want to be around alcohol? Your choice to drink is not tied to anything other than “Hey I want to drink with a group of friends and family”. I’m not trying to rock the boat, but I don’t see how taking a break from alcohol every now and then is going to be some type of net loss in fun points. The “social pressure” to commit to the group (alcohol consumers), being creatures of habit and simple choice to drink is a bigger incentive, than to NOT drink because of one individual. Among drinkers who attend social events, not having alcohol served is akin to removing the ball from football, basketball or baseball game. This is the new social norm. I get that. I’m not naive. I just wonder if there can be balance. I know if I said to any one individual, “Hey I’ll give you $50K if you invite me to all your events and social gathering for 1 year while not having alcohol at any of those social gatherings.” Only a fool would deny such an offer. In short, the world is awash in incentives. The downside risk (backlash from friends and family) from not serving alcohol would be obliterated because the financial reward eclipses the backlash. If we take this fictitious scenario a bit further, a simple explanation to the group “Hey I’m doing this for 50K”, would probably prevent any further complaints and social backlash. In the end, the mob rules.

Some people don’t realize how serious Muslims take their faith. This new age of “religious secularism”, has made Muslims out to be the conservative party crashers. To be honest, I like that. I could care less that people think I’m a weirdo for not getting drunk. Or think I’m too strict because I don’t allow my family to be socially invaded by people with liquor on their breath and drunk behavior at certain social events. Or think I’m a weirdo for saving thousands of dollars for not having to buy into the idea that purchasing alcohol to drink is the norm. Some call it personal choice. The timing of this post is right on the money. Millions of people will be getting blasted over the Holidays. I know what it’s like. I used to do it. I would ask people to keep an open mind and heart. There are those around you who subscribe to a different set of norms. There is no sweat off your back if you don’t drink a couple times a year, but it’s a whole set of circumstances for me and many Muslims who don’t want to be around alcohol in big social gatherings (if we can help it). Not because we wan’t to be difficult, but we love the principles of our faith and we want to act upon those same principles. (Feesabilillah)

I’ll close with this,

Alcohol can’t hug you,
Alcohol can’t smile at you,
Alcohol can’t have a conversation with you
(although you might have a conversation by yourself after drinking too much)
Alcohol can’t love you,
Alcohol can’t respect you,
Alcohol can’t be there for you when you need the most help,
only loving human beings can.

Respectfully yours,
Malik

Many people ask me how I converted to Islam. To be honest, if someone told me in 1998 (The year I graduated from Syracuse University) that “Hey Dwayne, you are going to be Muslim one day”, I probably would have replied “Yes, and the moon is made out of cheese and I lift up the Empire State Building for sport on weekends”. My conversion to Islam is quite extraordinary and this one event will cascade into several other events that will change my life forever. Well, here’s how it went down:

My spiritual journey began around mid 2002. I’ve told this story many times, but one day I was lying in my bed staring at the ceiling and somewhat nodding off to sleep. I was just lying there thinking, but not about anything in particular. My mind was just clear, and then something just startled me inside. Not like someone physically startling you by surprising you, but just similar to a sonic boom going off in my chest. I immediately stood up on my bed. As if my soul just grew exponentially. Till this day I can’t really explain it but religious folk call it spiritual awakening. I felt something that definitely rattled my soul and my spirit. At the time I didn’t really know what it was so after a couple of weeks went by I just forgot about it. Interestingly enough I went into the the Strand book store several months later which was located around Union Square in Manhattan. I was walking by several books and as I was walking out of the store I peaked around the corner to find a set of books that caught my eye. Several were dark green and burgundy with gold trimmings. I didn’t know it at the time but these were Qurans. As soon as I saw the book I knew I needed to buy it. It felt like it was the answer to what startled me in my bed as I was lying down.

I didn’t read the Quran after I bought it; I just put it right on my shelf. It wasn’t until months later I began to delve into Islamic scriptures online and get bits of information through many Muslims that would cross my path. It was like the seed was planted when I was lying in my bed and now my mind is branching out to the Islamic community for spiritual nourishment. I knew no Muslims prior to this “awakening”. I had no Muslims friends and I most certainly knew nothing about Islam, and whatever I knew about Islam was the slanderous rhetoric from the MainStream Media (MSM). I was brought up with a Episcopalian Christian background. Went to church just about every Sunday with my mother up to about 1996. Eventually I stopped going to church, and I was really a Christian by label, but not by deed or action.

One year into my study (2003), I met Sarah (currently my wife). At the time she was in Saudi Arabia. She would send me Islamic books and Quranic text from Saudi Arabia. One of the first books I read was the The Ideal Muslim by Dr. Muhammed Ali Hashimi. This book was critical in shaping my understanding of Islam. I spent the next 4 years studying Islam, and converted to Islam on April 7th, 2007 at the Islamic Cultural Center of NY. Alhamdulliah, Sarah was one of the witnesses to my shahada, including Imam Shamsi Ali and several other witnesses.

So fast-forward to today and I’m extremely happy to be Muslim while being apart of the Islamic community. Converting to Islam was one of the smartest things I have ever done in my life. My life is so much more stable, balanced, and Islam creates the foundation for me to focus on what is important, while eliminating those things in my life that were of no benefit to me or the people around me. I’m happily married to my beautiful wife Sarah, and we have 1 beautiful son, Saud Abdul Malik Oxford, who is 18 months and growing like a bean stalk. Alhamdulliah, I have so much to be grateful for. May Allah continue to provide the wisdom, stability, and guidance that he has given to me from day one. Ameen.

Recently I’ve been reading Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf’s What’s Right with Islam: A New Vision for Muslims and the West. Although published in 2004, the book is very relevant from obvious topics like Park51 AKA “Ground Zero Mosque” to more nuanced issues like freedom of speech and U.S. foreign policy. Quite a remarkable book and Imam Feisal really tries to bridge the gap between American/Western Culture and Islam. Simply, we both have something to offer each other, and if we can both realize this, this searing tension will seem as distant as the civilization of the Neanderthals.

Although there are many bright and intellectually seductive moments in this book, there are 4 pages where he talks about the roots of conflict and…well…he nails it! Imam Feisal was able to crystallize this issue in a couple pages. In short, scarcity of assets and power are the main strategic pieces of most conflicts. I’ve had this discussion with my wife many times when we talk about relationships. It’s all about the ebb and flow of power. Imam Feisal takes it a step further and not only talks about the roots of conflict in relationships and our perceived gender differences, but goes into religion, culture, economics, and many other social paradigms. I’m going to paste the first 3 pages of this section because they are more pertinent to the root issues of conflict. In many instances our perceived differences are just struggles of assets and power cloaked in past grievances which unfortunately leads to unbridled fear of the “other”.

From Chapter 4: Where the Devil Got in the Details, I give you WHAT’S THE CONFLICT REALLY ABOUT?: (The book is available for free from Google Books)

pg 117-119

Does religion cause conflict? This is an idea popularly expressed, and it deserves to be explained.

             Ultimately, the root cause of conflict is nearly always the loss of an asset, a thing of really high value. An asset can be anything—an idea, like losing your honor, the right to teach your children creationism instead of evolution, or something real and tangible, such as your inheritance. Our beliefs are among our most treasured assets, and our religion, being a major subset of our beliefs, is this a deeply prized asset, as our freedom and liberty. An employee might become angry because he feels denied his rightful share of a bonus, a child might take legal action for being left out of her parents’ estate, countries might fight over agricultural water from a border river, or two men might fight for the love of a woman. People become incensed when they feel that an asset has been taken from them wrongfully, whether it was by theft or unlawful seizure or even when they suspect they paid too much for it (as when they claimed, “We were robbed!).

             The other root cause of conflict is issues of power—who gets to control decisions. A husband and wife can argue about the color of a new carpet, where to go for vacation, or who does the dishes. Over time, a build up of such disagreements can lead to such acrimony that the relationship becomes untenable. While disagreements on these relatively insignificant issues are often considered the source of the conflict, they are not really, for when the couple patches things up, they usually wonder in amazement, “We were fighting over this?”

             In reality, they were fighting over power, over who gets to decide what about what. The anger is not primarily over the choice of carpet color, but over the right to control the decision. This is why we often make our own decisions, even to commit our own mistakes.

             These two root causes, the power to control decisions and how assets are distributed, make up the root causes of almost all conflicts. Issues become triggers of violence if they translate into loss of power or tangible assets.

             Once an argument is kindled, a psychological pattern develops in which we look at what differentiates us from the other side and often wrongfully attribute the conflict to the difference. This difference then conributes to the otherness of our opponent and feeds the righteousness of our cause. So if the argument is between a man and a woman, in our anger we blurt out, “Women! They’re so emotional!” or “Men! Such insensitive brutes!” We attribute the cause to gender difference, and in time a gender war breaks out. Generations pass, and eventually books are written on how men are from Mars, and women are from Venus; and since we can live neither with nor without them, a two-state solution of sorts is worked out, whereby women have domain over certain areas of life and men over others.

             If the difference is one of skin color or race, we attribute the cause of disagreement to that, and in time we have an ethnic or racial conflict; if the difference is religion, we have a religious conflict. After a generation or two, people are taught to think about these differences in such a way that they genuinely begin to believe that women are not capable of being highly educated, much less of becoming leaders, that education women in the hard sciences will addle their brains, that Arabs or Muslims “cannot handle democracy”, that Arabs and Jews have hated each other since Ishmael and Isaac, that Hindus have always hated Muslims, that Sunni Muslims and Shiite Muslims can never get along, that blacks are genetically inferior to whites, that northerners are superior to southerners and city dwellers better than suburbanites— the list of prejudices goes on. In time these differences become deep-seated beliefs that continue to fuel that conflict and that may take generations to correct.

             Those traits that have historically been used to prevent groups of people from sharing in power and economic assets are in reality secondary causes and should more accurately be regarded as identity tags, which we find useful for labeling the other in any given conflict. We can create any number of such identity tags, including those of gender, skin coloring, tribal affiliation, class or family, and of course, religion. What we call the glass ceiling in the United States is an example of gender differentiation; the massacres in the Rwanda between the Hutus and Tutsis are an example of tribal conflict; the tensions in India are about religion and (within Hinduism) caste (class) differentiation; while Irish troubles represent a conflict between subgroups of the same religion (Protestants and Catholics). Each of these differences is not the root cause of the conflict but rather the identity tag used to separate one group from another with regard to the real root causes of the conflict, namely, power and economics.

You can read more via Google Books at this link

I’ve been Muslim since April 2007, and I get a lot of questions about what it’s like to be a Muslim. Some of the questions are thoughtful, while others are more accusatory and xenophobic. However, with the all the media bias and misinformation taking precedence over the haqq (truth), I wanted to put this short list together for others to dig deep on what comes very natural to many Muslims around the world. I have also provided links that point to evidences on each ruling. For any learned Muslim brother or sister that can provide better links as evidences, please comment or send me a message via Facebook.

1. Men and women have to purify after going to the bathroom
Have you ever seen someone walking toward the rest room with a empty water bottle and said to yourself, “Eww, that person is going to drink water in that bathroom?”. Chances are they probably weren’t refilling to get a drink and more than likely are going to “wash up” after they go to the bathroom. Why? As Muslims, we are required to be pure and clean for prayer. Keep in mind we pray five times a day. You are praying in front of Allah, so isn’t it only right that every part of your mind, body, and soul be purified? I probably don’t have to get into the details of how this is done, but with a bit of imagination I’m sure you can figure out how water is used to purify oneself after going to the bathroom.
Evidence: Taharah (Purification)

2. We believe in Jesus..yes and Moses too.
Contrary to popular belief, Muslims believe in Isa (Jesus). As a matter of fact you cannot be a true believing Muslim if you don’t believe in Jesus as a prophet of Allah (SWT). He is one of the most well respected prophets and is mentioned many times in the Quran. As Muslims, we believe he is a prophet, just like Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was responsible for delivering the word of God via the Quran, Isa delivered the word of God via the Injeel. (the original Bible)
Evidence: Muslims Hate Jesus (a misconception)

3. Eroticism is allowed, but only with your wife or husband
That’s right, there isn’t any boyfriend or girlfriend stuff in Islam. Many people gasp when they find out this fact. However, there is strong scientific evidence that suggests (meaning no silver bullet) that having “serial” sexual relationships before building a loving bond with your significant other can emotionally compromise the future of your relationship. For about a year, I’ve been working on a 4 part “Science of Relationships” post that will give some food for thought.
Evidence: Marriage and the importance of marriage in Islam

4. There is no Islamic ruling that allows you to beat the living sunshine out of your wife
Contrary to “ignorant” belief, you cannot beat your wife or any other women you know. The first thing that usually comes out of someone’s mouth is “What about Surah 4.34? It says you can beat your wife?”. No, you must have beat your head against a wall too many times. Unfortunately, you misinterpreted the verse.
Evidence: On Beating One’s Wife

5. Men and women must lower their gaze.
As a Muslim (especially men) you are not allowed to look another women up and down unless she is your wife. Same goes for women. You can look at your husband, but not other men. In the summer time, it’s not easy because many women and men are half-naked anyway, but you do your best. I actually started wearing shades because women (even though they see I’m married) try to make eye-contact with me to flirt. I’m not talking about an innocent gaze where you are looking at your surroundings. I’m talking about a “Yo, that girl got a fatty (nice body)” (while you elbow the dude next to you). It’s disrespectful and haram (prohibited).
Evidence: Hadith of the Guarantee by Abdur Rahman

6. Most forms of Music is prohibited
This is a highly contentious topic, even among Muslims. This topic is too deep for me to elaborate in several sentences but for the sake of time, I’ll provide several links that will give you food for thought. As a person who adored hip hop like a first son, this is not an easy task for me. Over the years it’s become easier for me to let go, and I can spend time on more important matters.
Evidence: Is Music Haram (prohibited) by Dr Zakir Naik, Music in Islam prt1 by Yusef Estes, Music in Islam by Yusef Estes prt2. Here is a post I did on music called the True Cost of Music by Malik

7. Most Muslims are NOT of Arab descent
The bulk of the Muslims (roughly 52%) are actually in the South, South East, North, Central Asia part of the world. Comprising around 50% of the entire Muslim population. Indonesia, which has the larget location of Muslims in any one area has a whooping 200 million Muslims! A close second and third, is Pakistan (167 million Muslims) and India (156 million). About 17% of all Muslims are of Arab descent.

34% of Muslims in America are of African Descent (African American and African)
Although the total number of Muslims in America has varied from year to year, but many staticians put the number somewhere between 5 to 7 million Muslims total where 30% are African American and around 4% are native Africans.
Evidence: List of countries by Muslim population

8. We are not interested in interest.
For Muslims, participating in making money off of money is completely prohibited. It’s actually a grave sin. For sake of this brief post, I’m not going to get into all the details but adding on money on top of already existing loan is akin to theivery in Islam. Profit is okay, but not from interest (Ribaa). In most forms of business, all transactions have to have a shared profit. Why? The risk is balanced on each person who is taking part in a business transaction. Handling business in this manner protects both business partners.
Evidence: Part I and Part II of The Case Against Interest By Abu Ubaydah Andrew Booso. If you have extra time you can read my scathing article against interest called Casino Capitalism. | VIDEO: Interest and Islamic Banking by Bilal Philips

9. Are most African Americans Muslims members of the NOI? (Nation of Islam)
I actually get this question a lot. Are you from the Nation of Islam? The best way I can frame this would be this. Is every green plant with a stem a piece of basil? If you can’t answer this question, then I will answer it for you: No. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t African Americans who are still members of the NOI. The majority of African Americans Muslims are not affiiated with NOI.
Evidence: Wiki: Nation of Islam

10. Jihad and Allah u Akbar does not mean I want to KILL you
Uh oh, did someone say the word “Jihad” and “Allah u Akbar”? Unfortunately the media has miscontrued the true meaning of the word “Jihad” and “Allah U Akbar” and most people have associated it with some type of code word for Islamic terrorism. Jihad is the Arabic word for struggle. A good Muslim friend of mine has the name Jihad. For Muslims, Jihad is to struggle to do the just and righteous things for the sake of Allah. This dedication to do what is required of you as a Muslim is our Jihad. Allah u Akbar means God is Great. Not “Let’s kill people” or “lets blow ourselves up”. During any 1 of our 5 daily prayes, “Allah U Akbar” is mentioned at least a dozen times. It’s very common word in Islam and merely reinforcing the greatness and beauty of Allah.
Evidence: VIDEO: Islam and Terrorism | What is Jihad? by Brian Handwerk

11. We get up before the roosters.
As I said earlier Muslims pray 5 times a day. One of the prayers is known as the morning prayer, Fajr. Fajr is supposed to be prayed before the light of sunrise hits the sky. I’ll be honest, it’s not the easiest prayer to catch, but when you do, the feeling is amazing. My day actually starts off better when ever I make Fajr on time. I’m actually utilizing this Ramadan to be better at catching Fajr on time, Inshallah (God willing)
Evidence: VIDEO: Importance of Fajr Prayer. This video is pretty long, but here is a shorter description that explains the Fajr prayer.

12. My ribs are touching
Yes if you ask any Muslim, their ribs will definitely be touching as Ramadan has just begun. Once a year, Muslims fast for one month. Known as Ramadan, we fast from sunrise to sunset. We are allowed a meal (suhoor) before the morning prayer (Fajr), then we break our fast with a meal (fatoor) at sunset at the beginning of the evening prayer (Maghrib). During this month, Muslims reflect on the greatness of Allah, ways that we can improve ourselves within the guidelines of Islam, and do our best to carry out good deeds that will postively benefit society. It’s also a time to reflect on the poor and sometimes forgotten souls of society. (which we should do all the time) Keep in mind that there are hundreds of millions of people around the world who are not as fortunate as ourselves (those of us who have the comforts of food, clothing, and shelter) and it is our duty as Muslims to help those who need assistance and guidance. At least 80% of the world live on less than $10 dollars a day. In addition most Muslim use this opportunity to fulfill one of the obligatory pillars of Islam, Zakat. Every Muslim (who has the means) is obligated to give at least 2.5% of their wealth (minus your debts) to the poor every year.
Evidence: What Are You Required To Do During Ramadan?

13. Sharia Law Does Not Mean “Get Rid of Non-Muslims, Chop Peoples Arms off or Enslave non-muslims”.
I’ve specifically added this new addition to this list because I keep hearing the “alarm bell” go off in this country from certain groups who believe that Sharia Law is the Islamic version of Mein Kampf or it some fringe set of laws that only the likes of religious extremist love. No. No. No. No. I was recently reminded of this ignorance by an interview where Herman Cain felt that Americans have the right to ban mosques because JUST Muslims are violating the constitution with their institution of Sharia Law. A couple things:

1. Herman Cain and anyone else who believes this garbage does not understand the 1st Amendent
2. Muslims are not interested in some national Americana Sharia Law initiative. How do I know? Because I’m Muslim and I talk with Muslims every day. This isn’t some type of bate and switch initiative. We build Mosques to pray, not take over the world.
3. If Herman Cain and others actually believe that other faiths do not intermingle their faith in public places (not that I have a problem with this), then he is either naive, playing politics (likely), or just scapegoating Islam (playing the xenophobic card).

Evidence: The Myth of Sharia Law in America | CFR: Governing Under Sharia Law | BOOK: Islam and the Secular State: Negotiating the Future of Shari`a by Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na`im