Members of the Alianza Islamica share a view of Latin American and Spanish history that is increasingly aired by a younger generation of intellectuals who question the "Westernness" of Western culture. Latino Muslims like Imam Ocasio reject the idea that their culture came wholly from Europe, and instead trace their cultural ancestry to northern Africa. "Most of the people who came to Latin America and the Spanish Caribbean were from southern Spain, Andalusia," Ocasio explains. "They were Moriscos, Moors forcefully converted to Christianity. The leaders, army generals, curas [priests] were white men from northern Spain... sangre azul [blue bloods] as they were called. The southerners, who did the menial jobs, slaves, artisans, foot soldiers, were of mixed Arab and African descent. They were stripped of their religion and culture, brought to the so-called New World where they were enslaved with African slaves. But the Moriscos never lost their culture." According to Ocasio, there are many Islamic and Moorish elements in Latin culture; he says that the Spanish "ojala" is derived from the Arabic "insha'allah" (both expressions mean God willing), while the Spanish exclamation "olé" comes from "Allah." Some scholars seem to agree. "In a sense, no single word could be said to encapsulate as such Spanish history as that three-letter word 'Olé,' " one historian wrote recently. "'Olé' is the Spanish adaptation of 'Allah', the Arabic word for God. So when Spaniards say 'Olé' at a bullfight, they are saying Praise 'Allah'." Ocasio also sees Islamic influences in Spanish and Latin American architecture. "[Just look at the] fountains, tiles, arches," he says. "You want proof that many artisans and workers were secretly Muslim? There are churches and cathedrals in Latin America which were built facing Mecca." The debate over the Moorish influence in Spanish culture dates back to the early 20th century. While at that time many scholars refused to acknowledge Spain's Muslim and African past, or saw it as a negative influence if they admitted it at all, a few sought to celebrate that heritage. The poet Manuel Machado proudly declared himself a member of the "Moorish race, a race from the land of the sun," and the celebrated Spanish writer Federico Garcia Lorca confessed his "feeling for those who are persecuted...the Negro...the Morisco." But it was much more common for Spanish intellectuals to dispute the extent of the Moorish influences and to look on that past with hostility. Now, younger critics are questioning and challenging the origins of Spanish literary and philosophical traditions that have previously been held to be quintessentially and inviolably "Western." Many scholars have identified African and Islamic influences in Spanish literature, music and thought, and have even traced those influences to the New World, particularly the Spanish Caribbean. The work of scholars like Lucia Lopez-Baralt, a professor of literature at the University of Puerto Rico, and the Cuban historian Maria-Rosa Menocal, would seem to support the contention of Latino Muslims like Imam Ocasio, that the Spanish Caribbean owes a tremendous cultural debt to the Moors. Many even claim that the first non-Indian language to ever be spoken in the New World was Arabic -- Columbus set sail for the Americas, the story goes, with a crew of Moriscos and a Jewish translator, Luis de Torres, who spoke Arabic; upon landing in La Hispaסola (now the Dominican Republic), de Torres is said to have addressed the local Indian chief in the language of the Koran: "Asalam Aleykum." With such history to refer to, for Ocasio and members of the Alianza Islamica, converting to Islam is like reclaiming a lost Muslim and African heritage. The Alianza's banner, hanging proudly in front of the organization's two-story converted townhouse, unabashedly celebrates this revisionist view of Latino history: against a red, white and blue backdrop stands a sword-wielding Moor, flanked by a Taino Indian (one of the indigenous inhabitants of Puerto Rico) and a black African. The Spanish Conquistador -- "who raped and pillaged" -- is simply left out. Cultural pride, alienation, and the Barrio's wretched social and economic situation, have at least partly influenced the Latino Muslims' rejection of Christianity, which many regard as the faith of a guilty and uncaring establishment. But in rejecting Catholicism, many Latino Muslims have alienated friends and family. Khadija, who "reverted" to Islam 26 years ago, says her family was opposed to her becoming a Muslim. "My father used to pull the veil off my head," she recalls. "My mother used to cook with pork tallow. It was war." One evangelical group on 107th Street, a block from the Alianza, was also aggressively opposed to the Muslims' activities, but most Barrio residents now view the Alianza with curiosity and respect because of its community service work. As part of an AIDS outreach program, the Alianza gave lectures on HIV infection and drug abuse, helped the sick get treatment, and gave free iftar meals (festive gatherings at which Muslims break their day-long fast) during the holy month of Ramadan. "We were called the AIDS group," remembers Mohamed Mendez, the Alianza's Education Officer. Although the local Latino community has been largely supportive of the Alianza, some non-Latino Muslims have not. Mendez says many Arab and Pakistani Muslims seem critical of the Latinos' efforts to adopt Islam. Immigrant Muslims sometimes attend djumma (Friday) prayers at the Alianza, but they often criticize the group's command of Arabic and their understanding of Islam; one Pakistani Muslim even said that Puerto Ricans are "too promiscuous" to be "good" Muslims. And in fact, the Alianza is actually being ousted from its current location by an immigrant Muslim landlord. Despite the hostility of some Asian and Middle Eastern Muslims, the Alianza's director, Hajj Yahya Figueroa, is undaunted, and hopes to establish a dawah (proselytizing) center in the South Bronx. "In Harlem, about three people take the shahada [convert to Islam] each month," he says. We could get a bigger following in the Bronx." Wherever the Alianza ends up, it will probably continue to grow and thrive, and will certainly continue to celebrate the Spanish Caribbean's Muslim African roots. "We are reclaiming our history after a 500 year hiatus," Imam Ocasio proclaimed at a recent Alianza event. The Catholics never successfully stripped the Moors of their identity. "We are the cultural descendents of the Moors."
exactly. http://www.wag-the-dog.com brent scowcroft, national security advisor to presidents gerald ford & george bush senior: Don't Attack Saddam It would undermine our antiterror efforts http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110002133
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Israel/Palestine_Crosshairs.html Very interesting article that sums up the whole mess we are in today
TF : You should stop your insults about me being racist. Racism is about race, a concept I do not believe in, and I never referred to in any post. As you might have noticed, you have probably called half the board racist, and it does not seem to work too much... Maybe it is time for you to grow up and argue like a man. Regarding myself being closed minded, I took the time to study what Islam was about, including reading the Koran, ancient and current muslim scientists, and discussing with an official Imam (although one proning a moderate approach of Islam). Is this being closed minded ? Your whole arguments about the misdeeds of the Christian church are in no way valid. If someone is doing wrong, why the hell should this be taken as a reference ? Anyone with a positive thinking would draw the consequences of the inquisition for example and make sure it will never happen again. To make an analogy, your arguing is the same as saying Mussolini was a good guy because Hitler was worse, nonsense... I'm a free thinker, not affiliated to any religion, by the way. You are posting so much disinformation that I cant debunk this quickly enough. Just for your information, there were muslims in Europe after the inquisition, and you can find specific laws, especially in spain, written in this respect after the inquisition period. YOU are the brainwhased closed minded one. If you had travelled like you advise everyone to do, you would agree that people are much more happy in Tunisia than in Saudi arabia. And you would also agree that what is missing so badly in some Arab countries is a free and mandatory access to #non-religious# schools for kids. Instead of this, you continue to disinform. OHLC
gosh, i'll have to catch up with my reading some time later in the week, but you've dug up some very interesting sources, traderfut2000, one that was a particular relief to me was this that you found: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,810488,00.html as far as religion goes, i found candle put that quite succinctly: This Islam versus the West thing is one big smokescreen... the bottom line is that the whole shabbang is about the West's pursuit of other people's resources, using whatever excuse they can muster up to militarily intervene or install puppets... this is why the USA, in particular, will continue to be a target of revenge for the millions of victims of US policy... no rational person can support the September 11 revenge terrorism.... but most rational people can understand the root causes of such revenge terror... the US policymakers bear a large proportion of the responsibility for the revenge terror of September 11... but of course they will never admit it.... it is time for the cycle of terror and revenge terror to stop... it is time for a rare dose of sanity from the US policymakers.... brent scowcroft, national security advisor to presidents gerald ford & george bush senior: Don't Attack Saddam It would undermine our antiterror efforts http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110002133 cheers and peace
TF >> Whereas killing and infidel or stealing an infidel is completely forbidden in Islam... >> In Dar-El-Islam, your statement is right, since infidels are second class citizens, and have to pay a special tax. In Dar-El-Arb, Europe, for example, your statement is wrong. Checked your Haddith, you are right. But, you would agree that the fact happened in Dar-El-Islam, not Dar-El-Arb ? So, once again, you are trying to mislead any uninformed reader ! OHLC
Last time I answered question of some people honestly, what did you do post??? A link to a site showing crazy guys with beards saying they want to kill and annihilate the west.. I can show you the same thing of jewish settlers saying they want to kill all the arabs or guys from the far right in europe burning buildings it happened in Germany and the UK where there are muslims... So what you posted was pointless.. and did not bring anything solid to the discussion. Now what do you mean by dar elislam and dar el arab????? This is the first time I hear about that???? Last but not least... I never ever talk about Islam when I post. I only talk about Islam when somebody says Muslim hate us and we should bomb them... Then and only then I say on what ground can you say that and I bring the truth about Islam being a peaceful and great religion...
>> Last time I answered question of some people honstly and what did you do post a link to a site where you saw crazy guys with beards saying they want to kill and annihilate the west.. >> My written comment on this post was about the fundamentalism being a bad thing. You can go back to check. I did not even refer to Islam in my comment, just to fundamentalism. As you know there are various approaches of Islam. Some moderate, some extreme. I thought you seemed to agree yourself about the fundamentalism being a bad thing... And, by the way, this was not a reply to you. My reply regarding oil was higher in the thread. OHLC
So Talmadge Hayer, Norman 3X Butler and Thomas 15X Johnson, three black men who were members of the Nation of Islam, gunned down Macolm with a sawed off shotgun, among other things . . . because they were angry that slavery "was abolished in the sixties?" You'll just write down any damn thing. Here's a clue, that's not writing, that's typing. Use your brain for crying out loud. What's worse, none if you liberal "pundits" caught this egregious error of historical fact; in particular Rs7/vvv, an alleged child of the 60's.
This is a discussion I laready has with Daniel and some other people.. and yes during the nazi regime half or more the population was racist.. and many accusations made by american are racists... You have to call a cat a cat and a racist a racist... Why 20% of the french voted Le Pen a racist saying that holocaust was a detail of history and that all the arabs should be out of France???? Concerning your Imam.. this is again bullshit. Contrary to christian religion, an Imam repreents only himself not the whole islam. I am sorry to say that may be we are in the 21st century but we still have many stupid guys that judge a person on his race religion origin.... I am not but I can tell you that many people that say they are open minded are racist..