CIRCLE OF SACRED KNOWLEDGE CONTINUES

The Circle's discussions these past weeks (July 16, 23, and 30) have focused on the intertwined mysteries of the nature of God and the true nature of the human being.  The August 6 sessions will, in sha' allah, explore the implications of Qur'anic passages situating the human being within a social context (community).  Please note that the Circle will, in sha' allah, continue throughout the month of Ramadan.

Suggested reading to enrich your reflections in these areas include a wonderful little book entitled, "Major Themes of the Qur'an" by the late Fazlur Rahman, specifically chapters 1-3.

As always, we will begin at noon in the upper teaching space of the Noor Cultural Centre and will close the circle shortly after 1:00 p.m., in time for people to transition downstairs to the prayer area for the jum'ah prayer service if they wish.  As always, people of all ages and faiths are welcome.

ANTI MUSLIM PROPAGANDA (exhibit two) + OUR RESPONSE

Here we find an excellent example of inflammatory, anti-Muslim
misinformation combined with fear-mongering, anti-Obama
propaganda.  It has been circulating around the web and
was sent to me by someone who immediately believed it to
be true. 

Please check it out as well as our response:

PROPAGANDA EXHIBIT 
begins under this line
______________________________________

Please Read and Forward

  

Let's take him down through the Internet..  Seems the majority of the press are worshiping  at his feet.... Someone could put this on facebook..   If each person sends this to a minimum of twenty  people on their address list, in three days, all people  in The United States of America would have the  message. I believe this is one proposal that really should be  passed around. THIS WILL CURDLE YOUR BLOOD  AND CURL YOUR HAIR [President Obama walking with a book in his hand...]   The name of the book Obama is reading is called: The Post-American World,   and it was written by a fellow Muslim. "Post"  America means the world After  America!  Please forward this picture to everyone you know, conservative or liberal.  We must expose Obama's  radical ideas and his intent to bring down our  beloved America!

____________________________________
(end of propaganda exhibit)

OUR RESPONSE (which led to a 
public retraction and apology issued by the individual 
who sent this on to me and to so many others):


Dear ______:

Please check out the book description below.  It's by Fareed Zakaria, a respected mainstream American journalist (editor of Newsweek International and a frequent commentator on CNN), and has nothing to do with bringing down America.  It's about shifts in global power, something everyone is aware of or at least should be. One would expect someone in Obama's position to be reading respected authors and thought-provoking political analysis, such as this.

As is evidenced by the Times Square car-bomb attempt, we live in serious times, and so we have to be serious in addressing the real threats and problems.  This mindless and damaging propaganda is both racist and religiously discriminatory, and it does not help at all.  I urge you to send out an emphatic apology and retraction of this ignorant and shameless propaganda.  This, I feel, is the least any person of moral fiber and conscience would do.  The alternative is to stand by your promotion of the very same racist and religiously discriminatory hatred that you claim to oppose.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Post-American_World

Timothy

ANTI-MUSLIM PROPAGANDA (exhibit one) + OUR RESPONSE

PROPAGANDA EXHIBIT ONE
The amount of inflammatory misinformation designed to arouse fear, suspicion, and hatred of Muslims is all over the web.  Here we find a particularly pernicious piece that seeks to mislead everyday Americans into thinking that everyday American Muslims support and even celebrate the atrocities perpetrated on September 11, 2001.  To anyone with even a little education in Islamic history or theology, this discriminatory and intentionally misleading email seems too ridiculous to merit a response.  However, for those millions who have absolutely no knowledge of Islam, it seems very real and very threatening.  Such a person sent it to me in a state of tremendous alarm. 

Whatever else can be said about the person who crafted this propaganda, he/she wants us to think that the military conflicts in which America is engaged are part of a larger religious war waged by Muslims everywhere (including within the United States) against the U.S.  More, he/she will use anything and take anything out of context (including the sign cited below) to "prove" this.

(propaganda citation begins below this line)
_______________________________________________________

THIS IS REALITY!!!!!!!!!

IN CASE YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THIS.      This is so "Unbelievable"....    In Houston, Texas  Harwin Central Mall: The very first store that you  come to when you walk from the lobby of the  building into the shopping area had this sign  posted on their door.  The shop is run by Muslims.  Feel free to share this with others.   In case you are not able to read the sign  below, it says    "We will be closed on Friday,  September 11, 2009 to commemorate  the martyrdom of Imam Ali"     [photo of a sign posted in the front window of a shop...] Imam Ali flew one of the planes  into the twin towers. Nice huh?   Try telling me we're not in a   Religious war!                                THIS HAS NOT BEEN AROUND....  SO MAKE SURE IT DOES!  _____________________________________

(end of propaganda citation)

OUR RESPONSE (to the person 
who originally sent this to us, a response that was
never acknowledged):

Dear _______:

I send warm regards, along with real disturbance over the kind of mindless, fear-mongering propaganda that you continue to spread and, by spreading, promote.

For the record, Imam Ali has been dead for nearly one thousand four hundred years (he was killed by an extremist in 661 CE).  He was the prophet Muhammad's first cousin and son-in-law, and he is revered by Shi'ah Muslims as the first of the twelve blessed imams, or Divinely-guided spiritual leaders of the Muslims following the death of the Prophet in 632 CE.  The "A.S." following his name means "peace be upon him" and would never be used for any other Ali in Islamic history. 

For the record, in the solar year 2009, the anniversary of his death in the Islamic lunar calendar fell on September 11, and so this Shi'ah-owned shop closed in remembrance of that anniversary.  IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ATROCITIES OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001.

_______, in the name of truth and for the love of humankind, PLEASE STOP SPREADING THIS FEAR MONGERING AND DEMONIZING PROPAGANDA!  This is the very kind of thing that leads to the irrational and unfair demonization of an entire group, the very kind of thing that can lead to mass persecution and even genocide.  It is discriminatory and dangerous, especially in this global climate. 

Please remember, that our greatest enemies are really ignorance and fear, and such emails are powerful weapons in the service of evil plots to spread both.

This is reality!!!

Timothy

OUR SUBSEQUENT FOLLOW UP
(which was, not surprisingly, also unanswered):

Dear _______:

Again, I send warm regards, along with my sincere hope that you are beginning to grow more cautious about spreading this kind of discriminatory propaganda that plays upon people's ignorance and fears.

As someone who remains confident that you yourself oppose the promotion of slanderous misinformation against any group, I write to urge you to send out a public retraction and apology for this irresponsible and dangerous email.  Our shared commitment to "never again" must include all peoples who are victimized by this kind of hateful propaganda.  Otherwise, we are mere hypocrites who promote some perpetrators while denouncing others.

Respectfully,

Timothy

SATURDAY INTERFAITH PANEL on "Spiritual Fulfillment, Social Justice, and Environmental Sustainability: the case for optimism"

Saturday July 17, 2 to 6 pm - Vedic Cultural Centre, 4345 14^th Ave. Markham

Awakening consciousness: Integration of inner peace with universal peace.  What can move us to Unity in Diversity? What has worked during our history? Hope for the future?

Vedic Cultural Centre: 905-475-5778 www.vedicculturalcentre.com, (Pick‐up from TTC available between 1:30 to 2PM for the Sat Jul 17^th Symposium - at Kennedy/Steeles Petro Canada station—call to request)

Featured Speaker Swami Veda Bharati (see description below)

Meditation & Reflections: Swamini Shivapriyananda, Senior Acharya, Chinmaya Mission,Toronto

Panelists 

• Ervad Dr. Jehan Bagli, Zoroastrian priest, scholar, and scientific researcher
• Dr. Timothy Gianotti, Noor Fellow in Arabic & Islamic Studies, York University and Noor Cultural Centre, author of Al-Ghazali’s Unspeakable Doctrine of the Soul

• Chrystal Hawk, Coordinator, Institute of Noetic Sciences, Toronto; Psychotherapist, Healer and Educator

Moderator Rev. Leslie Gabriel Mezei, Interfaith Minister;  Coordinator Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Symposium; Founding Publisher, Interfaith Unity News, past Professor of Information Sciences, University of Toronto

Swami Veda Bharati D.Litt.(Holland), a renowned philosopher acclaimed internationally for his works, has authored a 1,500 page commentary on the first two chapters of Patanjali’s Yoga  Sutras. Chancellor of one of the largest Hospital Trust Universities in India, he has addressed many UN sponsored dialogue sessions on peace, climate change, and sustainable development around the world. He teaches meditation from within the religious, spiritual and literary traditions of different world cultures of India, China, Africa, Europe and the Americas and has a deep understanding of the different schools of Eastern and Western philosophies. www.swamivedabharati.org

Copies of his new book:  Human Urge for Peace: What’s Right with the World will be available. 

CIRCLE OF SACRED KNOWLEDGE RESUMES

In honor and celebration of the Islamic months of Sha'ban and Ramadan, the Circle of Sacred Knowledge will resume on Fridays, from noon until one, beginning Friday, July 16, and running continuously until Friday, September 3, in sha' allah.  Classes are held in the upper educational area of the Noor Cultural Centre.  All are welcome.

Topic for session 1 (July 16):  God

NEW VIDEOS -- Timothy Gianotti on Islam & Interfaith Relations

These two video segments were filmed by ZEJMEDIA (zejmedia.com) during the recent Elijah meeting of world religious leaders in Israel (October 2009). In the first video, Dr. Gianotti speaks on the Qur'anic articulation of the Divine intention underlying religious and ethnic diversity. In the second clip, he explains how a practice of sincere, moral self-examination can lead to healthier relations with peoples of other faith traditions. Both clips can be found on the ZEJMEDIA website by clicking HERE.  Look specifically under the heading, "Religious Leaders and Interfaith Harmony," or you can access the first clip separately by clicking HERE. 


Dr. Gianotti can also be seen, with other religious leaders and scholars, speaking on these themes, as well as on the themes of forgiveness and the ultimate goal (telos) of religion, at the very top of the same ZEJMEDIA page (above), specifically under the heading, "Elijah Conference Video Segments."

Let us know what you think!

LIGHT UPON LIGHT continues April 2!

Light Upon Light continues with an exploration of the science/art/philosophy of alchemy, the secret process by which base or common metals (or qualities) are transformed into gold (spiritually understood as wisdom, truth, virtue, enlightenment, immortality). In his popular Persian work, The Alchemy of Happiness, Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d. 1111) wrote, “Know, O Beloved, that the human being was was not created in jest or at random, but marvelously made for some great purpose…When, in the crucible of abstinence, he is purged from base passions he attains to the highest end, and, in place of being a slave to anger and lust, he becomes endowed with angelic qualities…But the spiritual alchemy that effects this change in him, like that which transmutes base metals into gold, is not easily discovered…”

DATE: Friday April 2, 2010
TIME: 7:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Lower level, Noor Cultural Centre
ADMISSION: $5

The Light Upon Light Spirituality Discussion Series features a variety of spiritually nourishing subjects in an inclusive space where participants of all faiths actively contribute in a manner that is respectful to all. This series is led by Dr. Timothy Gianotti (2007-2008 York-Noor Chair of Islamic Studies, 2008-2010 Noor Fellow in Islamic Studies at York University).


PREVIOUS TOPICS (from fall, 2007 until present): Spiritual Knowledge / Love / Tests & Trials / Loving Universally while Living within Particularity (featuring the writings of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook) / On the Importance of Being a Stranger in the World / Dreams, Death and the Journeys of the Spirit / On the Art of Being Grateful / The Importance of Solitude / Core Paradoxes: freedom in servitude, wealth in poverty, life in death, gaining by spending, spiritual advancement through sin / The World of the Unseen / Spiritual Storytelling / Being a Perpetual Beginner / The Poetry of Kabir / "with a little help from my friends..." The indispensability of community for walking the path to God / Rumi & the Wisdom of the Reed Flute / Spiritual Chivalry / Tests and Trials Revisited / Glimpses of the Religious Ideal: Spiritual Masters, Sages, and Other Friends of God in the Jewish and Islamic Traditions (special Muslim-Jewish "Twinning" session at Temple Emanu-El, Toronto) / The Mysteries of Light and Darkness / Pilgrimage

Great Books, Thinkers & Ideas of Islamic Civilization Continues!

SESSION 3 Friday March 19, 2010

The Mu’tazilah

This session will explore the philosophical, theological, historical, and political dimensions of the Mu’tazilah, a rationalist theological movement of the 8th, 9th, and 10th centuries, CE. Attention will be given to the great theological debates prior to the rise of the Mu’tazilah, the main features of Mu’tazili thought, the brief ‘Abbasid-Mu’tazili political alliance, and the eventual triumph of non-Mu’tazili theologies in the classical or formative period of Islamic intellectual history.

Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Lower social room, Noor Cultural Centre
Admission: $5 per session

Great Books and Thinkers of Islamic Civilization

With Dr. Timothy Gianotti

This new series, open to everyone, calls attention to the rich diversity of the Islamic tradition by showcasing great books, thinkers, and ideas from all over the world and all fields of endeavor, from all periods of Islamic history and all realms and persuasions of thought.

PREVIOUS SESSIONS

SESSION 1 Wednesday January 13, 2010 Abu Hamid al-Ghazali

SESSION 2 Friday February 12, 2010 Abu Nasr al-Farabi

PUBLIC STATEMENT condemning the massacre of Christians in Nigeria, the bombing of churches in Malaysia, the murder of Coptic Christians in Egypt

Affirming that the Prophet Muhammad was sent, in the words of the Qur'an, "as nothing but a mercy unto the worlds" (21:107), i.e., as a mercy unto everyone -- Muslim and non-Muslim alike -- and unto everything, we categorically condemn the recent waves of violence against Christians in Egypt, Malaysia, and now Nigeria. Understanding that the Qur'an commands us to uphold justice, even against ourselves and our kin (see the surah of women, 4:135), we call upon all Muslims to stand up and condemn the crimes perpetrated against humanity by persons who identify as Muslims, just as we condemn all crimes perpetrated by anyone against any and all members of the human family. More, we ask everyone to pray for the victims and their families and to seek ways by which we might reach out with assistance and support for those whose lives and security has been so viciously violated. May God's mercy prevail and be manifest among us; May God's justice prevail and be manifest in the world; and may God's compassion and grace and healing be with the murdered, the bereaved, the wounded, the violated, the shaken, the downtrodden, the forgotten.

NEW COURSE: Islam & Modernity (open to the public)

ISLAM & MODERNITY:

a nine-week introductory course

(Sunday, February 14 – Sunday, April 11, 2010)

with Dr. Timothy J. Gianotti

2008-2010 York-Noor Fellow in Islamic Studies

2007-2008 York-Noor Chair of Islamic Studies

Course Location & Meeting Days/Times

Noor Cultural Centre, Sundays, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm

Contact Noor Cultural Centre for Registration Details

COURSE DESCRIPTION

What is Islam? What is modernity? What does one have to do with the other? What are the principal ways in which Muslim thinkers and activists have responded (and continue to respond) to the challenges presented by modernity and by an international order founded upon secularism and modernism? What has been the experience of different Muslim communities and intellectuals (specifically those in the Arab world, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia) as they have responded to the particular challenges posed by colonization, westernization, modernization, and globalization? In pursuing these and other questions, we will highlight the perspectives of Muslim thinkers, activists, movements, and communities from the current and past three centuries, which have witnessed and continue to witness many kinds of Islamic reform, renewal and revolution in the wake of Western political and cultural domination. We will also explore Muslim voices in Europe and North America and track new trajectories of renewal and reform in the West, where Muslims live as small but increasingly significant minority communities.

PART ONE: THE ENLIGHTENMENT & MODERNITY

♦ February 14

What exactly was the Enlightenment? The “Revolution” of the Enlightenment in Europe and its consequences; Unpacking the Worldviews of Tradition vs. Modernity: a taste of things to come… Contrasting the respective relationships of Tradition and Modernity to Time, Economics, Knowledge…

♦ February 21

The “Discontinuities” [or radical historical changes] brought about by Modernity; The Pace of Change / the Scope of Change / Modern Institutions;

♦ February 28

How does Modernity reshape society and human interaction? “Post-modernity”? Is modernity a quintessentially Western project? Is it the inescapable doom of all traditional ways of life? How?

PART TWO: RELIGION AND MODERNITY

Secularism; Judaism and Christianity in the Modern World

♦ March 7

The challenges and changes Modernity forces upon traditional religion: How the Enlightenment and Modernity have influenced Christian and Jewish Theology and Community Dynamics

PART THREE: ISLAM AND THE MODERN AGE

♦ March 14

While the industrial revolution and the “age of the Enlightenment” were taking off in Europe and America… European Colonialism and the corresponding “Qur’ānic” crisis of the 18th and 19^th Centuries within the Islamic world… Religio-political calls for renewal and reform

Islam and the Nation-State: unique challenges and sticky issues

♦ March 21

Going back to go forward: How do 18^th & 19^th century Muslim thinkers draw upon the classical Islamic tradition to counter the onslaught of European hegemony? How can they be seen to be adapting to Modernity and the Enlightenment? How do they define the fundamental problem for the Islamic world? Who is to blame for the current state of the Islamic world?

♦ March 28

Islam & Nationalism; Islam & Socialism. Are such couplings compatible?

I

Islam and Secularism (?); What is the difference between the modern conception of knowledge and the traditional Islamic conception of knowledge? Can there be such a thing as “Islamic” knowledge and/or science?

♦ April 4

Islam and Social Change: should modernity change Islam or should Islam change the modern world? Can we separate the outward form from the inward spirit of the religion? Can Islamic Law adapt? Should it adapt? How can it change if it is Divinely revealed for all cultures and all times? Women and their changing rights/roles within society… must their religious roles also change?

`

♦ April 11

Islam and the West: A clash of civilizations? Can Western influence be stopped or even contained? Should it be stopped?

Islam and Democracy: are they compatible? Is Democracy the cure-all for the traditional, Muslim world?

Ethnicity, Nationalism, Pluralism, and Religion: what does Muslim identity mean within a globalized world? Final thoughts and questions...