A message from Unity Productions Foundation:

THE NEW ORLEANS PREMIERE – THIS SATURDAY FILM PREMIERE AND EID UL-ADHA CELEBRATION

FREE. CLICK HERE TO RSVP:  http://neworleansinsideislam.eventbrite.com/

Please join us for a special Ed Ul-Adha celebration and film premiere of the new documentary Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think, at McAlister auditorium.  Doors open at 6:30 PM.

Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think, a new documentary film from Unity Productions Foundation, explores the expertly gathered opinions of Muslims around the globe as revealed in the world’s first major opinion poll, conducted by Gallup, the preeminent polling organization. Focused on the issues of Gender Justice, Terrorism, and Democracy – the film presents remarkable data deftly, challenging the popular notion that Muslims and the West are on a collision course. Like the research, the film highlights a shared relationship that is based on facts – not fear.

Program:

Doors open at 6:30 PM
7:00 Opening and Welcome
7:10 Keynote Speaker, Alex Kronemer is a writer, lecturer and documentary producer focusing on religious diversity, Islam and cross-cultural understanding. He has a Master’s Degree in Theological Studies from Harvard University, where his research concentrated on the philosophy of religion and comparative religion.
7:45 Film (55 min)
8:45 Closing remarks and networking/dialogue opportunity

Location:
McAlister Auditorium
6823 St. Charles Avenue, McAlister Drive,
New Orleans, LA 70118

Event Chair: Syed Basharat Ali, President, Pakistan Community Association Of Greater New Orleans
(504) 343-1499, ali@latour@hotmail.com

Keeping in mind that Ramadan was not just a month of fasting, but also a month that emphasized charity, forbearance and compassion. Ramadan allowed us to refine our internal and external behavior. Here are some practical and easy ways to continue that spiritual growth we felt:

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-20339-San-Jose-Muslim-Examiner~y2009m9d22-Keeping-the-spirit-of-Ramadan-alive-throughout-the-year

I have joined BlogCritics (now part of Technorati) as a writer and my first article has been published here: Islam and Technology

I hope to branch out and do more writing on diverse topics there. Your support is greatly appreciated. Please tweet and/or post this article on your social networks.

Read more about BlogCritics here: http://blogcritics.org/about-blogcritics/

IslamCrunch is offering 2 free tickets to sold out film screening of New Muslim Cool. For a chance to win these tickets, simply post a comment here and describe another important element of Islam in the West (besides hip-hop).

Here’s an example: Technology is an important element of Islam in the West. We have so many Muslim engineers, scientists, computer specialists. Plus we have the benefit of centuries of jurisprudence, Islamic law and spiritual teachings. We can use this extensive knowledge to lead the technology front in order to benefit humanity.

The most appealing answer will be given the tickets. Video comments would be very cool too. Screening will be on Sunday, April 26 at 3pm in San Francisco. More details here: http://fest09.sffs.org/films/film_details.php?id=63

We would like to request that the winner provide a review of the film. Your review may get posted on IslamCrunch!

This contest is sponsored by Kinza Academy – Muslim home education.

At a recent event, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf presented a new paper, titled “Climbing Mount Purgatorio: Reflections from the Seventh Cornice”. The event was The Social Costs of Pornography, a consultation organized by the Witherspoon Institute at Princeton University. This event was held in December 2008. Click here for more details about The Social Costs of Pornography event.

And click here to download Shaykh Hamza’s paper: “Climbing Mount Purgatorio”.

The consultation on The Social Costs of Pornography was organized by the Witherspoon Institute in conjunction with the Institute for the Psychological Sciences in Washington, DC and held at Princeton University, December 11 – 13, 2008. The consultation was hosted by Robert P. George, Senior Fellow of the Witherspoon Institute and McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University. This meeting assembled leading experts in the fields of psychiatry, psychology, neurophysiology, philosophy, sociology, law, and political theory to present a rigorously argued overview of the problem of pornography in our society and to make recommendations. The primary purpose of the meeting was to examine the real nature of pornography in its moral and social consequences.

It is essential to note the scholars who participated in this consultation represent a wide range of political perspectives, but share a common interest in addressing pornography’s devastating social cost. At the two-day-long consultation, ten scholars delivered papers on subject-specific aspects of pornography’s impact, and approximately twelve scholars served as discussants throughout the meeting. This format ensured that the papers will be energetically critiqued in order to promote a fair and in-depth assessment of the issues in question.