Here is my web 2.0, social networking, microblogging, widgetized business card. Check out my widgets to see what is happening in my pocket of the universe. See my profiles on the world wide web. If you would like to promote the work my wife, Su and I do at Zaytuna Institute, IslamCrunch or any of the various projects we are involved with, please embed this card on your favorite site, social network and/or blog.
Imam Zaid Shakir discusses the latest New Islamic Directions publication: Dear Self. This engaging book is written by Imam Zaid’s mother, Richelene Mitchell, with an introduction by Imam Zaid. Here is a video where Imam Zaid discusses the values, ideas and benefits of the book:
http://tv.muxlim.com/video/04wsGUm6iZe
Here is a description of the book:
Dear Self is the penetrating journal of Richelene Mitchell, a young African American mother of seven struggling to raise her children while wrestling with the burden of poverty, callous public policy, and both overt and subtle manifestations of entrenched, institutionalized racism America. Mitchell was born in the rural south, the daughter of an African American sharecropper. She would venture to the northern ghetto of Philadelphia to enhance her educational opportunities. Hence, her early life was shaped by the twin forces defining African America life in the twentieth century: the rural south and the urban north. Mitchell’s promising academic career was curtailed by an eventually failed marriage that rendered her a single mother of seven children living in a sprawling public housing project. Forced to deal with the humiliation of public assistance, she chronicled a year of her life, 1973, in this penetrating journal. Though written over twenty years ago, her intimate experience with and intricate insights into the informing and penetrating light on race reality faced by an expanding American underclass are as relevant today as they were then. She sheds light on poverty, mothering, gender relations and many other pertinent issues. This book is a valuable resource for all of those seeking to understand the reality faced by millions of Americans whose plight rarely finds an informed and articulate voice.
Read more about the book on Imam Zaid’s blog post: Dear Self - A Year in the Life of a Welfare Mother
Dear Self: A Year in the Life of a Welfare Mother has been selected as a Bronze winner for the Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Award. See the Family and Relationship category at: Foreword Magazine Book of the Year
And, 2008 Next Generation Indie Book Awards winner: Parenting/Family
IslamCrunch is honored that NID commissioned our own Su Pittam to design the cover.
You can purchase a copy here: Dear Self: A Year In The Life Of A Welfare Mother
You can view the Youtube version here: Imam Zaid Presents Dear Self
Project26 have just launched their new music video for the often-requested, ultra-popular song: Always.
See the video page here: http://tv.muxlim.com/video/IS8C7hu3XtC
Check it out on YouTube: Project26 - Always.
If alternative rock ballads are your thing, share it with your friends. Share it with your friends of other faiths as the song talks about a universal emotion: LOVE.
The world needs more love.
Rock on.
Shaykh Faraz Rabbani has just announced (via the ever-popular Facebook status) that his new venture is SeekersMedia. After recently leaving Sunnipath, questions about where Shaykh Faraz would surface were rampant on our minds. Now we know.
What is SeekersMedia?
SeekersMedia is an online media portal for Islamic and inspiration, through downloadable media. There will be educational media, quality Qur’anic media (with translation and commentary), and inspiring Islamic songs available, insha’Allah. We will also offer some courses, such as the current courses on Islamic law (Mukhtar Dars) and beliefs (Kharida Dars)
We also have plans to give high priority to an Islamic Answers Service (SeekersAnswers.com) which will be forthcoming, insha Allah.
Source: http://seekersmedia.com/shop/index.php?main_page=page&id=26
More info can be found on their FAQ page. Their structure is very similar to the Zaytuna Distance Learning program (which the faqir manages, alhamdulillah): Register, login, access your weekly course file, additional files uploaded throughout the remainder of the course.
Shaykh Faraz informed us that this is just the beginning and that there are bigger things planned.
There are two current courses available:
Shaykh Faraz also teaches at The Razi Institute in Toronto.
Here is the video of the interview conducted on live television on May 12, 2008 at the Noor TV studios for the FALAH TV program. This is my abridged ‘conversion to Islam’ story.
To view the full interactive video, please click on the speech bubble icon next to the time code (00:21:49). You can add comments and tags at specific points on the video by mousing over the large white and gray circle. A green ‘plus’ icon will show, click on that to add your comments and tags. You can mouse over the small black and gray dots on the progress bar to see comments and tags from others.
Click here to see a larger version video: http://www.viddler.com/explore/islamcrunch/videos/1/
I would like to thank Sidi Feraidoon Mojadeddi for inviting me for the interview. I would also like to thank Sidi Fahim Mojadeddi for taking care of me during the interview. Most importantly, I would like to thank my wonderful Su for her support, patience, love and companionship.
