Muslim Intra-faith Transactions at Facebook - A quick glimpse

A Muslim’s Guide to Facebook Arguments (and online ridiculousness in general)

March 19, 2012 by Dr. O
[Dr. O blogs at Muslim Medicine, a site that strives to serve only the freshest grade-A certified ẓabiḥah ḥalāl comedy.]
Extracts:

... It's a shame that such incredible tools of spreading knowledge and building enlightening discussions such as Islamic Forums, Message Boards, group E-mail threads, Twitter feeds, and YouTube comment threads instead descend into embarrassing hotbeds of heated fights and countless hours of wasted time. And of all these online mediums, the biggest culprit of all is Facebook.

1. THE INSTIGATOR
2. THE JUNIOR INTERNET SCHOLAR
3. THE DRAMA QUEEN GOSSIPER
4. THE CYNICAL CRITICIZER
5. THAT ONE JUDGMENTAL GUY    

Spotting trouble online early on and avoiding it, diffusing it, or negating it is only part of the solution, but it doesn't completely solve the disease we have as judgmental, gossipy, and argumentative folk. Espousing proper Islamic manners of disagreement, etiquette of mutual respect and understanding, and patience with those we don't see eye to eye with is a prophetic legacy that applies even to our online lives, just as much as it does to our dealings in person. 

continue reading: muslimmatters.org

• KNOW Islam WITH Understanding | Facebook 
  
• Promote Intra Islam Religious Tolerance | Facebook

PS. Chadhta Suraj Dheere Dheere - Kawwali - Aziz Nazan
-- See the original Urdu/Hindi lyrics, here. Translated in English, here

Hacking Religious Websites -- Media Update

This post is continuously updated. Last update on March 4th, 2012.

Anonymous Declares War On Religion, Attacks Church Sites
Calls religion a sickness to this world, By Zach Walton, Web Pro News and International Business Times

Anonymous attacks a lot of things that they find wrong with the world: corporations, governments and other groups that they feel threaten the freedom of the people. On Friday, they attacked what may be their most controversial target yet – religion.

The AnonymousIRC Twitter account announced on Friday three attacks so far on major church Web sites. These aren’t just regular attacks, however, as they have also defaced the Web sites with anti-religion rhetoric and even a video featuring Richard Dawkins set to auto-play so visitors are forced to see it.
Three Web sites that have been attacked so far are Bethel Outreach International Church, the Charlotte International Church, and Crossfire Ministries. All three religious organizations are based in and around Charlotte, North Carolina. /

Does Anonymous’s Friday Routine Make Hacking Seem Dull? By Joe Coscarelli N Y Times magazine

Anatomy of an Anonymous hack attack NICOLE PERLROTH and JOHN MARKOFF, Sydney Morning Herald

SAN FRANCISCO: The elusive hacker movement known as Anonymous has carried out internet attacks on well-known organisations like Sony and PBS. In August, the group went after its most prominent target yet: the Vatican.

Calgary street preacher claims church website attacked by Anonymous hacktivists
Posted by Emily Leedham, OpenFile

In Attack on Vatican Web Site, a Glimpse of Hackers' Tactics‎, New York Times,
"What set this attack apart from others is it had a clear timeline and evolution," said Amichai Shulman, Imperva's technology chief.
By NICOLE PERLROTH and JOHN MARKOFF

Anonymous Leaves Clues In Failed Vatican Attack‎, Information Week

Westboro Baptist Church websites attacked and shut down

That both The Jester and Anonymous attacked Anit-Gay Westboro Baptist Church websites ( www.godhatesfags.com/) this week represents a very strange convergence, and the prospect that two highly active hacktivist camps might find more common ground is tantalizing to say the least...

Inter-faith harmony between societies stressed

The Punjab University’s English Department (Language and Literature) on Sunday arranged a lecture on inter-faith harmony by world-acclaimed Pakistani-American novelist Nafisa Haji at the Prof Sirajuddin Library.
In her lecture, as part of promoting inter-faith harmony among cultures, Nafisa Haji highlighted the importance of inter-faith harmony between various religions, cultures and societies in the contemporary world. She based her discussion on her second novel, The Sweetness of Tears, which embraces inter-faith, intra-faith, inter-cultural, inter-generational and inter-continental dialogue at its finest.
Nafisa told the participants how her novel depicted Jo March, her protagonist, on an unlikely quest across boundaries of language and faith, through chasm of sectarian divides in the Muslim world, against the backdrop of the war on terror, from California to Chicago, Pakistan to Iraq. A large number of students attended the lecture -- Source: Daily Times; Nafisa Haji's website

On the same shelf:

Book reviews of Sweetness of Tears: Publishers Weekly 4/25/2011, Vol. 258 Issue 17, p113-114; Booklist June 1, 2011, v107:19-20, p38;

What others say: "The Sweetness of Tears is a character-driven novel that is structured as a series of interwoven life-stories..." by TChris @ Amazon.com; The overall message of The Sweetness of Tears is one of peace and compassion, by skrishna @ Amazon.com; "Haij does a wonderful job of creating this diverse family though which we see the effects being in the military has had on multiple generations, the effects of parents who are missing or absent and through one family the we are shown views of the middle east from those who lived there and left, those who remain and those who came there because of a war not fully aware of the connection they already with this region." by Rebecca @ Amazon.com

 Discussion-Based Teaching in the Religion Classroom

Happiness and the Pursuit of Happiness in faith-based context

The following event also discussed Thomas Jefferson's approach to happiness...

Center for the Study of Law & Religion's (CSLR) Summit on Happiness in news

Extract:






On the same shelf:

The Missionary Church of Kopimism—as in, "copy-me-ism" - File Sharing Is Now an Official Religion In Sweden

Extracts from news sites:

Welcome to the missionary church of kopimism. The swedish Constitution Act, Chapter 2. § 1 states that every citizen is against the government guaranteed freedom of ...

File sharing Is Not a Crime--It's an Official Religion

Legal Ramifications Of File-Sharing Now Being Religious ...

Piracy Becomes a Religion in Sweden - Missionary Church of Kopimism Approved by Authorities-1

The Missionary Church of Kopimism—as in, "copy-me-ism"—has sought official status in Sweden since 2010, and it's finally won the battle...

New Yorker on new Pirate Bay religion, the Missionary Churc

Culture Desk: The First Church of Pirate Bay : The New Yorker

On the same shelf:

A Guide to Buddhist Memorial Service for lost information, Daioh Temple, Kyoto, Japan (Anonymous) in Cyber Worship in Multifaith Perspectives (2006)

Christmas Eve brings together Houston Jews, Muslims

Kate Shellnutt, 12/21/11, Houston Chronicle (blog)
Kate Shellnutt is the web producer for HoustonBelief.com.

Extract:

About 50 Jews and Muslims will pray and light a menorah for Hanukkah during their interfaith Christmas Eve gathering.

...On Christmas Eve, Jews and Muslims may find themselves with nothing to do while Christian neighbors plan fancy dinners and special church services.

For the past two years, the Jewish and Muslim communities in Houston have taken advantage of their free schedules to gather together to learn about each others’ traditions and find commonalities as minority faiths. continue reading

[Info courtesy: Amin H Karim MD, WorldMemons@yahoogroups.com]

On the same shelf:

A Muslim Imam's Plea to Jesus Christ (Peace be upon him), by Imam Syed Soharwardy
[Info courtesy: Haider Ashraf Group: HaiderAshrafGroup@yahoogroups.com]

Dallas Morning News - How did your faith shape you in 2011. THE JOURNAL OF PLURALISM, December 20, 2011

For Muslims celebrating Christmas, it's a holiday, not a holy day, Los Angeles Times - 12/23/11

Extract:
At a time when Christmas is being pulled in different directions, it's not unusual for Muslims to use the occasion as an entry into American culture — no different from signing up their kids for Little League. But most clerics frown on the practice. ...

Sahira Traband, here with her sons Teo, 10, left, and Mikail, 6, is a Muslim who decorates her house for Christmas, hangs stockings and puts gifts under the tree. She views the holiday as a happy time that doesn't conflict with her faith in Islam. “The magic of Christmas is the part we celebrate,” said Traband, 45. “We didn’t get into the whole religious thing.” (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times / December 19, 2011)

Jews, Muslims continue volunteer alliance, WDIV Detroit - 12/23/11

Christmas fading in the Holy Land, Salon - 12/23/11
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Ottawa: Jews and Muslims present Comedy Show for Christmas‎ Canadian National Newspaper