بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

A friend of mine recently called my attention to this book review (pair of book reviews, really) on the issue of climate change.

Excerpt from the first half:
"The practical consequence for global-warming policy is that we should pursue the following objectives in order of priority. (1) Avoid the ambitious proposals. (2) Develop the science and technology for a low-cost backstop. (3) Negotiate an international treaty coming as close as possible to the optimal policy, in case the low-cost backstop fails. (4) Avoid an international treaty making the Kyoto Protocol policy permanent. These objectives are valid for economic reasons, independent of the scientific details of global warming."

Excerpt from the second half:
"Unfortunately, some members of the environmental movement have also adopted as an article of faith the belief that global warming is the greatest threat to the ecology of our planet. That is one reason why the arguments about global warming have become bitter and passionate. Much of the public has come to believe that anyone who is skeptical about the dangers of global warming is an enemy of the environment. The skeptics now have the difficult task of convincing the public that the opposite is true. Many of the skeptics are passionate environmentalists. They are horrified to see the obsession with global warming distracting public attention from what they see as more serious and more immediate dangers to the planet, including problems of nuclear weaponry, environmental degradation, and social injustice. Whether they turn out to be right or wrong, their arguments on these issues deserve to be heard."


I've become less dogmatic on a number of issues this past year. I've started to pay more attention to the way in which discourse is framed, the way in which dissent is silenced not through violence but through denying the dissenter the public space to speak and be heard.

It has been harder for me to see this in the climate change debate because I still remain suspicious of corporate interests that really don't care what happens to this planet. But even if such interests pose a real threat to the future of this planet, that doesn't mean all those who oppose the official line on climate change are amongst their ranks.

I think one of the reasons I rarely post here is that I can never quite figure out what I'm doing with this blog. Sometimes I get personal, sometimes I don't. Also, despite my main interests being philosophy and religion, my current job has me immersed in politics 24/7. So that tends to be where my head is at these days. Thus, I think I'm going to start allowing myself to post things on socio-political topics. Not that I have anything groundbreaking to say, but there are just so many sickeningly irrational and immoral things going on in the world today, I need to vent somewhere. As Garrison Keillor once said, "Thank God I found you people."

Istanbul has been a unique experience. If I'd been a responsible lj-friend, I would have already given you plenty of anecdotes to explain this. But, as we can see, I'm a bad lj-friend. Don't take it personally, I actually think about a number of you more than I consider normal for people I've never met before.

My work has definitely played a significant role in my lack of updates. Somehow, when you spend 50-60 hours a week editing (and by editing, I mean re-writing) news articles, you don't end up being to enthusiastic about sitting at your computer outside of working hours.

But a bigger role was played by a new person in my life: my soon-to-be wife. She started working at my newspaper as an intern about a month after I got here and now, three months later, we have just picked out our new apartment. Our engagement celebration was last weekend. It was quite wonderful, although I was sick at the time (still am, actually -- never underestimate the combined power of cold winters and foreign diseases). My closest friends are not at all surprised about this turn of events, as everyone knew I'd be the first to go. I've always been drawn to domesticity like a moth to the flame. My not-at-as-close friends, on the other hand, think I'm insane. My fiance -- her name is Rumeysa, by the way -- also tends to think I'm crazy. But I'm pretty sure I know what I'm doing.

Rumeysa won my heart by turning me on to J.D. Salinger. Previously, I'd only ever read "The Catcher in the Rye," which I found rather mediocre. But she had me pick up "Nine Stories." My interest was quite piqued at the end of the first story. By the time I got to the seventh story, however, I had already gone to the bookstore to pick up "Franny and Zooey" so as not to miss a beat. "Franny and Zooey" ended up impressing me even more.

Istanbul has had a somewhat deconstructive effect on my religious attitude. I should first of all say that I love being in a Muslim country. When prayer time comes around, it is very nice to be able to step into a mosque around the corner rather than trying to find a place that is isolated and not too filthy in some parking structure. But in America, Islam is very personal. You aren't surrounded by Muslims, so your religion is yours. You might say "you determine your own level of involvement." Before coming here, I had determined a pretty high level of involvement for myself. But upon arrival, I found myself faced with a very different Islam. Here the religion is so deeply embedded in the culture and history that, in my opinion, it has lost much of its existential urgency.

A good example of this is the tarawih prayers for Ramadan. In Sunni Islam, we pray special prayers each night during Ramadan. We pray an additional twenty cycles each night (for comparison, the noon prayer is four cycles). In America, the standard practice is to recite a thirtieth of the Quran each night during these prayers, so that the entire Quran is recited over the course of the holy month. This leads to some rather long tarawih prayers. They usually last from one-and-a-half hours to two hours. They are a commitment, and for me the feeling of these prayers calls to mind the sense of purpose the first Muslims must have felt when they were praying with the Prophet -- peace be upon him. Here, however, tarawih lasts a maximum of 45 minutes. The prayers are so fast you barely have time to catch your breath. Once they are done, you head back out onto the street to join the festivities. Before leaving the US, I had been quite vigilant about the tarawih prayers. When I got here, I prayed one night of tarawih in congregation at one of the mosques and didn't bother going back for another. What's the point of doing something if it just feels like you are doing it to get it out of the way?

I don't say this to cast judgment on the Muslims here or even the Islam here. It just isn't my style. But it had the effect of loosening my grip on my own conception of Islam. It made me really appreciate the chaos that is Islam in America, with all its silly controversies and storefront mosques.

It also opened my mind and heart a bit to appreciate the Glass family, the protagonists of most of Salinger's canonical works. The Glasses reminded me of my love for eastern philosophy. They reminded me that my heart is big enough to hold a love for Confucius, Lao-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu without neglecting my love for the Seal of the Prophets. They reminded me that life is messy business and that my religious aspirations shouldn't stop me from getting my hands dirty. They reminded me why I got involved with this whole religion thing in the first place.

So my heart has expanded -- I can read my I Ching and Basho along with my Quran in peace -- and when I set down my books there is no where else I want to be than with the beautiful woman who inspires me to pick them up.

p.s. There are pictures here. There is an album for the engagement as well as an album for my recent trip to northern Cyprus.

What I've been listening to

Dead Meadow - what needs must be
Apparat - wooden
Devendra Banhart - sea horse
The Mars Volta - goliath
José González - heartbeats

Once again, I'm not dead. Just resting. Actually, rest would be quite lovely. I can barely keep up with the pace my life has adopted out here. I'd say I'll post something substantive soon, but we all know how that usually ends up going.

Poet, you must have known the danger in your words when you released them to the world. You knew so well how lovers hinder each other’s vision of the Open. Long have I loved you. So you must forgive me if I am occasionally waylaid, lost in search of the things you felt and the way you felt them. You poems were filled beyond their capacity. You cannot blame me if they overflow.

How fortunate that you left so much life unlived. God willing, I shall live those parts. You claimed tragedy for yourself. I will seek the life that evaded the hero: prayer and quiet evenings in the warmth of home. How many partings you knew, seemingly more than can be contained in one life. I will seek the longer arc of passing. Perhaps I will succeed and complete the sacrifice in my heart, so that parting and possession can curve together in me for eternity. If not, my failure, too, can be an offering.

How fortunate that you never knew this city. You would have loved it as I do. You would have been lost in admiration for the grave of Sinan. You would have marveled at the city walls. But you never touched this place and so perhaps it can be mine now. I will do my best to take it into myself, to transform it, and to speak it to the angels.

When spring comes, I will go to the little mosque in the graveyard on the hill. When the rain falls on the dark earth, I will mention your name.

Please accept my apologies for having taken so long to post. In part, I just haven't known what to say. However, this has been compounded by a rather demanding job. Nevertheless, I am alive and well and living in Istanbul. I can't express how strange and wonderful it is to be living here. Sometimes while walking down the street I will just start softly laughing at the beautiful absurdity of being here.

I have some thoughts I would like to share but I would like to arrange them a bit more before that. In the meantime, here are some pictures. Sorry, there aren't too many. But I'm just not very good at the tourist thing.

The following is my tentative list of books to bring with me to Istanbul. I'm not counting on having too much choice of English language reading material at my disposal out there. I'm sure there will be bookstores that sell English language books but I doubt there will be much to accommodate my eclectic tastes. Thus, this is intended to get me through a couple of years. It is probably the closest I will get to a real life "desert island" list of books so I thought I would share.

The Koran Interpreted by A.J. Arberry
The Sickness Unto Death by Soren Kierkegaard
The Book of Illumination by Ibn Ata Allah
The Mawaqif and Mukhatabat of Muhammad Ibn 'Abdi 'L-Jabbar Al-Niffari translated by A.J. Arberry.
Mystical Poems of Rumi Vols. 1 and 2 translated by A.J. Arberry
Death Before Dying: the Sufi Poems of Sultan Bahu translated by Jamal Elias
Sufi Verse, Saintly Life by Umar Ibn al-Farid
The Secret of Secrets by Shaykh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani
Beauty and Love by Seyh Galip
Zen Flesh, Zen Bones compiled by Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki
Tao te Ching of Lao Tzu
Five Dialogues (Euthyphro, Meno, Apology, Crito, Phaedo) by Plato
The Order of Things by Michel Foucault
Basic Writings of Martin Heidegger
Philosophical Investigations by Ludwig Wittgenstein
Ahead of All Parting, the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke translated by Stephen Mitchell
Collected Poems: 1909-1962 by T.S. Eliot

I have been offered the position in Istanbul. Insha'Allah, I will be moving there in the beginning of October (if not earlier). I'm still having trouble processing this incredible news so I'm not long on words at the moment. Expect updates to follow, insha'Allah.

I have sent off my resume and writing sample to the chief copy editor at the newspaper I am applying to. The matter is in the hands of Allah- subhana wa ta'ala- now. I pray that I get the position but also that I will be content with my circumstances, no matter what the outcome may be.

I would like to thank my lj friends for their supportive words and for looking over my writing sample.

Today, a friend from university informed me that I might be able to find employment doing copy-editing for the English language edition of a newspaper in Istanbul. I would say that I am trying to not get my hopes up... but I don't want to lie to you.

The truth is, I think this could turn out to be an enormous blessing. I am excited beyond words by the prospect. I have become relatively comfortable in my sedentary life down in Southern California. I have even begun to embrace some of the opportunities the area offers for enhancing my faith. I've made some good friends and some interesting plans for the coming year. But my soul longs for more. Moving to Istanbul would be a great step in fulfilling this need. I can't imagine a place with a greater potential for helping me unlock all of the possibilities I have stored up inside my heart.

I simply cannot write in my current location. You might have noticed this in the scarcity of my posts on this journal. There is so little beauty where I live. How can I write about beauty when it has been banished from my home? The thought of being in the vicinity of buildings like the one above, buildings created when men still knew what the Sacred was, moves me almost to tears; and I am confident these tears could be released and turned into words if I could live in Istanbul (only, of course, if God willed it).

But it is still only a possibility. There is no guarantee that I will be hired. Success is only from God, so if you are in the habit of making supplication to our Creator please make mention of me.

Perhaps as a result of seeing one too many Rage Against the Machine concerts in my youth, I have a tendency to neglect my idealism and romanticism when I offer up my two cents on the United States of America. But today I recall that America is not exempt from the gap between the essential and the actual. And we mere mortals have no right to disregard the essential on account of the actual. Certainly, we Muslims have little right to condemn America for failing to live up to its ideal when we have fallen so far from the form which Allah- subhana wa ta'ala- set for us and which our beloved Prophet- salallahu alayhi wasalaam- showed us.

I was reminded of this by the speech of a fellow Muslim who had been arrested on bogus charges of terrorist activity which were, of course, all dropped. Despite his tribulations, he called our attention to the fact that America was founded with the ideal of being a government of laws rather than a government of men. This is something which Muslims, of all people, ought to be able to recognize and appreciate. Men may forget this ideal (as they most surely have) but they cannot erase it. This country has a lot of work to do before it can lay claim to its birthright but I pray that Allah- subhana wa ta'ala- grant it success.

Alhamdulillahi rabbil ‘alamin, I have been reunited with one of my favorite books, Zen Flesh, Zen Bones. I parted with my original copy by letting someone "borrow" it last year but I hadn't really read it for a couple of years prior to that. It is a collection of parables, koans, and instructions from the Zen Buddhist tradition. It is one of the books I picked up towards the beginning of my journey towards Islam, although I didn't know that was where I was heading at the time. So leafing through its pages again is like visiting a home from one's childhood. It is more than that, though, more than nostalgia. I have changed drastically over these years. The profundity and simplicity of the stories now reaches me at deeper level. I feel Islam actually enables me to better appreciate these stories. In one, a monk, upon hearing some words of Jesus- alayhi salaam- from the gospels remarks that "whoever said this was not far from buddhahood". Reading these stories, I would rather say that their characters are not far from Islam.

( Some selections )

This is going on my 2008 to-do-insha'Allah-list:

Qalam Wa Lawh Language Academy

"Come, let us kill the spirit of gravity!"
-Friedrich Nietzsche

It would be a dramatic understatement to say that this is a tempting thought. No, it is not tempting, it is intoxicating. It stirs one's spirit. It makes a man of poetic temperament want to pick up a sword, burn ten thousand bridges, or make love to the first woman he meets. Is not the modern world just now waking up from an epoch of revelry and slaughter inspired by precisely this sentiment? Is the twenty first century anything but the most terrible of hangovers, the most painful return to the senses?

We cannot fight gravity. For gravity is nothing but the soul's attempt to pull itself away from God. From any perspective other than that of our own shallow egos, such an attempt shows itself for the illusion that it is. Tooth and nail avail not against shadows. When the dust of battle clears we find only ourselves: bruised, bloodied, and defeated. We cannot fight gravity.

There is no god but God. There is no gravity, there is only God.

In this, as in all things, we have a lesson in the Prophet- salallahu alayhi wasalaam. He submitted to God and in so doing he was raised through the seven heavens, raised even to "the lote-tree of the utmost boundary."

In prostration we ascend.

Time held me green and dying
Though I sang in my chains like the sea."
-Dylan thomas

A short soundtrack to the Spring:

Moghamadeh-Chavoshi-E
Andak Andak (little by little)
Masti Salamat Mikonad (A Drunkard Hails You)
Del Meeravad Ze Dastam (my heart is slipping from my grasp)

(All of these are by Shahram Nazeri)

"O Lord thou pluckest me out"

I've been thinking about fire. Once, in a cheap hotel room in Paris, I stayed awake all night as the candles with which I had lit the room died away. They were little tealight candles I had purchased by the bagful at a nearby cornerstore. The light in the room dimmed as the candles extinguished themselves one by one. Finally, there was only one candle left burning. The wax was gone, there was only the flame in the center of an empty tin cup. But it kept burning. The flame shrank slowly until there was nothing but a tiny, seemingly motionless, blue bead. The bead of flame just sat there for more than an hour. It was so still it almost looked solid. I just stared at it, transfixed.

And then it burst. It burst into a ring of blue flame around the entire tin and it danced as only a flame can dance. I'm sure someone could explain it in perfectly mundane terms. But having seen it with my own eyes I tell you this- you could not describe it without the language of the miraculous.

All of us hide these tiny blue beads in our chests. They sit there, patient and choking, waiting for us to breathe. May Allah- subhana wa ta'ala- give us all the air to let them burst and dance.

Today I got a raise as well as an "employee of the month" award. But these awards pale in comparison to the commendation I got from a retired marine officer:

"James, you'd make a damn fine marine. But don't you dare join the marines with this president in office. I don't want my marines getting killed for nothing but oil"

Taken from http://www.yursil.com/blog/

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Dear Friend,

As-Salamu alaykum. We hope this message finds you well. In November 2004, King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan launched the Amman Message, a declaration aimed at clarifying the true nature of Islam and the nature of true Islam to the world. It is a message of devotion to God, love of the neighbor, goodwill, moderation and peace. Since then, the Amman Message has come to be epitomized in three major juridical and doctrinal points, each crucial to addressing the problems the Islamic world faces today.

1. The great traditional schools of jurisprudence, theology, and spirituality are valid from the point of view of Islam, and the followers of these schools, which include both Sunni and Shi‘i denominations, are all Muslims. Islam has fundamental tenets but is also diverse.

2. It is impermissible to declare any Muslim so defined as an unbeliever/apostate (a practice called takfir).

3. Only those with the proper moral and intellectual qualifications, and the proper methodology, may issue fatwas (religious edicts).

Since they were first introduced, these three points have been recognized and ratified universally, through fatwas and official statements, in meetings of the highest and most recognized authorities and scholars in Islamic law, from all denominations and schools of thought all over the world. This is a unique historical event. The statements and signatures from these religious leaders can be see on www.ammanmessage.com.

These three points are vital for the future of the Islamic world. We suffer from disunity and discord, and must reaffirm our unity as an Islamic ummah. We suffer from wounds and ignorant prejudice which would take us into conflict with many of those who would live at peace with us. We must denounce the practice of takfir (accusing Muslims of apostasy for interpretations and opinions different from ours), which too often opens the door to terrible crimes against our own brothers and sisters. Moreover, all such atrocities committed in the name of Islam are traceable to the fatwa of men totally unqualified, morally and intellectually, to issue one. It is thus imperative that the ummah speak with one voice in reaffirming true Islam.

We invite you to add your voice to this unique and historic international Islamic consensus. Please visit www.ammanmessage.com, where you can read more about the Amman Message and find many useful documents and links. Under ENDORSE you can add your name to the list of Muslims worldwide who have endorsed and supported the three points. Your endorsement is important for all our futures.

Yours Sincerely,
The Amman Message Committee


x-posted to muslims and 3faithdialogue

There is a song that inspires me more than most others. It is entitled "Same ol' Road" by the band Dredg. It is from the album El Cielo, the whole of which I cannot recommend highly enough. The following lines, in particular, have a tendency to stir my spirit:

All you need is a modest house in a modest neighborhood
In a modest town where honest people dwell
Making the cleanest energy for the greenest plants to grow
Richest soil that is drenched with the freshest rain
Then you should sit in your backyard
Watch clouds peak over the tallest mountain tops
Because they unveil honest opinions about the stars

These lines stir my spirit because they recall the ideal of simplicity which first drew me to Islam and which continues to form the motivational backdrop of my life. This song reminds me of what I so often forget. It reminds me of the breeze, of the sun, of how blue the sky can be, of the peace that comes when I realize that, Alhamdulillah, I am alive and that this is more than I could have ever asked for.

There is some irony in this song recalling my love for Islam, given that instrumental music is forbidden in Islam. But, as a friend once told me, I am music. The series of misadventures that has been my life so far has left me with more rust than heart. But I've somehow reserved a gaping wound for song. At this point, it is the only thing that can reach me. I pray that I might someday be able to cry in repentance at the thought of all my sins. I pray that I might even someday cry like the pious companions of the Prophet- sallallahu alayhi wasalam- at the recitation of the Qur'an. But I am far too forgetful of death and, therefore, of life to cry anymore. So if a song can bring a tear to my eye and thereby soften some of this hardened flesh that weighs so heavily in my chest, how can I not listen in appreciation?

You should listen to some:

The Pentangle: Willie O'Winsbury
Jean Ritchie: Cherry Tree Carol
Anne Briggs: Let No Man Steal Your Thyme