Irsquo;ve gotten a few emails asking about where Irsquo;ve been - fret not! Irsquo;m traveling over the next week and a half to resolve some personal matters. I have really limited lsquo;net access, but will be back soon (inshallah)!

Irum Saeed, survivor of an acid attack (photo: MSNBC)

My post on acid attacks in Pakistan was viewed 4,000 times in less than 24 hours. No post of mine has ever gotten that much traffic so quickly. The post quickly skyrocketed to seven thousand and counting. While reactions have been mixed, many of you are taking action. Thank you.

Emails have continued to come in, asking about the welfare of Pakistanrsquo;s women. While so many accounts are bleak, I was referred to a story last night that I need to share with you.

Meet Saira Liaqat and Urooj Akbar, who work at a Lahore beauty salon founded by Massarat Misbah. They are acid attack survivors who have found new promise after experiencing the unthinkable.

Massarat Misbah is not an acid attack survivor herself. However, five years ago, she encountered a woman whose face had been maimed in an attack by her husband. The woman needed assistance, and Misbah came to her aide. She also placed an ad in a local newspaper looking for other women who needed help. Misbah learned that several of the women who had been maimed had wanted to work in beauty salons like her own.

Since then, Misbah has founded the Depilex Smileagain Foundation, which employs acid attack survivors to work in beauty salons. She has arranged for ten women take beauty courses in Italy last year. The Foundation also raises money to help women find refuge and obtain medical care.

ldquo;Irsquo;m independent now, I stand on my own two feet,rdquo; she says. ldquo;I have a job, I work, I earn. In fact, Irsquo;m living on my own hellip; which isnrsquo;t an easy thing for a woman to do in Pakistan, for a lone woman to survive.rdquo;

- Urooj Akbar

Regular clients of these women are inspired by their resilience, and they also say that theyrsquo;re more aware of the trials faced by women in their society.

Read the rest of their story here, and learn more about the Depilex Smileagain Foundation here.

***

PS: I know I owe you some Jumursquo;ah Dispatches! Irsquo;ll get on it as soon as I can. I also received a comment from a reader asking me some really interesting questions about human rights, liberalism, and more. Rather than answer it buried in a comments section of another post, Irsquo;ll dedicate an entry to my answer when Irsquo;ve got more time on my hands.

SO cool. (photo: Stu Forster / Getty Images Asia Pacific)

Remember my blog about Rachel Maddow? I called her a ldquo;great mind to watch out forrdquo;. Well, shersquo;s getting her own show on MSNBC! Here are her comments on the achievement. This is excellent news - congratulations, Dr. Maddow!

From HijabTrendz: an update on Bahraini Olympian Roqaya Al-Gassra, who is literally storming the scene for Muslim women athletes.

You go, girls.

(Next year: maybe wersquo;ll find a tough-as-nails Muslimah regular on MSNBC hellip; one can dream, right?)

A friend slipped this note into a CD for me on Saturday night.

Yelling doesnrsquo;t have to be literal. It doesnrsquo;t have to be loud. It doesnrsquo;t have to be shrill. It doesnrsquo;t have to insult, to shame, to guilt, or to hurt. When these become the aim of speaking, the word becomes poison.

The written word can shout. Survival itself is a scream against the unthinkable. Speaking the truths no one wants to hear is an unapologetic shattering of the status quo.

Even at a whisper, therersquo;s nothing quiet about living life full-volume.

So, this week, even if all signs are pointing to shut up - donrsquo;t. Ever.

Iranians demonstrate against honor killings (photo: Iran Telegraf)

On August 14th, eighteen year-old Fereshteh Nejati was murdered by her father. Forced into marriage at 14, Fereshteh was seeking a divorce.

The details of her murder are gruesome. The response to the tragedy, however, shows signs of hope for Iranrsquo;s women.

Where am I finding this hope? Well, Fereshtehrsquo;s community decided that enough is enough. Some 2000 people - men and women - gathered in the streets to demand an end to honor killings, and to claim Fereshtehrsquo;s body for a respectful burial.

See photos of the demonstration here. 

As always, check out the International Campaign Against Honour Killings . There, you can join communities like Fereshtehrsquo;s in their efforts.

ACTION ITEMS:

* Please remember to keep taking action for Kobra Najjar, an Iranian woman facing imminent stoning.

* Sign the anti-honor killing petition Irsquo;ve told you about here.

* Send letters to the Pakistani government demanding that they take action against honor killings.

* Work against the epidemic of rape in Afghanistan.

* Help protect women threatened with acid attacks.

As people go crazy for Phelps and drop their jaws over Spainrsquo;s champion-sized faux pas, these images serve to divert us from our TV screens and back to the situation still rampant in the West Bank. These cartoons were sent to me by a friend living in Nablus.

For those who donrsquo;t know, the occupied territories have been represented at the Olympic Games since Atlanta 1996. This yearrsquo;s athletes are featured in this New York Times story. Be sure to watch the accompanying video. As a mildly snarky aside, the comments section is really worth checking out. I especially enjoyed the statement that therersquo;s nothing stopping Palestinians from building their own pool. The individualrsquo;s logic was that most construction work in Israel is done by Palestinians. If we were to apply to the same theorizing to the United States, would we expect every migrant worker to own a mansion and sprawling garden? Come on!

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from a remote area of Balochistan province, that five women were buried alive, allegedly by the younger brother of Mr. Sadiq Umrani, the provincial minister and a prominent leader of the Pakistan Peoplersquo;s Party, the ruling party. However, police have still not arrested the perpetrators after one month of the incident.

-The Asian Human Rights Commission

In another ldquo;honorrdquo; related incident, five Pakistani women ages 16-45 have been buried alive as punishment for pursuing marriages of their choice.

Please see here to learn more. The site includes a sample action letter to the Pakistani government, and an automated way to send your letter straight from their site. Your letters may bounce back to you - please continue trying. If possible, also try calling and faxing official offices. Contact information is all listed here.

Remember to stay on top of cases like these by visiting the International Campaign Against Honour Killings  regularly.

Feisty Muslim females: with Yazmin, August 2008

I met Yazmin on the set of Shariah TV this summer, when she turned to me and made a truly poignant commentary about something I had said. Following the taping, we skipped out to spend the afternoon discussing our experiences and the issues discussed on the show. Wersquo;ve kept in close contact since then, which has been a wonderful experience for me. She recently published an especially thoughtful blog post about how the term ldquo;progressive Muslimrdquo; often feels like an oxymoron.

I actually think her post helps to illustrate how this simply doesnrsquo;t have to be so. In fact, being ldquo;progressiverdquo; and being a Muslim are quite compatible. Irsquo;d also assert that Islam itself takes on human rights issues some vehemently anti-religious progressives shy away from. Irsquo;d further argue that when Muslims live up to the best of our faith, rdquo;progressive Muslimrdquo; almost becomes redundant.

An excerpt from Yazminrsquo;s post:

ldquo;Being a woman within the framework of speaking about Islam and being Muslim is an incendiary position to be in. I find that speaking to other Muslims, my Islamic authenticity is challenged and questioned, as if believing in equal rights for all people, not supporting injustice of any kind and being pro-social justice makes my shahada (declaration of faith) less valid. People, including a coworker last week, will literally quiz me on the pillars of Islam or details regarding the proper way to pray or verses from the Quran that all Muslims must memorize in order to be able to pray. I find these interactions incredibly insulting and frustrating- I self identify as a Muslim, therefore I am.

hellip; None of this faithful belief infringes on my ability to think that women should have control over their bodies always and under all conditions and that women deserve nothing short of reproductive justice and freedom- all the time, no matter what. That includes everything from access to abortion, birth control, family planning, right to marry or not marry as one chooses, the right to an education, the right to move freely where and with whomever and wherever a woman pleases, the right to work, the right to pursue any occupation, career or life path a woman might ever want, the right to love whomever she wants, and the right to protection against all forms of rape, genital mutilation, assault, harrasment, domestic violence, molestation, and any type of intimidation or coercion that puts any girls or women in any kind of danger.rdquo;

Read the rest here.

My piece in the latest issue of Eesha

Eesha Magazine is a UK-based journal of Islamic thought and culture. Theyrsquo;ve featured a piece by me in their most recent edition. Above is a sample, but buy a copy to read the fine print! 

Yoursquo;ll be getting far cooler things than just my article. See this site to learn more.

The brains behind the project is someone Irsquo;m quite proud to call akhi. He is only 15 years old and is going nowhere but up when it comes to positive social and cultural change. Itrsquo;s been wonderful to see this commitment of his grow over the past year. Hersquo;s also a deeply faithful Muslim. That fact guides his work and his willingness to take on difficult issues. Enjoy.

In a previous post, I reminded readers that the situation in Afghanistan has far from resolved.

If there is still any doubt lingering in your mind that the people of Afghanistan are not free from being terrorized, brutalized and dehumanized – there’s plenty in the news to set you straight. If the news is this awful, imagine what is going unreported.

Read this story of a twelve-year old girl – a survivor of gang rape. Her family has said that they will commit suicide if justice is not served.

Before you jump to conclusions: the family is not talking about persecution of their daughter for “honor”. They’re talking about wanting real justice for their precious, traumatized child – and their family.

Rape is becoming more and more of a problem in Afghanistan. Only recently, a three year old girl was kidnapped and raped. The assailants of countless women, girls and boys are roaming the country without punishment. The infrastructure necessary for effective implementation of the law simply isn’t there.

Human rights workers are calling this the result of the war that’s been ravaging Afghanistan. Ironically and disgustingly, one of the justifications for war has been to “save Afghanistan’s women.”

Nice work. Not. I didn’t buy it in 2001, and don’t begin to buy it now. Especially not now. Not when mass violation is par for the course and death is called an ldquo;accidentrdquo;.

I could go on – for this story has had me unable to focus on much all day. However, once again the important thing is to take action. Here’s what you can do to help:

* Educate yourself: Human Rights Watch covers the situation in Afghanistan regularly. For example, see this letter, in which Human Rights Watch urges the international community to put human rights at the forefront of conversations with Afghanistanrsquo;s government. 

* See this list of non-governmental organizations needing your support. This page is asking you to donate to the organizations, but Irsquo;m urging you to do what YOU can, even if you simply read more to stay informed. You can also sign up for mailing lists and blog about the work these organizations are doing.

* Irsquo;ve posted this before, but itrsquo;s worth reposting regularly: Al-Azhar Universityrsquo;s paper on how women and children must be protected under Islam. For those who donrsquo;t know, Al-Azhar is one of the oldest operating universities in the world, and the epicenter for Islamic scholarship.

(Feel free to forward this paper to George W. Bush and Hamid Karzai. If yoursquo;re going to be an Islamic republic or yoursquo;re just prone to bombing them, consider the inherent rights yoursquo;re going to either uphold or brutally violate, eh?)

* Spend some time searching for information about and work being done in Afghanistan. Yoursquo;ll find things like RAWA and the Afghan Womenrsquo;s Mission.

ldquo;None but a noble man treats women in an honorable manner. And none but an ignoble treats women disgracefully.rdquo;

- The Prophet Muhammad (At-Tirmithy)

August 9, 2008

I told you about Kobra Najjar in a previous entry. Thank you to one of my readers for sending along another way we can help her - and speak out against all stoning in Iran.

Consider signing this petition, written by Muslims and addressed to Iranrsquo;s leaders.

And, if you havenrsquo;t already - remember to check out the International Campaign Against Honour Killings - and sign up for their mailing list.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has a blog.

In other news from Iranhellip;

New from Britain: a new Muslim wedding contract has been implemented in the UK. Because it offers certain rights for women - and demands certain things of men (women are guaranteed the right to divorce, men must vow to not be abusive), it has been called ldquo;revolutionaryrdquo;. However, itrsquo;s actually based in some of Islamrsquo;s most basic guidelines about how marriage should be.

Itrsquo;s definitely a step in the right direction, and I commend the members of the ulema who have advocated these changes.

What do you think?

Abanotubani - Tbilisi (photo: Wikimedia Commons, Julien Pauthier)

Almost a decade ago, I traveled to the former Soviet Union. I was there for a good portion of the summer, but it still felt like a whirlwind. A place I felt Irsquo;d never have enough time to truly see. I spent time in Moscow, where determined and often warm faces from the metropolitan center to the open-air markets said more than any news report ever could. An overnight train to St. Petersburg delivered us to the incredible Hermitage (and also delivered me a stomach bug, but thatrsquo;s another matter!). Aeroflotrsquo;s Soviet-era planes (complete with a spray of mist on the passengers before takeoff, seats that folded up and vodka refreshments - no, not for me) carried us to Ukraine, where the facades of some religious sanctuaries were still covered in black from the communist era. I was learning Russian at the time, as well as studying the role of the Ottoman Empire in contemporary Europe. A sweltering summer of interpreting, learning and new experiences - some of them tough - was an incredible blessing. 

Я вас любил: любовь еще, быть может

В душе моей угасла не совсем;

Но пусть она вас больше не тревожит;

Я не хочу печалить вас ничем.

Я вас любил безмолвно, безнадежно,

То робостью, то ревностью томим;

Я вас любил так искренно, так нежно,

Как дай вам бог любимой быть другим.

- Я вас любил, a favorite poem of mine by A. Pushkin

I have many indelible memories from that trip, one of them being our visit to Kolomenskoe. But one of the most beautiful and most interesting places I have ever been is still Georgia. In Russia, my then-penchant for long skirts and black tops had meant whispers of ldquo;gypsyrdquo; as I entered a few of the older shops. In Georgia, the preferred rsquo;slurrsquo; was ldquo;Turkrdquo;. Overall, however, every person I met was immensely proud of their countryrsquo;s diversity. From music to language and cuisine, the countryrsquo;s rich and complicated history was apparent.

It would be an understatement to say that Georgia is beautiful. Irsquo;ve often ached to return. Photographs donrsquo;t do a visit to the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral justice or recreate the day when our tour guide made a special effort to bring me by an incredible site: a church, a mosque, and a Jewish temple all within a stonersquo;s throw of one another. It was clear, though, that this community had no interest in throwing stones.

I remember perching myself in the window of our hotel every night to write, watching the frenetic traffic below - no lines or lights directing the six lines of speeding commuters as they miraculously weaved themselves through the enormous circle of asphalt that was their intersection. At sixteen, I was smitten with Alexander Pushkin (which was good, because reciting him is the key to success for any student of Russian - I have the gold medal to prove it!) and Anna Akhmatova. My missives testify to that, as I relayed every detail of this incredibly formative experience in flowery, swirling lines. God felt ever present: in the face of the smiling cook who dressed eggplant with pomegranate in the hotelrsquo;s kitchen, in the dancing eyes of the children who clung onto the sides of the rickety busses bustling through the city, and in the twisting vines pushing through decade-old rubble.

This past Friday, Russia invaded Georgia. Air and ground assaults have once again meant bloodshed and devastation for the Georgian people. The dead have yet to be counted, and the argument about whorsquo;s at fault - Georgian separatists or Russian invaders - is a heated one. Regardless, Russiarsquo;s use of force unmatchable by the tiny territory sandwiched between Europe and Asia is devastating.

Greater conflict is feared, and we donrsquo;t know yet just how far the fighting may spread. International diplomatic intervention is underway in what is being called an enormous challenge for European and American mediators.

As the situation unfolds, please keep innocents from both sides in your thoughts and prayers in the way that makes sense for you.

quot;You won#039;t be able to stop them, but you can protect yourselfquot; - Egyptian hijab campaign in which men are flies and women are lollies.

As always, Muslimah Media Watch delivers a comphrehensive list of media about women and Islam in their Friday Links post. This week, Irsquo;m sharing with you those stories about Muslim women and men taking action against gender-based injustice.

* Arab news reports on the Saudi debate about women becoming muftis. The Grand Mufti of Syria has already opened some doors for women. The Council of Senior Islamic Scholarsrsquo; Sheikh Abdullah Al-Munai says that in Shariah regulations ldquo;the woman is like the manrdquo;, with ldquo;the exact same thinking and brainrdquo;. Thatrsquo;s not something we usually hear about Shariah law, now is it? He rejects the idea that women shouldnrsquo;t speak in public, and reminds us that during the time of the Prophet (pbuh) there was a ldquo;huge group of Muslim women who were considered among the Islamic scholars.rdquo;

* Noted Islamic scholars in Bangladesh call on Muslim leadership to work for womenrsquo;s rights.

* Young Egyptian women and men ages 14-24 fight back against sexual harassment. The basic ideas? Not only should women and girls not be blamed for the harassment and assaults theyrsquo;re targeted with, but they also need to be able to defend themselves. The campaign also believes that real men - those who donrsquo;t harass women - still exist. If you need proof, these guys are demanding that men ldquo;stand up tordquo; those who harass women rather than ever letting their behavior slide. Men are literally calling on other men to ldquo;chase downrdquo; harassers!

* Saudi Arabia considers legislation against child marriage. Itrsquo;s about time! While some leaders donrsquo;t quite seem to get it, others remind people that for a marriage to be valid, the female must express real consent.

Last week, I posted a blog for jumursquo;ah, and have decided to do so every week. The subject will be likely be a spiritual matter Irsquo;ve been reflecting on over the week. I also welcome your suggestions for topics. Please feel free to leave a comment or email me  your ideas.

ldquo;Sectarian bloodbaths in Iraq hellip; suicide bombers blowing themselves up in parking lots of hotels, taking innocent liveshellip;female madrassah students in Islamabad waving cane sticks at shopkeepers and vendors hellip; people being turned away from Islam from the harshness of many of those deemed ldquo;religiousrdquo; hellip;

There is a loss of mercy and gentleness around. Yet we see anger and harshness abound, and one wonders what has gone wrong.

In reality, Divine guidance and Prophetic teachings are nothing but a manifestation of mercy-and any understanding of religion lacking in mercy is lacking in true understanding.rdquo;

- Faraz Rabbani

Since last Friday, Irsquo;ve blogged about some of the most grievous things one human can do to another. Women in Pakistan have been threatened with acid attacks. Kobra Najjar, an Iranian woman, is facing imminent execution by stoning after having already survived sexual slavery.

Irsquo;ve received quite a bit of feedback on both of the above items. Many of you - Muslims and non-Muslims - are taking positive action: writing letters to Iranian officials to support Ms. Najjar, and signing up with the non-governmental organizations working against things like acid attacks and honor killings.

By taking these positive steps, yoursquo;re exhibiting mercy. Mercy, and gentleness in judgement - are both commanded of Muslims. Those who perpetrate crimes like those above are acting in violation of some of Islamrsquo;s most fundamental precepts. That is why it is so important for the rest of us to step up to the plate.

Last night, after a meaningful email exchange about judgementalism, mercy, and values, I stumbled across this article from Islamica Magazine. In it, we are reminded that when confronted with insults - judgements - the Prophet (pbuh) insisted on responding with gentleness and mercy. He said that ldquo;Allah is gentleness, and loves gentleness in all matters.rdquo;

Not only should our actions for social justice come from mercy - so should should our daily interactions and reactions - no matter the vitriol, the tension, or even the hate we are faced with. A valuable reminder for me, and hopefully for others too.  

What does mercy mean to you? What does your faith/set of values say about judgement and mercy?

Not only does it appear that John McCain canrsquo;t do anything but defend ldquo;the surge! THE SURGE!rdquo;, buthellip;

It also appears that hersquo;s a little bitter about Obamarsquo;s celeb status.

A recent campaign ad got him into hot water with none other than the Hiltons. Why? McCain used the Hilton heiress, Paris, in his ad. Yoursquo;ve got to see it - and then let me know if it makes any sense to you. I think theyrsquo;re trying to suggest that Obamarsquo;s more famous than Britney or Paris, and just as unfit a statesperson. Or theyrsquo;re trying to assert that his youth and fame will lead him to shave his head and get caught partying down with Lindsay Lohan. Maybe? 

Doesnrsquo;t quite work, though. Kind of like his off-shore drilling plans.

What does work? Parisrsquo; retaliation. Check out her spoof of the McCain ad here.

Oh, and p.s. - Parisrsquo; mom is a McCain donor. Not a smart move on the part of his campaign.

Irsquo;ve done a handful of postings on here about hijab, womenrsquo;s dress, and the importance of choice. The most fundamental issue being that women should have the right to choose - or reject - wearing the hijab. When you choose to, it has a fighting chance at being authentic. When yoursquo;re forced to, itrsquo;s dogma. When people demand that you remove it, theyrsquo;re no better than those they claim to be fighting.

As a self-identified reform-minded Muslim, Irsquo;ve spent an awful lot of time questioning. Irsquo;ve dissented with leaders and peers. So whatrsquo;s with the hijab, you might ask? Doesnrsquo;t being a rdquo;dissidentrdquo; mean Irsquo;d reject something like that? 

Nope. And Irsquo;ll tell you why: it was not until I gave myself the freedom to question all of my communities - including the rsquo;progressiversquo; ones - that I found what my truth looks like. For some time, I felt that being ldquo;progressiverdquo; meant that I had to look a certain way. Turns out thatrsquo;s not so. It also turns out that when you donrsquo;t buy into the dogma of any community, yoursquo;re able to pay attention to your own spiritual development. And guess what? Irsquo;ve come to realize that some of the things I questioned most heavily are the very things that bring me peace right now. It would seem that parents, peers and clerics shouldnrsquo;t be so afraid of dissent - that crucial exploration can bring so much more value than forced religiosity ever could.

Irsquo;ve recently come into contact with the wonderful blogstress at The Hijablog. And wersquo;ve hardly discussed fashion - more than that, wersquo;ve discussed the importance of faith in our lives. Today, The Hijablog features a post on me - and Irsquo;m honored and excited to share it with you. Click here to view it!

Amal law group

See this story about a Chicago-area law firm comprised solely of Muslim female attorneys, and see their website here.

Kobra Najjar is an Iranian woman facing imminent execution by stoning. Why? Shersquo;s been charged with adultery - when what really happened is that her husband forced her into prostitution to support his heroin addiction. I mentioned her case in this post.

Iranian womenrsquo;s rights groups report that Ms. Najjar has exhausted all legal remedies available to her domestically.

The only hope for her now is for Iranian leaders to be pressured into releasing her.

You can help. Herersquo;s how. I join Equality Now and the International Campaign Against Honour Killings in asking you to do the following:

Please contact the Iranian officials below, calling for Kobra Najjar’s immediate release, the commutation of all sentences of death by stoning and the prohibition by law of all cruel, inhuman and degrading punishments in accordance with Iran’s obligations under the ICCPR. Urge the officials also to initiate a comprehensive review of the Civil and Penal Codes of Iran to remove all provisions that discriminate and perpetuate discrimination against women, including those regarding adultery and fornication, in accordance with Iran’s own constitutional provision for equality before the law.

His Excellency Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi

Head of the Judiciary

c/o Ministry of Justice          

Park-e Shahr

Tehran

Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: iripr@iranjudiciary.org, irjpr@iranjudiciary.com and info@dadgostary-tehran.ir

Phone:  +98 21 22741002, +98 21 22741003, +98 21 22741004, +98 21 22741005  

Note: your message may bounce back to you. Please keep trying.

Please also contact the Iranian embassy in your country.

* United States: Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Washington, D.C.

Tel:   202-965-4990  

Fax: 202-965-1073

* United Kingdom: Embassy of Iran in London

Tel: +02072253000

Fax: +02075894440                                                                                     

* Canada: Embassy of Iran in Ottawa

Tel: 613-235-4726 Ext 225

Fax: 613-232-5712

A comprehensive list can be found by clicking the link above or by visiting this page.

Nope, it#039;s not oil: Jeddah is home to the world#039;s tallest fountain

Remember when I called romance a bore? Well, a girl still needs her diversions. Preferably ones that take less than ten minutes of my time - after all, deadlines loom. Enter some perfectly brewed iced chai (herersquo;s my recommendation) and hellip; a rap song about Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A friend from the city sent me the link.

More about Jeddah:

* Jeddah is the major portal to Mecca. Itrsquo;s a drive of about half an hour.

* Itrsquo;s home to the Jeddah Economic Forum - the ldquo;think tank of the Middle East.rdquo; This yearrsquo;s major event featured speakers from Dr. Muhammad Yunus to George Soros. Several women were featured too.

* It is said that the tomb of Eve is located in Jeddah.

* As of 2005, there were 849 public and private schools for males and 1,179 schools for females.

* I hope to go there within the next 24 months - on my way to hajj inshallah! You heard it here first.

Dr. Muhammad Yunus and yours truly - we#039;re not in Saudi Arabia (2007)

What do you have against sheperds?

Time to confess something to you: Irsquo;m more than a little disturbed by some of the responses to my post on the Pakistani Talibanrsquo;s threats to maim women with acid.

Talk about missing the point! Irsquo;ve received emails from seething white supremacists who want to annihilate all Muslims, angry feminists demanding that I remove my headscarf (funny, shouldnrsquo;t feminists be fighting for choice?!), not to mention verbose comments about ldquo;sheparding cultures breeding terroristsrdquo; - (wait, wasnrsquo;t Jesus ldquo;the good sheperdrdquo;?), etc etc etc. I even got a message from someone who felt the need to let me know how hideous he thinks I am. Thanks for the pointers, buddy. Now stop looking through my album before you get sick.

Irsquo;ll tell you right now - my gut reaction is not just shock at how people can completely overlook the point of something like this - not to mention how anyone can feel absolutely no mercy when it comes to the suffering of others. Irsquo;m also choking down a desire to tell individuals to quit wasting our collective time, save their herding commentaries and hit-lists for their own diaries and get back to us when theyrsquo;ve decided how to help the world in a constructive way. A good many of us have work to do - take your hate and get out of our way. (And a tip for the would-be lynchers: your emails are traceable. Drsquo;OH!)

At the same time, I encourage open dialogue. So, other than some downright undigestable hate language, I let most comments go up over the weekend. Irsquo;m glad I did, because some positivity did come of it: I received notes from several of you looking for more ways to help Pakistanrsquo;s women. I also heard from contacts at the International Campaign Against Honour Killings that they experienced an increase in requests to join their mailing list. This is great news. I encourage more of you to support the work of the ICAHK. This is not a partisan issue. This is something all people of conscience must address.

Some contributors made excellent points:

* A writer from Malaysia reminded readers that Muslims are not the monolithic entity many would have us be;

* Several men decried violence against women, including one who wrote:

ldquo;I, RJ as a man, personally condemn these horrible/terrible attacks on women for whatever purpose they have been done for, for whatever period of time these crimes will be carried out or have been carried out, whereever in this planet/realm they have been carried out, are being carried out or are being planned for the future. I respect the rights of women and their dignity not to conform to violent views of their sexual practices, morality ( including outlawing and punishing having sexual intercourse before marriage, having multiple partners and etc..), or other manufactured perceptions of their clothing, style and ethics. I personally use all my power and will to stop violence and lack of understanding that is used as a sword against women and their rights. And I from all of my hearts do call upon those in the know, those who lead the banks who support religious terrorism and extremism of whatever kind and also my very distant bloodline relatives, who like to think of themselves as in the minority to do something to stop this - since my example might not be enough. I was not picked by the Divine before I was even born to rule over others and to say to them what to do, but clearly I am not a peasant who will stand by the sidelines and watch one of the few pure sources of joy in my personal life be abused. Since harming women is harming me as a man.rdquo;

* Someone named Daoud brought a meaningful defense of Islam to the table - while also calling on Muslim leaders to take action. What do I mean? He didnrsquo;t just cite Qurrsquo;an and hadith, then stomp away indignantly. He also said:

ldquo;It is the role and responsibility of imams, shaykhs, scholars, and political and government figures to lead and give relevant advice to those they are responsible for for the time and situations we are living in. If they will not do this, then they are betrayers of their trust the consequences of which we see meted out to such as these poor women.

If people are genuinely concerned about these atrocities then they should be demanding that the appropriate authorities take appropriate action against the perpetrators - they often know which of the birarderi elders sanctioned these attacks. How about putting them in prison? How about putting the person who actually threw the acid in prison for a very long time? This would be quite acceptable under the Shariah, although the classical punishment would have been even more severe.

There is no tribalism in Islam (”la ‘asabiyyah fi-l Islam” is a well-known hadith. “The best of you are the best of you to your womenfolk…” (akhyarukum akhyarukum li nisa’ikum… is another.ldquo;

* When confronted with hate, a Muslim woman wrote:

ldquo;Well, here’s the thing: there are 1.8 billion Muslims in the world. If we were all terrorists, the world would have imploded years ago. The truth is that the majority of us are kind, normal people. The radicals, like the Taliban, Hamas, Al-Qaida etc etc are the ones doing all of the speaking through their actions.

I have said for a long time that it is time for moderate, peaceful believers in Islam to *speak up for ourselves* and say NOT in the name of Allah, of OUR God do you do these heinous things.rdquo;

Music to my ears.

* The post has been picked up by Impunity Watch. See their mention of it here, in an article by Managing Editor Lindsey Brady. The mission of Impunity Watch - housed at Syracuse University College of Law - is to ldquo;monitor and address horrific human rights abuses.rdquo;

* Someone else provided this link, to Pakistanrsquo;s Acid Survivorrsquo;s Foundation. They help survivors and work to end acid attacks. Their site also contains a list of actual ways you can help. Now thatrsquo;s a useful contribution to the conversation. 

Finally, I received an email containing the story of Imrana, a survivor of sexual assault in India. When local authorities failed to produce a humane verdict in her case, Imrana, a Muslim, took her story elsewhere. Womenrsquo;s groups mobilized to assist in her cause, and shersquo;s inspired the formation of the Indian Muslim Womenrsquo;s Movement. Spread over 13 states in India, with over 2,000 members, these women donrsquo;t need the approval of clerics (or racist wingnuts on the internet) to go after their God-given rights. They know that Islam gives them these freedoms. You go, sisters.

****

 rdquo;The most perfect man of religion is he who excels in character. The best among you is he who gives the best treatment to his womenfolk.rdquo;

- The Prophet Muhammad, as narrated by Al-Tirmidhi

Itrsquo;s high time for a comical image on this blog. So, picture this: me, running down a city street after this truck, just to snap a photo. I caught up. Enjoy.

Durable values last, even when written in dust. (photo: Raquel Evita Saraswati)

On this juma (jumrsquo;ah, jumursquo;ah, etc), I encourage us to reflect on the fact that even the Prophet (pbuh) was at the receiving end of bitter hostility as he walked his path. So were many other great men and women, including Jesus Christ (pbuh), the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (accused by fellow Black clergy of creating ldquo;needless tensionrdquo; - needless tension! Civil rights!), and even Mother Teresa!

As signifant changes unfold in my own life, Irsquo;ve found that taking more time in quiet reflection (rather than panicked freneticism), including prayer, is invaluable. I stumbled across this song quite by accident, but it was grounding to remember the struggles faced by extraordinary people as I lead my absolutey ordinary life. May their resilience allow us to grow our own.

Enjoy and juma mubarak to you of all faiths and none.

(Another from Dawud Wharnsby here.)