Latest reports say the White House is no longer threatening to veto this bill, saying it is satisfied with the latest version of the National Defense Authorization Act. Update below. The text message exchange went like this: “I need something from home. Any luck?” – “Yes, I have it. Now what?” “It’s at the place with the ‘Cash Advance’ sign.” – “Ok” The two cars drove to the meeting place: The money exchange (with the “Cash Advance” sign) located in... Read more
I knew it was going to be a long shot, but I had my hopes up. Last week my eldest son’s teacher told me that after three years of my asking to have him participate in some grade-level performance, they were going to try and have Lil D take part in the fifth grade Winter Concert. Let’s backtrack. My son has been attending an autism classroom in public school for five years now. We’ve had our ups and downs, but... Read more
It’s the Ashura today (or ninth of Muharram, depending on what version of the Islamic calendar you follow). By way of a quick history, Ashura, which falls on the 10th of Muharram (the first month in the Muslim lunar calendar), is a significant day for all Muslims, but is marked as a major religious occasion for Shi’a Muslims. It is the day (in 680 A.D.) when Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) was martyred in Karbala, which... Read more
Anyone who tries to connect that divide between raising an autistic child and adhering to faith traditions knows what a difficult task that is. And I’m not talking about crisis of faith, about those “What is God’s plan? or “Why my child?” or “Will my prayers ever be answered?” type of problems. I’m talking about including special needs children in faith practices and in houses of worship. Whether the child is high-functioning, moderate, or severely autistic, whether he can talk... Read more
It’s tough, and never a good idea for a single person, or a few families, or even a specific community to be considered the representation of an entire faith group. Growing up as one of the only Muslims families in a small university town in North Dakota, inevitably my brothers and I became the poster children for “This is what Muslims are like!” I think, for the most part, it was a good thing because we walked that delicate line... Read more
This is a guest post from Hesham Hassaballa, who will soon be joining the Patheos family as a columnist. October 28 marked the first day of the last month of the Islamic calendar, Dhul Hijjah, and it marked the beginning of the Hajj season. Now, millions of elated pilgrims are descending upon the valley of Mecca to perform this truly amazing, once-in-a-lifetime event. I was blessed to perform the pilgrimage in 2003, and it was the most powerful spiritual experience... Read more
Click here to see the Hajj performed live. Six short years. Six long years. Six extraordinary years. Often I feel like my life is lived in two ways – pre-Hajj and post-Hajj. The other way is pre-autism and post-autism. Both have been life changing experiences for me and my family in ways too lengthy, intimate and emotional to lay out in one measley blog post. Every Muslim who has gone for his or her Hajj has a unique story to tell,... Read more
Muslims spend a lot of time gearing up for Ramadan and when the month comes, they often focus on amplifying their spirituality, ridding themselves of bad behaviors, and achieving a special God-consciousness. Truly, it’s a very special month that unites Muslims around the world around a very holy endeavor. But I think a lot of Muslims forget that the first ten days of Dhul Hijja, which is the last month on the Muslim hijri calendar and which lead up to... Read more
This is a guest post from Hesham Hassaballa, who will soon be joining the Patheos family as a columnist. My entire life has been an evolution of belief, opinion and thought. A big part of that has been my religious interpretation. My committment to my Islamic faith has never waivered. Indeed, I did have a crisis of faith during my university years, but my devotion to the Lord has never weakened. But, I have changed considerably over the past decade.... Read more
“Change doesn’t happen by itself. You need change agents.” – Daisy Khan Upwards of 200 (mostly Muslim) women from about 50 countries have gathered this weekend in historic Istanbul, Turkey to look at how women are and can be leaders across all facets of life – spiritual, political, social, economic, and family – and whether religious barriers hinder women from working in positions of leadership. This is the third global WISE (Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality) conference, an... Read more
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