Book Review: The Crisis of Islamic Civilization

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 11:32 am By irfanrydhan

Recently someone recommended I read this book called “The Crisis of Islamic Civilization” by Ali A. Allawi. Mr. Allawi served as the Minister of Defense and Minister of Finance in the Iraqi postwar governments. He is currently a Senior Visiting Fellow at Princeton University. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised while reading this book, because unlike other books with similar subject matters, this was not just an academic book filled with many footnotes and a few historical facts,... Read more

New Book “All American: 45 Men on Being Muslim – An Anthology of American Muslim Voices

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 11:32 am By irfanrydhan

Salaams All I was lucky enough to be one of the 45 Men to be featured in this new book: “All-American: 45 American Men on Being Muslim“. I talk about how I became interested in Media Activism work and my struggles (and accomplishments) as the youngest member of my masjid board. The title of my essay is called “The Trouble Maker.” It will hopefully be an entertaining and educational read for everyone. You can order the book now with a... Read more

Pakistani Cargo Truck Art….in Kansas City?!?

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 11:32 am By irfanrydhan

Asheer Akram, an artist and sculptor of Pakistani descent, was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1984. He and a group of artists and artisans from Kansas City, Missouri have started the “Pakistani Cargo Truck Initiative” – which is formatted around the visual aesthetic of the cargo trucks of Pakistan and the ideas that surround their intended purposes. “We are building a cargo truck in the traditional Pakistani-style with a Midwest twist and a new function.” Says Akram. “For this... Read more

FBI Love (Sung to Tune of Drake’s “Crew Love”)

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 11:32 am By irfanrydhan

FBI Love (Sung to the tune of Drake’s “Crew Love”) [Verse 1] Get your nose out of our masjid board What you bothering us for? There’s a room full of Pakis What you following me for? This aint no damn terror plot So what you trying to entrap us for? Cause you think we gonna blow like a C4? Nah, sorry we cant afford to blow like a C4 Undercover agents keep the case going with their Fake ID’s –... Read more

Minar-E-Pakistan (Tower of Pakistan)

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 11:32 am By irfanrydhan

Minar-e-Pakistan is a tall monumental tower in Iqbal Park, Lahore which was built in 1968 in commemoration of the Lahore Resolution of 1940. The minar (tower) reflects a blend of Mughal and modern Architecture, and is constructed on the site where on March 23, 1940, seven years before the formation of Pakistan, the Muslim League passed the “Pakistan Resolution”, demanding the creation of Pakistan. Here is a slideshow of some picture of the Minar-E-Pakistan and Iqbal Park from my recent... Read more

Interview about Muslim Media on the “What’s Up Wit’ That Show?”

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 11:32 am By irfanrydhan

Here is an interview I did about Muslim Media on the “What’s Up Wit’ That Show?” in Mountain View, CA: Read more

Foodistan (Lahore, Pakistan)

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 11:32 am By irfanrydhan

Recently, I came back from a month long trip to Lahore – the culinary capital of Pakistan. Lahore, has a wide variety of cuisine, from fancy upscale Italian restaurants to the simple Pakistani village food and everything in between. A few tips for those of you who may be traveling to Pakistan soon: 1. Get Your Shots – Before you Travel (Currently Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Polio and Malaria are the main diseases in Pakistan) 2. Don’t Drink The Water –... Read more

Review of 2012 Golden Globe Winner (and Emmy) for TV Drama: “Homeland”

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 11:32 am By irfanrydhan

Recently, I watched the whole first season of the Golden Globe Winning TV series Drama, “Homeland” and was both impressed and also disappointed. The cable series which originally premiered in October 2011 on the Showtime channel is based on an Israeli TV series called “Prisoners of War,” But “Homeland” is about an American Marine Nicholas Brody (played by British Actor Damian Lewis from “Band of Brothers”) who is captured in Iraq and his held captive for 8 years, only to... Read more

OUTSOURCED vs. LOWES

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 11:32 am By irfanrydhan

Originally Posted on ILLUME magazine. Everyone has been talking about the controversy surrounding Lowe’s Hardware stores pulling their advertising from TLC’s “All American Muslim” reality TV show, because of the email campaign from Conservative Christian “Florida Family Association.” But besides the few email complaints to Lowe’s or signing of petitions online, there hasn’t been much creative response from the Muslim-American community. That’s when the comedic duo, Rizwan Manji and Parvesh Cheena (of “Outsourced”), along with writer/director Gregoy Bonsignore decided to... Read more

Zaki Hasan: The Grandmaster of Geekdom

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 11:32 am By irfanrydhan

Originally Posted on ILLUME Magazine. Zaki Hasan has been a geek all his life, though he’s never felt comfortable admitting it until now. From a childhood steeped in Superman comics and STAR TREK reruns to his current role as a professor of communication & media studies, Zaki has spent much of the last two decades analyzing and evaluating the role of popular culture in shaping and defining our cultural, societal, and spiritual discourse. It’s this realm of ideas that’s central... Read more