…on my way to the neighborhood office-supply store.

I live in a neighborhood bordered by downtown on one side, and by east Anchorage on the other. Not exactly the most affluent part of town—low-income housing, homeless shelters, etc.

At about 3:30pm I left my residence and entered the alley that passed in front of it, and there, only 20ft in front of me, was—gasp!—a BLACK man wearing a HOODIE! I'M NOT KIDDING!

FORWARD

To compare an individual—or a nation—to the Nazis is not a spurious argument if the comparison is APT. If an individual or nation exhibits Nazi-like behavior, making such comparisons does not “trivialize” the Holocaust or other crimes of the Third Reich. If the jackboot fits, wear it.

I have been a Muslim for nearly a quarter-century, 64.1% of my adult life, and have spent considerable time and effort engaged in the study of my faith, its history, laws and tenets. Until I moved to Alaska I lived almost entirely in predominantly Muslim communities, and have been blessed in having direct access to some of this century’s most prominent Islamic scholars.

FORWARD:

Below I’ve reproduced excerpts, and listed sources and/or links for same, from statements by prominent Muslims and Muslim organizations condemning the 911 atrocity within days of its occurrence. Their voices were among those of millions raised in outrage against that horrendous crime. However, in the confusion of the time, and due to deliberate suppression that followed after, these voices don’t seem to have been heard by many outside the Muslim community.

I’ve noticed a pattern of behavior in this blog—those who disagree with what others write accuse the writers of being “haters” simply because they say something that they don’t like. Moreover, those making this accusation vehemently deny that they themselves ever express hatred.

Since I don’t believe in double-standards, I’ll leave such behavior to those who do. Many will regard what follows as “hateful”. It is, and I make no bones about it.

Today I’m not mad at anybody.

Yesterday, 13th of Ramadhan 1432 A.H. (13th of August 2011 C.E.) at 09:07 am Pacific Standard Time Allah Sub’hanahu wa Ta’aala blessed me to attend the birth of Qur’an Abdullah Wa’ali Sanders, my fourth grandchild and first grandson.

(A response to “Islam’s History supports Modern Violence” by Daniel McDonald, the Northern Lights Newspaper, UAA 06/14/11)

(A response to “Islam’s History supports Modern Violence” by Daniel McDonald, the Northern Light Newspaper, UAA, 06/14/11)

(A response to “Islam’s History supports Modern Violence” by Daniel McDonald, the Northern Light Newspaper, UAA, 06/14/11)

Mr. McDonald, you magnanimously allow that, “…to reach a fair conclusion, it’s important to examine the content of each religion”—but that you have manifestly failed to do. Like most Christian polemicists you restrict your quotes from Qur’an to out-of-context snippets you think serve your bigoted agenda.

(A response to “Islam’s History supports Modern Violence” by Daniel McDonald, the Northern Light Newspaper, UAA 06/14/11)

My reaction to Denmark’s Jyllands-Posten cartoonists’ 2005 provocation was really more sadness than anger. The media campaign, complete with “hook-nosed” stereotypes, was worthy of Josef Goebbels’ demonization and marginalization of the German Jewish community 60 years earlier. I remain convinced today's Danish version directed at Muslims had the exact same purpose.

(A response to “Islam’s History supports Modern Violence” by Daniel McDonald, the Northern Light Newspaper, UAA 06/14/11)

PART 1 of 5

I’m late getting into this fray—I’ve neither read Daniel McDonald’s “Islamophobia” piece, nor that written by Brett Frazier in rebuttal. I have, however, read McDonald’s June 14th response to Frazier, and feel it’s about time a Muslim entered this discussion.

Salmon season is my busiest season as it is for many Alaskans, which is why I haven’t submitted a blog in the last six weeks.

However, last month I was contacted by a Christian friend who attends UAA, Cesar Martinson, because he was angered by an article written by another Christian UAA student maligning the Islamic faith. The article appeared in the campus newspaper “The Northern Light”, and was written by Daniel McDonald, a regular opinion writer for the paper and self-identified “conservative Christian.” Yay.

Due to having been out of state to attend to family matters I didn’t have opportunity to participate in my friend Geoff’s discussion of “racism.” I wish to enter the fray, if somewhat belatedly.

Are you ready for the "change" you were promised? Bin Ladin's alleged "death" will almost certainly ensure O'bomba's re-election, despite the fact that Pakistani Prime Minister Bhutto let the cat out of the bag by announcing the former’s death two years ago and was possibly murdered for her trouble.

It’s probably fair to say that nearly everyone participating in the comment forum attached to the “Alaska Voices” opinion blog would prefer that discussion focus on issues/ideas, no matter how contentious, as opposed to personal attacks against those of differing opinions.

Just when I think the parasitic nincompoops in Juneau can’t do any more to demonstrate their utter worthlessness, they manage to go and top themselves.

Inconsiderate yuppies chatting on their cell phones instead of paying attention while propelling tons of machinery at lethal speeds through traffic constitute a real danger to other automobile operators and pedestrians.

But from what "danger" are our elected imbeciles in Juneau preoccupied with “protecting” us? SHARI'A. Way to go, guys.

[Explanation of (Arabic) abbreviations:

(AS) = alayhis/alayhas/alayhimus Salaam, “Upon him/her/them be Peace”
(RA) = radi’allahu an’ha, “may Allah be pleased with her”
(SWS) = Saala Allahu alayhi wa Ah’liih wa Salaam, “may the Peace, Blessings and Mercy of Allah be on him and his Pure Family)]

Forward:

The article posted below is sort of a “canned” article (or it would be if I actually worked for a newspaper)—I wrote it in April of last year when President Obama was awarded the Nobel Prize.

It was originally submitted as a “Compass” piece, but then-Editor Matt Zencey felt it included denunciations of our new President that were too strongly-worded. He did, however, invite me to become a contributor to “Alaska Voices” as an alternative to running it as a “Compass” piece, and hinted that I might then publish it in here.

I had to think about this for a while. If mere human words actually count for anything in the context of our existence, I want these words to count.

There are a lot of Japanese workers employed in western Alaska fisheries, particularly here in Dutch Harbor. Many of those currently working here come from towns on Japan’s northeast coast that were hardest hit by the earthquake and tsunami two days ago. Some watched in fishing vessel galleys televised news broadcasts of their homes being washed away.

Before continuing with my promised list of notable American “truthers”, I want to take time out for an observation.

If one listens to what’s normally shouted by so-called “right-wingers”, one finds that their “hate-list” almost always includes two things:

(1) “The Government”—particularly versions that “tax-and-spend” on anything other than the military and/or corporate welfare
(2) “The Liberal Media”

This pretty much applies whether we’re talking “mainstream” Murkowski-type right-wingers or the gun-totin’ Palin/Tea Party-type.