Quick Islam Facts

Here's a link to the information I referenced in class about the locations and concentration of Islam in different parts of the world. It seems that Asia is the true center of the Islamic faith.

www.encyclopedia.com/topic/islam.aspx


Here's another link that gives a brief breakdown of some of the different belief systems ranging from fundamentalist, radical, and more modern practice of Islamic faith.

www.libforall.org/background-islamic-diversity.html

An Orthodox Rabbi's View on Homosexuality

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704361504575552203494330686.html

I thought this was great. It really encompasses a lot of areas we've covered including religious sin versus moral sin and how biblical prohibitions are all about the context you place them in. I enjoyed knowing that if I can't be perfect and follow all of the Torah's 613 commandments, it's ok, I still have hundreds of more I can try to follow. Good to know.

"Our Father?" An interesting perspective on the relationship between the West and Islam

This article below is not academic, but I think the mathematics and concepts behind it serve as an interesting take on the global issue of Islam in the world.  I think the implications of this if expanded could affect the way that the West views Islam in the future.  And personally, I think it would be weird for one to find out that he is distantly related genealogically to the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). 

http://humphrysfamilytree.com/ca.html

For me, I can personally say that it would probably change my perspective were it conclusive.  Such a finding would probably create more questions for me than it would answer.

Islamic theology

This link seems to be a very good source with respect to Islamic theology.
http://www.islam101.com/theology/index.htm

This link as well is very good for the basics of Islamic theology.
http://www.allaboutworldview.org/islamic-theology.htm

From my understanding, the theology of Islam is not too in-depth as say Judaism or Catholicism.  Unlike Judaism or Catholicism, in Islam one is not tested over a several month long period in front of religious authorities before being able to convert.  In the process of converting to Islam, depending on the Islamic sect, one must simply affirmatively declare in Arabic that there is only one God Allah and that the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) is His Messenger in front of at least two Muslim male witnesses.  These two basic principles of there being one God and the Prophet (s.a.w.) as His Messenger form the theological core of Islam.

Is Islam a Religion of Peace?

A debate.

Why would our Heavenly Father do that to anyone?

That was a statement regarding the nature of homosexuality at the general conference of the Mormon Church a week and a half ago. NPR's story about those protesting the statement here.

Muslim Demographics via Market Analysis

This link is to Allied Media Corp. and is analysis of the Muslim American Market from an advertising firm's vantage point.

Claim and Response

I neither support nor have enough statistical information to attribute validity to the videos below.

The first makes rather strong claims regarding the immigration of Muslim's into Western Countries. The most disturbing portion of the video is the end where the narrator says that the data given is "a call to action." What kind of action is the video purporting should be taken?

The second is a response by the BBC to the specific claims made in the first. It seeks to directly counter the claims made by the first.

Again I do not have the statistical data to verify either video's accuracy and I don't advocate for either one, but I find the comparison to be a reflection of tension felt by Westerners towards the Muslim religion and Islamic culture.

UPDATE: See first comment for link to the Snopes review of the first video--BTL

History of Religions Map

Follow this link to see a 90 second review of the distribution of religion around the world.

Religious Diversity in America

WolframAlpha

Islam - Distribution of Adherents

WolframAlpha

WolframAlpha - Islamic Population Worldwide

WolframAlpha

Another Law and Theology blog

Here. But it looks a little outdated.

Bloggingheads: Christians and Gay Rights

Here's a video of a discussion between Sarah Posner of Religion Dispatches and Robert Jones of the Public Religion Research Institute regarding changing public opinion of gay rights among Christians.

Honeytrap "sexpionage" approved by Rabbi

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/israeli-rabbi-blesses-honeytrap-sex-female-spies/story?id=11834845&cid=ESPNheadline

Interesting link that was passed along to me this week.

Here is a good map of the global Muslim population.

http://pewforum.org/Muslim/Mapping-the-Global-Muslim-Population.aspx

The website also seems tailor made for this class. It claims to be a nonpartisan "fact tank" that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world.

First Stem Cell Implant

I thought it appropriate- last friday a man was given a dose of embryonic stem cells that had been converted into nerve cells, in the hopes that they might regrow and he might get some feeling back. Follows right along our inquiry into what technology may or may not be able to do in this field. We will have to wait and see...

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/managing-your-healthcare/genetics/articles/2010/10/12/health-buzz-spinal-patient-is-first-to-get-embryonic-stem-cells.html

Diversity and Islam

Here is one Article that helps explain Islam's view on diversity in general.

http://www.islamfortoday.com/diversity.htm

This next one is a map depicting the different types of Islam and their location.

http://www.islam101.com/dawah/muslim_world_map.html

This last one is from Time magazine showing the world location and population of people who follow Islam.

http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101040913/map

Good Islam info source

Brittanica Encyclopedia has a pretty comprehensive entry for Islam, lots of good secular and objective info.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/295507/Islam

Jesus would let your house burn down

Here's an example of a blend of theology and economic theory that explains a lot, I think, about what many current debates are about in this country. Bryan Fischer argues that letting someone's house burn down was the Christian thing to do. And he explicitly invokes gender images; is your theology feminized or masculine? Is God about compassion or accountability? See what you think.

God and Issues

Here's an article in USA Today that talks about how your views about the nature of God are correlated with the position you take on political issues.

Science and Religion--Christianity and stem cell research

Here's Francis Collins, a devout Christian, who Obama appointed to be Director of the National Institutes of Health, explaining how faith and science can be consistent. And this article in the New Yorker describes his struggle with the recent court decision prohibiting stem cell research.

Muslims and Christians

Here's a story about a mosque opening in Idaho, and the Christians who welcomed them.

Creator of In Vitro gets Nobel prize

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/Religion/post/2010/10/ivf-nobel-prize-test-tube-babies/1

This is an interesting article especially from my perspective because I am a test tube baby...The Vatican has some strong words on the subject.

Inside Islam

I love podcasts. I listen to them while I'm doing housework, on long car drives, or when I get ready in the morning and I've already missed the news. (Weekends, mostly.)

While doing some general research on women and Sharia law, I found this incredible interview with a law professor at the University of Wisconsin, Asifa Quraishi. She's an expert on Sharia, and also teaches classes on Constitutional Law. (You can read about her on the law school's website) The interview is great, and provides a really solid foundation to start more research, if you're interested.

If you prefer, you can download the MP3 here.

Also, the series this is from, Inside Islam, is very good. I've listened to a few episodes already, and I'm impressed by the variety of people they interview and the even-handedness of everything. It's produced by Wisconsin Public Radio as part of the "Here on Earth" show. The topics are pretty varied, and are broken into categories on the information page.

UPDATE: Our own Prof. Huhn weighed in on Sharia law in one of his recent blog posts, if you're interested.