You're probably wondering, "Where did Haroon go?" Well, I've been traveling. A lot.
I was in Connecticut for a wedding, then in Indianapolis for a few days (I'll explain why in a few weeks at most, insh'allah, as you'll find a new website for an amazing new project I'm part of), and then back to CT/Mass for more wedding stuff. Indianapolis was actually really fun; I didn't go in thinking it wouldn't be, but I also didn't go in thinking I'd like the area. Great Muslim community at al-Huda, with some fantastic initiatives -- I got to give the khutbah there last Friday. (Tomorrow, I'm the khateeb at Columbia.)
Getting to Indy is hard though: We managed to visit three states in the process of getting there and going back. One result of this was my eating Quiznos for lunch at BWI at 9.15 a.m. Imam Latif had Arby's, so I'm not sure which one is grosser. You can ask him, since he now has a blog.
Are you going to be free this weekend? Join us in Edison, New Jersey, on Sunday, August 2nd -- this Sunday -- for an Islamic Center at NYU Fundraiser. You'll learn about our long-term goals and the amazing things we have, alhamdulillah, been able to accomplish. (The link takes you to the event page, with full details.) Look at it this way: It's a free lunch, and a chance to give back or give support to a great project for the entire metro NYC area.
I continue to be proved right, unfortunately, by the ongoing violence, factionalism and institutional rot that is affecting the Islamic Republic of Iran. I am proud however that major religious figures are standing up for the coherence of Islam and democracy, and fighting for the basic rights and dignity of all. This should be enough to dismiss the facile arguments that put Islam and democracy at inherent odds with each other, but of course I know it won't.
I hope to get back to blogging regularly in a few weeks' time (We'll be on vacation by next weekend.) In the meantime, go find cool links and email them to me, or just follow me on Twitter, as I tweet Quebec City in August. [You can keep tabs in the column on the right, too.]
http://globespotters.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/30/history-along-with-books-at-an-istanbul-library/
Thought you'd enjoy.
Posted by: bdr | 01 August 2009 at 05:37 PM