My friends at ACT for America have sent me a link to an interesting new blog site operated by a young Muslim lady who is a conservative Republican, a Sufi-and a recent UC-Irvine grad. Her name is Shireen Qudosi, and the blog is Qudosi Chronicles, which is now linked here at Fousesquawk.
Ms Qudosi has some interesting takes on Muslim-related issues, such as the Ground Zero mosque, Koran burnings, Islamophobia, etc. It is important to highlight those Muslims who, while they might not agree with all points made on sites like this, have some understanding of the concerns we have and stand with our country. Ms Qudosi is not afraid to speak out openly and honestly about these issues. Perhaps, we can find some real common ground with Sufist Muslims, who seem to have a different outlook than those we commonly associate with Shia, Sunnis, Salafis, Wahhabis, etc.
I hope Shireen will chime in with her own comments on this site.
A lot of Muslims voted for George W. Bush in 2000. They liked his stand on moral issues and family values. I have difficulty understanding how a Sufi could vote Republican this year. But then, a Sufi could well have difficulty voting for many Democrats this year too.
ReplyDeleteHi Siarlys!
ReplyDeleteI was Independent until I learned how much I was missing out on local board elections by not picking a side, so I chose Republicans. I think either way, one's bound to be disappointed at some point.
There are some great Republican candidates this year, but unfortunately (in my opinion) we lost out in the governor's race since most Republicans were in favor of Steve Poizner, but then Meg won the primaries. End of the day, you just have to pick the lesser of the two evils knowing that we are (after all) dealing with politicians.
I am also independent, but being conservative traditionally vote Republican. I don't hesitate to criticize them as well. I just think the Dems are poison at this point in time.
ReplyDeleteGary,
ReplyDeleteThank you for linking to Qudosi Chronicles and for taking the time to post an introduction.
If you have a newsletter, please sign me up. We may not always agree, and I look forward to those moments where your insightful perspective can unveil a new facet to a discussion, much like you did today on the issue of "Islamophobia"
Thank you, Shireen. I think we all need to learn more about Sufism.
ReplyDeleteI won't spoil things by reminding Gary who the best-known Sufi in America is right now.
ReplyDeleteShireen, where I live most local boards are nonpartisan races, and each election, you can vote in the primary of any party you wish. You just can't mix and match on the same ballot. California should make another attempt to make ALL primaries nonpartisan -- the top two go to the general election, even if its two Dems, two Reps, or two who are neither one. There are ways to work with Supreme Court rulings on the subject, and I'll be happy to provide analysis to anyone who wants to try.
I know there are some great Republicans out there, my mother is one of them, but none of them are running for office. In Novemb er 2008 I told my mom (who volunteered for the GOP every election for forty years or more) "This is your chance, you could take back the party." She sadly replied "Who'd want it now?"
Siarlys,
ReplyDeleteIf you are referring to Rauf, there is some question about that. I guess he can call himself whatever he pleases, but the one thing we do know about him is that he is a slum landlord.
Gary, when you identify the equivalent of the Curia that certifies who is and is not a Sufi, let me know what they said.
ReplyDeleteAs to Rauf's slum property, I already settled that question. Throw the book at him as a landlord, perhaps even force him to sell the property to someone who can manage it properly, and let him get on with building Cordoba House.
People who invest in real estate with the primary intention of watching their money grow are generally disappointed. Someone who wants to devote their time and effort to maintaining the building, and reap a small reward for their effort, do better. Its an occupation, not a cash cow. Part-time absentees never do it well.