6/2/2023 0 Comments Mass cyndicate meaning![]() I have witnessed several cases of young men coming from the same background as Mateen who had homosexual inclinations - young men who came from families that publically supported extremist groups, spewed anti-Western rhetoric online, in public and in the community, and supported extremist interpretations of Islam that embrace the execution of homosexuals, rampant misogyny and other self-destructive and violent forms of behaviour. (It’s really not much different from the case of Americans affiliated with the Ku Klux Klan who consider their world-view and ideology as vital parts of their ‘Christian’ identity.) It’s important to separate Islam, the faith, from the tribal systems that tend to be intertwined with it - tribal systems which consider their particular culture and habits to be indistinguishable from Islam itself. When the father claimed that he was shocked by his son’s appalling act of violence, it was apparent to me that he - like too many other parents - had ignored how his son’s self-hatred had been the catalyst for his so-called “radicalization”. His religious or political views may have had nothing to do with the tragedy the professed vehement homophobia of his family’s culture most certainly did. He felt ashamed of who he was and struggled to reconcile the conflicting - yet undiscussed - duplicity inherent in the ultraconservative religious culture of his family’s native Afghanistan. The young man evidently was struggling with a conflicted sense of identity. When I heard of the massacre in Orlando and learned something about the background of the gunman, I knew - before hearing any details - what the story was about. Many cultural factors influence how we behave - and religion is interpreted as reflection of the culture in which it is observed, not the other way around. For many Muslims in the West, the balance between the freedom to express one’s personal identity and the need to be accepted by parents who come from another time and culture can be precarious. While many want to ‘fit in’ and be accepted into the society in which we’ve been raised, we also feel a yearning to connect with our roots, our heritage and the culture of our ancestors. The issue of identity lies at the core of every individual’s journey of self-discovery and self-realization. We have our ‘saints’ … our ‘satans’ as well. I feel that my Canadian identity is also an integral part of who I am.Īs with any major faith, Islam has a myriad number of interpretations, sects, denominations and schools of thought. I feel privileged to be counted among those who share a belief system that has brought spiritual fulfillment, purpose and meaning to billions over the past 1,400 years. And it does, of course, have the noble namesake of Honest Abe to recommend it.Ĭountry music singer Lila McCann chose it for her son, as did musician Ziggy Marley.Ībraham Van Helsing is the wise Dutch doctor in Dracula who understands the ways of vampires.I’m a Canadian Muslim - proud of my faith. ![]() ![]() Now that names like Ezekiel and Isaiah are making a comeback, more parents are thinking about a Baby Abie or - even better - a Baby Bram. Interestingly, Lincoln is now a more popular name for boys than Abraham. In the nineteenth century, President Lincoln hung a beard on the name Abraham, which kept it from reaching the mass modern popularity of other biblical names like Benjamin and Samuel. He was originally named Abram, until, according to Genesis, he was told, "No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations." ![]() The Biblical Abraham was the first of the Old Testament patriarchs and is considered the founding father of the Jewish people. Abraham is among the most classic baby names that's still widely-used today, popular for its references to both the Bible and American history.
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