Introspection: imposed on the weak and defeated, but useful nonetheless

Jalees Rehman claims that German introspection after World War II resulted in a better Germany, and that USA Muslims should adopt this introspection in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings. An obstacle to introspection is “perpetual victimhood”.

Citing psychological studies which showed that exposure to historical incidents of oppression of one’s group or nation led study participants to judge their own group’s misdeeds less harshly, Dr. Jalees Rehman suggests:

[I]t might be important to study whether Muslims who are continuously reminded of historical or ongoing collective victimization – being victims of “Islamophobia” or of military actions in Palestine, Kashmir or Chechnya – could promote a justification for violent acts …

Obviously, there is a lot to admire about Germany since World War II. Although, in my mind, paying reparations to the colonialist state of Israel is not one of them.

Thinking on this further, it seems like only (defeated, anti-USA) Africans and supporters of the defeated nations of World War II are indicted as war criminals. USA-sponsored terrorists and assassins all over the world are regularly protected by United States courts and police. The best examples of these are the anti-Cuban terrorists and anti-Nicaraguan Contras. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are mostly celebrated in the USA.

But it’s not just the USA, obviously. Has Great Britain paid reparations to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh for its colonial control? Has France paid reparations to Algeria for its direct rule?

But back to Dr. Jalees Rehman’s contention, namely that a more balanced view of historical injustice would lead to more introspection and that would be good for Muslims. And I say, yes, most certainly.

But the Boston Marathon bombings should not be foremost in the minds of the introspecting Muslims this week. How about the total disregard for worker safety in Bangladesh which has led to a factory fire and a building collapse, killing hundreds?

The top two candidates for introspection in the first decade of this millennium have to be the genocide in Dar Fur in Sudan and the lethality of sectarian violence in Iraq and Pakistan and elsewhere.

Twentieth century nominees would include the Pakistani civil war, the Iran-Iraq war, Sudan’s civil war, Algeria’s civil war and Afghanistan’s civil war.

Certainly the most essential topic of introspection for the next several decades must be gender roles.

So Muslims should do introspection, not because they are the only ones who need it or because they are the worst people or the most guilty, but because it is an essential step in moving forward.

My only caveat is that Muslims’ introspection should not be spurred by the demands of (partially White Supremacist) USA, but by evaluation of material injustices and moral harms.

Nor does introspection mean USA Muslims should accept second-class citizenship and cease defending themselves.

P.S. Dr. Jalees Rehman seems to have a problem with the term Islamophobia. I disagreed with him somewhat when he wrote about Occidentophobia, but that’s a topic for another time.

The Sunnah Beard: the latest trend amongst non-Muslims in Philadelphia USA

There’s not a woman in Philly who would rock a burka just to make a fashion statement.

But when it comes to Muslim-inspired menswear, well, that’s another story. Regardless of their religious affiliations, certain Philadelphia men, mainly African-Americans, have adopted the style of wearing long, old-world-style beards, sometimes pairing them with calf-length trousers and long shirts – all looks inspired by traditional Muslim attire.

For many, this convergence of hip-hop with Islamic style is purely a fashion statement and has nothing to do with whether a guy worships in a church or mosque. Some jokingly refer to non-Muslims who adopt this mode of dress as “asalama-fakems,” a play off the traditional Arabic greeting of “as-salaam alaikum,” meaning “peace be upon you.”

Whatever you call it, the Islamic-style aesthetic has been around for a while, and the beard in particular – often referred to as a “Philly beard” or a “Sunni” – has come to be identified with the City of Brotherly Love. My friend Anthony Henderson, the fashion stylist who divides his time between Philly and Los Angeles, makes a point of wearing it because of hometown pride.

“I can go to a corner store in Crenshaw or in Watts and people will say, ‘You’re from Philly,’ ” Henderson said. “And if I have to go to a new barber here in Los Angeles, I say, ‘I need a Philly beard.’ They automatically know what it is.

“I love my Philly beard because I think it makes me look attractive and sexy. People like to touch it and pull on it.”

Henderson’s chin whiskers are in a circle beard that connects his mustache with his goatee, and are darkened with hair dye that gives his beard Philly-esque definition. Barbers such as Darryl Thomas of Philly Cuts at 44th and Chestnut will use a dark wax pencil to give a sharp edge to the beard, a “serious outline.”

“We just put that razor on it and make it look real hot,” Thomas told me.

The most famous Philly beard-wearer is rapper Freeway.

“In college, we would often call it the Freeway beard, the Philly beard or the Muslim beard, also the West Philly beard,” said Ben Piven, who created a short YouTube documentary on the topic. “There’s a specific shaping to it, the way it puffs out around the cheeks and the sideburns and extends below the chin, definitely low in the mustache area in keeping with the Islamic style of facial hair.

“It’s definitely well-groomed, well-kept. It’s a neat look,” he added.

To the uninitiated, the trend can confuse. When Adnan A. Zulfiqar, the Muslim spiritual adviser at the University of Pennsylvania, moved here in 2003 to study law, he would automatically give the Muslim greeting of peace to Philly beard-wearers, assuming that they, too, were conservative followers of Islam. According to tradition, devout Muslims trim their mustaches but allow their beards to grow.

“Muslims will wear the beard as a way to pay respect to the prophet Muhammad. Muslims believe that all the Abrahamic prophets wear beards,” Zulfiqar told me. “It’s a sign of piety. It’s a sign of religiosity, a sign that you’re trying to walk the path that the prophet walked.”

He added, “I think a lot of people in Philly do it because it’s become a part of the culture, urban culture in particular. It’s now part of Philly.”

Zulfiqar occasionally will be approached by a stranger who compliments him on his facial hair by saying, ” ‘I like your Sunnah.’ ”

“Sunni” is derived from the term Sunnah, which is Arabic and generally refers to the practices or ways of the prophet Muhammad. Police dispatchers can be heard on police scanners describing suspects as wearing “Sunni” beards.

The so-called Philly beard has been growing in popularity with non-Muslims since the mid-’90s, according to Mark Lightfoot, owner of the Philadelphia Hair Co., 5805 Germantown Ave.

“It probably started out as a fad, but it’s not dying down,” said Lightfoot, who’s also a barber. “If it’s 10 people I do, it’s probably six or seven of them that get it.”

The popularity of the beards is a sign of how mainstream Muslim culture has become in Philadelphia. Another example is the style of wearing pants cropped to an above-the-ankle length. During ancient times, certain Muslims would allow their clothing to drag on the ground as a sign of extravagance or to demonstrate their wealth.

“More conservative Muslims believe your pants shouldn’t be below your ankles because it’s a sign of arrogance,” explained Zulfiqar, who’s working on a doctorate in Near Eastern languages and civilizations. “The prophet was, like, ‘No. You have to be simple.’ ”

Given the number of Muslims in Philadelphia, this look is likely to endure.

But the beard? Like a lot of women, I much prefer a little chin stubble to a full-face beard. I asked Thomas of Philly Cuts if he thinks that the Philly beard will ever go out of style, and he laughed.

“They are here to stay. This is Philly. You don’t see the cheesesteak going anywhere. You don’t see the hoagie going anywhere. This is what we do.”