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Do Religious Texts Inspire Violence?

Apr 30
4 min

Do Religious Texts Inspire Violence?

Today’s blog may take a few extra minutes to read, but it covers an important scientific study. Let me explain. I was perusing some online media conglomerators (Drudge, Zero Hedge, Breitbart, etc.), and I ran across a mention of a scientific study that addressed this very topic. The researchers claim that their research is the first to explore the connection between religious scripture on attitudes towards religious violence in the three Abrahamic religions. The study is enti

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The Religion of Peace?

Apr 24
3 min

The Religion of Peace?

It is common for Muslims when conversing with non-Muslims, to refer to their religion as one of peace. In Western countries, Muslims are generally taught that Islam is a religion of peace, and it is, as they have experienced no religious wars in this domain because of the rule of law. However, Muslims in the Middle East are not as docile as they are taught that Islam is superior to all other religions. In those countries, like Somalia, Libya and Syria, Islam can be violent. I

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The Satanic Verses

Apr 19
2 min

The Satanic Verses

Just recently, I ran across an interview with Salman Rushdie. He is still around writing novels and doing interviews. If you remember, Rushdie, a British citizen, wrote a book entitled The Satanic Verses in 1988. Since then, he has written eight other novels for a total of twelve, but that's beside the point. In 1989, Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini condemned Rushdie and his publishers to death for writing and publishing the book. Rushdie and his cohorts went into protective hiding

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Recitation of the Qur'an

Apr 13
3 min

Recitation of the Qur'an

A National Qirat Competition is usually held every year in most Islamic dominant countries. What kind of competition is that you ask? Qirat is an Arabic word that means "beautiful recitation". So, the competition is to find the boy and girl who can recite parts of the Qur'an with the best melody, the best pronunciation, the best memorization, and the best knowledge of the Qur'an. The competition has age categories that range from the very young to young adults. The YouTube vi

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The Islamic Hand Gesture

Apr 7
2 min

The Islamic Hand Gesture

This past month, a Pentagon spokesperson suggested that ISIS is in a state of resurgence. Marine Corps General Kenneth McKenzie Jr, commander of U.S. Central Command, said of ISIS: "We believe they continue to aspire to regain control of physical terrain. Without sustained pressure, they have got the potential to do so in a relatively short period of time." The last field action against ISIS in Syria was in March 2019. Seven months later, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, the self-styled

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Zamzam with D3

Apr 1
3 min

Zamzam with D3

Recently, I came across an ad promoting Zamzam water for sale. For people not familiar with the story behind the name, it starts with Abraham from the Bible, about 4,000 years ago. In my unpublished manuscript, Muslim Mechanics, I share the Christian beginning of the story and the Muslim ending. At the urging of his first wife, Sarah, Abraham gives his second wife, Hagar, and her son sired by Abraham, Ishmael, food, and water and sends them off. "She went on her way and wande

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