Looking For a Few Good Muslims...In Los Angeles
Just getting your attention. There are many fine Muslims in LA. I know quite a few.
However, this Yom Kippur I had to sit through my beloved Rabbi's (and I really do love this man) sermon, chastising 2,000 Westside Los Angelenos not to be afraid of the Ground Zero Mosque, which he said "is neither at Ground Zero, nor a Mosque." He was sending a sincere plea for people not to judge many by the acts of a few. (And by that he meant Muslims, not the over the top histrionics of some of the GZM opposition, by which we're all embarrassed.) Though well meaning, I believe he was astonishingly naive about the future of Islam in our lives and the murky intent behind Imam Rauf's refusal to relocate said non-Mosque.
Cutting to the chase, he is pursuing a series of panels with leaders of the Islamic faith for our Temple. In the interest of presenting a more balanced approach to this...i.e. not a total white wash of the threat of Islamic Sharia Law...I volunteered to help put the panels together.
If you have any suggestions for pithy (and by that I mean SHORT), well-thought out articles on this subject that will not scare off the average dyed-in-the-Koolaid Liberal, link me! But most important, if you know of any great panelists in the Los Angeles area, let me know. I know my position on the creeping worry of Fundamentalist Islam, but I need the back up. And I need people with the kind of credibility that even a Westside Liberal can't dismiss. If this guy spoke english and lived here, he'd be perfect.
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Re: Looking For a Few Good Muslims...In Los Angeles
Denise, get in touch with Omri Ceren. I was on a panel with him recently in Los Angeles. I thought he was impressive.
Re: Looking For a Few Good Muslims...In Los Angeles
I should clarify that he's not a Moslem. But he is a great panelist.
Re: Looking For a Few Good Muslims...In Los Angeles
Thanks, Claire!
Jul '10
Re: Looking For a Few Good Muslims...In Los Angeles
For articles, anything by Efraim Karsh, the head of the Middle East Studies Department at King's College, London and by the historian Bat Ye'or. As for panelists, I'd invite Wafa Sultan, the Syrian psychiatrist who even lives in your area, or Nonie Darwish, founder of Arabs for Israel organization.
Good luck with that project.
Re: Looking For a Few Good Muslims...In Los Angeles
Thanks, R. These are impressive.
Sep '10
Re: Looking For a Few Good Muslims...In Los Angeles
Milt Rosenberg had this show recently:
"Stephen Suleyman Schwartz, executive director for the Center of Islamic Pluralism, joins the program to discuss his faith and to rectify misconceptions about Islam and Muslims worldwide as well share his views of Wahabbi sect of Sunni Islam"
Podcasts of Extension 720 available on the interwebs...
all I'll say from work.
May '10
Re: Looking For a Few Good Muslims...In Los Angeles
Shariah: The Threat to America (An Exercise in Competitive Analysis—Report of Team ‘B’ II)
http://www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org/upload/wysiwyg/article%20pdfs/Shariah%20-%20The%20Threat%20to%20America%20(Team%20B%20Report)%20Web%2009292010.pdf
www.securefreedom.org
May '10
Re: Looking For a Few Good Muslims...In Los Angeles
Too bad Claire Berlinski has returned to Turkey, she'd be a great speaker for you. Maybe you can use some of her Ricochet postings.
Aug '10
Re: Looking For a Few Good Muslims...In Los Angeles
Anything Mark Steyn has written on the matter is worth a look.
Sep '10
Re: Looking For a Few Good Muslims...In Los Angeles
http://www.torontosun.com/comment/columnists/salim_mansur/
Salim Mansur is a Canadian columnist. That doesn't help you with an LA panelist, but he's worth a read.
His Wiki entry (if that's allowed anymore after Claire's Wiki meltdown thread) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salim_Mansur
May '10
Re: Looking For a Few Good Muslims...In Los Angeles
Denise -- I would distribute Claire's "Ban the Burqua" article in NR. I know the masthead will set off alarm bells for some in your Temple but I've found this myself engaging in really productive conversations with liberals who -- like me -- end up very persuaded by Claire's argument. It may be slightly off topic but in my view it cuts right to the chase of defining how the Muslim religion needs to be prepared to operate inside a liberal democracy. I would think in Temple it could raise some interesting points around orthodox Jewish communities as well.
Jun '10
Re: Looking For a Few Good Muslims...In Los Angeles
You might contact Dennis Prager. He's Jewish, well spoken, widely respected, and opposed to the mosque. He lives in the LA area.