Since this is a diversity list, I don't see the problem.  No one is asking
anyone to be Muslim or any other member of a church or religion.  To me,
it's like saying, "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas" or whatever else.

On Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 5:17 PM, Elaine Zundl <ezundl at gmail.com> wrote:


> This is my first post on this discussion board, even though I joined

> at the Women in Literacy conference some time ago.

>

> This impasse is representative of the conflict between what a

> liberal-humanist assumption of religious doctrine entails as opposed

> to the perception of someone who has a Muslim worldview. Religion and

> social theorists like Talal Asad and Edward Said have illuminated the

> ways in which imposing an American or Western European enlightenment

> view about the role of religiosity as hindering the pursuit of freedom

> has led us to believe that we should enforce a division between the

> private (religion) and public. There are many ways that this position

> infringes on the freedom of deeply religious groups in America and

> codes them as irrational and backward.

>

> I wonder, Kearney, when you say that Ochieng's message is not 'simply

> one of good will' and his words may (for Ochieng) be rooted in the

> tradition of a religious text, why it is disruptive to the business of

> this listserv and the discussion of the diversity of our students. Do

> these words and concepts have some kind of viral power that will seize

> our consciousness and hinder our ability to be objective? I work in a

> literacy program in New York City that is able to serve and reach a

> greater immigrant population because we have been sensitive to a

> Muslim ethic and belief.

>

> If one finds a prayer or a religious text threatening to the ideals of

> diversity I would question how 'diverse' we can actually be?

>

> ~Elaine Zundl

> Gender Studies

> Rutgers University

>

>

> On Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 4:17 PM, Kearney Lykins <kearney_lykins at yahoo.com>

> wrote:

> > Ujwala, et al,

> >

> > The reason I perceived Ochieng's post as a circulation of religious

> > doctrine is because it is a circulation of religious doctrine.

> > Sure, it is warm and friendly, and its congenial tone is well taken. But

> its

> > content is another matter. It is patently doctrinaire.

> >

> > See for example the term ibadah, which Ochieng translates as "devotion",

> but

> > is more commonly translated to mean "submission" or "worship."  The

> > reference to "the night of Qadr" is another point of doctrine, referring

> to

> > the night that Allah revealed the Quran to Muhammad.  Ummah is the

> community

> > of Muslim believers. As such Ochieng's message is not a casual,

> > ecumenical greeting of goodwill.

> >

> > Ochieng wishes that Allah grant us ibadah during the night of Qadr, and

> make

> > us the best ummah. This certainly constitues a statement of religious

> > doctrine.

> >

> > I am not opposed to learning about religions. I am simply questioning

> > whether nifl.gov is the appropriate vehicle to communicate in the manner

> > Ochieng did. If it is, we should be prepared for more of the same, from

> all

> > quarters.

> >

> > Regards,

> >

> > Kearney

> >

> >

> >

> > Kearney_Lykins at yahoo.com

> >

> > C: (614) 787-2202

> > H: (614) 760-1407

> >

> > ----- Original Message ----

> > From: Ujwala Samant <lalumineuse at yahoo.com>

> > To: The Diversity and Literacy Discussion List <diversity at nifl.gov>

> > Sent: Thursday, September 4, 2008 7:09:35 AM

> > Subject: [Diversity 141] Re: Ramadhan Kareem

> >

> > I am surprised by this comment. All schools have

> > Christmas holidays, Easter break... surely those are

> > religious holidays? In elementary school, my son

> > brought home St. Patrick's day crafts, and of course

> > Father Christmas was a theme as well. Separation of

> > church and state in state schools is.... non existent.

> > In my son's school holiday list, Yom Kippur is listed

> > as a holiday. And I can assure you we have a strong

> > Hindu and Muslim population. Wishing someone for their

> > religious holidays (and we have seen Merry Christmas

> > being wished prior to those holidays) is hardly

> > perpetuating a religious doctrine. If anything, this

> > information helps us to understand different

> > religions, and understand the cultural backdrops of

> > our learners. There have been questions about Persian

> > (Irani) New Year, Diwali, and for those who have Hindu

> > students, Ganesh Chaturathi (the festival of the god

> > Ganesh) started yesterday.

> >

> > Diversity is not just having a multi-ethnic meal and

> > simplistic multicultural parties. It is about learning

> > in-depth and in a profound manner. I am curious how

> > this explanation was perceived as a means to circulate

> > religious doctrine.

> >

> > With best wishes,

> > Ujwala Samant

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > --- Kearney Lykins <kearney_lykins at yahoo.com> wrote:

> >

> >> I am surprised that no one has yet commented on the

> >> propriety of using a government listserve to

> >> circulate religious doctrine.

> >>

> >> Has The Diversity and Literacy Discussion List now

> >> become a vehicle for promoting religious

> >> holidays and disseminating prayers?

> >>

> >>

> >>  Regards,

> >>

> >> Kearney Lykins

> >>

> >>

> >>

> >>

> >> ----- Original Message ----

> >> From: Ochieng kh <ochykheyr at yahoo.com>

> >> To: The Diversity and Literacy Discussion List

> >> <diversity at nifl.gov>

> >> Sent: Tuesday, September 2, 2008 10:02:45 AM

> >> Subject: [Diversity 129] Ramadhan Kareem

> >>

> >>

> >> Dear All,

> >> Many of you have Muslim students who are celebrating

> >> the blessed month of Ramadhan. I would like to wish

> >> them Ramadhan kareem. It is a month of deep

> >> reflection and self-restraint while praying for

> >> spiritual purity, good tidings and endless bounties.

> >>

> >>

> >> It is a blessed opportunity to reflect upon and

> >> grapple with the issues that afflict the souls of

> >> not only the Muslim ummah but the greater creation

> >> of Allah (SWT).

> >>

> >> It is also the time to ponder and generate solutions

> >> to such issues as injustices, inequality, wrongs

> >> visited upon the poor and vulnerable, unity of the

> >> ummah, corruption, leadership, marginalization,

> >> environment, prejudices and stereotypes, etc.

> >>

> >> Ramadhan is an important month of Patience, sharing

> >> and selflessness and a time to seek the mercy and

> >> forgiveness from Allah (SWT)

> >>

> >> May Allah (SWT) grant all of us us the

> >> ibadah(devotion) of the night of Qadr(blessed night)

> >> and make us the best ummah.

> >> RAMADHAN KAREEM

> >> Ochieng M.Khairallah

> >>

> >>

> >>      >

> > ----------------------------------------------------

> >> National Institute for Literacy

> >> Diversity and Literacy mailing list

> >> Diversity at nifl.gov

> >> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings,

> >> please go to

> > http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/diversity

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > ----------------------------------------------------

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> >

> >

> > ----------------------------------------------------

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> >

>

>

>

> --

> Elaine Zundl

> Department of Women's and Gender Studies

> Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

>  ----------------------------------------------------

> National Institute for Literacy

> Diversity and Literacy mailing list

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> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

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>




-- 
Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt
www.LuxuriousChoices.net
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