Cool Islam in France

The BBC featured a few French Muslims who, in various ways, have made efforts to make Islam "cool", and more notably, emphasize its common values with other religious traditions and ways of life. The piece profiles Medine, a French rapper, and his promotion of clean Islamic living and its positive values.

"I think that in all religions today, there are common human values", says Medine.

"I don't think that sharing is unique to Islam, or that generosity is unique to Catholicism, or love is unique to Judaism.

The BBC does not mention that, as far as cool goes, American rappers were making Islam cool from nearly the beginning of hip hop, from Public Enemy to Wu-Tang to Lupe Fiasco today. The Article goes on to profile a new bride and a progressive Imam and concludes:

People such as Imam Oubrou and Medine insist that however radical Islam's adaptation to contemporary culture, it will preserve a kernel of uncompromising, permanent Muslim belief.

They say European societies need to let it flourish if they are to win the bigger prize of a renewed, reinterpreted Islam no longer at odds with a secular West.

Of course, its always Islam that needs to be "reinterpreted" and "adapt" and any ground ceded by the "West" is decried by the usual reactionaries. But I think it's essential for the secular West to also be reinterpreted and adapted, so it to can flourish. The "secular West" just had the most devastating and destructive century arguably of any society that ever existed. It must continue to change too and cool Islam, could be one of those agents of change. Just as these Muslims are willing to open, so too, must France and the rest of the "West".

European Muslims look to Obama for Hope

The Voice of America reported an interesting story from Thiais, France about Muslim and other minority politicians in Europe who are looking to Barack Obama for hope in their own campaigns. European minorities (like American minorities) are woefully underrepresented in their political systems, but the idea that a person of color can transcend the racism and prejudice of society to achieve the most powerful office in the world is causing a stir of excitement. Zohra Bitan, a Socialist candidate in Thiais regards herself as fully French. Her parents were economic migrants from Algeria.

In Thiais, Bitan is also following Barack Obama and his chance of becoming America's first black president. But she doubts a Barack Obama will emerge in France anytime soon.

Bitan says France is ready to elect mayors or members of parliament who are a racial minority. But she says the country is not ready for an ethnic minority as president.

Coskun Coruz, a member of the Dutch Parliament, also thinks that an Obama presidency could send a powerful "signal" to Europe. But he also notes that immigrants to Europe (Coskun migrated from Turkey to the Netherlands when he was 6, but now feels "%200 Dutch") must become active European citizens and "work for change."

via Islam in Europe.