08AR13-27

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Apologia Report 13:27

July 16, 2008

Subject: Muslim-American magazines explore identity

In this issue:

DISCERNMENT - Non-Christian failures to understand Christians

ISLAM - new Muslim magazines for a Western audience

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DISCERNMENT

The typical examples that come to mind in this category for most "apolojedi" tend to be those of discernment errors or failures on the part of fellow Christians. But this week some ironic examples of inadequate discernment from non-Christians have come to our attention.

First, is an unedited (text in brackets is also not ours) story from the July 8, 2008 edition of Hindu Press International in its entirety. While the grammar is a bit stilted and the spelling off at times, it is still quite revealing.

"Oprah's 'May Paths To God' Controversy

"USA, July 9, 2008 (RNS): [HPI note: American TV star Oprah Winfrey has been under scrutiny by her fellow Christians for embracing unorthodox views. Hindus may find her personal finds quite familiar.] Oprah Winfrey has become a catalyst for conservative Christians questioning and criticizing her spiritual beliefs. Some evangelical Christians have voiced alarm that Winfrey is introducing the 46 million viewers who watch her each week to nontraditional spirituality.

"One of Winfrey's quotes highlighted in the story is her belief that "there couldn't possibly be just one way' to God. 'One of the mistakes that human beings make is believing that there is only one way to live,' Winfrey said. A spokesman for Winfrey's Harpo Productions said the celebrity is a Christian. 'Oprah is a Christian and she believes in only one God,' said the spokesman. 'Oprah has also said, 'I'm a free-thinking Christian who believes in my way, but I don't believe it's the only way, with 6 billion people on the planet.'' The spokesman noted Winfrey is hardly alone; 70 percent of Americans said 'many religions can lead to eternal life' in a recent survey from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

"There is a YouTube video produced by those who oppose her views, called 'The Church of Oprah.' It can be seen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW4LLwkgmqA."

(Editor's note: That Pew Forum statistic has been a matter of controversy, based on respondents' understanding of the word "religion." For details, see "One more look at Pew Forum survey"

at <http://www.getreligion.org/?p=3670>.)

The original HPI story is at <http://www.hinduismtoday.com/hpi/2008/7/7.shtml#3>.

This second ironic example of non-Christians lacking discernemt is more reminicent of 1 Corinthians 2:14 - "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."

The current hardcover religion bestseller listed by the Denver Post (Jul 6 '08, pE9) is Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope, byÊDon Van Ryn, et al [5]. An unidentified reviewer had this to say about the book in Publishers Weekly: "In a widely reported incident in 2006, Laura Van Ryn and Whitney Cerak, students at an evangelical college in Indiana, and their families were victims of a ghastly mistake: the wrong girl was identified as the survivor of a car crash that claimed multiple lives. Only after five weeks, when the girl emerged from a coma, was the error discovered. The families and the survivor, Whitney, record their experiences in this heavily Christian account. Those seeking a tale of extraordinary emotions to match the extraordinary circumstances will be disappointed: both families are devoutly religious, and their faith is of the sort that does not admit a great range of feelings. Anger and anguish are quickly recast as professions of faith and celebrations of life in Christ. The Van Ryns immediately embrace Whitney and dismiss a reporter's suggestion of lawsuits. Nor are the Ceraks bitter, not even Whitney, who suffers brain damage. As they describe it, the story inspires others to adopt their beliefs. (Because of such conversions, Whitney writes that the five people killed in the crash have given their lives for Christ.) Readers who don't share the authors' faith may feel alienated, however much they admire the fortitude of the families."

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ISLAM

"Muslim-American magazines explore identity: New publications seek to dispel stereotypes and encourage integration of the Muslim community into US society" by Omar Sacirbey -- briefly surveys "the latest in a growing field of US-based magazines for Muslims. Publications such as Elan [1], Azizah [2], and Islamica [3] cater to a dizzying array of demographic groups within the community, yet all share a common motivation: to define themselves at a time when many believe they have surrendered that responsibility to Western media that often get them wrong.

"'We wanted to provide a place where positive stories about real Muslim girls who are making a contribution could be told, and in such a way that girls would see it as coming from the inside, so the stories would be honest and accurate and reflect their own values,' says Ausma Khan, editor in chief of Muslim Girl [4].

"These magazines chiefly attract Muslim subscribers. But Muslim Girl, Elan, and Islamica Ð a quarterly whose style its editors liken to the Atlantic Monthly Ð are also sold in major book stores like Barnes & Noble and Borders. Many American embassies in Muslim-majority countries also subscribe, as do many universities and public libraries in the United States.

"'That translates into non-Muslims getting a glimpse of our lives,' says Kari Ansari, a convert to Islam who, with her husband in 2003, founded America's Muslim Family magazine, which she compares to Good Housekeeping. 'Our main mission is to encourage integration of the Muslim community into society.' ...

"Like other magazines, these have struggled financially. While they have succeeded in finding Muslim advertisers, the publications have garnered few big-name advertisers even though their readership is relatively affluent. ...

"Despite financial risks and competition from Internet news sources like blogs and webzines, many Muslim Americans still prefer magazines." Christian Science Monitor, Jun 23 '08, n.p. <http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0624/p04s01-usgn.html>

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Sources, Digital:

1 - <http://www.elanthemag.com>

2 - <http://www.azizahmagazine.com/home.html>

3 - <http://www.islamicamagazine.com>

4 - <http://www.muslimgirlworld.com>

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Sources, Monographs:

5- Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope, by Don Van Ryn, et al. (Howard Pub, 2008, hardcover, 275 pages) <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1416567356/apologiareport>

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