My latest in PJ Media:
NPR on Saturday ran an enthusiastic, bubbly puff piece about “free walking tours” that take place “about once a month to remember centuries of Muslim history in New York City.” Gee, that’s swell. But it does raise an inevitable question: isn’t there a site in New York City where Muslims had an enormous impact on that city, the United States, and the entire world? What is its name again? Why is it left out of this tour?
These are not snarky questions. They raise a larger issue: why must all Muslim history in the West be presented as positive? The same favor is not accorded to Christianity or any other religion; nor should it be. Why is whitewashing Islam mainstream and accepted, and telling the truth about Islam demonized and stigmatized? Would NPR ever run a puff piece about a walking tour of Christian history in New York City that resolutely ignored every possible negative aspect? Not on your life. And there’s the rub.
It gets worse. According to NPR, the tour guide, Katie Merriman, “speaks about American jazz musicians who performed at the theater and converted to Islam in the 1950s after touring abroad. She also plays a clip from John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme and explains how some interpret it as a dhikr, or Sufi Muslim remembrance prayer. ‘John Coltrane never claimed this as saying “Allah Supreme,” but many people are sure that he wanted you to not be sure,’ Merriman says.”
Now wait a minute. Even within the parameters of this tour and its determination not to notice the place where two massive towers used to be, why must non-Muslims and their achievements be appropriated? Claiming that John Coltrane’s masterpiece A Love Supreme was “a dhikr, or Sufi Muslim remembrance prayer,” and that “people are sure that he wanted you not to be sure” whether or not he was saying “Allah Supreme” rather than “A Love Supreme,” is simply absurd. Why? Because the album cover says “A Love Supreme.” The liner notes, which were written by John Coltrane himself, say “a love supreme” three times, and nowhere says “Allah supreme.” He repeats this phrase several times during the first part of the suite, “Acknowledgment,” and he is quite audibly saying “A love supreme,” not “Allah supreme.”
So how does Katie Merriman, or the “many people” she invokes but does not name, know that Coltrane “wanted you not to be sure”? I myself have read four full-length biographies of the man, and nowhere in any of them is he ever quoted as saying anything of the kind. Katie Merriman’s “many people” just made it up, because they want to believe it to be true. A 2014 Al Jazeera article has the saxophonist Yusef Lateef, himself a convert to Islam, asserting this, but this is solely his own assessment, not based on conversations with Coltrane or any other inside knowledge.
No doubt Coltrane was aware of Islam and had some interest in it. His first wife, Naima, was a convert to Islam. But in an age when jazz musicians all around him were converting to Islam, Coltrane never did. In the liner notes to his follow-up to A Love Supreme, the turbulent, heartfelt, magnificent Meditations, he says “I believe in all religions.” No pious and knowledgeable Muslim would say that, as to do so would involve him in shirk, the foremost sin in Islam, the association of partners with Allah in worship. (And the first part of the Meditations suite is entitled “The Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost.”)
There is much more. Read the rest here.
Fred Dawes says
Muslims love that city, its a place that Muslims can point to and say ” we killed 3000 enemies of our people”, AND TOSS DOWN 3 BUILDING AGAINST ISLAM. American on the left love evil and Hate all real Americans so both the left/ democrats /communists and Islam can dance in the green bay of evil doers.
somehistory says
Just as satan twisted the Bible verses in order to get Jesus to “bow down in an act of worship,” to the demon, satan’s followers do the same. Not just with Bible verses, but in every other way, with other writings and facts.
moslims and their supporters mangle the Truth and anything that might shed light on the Truth, but also to come right out and “steal” the accomplishments of non moslims.
Jesus said that the devil comes to “steal, kill and destroy.” and those who follow the devil do likewise.
Carolyne says
Well, didn’t that ignorant Omar tell us that “Some people did something?”. That makes the World Trade Towers site hardly worth mentioning.
revereridesagain says
To the eternal shame of everyone concerned with this wretched farce of a tour. For disrespecting and disregarding the horrendous murders of 3,000 innocent people at the hands of soldiers of an enemy she cringes from naming, Katie Merriman deserves to be horsewhipped. Failing that, I fall back on my usual suggestion that she be lowered from a chopper wearing only a thong into the main square of Riyadh, Tehran, or any other Islamic hellhole on a Friday just as the mosques are letting out after prayer. Do a guided tour of that location for your pure of heart little Chapel Hill classmates, Katie.
Perhaps Katie believes that sanctimoniously lying about the perpetrators of such a crime and their motivation will find favor in the eyes of her own god and ensure her a hearty welcome at the Pearly Gates. My contempt for this woman cannot be adequately expressed. But I agree with the suggestion that honest people join her tour and give their fellow sightseers an honest history of Islam with regard to New York.
gravenimage says
NPR Touts Walking Tour of Muslim History in NYC That Leaves Out City’s Biggest Muslim Historical Site
………………….
*Just disgusting*. Yes, Ground Zero is where Muslims made their biggest impact in New York City–followed by running over children on Hallowe’en two years ago, killing 8. Then there were a slew of bombings that mostly fizzled, and an attempt to blow up Times Square.
This is Muslims’ *real* legacy in that great city.
As for John Coltrane, it is not ever clear that he converted to Islam. He never claimed he did. His ex-wife- Alice–who had converted to Islam for a time, and former bandmember Rasjhid Ali, another convert, both said long after Coltrane’s death that he had been Muslim, and had the Muslim name “Jamaluddin”. Certainly, it was a name he never used.
And Alice Coltrane herself was just a dabbler–she later adopted the Sanskrit name “Turiyasangitananda” and spent decades in an Ashram. Her Wikipedia page doesn’t even mention her having briefly been Muslim–nor does John Coltrane’s mention any such thing.
If this is how desperate this walking tour is to dig up some prominent Muslims, then it is pretty sad.
Hugh Fitzgerald says
Many here will no doubt be amused, but not surprised, to learn that Katherine Merriman is a graduate student in religious studies at UNC/Chapel Hill which, along with Duke, was singled out by the Department of Education for courses presenting students with a sanitized Islam, while mostly ignoring other religions.
Merriman claims that there were Muslim slaves in the 1600s in NYC — this claim is now a staple of those Islam-Has-Always-Been-A-Part-of-America’s-History affairs. But where is the evidence? Is there anything, any testimony by slave owners or others, that their slaves were Muslims? None of those on the tour will have the wit to question her assertions; they will simply assume she “knows what she is talking about.” Take a different tack: see how confused she is.
For example, Merriman focusses a great deal of her attention on Black Muslims, on their publication, on the musicians and others who were part of the Nation of Islam. But the Nation of Islam is very different from Islam; it stressed black nationalism and separation from whites, the blue-eyed devils. Whatever else Islam may be, it is not about black nationalism. In fact, Malcolm X was murdered in 1965 by a member of the Nation of Islam, for Malcolm had made the hajj to Mecca, and came back an orthodox Muslim, and thus a rival, and a threat, to Elijah Muhammad.
Merriman promises as part of her tour of “Muslim” New York to go to Little Syria, a neighborhood that had many Arab immigrants who arrived from 1880 to 1924 (when the immigration laws changed). She apparently does not realize that at least 95% of the Arab immigrants were Christians — Maronites and Melkites — who were refugees from mistreatment by Muslims, both Turks and Arabs, in the Ottoman Empire.
Perhaps someone who comes to JW, and lives in NYC ,can join one of her tours and raise the matters I have posted here. It might provide Merriman with.a salutary shock about her misinformation. Then again, she may be beyond hope. But worth a try
gravenimage says
+1
rubiconcrest says
Our tax dollars at work. UNC alumni producing feel good Islamic propaganda. Thanks to JW we know this tour is just more misinformation clouding the judgement of the common man. Notice NPR does not permit comments so the article cannot be challenged.
mortimer says
Very good … a ‘sanitized Islam’ … Merriman is either duped or intent on duping others. Jihad is the sixth and most important pillar of Islam, rather than an aberration.
lawrence estavan says
And, Ibrahim Hooper defends American principal of free expression. Yeah, right.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr2Ywkptu04
Niemoller says
How many of those jazz musicians would have converted if they knew Mohammad hated music, and his Muslim Brotherhood follower Qutb back in the fifties singled out black jazz for it’s inherently haram traits that violated the Quran? Most people convert to Islam (or any religion) on the most flimsy of knowledge, like teenage girls joining the Manson family.
Mark Spahn (West Seneca, NY) says
John Coltrane is not the only crypto-Muslim entertainer.
Some months ago I was surprised to hear on Toronto AM radio a male voice singing the profession of faith “I believe there’s nothin’ stronger than Allah”. The phrase “there’s nothin’ stronger than Allah” is a pretty good translation of “Allahu akbar!” I had never heard this song before, so I took it to be a new phase of stealth jihad, infiltrating Islamic doctrine into pop music. Through an online search for these lyrics, I find that it is attributed to the Canadian singer Paul Anka. Here’s the whole song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rvZ0u-fbB4
gravenimage says
Mark, are you joking? Paul Anka was not Muslim.
You are mishearing this song, which is really titled “I believe there’s nothing stronger than our love”. Here are the lyrics:
https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/817186/Paul+Anka/%28I+Believe%29+There%27s+Nothing+Stronger+Than+Our+Love
Mark Spahn (West Seneca, NY) says
Well, yeah, the video I cited has the complete lyrics, although Paul doesn’t trill his R or buzz his V very loud in “our love”, so it comes out as “Allah”. Paul Anka “was” not a Muslim? He’s still alive; 78 years old, says Wikipedia. Peace be upon him.
FireFox says
This is your best argument?
Music is haram.
The more I learn, the more I believe it is the arrogant supremacism that moslems must adopt out of fear that keeps them this deliriously ignorant.
Seems everything in Islam was robbed, plagerized, or otherwise appropriated from others and other cultures, starting with Mohammad robbing caravans.
To quote David Wood, “What kind of man would steal another man’s Caravan?”
Sadly, the entrapment of moslems in this cult is nearly fatal.
There is no peace in Islam, …no salvation, …let the truth set you free.
Mark Spahn (West Seneca, NY) says
FireFox writes, “This is you best argument?”
My best argument for *what*? I merely observe that Paul Anqa, presumably a kafir, pronounces “our love” (with the stress on the first syllable) so sloppily that it comes out sounding like “Allah”.
somehistory says
According to IMDb “During a live show Paul Anka on camera identified himself as a Catholic born in Canada to Lebanese immigrants.”
People who don’t understand the lyrics of songs, can and do come up with their own “version” of the song. For example, “There’s a bad moon on the rise,” became for many, “There’s a bathroom on the right.” (From “Bad Moon Rising, CC)
As moslims do with a lot of things, they insert their fake god into song lyrics when it pleases them to do so. They just can’t handle condemnation or even mild criticism.
Mark Spahn (West Seneca, NY) says
Somehistory, misheard lyrics are called mondegreens, and Paul Anka is notorious for them. See
http://www.amiright.com/misheard/artist/ankapaul.shtml
gravenimage says
Mark, using the past tense just referred to when Paul Anka recorded this song–I was not implying that he is Muslim now.
Yes, he does elide his words somewhat in the song–but so do many singers. He is not actually singing about “Allah”.
mortimer says
Personally, I have a painting of the Twin Towers on my wall and I look at it every day to REMEMBER WHAT I AM FIGHTING AGAINST … hatred coming out of the Koran.
rubiconcrest says
Me +1.
gravenimage says
+1
Here’s my painting of the Twin Towers–“Always Remember — Never Submit”:
https://photobucket.com/gallery/user/gravenimageartist/media/bWVkaWFJZDo0MjMzNTI2Nw==/?ref=
Mr. Maxwell S. J. Fenton says
How pathetic people are, nice little nuggets of history regarding the most vicious religion on earth, I find Muhammadans puerile and immature, unbalanced and incapable of sustaining a conversation regarding their beliefs.
As for “Allah supreme” yes, sure , that would be a real career killer, like what happened to Cat Stevens, given music is actually haram in Islam.
J D S says
WHY?????…WHY has a so called peaceful civilization allowed Islam to continue these many centuries????..
This civilized world has taken a page from Muslim history. Islam has used FEAR from its inception to hold its …(“believers”??) in place since muhammad ( IF HE ACTUALLY EXISTED..no historic proof) in his dope driven haze, formed his religion…(must have been. dope driven, no other explanations) So now the governments of the west have FEAR driving their every effort to place islam high on the religious list of real religions instead of passing laws to put a stop to this awful menace that dares to call itself a GOD based religion.
The Holy BIble tells us to watch out for all sorts of false preachers, teachers and religions itself..
Two other things have held Islam in place…FORCE and the APOSTATE LAW
HOW CAN ANY SANE PERSON, especially one who has embraced Christianity, join such a mean hateful so called religion is just beyond reasoning!!!!!
Angemon says
Well, if that’s the, *ahem*, “logic” she wants to use, then I’ll point out that some interpret strange lights in the sky as vehicles from extra-terrestrial beings. And some interpret cars of a specific colour, or people dressed up in a specific way,that they’re being targeted by an extra-governmental organization – gang stalking. I’ll take the UFO’s and gang stalking claims over the dhirk one…
Francis Weber says
Maybe Coltrane didn’t convert as he didn’t want to follow the Quran and beat his wife
cfprcy says
Islam, the most repulsive religion in the world…
Gen Jones says
I guess this ignoramus excuse of a tour guide isn’t familiar with the Church of Coltrane. http://www.coltranechurch.org/
And further what is so incredibly offensive and stupid about her claims is that the word Love would have any relation to Allah. There is no music in Islam and there is no Love in Islam.
gravenimage says
I just got a catalog from Daedalus Books. Among their offerings are introductory books to religions: “Introducing Hinduism”,”Introducing Jesus” (not sure why this isn’t “Introducing Christianity”, but never mind), and “Introducing Islam”.
What is notable is that only the book on Islam mentions “charting the achievements of Muslim civilization” (apparently Hindu and Christian civilization have no achievements). Also the obligatory reference: “One of the world’s great monotheistic religions.has produced some of mankind’s finest achievements, yet the religion followed by a fifth of humankind is too often seen in the West in terms of fundamentalism and violence”. Gee–I guess this is just “Islamophobia”, and has nothing to do with Jihad terror…sarc/off
This short blurb–it is no more than a paragraph for each book–mentions “achievements” twice in the case of Islam”, and not at all for Hinduism and Christianity. We see this sort of whitewash all the time.
Note there there is nothing specific about the nature of these “achievements”–you are just supposed to take this on faith, apparently…
Tattooed Man77 says
Does muslim history month ever cover:
Ibn Ishaq describes the killing of the Banu Qurayza men as follows:
“ Then they surrendered, and the Apostle confined them in Medina in the quarter of d. al-Harith, a woman of B. al-Najjar. Then the Apostle went out to the market of Medina (which is still its market today) and dug trenches in it. Then he sent for them and struck off their heads in those trenches as they were brought out to him in batches. Among them was the enemy of Allah Huyayy b. Akhtab and Ka`b b. Asad their chief. There were 600 or 700 in all, though some put the figure as high as 800 or 900. As they were being taken out in batches to the Apostle they asked Ka`b what he thought would be done with them. He replied, ‘Will you never understand? Don’t you see that the summoner never stops and those who are taken away do not return? By Allah it is death!’ This went on until the Apostle made an end of them. Huyayy was brought out wearing a flowered robe in which he had made holes about the size of the finger-tips in every part so that it should not be taken from him as spoil, with his hands bound to his neck by a rope. When he saw the Apostle he said, ‘By God, I do not blame myself for opposing you, but he who forsakes God will be forsaken.’ Then he went to the men and said, ‘God’s command is right. A book and a decree, and massacre have been written against the Sons of Israel.’ Then he sat down and his head was struck off