Rap?

This is coolbert:

See this interesting article about Islamic presence in "middle-America".

A presence not even perceptible to most, but still there. And growing!

"The Rockford Files"

"Through a Glass, Darkly
by Scott P. Richert"

"'We have an Islamic school in Rockford?' my friend said in surprise. His reaction was typical. Rockford, as the local Gannett paper never ceases to remind us, is stubbornly average."

Rockford, Illinois, of course, is where the terrorist wannabee, Derrick Shareef, wanted to perpetrate some hand grenade incidents. Place grenades in trash bins at a shopping mall, killing and maiming shoppers. Derrick's villainy did not come to fruition, but he DID have the idea and the desire.

Rockford is NOT a major city by an stretch of the imagination. Stubbornly average??!! Yes. Decidedly so. About 150,00 persons, middle size [??]. However, at one time [aftermath of World War Two and the 1950's] was important enough to be listed as # 7 on the Soviet strategic bombing list. Rockford was the one place in the U.S. where the tools that are used to make tools were made. I don't think this ranking exists anymore. Those companies manufacturing the "tools that are used to make tools" are gone now!

I think that there being an Islamic school in Rockford DOES come as a surprise to many people. Probably to most American Muslims too:

"Several of the students tell us that their parents moved from Chicago or even New York City to place their children in the school."

This school apparently teaches the basic mandated curriculum with a very good dose of Islam thrown in. A good dose is why Muslims send their kids there.

Talent shows also are a part of the school's agenda, as it is in most places. Talent that includes rap songs with an Islamic message:

"Give me, ya-Allah, Give me Iman and victory.
Give me, ya-Allah, give me strength to set us free,
As we struggle on your path, Mujahideen"

"Grant us, ya-Allah, the eyes to see your light,
And show us, ya-Allah, what is wrong and what is right
As we walk along your path, Siratul Mustaqeem . . ."

Here from the comments of Scott Richert:

"The word mujahideen is jarring, especially coming out of the mouths of nine- and ten-year-old children. Zaid translates it as 'people who struggle in the way of Allah,' giving it a spiritual twist that initially seems appropriate, since Iman means 'faith' and Siratul Mustaqeem is 'the straight path' or 'the path of righteousness.' The next verse, however, calls to mind a more common definition:"


"Help us, ya-Allah, to spread this blessed deen
And help us, ya-Allah, help the Muslimeen
And help us, ya-Allah, overcome the Mushrikeen . . .
Make us, ya-Allah, fighters for your deen,
And make us, ya-Allah for ever Mumineen
And do this, ya-Allah, despite the kafireen . . ."

Again, from Scott Richert:

"According to the glossary of Islamic terms compiled by the International Islamic University, deen is “Usually translated as ‘religion’, but in fact mean[s] ‘life-transaction’, the transaction being between Allah and each of his created beings. The life-transaction . . . is universal. It is the way of Islam . . ."

"The Muslimeen and Mumineen are Muslims, while the Mushrikeen are, literally, 'idol worshippers'; in common usage, however, the latter term means 'People who associate partners with Allah Ta’ala, such as the Christians, who have raised the Prophet Isa (Jesus, Son of Mary) . . . to the level of Allah.' Kafireen (or kuffar) means 'unbelievers.'"

[in apartheid South Africa, the word kaffir was a word used by whites, primarily the Afrikaans speakers, to describe all blacks. WAS A WORD WITH EXTREMELY PERJORATIVE MEANING!! VERY DERISIVE!! SOMEONE LESS THAN HUMAN!!]

[go anywhere in the modern Islamic world and mention the word "mujahideen". I am quite sure that your average-everyday Muslim will instantly get the image in his mind of a "fighter" not in the moral or spiritual sense, but in the physical sense. A fighter with a rifle or RPG doing battle with "Crusaders".]

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More Islamic rap:

"This is my Jihad, Jihad of the Nafs,
Battle of the soul against Shaytan and the rest."

"I got my uzi of Iman, bazooka of Qur’an
My M-16 of my deen of Islam,
Dropping bombs on Shaytan with Islam as my main gun,
He telling me to do wrong, I say “ain’t gonna have none
of that.” Grenades, yo, of Taqwa on my back,
Bayonet of regret, if I ever get trapped.
I got the Sunna of the Prophet as my fully automatic.
I’ve been beaten by the devil many times and I’ve had it. . . .
Shaytan and his friends they be actin’ diabolical
Yah, they be slick in the way they be calling us.
TV, CD, even on the PC,
Shaytan and his friends, yo, they keep us busy easy
Crazy, if you think you’ll win without a plan
But Allah has a plan and this plan is Islam
Hey yo, Shaytan, yo I know that you’re slick,
But Islam is the bomb, and now I got some tricks . . ."

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Well, you the reader, take it from there!!

coolbert.