Brooklyn Bedouin

Places I have prayed

In that white space on a roof in DUMBO overlooking the bridge and feeling the vibe of the New Muslim Cool / Green Deen, I prayed Asr on a busy day there last week.

Captain of the Heart.

Is your life like a film where you are the star actor?

And in that personal movie you float through effortlessly, everything that happens to you, every Omen you pass by, every love you scorn or chase, every prayer you miss or catch, every meal you have - all those amazing happenings that make life special and worth it are the most important that has ever occurred.

Believing you are the center of the universe makes you impervious to life’s setbacks. Kanye has said that he uses his “arrogance like a steam that powers my dreams”.

The truth is that I am not arrogant. I can imagine that I am but I am a really happy dude and I want others to be. I have challenges and insecurities and those make me human.

Our extractive way of life is hoisted on people who are lulled into sleep, unable to create wealth, passively accepting their lot as a matter of course. Fooled really, tricked by our own insecurities and vanities. Some people are clever at plucking at people’s insecurities and taking advantage of them. Those are the people that make money, gain power, and are what we call successful. The demise of and threats to their “way of life” are just the expansion of their largess to the ones whom they took their wealth from in the first place. This is not called trickle down, it’s called Revolution. 

News Flash: all industries proclaimed as dead need to open their blind eyes - its not just about you, your moment may be ending, step aside, take your money and run. Talent is not just privilege, Male, and White. Talent is Passion and Application. Talent is Love. 

My movie reel ended sometime ago. It was predicated upon having a diminished sense of self and having exhausted the fumes of self-aggrandizement. My movie reel needed viewers, viewers that were not there, viewers whom lost interest. And then the other day I realized that if I am the star of my own film then I am the viewer – me and God that is.

And in this wonderful reel – this week’s installment, the following is the soundtrack:

First day of Spring

For those of you that do not now, re is a flower that is the official flower of Brooklyn because it is the first one that blooms in the Spring. Forsythia blooms in Brooklyn! Act like ya know. 

Is New York Dying?

Its been a long time since if have done this so the following blog entry will be much more traditional. It is all in response to the hacking of electronic street signs, found here - personally I thought it was hilarious and happened upon one that said New York is Dying. (see my pic) I thought about that from the perspective of Food Justice and other indicators of economic insecurity prevalent in the great city of my birth. So this blog will be more traditional in the sense that it will provide a list of links that you should be aware of, thinking about, and to put on your radar.

So here’s goes. Like this one. First, the person that sent this to me also coined the term predatory planning, as a framework that more effectively explains the scourge of gentrification. Follow that link to peep the flesh of the frame not in my amateurish words. 

Definition:

PREDATORY PLANNING is the intended process of dispossession through aggressive, global-powered planning processes and use of multiple redevelopment tactics (building blocks), in the wake of existing trauma.  The result is a traumatic stress reaction called root shock and the dismantling of our cultural commons.

pred·a·to·ry
  –adjective
1.      of, pertaining to, or characterized by plunder, pillage, robbery, or exploitation: predatory tactics.
2.      excessive or exploitive in amount or
cost, as out of greed or to take advantage of consumers or patrons: predatory pricing.

plan noun, verb, planned, plan·ning.
1.      a scheme or method of acting, doing, proceeding, making, etc., developed in advance: battle plans.
2.      a specific project or definite purpose: plans for the future. 

She is a visionary that also has helped to start this first People’s University in the USA (for all my small brain can know) called the University of Orange…

Then of course there is the effort to really Green the Ghetto, I have reservations about who these people are but they are doing good work it seems and are sincere. My reservations, of course, are around the motivations of people that are newer residents to an area that want to claim that they are making it viable. Not that these folks are doing that, but hat is a caution. It is the long-term residents of Bed-Stuy and other areas that have made it viable despite the pathological systemic racism they have been subject to for a very long time. So, support comes with admitted skepticism about motive; are you simply clearing the way for rents to rise and newer residents to come in and claim they have “saved” the neighborhood?

Wsdom of the Day provided by the Zaytuna Institute – May Allah Have Mercy on all the scholars and students of that wonderful institution. Amin.

No one eats better food than that earned by the work of his own hands. Indeed, God’s prophet, David, peace be upon him, used to eat from the labor of his own hands. – Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him)

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)  said, “Any word of wisdom is the stray of the believer, who has the better right to it wherever it may be found.”

Brother President Obama's signature

The Great Recession

So when exactly are they going to finish this project at the intersection of Atlantic, Hanson, and Flatbush?

Van Jones to the White House!

The White House did the right thing Monday:

They pulled in the son of the movement, a southern black boy with the heart of Green to be the Green Jobs Advisor in the White House.

Clearly people are very happy that Van has been placed in this position. He is the right man for the job, cares about the prosperity of All Americans, particularly those that have been pushed out of the graces of the market and been subject to the worst of extractive capitalist structures.

Van is a visionary and reader and a family man. To be a fly on the wall of the conversations of him and President Obama would be priceless. Good thing we are entering into an era of executive transparency and responsibility so that we might see the results of those conversations in solid people focused policy.

As a Green For All Fellow, I support the efforts of Van Jones in his new capacity and look forward to holding him accountable. 

SOME QURAN

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other)). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).

 

~ Qur'an 49:1

Take the D train!

Take the J train.

Chicago's First Free-standing Masjid

Sultan Muhammad, who grew up around the corner from here, showed e this Mosque in the moment of my exit. I was on the way to the airport. what the iphone shot is missing is the other minaret and the detail on the windows is outstanding. Many blessings to the countless Chicago Muslims who took care of me in my time there.