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Thank you for the good days, Blogger.

We have moved to WordPress.

Our new URL is: http://muslihoon.wordpress.com/

From BlameBush!: Mother Sheehan and Her Son

Sometimes, one line in a blogpost will jump out and grab one's attention by the throat.

Such a line We found today:

Compassion obviously eludes Ann Coulter, who openly mocks Cindy Sheehan, a grieving mother who sacrificed her only begotten son so that the peace movement may live.

From Book Review: Godless by Ann Coulter of BlameBush! (a parody blog).

innaa naHnu-l-a'lam.

From Where Comes "Moslem"?

"Moslem" has been used in English to refer to "Muslim" for quite some time. Muslims get a little upset when people use "Moslem" as the proper word is "Muslim." But Muslims are jumping the gun a bit. "Moslem" is not an English corruption of "Muslim."

"Moslem" comes from the Persian pronunciation of the Arabic word "Muslim." Persian renders its short vowels a little differently than Arabic. Short "u" is pronounced "o" rather than "u" (as in the English word "buck"). Short "i" is pronounced "e" rather than "i" (as in the English word "bit").

It also from Persian that English-speakers and -writers got the word "Mohammad" or "Mohammed." Again, short "u" is rendered as "o."

Muslims should be grateful English-speakers did not borrow many Islamic words from Turkish. "Muhammad" in Turkish is "Mehmet." If Muslims are upset at the use of "o" instead of "u," imagine their outrage at English-speakers using "Mehmet." Some British writers in the past have used "Mossalman" or "Mussalman." They obtained this word from Urdu, which in turn comes from Persian. It means "Muslim." The Persian plural would be "mosalmaanaan"; the Urdu plural would be "mussalmaaneiN" (nominative) or "mussalmaanoN" (oblique); in English an "s" is added to the end to produce "Mossalmans."

When many English-speakers pronounce "Moslem," the "s" is voiced (becoming, essentially, "z"). The same occurs when some English-speakers say "Muslim" (pronouncing it as "Muzlim"). It is from the latter ("Muzlim" from "Muslim") that the nickname "Muzzie(s)" comes from. Muslims need to understand that this is not a deliberate corruption of the word but, rather, applying to the word the rules of English pronunciation and phonetics. It is somewhat outrageous to deny the speakers of a language their right to render any borrowed word according to the language's tendencies of pronunciation.

(This is inspired by hearing a Muslim daa'ee (proselytizer) ranting on how non-Muslims pronounce "Muslim." More about his point later.)

innaa naHnu-l-a'lam.

GIs Cleared WRT Ishaqi; Probe Open on Haditha

According to Yahoo! News, GIs have been cleared of any charges regarding collateral damage at Ishaqi. The probe regarding the same by Marines at Haditha is still open.

To reiterate Our previous policy: We will not formulate an opinion until the probe has come to an end and the results thereof have been released.

We shall place the following piece of information alongside whatever finding the probe may release (from the aforementioned article):

He also said victims' relatives turned down a request by U.S. investigators to exhume the victims' bodies for forensic tests.

Unlike some, We refuse to proclaim anyone guilty, deserving of punishment, or otherwise culpable until the probe has ended and its findings have been released. We similarly suspend any proclamation of innocence, even though under the law and legal system of The United States one is innocent until proven guilty. We furthermore condemn anyone who formulates an opinion or judgment before the same. No one can formulate a just opinion or judgment until the facts have been brought forth, and this cannot occur until the investigation has come to an end and its findings are released.

innaa naHnu-l-a'lam.