Sister Reminder blogs

I would beg to differ with Sr Alif… I just read an eye opening newsletter (attached below) written by Sister Asma Abdu-Salam Lyons, the principal of Hamza Academy which goes into the detail of the historical origin of Thanksgiving.  After reading your blog and reading the newsletter I could not help but add my two cents.

Thanksgiving- The Real Story

It interested me that people can celebrate holidays of  historical contradiction due to habit instead of knowledge. Allah says in the Quran,

“And do not follow (blindly) any information of which you have no direct knowledge. (Using your faculties of perception and conception, you must verify it for yourself). In the Court of your Lord, you will be held accountable for your hearing, sight, and the faculty of reasoning.” [17:36]

I did my own research on the origin of Thanksgiving and found more interesting  articles in this link. I also found this youtube video interesting to watch.

If I had the choice I would hold the gravy and study the history with “trails of tears”….

Sr Alif blogs

It’s that time of the year again when Muslims begin their debate about celebrating Thanksgiving.  Is it considered unIslamic if it does not fall into our two Eids, or should we  argue that Thanksgiving has a very Islamic theme of getting together and Thanking God for the bounties that He has given us?  Others will argue that the day contradicts the historical atrocity committed to the Native American people.

Well, no matter what, it is a federal holiday, and everyone is off. Turkey is on special, and there are no signs of pagan worship here. Your whole family wants to get together on this day (both Muslims and non-Muslims),  so what’s the harm?

You can’t stop people gathering and having fun feasting, but you can educate your child about the significance of this day both historically and Islamically.

I use this national holiday to  focus on the colonial history of America, and read books related to Native Americans and their lives and their views (since mostly you do not get to hear this point in school).  Some good reading during the weekend holiday and have a POWWOW book discussion afterward.

I also use this time to introduce Muslim and American Indians History to my students in class,  and have my students find information and write a small booklet about it or an interesting book report.  And if they are older, they can even have a two sided debate about this event. If you can, bring in an expert from both sides to talk about their views and opinions.

And for the rest of us who want to just enjoy this long break with a turkey feast, here’s a link to watch a video on how to make your own Halal turkey!!