“The White Hat Approach to God”
June 30, 2008
New video is up by our brother Hamza (Andreas) Tzortzis about his talk in Canada, “The White Hat Approach to God”, which is about the existence of God and the inimitability of the Quran.
The Intellectual Basis of Islam by Hamza Andreas Tzortzis
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8540852936832317304Br. Hamza resides in the UK. For more information about him and his resources, you can visit:
http://hamzatzortzis.blogspot.com
Jamilah Kolocotronis
June 30, 2008
Jamilah Kolocotronis – A Greek Convert to Islam
In 1913 my grandfather left his home in the small village of Zatouna and traveled to Patras to earn some money. He was seventeen. He worked in a shop and at night, he told me, he slept behind the counter. Two years later, when he had earned enough, he boarded a boat for New York City, traveling steerage. When he left, his mother gave him two pieces of underwear and instructed him to wear the first on the voyage. When he reached America he could throw that in the ocean and put on the clean pair.
After his arrival Grandpa was processed at Ellis Island and placed on board a train bound for St. Louis. He couldn’t speak a word of English but there was a color-coded system to let the conductor know when each passenger should get off. In St. Louis he joined three older brothers. They slept in a large room with other Greek immigrants and worked wherever they could. A few years later he sent for my grandmother, whom he had never before met.
Eventually, my grandfather opened a Greek restaurant with his brothers and helped build the first Greek Orthodox congregation in St. Louis. He did what he could to raise his family of six, but practical life didn’t really suit Grandpa. He was a scholar at heart. If he’d been born to a rich family I have no doubt he would have been a priest, but his family was very poor and he did what he could to survive.
Years later, I benefited from my grandfather’s wisdom. He talked of history and politics and religion, all in his thick Greek accent, and I hung on every word. One day he gave me a postcard of the statue of Theodoros Kolokotronis, my ancestor*, and told me how he had defeated the Turks. Through my grandfather I learned of a heritage that extended far beyond my suburban St. Louis neighborhood.
When I went away to college I began learning about Islam. But I also carried with me the distrust of Muslim Turks, the people my ancestor had fought in the name of Greek independence. It took me four years to convert. One reason, I think, is that I couldn’t take that step and face telling my grandfather. He died in 1979. I became a Muslim in 1980.
My father, the son of Greek immigrants, basically renounced his Greek heritage. But I learned much of it from my grandfather and my aunts. I grew up Lutheran but we went to the Greek Orthodox Church for weddings, baptisms, and festivals. As a college student I spent two years learning Koine Greek, the language of the New Testament, and I can still read it. I never learned to speak Greek but I can make some awesome kourabiethes.and even baklava. And one day I hope to visit Greece and find the little village of Zatouna.
Author
Jamilah Kolocotronis is an author and an American Muslim from Greek ancestry. She has a doctorate in Social Science Education and has taught in Islamic schools for many years. She writes Islamic fiction for young adults/adults about American Muslims striving to live Islamic lives within the challenges of American society. She especially likes to write about converts who struggle to integrate their non-Islamic pasts with their new lives as Muslims. She has six sons, ages twenty-two to nine and lives in Lexington, Kentucky.
Published Books
Fiction – Innocent People, about a Muslim family in the year after September 11, 2001.
Fiction – Echoes Series (5 books), about an American Muslim convert’s struggle to pick up the pieces of his life
Nonfiction – Islamic Jihad, about the principles and practices of military jihad.
http://jamilahkolocotronis.writerswebpages.com
*Note:
When we asked Jamilah about her genealogy, this is what she had to say:
He [My grandfather] was born in Zatouna, Greece on August 18, 1896. His father was a tanner. I believe his father’s name was Yakub (?)–I know it was the equivalent of James. My grandfather’s name (in English) was John Demetrius Kolocotronis. He had 9 brothers and one sister. Two of his brothers were George and Angelos. Four of the boys came to the US while the others, as far as I know, stayed in Greece. My grandfather also lived in Patras for a short time, where he worked to earn the fare to come here. He probably didn’t have any relatives there. He told me he worked in a store and slept under the counter.
I don’t know any names beyond my great-grandfather, but my grandfather related the story of Kolocotronis and how he “sat on a rock” to ambush the Turkish troops. He was very proud of his ancestry.
Malcolm X
June 30, 2008
Malcolm X – Malik As Schabazz
O Malkolì Litel genhqhke to 1925 sthn Oìaca sto Nebreska. Me 16 cronwn phge
sto Mposton kai archse ìia zwh san KakopoioV ìecri pou eftase sthn fulakh.
Tote (sthn fulakh) kleisthke se ìia Sekte pou onaìazete Nation Of Islam.
Auth h Sekte einai enantion asprouV kai lene oti oloi oi Profhtes
htan ìauroi, o QeoV einai ìauroV k.t.l..
O Malkolì Litel ìe to kainourgio tou onoìa Malkolì X htane ena ìegalo
Proswpo sthn Nation Of Islam. Kai eice polla atoìa pisw tou. Perase polu kairoV ìecri na katalabei oti auth
h Sekte htane laqos kai oti o ArchgoV thV htane enaV YeuthV O Elijah Muhammed.
To 1965 ìporouse na bgei apo auth th Sekte.
Enas suìantikoV LogoV thV aporia tou htane to Catz pou ekane. Hde anqrwpouV
na trwne ìazi na kanoun ìazi thn proseucei touV , oloi ìe thn idia Pisth kai
Qruskeia kai ìe diaforetiko Derìa (Asproi kai Mauroi). Den uphrce diafora
anaìesa se Asprous kai ìaurouV kai oute epaize roloV apo pia
cwra ercwsouna. Etsi katalabe to Nohìa kai thn Ousia thV ZwhV kai to
Swsto Droìo thV QrhskeiaV .
Meta phre to Swsto Droìou tou Islaì to Droìw thV Sounna
(akwlouqage thV PraxeiV kai EkfraseiV tou Profhth Mocaììent) kai
Allaxe gia teleutaia fora to Onoìa tou se Malik As Saìpazz.
!!!O Malik As Saìpazz skwtoqhke sthV 21 Febrouariou to 1965!!!
Yusuf Islam
June 30, 2008
GRAFOUME TO 1965
ENAS NEOS BGAZEI ENA TRAGOUDH ME TO ONOMA “I LOVE MY DOG“ KAI
GHNETE MESA MIA BRADIA STAR ME TO ONOMA CAT STEVENS!!!
GRAFOUME TO 1978
O TRAGOUDISTHS LEEI SE OLO TO KOSMO POU TON AKOUEI OTI DEN QA XANA
TRAGOUDISEI XANA KAI DEN QA XANABGALEI DISKO.
13 CRONIA EICAN PERASEI META APO TOSO QRIAMBO KAI MEGALH KARIERA ALA O STEB BREIKE STA 13 CRONIA TON QEO POU EICE XECASEI !!!
STO 1970. PEIRE TO PROTO KORANIO STA CERIA TOU POU TO EICE FEREI O ADERFOS TOU APO TO ISRAHL META APO ENA TAXIDH. O STEB EITAN ENQOUSIASMENOS APO TO PROTO KEFALEO POU EICE DIABASEI. BRHKE LEXEIS KAI PRAGMATA EKEI MESA POU HQELE NA PEI STON KOSMO META TRAGOUDIA TOU.
OLA AFTA TOU EDEIXAN TI SIMASIA ECEI H ZWH KAI OTI TO
ISLAM EINAI O DROMOS POU QELEI O IDIOS STHN ZWH TOU.
ETSI KATALABE OTI EPREPE NA STAMATISEI ME THN MOUSIKH KAI NA PAREI TO DROMO TOU ISLAM.ALLAXE TO ONOMA TOU SE YUSUF ISLAM MPHKE STO ISLAM KAI ARCISE NA ZEI SAN ENAS MOUSOULMANOS. EFTIAXE POLLES
ORGANWSEIS ME ENA KALO SKOPO GIA TOUS MOUSOULMANOUS. KAI EGRAYE
TRAGOUDIA STO ONOMA TOU ISLAM CWREIS MOUSIKA ORGANA. O STEB EMEINE O IDOS ANQRWPOS ALLA ALLAXE TO NOHMA TIS ZWHS TOU KAI PROSPAQEI NA EINAI ENAS KALOS MOUSOULMANOS PISTOS ANQRWPOS. ECEI 5 PAIDIA, KAI EINAI EUCARISTIMENOS POU H ZWH TOU PEIRE AUTON TO DROMO, TO SWSTO DROMO , TO DROMO TOU QEOU / ALLAC:
Dr. L. Moore about Islam
June 30, 2008
O DASKALOS KAI DOKTORAS STHN SCOLH TOU KANADA TORONTO GIA
ANATOMIA KAI KUTTAROBIOLOGIA. ENAS DOKTOR KAI SUGGRAFEAS SE DIAFORA QEMATA KAI BIBLIA OPWS STHN EMBRIOLOGIA (THE DEVELOPING
HUMAN 5th EDITION) (Clinically Orientated Anatomy 3rd Edition ) ME TO
ONOMA DR. KAIQ L. MOUR O DR. KAIQ L. MOUR HTAN PALIA DHMARCOS STH KANADIKH ENWSH GIA ANATOMIA KAI STHN AMERIKANIKH ENWSH GIA KLINIKES ANATOMIES. ECEI PAREI POLA BRABEIA SAN AWARD STHN AMERIKH
GIA KALA MAQHMATA KAI DIGMATA STHN KLINIKH ANATOMIA.
O IDIOS LEEI: STA TELEUTAIA 3 CRONIA DOULEUA STHN
EMBRIOLOGIAKH TAXH TOU BASEILIA, SE MIA SCOLH STHN TSENTAC
SAOUDIKH ARABIA. KAI TOUS BOHQOUSA STHN PROSPAQEIA NA
EXEIGHSOUME THS EKFRASHS STHN EMBRIOLOGIA POU ECEI KANEI O
PROFOTHS MOCAMMENT, KAI ALLAC STO KORANIO. STHN ARCH
HMOUNA ENQOUSIASMENOS APO THS SWSTES KAI STO QEMA SOSTES
EKFRASHS STHN EMBRIOLOGIA POU EICE KANEI O PROFHTHS PRIN
1400 CRONIA, TOTE POU DEN UPARCANE SCOLES GIA TETOIA
MAQHMATA KAI GNWSEIS. HXERA OTI H ARABES EICANE KANEI KALES
EURENES STHN IATRAKH PRIN POSA CRONIA ALLA DEN HXERA OTI
UPERCAN TETOIES EKFRASHS STHN PISTH KAI QRHSKEIA.
SE ENA DIALOGO STO KAHRO; PAROUSIAZA ENA KOMMATI APO THS
EREUNES POU EICA KANEI KAI EIPA : HTAN MIA MEGALH CARA GIA
MENA NA BOHQHSW NA EXHGHSOUME THS EKFRASHS APO TO
KORANIO PROS THN EMBRIOLOGIA KAI THN GENHSH TOU ANQRWPOU
GIA MENA EINAI KAQARA OTI OI EKFRASEIS TOU PROFHTH MOCAMENT
PREPEI NA ECOUN STELQEI APO TON QEO H ALLAC, GIATI POLLES
APO AFTES THS GNWSEIS APO THN EMBRIOLOGIA POU BREQHKANE
STO KORANIO KAI STOIS EKFRASEIS TOU PROFHTH, EIXAME MAQEI
POLU PIO META EMEIS STO MELLON. AUTO ENOEI OTI O MOCAMENT
HTAN ENAS PROFITHS KAI APOSTALMENOS TOU QEOU.
A call to the world
June 29, 2008
The most dynamic web portal about Greek Muslim life
p.s. This is my first video, ever, and it was fun putting it together. 
Hatred for Turks breeds in other countries too
June 29, 2008
With the recent discussion on Greek-Turkish relations, I think you will find this video interesting.
Here’s a brother from our city who converted after having ingrained in him the societal acceptance to hate Muslims or Turks. Although he is from Romania, his upbringing towards the idea of hatred for Turks is very similar to that of Greeks.
Romanian and loving Islam
Wikipedia right on
June 26, 2008
While Wiki does a fine job of providing information about Greek Muslims in the vicinity of Greece, I found that there was nothing said about Greeks around the world who convert to Islam. I mean Greeks who can date back to Greek ancestry, not Turkish or other.
So, I thought I would make Wikipedia right on by first adding our website to the external links (yay, we’re famous now!) and then also adding a new section: “Greek Muslim Converts around the World”.
The problem is that I’m having a hard time deciding what to actually include in this section or how much detail I should go into. Here’s what I started off with:
There is an increasing trend of Greeks converting to Islam around the world. These Greek people are 100% Greek either living in Greece or outside of Greece, who after researching religion, have chosen to convert to Islam.
I know, pretty pathetic. What do you suggest we write?
The struggle to keep your Greek heritage
June 25, 2008
(photo taken from http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtbphoto/124430789)
Often times, I find we particularly have a hard time with family because they look at us like traitors. In their minds, we’re now Turks! We’ve gone over to the OTHER side.
And for Greeks, that’s just about the worst thing you can do! I’m serious. You can come home pregnant (outside of marriage) or basically become an atheist and still look better to your mom than if you become the baboolas, the big monster Muslim.
See, for many of us Greek Muslims, we still want to keep our culture along with our Islam. And there is no problem with that as long as we don’t indulge in forbidden acts. But how do we find that middle path?
When I think Greek, I think of a Big, Fat, Greek Wedding. Seriously.
A big loud, traditional dancing party with food for the entire village. Drinking, music, pure wildness and kissing from cheek to cheek. Everyone knows everyone. And a place where really, anything goes.
Try finding the middle path now! As you can see, it’s hard at times. Eventually, I came to grips with it and learned to take the good and throw out the bad. Obviously, no more Greek weddings for me! I now spend a lot more time with family, choosing the environment carefully.
I’m very careful not to admonish others about their lifestyle choices but make it very clear to them how I choose to live my lifestyle and they cannot sway me otherwise. In fact, I learned to give dawah through my actions and not my tongue, and now I’m a lot more respected than ever before. In fact, my mom coined my new nickname, ei kaloygria (the nun).
So, the best advice I can give to new converts is to seek knowledge first. Find a good mentor and group of friends who are pious and knowledgeable in Islam that you can emulate.
Islam is compelling because it’s so simple and natural. With further prodding, Islam can also be very deep and complex because it covers every single aspect of our lives. So, when learning more about the details of Islam, it’s always best to go to people of knowledge. As they say, you are who your friends are.
What are your experiences or advice about culture and Islam?
The convert pendulum
June 24, 2008
Over and over again, I hear about converts (or reverts) to Islam swinging from one end of the pendulum to the other and most of the time, after a while, they land in the middle path somewhere. I think it’s become a natural cycle:
Before Islam (no knowledge, no action):
leading the crazy life
Right after Islam (little knowledge, lots of action):
abandoning the crazy life and strictly admonishing others from keeping it
Years after converting (lots of knowledge, lots of action):
abandoned the crazy life and being more wise in speaking with others about their lives
I recently came across this quote, which sums it up:
When knowledge exceeds action, arrogance prevails. When actions exceed knowledge, innovated matters (bidah) prevail.
And really, it’s true. Right after I converted to Islam and abruptly stopped my bad habits, I started to arrogantly admonish my family members for continuing to do those actions. Eventually, they just got really sick of it, until years down the road, I realized what a big mistake I had made.
I learned two things over the years:
1. Give dawah by my actions and manners, not by admonishing
2. Concentrate on matters of belief and not on fiqh (what actions are allowed and what are not)
