‘Jinendra – Wow, what a friendly person you are. I’m sure my Hindu friends would be lovely with your characterization of them practicing ‘idolatory’

Uh – you Do keep idols and portraits at your places of worship don’t you? While the choice of words was poor – I doubt your tone makes you any less ‘friendly’ than the people you criticize.

P.S. ‘my Hindu friends’ – YOUR friends?! Oh, you’re offended for “them” and not yourself – Wow, I’m pretty sure you buy porn at the newsagents for ‘them’ and not yourself! Project your insecurities much??

As far as the one million Muslims being false is concerned – you’re right – One million Indians would be much more accurate judging by the rate at which people keep leaving that supposed ‘superpower’ nation like rats deserting a sinking ship!!!

Sincerely, Javed

The choice of words when it came to Hinduism was interesting. It could have been in the same lines as the prior sentence that discussed a Christian and the religion Islam: “Why would a Muslim who does not believe in [Hinduism] want to visit a Hindu temple?”

“polytheism” “idolatry” then a later post of another person refers to non-abrahamic religions as “pagan” or Indians as “heathens.” In Middle Eastern Abrahamic so called monotheistic religions (Judaism/Christianity/Islam) polytheism/idolatry/pagans/heathens are looked down on as vastly inferior. I remember reading somewhere in pre-Islamic Arabia in the Kaaba there used to be 300+ idols from a number of religions in the region. That was tolerant. Go try building anything but a mosque in Saudi Arabia today.

What is it about those monotheistic religions? Does being monotheistic mean you have to be such a snob about other religions that are not monotheistic? Or can you create a monotheistic faith that is truly tolerant and respectful of non-monotheistic faiths – not that others are inferior, but merely different?

I’m Hindu, and I have prayed at mosques and churches and dargahs. I believe in Jesus, and I believe in the wisdom of the Prophet and Allah. I don’t see it as contradictory to my religion because Allah is God no matter what, and He loves me no matter what name I address him by.

I loved reading this Ramzan blog. I agree, it does sound slightly food-obsessed, but it’s such a personal and sincere look into the Muslim society of NY that it really comes off as a valuable snapshot of Islam in America in the early 21st century.

Hindus treat Allah or Jehovah as yet another incarnation: so, they have no problems going there. However, for Christians and Muslims, Allah/Jehovah is one and only True God: there can’t be multiple True Gods. That’s why Indian devas are notated with a small g (as in gods). The notion of truth in pagan traditions–whether of graeco-roman pagans or of Indian heathens–is hypothetical: that’s why they have tolerated multiple paths precisely because such a notion of truth is hypothetical. Call it epistemic truth; but this is different from the Truth Christians/Muslims talk about: the cosmos that was, is, and will be, is the Will of a Being who is outside of such cosmos. How do we know that it is the case? Because such a Being revealed to us humans. Why He revealed? Christianity answers thus: to save us.

Of course, many of our Christian friends come to temples, but they partake in some prasad. This doesn’t mean that they accept that your hindu god is a True one.

On the demographic point, yeah, the NY1 piece which offhandedly referred to 1m Muslims in NYC was obviously wrong. There aren’t 1m Muslims in the 8m population of the city intra muros. However, I am sure there’s easily a million Muslims in the greater New York metropolitan area. The 2010 census will help figure this out — right now all data are stale, and the community has been visibly growing every year. Another thing you notice in NYC — and the brothers mentioned this in one of their posts — is how easily Islam weaves into the culture of this city, making it much more comfortable for Muslims to announce, display, or simply live their faith without being stigmatized for it.

Still, some interesting insights — an uncomfortable Sunni in a Shia mosque. A desi breaking thru the “brown bubble” (eww) in an Egyptian mosque. Failing to do so at a Bambara-speaking mosque. The contrast between the I-banker mosque in Manhattan and the taxi-and-convenience-store-worker mosque in the Bronx. Getting asked for ID at the Bosnian mosque. The gender-equality at the Indonesian mosque, and the lack thereof everywhere else.

I think the whole thing could have been better organized, with more discussion between the “infiltrator” and hosts, and maybe some big picture analysis. But a great first effort.

And the pics are fantastic.