DO YOU KNOW THE REAL HISTORY OF KWANZAA? HERE’S WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/do-you-know-the-real-history-of-kwanzaa-heres-what-its-all-about/

• Posted on December 19, 2012 at 11:41am by  Billy Hallowell
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If you were watching TheBlaze TV last week, you likely saw Glenn Beck’s satirical “Kwanzaa Edition” of “Jeopardy.” The general premise of the game show was to drive home the point that most people know little to nothing about the African holiday. While Christmas and Hanukkah are more mainstream, the celebration, which is only decades-old, is widely unknown by most Americans.

Unlike the Christian and Jewish observances, Kwanzaa is not religious in nature, although many incorrectly assume that it is. An official web site for the celebration describes it as “an African American and Pan-African holiday celebrated by millions throughout the world African community.”

Photo Credit: AP

Thus, Kwanzaa (which is a word that comes from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya Kwanza,” which means “first fruits”) is a holiday that is predicated upon ethnicity, pointing to a vastly different lens through which the newly-minted tradition can be viewed.

Whereas Christmas focuses upon Jesus, the central figure of the Christian religion, Hanukkah commemorates the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century B.C. But Kwanzaa, in contrast, celebrates a people. As a holiday that is ethnically and not religiously based, it’s possible for Christians and people of other faith traditions to still partake in the celebration of culture.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Each year, from December 26 through January 1, a small portion of African Americans, descendants of Africa who reside outside of the continent and Africans observe the holiday. The general focus, as Patheos notes, is on “community, family, and culture.” Considering its root in the “first fruits” phase, Kwanzaa is set around the harvest festivals that were common in ancient Africa.

As Patheos notes, the festivities focus upon “Seven Principles. These include:  ”unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith” — all elements intended to unite individuals in the African heritage. The outlet also explainssome of the traditions that are undertaken to commemorate Kwanzaa:

As part of the celebration, family members decorate a table with special symbols. They usually begin with an African tablecloth, which they cover with a woven mat and a candleholder with seven candles. These candles represent the Seven Principles and are black, red, and green. The one black candle symbolizes the African people, the three red candles their struggle, and the three green candles their hopes for the future. On each day of Kwanzaa, one candle is lit.

Besides these objects, observers also decorate the table with ears of corn, a cup (for pouring a libation in honor of ancestors), books on African life, as well as African objects of art. Many families have striven to keep Kwanzaa simple and focused on internal values, apart from the commercialism and hectic activities often accompanying Christmas.

Like the ancient celebrations it is modeled after, the modern-day holiday, lasts for seven days (observing one principle each day). While reflective of past traditions, Kwanzaa is a modern-day phenomenon. Founded by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor and the head of the Department of Africana Studies at California State University Long Beach, it originated in 1966, during the Civil Rights movement in America.

Watch Karenga explain Kwanzaa and its central tenets in detail:

Despite the holiday’s relative newness, Karenga has noted that it is rooted in traditions that pre-cede Christmas and Hanukkah. Citing the fact that the aforementioned ancient festivals were and are often celebrated at the end of December and in January, the professor defends his choice to set Kwanzaa in its current time frame.

“Kwanzaa’s model is older than Christmas and Hanukkah and thus does not borrow from them or seek to imitate them in the or manner,” he told Beliefnet in a past interview surrounding this subject. “And it makes little sense to attribute Kwanzaa’s date of celebration to misconceptions about its replacing Christmas or Hanukkah when it is simply following a pre-established season for African first-fruit celebrations which precede both Hanukkah and Christmas.”

In the same interview, Karenga stressed unity and described Kwanzaa’s founding in a 1960s context, while also connecting its meaning to the importance of ancient and African culture:

“Of all the good which came out of the Black Freedom Movement, both its Civil Rights and Black Power phases, Kwanzaa stands as a unique heritage and cultural institution. It is this institution as a definitive and enduring carrier of culture which has kept the 60′s struggles and achievements as a living tradition.

But it also brings forth the whole of African history and culture as a valuable, ancient and enduring model of human excellence and achievement and uses this culture as a rich resource for addressing modern moral and social issues. It is in celebrating Kwanzaa and practicing its Nguzo Saba, the Seven Principles, that our families and community are reaffirmed and reinforced and our lives enriched and expanded.”

While Karenga claims that 28 million people celebrate Kwanzaa across the globe, there are no definitive estimates, especially considering that those who partake are spread throughout the world. In 2010, researcher and professor Keith Mayes, author of the book ”Kwanzaa: Black Power and the Making of the African-American Holiday Tradition,” said that the holiday has leveled off in its support, as the black power movement has simmered.

“It just no longer shows up in some of the places that it did 30 to 40 years ago. You still have people who actually celebrate it,” Mayes said in an interview with Philly.com. “You have third generations of Kwanzaa celebrants…but Kwanzaa no longer has its movement which brought it forth, which is the black power movement. That movement has waned.”

Watch Mayes describe the holiday, below:

Mayes’ added that conservative estimates claim that only one to two million Americans celebrate the holiday. If Karenga’s own assessment is true — that 28 million people observe Kwanzaa — then that means that the vast majority of people taking part reside outside of the U.S., with only a small proportion of African Americans observing the cultural holiday.

TheBlaze reached out to Karenga’s office and e-mailed questions surrounding the founder’s faith and his response to critics who have a negative view of the holiday’s founding. Despite being told by a secretary that answers would be sent back, we have not yet received responses.

If you’re interested in learning more information about the celebration, which is related to an ethnic “struggle to achieve social justice and build a better world,” you can go to the official Kwanzaa web site. In a special FAQ section, Karenga answers a plethora of questions and criticisms, clarifying the meaning behind the festivities.

Carousel image courtesy of ShutterStock.com.

CNN SCRUBS ARTICLE ABOUT FEMALE VOTING PATTERNS: WOMEN’S ‘HORMONES MAY INFLUENCE VOTING CHOICES’

• Posted on October 25, 2012 at 10:11am by  Billy Hallowell
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CNN is catching some heat for publishing — then removing — a story about how hormones allegedly impact female voters. Clearly a controversial subject, the article was based on an unpublished study. In the end, the outlet obviously felt that it was a mistake to advance it, because editors yanked the piece offline just hours after it went live. The Atlantic reports:

In a matter of hours, CNN published and removed a story about how hormones influence women voters, one that made claims about how women tend to lean liberal when ovulating because they “feel sexier.” The story was based on an unpublished scientific study — insert scare quotes as needed — from researchers at the University of Texas, San Antonio that looked at the political tendencies of 275 women at various stages of their menstrual cycle. Broadly speaking, the study concluded that, yes, women’s voting patterns do vary based on their hormones, and CNN galvanized the idea with a blog post flanked by pictures of Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Here are some portions of the now-scrubbed CNN article, as delivered by the Washington Post’s Alexandra Petri:

“While the campaigns eagerly pursue female voters, there’s something that may raise the chances for both presidential candidates that’s totally out of their control: women’s ovulation cycles.

“You read that right. New research suggests that hormones may influence female voting choices differently, depending on whether a woman is single or in a committed relationship.” [...]

“The most controversial part of the study is not only that hormonal cycles are linked to women’s preferences for candidates and voting behaviors, but also that single women who are ovulating are more likely to be socially liberal, and relationship-committed women are more likely to be socially conservative, said Paul Kellstedt, associate professor of political science at Texas A&M University.”

Responses to the article ranged from annoyed to cynical. New York Magazine, using the opportunity to take aim at conservatives, wrote, “Please do not share this ‘science’ with the Republican lawmaker in your life. He might actually believe it. The Huffington Post, too, created a list of purportedly dumb quotes that were included in the piece.

Author Elizabeth Landau, though, defended the article, writing on Twitter, “For the record, I was reporting on a study to be published in a peer-reviewed journal & included skepticism. I did not conduct the study.”

CNN has replaced the piece with a disclaimer, reading, “A post previously published in this space regarding a study about how hormones may influence voting choices has been removed. After further review it was determined that some elements of the story did not meet the editorial standards of CNN.”

A screen shot from the CNN health article that has now been removed.

So, there you have it. It should be noted that CNN’s response — a claim that the article violates standards — is interesting, especially considering that Landau has publicly defended her actions.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/cnn-scrubs-article-about-female-voting-study-womens-voting-patterns-vary-based-on-their-hormones/

CLINT EASTWOOD’S BACK WITH THIS NEW PRO-ROMNEY AD: AMERICA CAN’T ‘SURVIVE’ ANOTHER The caliph خليفة Benedict Arnold TERM

CLINT EASTWOOD’S BACK WITH THIS NEW PRO-ROMNEY AD: AMERICA CAN’T ‘SURVIVE’ ANOTHER OBAMA TERM

• Posted on October 24, 2012 at 8:55am by  Billy Hallowell
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Just when you thought Clint Eastwood had taken himself out of the political schema, he’s back — and he’s starring in a new, pro-Mitt Romney advertisement. According to POLITICO, the spot was released this morning by American Crossroads, a super PAC founded by conservative political operative Karl Rove.

“In the last few years, America’s been knocked down. Twenty-three million people can’t find full-time work, and we borrow $4 billion every single day, much of it from China,” Eastwood proclaimsin the ad. “If someone doesn’t get the job done, you have to hold them accountable. Obama’s second term would be a rerun of the first and our country just couldn’t survive that.”

Actor and director Clint Eastwood speaks at the 2012 Republican National Convention. (AFP/Getty Images)

The actor goes on to say that America needs a strong leader who can turn the U.S. around — and fast. Eastwood, of course, heralds Romney has just the man for the job. With urgency, the actor claims that, “There’s no much time left — the future of our country is at stake.”

The ad will be running in swing states Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Virginia — and Ohio. This latter state is being considered a deal-breaker that will have major implications in terms of deciding who wins the 2012 election.

Watch the ad, below:

FOX NEWS’ BRIT HUME DISCUSSES HIS CHRISTIAN FAITH & ‘SEEING THE FACE OF GOD’ AFTER HIS SON’S TRAGIC SUICIDE

• Posted on October 19, 2012 at 8:08am by  Billy Hallowell
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Fox News’ Brit Hume is known for his pointed and robust political analysis. But in a recent interview with CBN News chief political correspondent David Brody, the well-known journalist and commentator also spoke candidly about his Christian faith and the pain surrounding his son’s 1998 suicide.

Hume told Brody that, throughout his adult life, he gave very little thought to God and his faith. But the untimely death of his son caused that to change radically. Looking back on the painful period in his life, the Fox News analyst said that he quickly realized that many of the events that happened could only be explained as being God-ordained.

“When my son died in 1998, you know, when something shattering like that happens, I think it’s likely to be moment or can well be a moment where you find out what you really believe, and as horrible as that was, and it was bad, and it was heartbreaking and it was unexpected and it was very painful, I had the feeling through it all, that God was there,” he told Brody. “That He would rescue me from grief and pain, and that, I would get through it, and I knew I believed, and I knew it with enormous force.”

Photo Credit: CBN News

Hume also described his faith background, having grown up in the Episcopal church and having gone to an Episcopal school for nine years as a child. While he considered himself a Christian for the majority of his life, the political analyst said that it was mostly nominal — that is, until the death of his son.

“I thought I was seeing the face of God,” he said of the positive and encouraging responses he received from viewers following the tragedy. “And I felt enormously lifted by it, I felt grateful for it, and I said to myself, ‘Well, Hume, turns out you’re a Christian. Now, what are you going to do about it?’”

The journalist admitted something that many Christians before him have publicly stated: It’s difficult to live a faith-driven life. However, since asking himself that important question, he’s been striving toward a Christ-inspired existence.

Watch Hume discuss his faith with Brody, below:

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/fox-news-brit-hume-discusses-his-christian-faith-seeing-the-face-of-god-after-his-sons-tragic-suicide/

DOES The caliph خليفة Benedict Arnold‘S MYSTERY RING REALLY HAVE ’THERE IS NO GOD EXCEPT ALLAH’ INSCRIBED IN ARABIC?

• Posted on October 10, 2012 at 6:30pm by  Billy Hallowell
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President Barack Obama's ring (Photo Credit: WND)

A World Net Daily (WND) report alleging that a ring President Barack Obama wears on his left hand includes the Islamic and Arabic phrase, “There is no God but Allah,” has been making its way across social media and the blogosphere.

The article cites two Obama critics as sources who claim that the president has been wearing the ring, which apparently now doubles as his wedding band, for the past 30 years. We’ll let WND describe the scenario to you in the outlet’s own words:

As a student at Harvard Law School, then-bachelor Barack Obama’s practice of wearing a gold band on his wedding-ring finger puzzled his colleagues.

Now, newly published photographs of Obama from the 1980s show that the ring Obama wore on his wedding-ring finger as an unmarried student is the same ring Michelle Robinson put on his finger at the couple’s wedding ceremony in 1992.

Moreover, according to Arabic-language and Islamic experts, the ring Obama has been wearing for more than 30 years is adorned with the first part of the Islamic declaration of faith, the Shahada: “There is no god except Allah.”

Some critics will likely seize upon this article to claim that Obama is a Muslim and that this is the proof that’s needed to out his purportedly secretly-held faith. After all, the alleged phrase that some claim is in the ring’s design is part of the shahada, the First Pillar of Islam and the declaration of belief that adherents must accept in order to be counted as Muslims.

It’s important to note, though, that “Allah” — at least in this instance — is more closely translated to mean “God.” Thus, a more accurate interpretation is, “There is no god but God.“ The second part of the shahada is ”Muhammad is the prophet of God.” This latter portion is not said to be present on Obama’s ring (the shahada in its entirety reads, “There is no god but God and Muhammad is the prophet of God”).

Critics should probably take pause, though — particularly those making the jump to claim that the ring is somehow slam-dunk proof of Obama’s supposed devotion to the Islamic faith. This first part of the shahada, though specific to Islam, is a tenet that any monotheistic adherent can relate to. Furthermore, some critics claim that using the word “Allah” as WND (and as many others generally do) tends to make it unfairly seem as though the saying is exclusive to Islam.

President Barack Obama eats a french fry while meeting with supporters about voter registration last month. Notice his intricate wedding band. (Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

If the ring were said to have the second portion of the shahada, then eyebrows would likely raise a bit more. After all, Muhammad is confined to Islam and such a statement being present on jewelry would certainly be indicative of Islamic inclination.

Knowing that these elements were at play, TheBlaze decided to speak with experts at some of America’s leading universities. One academic, a professor at Duke University, provided a candid assessment, but asked to remain off-the-record. Based on the images and analysis present in the WND report, he said that the script present on Obama’s ring appears to be Arabic and that it does, indeed, include the first portion of the shahada.

“I think this is accurate,” he said of the description surrounding the ring.

That in mind, the professor said that he believes the president’s claims that he is a Christian and that the purpose for the ring might be more rooted in other sentiments that lay outside of the Islamic religious tradition. In fact, some individuals wear rings similar to Obama’s for personal protection, he said.

“Usually people in the Middle East — they wear such rings just for protection against any evil [spirits], car crashes — to keep them safe from evil,” he explained.

While the academic contends that Obama may be wearing a ring that publicly pronounces a belief in one God, gold, in some areas of the Middle East, is not a metal that many Muslim men are permitted to wear. Thus, by some standards and in certain localities Obama’s ring would disqualify him from entering a mosque or even participating in worship — theoretically, speaking.

While the Duke scholar seemed certain of the Arabic script present on the ring, Harvard University’s Dr. Ali Asani, a professor of Indo-Muslim and Islamic Religion and Cultures, told TheBlaze that the images of Obama’s ring were not clear enough to make a determination.

“I’d actually have to see it much closer to see exactly what it says,” Asani said.

Photo Credit: WND

While he disagreed with the Duke professor that the script is definitively Arabic and that it is, without question, representative of the first portion of the shahada, Asani did agree on one major point: Even if it is the first section of shahada, such a determination would, in itself, mean very little.

“It’s very clear that its not the whole shahada — of course in the shahada there the two different phrases. One is inclusive,” he explained. “It’s a statement any monotheist could accept — that there’s only one god. It‘s only the second part that’s exclusivist.”

With monotheism being the central underpinning of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the universalist nature of the shahada’s affirmation of a solitary God can be embraced by any adherent of the aforementioned faiths, Asani corroborated.

As far as the Duke professor’s claims about gold, Asani agreed, but he offered a caveat — that the policy on wearing gold jewelry differs based on Islamic tradition and interpretation.

“It depends on whose interpretation of Islam,” the professor said. “Some ultra-conservatives have this [restriction on gold but] lots of Muslim men wear gold rings.”

Unlike the Duke expert, Asani said that he had not seen any other rings reminiscent of Obama’s (pending the shadada truly is inscribed in the ring). ”Usually the calligraphy is not part of the design itself,” he explained.

In discussing potential motivations for wearing the ring, if, indeed, its description is accurate, Asani entertained the notion that a relative might have given it to Obama — a theory that TheBlaze posited during the interview. Asani, who was born in Kenya, described having a similar situation in which his father gave him a gold ring that belonged to his grandfather — a piece of jewelry that he still wears today.

As WND notes, a 2009 New York Times article claims that Obama’s ring did, indeed, come from Indonesia. The description reads, “Michelle’s was traditional, but Barack’s was an intricate gold design from Indonesia, where he had lived as a boy.” While the article doesn’t note that Obama purportedly wore the ring years before his wedding, it does seem to corroborate the notion that it came from the nation that Obama once called home.

After speaking with the Duke and Harvard experts, TheBlaze reached out to Raj Bhala, Associate Dean for International and Comparative Law at The University of Kansas School of Law to capture his take on the reports surrounding Obama’s ring. While he had not read the WND report, he mirrored the sentiment presented by the other scholars we spoke with. Even if the ring is, indeed, the shahada, he said, “So what?”

“Let‘s suppose he is wearing a ring that says ’there is no god but God,‘ ’there are no deities but Dod,‘ ’nothing is worthy of being worshipped in the universe accept God.’ What that would mean is the president is a monotheist,” Bhala said. “He believes in a single God. He’s in the abrahamic tradition of Jews, Christians and Muslims.”

Rather than serving as a sign of devotion to Islam, Bhala noted that Obama may actually be making a Christian proposition and exhibiting his personal faith in Christ by wearing the ring.

Barack Obama and his roommate Hasan Chandoo at Occidental College circa 1981. Notice Obama is wearing the alleged ring in this photo, years before his wedding took place. (Photo Credit: Tom Grauman/New Yorker magazine)

These interview subjects provide a stark contrast to Islamic scholar Mark A. Gabriel, whom WND interviewed for the outlet’s article on the subject (Gabriel, too, said that many Muslim men do often wear gold, despite religious regulations in some areas against the practice).

“There can be no doubt that someone wearing the inscription ‘There is no god except Allah’ has a very close connection to Islamic beliefs, the Islamic religion and Islamic society to which this statement is so strongly attached,” he told the outlet. “Christians never use the statement. By wearing the shahada on jewelry, a person communicates that Allah is in control of all circumstances. Allah controls you; Allah is the one and only one.”

Certainly, Obama’s ring is fascinating and, considering its history, it must hold special meaning to the president. Consider the brief historical account that WND provides in its analysis (this is being shared mainly to showcase the allegation that Obama has been wearing the ring on his wedding finger for decades):

As WND reported in July, previously published photos have shown Obama wearing a gold band on his wedding-ring finger continuously from 1981 at Occidental, through graduation at Columbia in 1983, in a visit to Africa in 1988 and during his time at Harvard from 1988 to 1991. But none, until now, have displayed the ring with enough detail to identify it as the one he currently is wearing.

WND reported a satirical edition of the Harvard Law Review published by students in 1990 contains a mock Dewers Scotch profile advertisement poking fun at Obama. Among a list of Obama’s “Latest Accomplishments” is: “Deflecting Persistent Questioning About Ring On Left Hand.”

So, it seems the situation is a complicated one. Regardless of where one stands, learning the true history behind the ring and the president’s reasoning for continuing to wear it would be a fascinating feat.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/does-obamas-mystery-ring-really-have-there-is-no-god-except-allah-inscribed-in-arabic/

CONSERVATIVE’S ANTI-JIHAD SUBWAY AD LEADS TO NEW POLICIES: NYC AUTHORITY CAN NOW BAN ADS THAT COULD ‘INCITE OR PROVOKE VIOLENCE’

• Posted on September 28, 2012 at 1:49pm by  Billy Hallowell
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The epic battle between American Freedom Defense Initiative executive director and blogger Pamela Geller and The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) culminated with a court decision that forced the transit authority to permit the display of controversial ads about radical Islam. But the story didn’t end there. As TheBlaze reported this morning, Geller’s case caused the MTA to rethink the manner in which it handles First Amendment issues, leading to the adoption of some potentially-controversial measures.

On Friday, TheBlaze spoke with a spokesperson who confirmed some of the details surrounding the case, while clarifying the new changes that passed on Thursday. As noted, one of the emergent provisions that was added into the public company’s advertising standards in the wake of the Geller debate allows the MTA to deny ads it deems could incite violence.

As previously noted, a document, reflecting yesterday’s changes, was released by the MTA to TheBlaze this morning. It highlights the transit authority’s advertising standards and reads, in part, “The licensee (‘advertising contractor’) shall not display or maintain any advertisement that falls within one or more of the following categories.” One of the category sections reads:

The advertisement, or any information contained in it, is directly adverse to the commercial or administrative interests of the MTA or is harmful to the morale of MTA employeesor contains material the display of which the MTA reasonably foresees would incite or provoke violence or other immediate breach of the peace, and so harm, disrupt, or interfere with safe, efficient, and orderly transit operations.

It is the portion presented in bold that is new to the regulations. It’s inclusion is interesting for a number of reasons. On the surface, it appears oddly placed in the list of grievances that could lead to the banning of an advertisement. Furthermore, there is some ambiguity regarding what led to the inclusion of the “violence” reference in the first place.

Here’s a screen shot from the official document:

A portion of the new advertising standards, with the highlighted "violence" reference (Photo Credit: MTA)

In an e-mail reply, MTA spokesperson Aaron Donovan told TheBlaze that the change was among the “outstanding issues” that the agency was looking to tackle in the new regulatory document.

“Since we hadn’t updated our advertising standards in 15 years, we used this opportunity to address several outstanding issues or potential hypothetical situations,” he wrote. “This is one of them.”

TheBlaze responded with additional questions about the motivations for the change, asking how, in particular, the MTA’s court battle with Geller impacted the new restriction on violent ads. Donovan responded, admitting that the dilemma did play an integral role in the decision to make the change.

“The ad, and more specifically the litigation surrounding it, caused us to think about a variety of potential scenarios and review our standards more carefully within a prism of First Amendment law,” he commented.

Considering that the MTA has made its opposition to the ad’s message known in the past — and taking into account continued calls for bans on blasphemy and offensive messages — the natural question is: Will this new regulation serve as a backdoor method for banning controversial ads that take aim at specific faiths, like Islam?

Photo Credit: American Freedom Defense Initiative/ABC News

To gain a better perspective, TheBlaze asked who would be involved in the process of defining which messages incite violence and what the metrics for doing so would be.

“It would go through the same process we currently use to determine whether ads meet the overall guidelines,” Donovan explained. “Ads are submitted to our advertising contractor, CBS Outdoor, for posting and approval.”

Once the ads are submitted, Donovan said that CBS then decides which ones need to be scrutinized more closely to ensure they meet guidelines. Considering the other MTA regulation that was adopted on Thursday — the requirement that political, religious and morality-based ads include a disclaimer separating their ideals from the agency’s — the spokesperson said that CBS would also be involved in flagging ads for that purpose.

“The MTA’s final determination is made by the MTA’s Director of Real Estate, in consultation with CBS Outdoor (our ad contractor), the MTA’s General Counsel, the Chairman, and others he may choose to consult with,” he continued, highlighting how potentially-violent ads will be assessed.

Still, considering these elements, the issue needs further exploration. The language seems fluid enough to present further First Amendment battles in the future — especially considering the guidelines’ subjective nature.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/conservatives-anti-jihad-subway-ad-leads-to-new-policies-nyc-authority-can-now-ban-ads-that-could-incite-or-provoke-violence/