New York is the exact opposite. The whole world paid attention to the NYC mayoral race. People who have never been to NYC say, “Zohran is my mayor”. Coincidentally this is one reason I believe his election will ultimately make the city more expensive for working-class families in the city. His popularity will create an even larger wave of affluent (mostly white, but some second-generation daughters of immigrants) transplants to the city. But that’s a discussion for another time. Regardless, it isn’t unique to Zohran. Hipsters were flooding New York under Rudy and Bloomberg and neither of them were viral on TikTok.

The fact is people care about New York. Often, they care too much. It’s an interesting place and most of us live in places that are only mildly interesting or not interesting at all. New York is a city of romance and dreams and just when you think you know New York it changes. Some people are in love with the art scene, the glitz and glamour of Manhattan, the elite social status of liberal Brooklynites in gentrified neighborhoods, midwestern creatives in Queens, Wall Street, the international wealth scene, Broadway, culture, museums, endless entertainment options, the night life, lightly stepped on coke, high-end prostitution, and the list goes on. That’s at the high-dollar end.

Those things never interested me much. Not that I had money to hang out on Wall Street anyway or could’ve spent five minutes around Park Slope dogs and their moms without wanting to jump into the East River. The thing about New York is there isn’t just one New York. There isn’t even one-hundred versions of the city. There are endless. Yes, you can be a rich kid from Ladue inspired by Sex in the City and seek that version of New York; but you can also be a Jewish kid from Chesterfield, not quite bold enough to move to Jerusalem, but confident enough to move to Flatbush to see what it’s like to live in a place where you aren’t socially isolated.

They say Miami is the Capitol of Latin America, and it seems that way, when you visit, but if Miami is DC, New York has to at least be Falls Church. From Dominicans Uptown and in the Bronx to the fading Puerto Rican population to newer waves of Mexicans, Colombians, Ecuadorians, Venezuelans, and others the streets of New York are alive with a vibrant Latin culture.

I’m nostalgic for the Black New York in the 80s and 90s that gave us hip-hop, Spike Lee, and so much more. There are expressions in the Muslim community about “the Philly Muslim”. All of that began in Brooklyn and Harlem. Pre-gentrification New York was one where Black Sunnis were out and visible- especially in Brooklyn. That flavor is gone in New York thanks to reverse-migration to the South. You no longer walk up and down Fulton Street in Bed-Stuy giving Salaams, smell the incense burning, and hear the mixture of Quran recitations, Islamic lectures, and the adhan mixed in with Biggie and Nas. That’s gone. If you weren’t there you missed it. Because New York is the city it is means that the loss of this community means the arrival of something else interesting. West African Muslims with their unique traditions. Becky with her massive dog, not interesting. You have to take the good with the bad.

Some come to New York to shop and eat in Chinatown. The city now has several Chinatown areas with the one in Manhattan perhaps being the least vibrant and most touristy. If you go to Queens, you can also find Koreatown, basically anything from the continent of Asia from Nepalese minority groups to Uyghur Muslims fleeing China to Afghans. Can’t make it to Pakistan then go to Coney Island for lunch and Kazakhstan for dessert. If, like me, you find the future yuppies of Williamsburg and Bushwick odd, boring, and not interesting, you can literally stay in those same neighborhoods and go to established neighborhood Italian, Jewish, and Puerto Rican restaurants and shops. People used to come to Bensonhurst to get Italian food and a whiff of the mob, and some of that is still there, but you can now get Halal food and authentic Chinese food there as well. Neighboring Bay Ridge is similar. No longer Irish in the way Woodlawn is in the Bronx, but Irish enough if you just wanna have a few, and you can sober up with Yemeni coffee.

That international city has come together to cheer on the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals. It’s really something amazing to watch from afar and it has to be magical in person. Yes, there are some bad scenes of New Yorkers beating up Spurs fans. That’s unfortunate; but America is very often a violent and unruly place. That wouldn’t happen in St. Louis, but not everyone has our home training. Our youth just riot at Six Flags and 6-7 parties for no apparent reason. Those negative incidents shouldn’t take away from the fact that this is an overwhelmingly positive experience bonding New Yorkers across racial, ethnic, religious, and class lines in a way that only sports can.

The scenes of fans dancing together in the street cannot be duplicated in any other city in the world. Hasidic Jews dancing with Puerto Ricans and Jamaicans, Palestinian Muslims dancing with white transplants who just became a Knicks fan last week, and diehard fans bursting with enthusiasm in the streets. The Knicks last won a championship the year before I was born and I’m old. It’s been a long time. Patrick Ewing never got his ring. Will Jalen Brunson? Everyone wants in on the action. Madison Square Garden, that magical arena in Manhattan where I have been blessed to see so many boxing matches, was full of celebrities and the powerful to watch game three. Of course, other than sugar babies, no working-class person could afford to get into The Garden. President Donald Trump, who is a longtime fan of the New York Knicks, and has attended many games over the years, even flew in for game three. He appeared to be a little sleepy as the Knicks lost in their first finals game at home.

When New York sports teams are winning the world takes notice. They sell Yankees caps all over the world. Good luck getting a Diamondbacks or Nationals cap in Brighton, Lyon, or Singapore. The closest city to New York in global cultural significance is London (although I believe the Gulf cities are catching up and will perhaps surpass London). London is diverse, global in nature, and has a rabid sports culture, but they could never repeat what we’re seeing in New York. The city has numerous football clubs, and the city isn’t united in cheering for one team. Not only is New York united in wanting to see the Knicks win- it appears the world is united. No pressure, guys. Sorry, San Antonio and Phill Collins, Forget The Alamo.

A Knicks victory would also help dispel the junk theories of the Great Awokening. There is nothing more New York than working-class immigrant communities clawing their way into American prosperity through faith, family stability, hard work, education, and finding a good marriage partner. Yet, as with race in America, things are often fluid both within families and in generations (despite the rantings of nitwits like Robin DiAngelo). Along with the beer and wine flowing in celebration after a Knicks win semen will be shot throughout the five boroughs like a fire hydrant on a hot day in Brownsville. In nine months, little babies will be born named Brunson, Karl-Anthony, Landry, and Josh. Their future Instagram bios will contain multiple flags representing their ethnicities. That’s another thing that is so New York. Combining the flavors like a Baskin Robbins cone.

The World Cup Comes to North America

The excitement for the NBA Finals can’t make us forget that the biggest sporting event in the world is starting this week. I didn’t grow up watching the World Cup of soccer. In fact, I’d never witnessed soccer being played in person at any level until I visited London in 2022 and saw West Ham play Manchester City live at London Stadium. When I was growing up, I viewed soccer as a sport for affluent white Catholic kids who were scared to play football. There was some truth to this as a lot of soccer moms didn’t want their little boys playing against Black kids on teams such as Matthews-Dickey, the Royal Knights, Herbert Hoover, NYA, Jennings, Normandy, U City, ABC, and Florissant in the old St. Louis JFL. I played football growing up while waiting on wrestling season and never thought of playing soccer. Also, my dad had told me when I’d been handed a flier from a soccer team given to me at Desmet Elementary (now senior housing), “son, soccer is for p*****s”.

In 1994 I was introduced to watching soccer on TV by some Malaysian friends living in Dogtown who were attending Washington University. I knew them both from the mosque and our complex, yet legal, baby formula hustle. That year the World Cup was also in the US, and we were introduced to the likes of Alexi Lalas. who didn’t do a lot to endear me to American soccer culture. He looked a lot like the middle-class “grunge” kids who were cosplaying blue-collar grandfathers despite never working a hard day in their lives. So, I rooted for Brazil and other Latin American teams. If I didn’t know a lot about the sport, I might as well root for the teams with the best-looking fans. I additionally cheered for all of the teams representing majority-Muslim countries.

In 1998 I watched the World Cup in Northern Virginia with a Saudi friend, and we had a string of Muslims in and out of the apartment watching the games. In 2002 I was broke and reeling from the post-911 trauma and all of the heat we were facing and wasn’t able to watch many games, but I would slip into some crowded New York bars and watch some games without ordering anything. In 2006 I think I watched nearly every game of the World Cup from my apartment in Maspeth, Queens (where I’d just moved from Brownsville Brooklyn and it seemed like being in Beverly Hills in comparison). I would often visit restaurants and bars associated with the various teams playing in the World Cup and mingle with their fans. I recommended this to anyone of you if really wanna catch the spirit of the tournament. In 2010 I found myself back in a personal mess and in St. Louis. Without a TV I forced my friend Mukhtar, a Black American convert who grew-up in the old Pruitt-Igoe projects, to watch the games with me, despite him having no interest in soccer. He had the TV and his wife was gone for the summer to Morocco. I think he enjoyed watching the games in the end even if he was perplexed by the sound of the vuvuzelas in South Africa. The two of us still have a tradition of watching the NBA Finals together and of course we’ve also watched many Cardinals baseball games, boxing matches, and Super Bowls together over the years. In 2014 my heart was broken watching Germany crush Brazil at home. At least I was watching in comfort from my apartment in Old North St. Louis. I honestly don’t remember where I watched the 2018 World Cup, but as someone who has never cared much for France, I remember being upset by the result.

2022 I remember very well. Let’s start with the pompous shitheads on American and British TV networks refusing to broadcast the opening ceremony in Qatar in the name of human rights. These same networks had jizzed all over themselves broadcasting opening ceremonies in China and Russia so the concern over human rights is situational and heightened when they can point a finger at Muslims. It was a beautiful ceremony (as opposed to the filth we saw to begin the 2024 Paris Olympics). Unfortunately, I had to watch it online. My wife roots for Argentina and is a big fan of Lionel Messi. Indonesia has only played in one World Cup despite being the fourth-largest nation the world and being fanatical about soccer (she blames the average height). Like every Muslim I know we enjoyed watching Morocco make their run and how the players carried themselves. The Ummah adopted Morocco. And we enjoyed the ending and seeing Messi finally lead Argentina to victory. More than anything else we enjoyed Qatar and what it represented during the World Cup. Arab and Muslim excellence, games with no alcohol, law and order, no drunk hooligans in the stands, and a family-friendly environment. This is a model Saudi Arabia will replicate and exceed when they host the tournament. I decided right then that I wanted to visit Qatar and I was blessed to do so last year and left very impressed with that small nation.

I will be watching the 2026 games here in St. Louis and am saddened that despite our outsized role in American soccer history we will not be hosting any matches. Kansas City will. Perhaps FIFA organizers are into the BBQ and meth combo. Ticket prices are absurdly high, many fans can’t even get into the country to begin with, regular fans have been priced out, tickets remain unsold on the secondary market, the booze will be flowing, fans will be fighting, and I expect at least a few fatalities. Not from brawling. I’m reading World Cup Fever by Simon Kuper now and he has reminded readers no fans have died in World Cup brawls. I expect fatalities from driving and walking. If there are two thing Americans care very little for it’s pedestrian safety and drunk-driving laws.

Over the years I have continued to cheer for Brazil and Muslim countries, but I shifted to being a fan of England years ago. Being from St. Louis perhaps leaves me attracted to faded powers who typically fall short of expectations.

Andrew Tate and UFC Freedom 250

The New Yorker has an excellent and thoroughly researched article from Heidi Blake on the violent pimp and all-around degenerate Andrew Tate who attracted so many young Muslim men and was even schmoozed by social media imams in Dubai. He has since been surpassed in convert popularity by the activist grifter Shaun King, the quasi-Nazi Dan Blizerian, and, by far, my favorite, former adult performer Rae Lil’Black.

Tate is even worse than I imagined. His popularity with Muslims still confuses me. I know that anyone who says Free Palestine will get supported by Muslims. Doesn’t matter if they’re a racist, a fascist, or a communist. That alone will win Muslim fans. I didn’t know pimping and abuse would be so endearing to so many young Muslim men. I haven’t heard a single khutbah address this issue. Nor have I heard one address the rise in fatal drug overdoses, drunk driving deaths, suicides, and murders I keep getting Janazah notifications about. Just keep reminding us of when the next fundraiser is.

The other major upcoming sporting event is UFC Freedom 250 this Sunday. It’s ridiculous, of course. But many of us will be tuned in. I will probably not watch live as there are World Cup games slotted for that time. Or I may catch it on my phone. Hopefully the President will be able to stay awake for the entirety of the evening as it’s a pretty solid card.

“If God doesn’t exist, anything is permissible” …

Dostoyevsky

These days my social media feed often gets flooded with fight videos or people in public displaying antisocial behavior. Several recent videos have gone viral on St. Louis social media including young women fighting at Six Flags, more young women fighting in Carr Square leading to shootings and homicides, kids fighting each other and staff at a local entertainment venue (thus wrecking the “our kids don’t have anything to do” argument), and a good ‘ole brawl to ignite race-based comments on social media at a carnival at Mid Rivers Mall (another “thing to do”).

The Mid Rivers Mall fight was pretty tame for my Gen X eyes. As a teenager I pretty much saw something similar every weekend and have been both on the giving and receiving end. That said, this isn’t the 90s (even if I’m still mentally in that decade), the behavior was certainly bad, and of course the parents of the kids beaten will be upset. It’s also an example of why local malls were struggling way before online shopping became popular. Malls became the place for teens to fight and that doesn’t make for a pleasant shopping experience. The refrain, “where are their parents?”, assumes their parents don’t support or participate in bad behavior themselves. Or even care.

Mosques aren’t immune from brawls either. I cannot be judgmental in this matter as I’ve personally been involved in some masjid brawls. Mostly in the wild wild west of the Muslim 90s, but a couple many years later. There is currently a viral video of a Muslim man, who was recently released from prison, entering a Philadelphia mosque, receiving what appear to be instructions from Imam Anwar Wright, praying, and then walking over to a brother and punching him in his face. In the musalla!

There is a time and a place for everything and Six Flags, the carnival, and the masjid aren’t the place for fighting. The Philadelphia fight has led to people blaming the violence on the Salafi Dawah or on the Black American Muslim community of Philly in general. The fight, which is far from the first in a Philly masjid, can be blamed on neither. If this behavior was something peculiar to the Salafi Dawah, then Uthman ibn Farooq, Yaser Birjas, and Faris al Hammadi lectures would routinely be followed by fistfights and gunplay. If this was something normalized in the Black American Muslim community of Philly, then it would be occurring at masjids in the community the late Imam W.D. Mohammed as well.

The blame for masjid violence is not on the Salafi Dawah or the BAM of Philly. Violence occurs inside the masjid because it happens in the community outside of the masjid. If this is how disputes are settled in Germantown Philly and there has been no counseling, education, and lifestyle alteration, and only a list of do’s and dont’s, and lists of biddah and sunnah given, then the behavior will continue. If your only method of correcting behavior is relying on the wisdom of people from an entirely different culture and family structure in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, or Egypt then the behaviors will persist.

Incidents such as those mentioned above are why people often check out of masjds in working-class neighborhoods. Why go to a masjid full of ankle monitors that has the vibe of a prison break room or a craphouse when you can just go and pray on the comfortable carpet of a suburban Islamic Center where the only thing you have to worry about is the bad parking and boring (often political) khutbahs?

Not that all fights involve brawls. The City of St. Louis is currently locked in a battle with the State of Missouri and police board over pay increases. The money police are asking for would bankrupt the city. Maybe that’s the point? All sensible people believe police are needed and deserve fair pay like everyone else. The era of “defund the police” is over, never really happened to begin with, and has returned to being a talking point among privileged young people on college campuses, a collection of oddballs in gentrified neighborhoods, and the septum piercing brigade on TikTok. In real life we know what happens when police throw in the towel. We’ve seen it in St. Louis. The most vulnerable are preyed upon, suffer, and even lose their lives. Not that anyone beginning a talk with a land acknowledgement is paying attention to suffering they can’t virtue-signal off of.

That said, all cities run on more than one department. There are multiple needs. The trash has to be picked up, the water must stay clean, trees trimmed, buildings inspected, potholes fixed, and the list goes on. No one department can bankrupt the rest of the city. Unless that’s the plan? The arguments have been getting heated and they’re far from over.

For those who enjoy this spirit of conflict President Donald Trump has your back. Gone is the East Wing of the White House and in comes a UFC Octagon. Again, there is a time and a place for everything, and the White House Lawn certainly isn’t the time or place for such an event. Perhaps it will make for a great 60 Minutes feature in the upcoming weeks from new correspondent ThatMMABro8662. Who needs award-winning journalists anyway!

250 Reads

I’m lining up my June, and early July reads to coincide with America 250. Starting with a book on the American Revolution, I will then backtrack to the founding of Virginia, and then presidential biographies of Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson or Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Lyndon Baines Johnson, and either Richard Nixon or Ronald Reagen, we’ll see how I’m doing with time. In July I’ll need to transition to readings corresponding with my international travels this autumn which will also include literary fiction.

Reads and Films Thus Far

I’ve had a great year of reading and film thus far.

Recommendations

Books Nonfiction

The Last of The Old Breed

Rasputin and The Downfall of the Romanovs

Korean Messiah: Kim Il Sung and The Christian Roots of North Korea’s Personality Cult

The Tragedy of Liberation: A History of the Chinese Revolution 1948-1957

Heartland: A Forgotten Place, An Impossible Dream, and the Miracle of Larry Bird

A Kim Jong-Il Production

The Rise of Marco Rubio

London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth

Killing The Messiah: The Trial and Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth

El Paso: Five Families and One-Hundred Years of Blood, Migration, Race, and Memory

The Highest Exam: How the Gaokao Shapes China

Volga Blues: A Journey Into the Heart of Russia

Always Carry Salt: A Memoir of Preserving Language and Culture

The War that made The Middle East: WWI and The End of The Ottoman Empire

Slow Noodles: A Cambodian Memoir of Love, Loss, and Family Recipes

Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer The Future

Books-Fiction

Forbidden City by Vanessa Hua

Homeseeking by Karissa Chen

Back to Blood by Tom Wolfe

Bernard Malamud: The Complete Stories

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami

The Feast of The Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa

A Map for The Missing by Belinda Huijjuan Tang

The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano

James by Percival Everett

Film

A Foggy Tale (Taiwan)

Bugonia

Maborosi (Japan)

Mr. Nobody Against Putin (Russia)

Cloud (Japan)

A Sun (Taiwan)

Stagecoach (1939)

12 Angry Men (1957)

The Promised Land (Denmark)

Falling Down (1993)

Free and Easy (China)

Raging Bull (1980)

No Other Choice (South Korea)

Mountains May Depart (China)

Good Will Hunting

The Nightingale (China)

Marty Supreme

Pop Aye (Thailand)

Mean Streets (1973)

In The Mood for Love (Hong Kong)

Manila In the Claws of Light (Philippines)

Back to The Future (1985)

Grandma and Grandpa

On Memorial Day I visited my grandparents, great-grandparents, and two of my uncles graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. I was thinking of my grandpa over the weekend after watching the new WWII film Pressure and beginning to read The Last Of the Old Breed. I left this review for the book on Goodreads and Fable:

“Like many people I read this book thinking of a family member and after reading the Old Breed books by E.B. Sledge. For me this person was my grandpa whose name was Ivan Loyal Lee (who raised me along with my grandma). At the age of 17 he went to a Marine recruiting office in St. Louis and volunteered. He was in the 1st Marine Division and worked in communications helping with the Navajo code talkers and running and laying lines in the battlefields and such. He had wanted to be a machine gunner and he relayed the story several times that all of his friends who became machine gunners were killed in action.

Many of the testimonies in this book tracks with things he mentioned to the family. He had a great time in Australia and was a big hit with the local ladies, Peleliu was gruesome, brutal, and the worst action he saw in the war, and Okinawa was also very bloody and intense. He didn't talk all that much about the war but I vividly remember a story about him finding a Japanese soldier in a cave.

One thing no one in the book really mentioned in depth was the time the 1st Marine Division spent in Tientsin (Tianjin) after the war. He described China as a place that was very impoverished and devastated from the Japanese occupation.

I also appreciate the way this book closed out talking about adjustments after the war. Some were more fortunate than others. My grandpa had a job waiting for him at the St. Louis Dairy (where the soccer stadium is now) when he returned and met my grandma there. At the beginning of the Korean War, he attempted to volunteer for the Marines once again and the recruiter told him, "go home to your wife and son, old man". Years later, by then working as a pipefitter at the old Chevrolet plant in north St. Louis, his son was serving in the Army in Vietnam. I can only imagine the stress that put him through after seeing what he saw.

These testimonials are very important. For some reason I didn't think to record my grandparents' testimonials (although I do have some audio recordings of a lower quality). Perhaps many of us neglected that, thus making the work of Scott Davis all the more important as he interviewed The Last of The Old Breed.”

Today would’ve been my grandma’s 93rd birthday. Thinking of you on this day “Just Over in the Glory Land”. You will forever be missed.

Many American sports fans don’t share my view. Some never leave the US because they have no desire to do so. The St. Louis mentality is, if you’re any good, why are you in St. Louis? The attitude of American sports fans is often, if you’re any good, why aren’t you competing in the US? Two recent events bring this home.

Naoya Inoue vs. Junto Nakatani

Naoya Inoue has been listed by The Ring Magazine as the number one pound for pound boxer in the world. The Japanese “monster” solidified that position last weekend by defeating the rising Japanese star Junto Nakatani. The reaction from many American fans? If he’s that great, he would be fighting in America. Never mind the fact that Inoue is undefeated, a multi weight-class world champion, and knocked out the previously undefeated Philly fighter Stephen Fulton, the question remains.

What makes this question even more bizarre is that Inoue fights before huge crowds in Japan. The fight with Nakatani drew 55,000 fans at the Tokyo Dome. Tyson Fury fought his last fight in London in front of over 60,000 fans. The biggest stars in the US often struggle to draw more than 10,000 fans and most boxing matches are contested within venues full of empty seats. An America isn’t even sniffing at a heavyweight title at the moment.

Here are the current Ring Magazine Rankings and number of Americans in each division. Note- in the previous century most of these divisions were dominated by Americans. Most of the top-ten in these divisions were from America and in some cases the entire top-ten:

Number of Americans in The Top-Ten:

Heavyweight: 1

Cruiserweight: 0

Light Heavyweight: 1

Super Middle: 2

Middleweight: 3 (one being a Cuben defector)

Junior Middle: 4 (including the top two)

Welterweight: 5 (including 4 of the top 5)

Junior Welter: 5 (including the champion, Shakur Stevenson, and 5 out of the top 7)

Lightweight: 4 (4 out of the top 6)

Quite simply, the era of the US dominating boxing is over. One could argue that this may be true but if fighters still want to become global superstars and make a lot of money they need to fight in the US. That is no longer the case. In 2000 Asia accounted for roughly 25-30% of global GDP. Today Asia accounts for roughly 45-50% of Global GDP. That economic power eventually turns into political, cultural, tech, and sports power. The Korean show Squid Game is the most streamed TV show of the past few years, K-Drams regularly crack the Netflix global top-ten, K-Pop has become a global success creating some of the biggest pop stars of our era, Japanese Anima and Manga have developed into a global industry creating billions of dollars in revenue annually, Japanese wrestlers kicked ass at the 2024 Olympics, Shohei Ohtani is the best player in baseball, China dominates with social media tech, and the best films of the 21st Century aren’t being made in Hollywood, London, or Paris- they’re being made in Asia.

Moral to the story? Inoue is the best fighter in the world, and he has no need to leave Japan to fight at an arena in Las Vegas or New York with thousands of empty seats.

Sharing the Inoue fight with Fulton for American fans who need a reminder.

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland

Few Americans knew anything about Chechnya until we began reading about their war for independence against Russia in the late 1990s. Round one went to the Chechens, dysfunction and chaos followed, and Valdimir Putin rallied Russia to a brutal win in the rematch. There have been many wars in the Caucasus over the centuries involving a myriad of combatants. The region is mountainous, rugged, and difficult to govern. The majority Muslim population often has a less-than-ideal relationship with the Christian (or post-Christian and post-Communist) Russians to the north.

People who follow international wrestling always knew about this region because it produces the most wrestling talent of any place on Earth. Especially Dagestan. Khabib Nurmagomedov took the UFC by storm and became a global Muslim icon after defeating Conor McGregor. Since that time there has been a flood of Muslim fighters from the Caucus region earning MMA stardom. Most notably Islam Makhachev and Khamzat Chimaev.

These fighters often draw the ire of American combat sports fans because of their wrestling. They claim wrestling is boring. The reality is their favorite fighters cannot handle high-level wrestling and they’re upset. Many of these same fans who claim they just want to see stand-up and striking refuse to watch boxing. Go figure!

Conversely, I believe these fighters filled a needed void for Muslim men. Post-911 Muslims were heavily pushing a narrative of the wimpy and non-threatening Muslim male (think of the corny comedians and writers) in order to present the image of Muslims as harmless and non-threatening. That PR message didn’t land in Dagestan and Chechnya and quite frankly it didn’t land with a lot of Muslim men globally. The success of these Muslim men seems to have led to a rise of Muslim youth in the US and UK entering wrestling, boxing, martial arts, and other combat sports programs. This is a positive development and a definite improvement from the days Muslim men in the US were discouraged from playing basketball together because it seemed too threatening. However, I still wouldn’t advise Muslim public figures to adopt Khamzat’s patented “I kill everyone, Allahu Akbar” line.

Khamzat is no Khabib. While they both grew-up wrestling and in an environment of combat sports, Khamzat moved, along with his mother and brother, from Chechnya to Sweden when he was 18. While Khamzat has the conservative Muslim look of Khabib, and by all accounts he is a serious Muslim, he isn’t quite as traditional as Khabib. Landing in Sweden as a teenager probably has something to do with that. He is the current UFC middleweight champion.

Sean Strickland has a reputation. A bad one. He is known for making racially insensitive jokes, promoting gross stereotypes, saying offensive things about Muslims, and generally being a jerk. Strickland was hardcore MAGA but has since questioned Donald Trump due to his support of Israel.

This Saturday the two men will meet at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Security better be tight. To add to the already tense atmosphere of this fight it is rumored that Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, a rabid combat sports fan, may actually be working Khamzat’s corner!

The way the global MMA economy is structured means that the best of the best come to America and fight. Inoue can make a fortune fighting in Japan. Khamzat cannot do that in Chechnya or Sweden. I’ll be tuning in.

Growing up in St. Louis I didn't know any college-educated liberal-minded white residents. If I did, they kept it to themselves. Most people I'd encounter could care less about politics. Others were Black Dems, white labor Dems, or religiously-minded Reagan Republicans. I'm sure many are MAGA today.

When Donnybrook debuted in St. Louis I was twelve years-old and I would watch it weekly with my grandma. Ann Keefe seemed familiar because she had been on KMOX for years. Martin Duggan came off like a grandpa. Not my grandpa, who said of Duggan “he's always trying to start shit and get everyone arguing”, but someone's grandpa. Mark Vittert reminded me of my Uncle Jim. Rich Koster reminded me of a principal at school. Bill McClellan reminded me of a slightly fancier version of half the dads I knew. I didn't know anyone like Ray Hartmann.

Ray was young, articulate, loud, and still had his long and dark mullet. He advocated for civil-rights, improved race-relations, historic preservation, police accountability, and more. I'd really never been exposed to a white St. Louisan who talked like this.

At some point I began reading the Riverfront Times. It was kind of a subversive read. Happy ending massage and escort ads in the back, columns in the front, and serious journalism in the middle. Years later I was even published in the RFT on a couple of occasions when Sarah Fenske was at the helm. Ray had started the RFT to fill a void in the local journalism scene. A paper that could be hard-hitting and do serious investigate work, provide a voice to more progressive voices, but also review shows and eateries that the Post-Dispatch may overlook. It was our version of the Village Voice even if our village seemed to be a difficult one at times.

Over the years Ray further established himself as a St. Louis media legend. Nearly forty years on Donnybrook, buying into St. Louis Magazine, a radio career, and a return to the RFT for a spell after selling it. We won't see a career like that again in St. Louis.

Ray joined beloved local media figures like the late Mike Shannon and Frank Cusumano. Local guys, born and raised, who loved St. Louis, and that feeling oozed out of them with everything they did. He also represented an older era of progressive St. Louisans. Ray loved St. Louis and loved St. Louisans even while being a fierce critic when the need arose. Unlike our current crop of progressive St. Louisans who often isolate themselves in a select handful of neighborhoods, limit interactions with anyone outside of their bubble, and generally seem to disdain the majority of people living in our metro, Ray embraced the whole region and could sit down and have a reasonable conversation even with those he passionately disagreed with.

Ray Hartmann will definitely be missed and we all owe him a debt of gratitude. I’m thankful for Ray and what I learned from him. Perhaps it was due to being the son of a Holocaust survivor, perhaps it was something that he experienced growing up in St. Louis, whatever it was, Ray most often was looking out for the little guy and weary of corporate and establishment power.

I looked for Ray last week at Donnybash and didn't see him. Little did I know he would lose his life a week later .

If there is anyone today who reminds me of Ray Hartmann, it would be Jason Rosenbaum. Fortunately he is also a semi-regular panelist on Donnybrook in addition to his podcasting and radio duties at St. Louis Public Radio. In fairness, he's a suburban Chicago native and a fan of the White Sox.

Michael

I have many pet peeves with TV and film depictions of 1980s childhoods. There is no Cosby Show, no kids playing sports in the streets, all athletes are jerks, no pro wrestling, no baseball card collecting, no religion, and limited financial struggles. Then there is the music. I can assure younger people that all St. Louisans weren't listening to punk rock or stuff like Kate Bush. There is no artist from that decade who had more fans than Michael Jackson. Revisionist history can't erase that just like it can't erase Cosby.

When talking with my daughter in preparation for us going to see Michael I had difficulty putting into words just how huge he was. No matter what happened later, no matter what uncomfortable truths we may have learned, at the moment in history, we loved Michael. Every kid wanted a Beat It and Thriller jacket, we all wanted to moonwalk, and we all looked forward to his videos on MTV.

I enjoyed the film even if I didn't take it all that seriously. For my wife and daughter they were learning things they didn't know about Michael. With a more critical lense I saw important details were often spun or erased to present Michael Jackson the saint. Of course, we've seen this before with the Malcolm X autobiography and film and many other works. People (and family members and estates in this case) are seldom honest, or even good, narrators of their own story, and scholars and investigate writers and filmmakers need to fill in the gaps later.

That criticism aside, it was just an amazing experience to hear the music of Michael Jackson on the big screen and share that moment.

The Booming Sun Belt

I spent last week in the city of Miami and in the Dallas suburbs.

Miami was a great time. With only three days there I had to make the most of my time. Staying in a working-class Latino neighborhood near Little Havana I was able to explore Little Havana and Miami Beach on walking tours, take a citywide tour and a boat tour, and visit several local museums (the National Museum of the Cuban Diaspora was my favorite). Beautiful weather, beautiful people, and good food. We ate good too. Cuban, Honduran, Turkish, and Indonesian. My foot didn't touch the water.

I've lived in Dallas before and only visit for family reasons. I'm not really a fan. Perhaps it's like Miami with less seasoning, excitement, beaches, and good weather. What Dallas does share with Miami is that both of these booming and growing metros have been transformed by international immigration and transplants. In the case of the Miami metro, over three-million residents with roots in Latin America, with the largest demographic being from Cuba. In Dallas we went to Chinatown, which is in suburban Richardson, which itself is down the street from a heavily Muslim area, and not that far from KoreaTown, Little Laos and Vietnam.

I had Halal Thai, an American style Halal breakfast, and prayed Jummah at Al Ansar Society. This organization was created as a place for Muslim converts and their families and it's located within a shopping and business development with numerous Muslim-owned businesses. The guest imam was a Puerto Rican convert from New Jersey. I met a friend who is a Black American convert from Wichita.

St. Louis was once such a vibrant place. I doubt it will ever be again. We have to be thankful for what we have and improve where we can. Each generation will need voices like Ray Hartmann to keep us honest.

Additional reads:

I listed my Florida reads in my Instagram post above. I mixed fiction and nonfiction. Other reads from this week I recommend.

• London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe

• A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator's Rise to Power by Paul Fischer

Rest assured the President was in a more devout mood. On Easter morning he woke up, threatened Iran with great harm in a post filled with profanities, and topped it all with praising Allah. Has Trump converted to Islam? His threat to obliterate Iran not the rantings of a narcissistic old man with dictatorial impulses and a cult following? Rather, Trump is upon the dawah now and pledging to wipe out the rafidah from their Persian perch? The more likely scenario is Trump was watching old Mike Tyson fights.

My prayers are for peace between Iran and all of her neighbors in the region and against warmongers. Trump has threatened to “end Iranian civilization” this evening if they don’t comply to his demands. What this means is anyone’s guess. Committing war crimes by taking out Iranian civilian infrastructure? Nukes? We don’t know. What we do know is that Trump, Pete Hegseth, and the gang have no commitment to international law or American post-war norms. We can also now categorically say that anyone who encouraged Muslims to vote for the likes of Jill Stein is a complete idiot and should never be taken seriously again.

Iran is home to a great and historic civilization which cannot be destroyed by rogues like Trump or anyone else. That this war was ever about “liberating” Iran or in solidarity with the human-rights efforts of Iranian protesters becomes even more laughable with these threats from Trump.

I have been a critic of Iran and their negative influence on the region. Saudi Arabia, the Gulf states, and others have legitimate grievances and security concerns with regards to Iran. Yet Trump and Netanyahu are offering nothing of substance in terms of achieving regional peace and stability. What Trump is promising is essentially state-collapse. What happened in Syria, Libya, and Iraq after such collapses (with Iran played a negative role in all)? Civil conflicts and the rise of ISIS. What is the track-record of US involvement? Have we left places better or worse off? I can’t think of any example of us leaving a place better off. Trump had promised to keep us out of such conflicts and when he ran for President largely did so criticizing the Iraq War and the role of George W. Bush. Americans are often immune to these negative consequences of our foreign disasters. The Real Housewives, sports, and social media will continue to consume us while regional neighbors will be flooded with refugees and security concerns that will even extend into Europe. We can obliterate Iran and only a minority of Americans would care. High gas prices, inflation. and American casualties are what Americans care about, and we may very well be headed for all three.

Trouble at Home

I’m also troubled by the hateful and violent rhetoric coming from many Iranian diaspora groups in the US. Even mild criticism of Pahlavi or the war in Iran elicits a hateful response. My friend Muhammad Ali Mojarradi has faced a constant campaign of hate and harassment for speaking out against the war. I suggest you support his free speech by buying his book on Persian poetry.

The unhinged behavior of the Los Angeles based Iranian diaspora was highlighted this week when an Iranian “model” filmed herself committing a hate crime against a man dressed in the clothing of a Shia cleric (some believe the event may have been staged). If this event was real, and not a skit, she should be prosecuted.

My suggestion for the Tehrangeles crowd is to show as much enthusiasm for joining the US military or forming a US-backed militia to actually fight, and not just post unhinged content on social media, as you do for nose jobs, cosmetic surgery, developing the “OnlyFans Chic” look, and leasing a white BMW.

St. Louis Empty

There is nothing more triggering and offensive to St. Louisans as the truth. While in town to play the Cardinals announcers for the New York Mets, including former Cardinals player Todd Zeile, remarked that the streets of downtown St. Louis were always empty. Of course, this obvious truth, outraged St. Louisans. Local commenters and media outlets said the remarks were “bizarre”. If you want to know why there is never any progress in St. Louis, its precisely this attitude. If there isn’t a game, a convention, or a special event then the streets of downtown are dead. On most blocks there is close to no pedestrian traffic. That’s not bizarre, that’s reality. The road to improvement begins with recognition of the present condition. That condition is we have a sleepy downtown and efforts at revitalization have largely failed. There is good news in some St. Louis neighborhoods, but downtown, like much of our region, is struggling. Media outlets can play dumb to make St. Louisans feel good about ourselves; but our eyes don’t lie.

This year the end of Ramadan and Eid coincided with March Madness. More importantly for me, the Eid weekend coincided with March Matness, the NCAA wrestling tournament which was held in Cleveland. The wrestling tournament only lasts three days and it’s impossible to describe how much I look forward to it every year and how magical the action on the mat is. I’ve been blessed to attend the tournament live on a number of occasions and next year it will be back in St. Louis where it belongs. The first day of action was on Thursday, which was the last day of fasting, and the second day of wrestling, which sees the quarter finals and the semis, was on the actual day of Eid. So, we woke up early, attended the first service at around 6:30 AM, and attended a daytime party and a nighttime party, and, in between all of this, I rushed home to my YouTube TV recordings of wrestling. All in all, it was a great day. On Saturday evening I watched the finals on ESPN (how ‘bout them Oklahoma State Cowboys, looking tough under David Taylor). On Sunday my brotherhood group visited the home of one of our dear brothers in Ferguson who is facing some serious health challenges. That brother and his wife have been a foster family to countless children over the years and many of them were visiting for Eid.

Next year will be the big test. Not only will Valentines Day be during Ramadan, but far more importantly, the Super Bowl will be during Ramadan. Are brothers gonna skip out on the big game for Taraweeh? Or can we lobby Roger Goodell for some shariah creep and get the time adjusted!

American Ignorance

If you watch American cable and network news, which I don’t really suggest doing, you will learn very little about the world. There is virtually no coverage of international issues. So, when a situation like the war in Iran comes up, the average American is starting out (and most ending) with a very low level of information. Even during this war, the coverage from American outlets is largely superficial and poor. I’ll remind readers of two things. This isn’t universal and it’s largely peculiar to Americans. Watch British, French, German, Saudi, Japanese, and other news broadcasts and you’re getting updates not just on Iran, but on the war in Sudan, European politics, Ukraine, you name it. The second thing I would like to remind readers of is the fact that it wasn’t always like this. American newsrooms have been gutted. Even the St. Louis Post-Dispatch once had international correspondents as did many major dailies. If you would like to know more than what the hot takes of the day are from Team Blue or Team Red, I suggest subscribing to the New York Times, serious Substack newsletters focusing on international affairs, and taking advantage of magazine subscriptions such as the New Yorker (which I get free via the public library). There are also many noted foreign policy experts and scholars to follow on X. Finally, you can go to YouTube and watch live video coverage from the BBC, RFP, Al Jazeera, TRT News, and many other international outlets.

Hegseth Faith and Pope Leo

Of all the Jerry Springeresque, trailer park chic, and grifting members of Trump’s cabinet, Pete Hegseth may be the worst of them all. Hegseth, who, in between his string of sex scandals, likes to lead prayers and give his theological spin to current events. His rantings at the Pentagon, such as praying for overwhelming violence, can only be described as coming from low-brow, theologically-light, entertainment driven ala Erika Kirk, evangelical protestant White Christian Nationalism. The counterpart to a Itamar Ben-Gvir in Israel, Hindutva figures in Modi’s government, or Ikhwanis and other Islamists in majority-Muslim societies. For a counterpoint to the ramblings of a foolish man, read what Pope Leo has had to say about the war in Iran from a Christian perspective.

Opening Day

Today is a local St. Louis holiday as we begin another baseball season in St. Louis. Experts are predicting this will be the worst Cardinals season in my lifetime. The bright side? Tickets should be cheap.

This Ramadan my Facebook timeline has been flooded with vehemently anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant content via suggested posts. Eight or ten years ago one could assume such posts would come from fringe racist bloggers and the websites of monitored hate groups. However, many of these posts are coming from Republican governors, senators, members of Congress, and other elected officials. They range from calls to ban Muslim immigration, denaturalization of Muslim citizens, removing constitutional protections of Islam as a religion, and more.

Where are these posts coming from? Why the sudden surge in hysteria over Shariah Law? Why are we seeing far more crude anti-Muslim rhetoric from Republicans than we saw post-911? Why are Muslims back on the menu after seemingly being an off menu item for hate for the last 10-15 years? This is a coordinated campaign that is organized, and, most importantly, well-funded.

While there are many factors that can contribute to this uptick in hate two that definitely make the list are the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the election of Zohran Mamdani to Mayor of New York City. Add to that a general anti-immigration climate in the US and the rise in both white and Christian Nationalism.

Traditional white American conservatives are typically very sensitive and easy to trigger (despite their correct accusation that progressives are snowflakes, which they often are, conservatives are most often worse). Case in point this week. Mayor Mamdani, whose political skills I admire a lot more than his policies and ideology, hosted an iftar at Gracie Mansion (the official residence of the Mayor of NYC, sorry Cara Spencer). It was the type of crowd you'd expect from a wealthy Manhattan kid turned populist progressive. More akin to a coffee shop vibe in a gentrified neighborhood than any iftar I've ever attended. It was about as threatening as a mean mug from Kash Patel. However, right-wing social media, including elected officials and think tank types had a complete meltdown. Why? Because Zohran was sitting on the floor, had his shoes off, and was eating with his right hand. The horror! Not to miss any opportunity, the racist, arrogant, dimwitted, anti-Muslim, and, more than anything else, annoying, Tehrangeles crowd jumped in, along with Hindutva accounts. Along with many Hasbara and MAGA accounts they seemed to equate the very healthy practice of not wearing shoes inside and sitting on the floor with the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor.

New York may make the headlines, but states like Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, and Oklahoma are leading the way in institutionalized anti-Muslim policy. In other words, mostly former Confederate and Klan states. These states don't just have lunatics like Laura Loomer ranting online (keep in mind, she's one of the closest advisors to the President), they have the elected leadership of these states on board with implementing anti-Muslim policies. In recent years Muslims have flocked to Texas from Blue States and brought billions in wealth and created thousands of jobs. The thanks? The state is banning Muslim schools from voucher grants and passing one law after another targeting Muslims. This comes after the Shariah Law hysteria (I will remind my right-wing Jewish friends that many of these laws could turn around and take aim at halacha and kashrut). Which comes after the EPIC private subdivision controversy that birdbrained and status hungry local Muslim leadership dragged Muslims into.

Meanwhile, Trump appears to be getting us into another “forever war” with no end in sight and no clear concept of victory. Trump ran on not getting us involved in such conflicts and this is a reminder that this is a man with no core beliefs or principles other than self promotion and enrichment. When you look for an ideology with Trump there is nothing there. It's whatever is in it for him at that moment and everyone else falls in line. He is surrounded by sycophants who will bend to his whims, grifters, bigots, and religious charlatans like Pete Hegseth and Paula White who represent raunchy and unserious strains of evangelical Protestantism.

Not all is doom and gloom this Ramadan. Locally in St. Louis many are observing 314 Day today along with the downtown St. Paddy's Day Parade (a more family-friendly version than the Dogtown Parade which is purely a celebration of alcoholism, hoosierdom, and the color green). Of course, even these events aren't separate from politics. The late Tim Kaminski and I were assaulted at the Dogtown St. Paddy's Parade for protesting the Iraq War. When I asked parade goers why they supported war in Iraq more than half couldn't name the country we were getting ready to invade. As Trump says, “I love the poorly educated”.

Of course ignorance is no stranger to the Muslim community. This past week saw two terrorist attacks perpetrated by Muslims at a synagogue in Michigan and Old Dominion University in Virginia (R.I.P. to the dead and their wrestling program). Thankfully in Michigan no one was killed and this is evidence of why nearly all synagogues have armed security. I have been fearing this type of violence ever since the explosion of rhetoric on social media and by campus activists that celebrated violence. Unfortunately, leadership, as it is with American Muslims, is in possession of equal amounts of arrogance and stupidity, and is of little help to mentor these frustrated young people. After all, as the US, Muslim and non-Muslim, and the world, is catching hell from the rogue leadership of Trump, we should be reminded that self-assured Muslim activists and imams thought it was a brilliant idea to help Trump win. How's that working out for you and your families?

314 Day was not a thing when I was growing up in St. Louis and should be taken about as seriously as Valentine's Day. It's a gimmick to get people excited to purchase locally themed clothing, attend parties, and eat Imo’s Pizza, Old Vienna red hot riplets, gooey butter cake, St. Paul sandwiches, White Castle belly bombers, dark fried rice, Dad's Cookies, and wash it down with Vess Soda. Of course, if one were keeping it totally 314, you could axe the White Castle and replace it with Crown Candy, any Italian restaurant on The Hill, and any number of famous locally-owned spots. I'm all for it. Anything to promote local St. Louis pride and to get us talking about something positive rather than our sports teams being trash, our city being dysfunctional, our state being ran by the caste of Hee-Haw, and our propensity for murder is a good thing.

This past week there was also an iftar at St. Louis City Hall. The mayor didn't attend. A very pregnant Board of Aldermen President Megan Green did. No one was sitting on the floor and everyone had their shoes on so right-wing social media accounts should save that meltdown. The City Hall iftar did illustrate that despite well-funded attempts to marginalize and slow the growth of the American-Muslim community these opponents are failing. There have never been more mosques, halal options, and Muslim events in St. Louis and this is a national trend.

I was not in attendance. We hosted an Indonesian family at home. While my wife made a delicious home-cooked Indonesian spread I purchased an early 314 Day cake along with some red hot riplets and Vess soda to add the local flavor. The next day I prayed Taraweeh at a local Bosnian mosque. There are four local Bosnian mosques and St. Louis County has the largest Bosnian population in the US. By all accounts this community is a story of success and well-liked locally. This represents the present that should be celebrated and the future that cannot be stopped. Today I went to a halal supermarket in Hazelwood to purchase meat and sweets, went across the street to purchase some halal chicken strips and fries, and, in the spirit of 314 Day, headed to Florissant to purchase a Pironne’s Pizza for an iftar combo meal. For my money, Pirrone’s and their extended family make the best pizza in St. Louis. I will share below this list I grabbed from someone on Facebook. Note- the original Fararci's was in Ferguson, Ponticello’s is closed, the new manifestation of Saullo’s is in St. Charles County, and Serra’s is temporarily closed due to a fire.

There is much celebration in the air. Lent fish fries at local churches, the recent Chinese New Year, and the World Baseball Classic. American sports fans are also gearing up for March Madness. I'm personally excited for March Matness- the NCAA Wrestling Tournament next week in Cleveland. Go Pokes! The cold weather is stubborn and doesn't want to quite leave is, but it will soon be pleasant outside. The streets will be full of walkers and children will be playing outside (hopefully). Even as the world seems to be full of violence and doom and gloom there is always much to celebrate.

Iran- The Bad Actor

No one should be surprised that Iran is incredibly unpopular in the Middle East and not loved by neighbors. From the beginning of the so-called Islamic Revolution elements of the Iranian government have sought to remove regional governments and export the revolution. This often meant supporting sectarian Shia militias. Or, in the case of Iraq, where the US handed Baghdad to Iran on a silver platter decorated with American blood, state support for Shia political parties.

Key players in the region all have unique reasons to fear a nuclear Iran or one that can exercise power in the region. Since the beginning of the Islamic Revolution Iranians have accused the US of being “The Great Satan” and have often acted upon that belief. Most famously bombing the US Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983. Israel fears Iran because the regime has stated their goal is the elimination of Israel and has been the chief state supporter of Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen. Saudi Arabia fears Iran because they have made rival religious claims on Makkah and Madinah, have supported attacks on Saudi territory launched by Houthis in Yemen, and stirred unrest in the Shia majority areas of the Kingdom. Human rights defenders, of which relatively few are consistent or sincere, hate the Iranian regime due to the abysmal human rights record.

So, why the Iranian regime is disliked isn't a mystery. What is a mystery is how an air campaign with the stated goal of regime change can be successful.

The Libyan and Afghan Lesson

In the 1980s the US lent help and resources to Afghan Mujahideen forces fighting the Soviet Communist invasion of their country. Contrary to what many may have learned from peabrain academics like Noam Chomsky it was the Afghan people who led the charge organically. They didn't wanna be invaded or occupied by Russia. Their resistance was coming with or without US support. It just so happened, that in a marriage of convenience, the US began heavily funding the Mujahideen under President Ronald Reagan in order to weaken a common foe. That part turned out to be wildly successful as eventually the Soviets were forced to retreat. The aftermath turned out to be a decades long disaster for Afghanistan (and eventually the US). Several groups engaged in a decades long civil war, the US invaded and occupied Afghanistan for twenty years, spent countless billions, achieved absolutely nothing, and the Taliban took over the moment we left.

The commonality between Iran and Afghanistan isn't just that they're neighbors. They're both nations where ethnic and religious groups can form militias and carve out territory in the event of a regime collapse thus creating the conditions for a prolonged civil war and the collapse of a functional state.

Libya is another recent example. In 2011 President Barrack Obama bombed Libya, which ultimately led to the removal of dictator Muammar Gaddafi, and then peaced out. Few Americans are paying attention, but the Libyan civil war is still going on. There are rival governments in the east and west of Libya and half the country is run by militias.

Iranian Diaspora and A Million American Boots On the Ground

You cannot remove a regime from the air. In order to achieve that objective you need armed forces on the ground. This means there has to be a domestic a domestic military force in Iran ready to confront the regime and fill a power vacuum, a section of the Iranian armed forces turn on the Ayatollahs, a trained military force in the diaspora ready to commit boots on the ground and fight and die in large numbers, or the US willing to lead a million-man army of occupation. None of those things exist.

Like their Afghan neighbors, the Iranian opposition appears to want to receive US aid and funding, let our troops fight and die, and then cash in Ahmed Chalaby style. Of course, we know how this turns out. A weak state with no real control of the nation outside of Tehran (if that), and a lot of stealing of US taxpayer dollars. Anyone who seriously believes that the majority of Iranians are yearning for the return of the Pahlavi dynasty, or that someone can be flown into Tehran and take control of the nation like Aragorn returning to Gondor is either deliberately lying or incredibly dimwitted.

Donald Trump: Does He Have The Patience and Intellect For a Thoughtful and Strategic Campaign?

Just a few days ago President Donald Trump delivered a State of the Union address that lasted nearly two hours. He barely mentioned Iran. He had the opportunity to make his case to the American people and chose not to do so. Why? Trump knows that after the disasters in Iraq and Afghanistan regime change wars are incredibly unpopular with the American people. In fact, Trump, when running for President, promised he wouldn't engage in such regime change wars and his opposition to the war in Iraq.

Now that Trump has launched this regime change war without making his case either to Congress or the American people we need to know the answer to these questions. Is Trump thoughtful and strategic? Will he listen to military leadership? Will he commit to a long-term plan? Or does Trump have the temperament to just wake up one day and decide he wants to nuke Tehran? Or just decide to quit mid war because he's either bored or promised a resort property development in Iran? Republicans are already promising a short war. We've heard that before. This war cannot be simultaneously short and achieve the objectives Trump has stated.

Whitmer and AOC in Munich: Lord Help Us

Since 2016 Democrats have appeared to stand for very little other than being opposed to anything Trump does (even traditionally Democratic ideas) . This Democratic emptiness was on full display at the recent Munich Security Conference. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who hopes to be the Commander in Chief of the most powerful military in human history and the world largest economy, admitted that she doesn't know a lot about foreign policy. AOC didn't admit she doesn't know a lot about foreign policy (and history), but every time she opened her mouth she made it abundantly clear she knows as much about foreign policy and history as Trump knows about committing to a balanced and healthy diet..

Domestic Politics: Americans Only Care About Dead Americans

Obama learned the lesson that President Richard Nixon did decades prior. When it comes to military engagement- Americans care about dead Americans. That's what moves the political needle. The massive death and bloodshed of the Vietnamese people and Obama going to town on multiple Muslim countries with drones didn't really move the needle on domestic US politics. Dead Americans in Vietnam and Iraq did. The American people simply don't have the stomach for it. If this conflict doesn't lead to a significant number of American deaths then Trump and Republicans will be OK politically. The Epstein Files will continue to be a greater domestic concern and Americans will pay more attention to the whereabouts of Savannah Guthrie's mother and Cardi B and Nikki Minaj fighting on social media.

If this conflict does lead to a significant amount of American deaths then Republicans are cooked in the mid terms and perhaps for even longer.

MAGA and Progressive Takes

The ascendant forces in the Republican and Democratic parties both stand in opposition to war with Iran and regime changes in general. The grassroots MAGA movement is “America First”, Nationalist, skeptical of all foreign conflicts, ready to lead an American divorce with Israel, and uninterested in war with Iran. The hawkish and neo-con segment of the GOP is largely made up of older voters, the donor class, dispensationalist Evangelicals and some demographically small segments.

The liberal interventionist Hillary Clinton and Samantha Powers wing of the Democratic Party is also increasingly out of fashion. The youthful and progressive base is stridently anti-war (and like their MAGA populist cousins even have affinity for international bad actors at times).

How this war plays out will have a major impact on both the mid terms of 2026 and the presidential election of 2028. If this war goes poorly look for a MAGA candidate (perhaps multiple) running against the war. Perhaps that candidate could even be J.D. Vance. On the Democratic side it could mirror 2008. The question will be how actively did you oppose the war?

More than memories of movies, or of watching TV, my life is full of sports memories. My earliest sports memories are of watching boxing on Wide World of Sports and other networks at around age four and learning the names of Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, the Spinks Brothers, Sugar Ray Leonard, Tommy Hearns, and Roberto Duran. Becoming a fan of professional wrestling rooting for King Kong Brody, The Von Erichs, and Ric Flair on Wrestling at the Chase around that same time, and hearing about the St. Louis Cardinals. My first real Cardinals memories begin in the 1981 season with Whitey Herzog taking over the team and then that glorious 1982 World Series winning year led by Ozzie Smith, Willie McGee, and Keith Hernandez. And, of course, my favorite, Joaquin Andujar, AKA “One Tough Dominican”.

Believe it or not, my first football memories are of OJ Simpson. In the late 1970s he was everywhere. Football games, commercials, and even trying to break into Hollywood. We had an NFL team as a kid, the St. Louis Cardinals, or “The Big Red” as we called them, before they moved to Arizona when I was in sixth grade. If the baseball Cardinals prepared locals for joy and happiness the football Cardinals prepared us for disappointment, misery, and departure.

I was an adult before I got to see a St. Louis team in the Super Bowl. We are again without a team and may never get one again. Ironically, we almost got the Patriots at one-point before Bob Kraft stepped in and kept them in New England.

Super Bowl Sunday is a special day to me. I consider it an American holiday, and I always have a spread for the game including pizza, wings, chips, sweets, and more. I normally have one or two friends over who will watch that game. I’m not interested in commercials, I’m not interested in the halftime show, I’m only interested in the game. I don’t wanna be around a bunch of people yapping and not watching the game or who don’t know anything about football. My thoughts on this matter are completely aligned with Bill Burr.

I could care less who is performing in the halftime show because I never watch. Most real football fans feel the same way. Halftime is for eating and a bathroom break and then time to lock in for the second half. So, why is the halftime show a big deal? For the same reason Super Bowl commercials are a big deal. The Super Bowl is the most watched show in the year. People watch it who don’t even follow football. Some don’t even know the rules. The commercials and the halftime show gives these non-football fans something to get excited about. The husband may be a diehard fan, and the wife may care less but she’ll join him to see the show.

So, why Bad Bunny? To understand that you have to understand demographics, parenting, youth football, and corporate diversity culture.

Let me preface this by saying I don’t know a single song by Bad Bunny, and I don’t care to know one. I find popular American music to largely be poisonous, pornographic, and absent of meaning, substance, creativity and intellect. Unfortunately, while America may have fallen from a position of world leadership and command the respect we once did, our trashy music culture still dominates globally. The impact of this musical popularity is exclusively negative unless you believe Diddy parties should be franchised. So, I’m not a fan of Bad Bunny and I’m certainly not a fan of Kid Rock or any of the nitwits who popped up to compete for a halftime audience.

The reason we saw Bad Bunny is simple. The NFL sees the demographic trends in America. The nation will be majority non-white in a couple of decades (barring something dramatic). In order to secure the long-term survival of the league there is a need to appeal to the youth in expanding demographics. NFL owners, who are nearly all old, white, and conservative, recognize this.

The NFL has a demographic puzzle to solve. Most owners, luxury box buyers, season ticket holders, and regular paying fans are white. Most players are Black. Middle-class and affluent white women tend to not let their sons play football anymore. It’s seen as taboo and goes against the spirit of “gentle parenting” and many other things popular with white middle-class mothers. Especially liberal ones. Football has also become something of a taboo with white American liberals. For fun, look up NPR mentioning football, and to even utter the word seem to put them on the edge of a breakdown. Indeed, for many white urban liberals, a disdain for football, and other sports, is a way to confer virtue and prestige upon themselves, in a similar manner to the Black Lives Matter and In This House signs. We are not like them- we are elite and advanced. Go to the suburbs and watch your sportsball, you filthy breeding peasants!

Studies show that if you don’t play football when you’re a kid your chance of being a lifelong fan decreases. This was not an issue when I was growing up. Not only did I play on football teams, but we played at recess and played “kill the man with the ball” after school. Younger generations seem too dainty for kill the man with the ball, and their mothers may literally have a stroke if they caught them playing, So, how do you hook these boys in? Sports betting. With sports betting (and weed) increasingly being legal across the nation, square suburban guys, who would have no idea how to gamble ilegally, can bet all day on their phones. They may not know how to make a tackle- but they can read the spread.

The calculation is that gambling will keep white American males hooked on the game while Black Americans and increasingly Hispanics provide the bulk of the talent. The other calculation is to go global. Each year the NFL is now playing several games outside of the US. Fan bases are being cultivated in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Saudi Arabia is hosting a flag football game with Tom Brady. Why flag football? This is actually an important element. While flag football may be incredibly boring to watch and play for someone used to real American football, that version of the sport does provide some benefits. Games can be coed and it can be exported internationally without the heavy infrastructure and equipment costs of exporting actual American football. The NFL international goal? Creating more fans and opening new markets to make up for the losses of any American market share. Will this gamble pay off? Time will tell.

Zakat Money To Trump, Zohran, and Squad Candidates?

I’ve seen a lot of stupid shit from Muslim leadership in America. Organizing people to vote for George W. Bush in 2000, going nuts for Ron Paul in 2004, making takfir on Muslims who didn’t support Bernie Sanders in 2016 and 2020, helping Donald Trump win in 2024, and much more. The default position of Muslim politics in the US is stupid and that is me trying to be polite. In the spirit of this stupidity a fatwa was recently released on giving zakat for political campaigns. The idea of giving money meant for the poor and needy in the community to politicians is utterly immoral and ridiculous. Of course, this means the fatwa was in favor of the permissibility of giving zakat money to politicians.

I have often said that Ikhwanis view politics as religion and that any matter of religion can be sidelined and erased in order to pursue political power. This made my point. So long unhoused Muslims, working-class families, single mothers, the poor and elderly, refugee families, believers fleeing ICE, the incarcerated, the sick, and those truly in need. Hello PACS!

My first assumption is that the idea was to give this money to Squad type candidates. Muslims often support these candidates because of the Israeli-Palestinian issue and more. But mostly it’s about Palestine. In fact, many Muslims will support anyone if they are deemed “good on Palestine”. This includes a popular imam recently hosting the Catholic fascist conspiracy theorist E. Michael Jones right after praising the progressive candidacy of Zohran Mamdani (political literacy and consistency isn’t a big thing with most imams). Many Muslim men are also singing the praises of Nick Fuentes and the groyper incel, antisemitic, anti-women, and racist movement. This may be something to keep in mind when asking why relations between Black American Muslims and “immigrant” Muslims are often poor. This guy is viewed favorably by many on the akh-right.

In reality, if Muslims are organized enough to pull this grift off, the likelihood is a large percentage of the Zakat money will be pilfered by Muslim political fundraisers and celebrity imams (as has happened with Gaza) and the bulk will go to progressive Squad-like candidates. However, one genius Muslim scholar has another idea. He wants to use the money to bribe President Trump to treat Muslims better and protect them. In order to rationalize this lunatic position, the imam went into depth on matters of Hanbali fiqh. The problem for the dear imam is that in order to understand American politics you don’t need to rely on thousand-year-old Fiqh books and rulings. Instead, you need to be studying American history, politics, and constitutional law. And, even more than that, you need to be outside of the masjid and engaged with a wide variety of Americans in your personal life.

This level of political illiteracy stems from self-imposed isolation and a general ignorance of how politics works in America. It’s impossible to bribe Trump to treat Muslim better. It isn’t legal and there is no mechanism for Trump to receive the money and make such a contract. And, even if one were to bribe Trump, the United States has three co-equal branches of government in addition to the Executive branch (the Judicial and Legislative branches). Besides, Muslims must’ve been too busy arguing with one another to get the most important point about Trump- doing for him doesn’t mean he’ll do for you. He views loyalty as a one-way street.

My advice. Get a clear statement from your local Muslim community. Ask them if they plan to use the Zakat money for political donations. If they say that they will use Zakat money for political donations then refrain from donating to them. Find alternative Muslim organizations to give Zakat money to or donate directly to the poor and those in need.

With Shariah law hysteria in places like Texas, Oklahoma, and Alabama I understand the need to get involved politically as a self-defense mechanism. This shouldn’t be done at the expense of the poor and vulnerable. There are plenty of ways for Muslims to get involved in local politics on a daily basis. Meetings to attend, committees to join, volunteer hours to be given, and donations to be made. Unfortunately, I hardly ever see Muslims at this grassroots level. That is what needs to be encouraged. Not a political Zakat swindle.

See you after Ramadan

Some notes:

• I spent 4 years living in the DFW and still travel there often for family reasons. The Muslim vibe? Cold, unfriendly, and money and status obsessed. As an example, our St. Louis masjids have nightly iftars during Ramadan, which is a real blessing for the community, in the DFW the big thing is Ramadan buffets at halal restaurants. Muslim communities take on the characteristics of the places they’re living in. If you go to Deep Ellum in Dallas there is a popular bar with a sign “Keep Dallas Pretentious”. My spin- Dallas is for bookless SEC grads what Hyde Park in Chicago and Park Slope in Brooklyn are for Bookish grads. And, let’s be honest, when people speak of Dallas Muslim growth, they’re overwhelmingly speaking of Desis in STEM.

• The DFW is a hub for Muslims because it’s a hub for everyone. The Texas economy is red hot. In the 90s celebrity imams and speakers set up shop in Northern Virginia to be near Gulf donors. Celebrity imams set up shop in the Dallas suburbs today to be near a base of private donors in order for them to become wealthy creating Muslim content and hitting the lecture circuit. As the author notes, the DFW is a hub for Evangelical megachurches, but it’s also home to massive and newly built Hindu and Buddhist temples, and older large synagogues. Everything is bigger in Texas.

• The DFW is a major hub for Muslims escaping the high cost of living, taxes, and difficulties of life in California, New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Michigan, and other places. This is also responsible for the growing suburban Korea Town in Carrollton, Texas (near Qalam Seminary), Hispanics in places like Garland (near Barelvi masjids), and others. Many left these places with a bad taste in their mouths for Democratic governance. Which, in addition to cultural conservatism and wealth, makes them prone to supporting Republicans.

• Ahmad mentions Masjid al-Islam, which brings up an interesting, and telling point. The DFW is a major hub for Black American migration in the US. Yet the Black American Muslim community is small and struggling, and vastly less vibrant than in similar hubs like Houston, Atlanta, and Charlotte. This is reflected in the number of masjids and activity in the Black American Muslim communities in those cities. Why hasn’t Dallas been able to replicate that? We know we’re in an era of fewer conversions and falling retention rates, due to a variety of factors, but Dallas seems like a great case study.

• The bigoted right-wing backlash against Muslims is part of a larger backlash. There is a fierce backlash in Frisco, Texas among white, black, and Hispanic residents against the rapidly growing Indian-American community. The state has also led the way in immigration enforcement in Hispanic communities. Muslim political IQ is close to zero. Anyone who couldn’t see that a project like the EPIC planned community, would cause a massive firestorm in Texas, needs to refrain from speaking on community issues or making any decisions that impact the community.

The stated plans for TikTok is to localize the feed. No, thank you. Maybe that would be cool if I lived in New York or London, but what the hell does a local St. Louis feed look like? Toasted ravioli reviews and beer recommendations? A Missouri feed? Hunting, monster trucks, and square dancing? I deactivated my TikTok, despite the many cool accounts I’ll miss, and the content I uploaded. My challenge now is finding as many of the accounts I followed on other platforms. Others are missing their political content, especially in light of events in Minnesota and Iran, but I intentionally minimized the political content on my feed.

St. Louis Major Demographic Decline

I’ve been following Ness Sandoval for a long time and you should too if you care for the future of St. Louis. He is the man with all of the demographic data and can help you understand what the future of St. Louis may look like.

My commentary. Sandoval points out St. Louis is in the beginning of a demographic winter due to low rates of birth, low rates of immigration, and kids who grew up here and leave after school. The numbers tell the truth, but they only confirm what I’ve been seeing for years.

• St. Louis Love. I will push back on Carol Daniel (who I’m a fan of). Native St. Louisans have a fierce love of place. Even when we leave we represent St. Louis. It’s not the lack of love and loyalty that makes us leave. Rather, it’s the lack of opportunity, dysfunction, violence, a lower standard of living, and wanting a better future for our children.

• St. Louis Future. No matter who is elected mayor, county executive, or to the Board of Aldermen and County Council, the future of St. Louis is pretty easy to see. The city will likely fall to around 200,000 to 225, 000, there will be a clear white majority, there will be very few children, the city will become extremely progressive politically, the city will become relatively affluent, there will be a low percentage of native St. Louisans in the city, you may not even be able to get St. Louis Style Pizza or a St. Pauls in the city. The working-class population needed to support the lifestyle of these city residents will largely reside in St. Louis County and the Metro East. This servant class will be generational St. Louisans with more local taste and flavor combined with immigrants. Federal immigration policy being the major wild card. Under all scenarios the population of St. Louis County is at the beginning of a serious decline. Immigrants could help stem the bleeding and contribute to the quality of life. If a Republican remains in the White House after 2028 or 2032 and continues the current immigration policies of the Trump Administration that will have a long term and very damaging impact on places like St. Louis. It is likely that St. Louis City will either merge with the County or re-enter the County as a municipality as both shrink. Locals pointing to growth in places like St. Charles County and JeffCo don’t travel very much. The growth there is very moderate and will slow and then decline.

• Black Population. Sandoval points to numbers showing Black St. Louisans aren’t just leaving the city- they’re leaving the region entirely. This isn’t unique to St. Louis as we’ve seen the same in NYC, Philly, Chicago, Detroit, LA, the Bay and other cities. The winner is always the South. The metros of Atlanta, Houston, Charlotte, Dallas, and even Phoenix. When I was living in Dallas and wearing my St. Louis hats not a week would go by without someone coming up to me asking me where I went to high school in St. Louis. There are so many St. Louisans in the DFW that there are niche businesses opening to cater to them selling St. Louis style Chinese food, Vess soda, red hot riplets, and more. These St. Louisans were majority Black and it was always the same story. St. Louis has too much violence and not enough opportunity and we want better for ourselves and our children. Last month I was in Atlanta, I can’t even count how many Black friends from St. Louis are in the Atlanta metro. I met one for lunch after Jummah. He grew-up in Jennings, became a nationally known journalist covering hip-hop, and then went to law school and became a lawyer. The exact kind of person St. Louis needs to keep but can’t make a rationale argument as to why he should stay. When Houston had a flooding incident a few years back my Facebook told me that sixteen of my friends had reported that they were safe. Nearly all of them were Black St. Louisans I’d went to school with who moved to Houston.

• White Population. White people leaving St. Louis City has been a story since the 1950s. White people leaving north county since the 1980s. The north county hoosiers I grew-up with are mostly lifers. Ambition begins at the Arch and dies somewhere past Troy. I was an anomaly in that I couldn’t wait to get out and see the world and I’ve never lost that desire. St. Louis isn’t losing that many of this demographic. Who we are losing are college-educated middle- and upper-class kids who attended Catholic and other private schools, or districts like Clayton and Ladue. They’re taking their talents and money to places like Nashville, Denver, Austin, Chicago and Phoenix. Some are even headed to places like Brooklyn, Portland, and San Franciso. While these individuals have a propensity to be annoying and difficult to deal with at times, they also have a lot of money and create jobs. As a region, St. Louis cannot afford to lose them. As Sandoval points out, the only way to keep or attract such residents, is to make the city a desirable place to live and stay. A healthy city produces future residents for St. Charles (Unless Chesterfield becomes the new metro base and launch pad Michael Staenberg wants it to be) Even that is a tough sell. We don’t have the beaches of Florida, the mountains of Colorado, or the energy and wealth of the coasts. Difficult to see why any talented young person should choose St. Louis over a hotter metro unless they have local and family ties. Kansas City seems to have figured it out. Maybe we can learn something from them.

• Lack of diversity. When I see a metro that is largely Black-White I feel like I’m living in the past. So many new residents have shared this sentiment with me as well. My wife, who moved here from Northern Virginia, had three questions. Where are the Hispanics? Where are the Asians? Why do I hear gunshots? If you look at my daughter’s school district in suburban Dallas there is no racial majority. Within a short drive you have Korea Town, mega mosques, gigantic Hindu temples, Little Vietnam, Ethiopian, Arab, Laotian, and other enclaves. These aren’t the refugees that St. Louis may attract for a few years while they’re getting on their feet. These are families, many who came from places like California and Chicago, who have bought homes, are making good money, and raising children. That’s modern America and that’s something that frightens a lot of people including many in St. Louis. When I lived in Brooklyn, Queens, and Northern Virginia I also saw this level of diversity. This diversity adds to my quality of life in countless ways. The continuation of rates of immigration can impact future demographics, but what’s baked into the cake is a lot of citizens with roots in Latin America, Asia, the Caribbean, Africa, and the MENA region. If your metro isn’t attractive to people from those backgrounds, then you may find yourself in trouble. Take St. Louis as an example. Look at what is going on with South Asian and Musim owned businesses on Manchester Road in Ballwin and Manchester and in Chesterfield, with Asian businesses on Olive starting in University City and extending to Chesterfield, Bosnian businesses in south county. Without these businesses, and residents that fuel them, St. Louis City and County would be in far worse shape. A huge win for St. Louis would be becoming a major hub for two or three more immigrant groups, and not just Bosnians. Again, we have to look to federal immigration policy and remember that we are also competing with other cities. St. Louis got Bosnians and Nashville got Kurds largely due to the federal government in the initial stages. But places like Carrolton, Texas and Hazelton, PA are getting Koreans and Dominicans because they find it a desirable place to relocate to from SoCal ad NYC. Can we replicate that? Market ourselves as more affordable, less crowded, and lower taxed alternative? Perhaps, but not without addressing issues of public schools, public safety, and image. No one wants to leave Caracas and jump from pan into the fire unless they can help it. If St. Louis looks and feels like a mid-sized city in a developing nation, as we currently do, it will be more than the NFL and NBA who will take a pass on us. (I will not share my other ideas now such as making a sales pitch to Hasidic Jewish communities in New York to relocate as a group. Who needs upstate New York when you have St. Louis County?)

• Red State vs. Blue State. The MSNBC-FOX mind virus is also present in the demographics debate. Progressives see these numbers and shrug off economic and public safety concerns and point the Missouri being a Red State, abortion and gun laws, and the like. The Dallas, Houston, Austin, Nashville, Phoenix, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Columbus metros are all in Red States. Atlanta, Charlotte, and Raleigh-Durham are in reddish states. Doesn’t seem to be hurting them. Conservatives point to crime and hint about racial demographics. All of these hot metros have serious crime problems, because the United States of America has a serious problem with violent crime, public safety, and antisocial behavior. Yet that doesn’t stop them from doing well. So, yes, crime is an issue St. Louis is dealing with, and many don’t move here, or leave her, because of crime, but our issues are deeper than that.

Take a watch and listen and subscribe to Carol Daniel’s podcast. As Sandoval points out, most of us will be dead before we can really see how this plays out. As for now, we can argue about it.

Books Read in January and Films Watched

Books

The Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol Fiction

James by Percival Everett (fiction) HIGHLY REC

Ring of Fire: A New History of the World at War by Alexandra Churchill

Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future by Dan Wang (I recommend- particularly like the engineering society v. lawyerly society framing)

The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano Fiction (I struggled in the middle, but a great read)

Slow Noodles: A Cambodian Memoir by Chantha Nguon

Duet: An Artful History of Music by Eleanor Chan

A Map For the Missing by Belinda Huijuan Tang Fiction (I gave this book five stars)

King: A Life by Jonathan Eig (Good book, but I prefer the Davor Garrow bio on Dr. King)

Currently reading:

The War That Made the Middle East: WWI and The End of the Ottoman Empire by Mustafa Aksakal

The Feast of the Goat Fiction by Mario Vargas Llosa

A Bend in The River Fiction by V.S. Naipaul

Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz. New York’s Explosive 80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial that Divided the Nation by Elliot Williams

Will soon begin

Volga Blues by Marzio G. Man

The Revolutionists by Jason Burke

Films

Follow my Letterboxd

Best of the month?

Manila in the Claws of Light (Philippines)

Mean Streets

Back to the Future

Pop Aye (Thailand)

Marty Supreme

The Nightingale (China)

Good Will Hunting

There is another America that is more metropolitan, and increasingly suburban, that embraces the present and potential of a diverse society. When a Korea Town emerges in a place like suburban Carrollton, Texas they are excited and frequent the businesses. They take their friend to places like Eden Center in Northern Virginia to eat Vietnamese food when they visit from out of town. Excitedly try West Indian food in Crown Heights when they're in Brooklyn. Explore the literary traditions and emerging young writers and film from different cultures.

In one of these Americas if you seek to open a mosque there is seldom an issue. If there is an issue, it may be due to Muslim antisocial behavior, most notably, a complete refusal to adhere to parking and safety laws on Jummah and during Ramadan and Eid. In the other America, a proposed mosque will be met with protests, legal challenges, and bureaucratic opposition. Anyone who has studied American history, and is even vaguely conscious of the current political and social climate, could easily tell you that attempting to build a mosque in Hoover, Alabama or to construct a Muslim town in rural Texas is a recipe for disaster. Because STEM dominated Muslim leadership in the US is in possession of no such political and social intelligence or general awareness of the society they're living in, these mistakes continue to happen. After all, who is there to advise them? Overseas Madrassa grads who are only marginally aware of their local surroundings and student and progressive activists who worked very hard to help Donald Trump win the presidential election?

Blanket country bans on immigration will have a long-term very negative impact on the Muslim community. Do this experiment. Go a non Black American mosque, and then ask yourself this question, if everyone with an accent were to disappear, how many people would be here for prayers? For volunteering? Halal consumers to keep businesses afloat? In order to maintain current levels in the future, minus the steady waves of immigration over the past several decades, majority retention would be needed with the younger generations. Not retention in name, but retention in practice, in order for things to function, and that simply won't happen. Doors will be closed. People will drive by and say that building used to be a mosque. That boarded up storefront used to sell food from Bangladesh. Mosques won't disappear no more than the Thai and Cambodian communities will cease to exist, but the vibrancy created by new waves of fresh immigrants will blunt the energy and growth, intermarrying will increase, and eventually they'll look like the once vibrant German community of New York City.

Elections have consequences and political decisions have consequences. For those like me, with non-citizens in the family, who like traveling internationally and learning about the world, and are connected to the world religiously and socially, closing off from the world is a very bad development. Not just in terms of recognizing this is bad for society- it's also bad for us as individuals and families. I would imagine many of the loud and profane Muslim activists convinced of their own intelligence, despite no evidence to support this position, may now have family negatively impacted by recent immigration changes. Of course, those my age, saw this film in 2000 as well. No lessons were learned and no lessons will ever be learned. At some point, an individual is who they are, and a community is what it is. Political engagement only results in headaches. Medicine exists, of course, such as self-imposed boycotts on any Muslim event where there is even a hint of political discussion and learning what masjids not to attend.

In the America living in reality real questions are being asked. Who will protect our social security? Medicare? Medicaid? General health care access? Create jobs? Invest in our lagging infrastructure? Modernize our decaying airports? Address issues of housing? Fight discrimination in the workplace? Expand public education? Embrace a diverse society and our immigrant populations? Invest in public safety?

They aren't sitting around bullshiting about long gone religious empires (of which few read the academic history and have any real understanding), hopped up on revolutionary violence that they'll never participate in or receive the negative consequences from, or entertaining ideologies that died with the Cold War. They also aren't weighed down by the neurotic quackery of the Great Awokening and the moronic liberal prestige books of the era, social media hysteria, and weird theories that have been popularized in the past decade by nonprofits, academics, and others.

To be rooted in reality means you're seeking solutions in your everyday life, your family, your workplace, and your politics. How is politics different? It isn't marriage. Unless you're running, you will never agree with a candidate on everything. If you do agree with any candidate on everything it probably means you aren't very smart and lack the ability to analyze anything for yourself. Or you're just a joiner and like belonging. A follower. Perhaps your personal politics gives you an identity or you see it as giving you status. Not a lot of thinking needed in that case. Fox News and MSNBC caters to such brain dead Americans. Full agreement isn't needed for support. The only question needed to be asked is if candidate A will do less harm than candidate B. Not that they'll do no harm, because all humans will do harm. Will they do less harm? That's it. Muslims claiming that they are morally and spiritually so elevated that they cannot bring themselves to think on such a utilitarian level need to get over themselves. The same people, normally based on fake histories and the misreading of history, idolize past Muslim rulers who were capable of the kind of violence and repression that absolutely no one in American politics is capable of today. Many also gladly support authoritarians in Muslim-majority societies who are not supportive of minority rights there. This is ignorance combined with hypocrisy and narcissistic impulses.

You can have a narrow vision in life or a broader vision. Muslims are a very small percentage of the American population and really not that relevant outside of a handful of metropolitan areas. It would be foolish to think of only this small population when organizing and voting. In fact, looking at last behavior, the most wise course of action is to ignore this community as a collective when organizing while embracing individuals. When you see things broadly you're looking at the Black community, Hispanics, Asian Americans, working-class white Americans, the indigenous, and others.

The question you have to ask yourself is who can do the most good and the least harm? Not who you love. Not who you can't disagree with or fight with. In this sense, politics may be like a marriage, because, on the day of your marriage, you have signed an pact with an opponent you will argue with for the rest of your life. These arguments shouldn't end in divorce. Only positioning, repositioning, negotiation, and compromise. These are things you can do when you're on the same team.

For the others, Hijrah to Greenland is an option. Pack your winter coats. As for me, I don't like cold weather. I recognized this about myself a long time ago and didn't forget last November.

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I actually didn't attend much of the convention. I figure that my brain topped out on religious lecture years ago. Occasionally, such as when Ubaydullah Evans visited St. Louis, I'll make an exception. We already get a weekly mandatory religious lecture at Jummah. Of course, some of our imams are auditioning for political pundit roles on cable news networks, so, I guess it doesn't always count. I did manage to pop my head into a few lectures and listen here and there, but the main purpose of me accompanying my wife to this convention was to just hang out in Atlanta.

My first memories of Atlanta are thanks to sports. Watching wrestling on WTBS every Saturday when I had access to cable. This was the NWA, Jim Crockett’s Mid Atlantic promotion to be exact, and the competitor to the dominant WWF, which, at the time, Vince McMahon was seeking to turn into a pro wrestling monopoly (he would eventually succeed). The matches were held in the WTBS studios in Atlanta and during the broadcast they'd promote live arena shows in places such as The Omni in Atlanta, The Scope in Norfolk, Charlotte, and Greensboro. The Fabulous Freebirds, who I first knew from their work in World Class in Dallas, were hailed as being from “Bad Street, USA” in Atlanta, GA. Most importantly, it was during these shows, where Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes would engage in some of the most famous mic work in the history of the business.

In the 80’s, Atlanta was also the home to the lowly Atlanta Braves. Take away Dale Murphy and Braves fans didn't have much to cheer about. WTBS broadcasts often showed a Fulton County Stadium that was damn near empty.

During the 50’s my grandpa worked for a company in St. Louis that built and repaired street cars. He described being sent to the fast paced Philadelphia and being called a southerner. Then going to the sleepy city of Atlanta, which was a podunk town compared to St. Louis, and being called a yankee. Can't win.

The Atlanta of today has long since passed St. Louis by leaps and bounds. It's a major American city, has hosted the summer Olympics, has the busiest airport in the world, is one of the leading economic engines of the country, and is upbeat.

My friend P has a joke that “it never sounds right to me when someone white says they have a cousin. Cousins are for Black folks”. Similarly, in all of my years, I've never heard a single white person express to me the desire to move to Atlanta. Of course, there is humor in both of these observations, but the reality is far different. White people not only have cousins (fewer than in past generations and they may not know them very well, but they exist); but many move to Atlanta. In fact, the Atlanta of today is seeing rapid gentrification as the city and suburbs attact people for job opportunities and the annual influx of SEC and Southern school grads heading to Atlanta, Dallas, Austin, Nashville, and Charlotte.

Atlanta once erroneously promoted itself as “the city too busy to hate” to market itself away from the racist reputation Georgia had earned in the Civil Rights era. Shortly thereafter, it became known as the “Black Mecca”. The city that became a magnet for Black college grads from throughout the US. Others came as well, of course, not only Black college grads. Numerous Black kids I went to high school ended up moving to Atlanta, before Dallas and Houston became the preferred destinations. And, for Black New Yorkers, Atlanta effectively became the 6th borough along with Virginia and the Carolinas. The same could be said of Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and other cities. Atlanta was, and for many, still is, the place to be.

This dynamic always meant that Atlanta would have a special place for Black Muslims. The Dallas suburbs are the hub for celebrity imams and capitalistic Muslim business adventures because South Asians are statistically into medicine, tech, and engineering, and the Dallas metro is a leading hub for all of these industries. Northern Virginia was the same type of Muslim hub in the 90’s, although not Desi dominated, because Muslims in the US were still financially dependent on foreign governments and donors. The money and appeal of living in a place comes first and then a community can flourish.

The Atlanta Masjid of al-Islam is flourishing as the leading masjid in the community of Imam Warith-deen Mohammed, as most of their masjids nationally are rapidly shrinking, aging, and in danger of closing. The other WD masjids that are flourishing are in places that are also Black magnets, DC and Houston, or in places where Islam generally is flourishing in the Black community, Philadelphia and Newark. The gentrification of Black Brooklyn had many unintended consequences, but one is definitely the weakening and shrinking of the Black Muslim community. Yet, Brooklyn’s loss, is the gain of Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham, Charlotte, and other Southern cities.

I attended Jummah at the Atlanta Masjid of al-Islam. It was actually an incredible experience and something to behold. My first stop was seeing Brother Bilal from St. Louis at the Heritage Halal Market. He gave me a tour and I ate some delicious and fresh halal beef brisket. The place is stocked with fresh Halal meats from Black Muslim owned farms, sausages, jerky, bean pies, and all variety of products. Unlike the majority of halal shops I've visited- Heritage Market is spotless and clean. Even the outdoor grill was glistening in the sun.

Next to the market there is a shared work space “Salaam Square”. Creatives and those needing an office can rent a space. The parking lot also contains a halal restaurant named Springreens (where I also ate, don't judge, after meeting Brother Todd from St. Louis), a law office, and a barbershop. There is also an outdoor souq/bazaar made up of vendors selling food, clothing, books, and more. I bought a few bean pies and a cheesecake.

There was a guest khatib name Enrique Rasheed. Turns out he was in Atlanta for the same reason as me- he's also married to an Indonesian sister and came for the convention. He delivered an excellent khutbah and in it I learned that he's from California, but he's living in Orlando. As I've contemplated moving to Florida, or really anywhere without winter, I made a note to talk to him afterwards, but I wasn't able to. It wasn't my first time to that masjid. I'd visited a few times in the nineties and at that time the imam was Plemon al-Amin. On my first visit to the masjid Imam al-Amin walked across the room to encourage me to continue attending the masjid and keep my mind open for new knowledge. I was a high school student at the time accompanying a brother from St. Louis going to Atlanta to get married and his words stuck with me.

Atlanta is home to several other majority Black American masjids, but I'm not sure any of them have the vibrancy, and Muslim village feel, that the Atlanta Masjid of al-Islam has. I'm actually not sure anywhere else in the US has that vibe with the possible exception of some places in Philly. It most reminded me of seeing Futon Street in Brooklyn for the first time when it was packed with Muslim vendors and brothers and sisters walking to and from the masjid and Muslim businesses giving salaams. Those days are passed. You'll now see more white transplants walking their dogs then you'll see Muslims on Fulton Street.

Famously, Atlanta was also the home of Imam Jamil al-Amin and his community (may Allah have mercy on him and forgive him of his sins). The ingredients came together for a community of Black Muslims to “buy the block” in Atlanta and create a community. This is something that has been talked about in many cities, including St. Louis, but actually done in Atlanta. Of course, maybe it took the leadership of Imam Jamil, but maybe it also took a desirable city for Black Americans interested in building a better future to move to. St. Louis, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, and other cities are often losing such people. Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Charlotte, and other Southern cities have gained them. Yet, that doesn't explain everything. Islam is thriving in Black Philadelphia while the city is also experiencing reverse migration to the South and Dallas is a major Black magnet, but that isn't reflected in the Black Muslim community. There is something special about Atlanta. HBCU’s and the Divine Nine network, the legacy of Dr. King, and more.

On Christmas day in Atlanta I had a choice to make. Head to a kosher restaurant or check out the Asian area around Buford Highway. I changed my mind at the last minute and opted for Buford Highway and the surrounding area. There are countless Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Filipino, Indonesian, Bengali, and other Asian restaurants and businesses in this area. There are also Cuban, Colombian, Venezuelan, and Mexican owned businesses. When looking the area up I saw it had been promoted as one of the best culinary hubs in all of America.

I drove around for a bit and saw a lot of Asian American families walking in and out of restaurants. A lot of kids were playing in the parking lot. That's always the first sign of a healthy community. If there are no children, and if there aren't children who feel safe playing outside, then you don't have a healthy community. In many of our cities we now have neighborhoods without children or neighborhoods where parents are afraid to let them outside (St. Louis City is definitely in this category).

I finally settled on an Indonesian restaurant. The place was packed and it was mostly men eating by themselves. If this had been white guys or Black Americans eating my mind may have wondered. Divorced? Broken off relations with the family? Incels? On the run? Male loneliness crisis? As the restaurant was full of Asian men my assumption was they didn't celebrate Christmas. They were probably looking at me and asking themselves who is this fucking hoosier eating alone on Christmas? Of course, I have a ready made excuse, my wife was chilling with her Indonesian friends at the convention and I wanted to see the city. We later visited the area together to go to an Indonesian grocery store and a dessert shop. The area once again highlights that Atlanta isn't just the Black Mecca- it's a Mecca, period. The city and suburbs are diverse and growing.

Other stops in Atlanta included the historic Plaza Theater, where I saw the excellent Brazilian film “The Secret Agent”, the President Jimmy Carter Museum and Library, and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Historical Park and Dream Center, and the Al Faruq Masjid. When I was younger, and held a more provincial religious outlook, I wouldn't have included these visits. Now they're my primary motivation for travel.

On my last night I spent more time at the convention and I'm glad I did. I met an Indonesian imam from LA and brothers from the DMV, Boston, Queens, San Francisco, and even Mississippi. I most especially appreciated meeting an enthusiastic young Muslim convert from Georgia named Andy. He comes from a family of Vietnamese immigrants and he had me on the edge of my seat for nearly an hour as he told me his life story and his conversion process. Street corner TikTok theatrics? A charismatic imam in the joint? An expensive seminar? None of these things. His initial attraction to Islam was because the Muslims he knew at school were nice, encouraged him in a positive way, and were there for him when needed.

I also got the chance to meet Chaplain Shane Atkinson face to face. It was a pleasure as I've followed his work for a long time. He's from Mississippi and you can hear it as soon as he opens his mouth. The first thing he said to me was “I didn't know you were married to an Indonesian”. We discussed a variety of things, and shared an excitement for the recent podcast interview featuring Dr. Sherman Jackson, Imam Zaid Shakir, Ustadh Ubaydullah Evans, and Imam Hamzah Abdul-Malik. I described Hamzah as the imam you need at your masjid, Ubaydullah as the voice you need on life outside the masjid, Zaid as the holder of a legacy and institutional knowledge, and Dr. Jackson as the one who could place everything into a grander narrative informed by the wider body of academic study and human experience.

As always, it's a pleasure spending time with my Indonesian brothers and sisters and I look forward to doing so next year as well.

My audiobook companion driving to Atlanta was Stoner by John Edward Williams (thank you to all the smart young book and film accounts on Tiktok) and on the way back the classic “The Fight” by Norman Mailer.

Best Films 2025 Releases

No Other Choice (South Korea) (hands down the best film of 2025).

It Was Just An Accident (Iran)

Friendship (US)

F1 (US)

Eddington (US)

Weapons (US)

One Battle After Another (US)

Rosemead (US)

I’m Still Here (Brazil)

Frankenstein (US)

Highest 2 Lowest (US)

Note- I saw all of these films where new films should be viewed and that is in the theater.

Favorite Films I Watched in 2025 Not Released in 2025 (first time watches)

A Real Pain (US)

The Man From Nowhere (South Korea)

Glengarry Glen Ross (US)

Hoosiers (US)

June 17, 1994 (US)

The Night of The Hunter (US-1955)

High and Low (Japan-1963)

100 Yen Love (Japan)

Ilo Ilo (Singapore)

Casablanca (US-1942)

Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell (Vietnam)

I plan to see The Secret Agent, a Brazilian film, this week. If you would like to follow my film dairy and reviews you can see me on Letterboxed.

Best Books I Read in 2025

The Last Kilo: Willy Falcon and The Cocaine Empire That Seduced America by T.J. English

One Child: The Story of China’s Most Radical Experiment by Mei Fong

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

The Sorrows of Mexico by various authors

The Afterlife of Malcolm X by Mark Whittaker

The Last Manager by John W. Miller

Baddest Man: The Making of Mike Tyson by Mark Kriegel

Daughters of The Bamboo Grove by Barbara Demick

Menachem Mendel Schneerson: Becoming the Messiah by Ezra Glinter

The G*ds of New York by Jonathan Mahler

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

The Wounded Generation: Coming Home After WWII by David Nasaw

Rickey: The Life of An American Original by Howard Bryant

Murder on The Mississippi by Saladin Ambar

Captives and Companions: A History of Slavery in the Islamic World by Justin Marozzi

Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe

Triumph Of The Yuppies by Tom McGrath

You can follow my reading journey on Goodreads or Fable (which is much better than Goodreads but few are on it).

I got the chance to meet up with Khalid at the Missouri History Museum this past Saturday and discuss the film. It was actually a reunion, because I’ve known Khalid since he was a kid and his father has been a mentor and teacher of mine since I was a teenager. Watch and listen. I think you’ll be interested in our discussion and following Khalid’s career in film.

2025 St. Louis International Film Festival

I have been attending the St. Louis International Film Festival for years. Some years I’m able to attend several films. Other years I can sneak in maybe one. Last year I think my pockets were empty just coming back from Indonesia and I was unable to attend at all. There are also some years when the selection is better than others and SLIFF has dealt with funding cuts and the loss of the Tivoli and Plaza Frontenac. I tend to favor international films over American indie stuff so a lot of it is a matter of preference. This year there were a number of films that I wanted to see, and I was able to get to four of them.

Holding Liat

The first film I saw was at the Hi-Pointe Theatre and it was about a family whose daughter and son-in-law were kidnapped in the 10-7 terror attack. Holding Liat had some powerful and tearjerker moments but couldn’t decide if it wanted to be a political film or one dedicated to following a family in crisis. Liat’s father, who the film dedicated more time to than anyone, perhaps because he seems to be an opinionated blabbermouth, also came off as extremely unlikeable (and his brother seemed even worse). The film would’ve done better following Liat’s siblings and her and Aviv’s children. Perhaps a better film festival selection would’ve been The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue. Crowd size? Maybe 10-15% full.

No Other Choice

I also saw this film at the Hi-Pointe Theatre, and it may be my favorite film of the year. I was blown away. Fatherhood, corporate culture, the ties between your job and identity, ruthless self-preservation, and AI disruption in South Korea all come into play with plenty of laughter. Possibly my favorite film from Park Chan-Wook as of yet. Crowd size? Sold out and everyone left happy.

Rosemead

If Lucy Liu doesn’t win best actress for her starring role in this film, then something is wrong (and of course there is, who am I kidding? I have never watched an awards show and I never will). This film is based on a true and very heart wrenching story. I won’t share many details here, but it deals with the intersection of mental illness, family health, and the Chinese immigrant experience. I saw this for free at Washington University. Crowd size? Maybe 20-25% full.

Forge

This was another one I saw at Wash U. Jing Ai Ng is a new filmmaker, and it showed at times. Forge is set in Miami and is about Chinese American siblings running an art forgery ring. A Chinese American FBI agent just so happens to fly down from New York to crack the case and conveniently eats at the family-owned restaurant. Andie Ju stole the show in a film that otherwise dragged at times while remaining watchable. This will be a good streaming watch at home for many. Crowd size? Maybe 20-25% full.

Book Challenge and 2025 Films

I have just completed book 100 of 2025. I do have plans to finish the year strong! Look forward to a “best books of 2025” list from me in an upcoming newsletter and I may add “2021-2025”. I will also include my favorite films of 2025.

Imam Talib Abdur Rashid

Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. Condolenscences to the family of Imam Talib Abdur Rashid and those in New York who were close to him. A pioneering elder of grassroots Black Sunni Islam in Harlem has passed away and left a strong legacy.

There are some things that I like about Zohran. Does he come off as a bratty, self-righteous, know-it-all, trust-fund baby? Absolutely. On many levels he is just as annoying as the wealthy white kids protesting on college campuses such as Columbia and Cornell. However, unlike Becky she/hers/they, Zohran is actually a good communicator and is able to connect with people. Also, unlike them, he is able to get outside of his Manhattan and gentrified outer-borough comfort zone and interact with people. Including people that don’t agree with him.

On a personal level I also share many things in common with Zohran due to a shared Muslim background. No my parents aren’t millionaires with a protected estate with servants in Africa and I didn’t go to a private grade school with the children of billionaires. I also never attempted a career in hip-hop and I have held actual jobs. But I suspect Zohran and I could agree a lot on food and explore the halal restaurants and food carts of the five boroughs together. Sometimes we’d eat with our right-hand! I also suspect that neither of us would be interested in disgusting and unseasoned New American cuisine and other high-priced and barely edible favorites of many of the Manhattan and Brooklen elite. As an act of service to humanity, Zohran could take me to some wonderful Indian and Chinese restaurants where I could enjoy a vegetarian meal, and I would take him to Brooklyn to enjoy some kosher cuisine and pizza served by mobsters. Then take him up to Woodlawn in the Bronx where we could watch baseball on TV surrounded by Irish alcoholics as we, or at least I, sip on Coke Zero. New and old New York can mix. Andrew Cuomo may know of a few nice Italian and pizza joints in Queens, but his New York seems dated. Curtis Sliwa? Who the hell knows what that guy eats, but I would rather spend an evening with him than the other two and we could go to McDonalds for all I care.

The racist and anti-Muslim attacks against Zohran have been incredibly stupid and have only benefitted him. The majority of the voters who are sympathetic to such attacks no longer live in New York and the ones that do would never vote for Zohran anyway. No Muslim, of any political orientation, can be happy with the way that Imam Siraj Wahhaj was basically made out to be the Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi of Brooklyn by opponents of Zohran. It is also dismaying that many on social media reverted to 2002 War on Terror talking points with messages like Zohran will bring Shariah Law to New York, he’s an Islamist, he’s an agent of the Muslim brotherhood, etc.…

Zohran is not an Islamist, he will not bring Shariah law in New York, and he will have absolutely no influence on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Zohran is a spoiled elitist kid, and his politics come from Manhattan and not Mecca. He is purely a candidate espousing the ideology of the Western White Left with some Muslim and South Asian identity politics thrown in and a winning personality. His politics are no different than the majority of Jewish, white, and Asian kids who have the same elite Manhattan background as his. More Marx than Muhammad, more Brahman than Baraka.

There are many things that I don’t like about Zohran, and I have mentioned them before in videos. The majority of his ideas sound like the rantings of a trust fund kid at an Ivy League school after a weeklong heroin binge. He does have ideas. What are the ideas of Cuomo, other than reminding people he isn’t Zohran?

So why will Zohran win?

• Changing Cities: The American city is rapidly changing. The majority of Americans live in suburban areas, and these are the places where state and federal elections are now decided. They are also the places where most immigrants move to, more Black Americans live, more working-class people live, where nearly all new mosques get built, and the most interested places in the US (outside of NYC). Who is moving to the city? It has largely been college-educated, childless, relatively affluent, and politically progressive white Americans. These households have replaced Black households in many urban neighborhoods and have shifted politics further to the left in many American cities through organizations like the Democratic Socialists of America and the nonprofit network. The park for children is being replaced by the park for dogs. Family-style restaurants are being replaced by bars and fancy eateries. And the minivan to take the kids to practice, church, and school, is competing against a middle-aged man with a PhD on a bicycle. These are Zohran voters and also Squad and local Squad-like voters. Eric Adams voters are headed to the sports bar after watching a game and driving an SUV- my kinda crowd.

• Identity politics: Zohran didn’t invent identity politics. It has always been around. Rudy Giuliani excited Italian New Yorkers, Ed Koch excited Jewish voters, David Dinkins excited Black voters, Freddie Ferrer tried to excite Hispanic voters, and Bill DeBlasio excited insomniacs. Most Muslim and Desi voters don’t hate the police, want to legalize prostitution and drugs, and legalize stealing from restaurants, bodegas, and taxi drivers. Those are the ideas of the elite campus, and the wealthy circle Zohran belongs to. People do like representation and a lot of New York voters, especially younger ones, see Zohran as someone more like themselves and representative of a modern New York.

• Unique NYC Issues: New York has a massive affordability and housing crisis. Much of this is by design and a result of the policies of Rudy and Michael Bloomberg that were aimed at removing poor and working-class New Yorkers and replacing them with wealthy transplants. Working-class young couples and families often leave New York just to get ahead in live. Dominicans to Pennsylvania and Florida, Puerto Ricans to Pennsylvania and Central Florida, Desis to places like Atlanta and Texas, Black Americans to Georgia, Virginia, and the Carolinas, and white Americans to many of these same places. New York families are desperate for answers, and they don’t see the likes of Cuomo providing nothing more than business as usual. Zohran promises radical disruption and changes on the issues of housing and affordability and that is a compelling message to many.

• The Clinton-Obama Dems: Bill Clinton sold out American workers with NAFTA and GATT and gave us Donald Trump. Barack Obama promised hope and change but fulfilled the dreams of billionaires and didn’t have any spare change left for working-class Americans. The transformation of the Democratic Party of one from urban machines, labor unions, Black Americans, and farmers was complete. In was the secular and metro cosmopolitan elite who are primarily animated by social and cultural issues and share the basic economic views as Bush Era Republicans. This opened the door to populist revolts by Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders over economic issues and Zohran is just the latest chapter.

The Muslim View?

There is no Muslim view. In fact, I’d argue there isn’t even a Muslim community. The Muslim community is far too diverse for such labels. As a Muslim, I don’t find the politics of Zohran to be the least bit exciting. I’m no more enthused by him than I am by raunchy Muslim comedians (mostly effete Desi guys who make fun of themselves and their parents so white people can have a few laughs), Muslim girl coming of age novels (spoiler alert- she’ll get bent over by her non-Muslim crush at some point), and film representation (nearly always corny). That’s just me. There are many younger (and older) Muslims in the US who are excited about Zohran. They see him as an example of Muslims running and succeeding in politics and in many respects they’re right. Zohran is confirmation that as a demographic Muslims are getting stronger in the US and others may be getting weaker. FYI- no one is forcing you to drug, booze, not have kids, raise your kids in therapy if you do have any, and intermarry. If you refrain from these destructive behaviors and follow the “Success Sequence” you will be successful as a community. If you don’t, you’ll pay a price.

I certainly see very little Islamic influence on the political and social views of Zohran. Yet Muslim organizations are embracing him with fervor. Some are excited for the above-mentioned reasons and others are trying to line themselves up to get paid. And, as I’ve mentioned before, many Muslim organizations and activists in the US are influenced by the Muslim Brotherhood. For the Ikhwan, Paradise is the ascertaining of political power in this dunya, and anything from the deen of Islam which is an impediment to political success is to be discarded or deprioritized. The Western Left, which has captured the hearts and souls of many young Muslims in America, is rooted in atheism. Religion is only of service if it can help with the advancement of Leftist politics. If Islam interferes with such an endeavor the place for the Muslim is in a concentration camp or in the dirt (as we have seen repeatedly and the remnants can be seen today in East Turkistan and Central Asia with state persecution of Muslims rooted in Soviet Union and Red China policies going back generations). Zohran won’t have a gulag, he says he doesn’t even want violent criminals in Rikers Island. So, there’s that. Don’t have to worry about that one.

Muslim politics in the US is largely about the Israeli Palestinian issue. On another level it’s about Ikhwani-inspired Arab activism and the journey to the status of American Brahmans by affluent Desis. All three of these presently converge with Progressive politics. I’m not inspired by Muslim politics in America and I’m not a participant. I’m worried about social security, Medicaid, Medicare, and we are entering the holiday season with the government shutdown and people not getting their food stamps. Your bratty stunt in the 2024 election is looking more narcissist than impressive at this moment.

Prediction

Zohran will win. He will either make good on his platform and plunge New York into bankruptcy or he will win and then become just a generic politician and find ways to line his pockets and those of the people close to him. Both are real possibilities. What would I like to see? I’d like to see Zohran immediately kick all the Manhattanites, academics, nonprofit grifters, and crazy white leftists out of his tent and immediately create an outer-borough working-class coalition of Asians, Muslims, Black Americans, Hispanics, Orthodox Jews, working-class whites, and others and then hammer away at the issues of housing, affordability, education, public safety and order, healthcare, and transportation. But there is zero chance of that happening. What I’m certain will happen is the more ideological Leftist part of his base will turn on him within a year, and Zohran will be forced closer to the center as he is unable to meet their unreasonable demands. I sincerely hope all of these New York Muslims who are glazing Zohran nonstop are lining themselves up for patronage jobs and city contracts. That’s just old-fashioned New York politics.

Why Zohran Can’t Win in Your City and Isn’t a National Trend

As I stated, the most progressive of American voters are clustering in cities, and far-left candidates can win in some cities. But that’s not where most Americans live and where state and federal elections are decided. The conventional wisdom is that Democrats veered too far to the left on social issues in the Trump-Biden Era and the path to success is moving closer to the center. This is what leading Democrats like California Governor Gavin Newsome have been attempting to do. We can use St. Louis as an example. We elected a slate of progressive candidates over the last several years and now many of them have lost their seats in favor of more centrist candidates.

The Dodgers and Immigration

Before I end this newsletter, I just want to acknowledge what a remarkable World Series we just watched between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays. Congrats to all Dodgers fans. We should also take this time to reflect on immigration. The Dodgers have players from 18 different countries on their roster. This includes Japanese superstars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. As immigration raids are happening all over the country, and there are even talks about bounty hunters being employed to round up undocumented immigrants, the Dodgers are a reminder of the beauty, joy, and richness immigration brings to America. And, in baseball, just as in society, the umpire can award you with strikes and runs if you follow the rules, and he can toss you out of the game if you commit a serious infraction. That’s winning baseball and winning policy for Democrats and America.

I don’t enjoy winter. At all. My idea of being wealthy is never having to live in cold weather. When I see a wealthy individual actively choosing to suffer through winter, I look at them like they’re insane. However, I do enjoy the fall foliage and sports calendar before it gets cold and miserable in St. Louis.

Normally, we have amazing scenes of fall foliage in St. Louis this time of year. You can drive through residential neighborhoods and see the fall colors. Some of my favorite neighborhoods to view the trees are St. Louis Hills, Lindenwood Park, Webster Groves, Kirkwood, and Old Town Florissant. Additionally, our parks usually have amazing views. Forest Park especially. Unfortunately, many beautiful trees in Forest Park were lost in our recent tornado. You can really feel their absence when driving down Skinker or Lindell. On top of that, we have all been enjoying this unseasonably warm fall season. I won’t complain as I’ve been enjoying my daily walks in warm weather; but we do pay for it by not seeing fall colors. With the recent chill and cold rain, we should be seeing fall colors in the next day or two. Watch them while you can as they’ll soon be gone and lost to the frigid winter.

As an American, the best thing about the fall season to me is the sports calendar. Right now, we have the World Series between the Dodgers and Blue Jays. I have been captivated by the greatness of Shohei Ohtani who is simply the greatest baseball player of my lifetime. I’m rooting for him and the Dodgers. My decision is also aided by the fact the Blue Jays are from Canada, the Toronto accent is by far the worse iteration of the English language and should be classified as a hate crime, and Drake should’ve been gate kept out of hip-hop.

NFL and college football are also in full swing, the Cowboys are having a bad season, and the college wrestling season will soon begin. The US boxing schedule may be light as the old players are fading into history, and His Excellency Turki al-Sheikh and Zuffa Boxing are reorganizing the industry and securing TV deals, but I’m confident that 2026 has much in store for American boxing fans. If there was any question on whether the US or the UK had a healthier boxing scene that debate is over. While Top Rank, PBC, and Golden Boy are languishing, Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren are conducting business as usual across the pond.

Frankenstein and Task

On a humbug I drove by the Hi-Pointe Theatre in St. Louis, saw some people walking in, and decided to buy a ticket to see the new Frankenstein. I had just been to the theatre the night before to see The Mastermind (terrible film). Without seeing any previews or reading any reviews I was taking a chance with Frankenstein. It was definitely worth it. Another amazing film from Guillermo del Toro and one that must be experienced in the theater. I also had the time to finish watching Task on HBO. American TV is largely unwatchable these days (British may be just as bad), but this was one of three shows this year I’ve managed to finish (Istanbul Encyclopedia from Turkey and Black Snow from Australia being the others). There are several Korean and Japanese shows I’m interested in, but I find it hard to dedicate the time to finish a show. The St. Louis International Film Festival is also coming up. Similar to NPR, PBS, and many cultural institutions in the US, the SLIFF isn’t as good, or as international, as it was before COVID and the Great Awokeining. The loss of The Tivoli also hurts. This year does seem to have the best film selection I’ve seen in the past few years, and I have marked several that I want to see. We’ll see which ones I have time to attend.

Books

I am drawing closer to my 100 book a year goal and reading challenge. I will be compiling a list of the best books I’ve read this year next month and I will add the years 2021-2024 lists as well since some of those have been deleted. About 80% to 85% of what I read is nonfiction and mostly history, biographies, sociology, sports, academic religion, and such. I will share that in this past week I finished The Wounded Generation: Coming Home After World War II by David Nasaw and The Vegetarian by Han Kang. Both were outstanding and I would recommend them if you’re looking for fall reads. For sports fans I’ll recommend Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall Pete Rose, and The Last Glory Days of Baseball by Keith O’Brien.

Deen, Politics, and Sami Hamdi

I attended a wonderful learning event put on by the Miftaah Institute last week. The event was full of beneficial reminders and religious knowledge, and I particularly enjoyed hearing from Ustadh Ubaydullah Evans. These are the types of events I’m interested in, when I have time, and something that can bring believers closer to Allah. I’m not interested in any Ikhwani-Left political events and listening to non-Muslim politicians, quasi communists, and Muslimish activists pimping their identity for the sake of politics.

One of the things that we learn from our families and faith is consequences. For good actions there is a positive reward. We get a star or a cookie. For bad actions we get a mark (or a belt). Choose wisely. Sami Hamdi, who wrote that Muslims must abandon Harris, is presently learning that lesson. Enjoy the fish and chips in the UK! Don’t be surprised if the same thing happens in Saudi Arabia due to his constant slander.

Federal Government Workers and Those On Food Stamps Need Help

While countries around the world are thriving and building the infrastructure of the future ours is outdated, crumbling, and our government is shutdown. This means many things, one being that we are entering the holiday season with federal workers going without paychecks. Low-income residents in states like Missouri will also not be getting their food stamps. The over-the-top nature of modern secular American Christmas gift giving to kids and adults and work parties can use a haircut (add birthday debt slavery). That excess isn’t needed and if you do feel it’s obligatory you can foot the bill. What is mandatory is eating. All decent-sized mosques should be announcing food drives to help those in need. If your mosque isn’t functional enough to organize such a drive then donate to a church, synagogue, or nonprofit who is capable of such. People need to eat- especially children. The other thing? America is a dangerous, lawless, and violent place even when the economy is booming. Hunger can make people lose their minds and don’t be surprised if you see a massive spike in crime this November (and possibly December as well).

I will accept the good news wherever it may come from and whatever the motivations may be. My read is that the regional stakeholders who matter to peace negotiations (Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, and Turkey) didn't like Biden and aren't crazy about Democrats so they weren't keen to pressure Hamas to cut a deal until Trump returned to power. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to prolong the war to preserve his fragile ruling coalition and had a green light from Trump. That green light turned to red when Israel bombed Qatar, pissed off Trump, and he commanded Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to get the deal done- a deal that could've been done much sooner.

This conflict didn't begin on 10-7. Palestinians have had legitimate grievances even prior to 1948. However, the actions of Hamas and their allies on 10-7 opened the door to the bloodbath that followed. The blood is as much on their hands as it is on the hands of Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir, Smotrich, and the lot.

My conscious is very clear. I didn't support the violent carnage and kidnappings of 10-7 which included the deaths of Thai and Filipina workers. I wouldn’t celebrate and condone what has been Islamically and ethically prohibited in the name of politics. I remember many Muslims in America celebrating and cheering on 10-7 and the days that followed. I knew, without any doubt, they would soon be crying for the destruction of Gaza. Quite frankly, I find these people repulsive. If that makes me unpopular and unliked I could care less. If someone has a problem you can see me in the streets. When asked how they can defend such actions Muslims responded with the arguments of the atheist political-left in favor of political violence. When they had to use a Muslim reference they cited those influenced by the Muslim Brotherhood (a criminal organization dedicated to fitnah and finance). The Brotherhood themselves were initially influenced by Western fascists and the younger generations by the revolutionary left.

Palestine has become a religion for American-Muslims. The haram becomes halal as long as it has anything to do with Palestine. Desecration of a church in Texas by young Muslims in Texas gets defended by CAIR. I'm sure they're consistent and believe the desecration of mosques is fair game in the pursuit of politics. Protests led by a collection of communists, the alphabet gang, and Muslim murtads and those who openly commit zina and mock the religion are celebrated. To be a good Muslim, is to be good on Palestine, Allah, the Sunnah of His Messenger (PBUH), and Ibadah aren't needed. The numerous other conflicts Muslims are engaged in (or the targets of) don't rank.

College campuses became the scene of bad behavior among spoiled, wealthy, and privileged Muslims. Particularly young profane and raunchy Muslim women and Ikhwani-Left kids. They were joined by communists, leftists, atheists, Trans Jews For Gaza, and an assortment of blue-haired septum piercing having freaks. Their bad behavior did nothing to help the Palestinian people or further their cause. Their behavior did go a long way in damaging the reputation of Muslims. It was a reverse dawah. And, not just that. As the White Left has done with other communities, they offered the false hand of friendship and support to vulnerable Muslims. What is their aim? The social and political engineering of both the American-Muslim community and Muslims globally and the eradication of religious observance and influence.

Even today many Muslims in America aren't happy. They want the fight to go on. They wanna fight forever. Of course, they aren't interested in fighting themselves. No, they are living in the comfort and wealth of American suburbia. Their kids will be going to great schools. They are interested in cheering the conflict as a sport while stuffing their faces with samosas and popcorn. The business of peacemaking doesn't give them a team to root for. It's boring.

As for Israel and American-Jews this should be a come to the altar moment. Public opinion in America in favor of Palestinians hasn't been changed due to TikTok. It has been changed because the world will no longer accept a conflict like Gaza and the political status quo of the Palestinian people.

To deny this reality is to enter the one-way road to international isolation. You can be a regional power and international tech leader or you can follow the path of Ben-Gvir. You can't do both. The argument we did nothing more than America did in Iraq isn't a winning one. Very few people anywhere in the world, especially in America, believe the invasion and occupation of Iraq was anything other than a disaster that led to the beginning of the end of American international credibility abroad and political stability at home. Israel is ending this war militarily stronger than ever. Iran has been weakened and sidelined, the Axis of Resistance crumbled, and Hamas weakened to a point its survival is in doubt. Israel is the undisputed military power of the region. Yet, the grounds are shifting.

Jewish political power is declining in America and it won't come back. Larry Ellison and Bari Weiss taking over CBS News and TikTok won't change that. It's a numbers game. The American-Jewish community is shrinking as the vast majority of non-Orthodox Jews intermarry and have few kids. As Alan Dershowitz has written about, the Jewish community in America will grow smaller and more Orthodox. Chabad and other Hasidic communities are thriving, but are less affluent and politically influential. When boomer American Jews die off numerous organizations will collapse like a house of cards. There will no longer be the wealth or human resources to sustain them. This extends to lobbying groups and political organizations. Combine this with the fact that religious Christianity is on the decline in America and an increasing number of Evangelicals and Catholics are hostile to Israel on theological grounds and there is a steady flow of Muslim births and immigration (even moreso in Europe) and the math just isn't there for maintaining the status-quo. The GOP is becoming a nationalist isolationist party and Democrats one that is more skeptical of Israel. The time for the promotion of a lasting and just peace is now and no one will leave negotiations with everything they want.

Enter the Gulf states and Trump. The region is changing. Trump sees this and Dems are slowly catching on. Turkey had been ran by secular elites in Istanbul with an eye towards Europe and a disdain for their own Muslim masses and history. The Turkish military was primarily tasked with keeping secular Kemalists in power and putting down Kurdish and Cypriot rebellions. While President Erdogan may be a victim of his own hubris, and negatively influenced by Brotherhood actors, there is no doubt he has helped revive the Turkish Muslim majority and has helped create a modern and powerful military. Saudi Arabia is rising to become not only the leader of the region, but a global political, cultural, religious, and economic power. Military power will soon follow. To a lesser extent this is true of other Gulf states like Qatar and the UAE. Syria has been freed from the tyranny of a minority government and is now free to prosper under new leadership and Egypt is on course to become one of the largest nations on Earth due to birth rates. The balance of military power will shift in the region. It's not a matter of if but when.

The blueprint for a future and prosperous region has been outlined by Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad ibn Salman حَفِظَهُ ٱللَّٰهُ . Regional peace and cooperation, technology, economic prosperity, world class sports and entertainment, public safety, traditional cultural values, and a collective Muslim reference (free of the revolutionary ideas of the Brotherhood and agents of takfir). You can join and prosper or look for purity and sew division and be left behind. Israel will now have the opportunity to enter this new Saudi-led region and prosper- but they can't come alone. They have to bring a +1. The Palestinian people, under their own sovereignty, free of Hamas, Iran, and occupation, must come as well. The alternative is a war as destructive as the one we have just witnessed every decade or so. There are many who would love to see endless war. I'm proudly not one of those people. I want to see peace, prosperity, and coexistence. If the parties must be maneuvered and forced by the international community to come to that position then that is what must be done. We cannot have these wars until infinity with no progress towards peace.

Will it last? The past has taught us to be skeptical. Israel and Hamas must feel the pressure of the international community and be rewarded for good behavior. Money must be invested and timelines must be met. Bad behavior must be punished. Steady hands must be in place. My biggest concern is for the fragile and impulsive hands in Washington DC. America is essential to any peacemaking and dealmaking strategy. If we waffle the whole thing goes to shit.

One Battle After Another

Eddington is still my favorite film of the year. This was a good film. Not a great film. The film started slow. Viewers were drawn to a character who murdered a security guard just trying to get home to his family, abandoned her daughter because she wanted to revolutionary wanderlust, cheated on her boyfriend and dumped a kid that wasn't his on him, and then snitched on her comrades. If this is a hero in 2025 then America liberals are even more nuts than I thought they were.

The casting was great with the exception of Sean Penn. He didn't belong in this film. Too old. That simple. He couldn't carry the role and there are many actors who could've done a much better job (Michael Shannon comes to mind).

When the film is trying to be serious it sucks. In the final minute of the film Paul Thomas Anderson returns to the fake seriousness and we see the daughter is doomed to repeat the mistakes of her idiot parents.

When the film is just allowed to be an action film, and just about the love of a father for his daughter (?), the film excels. Leonardo DiCaprio, Chase Infiniti, and Benicio del Toro are awesome in this film as are several others. The cinematography was also amazing and I almost felt dizzy during the car chase scene towards the end. I would say you must see this film in the cinema just for that scene.

My happy ending for this film would be Charlene realizing her dad is a loving and misguided idiot and her mother a sick and disturbed person and her commitment to violence didn't help anyone. Only created more death and sadness. Charlene finds God, goes to college, chooses a solid major, and adheres to the Success Sequence. In other words, a film that wouldn't be made by Hollywood degenerates.

If you watched this film and want to read the book its loosely based on check out Vineland by Thomas Pynchon.

I hope people just take this film as art and not inspiration given our current political climate. As a kid, I saw how Colors made the youth of St. Louis want to be Bloods and Crips, and pretty soon they were killing one another over red and blue. A younger Sean Penn was in that 1988 film. We don't need a repeat scenario of bands of privileged campus youth deciding they want to go Weather Underground and giving themselves the righteous license to murder random people in the name of a fake revolution.

Not all news is bad. We have to stay positive. Boxing is undergoing a resurgence under the leadership of Saudi Arabia, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, and his relationships with The Ring Magazine, Zuffa Boxing, and fighters. Riyadh is now the fight capital of the world. The NFL season is underway, we have an extended summer, and St. Louis just landed a direct British Air flight to London. While there is no end in sight to the Russian war in Ukraine it looks like the horrendous conflict in Gaza may be winding down thanks to the leadership and diplomacy of Saudi Arabia and others.

Qatar

I had been wanting to visit Qatar since they hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2022. Qatar did a fantastic job as a host and showed everyone that world class sporting events can be alcohol free and family-friendly. The magnificent opening ceremony in Qatar appealed to higher ideas and purpose while the French Olympic ceremony two years later called to the gutter.

It just so happened that the cheapest flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia was via Qatar Airlines out of Dulles (DC). We spent a day and a half in Doha, Qatar and weren’t disappointed. We arrived at night and took a walk along the Corniche, visited the Pearl Monument, and then headed to the Souq Waqif (traditional market). The next day we visited both the Qatar Museum and the Museum of Islamic Art and both are world class institutions.

The Imam Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab Mosque (the state mosque of Qatar) was next.

Our hotel had a breakfast buffet that we utilized. On night one we ate at a traditional Arab cafe outside of the Souq. On night two we ate on a street crowded with international restaurants and throngs of people. Think London and New York minus the murder, mayhem, and disorder. While I had my eye on Bengali and Iraqi joints, I knew we would end up at an Indonesian restaurant. The food was delicious and a nice end to a brief time in Doha.

Makkah

My visit to Makkah was so rapid and profound that it’s hard to put into words. We arrived in Jeddah and were picked up from the airport by our guide and then taken to our hotel in Makkah. We stayed in one of the Clocktower hotels and I’ll recommend that to all Americans. I did 17,000 to 20,000 steps a day in Makkah. If I would’ve stayed further away from the Haram that number may have been double, with less amenities, and possibly limited air conditioning. We have to be realistic with regards to what level of physical conditioning and comfort we are at and then plan accordingly.

Getting to our room we opened our curtains and there it was for us to see. The Kaaba. The first house built to worship God in a spirit of monotheism. The place that Muslims face in prayer five times a day. The place I had seen in so many thousands of photos and videos and heard so many stories about. There it was.

We settled in and then met our guide. We just hired him for that night to guide us on our Umrah. He only spoke Indonesian, but that wasn’t important for me. I was simply looking for physical navigation as I knew what all the places were and the prayers to say because I’d been studying for months and helped by people like Sheikh Yusuf Jaffar Idris (who I was able to see after Fajr) and others. There also several very good Umrah tutorial videos on YouTube. There also books available for download such as this one from Ibn Baz.

We arrived at Masjid al-Haram and it was well after ‘isha. We didn’t have time to gawk and to be awestruck. It was time to get down to business. We went right into our tawaf. During our seven circuits the crowd seemed light at times and then it would get thicker. At one point we were next to a group from Japan. At other times groups from Indonesia and Uzbekistan. When we got too close to the Black Stone things began to get crowded and chaotic and I physically directed our guide to the outside lanes. There is no benefit in wrestling, fighting, and endangering my health, and that of others, to touch either the Black Stone or the Kaaba.

After we completed our tawaf we drank Zamzam water. I don’t think I’ve ever had water that refreshing in my life. There is something surreal about drinking from that blessed well. I was also parched. During Umrah you must keep your Wudu, so I barely ate or drank anything that day to avoid the need to go to the bathroom. It was also around 100 degrees. The water really boosted my energy as we prayed two rakats and then went into the seven circuits of Sa’ee.

After Sa’ee it was time to get my head shaved. The free barbers outside of the Haram don’t use a razor so we went into the shopping mall to find a barber. We found one and, while he did an adequate job removing all my hair, he absolutely sliced the back of my head. I actually bled all night despite attempts to stop the bleeding. I was also dealing with a cyst on the back of my neck that I had drained the week prior. That cut, getting my foot trampled on twice, and buying thobes that were so tight on my arms that it was painful to get up from sujud, all made for a physically challenging trip in temperatures that went up to 110.

The rest of our time in Makkah was spent in prayer. I spent more time at the Haram around Fajr, Maghrib, and Isha. During the day I prayed and retreated to the AC of my room or the nearby malls. Our hotel concierge provided us with a Ziyarat tour of the various significant places for Muslims in Makkah.

I did very little shopping in Makkah, and I had breakfast at the hotel buffet and dinner at whatever restaurant had the shortest line. This includes going to Hardees one night.

Bonus- we happened to be in Makkah during Saudi National Day. Our hotel threw a party featuring cake and pastries and we were able to attend. It was on that same day that Saudi Mufti Abdul-Aziz al al-Sheikh died. King Salman ordered that Salat al-Ghayb be offered for the Sheikh at Masjid al-Haram and I was able to participate and also attend a halaqa that night discussing the legacy of the Sheikh.

Madinah

We left Madinah on the Haramain Rail Line and purchased our tickets on the Nusuk app. The train is faster, safer, cleaner, and more modern than any train operating in North America. Catching it was an excellent decision.

In Madinah you immediately feel the sense of peace and calm. Makkah is hustle and bustle. Madinah is relaxing. Our hotel was right next to Masjid an-Nabawi so we simply walked over before prayer times. My step count dropped to 12,000 to 17,000 a day in Madinah.

There is an amazing feeling praying in Masjid an-Nabawi and spending so much time with believers. I spoke to many Muslims and asked them where they were from and those who spoke English were interested in knowing about both my journey to Islam and the general situation of Muslims in America. At Jummah I prayed in between a Chechen and an Indonesian and at my hotel there were many British, Moroccan, Saudi, and Egyptian Muslims.

To illustrate how much Saudi Arabia has changed under the leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad ibn Salman, our tour guide in Madinah was a woman driving an SUV, and she was a great guide. She took us all over Madinah and showed us places such as the site of the Battle of Uhud, the Qooba Mosque, the Qiblatain Mosque, and the King Fahd Glorious Quran Printing Complex. We were generously connected to her by a Saudi student in St. Louis (Brother Bandar, JAK). My time in Madinah also included a Rawdah appointment, booked on the Nusuk app, to visit the grave of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Abu Bakr (RA), and Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA). It’s an experience so intense I don’t have the words to describe.

Jeddah

Before leaving Saudi Arabia, we spent a day in Jeddah. This is a city I would recommend to any American for a visit. There are neighborhoods that look as plush as South Beach or Malibu (but with peace, civility, and order) and there are older neighborhoods that looks like Damascus. Visiting the Jeddah Corniche and the floating mosque will go down as one of the highlights of our trip.

Advice

In this video I share my experience and give some advice. I will also advise to stay hydrated and drink plenty of water as you’ll be dealing with extreme heat and to change into your ihram in your hotel if you’re flying. You don’t wanna be changing into your ihram in a cramped airplane bathroom, especially if you’re overweight.

Riyadh

The next time I’m in Saudi Arabia, insha’Allah, in addition to pursuing some personal opportunities, I hope to journey to Riyadh and watch some boxing and eat some American style halal BBQ.

More photos from my journey are available on Instagram

I was not a fan of Charlie Kirk. While I largely agreed with him on issues of family, gender, and sexuality I’m not a fan of public debating and his style was aimed at college students. Kirk was also vehement in his attacks on Islam and Muslims in a very 2000s sort of right-wing way. Some Muslims have celebrated his death as have many leftists, proponents of gender ideology, and others. That is unfortunate. Political violence is something that shouldn’t be tolerated in the United Sates. Once the cycle begins where does it end? You may be happy when Kirk is gunned down but be sad when it’s someone that you like. If the consequence of exercising your free speech is murder, then we lose the freedom of dissent.

I haven’t seen the video of the Kirk killing. Nor do I want to. I also haven’t watched the video of Iryna Zarutska being brutally slain in Charlotte by someone who should’ve been in jail. Iryna is just one more working-class person to fall victim to such violence on their way home from work, school, or shopping because of random American mayhem and failures of the system. This is one reason I don’t think the US is the best option for many refugees. Why leave the frying pan for the fire?

I don’t think it’s healthy to watch either video. Why do you want to watch someone die? Why watch it over and over again? Why plaster it all over social media? This is psychologically damaging. I said the same thing years ago when a masjid I attended would plaster posters of dead children laying in pools of blood all over the entrance. Why do we need to see this? What could possibly be the positive benefit? We all know these things are horrific without the repetitive jarring reminders.

Saudi Arabia and Canelo-Crawford

Onto the good news. Mexican boxing legend Canelo Alvarez will fight Terence Crawford this weekend in Las Vegas. The fight will not be on PPV. The entire card will be streamed live on Netflix. This wouldn’t be possible without the investment in boxing by Saudi Arabia under the direction of Crown Prince Muhammad ibn Salman and spearheaded by His Excellency Turki al-Sheikh. The game is changing. The streaming era is here, old boxing promotions will soon be folding up, and the future is in the hands of the Saudis and their partnerships with The Ring Magazine, Zuffa Boxing, and others. What the coming years will look like are uncertain. For me personally, I hope they include attending a fight or two in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. What I do know is this- this weekend will be spectacular, and it wouldn’t be possible without Saudi Arabia and HE Turki has already announced several more upcoming events. What I can be assured along with other boxing fans is that we will be able to enjoy ourselves as a result of Saudi prosperity, hospitality, safety, and public order.

My weekend prediction? The old boxing adage is that a good big man beats a good little man. Of course, there is also the adage that Father Time is undefeated. Canelo is younger in human years and older in boxing years. How will Crawford carry the weight? There are a lot of unknowns. The fight scenario in mind is that Canelo catches Crawford in the early rounds. Perhaps in round two. Canelo either scores a knockdown or hurts Crawford. From that point forward Crawford employs his defense and angles and boxes around the flat-footed Canelo on his way to a decision victory. Perhaps Crawford even bloodies Canelo up down the stretch from landing clean pot shots. I like Crawford by decision and a victory parade in Omaha, Nebraska.

Travel

I will be traveling on vacation next week iA. I will be sharing video and photos on my Instagram so check there.

Umar Lee (@stlstranger) •