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lydiathane · 2 years ago

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Revenant

A sharp whistle cuts the tension before I can take the first steps toward making a fool of myself. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say I'm lookin' at a ghost," a sailor's shit-eating cant calls out.

"You ever seen a ghost with an ass like mine?"

"Turn around, let me think about it."

A tree trunk of a man leans on a shovel and shields his eyes from the light. I see the blotchy ink of sun-scorched tattoos snaking up his bronze arm, naval mythology merged with flesh just the way I remember. I can feel the dread-thump of a resistant heart being violently kickstarted by an absolute dream, jolting me awake. It's a perfect, cerulean day in La Noscea, and the chaplain himself is shoveling shit on several acres of the island's best volcanic soil. Spectacular.

"How's it going, Leon?"

"I've had it worse. Still kicking, so I can't complain."

"You look healthy."

"I am healthy. But what about you? Last I saw you…"

"I was blasted on drugs and dancing on the edge of disaster. Bet you thought I danced right off the dock and into the ocean." It's a joke, but it's not.

"That's...one way of putting it, yeah." Leon scratches at the short hair on his chin and cheek with a free hand and looks me over as he mulls what exactly to say to a screaming heap of unfinished business made manifest on his humble yard. I can see it in his eyes that he's wary, the walls being bricked as high as he can make them before the bad humors get in and asphyxiate everything they touch.

"I know this is out of the blue," I admit, in the most obvious possible fashion. Fuck, I am so stupid. "I guess I could've sent a letter or...messenger bird. Smoke signals..." I'm trying to joke again, but unlike Arius, this one gives me a pitying smile. Grow up, Lydia. You fucking idiot.

"What are you here for, Lydia?" The smile fades fast as I watch him try to piece together my intent with a swell of suspicion, and I can't blame him for the outcome. "Listen, I know things happened on the Basilisk, but I...don't live like that anymore, and I have no desire to go back. The drugs, the debauching...I'm not proud of what I did there, but I'm set on a better path these days. I'm making up for lost time."

"No, no. Hey." I'm moving before I can stop myself, boots sinking into the supple field, treading on his work in a way I am all too keenly aware of. "Listen, I'm not here to drag you back, I swear to you. Actually, I'm drying out too, in just about every conceivable sense. I don't want that, either."

"I looked for you, you know. Looked for a body more than anything, expected to find you face down in the current. Didn't find out until later that you'd walked off with a stranger. I didn't understand it."

"Yeah, well…" I begin, ready to deflect with more sour humor and then immediately turn away from the vulnerability this perilous conversation requires. Instead: "I'm…sorry. I'm sorry you had to do that. That was fucked up, the way I walked out of all that. I don't have an excuse, and I'm not going to make one. I owed you more than that."

I see his brows raise, but he doesn't voice his surprise. He doesn't need to. "I appreciate that."

"You're...such a good fucking man, Leon. You're one of the best. You didn't deserve it. It's that simple. I kept thinking about you after I left, and it's not to excuse how I walked out, but even before then I knew I was an anchor and I was dragging you to your death. I was poison. The Basilisk was...it was..."

"A cataclysmic fuckfest," he completes on cue. "Yeah, it was a disgusting, sweaty, nihilistic shitshow and everyone there knew it, but you didn't do anything to me that I wasn't already on the way to doing to myself. It was a dark time, Lydia. We lost our minds when faced with the end. In a way, I'm grateful it happened, because it showed me who I really was."

"You never seemed lost to me."

Leon unfurls an endearing smile, his eyes crinkling up with easygoing mirth. "We're born lost, Lydia. We're all just stumbling around in the dark trying to do our best with a little bit of light and direction until we die and get the big picture." He's been building up to this line, I can see it in his expression that he's pleased. "Thankfully there's a divine Navigator."

I smile back reflexively and feel my heart punch madly against my ribs, beating my dumb ass internally with every blow. Part of me wants to cover the spot with my hands as though he can see it, but I settle for crossing my arms casually instead. We stand there staring at each other stupidly for far too long as seagulls scream in the distance.

"Hey, so can I just…" I begin. "I don't expect anything out of you. Let me be clear about that. I don't want money or favors or anything, okay?" I've got his full attention and it's making me nervous, but I'm committed now and there's no turning back. "But...maybe you wouldn't mind giving me a little bit of your time? Let me buy you a drink or dinner or both." I can feel the color creep up my neck, which is abso-fucking-lutely undignified. This isn't like me, but I can barely hear my own higher thought over the steady wardrum going off in my chest. "You can absolutely tell me to go fuck myself if that's where your heart's at, but if there's even a remote chance--"

"Sure."

"Sure. Sure? What's that mean, sure?"

"You're as thick as you always were," he scoffs, turning to walk his shovel back toward a freshly-painted barn, leaving me to scramble after. "You can't just tell me you want to talk or that you're feeling some kind of way, so we've got to do this song and dance where I pretend I don't know you and you get to pretend you're getting away with something. It was the same deal when I first met you on the boat to Terncliff, you were scared shitless, but had to come at it all sideways." He leans the shovel against the wall and ignores me to work the knot on his bandana to wipe the sweat from his forehead. "I know you want to say some things, you think I might want to say some things, and you want to put a cap on this open chapter one way or another. So let's do it. Take me on a date, Lydia Thane."

Leon takes his time to pull the bulky gloves from his hands and throw them on a workbench, finally glancing over his shoulder to see me looking dumbstruck. His laughter is loud enough to echo all the way down to the shoreline.

#ffxiv #ff14 #lydia thane #brother leon

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orthodoxydaily · 2 years ago

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Saints&Reading: Friday, December 9, 2022

decembre 9 November 26

THE MONK ALYPIUS THE STYLITE OF ADRIANOPOLIS (640)

Saint Alypius the Stylite was born in the city of Adrianopolis in Paphlagonia. His mother, a Christian, was widowed early, and she sent her son to be educated by Bishop Theodore. She distributed her substance to the poor, then began to live an ascetic life near the church as a deaconess.

Saint Alypius, from his early years, wanted to devote his life to God and yearned for the solitary life, although Bishop Theodore would not give him permission to do so. Once, when Saint Alypius was accompanying his bishop to Constantinople, the holy Martyr Euphemia (September 16) appeared to him in a vision, summoning Saint Alypius to return to Adrianopolis and found a church in her name.

With contributions offered by believers in Adrianopolis, Saint Alypius did build a church in the name of the holy Martyr Euphemia, on the site of a dilapidated pagan temple infested by legions of devils. Beside the church, under the open sky, the saint erected a pillar over a pagan tomb. For fifty-three years Saint Alypius struggled upon the pillar, praying to God and teaching those who came to him.

The demons which infested the pagan cemetery fell upon the ascetic by night and pelted him with stones. Saint Alypius, wanted nothing to stand in the way of the attacks of the spirits of darkness, then even took down the boards that served him as a roof, protecting him from the rain and wind. In the face of the saint’s conquering steadfastness, the demons forever fled the place, which had been sanctified by his deed of voluntary martyrdom.

Fourteen years before his death, Saint Alypius was no longer able to stand. He was compelled to lie on his side because of the weakness of his legs, and endured grievous sufferings with humble gratitude. Around the saint’s pillar two monasteries sprang up: a men’s monastery on the one side, and a women’s monastery on the other. Saint Alypius introduced strict monastic rules for both monasteries and he directed both monasteries until his death. Saint Alypius reposed in the year 640, at age 118. The body of the venerable stylite was buried in the church he founded in honor of the holy Martyr Euphemia. The relics of the saint of God healed many of those who came in faith.

SAINT INNOKENTII, FIRST BISHOP OF IRKUTSK (1731)

Saint Innocent, Bishop of Irkutsk, (in the world John) was descended from the noble Kulchitsky family. His parents moved from Volhynia to the Chernigov region in the mid-seventeenth century. The saint was born in about the year 1680, and educated at the Kiev Spiritual Academy. He accepted monastic tonsure in 1710 and was appointed an instructor at the Moscow Slavonic-Greek-Latin Academy as prefect and professor of theology.

In 1719 Saint Innocent transferred to the Saint Peterburg Alexander Nevsky Lavra, and was appointed chief naval chaplain. In 1720 he served as vice-regent of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

On February 14, 1721, hieromonk Innocent was consecrated as Bishop of Pereyaslavl and appointed to the Peking Spiritual Mission in China. But the Chinese government refused to allow him to enter the country, because the Senate Commission on External Affairs had indiscretely characterized him as “a spiritual personage, a great lord.” The saint was compelled to spend three years at Selingin on the Chinese border, suffering much deprivation because of the uncertainty of his position, and grief from the disarray of the civil government in Siberia. Diplomatic blunders of the Russian Mission in China by Graf Raguzinsky, and intrigues by the Irkutsk archimandrite Anthony Platkovsky led to the appointment of Archimandrite Anthony in China. By decree of the Most Holy Synod Saint Innocent was named in 1727 to be Bishop of Irkutsk and Nerchinsk. And so he entered into the governance of the newly-formed dioceses.

The proximity of the Chinese border, the expanse and sparsely-settled dioceses, the great number of diverse nationalities (Buryat, Mongol, and others), mostly unenlightened by the Christian Faith, the lack of roads and the poverty—all this made Saint Innocent’s pastoral work burdensome and his life full of deprivations. Through a strange oversight of the Senate, he did not receive any money until the time of his death, and he endured extreme want. In these difficult conditions of scant funds, the Irkutsk Ascension monastery still maintained two schools opened under him, one Mongol and the other Russian. The constant concern of the saint was directed towards the schools: the selection of worthy teachers, and providing the necessary books, clothing and other provisions for students.

The saint toiled tirelessly at organizing the diocese, and strengthening its spiritual life. His many sermons, pastoral letters and directives bear witness to this. In his work and deprivations Saint Innocent found spiritual strength, humility, and insight.

In the spring of 1728, the Baikal region began to suffer a drought. Famine from a poor grain harvest had threatened the diocese already back in 1727. With the blessing of the holy hierarch, in May within the churches of Irkutsk and the Irkutsk region they began to include a Molieben for an end to the drought at each Liturgy. On Saturdays they sang an Akathist to the Mother of God, and on Sundays they served a Molieben. “The supplications,” said the saint, “should end on the Feast of Saint Elias” (July 20). Indeed, on that very day a storm raged at Irkutsk with such strong rains, that in the streets of the city water stood up to people’s knees, and thus the drought ended.

Through the efforts of Saint Innocent, construction was started on a stone church to replace the wooden one at the Ascension monastery, and the boundaries of the diocese were expanded to include not only Selingin, but also the Yakutsk and Ilimsk surroundings.

The saint, not noted for robust health, and under the influence of the severe climate and his afflictions, departed to the Lord at a rather young age (51). He reposed on the morning of November 27, 1731.

In the year 1764, the body of the saint was discovered incorrupt during restoration work on the monastery’s Tikhvin church. Many miracles occurred not only at Irkutsk, but also in remote places of Siberia, for those who flocked to the saint with prayer. This moved the Most Holy Synod to uncover the relics and to glorify the saint in the year 1800.

In the year 1804, a feastday was established to celebrate his memory throughout all Russia on November 26, since the Sign Icon of the Mother of God is commemorated on the actual day of his repose (November 27). Saint Innocent is also remembered on February 9.

In 1921, the relics of Saint Innocent were taken from their shrine and placed in a Soviet anti-religious museum. They were moved to another museum in Yaroslav in 1939, and were exhibited as “mummified remains of an unknown man.” In 1990, they were brought to the newly-reopened Tolga Monastery in the Yaroslav diocese. In September of 1990, the holy relics arrived in Irkutsk and were placed in the cathedral, to the joy of all the faithful.

Source: all texts Orthodox Church in America

LUKE 19:12-28

11And as they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear

12 Therefore He said: "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.' 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.' 15 And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16 Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.' 17 And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.' 18 And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.' 19 Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.' 20 Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. 21 'For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' 22 And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. 23 'Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?' 24 And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.' 25 ("But they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.') 26 'For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 27 'But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.' " 28 When He had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

Commentary of the Church Fathers:

St Ambrose of Milan AD 397: But the ten cities are the souls over whom he is rightly placed who has deposited in the minds of men his Lord's money and the holy words, which are tried as silver is tried in the fire. For as Jerusalem is said to be built as a city, so are peace-making souls. And as angels have rule, so have they who have acquired the life of angels. Or perhaps differently; he who gained five pounds has all the moral virtues, for there are five senses of the body. He who gained ten has so much more, that is to say, the mysteries of the law as well as the moral virtues. The ten pounds may also here be taken tomean the ten words, that is, the teaching of the law; the five pounds, the ordering of discipline. But the scribe must be perfect in all things. And rightly, since He is speaking of the Jews, are there two only who bring their pounds multiplied, not indeed by a gainful interest of money, but a profitable stewardship of the Gospel. For there is one kind of usury in money lent on interest, another in heavenly teaching. Nothing is said of the other servants, who like wasteful debtors lost all that they had received. By those two servants who gained by trading, are signified that small number, who in two companies were sent as dressers of the vineyard; by the remainder all the Jews. It follows, And they said to him, Lord, he has ten pounds. And lest this should seem unjust, it is added, For to every one that has, it shall be given.

St Augustine of Hippo AD 430: Or the far country is the Gentile Church, extending to the uttermost parts of the earth. For He went that the fullness of the Gentiles might come in; He will return that all Israel may be saved. Or by the ten pounds he signifies the law, because of the ten commandments, and by the ten servants, those to whom while under the law grace was preached. For so we must interpret the ten pounds given them for trading. Seeing that they understood the law, when its veil was removed, to belong to the Gospel...

...In the Gospel, you have heard both the reward of the good servants and the punishment of the bad. The fault of that servant who was reproved and severely punished was this and only this: that he would not put to use what he had received. He preserved it intact, but his master was looking for a profit from it. God is greedy for our salvation.

1 TIMOTHY 4:4-8, 16

4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; 5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. 6 If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. 7 But reject profane and old wives' fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. 8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. 16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

#orthodoxy #orthodoxchristianity #easternchristianity #originofchristianity #spirituality #holyscriptures #gospel #bible #wisdom

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indynerdgirl · 1 year ago

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Happy 248th Birthday to the US Navy!

The bravery of four Catholic chaplains in the line of duty has been recognized by US Navy vessels named in their honor:

Father Aloysius H. Schmitt and the USS Schmitt

Aloysius H. Schmitt was born in St. Lucas,Iowa on December 4, 1909, and was appointed acting chaplain with the rank of Lieutenant (Junior Grade) on June 28, 1939. Serving on his first sea tour, he was hearing confessions on board the battleship USS Oklahoma when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. When the ship capsized, he was entrapped along with several other members of the crew in a compartment where only a small porthole provided a means of escape. He assisted others through the porthole, giving up his own chance to escape, so that more men might be rescued. He received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal posthumously for his courage and self-sacrifice. St. Francis Xavier Chapel, erected at Camp Lejeune in 1942, was dedicated in his memory.

The destroyer escort USS SCHMITT was laid down on February 22, 1943, launched on May 29, 1943, and was commissioned on July 24, 1943. The USS Schmitt was decommissioned and placed in reserve on June 28,1949 and struck from the Navy list on May 1,1967.

Father Joseph T. O'Callahan and the USS O'Callahan

Joseph T. O'Callahan was born in Boston, Massachusetts on May 14, 1905. He received his training for the Roman Catholic priesthood at St. Andrews College, Poughkeepsie, New York and at Weston School of Theology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Prior to his commissioning as a Navy chaplain on August 7, 1940, he was head of the mathematics department at Holy Cross College. His earlier duty stations included the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida, the USS Ranger, and Naval Air Station, Hawaii.

Chaplain O'Callahan was the Senior Chaplain aboard the aircraft carrier USS Franklin when the Japanese attacked it off the coast of Kobe, Japan, on March 19, 1945. After the ship received at least two well-placed bomb hits, fuel and ammunition began exploding and fires were rampant. The final casualty count listed 341 dead, 431 missing and 300 wounded. Captain L.E. Gehres, commanding officer of the carrier, saw Chaplain O'Callahan manning a hose which laid water on bombs so they would not explode, throwing hot ammunition overboard, giving last rites of his church to the dying, organizing fire fighters, and performing other acts of courage. Captain Gehres exclaimed, "O'Callahan is the bravest man I've ever seen in my life."

Chaplain O'Callahan received the Purple Heart for wounds he sustained that day. He and three other heroes of the war were presented the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman. He was the first chaplain of any of the armed services to be so honored. He was released from active duty 12 November 1946 to resume his teaching duties and died in 1964.

The destroyer escort USS O'Callahan was laid down on February 19, 1964 and launched on October 20, 1965. Chaplain O'Callahan's sister, Sister Rose Marie O'Callahan, was the sponsor, the first nun tosponsora U.S. Navy ship. The commissioning took place July 13, 1968, at the Naval Shipyard in Boston, Massachusetts. The USS O'Callahan had its shakedown cruise out of San Diego and later operated largely in anti-submarine training and reconnaissance in the Western Pacific. In 1982-83, the ship had an eight-month deployment in the Indian Ocean. The USS O'Callahan was decommissioned on December 20,1988.

Father Vincent R. Capodanno and the USS Capodanno

Vincent R. Capodanno was born in Richmond County, New York, on February 13, 1929. He was an avid swimmer and a great sports enthusiast. After receiving his training at Fordham University in New York City, Maryknoll Seminary College in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, and Maryknoll Seminaries in Bedford, Massachusetts and New York City, New York, he was ordained on June 7, 1957 by Francis Cardinal Spellman, Archbishop of New York and Military Vicar of the Roman Catholic Military Ordinariate. Shortly thereafter, he began an eight-year period of service in Taiwan and Hong Kong under the auspices of the Catholic Foreign Mission Society.

Chaplain Capodanno received his commission with the rank of Lieutenant on December 28, 1965. Having requested duty with Marines in Vietnam, he joined the First Marine Division in 1966 as a battalion chaplain. He extended his one-year tour by six months in order to continue his work with the men. While seeking to aid a wounded corpsman, he was fatally wounded on September 4, 1967 by enemy sniper fire in the Quang Tin Province. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor "for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty...." He had previously been awarded the Bronze Star Medal for bravery under battle conditions.

The destroyer escort USS Capodanno keel was laid down on February 25, 1972; the ship was christened and launched on October 21, 1972 and commissioned on November 17, 1973. The USS Capodanno was designed for optimum performance in anti-submarine warfare. Deployments included operations in the Western Atlantic, West Africa, the Mediterranean, and South America. The USS Capodanno was decommissioned on July 30, 1993.

Father John Francis Laboon, SJ and the USS Laboon

John Francis Laboon, Jr., a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, native, born April 11, 1921, was a member of the Class of 1944 at the U.S. Naval Academy and a distinguished athlete. In World War II, Ensign Laboon was awarded the Silver Star for bravery for diving from his submarine, the USS PETO, to rescue a downed aviator while under heavy fire. Lieutenant Laboon left the Navy after the war to enter the Jesuits. With the Navy never far from his thoughts, he returned to his beloved "blue and gold" as a chaplain in 1958. For the next twenty-one years, he served the Navy-Marine Corps team in virtually every community and location including tours in Alaska, Hawaii, Japan, and Vietnam, where he received the Legion of Merit with Combat "V" for his fearless action as battlefield chaplain. He was the first chaplain assigned to a Polaris Submarine Squadron and Senior Catholic Chaplain at the Naval Academy. Captain Laboon retired in in 1979 as Fleet Chaplain, U.S. Atlantic Fleet and died in 1988.

The launching of the guided missile destroyer Laboon nicknamed the "Fearless 58" took place on February 20, 1993, at Bath Iron Works. The highlight of the event was the presence of the honoree's three sisters and brother. Christening the ship were sisters De Lellis, Rosemary, and Joan, all members of the Sisters of Mercy. Rev. Joseph D. Laboon of the V.A. Medical Center of New Orleans offered the invocation. Former Chief of Navy Chaplains and the then-current Archbishop of New York, Cardinal John O'Connor, offered remarks. The commissioning of the USS Laboon took place on March 18,1995 in Norfolk, VA. Throughout a lifetime of service to God and Country, Chaplain Laboon was an extraordinary example of dedication to Sailors and Marines everywhere.

[all information from the USCCB website]

#catholic #catholic history #us navy #us navy history #naval history #us navy birthday #military history #military ships

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beatrice-otter · 1 year ago

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[image description: picture of a yellowed newspaper

Headline: Mother must face the shocking truth, Tim's going to be a star

Picture: a young Tim Curry Caption: Tim Curry ... acidly satirical performance

Article: The last time Tim Curry's mother visited the theatre, to see her actor son perform in a nude scene from Hair, she hid blushing at the back of the box for the whole show.

Finally, when everyone had gone home, she emerged and told him: 'After that I can't think why you have always bothered to lock the bathroom door....'

Mrs Patricia Curry, the widow of a naval chaplain, is almost certain to be a good deal more shocked when she sees Tim in his new play, The Rocky Horror Sho.

The show, a spangled piece of eroticism, has turned into high camp 70s sensuality all those kitsch fantasies of the 50s, horror movies, Charles Atlas muscle-bound adverts, leather-jacketed rockers.

/end id]

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ltwilliammowett · 1 year ago

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China cup and saucer from an early 19th century

The set commemorating the American naval victory on Lake Chaplain in 1814, probably showing the HMS 'Confiance' and the American vessel 'Vermont' (1808), unsigned, American, c.1825

#naval artifacts #hms confiance #vermont #lake champlain #1814 #war of 1812 #age of sail

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if-you-fan-a-fire · 6 months ago

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"PATTULLO WELCOMES OXFORD GROUPERS," Vancouver Sun. May 28, 1934. Page 7. ---- GREAT INTEREST IN MOVEMENT, SAYS PREMIER ---- VICTORIA, May 28. - "This vast audience is evidence of the great interest that is being manifested in the Oxford Group movement. We are probably living in a period of far reaching importance a period of evolution in the history of the world. We are perhaps too close to the situation to grasp all its implications," Premier T. D. Pattullo said, in his opening remarks, when welcoming Dr. Frank N. D. Buchman, founder and leader of the movement, and his Colleagues to Victoria, at a meeting held in the Royal Victoria Theatre, Sunday night.

"It is rather an anomaly that all the nations of the world should be advocating international goodwill and peace, and yet all adopting an opposite course of action," the Premier continued.

"If we are to produce good will among nations, then we have to have good will in the hearts of the individuals. I find myself in great sympathy with all endeavors inculcated with the spirit of goodwill."

More than one hundred members of the group from London arrived in Victoria Saturday. They are on tour of Canada and the United States and held meetings here at various churches throughout the day.

Their final meeting was held at the Empress Hotel Sunday evening and the groupers left at midnight for Vancouver.

Leader HALLEN VINEY, M.A. Once a chaplain in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserves, Hallen Viney, one of the best known members of the Oxford Group's International Team, is an M.A. from Downing College, Cambridge University. A leader in the organization work of the group, he made a wide circle of acquaintances during his first visit to Vancouver with the Oxford Group team a year ago.

#vancouver #oxford group #frank buchman #new religious movement #lutheranism #lutheran sect #high society sect #great depression in canada #christianity in canada

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drmaqazi · 8 months ago

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ISLAM IN THE U.S. PRISONS

An Interview with DMahmood .A. Qazi

How did you become involved with the conversions within the prison community? How many people have you converted? My first experiences with conversions to Islam outside of the prison setting were in the early 1970s, when I first immigrated to the United States. In 1972, I started Kazi Imports in Chicago, Illinois, which became Kazi Publications, Inc., a non-profit organization. During this time, I came in contact with the Nation of Islam, whose followers became our biggest customers for the Holy Qur'an and Islamic literature. Because of their exposure to the true Islamic literature, some of them started moving away from the Nation of Islam teachings and converting to true Islam. My next experiences were in the military setting beginning in the early 1980s. In 1978, I became a member of the Northbrook Islamic Cultural Center (NICC), where I came to know Mr. Nizar Hassan, the Principal of NICC Sunday school, who became my mentor. I was really impressed by his method of teaching and preaching Islam to non‑Muslims. In January 1983, I started accompanying him as a volunteer to the United States Great Lakes Naval Training Center on Sundays, where he used to teach Islam to naval recruits. That is where I saw young recruits accepting Islam almost every Sunday. The maximum number of recruits that accepted Islam on one Sunday was 23. I volunteered at the Great Lakes for eleven (11) years.

My experiences with conversions within the prison system began in 1993 after I moved to Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It was here that I began to preach Islam as a volunteer at the Sate Correctional Institution (SCI), Cresson, PA, Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) at Loretto, PA, and Cambria County Prison at Ebensburg, PA. I continued as a volunteer till October 2003.

In 2003, I was offered a part time Muslim Chaplain (Imam) position at the South West Secure Treatment Unit (SWSTU), Blairsville, PA and also at the Cresson Secure Treatment Unit (CSTU), Cresson, PA. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania closed the SWSTU in June 2006. I continued to provide Islamic services to the juveniles at CSTU, Cresson, PA.

In 2004, I was offered a Muslim Chaplain's position at the SCI Laurel Highland, PA, and SCI Somerset, PA, where I served as an Imam till June 2007. Currently, I am providing Islamic Services as a Muslim Chaplain (Imam) at the Cresson Secure Treatment Unit (CSTU), Cresson, PA, Torrance State Hospital, Torrance, PA, and as a volunteer at the Cambria County Prison, Ebensburg, PA.

2. Can you briefly describe the prevalence of Islam in the prison systems? According to the Chief of the Federal Bureau of Prison's Chaplaincy Services Branch, approximately 9,000 inmates, or about 6 percent of the federal inmate population, sought Islamic religious services in 2003. [1] These inmates can be classified in four groups: Sunni, Shiite, Nation of Islam, and Moor Science Temple of America. [2] Nearly 85% of inmates identify themselves as Sunni or Nation of Islam; less than 1% identifies them as Shiite. [3] A 2006 report found that Muslims, including Nation of Islam and Moor Science Temple, are believed to have the high rates of prison-based conversions. [4] The top religious services that appear to be run by prisoners for prisoners are (in rank order): Muslim Religious Services, Moorish Science Temple of America, Native American Services, Nation of Islam Services, Asatru Services, Islamic Services, Wiccan Services, Judaism Services, Sunni Muslim Services, and Jum'ah Services. The Bureau of Prisons provides Muslim inmates with religious services through chaplains, contractors and volunteers. Currently, there is a severe shortage of Muslim chaplains for Muslim inmates, with one Muslim chaplain for every 900 Muslim inmates. [5] In 2003, Harley Lappin, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, stated that of their 231 full-time chaplains, only 10 were Muslim Imams, and of their over 12,000 contractors and volunteers nationwide, only 56 contractors and 80 volunteers provide religious services to Muslim inmates. [6]

3. What are some of the factors, which make conversion to Islam in prisons different from conventional conversions? In prisons, Islam spreads mostly through personal contacts of inmates both with the Muslim inmates and the Muslim Chaplains (Imams). The inmates have an easy access to Holy Qur'an and Islamic literature. With lot of time at their hands they read a lot. It is a well known fact that the people, who are looking for the Truth, read the Holy Qur'an and understand it accept Islam much more easily, typical example being that of Yousaf Islam (ex-Cat Stevens), who read the Holy Qur'an while in hospital and became a Muslim, and is now one of the top most Muslim preachers in the world.

In prison, religion is a hotly energizing force, and Islam is spreading swiftly. Even Muslim leaders and scholars say the pace of prison conversions has surprised them, though national research on religion in prison is scarce. In what may be the most dramatic example, one researcher says the majority of inmates are Muslim at New York City's Rikers Island jail complex, the largest in the country.

In prison, conversion - largely by other prisoners - is the source of Islam's spread. The prison movement, rooted in the Nation of Islam era of Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X, initially was mostly African-American. Now, although blacks still predominate, more Hispanics and whites are converting, too. Experts say the Nation's influence is waning, and Sunni and Shiite traditions are gaining ground.

4. Given the prevalence of gangs in the prison societies, are there gangs based on religious lines? Do some people convert for protection or reasons other than faith? When I first started work in the PA prison system, I was surprised, rather shocked, to learn that the Muslims in these prisons are called a "gang." However, with a prolonged exposure to and working with the Muslim inmates, I found out that it was not true. The Muslims inmates, because of Islamic tradition and culture stick together, as they are taught that the Believers are brothers and one nation (Ummah) under Almighty God, which gives other inmates, the staff and the management a false impression of Muslims as that of being some kind of a "gang," which is not true.

Nearly half of the prisons in the U.S. report the existence of separate gangs for Muslim inmates. Some prison gangs adopt a form of Islam that incorporates values of gang loyalty and violence, so-called "Jailhouse Islam". These reports show that the Five Percenters are the single largest nationwide, followed closely by Nation of Islam and Fruits of Islam. Some gangs thought to be just ordinary street gangs are now posturing inside some prisons in some parts of the country as having an Islamic identity. Some Muslim inmates, when they arrive in prison, are already members of a particular gang. Others, however, start attending Islamic services for protection and eventually accept Islam. The New York Police Department (NYPD) only has labeled this phenomenon of temporary conversion to Islam for protection “Prislam”.

5. On average, how many prisoners convert to Islam every year? During my more than 18 years' tenure as a Muslim Chaplain (Imam) and volunteer in PA, I can safely say that the inmates do accept Islam on a regular basis, although I did not keep a count. An exact number of prison Muslim converts is not available. However, according to the Harley Lappin, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the percent of self-identified Muslim federal inmates has remained stable for nearly a decade, at a little less than 10,000 inmates or 6% of the federal inmate population.

6. Is there a typical kind of prisoner who converts? Islam means peace. It offers freedom, justice and equality to all, irrespective of their color, race, creed, national origin or religion. Many converts to Islam are disenchanted with their current belief systems. Others, who lack strong belief systems, are seeking an answer to the spiritual emptiness and the need for self-realization that they are experiencing. They find in Islam the peace, the guidance, and the spiritual health that fulfills them.

a. Do more men, or women, convert to Islam? In the U.S., women converts to Islam outnumber men converts four to one. Islam as a religion immensely improved the status of women and granted them many rights that the modern world has recognized only this century. Islam still has so much to offer today's woman: dignity, respect, and protection in all aspects and all stages of her life from birth until death in addition to the recognition, the balance, and means for the fulfillment of all her spiritual, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs. Female converts to Islam find a sense of self-respect and dignity in Islam that they are seeking. Many Latina converts say that their interest in Islam comes from the fact that they do not want to be seen as sex objects anymore and are tired of the stereotype of the Latina women as portrayed by Jennifer Lopez and Christina Aguilera. For many women, Islam is the solution to that dilemma.

b. In the case of women who have converted, what are some of the drawbacks they face, e.g., are they allowed to cover their head (wear Hijab), if they so choose? In federal prisons, Muslim women are allowed to exercise their right to wear Hijab while in custody. Of course, there have been cases of female Muslim inmates not being allowed to wear Hijab. Recently, a Muslim woman filed suit due to the fact that she was forced to remove her Hijab when arrested. [7] However, I have not personally come across this issue in my tenure as an Imam at the state or county prisons.

7. From which ethnicity do the most people convert to Islam? The greatest numbers of converts to Islam are African-Americans. And by the way, most of them are Sunni Muslims and not followers of the Nation of Islam. We are also seeing a steadily increasing number of Latino and white converts.

8. What is the prevalence of the Nation of Islam in prisons? According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, slightly over 2% of the total federal Muslim population identifies itself as following the Nation of Islam. Personally, I have seen very few followers of the Nation of Islam, may be one member in a population of 100 at the SCI Laurel Highlands, PA and 2 members in a population of more than 250 at the SCI Somerset, PA.

9. In your opinion, what are the differences of the Nation of Islam versus other, more well-known versions of Islam? Islam and the Nation of Islam are two separate religions. The only thing common between them is the jargon, the language used by both. Nation of Islam in fact is a misnomer; it should be called Farrakhanism, after the name of its propagator. The religion of Elijah Muhammad died with the man, because the officially and popularly elected successor of the Nation of Islam, W.D. Muhammad, integrated the Nation of Islam community with the Muslim community at large, following the Holy Qur'an and the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam. Initially, after Elijah Muhammad's death, Louis Farrakhan joined W.D. Muhammad and gave his pledge of allegiance to him; he later rebelled and broke his oath with impunity, or without paying any expiation, and restarted the Nation of Islam, which has very few followers.

10. Have you found that faith helps the prisoners? What are the main reasons most of the converts chose Islam? Islam is a binding force as a brotherhood. Muslim inmates in the prison systems stick to one another, help, guide and teach each other about Islam, peace, harmony and good manners. It improves their mental and spiritual state, in addition to creating a healthy surrounding in which they can live in peace and harmony with each other.

People are converting to Islam for a number of reasons: some do so for mostly personal reasons, while others become Muslims on the basis of the cultural, social and spiritual characteristics of Islam. The followings are some key aspects that draw many people, particularly Christians and Jews, to Islam: * Conversion to Islam is relatively simple, involving only Shahadah, the declaration of Faith: There is no God except Allah; Muhammad is Allah's Final Messenger. People find it much easier than a lengthy process of religious education and series of formal rituals.

* Islamic supreme authority is the Holy Qur'an. It is brief and to the point, yet holds details of every subject related to the daily life on earth and beyond. With translations available in most modern languages now, the Qur'an is easy to read and straightforward to understand, making it simple for newcomers to comprehend.

* Islam's Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) holds a paramount position in Islamic Faith. Yet he is not viewed as a god. His place in Islam is rather that of a man, a Messenger and a Servant of God. People therefore see the Prophet as a perfect example to follow, without having to aspire to some form of divinity.

* Islam is monotheistic religion. It ca

lls upon people to believe in one True God only. People are told in the Qur'an: "Say: He is Allah, He is One; The Self-Sufficient, The Eternal God; He begets not, nor was He begotten; There is none equal to Him." [The Holy Qur'an, Surah 112:1-4]. Many find the Christian concept of the Trinity confusing and thus the idea of One God appeals to them.

* Also, the significance of Jesus for Muslims as a human and his important place in Islam as a prophet of God rather than as a divine figure appeals to those who find the Christian concept of the Trinity too confusing to understand or too difficult to believe in.

* Islam's basic beliefs are relatively straightforward and easy to understand as well as to perform, compared with other religions fundamental precepts. For example, the Five Pillars of Islam: Shahadah, Obligatory Prayers, Fasting in the Month of Ramadan, Paying Zakat (Charity) to the poor and traveling to Makkah to Perform the Hajj; even the younger followers can comprehend them without any hardship or confusion.

* Islam is the faith of equality and justice for all. God says in the Holy Qur'an: "O you, who believe, stand firmly for justice, as witnesses before Allah, even if it be against yourselves, or your parents or your (close) relatives, and whether (it be against) rich or poor. God can best protect both. Do not follow the desires of your hearts, lest you swerve (from the truth) and if you distort your testimony or decline to do justice, verily Allah is fully aware of all that you do." [The Qur'an, Surah 4:135]. This concept of equality is appealing to many who have been disenfranchised.

* Islam's great civilization and rich history certainly has an attractive and intellectual appeal for many people. Converting to Islam means they also become part of the Muslim Ummah (nation), giving those who are outcasts in society a sense of belonging.

* Islam's emphasis on the importance of family life and social value is one of the key aspects that attract men and women from various cultural backgrounds, particularly those serious about true and traditional family values and moral teachings.

* Islam is not only a religion but also a complete way of life, where everything is detailed in the Holy Qur'an very clearly, and further explanation is available through the Hadith and Sunnah (sayings, teachings and actions) of Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him). Many find the guidance in everyday matters appealing.

* Many of the prophets and stories found in the Bible, both the old (Torah) and the new testament (Injeel), such as the creation of Adam and Eve, the story of Noah and the flood, the events in the life of Abraham and his sons, the Psalms of David and the kingdom of Solomon, the Exodus of Israelites from Egypt led by Moses, Jesus preaching the Injeel (Good News) to the world - are present in the Holy Qur'an as well. Christians and Jews who convert to Islam often comment that they are attracted to the Muslim faith partly because of its similarities to Christianity and Judaism in general; the common basis between the three great Abrahamic religions being One Almighty God (Allah).

11. Have any converts faced discrimination or have themselves discriminated against prisoners of other faiths in the prisons? Because of media projection of Islam, especially after 9/11, there are suspicions about the Muslim community in the prison systems. The Muslims are watched very carefully and are no doubt sometimes victims of discrimination, both by the other inmates and the staff. Although there are ways to file grievances, most of the inmates are reluctant to file them because they are afraid of retaliation. Naturally, there is a reciprocal suspicion in Muslim inmates about the other inmates.

Religious discrimination in prisons, including the role of faith-based rehabilitative programs, was the subject of a recent briefing before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, which is examining the topic as part of its annual report to Congress and President George W. Bush to be submitted later this year.

Speaking at this briefing, Abu Qadir Al-Amin, an Imam with the San Francisco Muslim Community Center (MCC), said that religious discrimination in prisons ranges from institutional rigidity to flagrant abuse. He noted "documented cases of racial intolerance along with religious intolerance that have involved Muslim Chaplains being escorted off of the institutional grounds in a very humiliating and demeaning manner.”

I have a similar personal experience and I fully agree with Imam Abu Qadir Al-Amin that the Muslim Chaplains (Imams) are not given the same respect that they deserve and which is tended to other members of the Chaplaincy department by the staff and the management of PA prison system.

12. Do most converts in prison keep up with Islam once they leave? On release from a prison, the inmates are sent to a Halfway House, where they are allowed to practice their religion. It is generally recognized that the rate of recidivism among Muslims is low and a majority are far less likely to become repeat offenders. Sadly, however, after their release, only about 25% of them continue to pursue their Islamic practices with any regularity. One reason often cited is that most of their time is taken up by employment needs and the need to deal with bills for expenses incurred by the family while the inmate was incarcerated. There is little time available to visit Islamic centers and/or meet with the community.

Another oft-cited reason is the lack of an Islamic community once outside the prison. Their family and friends often abandon many who are locked up. When they are released, many are then shunned both the Muslim community and the public at large. These Muslims lack a support system as they reenter society after their release. About 70-80% of parolees come back to the prison because they cannot make it outside and are attracted by free food, free accommodation, and free medical assistance, in addition to other benefits, offered by the prison systems.

13. What are some of the major problems facing prisons in the United States today, specifically relating to religious freedoms in prison? The Framers of the U.S. Constitution understood quite clearly that religious freedom is a fundamental human right. After all, religious freedom is the main aspiration that sent America's founders searching for independence from England. This is also why the Framers included free exercise of religion in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

According to the First Amendment, the government may not establish a religion nor deny its citizens the right to freely exercise their religion. The Chaplaincy Department in each prison works tirelessly to defend the right of people to freely worship and exercise their religion. It is the duty of Federal Bureau of Prison and the Department of Corrections in each state to ensure that the fundamental right of each prisoner to exercise his religion is respected and unabridged.

Under the laws of the United States, the Muslim inmates are allowed to wear Kufi (prayer cap), pray at the appointed times, observe fasting during the month of Ramadan and enjoy at least a feast at the time of Eid-ul-Fitr (on completion of fasting during Ramadan) and/ or Eid-ul-Adha (on the Day after the day of standing at the plains of 'Arafat during the annual pilgrimage (Hajj) to Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

14. Have you ever witnessed a Muslim marriage in prison? As a Muslim Chaplain (Imam) at the State Correctional Institutions in Laurel Highlands and Somerset, Pennsylvania, I was a witness to three (3) Muslim marriages. As an Imam, I was not allowed to perform the marriage ceremony (Nikah), so an Imam from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, brought along by the bride's family, performed the Nikah ceremony.

15. Are prison converts on average more or less orthodox in their belief than people born into the religion? In fact, do you find converts generally to be more observant? According to my personal experience, about 50% of the Muslims at the SCI in Laurel Highlands, PA, and SCI, Somerset, PA, follow the traditional Islam according to Imam Abu Hanifah as practiced on the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent including Bangladesh, while the rest of the population follows the Shafi'i and Maliki schools of thought as practiced primarily in Saudi Arabia and in the other Middle East countries.

I have also found that the new converts are more sincere observants of Islam than the immigrants from Indo-Pakistan sub-continent, including Bangladesh, and the Middle East countries. Because the inmates read a lot of books on Hadith, they are usually strict followers of the Sunnah (the traditions of Prophet Muhammad Sallallah-o-'alaihi wa Sallam).

Some of them earnestly try to learn the Arabic language so that they can read the Holy Qur'an, which was originally revealed by Almighty God (Allah) to Prophet Muhammad (Sallallah-o-'alaihi wa Sallam) through Archangel Gabriel ('Alaih-is-Salam) in the Arabic language.

I personally taught five inmates at the SCI Somerset, PA, how to read the Holy Qur'an starting with Arabic Alphabet, using Yassar-nal-Qur'an (Holy Qur'an, Made Easy), published by Kazi Publications, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, United States of America, and by Kazi Publications, Lahore, Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Editor's Note: Mahmood A. Qazi, the Muslim Chaplain (Imam) at the Cambria County Prison, Cresson Secure Treatment Unit (CSTU) and Torrance State Hospital in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States of America, has been preaching people in the United States to Islam for more than forty (40) years. Most of them revert to their original religion, i.e., Islam. He began by volunteering to preach Islam to non-Muslims at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center near Chicago, Illinois, and has since worked at many Federal and State Correctional Institutions in the United States. He is also the founding member and Vice President of the Chicago based Waqf fi Sabeelillah (a non-profit organization), Kazi Publications, Inc., one of the oldest and the largest printers, publishers, and distributors of the Holy Qur'an and Islamic literature in North America.

REGERENCES:

[1] U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, A Review of the Federal Bureau of Prisons' Selection of Muslim Religious Services Providers, April 2004.

[2] Id.

[5] Id.

[6] U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Testimony of Harley Lappin, Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Oct. 14, 2003, athttp://judiciary.senate.gov/testimony.cfm?id=960&wit_id=2318

[7] AP, Muslim Woman Sues for Being Forced to Remove Headscarf in US Jail, Dec. 6, 2007, at http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/06/america/NA-GEN-US-Muslim-Headscarf-Lawsuit.php

From Wikipedia:

Rate of conversion to Islam [edit]

In addition to immigration, the state, federal and local prisons of the United States may be a contributor to the growth of Islam in the United States. J. Michael Waller claims that Muslim inmates comprise 17–20% of the prison population in New York, or roughly 350,000 inmates in 2003. He also claims that 80% of the prisoners who "find faith" while in prison convert to Islam. [1] These converted inmates are mostly African American, with a small but growing Hispanic minority. [2] Waller also asserts that many converts are radicalized by outside Islamist groups linked to terrorism, but other experts suggest that when radicalization does occur, it has little to no connection with these outside interests. [3][4][5]

Concern in United States [edit]

Concern over jailhouse conversions to Islam first rose in 2001 when Imam Warith Deen Umar, Islamic chaplain for the New York State prison system, was reported to have praised the September 11 attacks; in response members of Congress called for an investigation. [6] In a 2004 report, the Justice Department faulted the prison system for failing to protect against “infiltration by religious extremists.” However, the report made clear that the problem was not chaplains, but rather unsupervised inmates. [6]

Mark S. Hamm, a criminologist at Indiana State University, describes a phenomenon he calls "prison Islam." This consists of "small gang-like cliques that use cut-and-paste versions of the Koran" to give a religious patina to violent and criminal activities. Hamm has identified five such examples since 2005, notably the 2005 Los Angeles bomb plot. [6]

Notable converts to Islam in prison [edit]

Malcolm X - A Civil Rights activist

Abdul Alim Musa - Muslim-American activist

B.G. Knocc Out - an African-American rapper

Charles Brooks, Jr. - convicted murderer; converted to Islam before execution

Flesh N Bone - A member of the award-winning rap group Bone Thugs N Harmony

H. Rap Brown - former Black Panther; currently in prison for murdering a police officer

Jeff Fort - former Chicago gang leader; convicted in 1987 of conspiring with Libya to perform acts of domestic terrorism

Jeffrey Mark Deskovic - served 15-year wrongful imprisonment sentence; exonerated by DNA evidence

José Padilla - convicted of aiding terrorists in the "Dirty Bomb" plot

Kevin James - ringleader of the 2005 Los Angeles bomb plot

Mike Tyson - former heavyweight boxing champion

Bernard Hopkins - former middleweight and light heavyweight boxing champion

Montel Vontavious Porter - professional wrestler known in WWE

Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell - basketball player

Tray Deee - American rapper

Greg Noll - A Civil Rights activist (prosecution pending)[3]