Happy Monday readers, it's Dark Phoenix week! Over the next ten issues, we'll explore what is perhaps Claremont's most celebrated story that depicts the ascension of Jean Grey to the role of Dark Phoenix.

It's UXM #129-130, in which we are introduced to multiple X-mainstays!

I warned late last week that these threads will include heavy topics, because I find it difficult to adequately discuss the D.P.S. without acknowledging its commentary on agency, sexual violence, & how privilege corrupts.

Please stay safe & mute me until Sunday if you need to!

Our first issue starts off where we left off on the shores of Muir Island following the team's defeat of Proteus!

It's incredible to think that just last issue, the team met their most dangerous opponent yet, but Proteus was only but a primer for what the team will face next.

Our team officially drops from 7 to 6, with Banshee, after many issues depowered following an injury, officially leaving the team to remain with Moira on Muir Island.

Scott's attempts to make up his membership losses are rebuffed not once- but 3 times by Jamie, Alex, & Lorna!

It's almost like Claremont was clearing the decks to make room for some new members on the team...

1/ Who were the earliest women converts to Islam and what was their experience of conversion?

In our new sourcebook, Sean Anthony (@shahanSean) and Keren Abbou Hershkovitz profile several women who were alive at the Prophet's time #ConversionToIslam

https://t.co/00XpFCjXtP

2/ In the first entry, @shahanSean translates and comments on the conversion of the Prophet's first wife Khadīja as portrayed in one of the earliest and most famous biographies, the Kitāb al-Maghāzī of Ibn Isḥāq (d. 767)

3/ According to tradition, Khadīja was a widow and wealthy merchant of Mecca, who married Muḥammad after initially hiring him as her agent. She was reportedly the first person to believe in his prophethood, underlining the centrality of women in the Prophet's life

4/ Ibn Isḥāq tells us that when Muḥammad first received the revelation from Gabriel, he came to Khadīja frightened and confused. She reassured him, "God would never allow anything but good to befall you, for I know you are a man who only speaks the truth...

5/ "Rejoice and remain steadfast! By Him whose hand Khadīja's soul resides, I hope that you will be the prophet of his people (umma)!"

Khadīja then consulted with her cousin Waraqa, a Christian, who verified that Muḥammad's experience was true.

Let me say a few word’s about the Trueman article.

It presents itself as dealing with Critical Race Theology (CRT) but it really is trying to deal with evangelicals and race. Which is a need, but the way the article is structured it is not helpful, it misconstrues CRT and misunderstands the present call to address the race issue.

Trueman asserts “the issue of race has played Banquo’s ghost...an unsettling, unwelcome, somewhat passive guest.” If Trueman truly sees race as the unwanted “guest” at our evangelical feast, why not address the topic of race rather than jumping on the bandwagon to attack CRT?

Does he think that CRT is the issue causing the race problem? Is he really turning a deaf ear to the Black Christian Community who have said all along this is not about CRT? But he must think that CRT is the problem. Yet he shows a misconstrued version of this academic discipline

Even before addressing CRT, he misrepresents the power of CRT with the dramatic statement, it “has become the shibboleth: Are you for it? Or are you against it?” This is a misinterpreting of the issue. Those on the side of racial justice are not seeking to make CRT a shibboleth.

1. Thread about Cross-over services.

Some have asked is December 31st really a special day and what about cross-over services? This they say is a Nigerian thing. There is nothing sacred about it some have said
This may be true however let's read from the words of Apostle Paul.

2. Paul in his day must have faced a similar challenge as some must have still observed days in the Jewish calendar. When he was asked about some people who were still observing certain days as being more important than others and they criticized those individuals Paul's response

3. Romans 14:4-6King James Version

4 "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand."

4. Romans 14:5 "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind."

5. Romans 14:6 "He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks."

Remembering those we lost in 2020

Soumitra Chatterjee (Nov 15)
SP Balasubrahmanyam (Sep 25)
Bhanu Athaiya (Oct 15)
Irrfan Khan (Apr 29)

#Thread

Rishi Kapoor (Apr 30)
Basu Chatterjee (Jun 4)
Jagdeep (Mar 29)
Saroj Khan (Jul 3)

B Kannan - Cinematographer, Tamil, Malayalam (Jun 13)

Budal Krishnamoorthy - Actor, Filmmaker, Kannada (Dec 19)

P Krishnamoorthy - Art Director, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada (13 Dec)

Zero Babu - Singer, Malayalam (Oct 21)

Theatre

Usha Ganguly (Apr 23)
Ratnakar Matkari (May 5)
Ebrahim Alkazi (Aug 11)
HG Somashekhar Rao (Nov 3)

Kishori Ballal (Feb 18)
Ranjit Chowdhury (Apr 4)
Nishikant Kamat (Aug 8)
Yogesh Gaur (May 29)

A Drazverse Tale: A Bedtime Story For Little Devils

"What's that, little one? A bedtime story? You can't sleep until you hear a tale? Oh, my little devil-child, you're adorable. Listen then to your mother.

Many millennia before our time, before our time's time, Satan decided to be God.

But of course, you know that, little one. You know as well as I do that Satan warred against the Most High and failed, falling to Hell. But do you know what really happened, my child?

Many facts and truths in the stories have been lost to the ages, however. Some "facts" are very over-exaggerated, or downright changed. Some "facts", my little one, are outright lies.

Listen to me, my child. Listen to your bedtime story, just as I listened to it when I was your age."

Many, many millennia ago, in times before times, God sat with all of his angels, his angels of wrath and peace and justice and hope, and said "I will make a world, and on that world, yea, I will place mankind." And so he did, and by his will and word, it was done.

As 2020 is ending, I want to share a true story with you all. A story that has saved, changed and touched a soul. Little long but a MUST read for everyone.

Charles Plumb was a US Navy jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison.

He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience!

One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in restaurant, a man at another table came up and said: "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier. You were shot down!"

"How in the world did you know that?" asked Plumb. "I packed your parachute," the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said:"I guess it worked!" "It sure did," Plumb assured him. "If your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today."

That night, Plumb couldn't sleep, as he kept thinking about that man. Plumb says: "I kept wondering what he had looked like in a Navy uniform: a white hat; a bib in the back; and bell-bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said

Islamic Book Recommendations 🧵

(Quran)
1) Arabic Mushaf; And a Translation if needed

English: The Qur'an (Abdul Haleem translation)

Urdu: The Holy Quran (Molana Maududi translation)

(Manners, Etiquette, & Character)
2) Book of Manners
3) The Refinement of Character
4) Adab al-Mafrud
5) Good Character

(usul ad-Deen)
6) The Pillars of Islam & Iman

(Arabic)
7) Arabic Vocabulary Practice makes perfect
8) Arabic Vocabulary 9,000 words

An Open Letter To: .@KirkCameron

Yesterday, I sat in the parking lot of the James Cancer Center in Columbus, OH and was reduced to an inferno of rage and sadness. I screamed in my car and scared a passerby. I cried, but tried not to so when my husband got back in my eyes were only mildly red.

You see, he had to go into his first post-op colon cancer visit to his liver doctor without me. You read that right, liver doctor. His cancer had traveled to his liver. I like to say "traveled" instead of the common "spread". It makes it sound less threatening to me.

His amazing team used robotics on the 10th to remove three liver tumors. Then they took out the tumor in his colon that was the size of your fist and had closed off the colon. There they removed 24 lymph nodes and yesterday, on the phone with my husband while he sat in a doctor's

office without me in physical form with only my voice through the phone, he heard that 2 of those lymph nodes also had cancer. He heard how he needs to start chemo as soon as possible (mind you it's Christmas, so yay! what a present). And through all of this in "normal times",

The SBC is headed for an unnecessary "civil war", all in the name of a pseudo-conservative resurgence. In the meantime, baptisms are down. For those outside or inside the SBC who are not aware of the Conservative resurgence please read this book (https://t.co/fTcR6dJuzj)

1/

The Conservative resurgence sought to purge the SBC of legit liberalism (but still had blindspots w/ sins of its leaders). The book (in post 1) explains how the "SBC" works, & the process of leadership position appointments produce transformation inside the convention.

2/

Inside the SBC Seminaries were Professors who denied the Inspiration and Inerrancy of Scripture, the literal resurrection of Jesus, and all other essentials of the Christian faith. Liberals were in key leadership positions and the Conservative resurgence took them head on.

3/

Today, there’s an expressed fear the SBC is once again under attack by Liberals, Communists, Marxists, et al. In order for a war to be justified there must be an enemy, thus the identified enemy of the SBC is none other than Critical Race Theory (CRT).

4/

In a time of war, two existing enemies who, put their differences on hold, in order to form an alliance to defeat a common enemy is called “Co-Belligerence”. An easy example of this is the USA & USSR, putting aside beef, to form an alliance & defeat Nazi Germany in WWII.

5/

As #FarmersProtest continues through the cold North Indian winter, we look back at the steps taken by Christian missionaries to improve #agriculture in India. Exactly 200 years ago, in 1820, #WilliamCarey founded the Agriculture Society of India. #AHSI #Bicentenary #Thread 1/37

In its 200 years of existence the Agricultural & Horticultural Society of India played a key role in scientific education in India. It devoted itself to introducing new types of crops, flowers, fruits and vegetables — now used by us everyday. Some key milestones... 2/37

Sept. 14, 1820: Agricultural Society of India formed by Rev. William Carey in a meeting at the Calcutta Town Hall. Carey was the first secretary. By Oct. 23, 1820, over 50 persons had joined. This pioneering society had both Indian and European members, which was unusual. 3/37

In March 1822 Carey suggested rewarding gardeners who helped develop agriculture and horticulture. Members accepted the proposal and made categories and norms for rewarding gardeners. 4/37

1824: Introduced cash crop seeds brought from America and Mauritius. Under Carey's guidance, investigations had been started on cotton, sugarcane, tobacco, coffee and cereals, etc., which proved to be of immense importance in the development of agriculture in India. 5/37

My new book, Prey: Immigration, Islam, and the Erosion of Women’s Rights, addresses a problem that few Europeans are willing to discuss: the undermining of women’s rights in multiple countries in the wake of mass migration.

In recent years, Europe has experienced a large influx of migrants. Approximately 3 million have arrived illegally since 2009, the majority of whom have applied for asylum. Two-thirds of the newcomers were male. Eighty percent of asylum applicants are under the age of 35.

The increase in numbers of young men, mostly from Muslim-majority countries, has brought to the surface a problem: their regressive attitudes to women. At their worst, these attitudes have caused a spike in sexual violence and harassment.

The arrival of a vaccine means that Europe will eventually return to normal. Unfortunately, for many women across Europe, normal means fending off sexual harassment and assault which has significantly increased in recent years.

Even COVID lockdowns have not managed to put an end to these assaults. In May 2020, a 48-year-old Naples woman was raped while waiting for a bus. With the city in lockdown and few people about, a Senegalese man allegedly sexually abused her for 45 minutes.

This is a song called Alice’s Protocol. But Alice’s Protocol isn’t the name of the protocol: that’s just the name of the song. That’s why I called the song Alice’s Protocol.

1/

You can send anything at all
With Alice’s Protocol.
You can send anything at all
With Alice’s Protocol.
Send your files from A to B
Just don’t forget your private key
You can send anything at all
With Alice’s Protocol.

2/

Now it all started two Thanksgivings ago, two years ago at Thanksgiving, when my friend Alice wanted to send a file to her husband Bob.

3/

But Bob has a no-good scheming friend called Eve. Let me tell you about his friend Eve. She’s a no-good scheming friend of his, and she likes to listen through walls and under windows and around doors.

4/

So my friend Alice (you remember Alice?), she didn’t want no listening through walls and under windows and around doors, so she decided to encrypt her message with Alice’s Protocol.

5/

Far-right parties are currently gaining momentum & exerting parliamentary influence in diverse countries such as the UK, Hungary, the USA, Austria, Sweden, Germany, & Denmark.

Far-right terrorism has increased dramatically.

We ignore this at our

Far-right recruitment discourse offers an affective script of feeling angry, insulted, & ashamed, as well as courageous, proud, & hopeful.

Research shows how affective–discursive practices are employed to create gateways to radicalization and ideologically motivated violence.

Within fascism, the myth of #palingenesis, that is “national rebirth from the ashes,” is continual and key to the motivation of political action & violence: 'heroism' is the “psychological recompense for fascist political activism.”

The language of the Nazi regime had an emotional impact; fascist & far-right rhetoric rely heavily on affective performative work.

The collective Nazi mind comprised hatred of women, fear of sexuality, & a desire for homosocial belonging, as well as a lust for ritual violence.

Ruth Wodak describes fear as fueling the political success of the far right, whereas others identify desire for male comradeship & the urge to “express anger and frustration at mainstream society” as key emotional gateways for neo-Nazi recruits.

1/

2021 is a year when I need to work much smarter.

I need to build #collaborations with folk to make better progress on the projects I want to work with.

These are in the following areas:

1) Education - the current system is both skewed by nation state imperatives ...

2/

... and by the huge and still growing burden of knowledge it attempts to package and deliver both at school and beyond school in working environments ...

Folk need to switch to alternate education, finding leaders to first follow in the footsteps and then ...

3/

... assume the mantle of the late, great @SirKenRobinson

We need to find current leaders, build practice on the ground, connect internet guides to folk wanting to learn, and lift accreditation and connectivity systems into the cloud to make learning far more accessible ...

4/

2) As far as global ecology is concerned, #BigAgri is still ruling the airwaves, and #RegenAgri still needs all the support it can get.

Leaders like #JohnDLiu and #GabeBrown have made a mark this year in the film @kissthegroundCA , but we all need to do more ...

5/

... to support the grassroots projects out there and get #RegenAgri practice much more widely known and adopted.

Again we need practitioners on the ground, but we also sorely need top communicators to be able to help the #grassroots movement tell its story.