Islamic Thought and the Eradicator Mentality in Algeria
When news broke in Algiers of Abbassi Madani’s death in April 2019, thousands took to the streets to commemorate his legacy. This came as a shock to many, considering he was a founder of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) party, which, on paper, was held responsible for most of the tragedy that took place during the Algerian Civil War in the 1990s. Continue reading Islamic Thought and the Eradicator Mentality in Algeria
Menstruation and Worship
In recent years, this has been another rung of debate in Muslim women’s related issues – and events to talk about women’s spirituality whilst menstruating are plentiful especially in Ramadan. I was a panelist among other wonderful women this Ramadan for an event tackling the topic from multiple angles: fiqh (jurisprudence), a lack of proper understanding of ritual impurity away from negative cultural baggage, jahil (ignorant, foolish) behavior towards menstruating women, imposing secular notions of gender equality onto worship, separating the form of rituals from the spiritual, and the metaphysical from the physical. I want to offer my brief reflections on them one by one prior to circling back to the question posed above. Continue reading Menstruation and Worship
Shaykh Amin Kholwadia on Maturidi Kalam and Bioethics
When a Muslim physician or scientist is going to work and engaging with his duties in life, he’s energetic, motivated, and he’s contributing to the beneficence of the world, then he will be much clearer in his intention and he will be much more sincere. We have a plethora of doctors in the US, but very few ask the question: how do I serve the patients in an Islamic way, the Muslim way? Continue reading Shaykh Amin Kholwadia on Maturidi Kalam and Bioethics
Colonialism, Islamic Reformers, and the Late Ottoman Period
The first half of the twentieth century was a dark time for Muslims. The scientific and technical dominance of the Europeans allowed them to strengthen their already tight stranglehold over Muslims lands. This was especially true in North Africa and the Levant, where Britain and France, and to a lesser extent, Italy, competed for influence…There were men and women, as there always are, who resisted this occupation of their lands with whatever means they had at their disposal. Among these was a certain Druze Prince named Shakib Arslan, an eminent Islamic thinker and reformer. Continue reading Colonialism, Islamic Reformers, and the Late Ottoman Period
Islam in a Post-Secular Age
Post-secular theory counters the secularization thesis, which taught that religion would wither away as modernity gets older. A post-secular awareness acknowledges the perseverance of religion in modernity. The post-secular refers to a change in consciousness attributed primarily to three phenomena: citizens’ awareness of their secularity within the global horizon, an awareness of religious influences both globally and locally, and proximity to religious people immigrating from religiously-oriented countries. [1] Continue reading Islam in a Post-Secular Age
Eid and Veganism: To Meat or Not to Meat?
Vegetarianism and veganism do not preclude one from the incorrect and unethical, nor does meat-eating preclude one from discussions about ethical animal treatment. Continue reading Eid and Veganism: To Meat or Not to Meat?
Clonación humana: Nuevos horizontes de la biotecnología
El ritmo al que crece la tecnología, una especie de situación de carrera de la Reina Roja en la que los demás corremos para quedarnos en el sitio, nos obliga a pensar críticamente en el futuro de la biotecnología en lugar de observar pasivamente. Continue reading Clonación humana: Nuevos horizontes de la biotecnología
The Celebrity Preacher Phenomenon
You may be familiar with certain Internet personalities known amongst Muslim audiences for their histrionic content. These figures are often shown reacting to anonymous anecdotes with advice from a (some might say ostensibly) Islamic perspective. While it has, rightfully, been subject to criticism for harping on drama, the modern celebrity preacher phenomenon, and the financial gain made from its underpinning sensationalism, continues to go under-investigated. Continue reading The Celebrity Preacher Phenomenon
Human Cloning: New Horizons in Biotechnology
The pace at which technology is growing, a sort of Red Queen’s race situation where the rest of us are running to simply stay in place, behooves us to critically think about the future of biotechnology instead of passively observing. Continue reading Human Cloning: New Horizons in Biotechnology
A Brief on Islamic Bioethics and Intersex Persons
There was a paper published in August 2020 by Dr. Nasir Malim and Dr. Aasim Padela, the Director of the Initiative on Islam and Medicine at University of Chicago, titled Islamic Bioethical Perspectives on Gender Identity for Intersex Patients. The paper introduces how intersex individuals and their medical needs can be approached in contemporary medicine by giving primacy to an Islamic lens, instead of a secular-liberal one. Continue reading A Brief on Islamic Bioethics and Intersex Persons
