Sekülerlik Bahanesi: Tanrı Olarak Devlet
Fakat dini devletten veya siyasetten ayırmak, neyin özgürlük olduğunu ve neyin özgürlük olmadığını belirlemek, toplumsal huzurun en iyi nasıl sağlanacağını tartışmak sadece bu saydıklarımızın tanımlarını değil; aynı zamanda bu tanımların üzerine inşa edileceği yol gösterici bir prensip, değerler ve bir ideoloji de gerektiriyor. Continue reading Sekülerlik Bahanesi: Tanrı Olarak Devlet
El Hiyab: ni mi cuerpo, ni mi elección
Sin embargo, parece cada vez más que esa distancia con el hiyab: ya sea rechazando abiertamente a ponérselo, llevándolo de una manera que todavía muestra los partes sustanciales de la forma de uno, o eventualmente quitándoselo después de practicarlo una vez, se expresa no solo en sentimientos de indiferencia, sino en rectitud moral. Continue reading El Hiyab: ni mi cuerpo, ni mi elección
Kejatuhan semangat kekitaan dan Individualisme yang semakin berleluasa
Walaupun, secara umum, kita tahu bahawa kita hidup dalam zaman “moden”, bukan zaman “pertengahan” mahupun zaman “kuno” dengan perbezaan teknologi dan norma sosial yang ketara, tetapi kita tidak cakna akan aspek-aspek yang lebih besar, lebih menyeluruh, dan lebih ketara yang ada pada zaman ini. Continue reading Kejatuhan semangat kekitaan dan Individualisme yang semakin berleluasa
Ms. Marvel and Muslim Representation
This critique is also not intended to be a chastisement of Kamala’s personal religiosity, nor of those who may resonate with her relationship (or lack thereof) with Islam. This is a call upon the western Muslim to think critically about what our goals are when it comes to this venue we are applauding. We need to evaluate whether inherently problematic arenas where power players with problematic agendas control the narrative are worth jumping into. Continue reading Ms. Marvel and Muslim Representation
India’s Hijab Ban, Part II: Defining Islamic Identity
In the previous section we explored a general trend in contemporary thinkers who — while recognizing the flaws in the existing democratic-constitutional-secular-liberal regime (the ideal in international politics) — locate these flaws in something external to the regime as a kind of consequence of history. Legal scholar Faizan Mustafa and historian Irfan Habib are two prominent examples from the legal and political theory fields who have strong commitments to secular democratic projects. They view the existing BJP government as simply having violated the basic social-contract which underlies constitutional rule (namely, adhering to the rule of law). Continue reading India’s Hijab Ban, Part II: Defining Islamic Identity
Should Labour be Chasing Hindu Fascist Votes?
In the most recent local elections in the UK, Labour gained a couple of flagship councils from the Tories, including Wandsworth, which had been in Tory hands since the 1970s (including through the Blair years). However, it lost two councils it had held for some years to the Tories, namely Croydon in the south and Harrow in the north-west. In Croydon, the Labour council has had to make major public service cuts as a result of a financial crisis; in Harrow, the loss has been attributed to losing the local Indian vote. While this was in part due to a crisis involving bin collection, it was also because the local Hindu community considers the Labour party as patronising and too close to Muslims. Writing in the New Statesman, Kavya Kaushik, noted that the party loses Asian votes once Asians become wealthier (both in Harrow and in other areas with a large Asian vote such as Southall). As one constituent told Kaushik when campaigning there, “you vote Labour in Southall but then you make money, move to Isleworth and buy a Mercedes” then you vote Tory. (The author calls Pinner “Harrow’s Isleworth,” popular with Harrow Hindus who have “made it,” but Isleworth is in a different borough to Southall.) Continue reading Should Labour be Chasing Hindu Fascist Votes?
Pronouns: Progressivism’s Preposterous Plight
He/him, she/her, they/them, ze/zir — the options grow daily. One can simply wake up one day and assume the identity of a boy, the next claim that they are a girl, and the day after neither, and announce their pronouns as a part of their introduction, expecting an unquestioned adherence to affirm self-identification. This is despite the fact that there is no definition on their part of what a woman or a man actually is aside from the recursive argument, “anyone who identifies as such.” Continue reading Pronouns: Progressivism’s Preposterous Plight
The Brothers Barbarossa
“Have at thee, Crusader scum!” he roared, slashing violently at his foe with an abdominal strike. “Die, villain!” spat the other as he parried the attack. Continue reading The Brothers Barbarossa
On Being a Muslim Minority: Introducing Chinese Muslim Intellectual Jīn Tiānzhù
This article presents the introduction section of a book called 清真釈疑 Qīngzhēn shìyí (Eliminating Doubts Against Islam), written by Jīn Tiānzhù (金天柱). This is arguably the first book written about how minority Muslims living in East Asia have confronted misconceptions about Islam. Continue reading On Being a Muslim Minority: Introducing Chinese Muslim Intellectual Jīn Tiānzhù
Al-Sha’rawi and the Neglect of Judgment Day
It is clear from the words of al-Sha’rawi that discussion and observance of the signs of Judgement Day are an essential component of a healthy Muslim consciousness. Most Muslims who have made a slight effort to learn a thing or two about their religion have heard the narration known as Hadith Jibril, wherein the Messenger of Allah ﷺ dedicates a significant portion of his moments in a physical sit-down with the Messenger-Angel to emphasize the importance of knowing the signs of Judgment Day’s approach. Continue reading Al-Sha’rawi and the Neglect of Judgment Day
Traversing Tradition 