Sabrina A.
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Los horóscopos, la manifestación y la religión secular
Antes de que el reloj diera las doce y nos despediéramos del año 2019, mucha gente comenzó a “manifestar” riqueza, éxito, y viaje para el año 2020. Dejando la ironía de lo que sobrevino después, ha habido un énfasis creciente en el poder que cada individuo tiene para dar forma a su propio futuro. Si…
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Ramadan Traditions in Constantine
We should take note of Constantinian heritage not only because it is worth basking in its splendor, but because it serves a sentimental purpose. With Christmas being completely commodified, many of us may feel pressured to compete by curating a Ramadan ambiance through the same capitalist means. One cannot stress enough the importance of aesthetics…
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Social Constructs and The Politics of Shame
emotional impulse to do so is reasonable. Shame is distinguishably uncomfortable and brings us to the miserable realization of our own weakness. The harsh reality is that shame, though unpleasant, is a vehicle for order that seeks to maintain certain morals, some of which are deemed unimportant in the modern world. However strong the push…
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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…
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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…
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The Sanitized Legacy of Nawal El-Saadawi
Egyptian feminist Nawal el-Saadawi has been the focus of hundreds of commemoration posts highlighting her combat for women’s rights after her passing on March 21. Her sanitized legacy overshadows the less celebratory aspects of her activism. An Islamophobe and supporter of the Rabaa Massacre, Saadawi is not being put under enough scrutiny.
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Islamophobic Narratives: Meccan and Medinan Resistance
The Kunta federation played an important political and economic role in Maghribi history. Shaykh Bāy al-Kuntī founded a great number of zawiyas (religious schools) and sent missionaries to preach Islam in the Middle Niger and Western Saharan regions. Bāy al-Kuntī called people to jihad against the carnal soul, which the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ designated the…
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Horoscopes, Manifestation, and Secular Religion
Manifestation ignores the will of God and reducing the human spirit to “energies” tells us enough about the extent to which we can reconcile these concepts with Islam. Some Muslims have tried to co-opt the essence of manifestation by adding in sha Allah to their self-affirmations. It is argued that, by adopting this oral practice,…
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Reflections on Dualism in Blade Runner 2049
Is it possible to know what it is like to want to be desired or loved, without a soul? This thought-provoking question is grappled with throughout the film Blade Runner 2049 (Denis Villeneuve, 2017). The protagonist Officer K (Ryan Gosling) is a Nexus-9 replicant who works for the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and secretly…
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Mukbangs and a Culture of Gluttony
Watching someone succumb to their food cravings in grotesque fashion has provoked different reactions; some are hypnotized by the concept, some are repulsed, and some are simply confused. But overall, eating shows have become more or less normalized. What does this say about a new global culture, where a trend in one part of the…