Heraa Hashmi
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Whose Body? Islam, Surrogacy, and the Limits of Market Autonomy
Meghan Trainor’s announcement of her third child’s birth through surrogacy is the latest example of the ongoing debate over commercial surrogacy, particularly in wealthy circles. The discussion addresses the theological and philosophical considerations regarding bodily autonomy, consent, and the commodification of reproduction, emphasizing the Islamic perspective that prohibits such practices based on moral principles.
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Sharīʿah in the Modern World: Reviewing Mashal Ayobi’s ‘The Light We Lost’
A Book Review of The Light We Lost: Grappling with Shariah in the Modern World by Mashal Ayobi The aftermath of the catastrophic Bondi shooting, and the start of Zohran Mamdani’s term as Mayor of New York, has put Muslims, terrorism, the Sharīʿah and the like back into the limelight of oriental focus, the favored…
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Femonationalism’s Alliance Between Nationalists, Neoliberals, and Feminists
A Book Review of Femonationalism: In the Name of Women’s Rights (2017) by Sara Farris Here is a prosaic grand narrative: the male Muslim migrant is an oppressor, a barbarian for whom all fault and failure of their societies lie; the female Muslim migrant, however, may be redeemable. She is a lovely exception, for she…
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The Stateless Rohingya and Buddhist Nationalism
The Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim minority in Myanmar, face severe displacement and violence, with over 700,000 fleeing to Bangladesh due to ethnic cleansing. Their statelessness results from a deliberate denial of citizenship, fueled by Buddhist nationalism and state policies.
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Liquid Identities, Solid Critiques: Review of Zygmunt Bauman’s ‘Culture in a Liquid Modern World’
Zygmunt Bauman’s “Culture in a Liquid Modern World” explores the transition from solid to liquid modernity, reflecting on how cultural practices transform amidst globalization and technological change. Bauman emphasizes the precarious nature of identity, diasporas, and art, advocating for cultural protection that transcends national borders while acknowledging the complexities of modern existence and institutional pressures.
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Pain is Dead and Other Truisms
Byung-Chul Han’s “The Palliative Society” critiques contemporary society’s aversion to pain, labeling it “algophobia.” He argues that this fear leads to superficiality and a loss of meaning, urging a confrontation with discomfort.
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Muslim Characters in Media: A Response to Inclusion Initiative Report
Ultimately, industries operating in this framework herald change and representation whilst establishing no ideal to evolve towards. This means religious values—or any sort of system of ethic—are bent to ‘to modernity’s will’. It is negotiated in the public space, an issue I discussed previously here. That means far from showing hijab or praying five times…
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To Him We Return: The Laws of Dying in the U.S.
In Crestone, Colorado, a wooden stretcher lies atop the carefully arranged logs of a pyre, the flames ready to scorch through bones and flesh as loved ones bid farewell. Nestled in the Rocky Mountains, this town holds a unique distinction in the United States as the only location where open-air pyre cremations are permitted. While…
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Islamic Fiction and Crafting a Muslim Hero: A Book Review of Blood of the Levant
Defining a “Muslim” or “Islamic” fiction genre can be challenging due to considerations of permissibility, creativity, and purpose. Omar Braun, the protagonist of Abdullah Yousef’s debut novel, Blood of the Levant, exemplifies this perfectly. The world of Blood of the Levant is part historical-fiction and part military fiction, with a dose of fantasy.
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The Lure of Excess: A Review of Aldous Huxley’s ‘The Brave New World’
Published in 1932, Aldous Huxley’s fictional microcosm within Brave New World is set in the novel’s “year of stability,” 632 years after the commercial advent of American car magnate Henry Ford (d.1947). Ford’s widely successful Model T was the first automobile manufactured solely through mass-production using methods such as the conveyor belt assembly process. Ford…