Category: Shorts
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The Palestinian Conflict is an Islamic One
A version of this article was originally published here and has been republished with the author’s permission. Language is molded by perception and ideas, forming our worldview. It is not only how we communicate with others, but also how we construct our beliefs (something the media and the movie industry know all too well.) We…
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The Palestinians are Offside: Observations on German Football
In April 2022, Borussia Dortmund, a German club, that in recent times has distinguished itself on the football world for the development of players such as Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho, hosted a charity match against Ukrainian club, Dynamo Kyiv, to raise funds for Ukrainian civilians affected by the Russian invasion. Both teams…
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The Importance of Utilizing Islamic Unicode
With the advent of the Internet, unicode, “txt tlk,” and emoji have become standard in our day-to-day communication. We do not just write abbreviations like “LOL” with our hands, we say them out loud with our mouths. So much so, that the original phrase—laugh out loud —has been completely replaced with “LOL.” We abbreviate phrases…
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Can the Liberal State Ever Be Neutral When It Comes to Muslims?
With his usual eloquence, Shadi Hamid attempts to make sense of an issue dominating Muslim dinner table conversation on both sides of the Atlantic, that of LGBTQ-themed lessons in state schools. His basic argument? It is not a dereliction of liberal norms to tolerate the protest of Muslim parents who fear the ever-encroaching state imposition…
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The Insidious Origin and Nature of ‘Barbie’
With the release of the new Barbie movie, toy manufacturer and entertainment company, Mattel, is setting out to bedazzle a fresh generation of girls into jumping on the “Barbie bandwagon.” The hype has been massive, with marketing techniques such as the introduction of a new Barbie filter that makes you pink, poreless and pretty filling…
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Palestinian Activism in the West and LGBTQ Alliance
Like clockwork, this June a slew of “pride” themed ad campaigns and social media posts filled online spaces. While participation in celebrating sodomy and cross-dressing is nothing new to non-Muslims and fringes of self-proclaimed Muslims who ascribe to progressive interpretations of Islam, what has emerged more recently is a celebration and endorsement of LGBTQ+ ideology…
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The Perplexing Status Quo for Muslim Fiction
In the category of young adult (YA) fiction, one can find a relatively solid number of Muslim-oriented novels, some of which are consistently championed in the Muslim novel-reading community for their positive representation of Muslims. Through mass marketing, these portrayals are lauded and viewed as authentic. Though I do not personally read young adult fiction,…
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Finding a Balance Between Reason and Revelation
Muslim theologians differed for centuries in dealing with the concept of categorical verses (muḥkam) and ambiguous verses (mutashābih), giving rise to questions such as: What method should be applied when reason seems to contradict revelation?
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Of Pharaoh and Thamud
A few hundred kilometers northwest of Medina lies the valley of Al-Hijr, where Thamud, the tribe of Saleh (pbuh), once dwelt. All that remains of the land they once inhabited is marvelous architecture — towering, ornately carved stone outcrops that survive to this day. When the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions passed through this valley…
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A Critique of Islamism
Islamism, in current contexts, connotes a political order based on and around Islam. However, these connotations are primarily negative, ranging from a vile and violent overthrow of the modern political system to a petty abuse hurled at Muslims. [1] Professor Salman Sayyid appears to have taken cue from this, and attempts to displace the negative…