Tag: Muslims
-
I am no Ibn Battuta
I have a friend who has travelled far and wide from the bustling streets of London to the dusty dunes of Mauritania and across the Islamic world. He often tells me that I am the true traveller and that he is not.
-
The New York Cycle and the Emergence of Muslim America
On New Year’s 2026, Zohran Mamdani will become New York City’s first Muslim mayor, symbolizing the growing Muslim presence in American politics. His election, though surprising, reflects a historical cycle of marginalized groups gaining influence. However, this rise poses risks of co-optation and challenges traditional political structures amidst a changing societal landscape.
-
After Bondi, Taking Responsibility
Shortly after the Bondi attack, on the quiet street in Canberra on which I live, an Australian flag appeared in front of one of the houses. Under normal circumstances that would be completely innocuous. But circumstances are not normal. Anyone who has been following happenings elsewhere can surmise what the flag might mean. Perhaps, and…
-
Industrial Islamism and Manipulation in Turkiye
Industrial Islamism dismantles the common assumption that Islamism in modern Turkey arose primarily from cultural nostalgia or religious resentment against Westernization. Instead, he locates its roots in the rise of a distinct social class, the faubourgeoisie, that emerged from Turkey’s accelerated post-Cold-War industrialization.
-
Decolonizing the Muslim Mind: Returning to al-Attas’ Vision
This essay argues that the challenges faced by the contemporary Muslim ummah cannot be resolved by political slogans, technical reforms, or cultural revivals alone. Instead, it calls for a deep decolonization of the Muslim intellect—an epistemological transformation that revives adab and re-establishes knowledge in its proper hierarchy.
-
Forsaken Daughter of The Ummah: The Regimes that Colluded on Aafia Siddiqui
Aafia Siddiqui’s ordeal exposes the aggression of American security doctrine, the obedience of the Pakistani state, and the paralysis of a Muslim public sphere. As a new push for her release develops, her case forces a reckoning with the machinery that consumed her and the timidity that enabled it.
-
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.
-
The Ramadan/Eid Bazaar
The Ramadan/Eid bazaar exemplifies the integration of morality within economic activities, fostering community connections while honoring religious values. By navigating the tension between secular and sacred realms, these bazaars help Muslims embody their ideals through practical engagement in economic life.
-
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…
-
From Darkness to Light
God gave humanity a special kind of life, unique from the attribute of life associated with the rest of His creation to test their ability to submit to His Will and act in conformance to His Command. This temporary life is punctuated by death, and then the afterlife, where one will reap what they sowed—virtue,…