Tag: Muslims
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Vampires, Witches and the Walking Dead in Ottoman Lands
“’On the Night of Karakoncolos, the obur would awaken to feast on human blood. Relatives of the victim would urgently seek out a village elder with expertise in finding the creatures. They then would go to the grave from whence the obur had emerged and exhume the body…’ [reported] Ottoman traveler Evliya Çelebi, on one…
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Dearborn Schools and the Protests Against LGBT Books
Books like This is Book Gay by Juno Dawson and Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston sat atop library shelves in Dearborn Public Schools, Michigan, until last week, when the schools pulled them for review after parents complained of their sexual nature. Many of the books discussed LGBT relationships; This is Book Gay…
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7 Modern Deadly Sins and Misunderstandings: Inequality
In any given society, there are certain common sense moralisms ingrained within that culture. Certain aspects of ethical life and sentiments may be universal in nature and span multiple countries and continents, as part of a generalized weltanschauung. Yet, the particular way in which that ethic is practiced is always subject to cultural conditions and…
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Dowry Among Muslims in India
Dowry (jahez or tilak) – referring to the gifting of land, wealth, or gifts from the bride and her family to the groom – has an ugly and long history. It was a custom practiced in the time of the Code of Hammurabi, and in the Roman and Greek empires. In English common law, the doctrine…
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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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Hijab Laws and State Violence in Iran
In the past week, a young woman, Mahsa Amini, died in Iranian custody after allegedly being arrested for wearing improper garments. The government reports that she died from heart failure or stroke; her family maintains she was beaten to death by police. We ask Allah ﷻ to have mercy on her soul, and reunite her…
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Musings on Iran, Hijab, and the Western Muslim
Recently, deadly protests have broken out across Iran after authorities supposedly detained a woman, Mahsa Amini, and eventually killed her for violating Iranian laws regarding the Hijab. The killing of this woman and the brutal nature of Iranian authorities is surely horrifying and detestable — if it indeed happened as they say. Initial reports stated…
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Reclaiming Islamic History
Famously recommended by former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan, Darul Qasim’s Ustadh Firas Alkhateeb’s book, Lost Islamic History, is a must-add to any Muslim’s bookshelf. Those already familiar with the seerah or well-versed in history likely will not benefit beyond a light review. However, for those like me, who have trouble delineating history between…
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The Male-Only Panel Fallacy
The issue of male-only panels is a new one. Outrage often seems manufactured: Muslim women are not “represented” in conferences, scholarly circles, panels, public events, speaking engagements, etc. This is considered a big problem, as it clearly serves as evidence of systematic misogyny, and Muslims will never progress unless it is resolved via a quota…
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Indonesia’s Moderate Islam Forum and the BJP
On Friday, August 26, 2022, The Print published an article regarding a summit planned by the largest Muslim organization in Indonesia, home to the world’s largest population of Muslims, hoping to “quell the ideas of radical Islam and extremism and promote moderatism.” Language like this already rings alarm bells, considering the notorious Prevent and Countering…