In March of 2022, the Indian High Court in Karnataka upheld the government ban on Hijab in schools as constitutional. Continue reading India’s Hijab Ban, Part I: Limits of the Democratic Constitutional Order
In light of the potential overturning of Roe v. Wade, American Muslims are increasingly engaged in the abortion debate, yet their contributions thus far consist of little more than superficial claims to shari’a. There remain significant chasms and oversights in our understanding, ranging from the exact scope of Roe v. Wade to seriously grappling with the question of abortion as a moral question. What is most often ignored is the clear imperative that before arriving at a position on abortion rooted in sacred law, we must acknowledge the moral premises of an Islamic worldview. Continue reading Engaging in the Abortion Debate: Considerations for Muslims in the West
Developed in light of various Dharm Sansads (religious conferences) organized in several Indian cities by Hindu religious leaders, who called upon Hindus to arm themselves for the wholesale massacre of Muslims. This is no recent development: the agenda for genocide has been gaining traction for a long time now. Most people mistakenly believe Hindu nationalism is the sole proprietorship of India’s ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and its ideological parent Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). In reality, however, Islamophobia is embedded within India’s dominant political lingua franca, including the nation’s opposition parties. Hence, it is not surprising that in the latest attack against Muslims (regarding hijab and niqab in colleges and educational institutions) not a single united front of support has emerged from the majority community. Continue reading Muslim Women vs. the Hindutva Project
The loft walls are painted in brilliant pink, on the upper floor of a house nested in a cozy Dallas suburb. Bright cupcakes, cute pastries, and party favors pepper a burnished stall specially designed by a social media event planner. Balloons with “It’s a Boy!”, fill the back corner of the room. Gift bags with the names of all those in attendance sit on a table near the front door. Continue reading The Mashallah Muslims
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 is to dismantle the need for inhibition, shame rarely evaporates. The escape people have found is to broadcast their embarrassments and preen themselves while doing so. The hope is that, the more vulgarity diffused, the less taxing shame will be for all. The collective swims in their open cesspool of unfettered satisfactions in perfect mutual distraction. Continue reading Social Constructs and The Politics of Shame
Over the last 20 years, the Muslim community in the United Kingdom has grown to over 2 million people. According to significant studies, the increasing population of British Muslims is one of the main reasons for British success on the political and economic levels, as well as the continued development of British society. However, British Muslims are still viewed by many as an unfriendly or hostile minority causing trouble and creating schisms within British society. This article will examine the favourable and unfavourable perspectives towards British Muslims in the United Kingdom and will shed light on the efforts and willingness of the Muslim community to integrate within British society. Continue reading British Muslims and the Challenge of Multiculturalism
These elections clearly demonstrate that Muslims are stuck between two political ideologies that both refuse to acknowledge them. Whilst populists like Le Penn and Trump make their disdain for Muslims and Islam clear, liberals like Clinton and Macron hide their distaste for Islam. Their belief in Western supremacy leads to policies that target Muslims’ lives and freedoms in their country and around the world. While there is a legitimate debate regarding voting for the lesser of two evils, Muslims are clearly divided in the correct approach to national politics. According to an exit poll conducted by the Associated Press, 35% of Muslims voted for Trump in the 2020 US election. With national politics being unable to provide Muslims in the West with a robust platform for effective change, the method by which they should engage politically is up for debate. Continue reading Forming a Muslim Political Identity in a Populist West
President Joe Biden in his inaugural address promised to heal the country and defeat ‘white supremacy,’ yet nativism remains a potent force that can still destabilize the republic Continue reading Biden and the Uncivil War That Divides America
As someone allergic to what government authorities have to say, I felt an unexpected change of heart during my three dedicated years of life in studying Public Policy and Management at university. Much to my surprise, I found widespread apolitical behavior in the presumably political environment of the faculty of Social and Political Sciences at my university. Although I saw tragic events like racially-charged police shootings bring about the rise of political expression on social media, political disengagement among the youth is the norm in our everyday lives. What could be the driving force? Continue reading Reimagining Politics Amidst the Global Pandemic
A source of perennial controversy—and a widely celebrated architectural achievement of early Byzantium—Hagia Sophia has switched hands more times than perhaps anyone cares to remember. Continue reading Relics of Triumphalism
