Recognition

Richard, at Tikun Olam, has a piece up entitled Hanukah: Holiday of Spiritual Renewal or Jewish Nationalism? This summation is, I think, a good review of what Hanukah is becoming. Growing up I only knew the miracle story from my friends. The nationalist aspect is new to me, even now.  Muslim holidays have been politicized, albeit in a different way, for quite some time. The celebration of the Prophet’s birthday is a touchstone of Wahabbi ideology. To recognize the uniqueness of the Prophet in any way is to commit a sin in their worldview. The Hajj has always been a good time…

Details of the event can be found here.  

In 2002, the Insitute for the Study of Islam in the Modern World, Leiden, Netherlands, published a series of essays dealing with the issue of Islam and Modernity. The publication entitled "New Voices of Islam", edited by Farish Noor, is available for download in PDF format. It features the following essays: Muslims Must Realize That There Is Nothing Magical about the Concept of Human Rights Interview with Abdullahi An-Na’im The Responsibilities of the Muslim Intellectual in the 21 s t C e n t u r y Interview with Abdolkarim Soroush We Need New Intellectual Tools for the Age We…