Related Posts

Back to that issue again

The basic response is the same as it was in the original article, the Ismailis aren’t Muslim because the majority of [unnamed] scholars hold that that they aren’t because of various [unnamed] beliefs and practices…. Important point, the Ismailis were recognized as the Caliphs of the Muslim community by a large segment of the ummah in the 10th and 11th centuries when the Fatimid Empire held sway.

Muslims and the 10 commandments

Over at veiled4allah, there is an excerpt from the 10 Commandments case being argued in front of the Supreme Court. The question is about whether Muslims believe in the 10 Commandments. Al-Muhajabah’s comments are spot on, but I have an issue with CAIR’s response. CAIR argues that there are many things in the Qur’an that agree with the big 10, a statement I agree with. However, the way it is worded implies that Muslims view the Hebrew Bible as outside of the Muslim tradition. Traditionally, the Torah (Torah), Zabur (Psalms), and Injil (Gospels) are considered revelation – hence the term…

Mecca Development Veers to Kitsch – Critic’s Notebook – NYTimes.com

Mecca Development Veers to Kitsch – Critic’s Notebook – NYTimes.com. It is an architectural absurdity. Just south of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, the Muslim world’s holiest site, a kitsch rendition of London’s Big Ben is nearing completion. Called the Royal Mecca Clock Tower, it will be one of the tallest buildings in the world, the centerpiece of a complex that is housing a gargantuan shopping mall, an 800-room hotel and a prayer hall for several thousand people. Its muscular form, an unabashed knockoff of the original, blown up to a grotesque scale, will be decorated with Arabic inscriptions and…