Muslim Woman Ruler
A Muslim woman ruler before the 20th century. It’s amazing how much we’ve regressed. Shi’ism, Yemen
Year: 2008
Muslims and Good Governance
It goes back to the beginning. Why do non-Muslims get this, but Muslims don’t? Imam Ali, Shi’ism, governance
This is not us
I don’t think I’ve posted about this before, but if I have, it bears repeating. Yeh Hum Naheen is a music video from Pakistan about Muslims denouncing terrorism, it means “this is not us.” Video clips below. terrorism
Quran on Cloth
Quran on Cloth Originally uploaded by Swamibu. Click through and read the description. You won’t believe that amount of work that went into this.
A Quote from Rushdie
In light of my earlier post: “But members of the new colony have only one real problem, and that problem is white people. British racism, of course, is not our problem. It’s yours. We simply suffer from the effects of your problem.” p. 138 “But it is often argued that those old days, those old ideas are long dead, [racism which resulted in slavery and colonialism] and play no significant parts in the events of contemporary Britain. If only that were true. If only history worked so cleanly, erasing itself as it went forward.” pg. 145 From: “Imaginary Homelands” (Salman…
Gardens and Afghanistan [Updated][2x]
Does a war-torn country need a garden? [update]: Sectarian bias is a blight on a rare Afghan good news story [update]: Afghanistan’s fight for it’s cultural heritage Afghanistan
Synagogue in Afghanistan
Amongst all the cultural loss, I’m glad to see that all the focus isn’t just on the Muslim community, but on the entirety of the Afghan community. Synagogue restoration in Herat. Afghanistan
Asma Hasan at Glamour
My friend Asma Hasan is blogging at Glamour Magazine about the presidential election. Do check her out, but as she says, she’s a Republican, and I am most assuredly not, so don’t be surprised if you read very different things over there. Enjoy!
Karen Armstrong Interview
She talks a lot about religion and politics in this particular piece. I think her history of the Sunni-Shi’ah political divide is a bit off. Arguably the first empires fighting about this were in the 11th century (Fatimids and Abbasids), but I would argue the political division goes back to the time of the Prophet. However, that doesn’t mean that they didn’t live well together. Karen Armstrong
Obama, Race, Religion, and Slavery
I had been toying with the idea of writing a piece on Obama, his religion, and the legacy of slavery for some time. Recent questions about his attendance to the church of Rev. Wright appear to have brought the first two issues to boil for Obama as well, and delivered a masterful speech this week on race in America. In terms of content, I have no problems with his comments. However, I think he still misses something important in his approach. Over a year ago when the question of Sen. Obama’s faith became an issue, I felt he inadequately addressed…