Related Posts

Eating Your Own

In the last month three articles have come out regarding the Muslim attack on Islamist ideologues. Chris Dickey came out in Newsweek with a few good examples in the Muslim majority world. My two (minor) gripes are that he didn’t mention the stuff happening here in the US, for example, that’s been going on much longer, and the gates of ijtihad never closed for the Shi’ah, so the debate is very different. Lawrence Wright has a wonderful piece in The New Yorker that highlights the nuances involved in the ideological dispute happening in AQ now. Most importantly what emerges is…

Hijab in the UK

Via this Crooked Timber piece [sorry CT folks, can’t find your trackback ID] I found out about this case in the UK about a Muslim girl wanting to cover in school. I like Harry’s last paragraph: But the fact that the regulations might drive a girl into an educational situation in which her religious beliefs will not be challenged or tested seems to me a reason for bending, or revising the rules, not a consideration in their favour. The parents’ enthusiasm that their child should attend a state comprehensive school is to their credit. Telling them that they should school…

Islam and the Earth

The Qur’an says that God is the light of the heavens and the earth. If you believe you see all of creation as being illuminated by a Divine light, than part of the trust that we, as the most noble of creation, have been given is the care and protection of the Earth. This type of thinking is not new to Muslims. We have shaped the world to reflect our belief in Heaven. Gardens are created to mirror the vision of Heaven with water and split into 4 quarters. Mecca, the center of our religious life, is the gateway to…