Photo: Muslim Woman and the NY Skyline

It would be nice if when we did things for our faith that made sense, we were seen as reclaiming the inclusive and intellectual aspects of our traditions rather than trying to reform them. So many groups that live and die by a narrow interpretation of Islam use the past to justify their actions. It’s heartwarming to see the past being invoked for good things as well. Here’s an article about a group that I believe is doing just that in Canada. As a side question – if forced to live in under a fundamentalist regime, would you rather it…

I was invited to speak at the Chautauqua Institute this summer on the theme of The Ambivalence of the Sacred: Religion and Violence. The initial calendar event is here. A pre-talk write-up is here, and post-talk write-up here, both from the Daily Chautauquan.  A video of the talk is embedded below.  

‘Ms. Marvel’: More options for who gets to save the world – CSMonitor.com. “This is the power of story,” says Dr. Rashid. “It’s not lecturing at you. It’s saying, ‘Here’s this character’s experience. We’re inviting you to that experience and inviting you to think and reflect on your own experiences.’ And that’s the work of great art.”