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…

Yom-e Ali – Foundations (Poem)

Two foundations has Islam the Qur’an, and Dhu’l-fiqar. Muslims do agree with that and the pagans do it too. As there is in human speech no light but in Ahmad’s word, thus there is in no sharp sword fire, but in Ali’s sword. Ahmad, Chosen, is the sun, Haydar, ‘the Attacker,’ light Light cannot be without sun, sun cannot be without light. Firmest handle is for all love of Ali’s children dear: Shia are those who are not wav’ring in their bond to him! On the treasure which God High placed in Ahmad’s heart, there is not a treasurer but…

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