Related Posts
Islamic History Month
The Canadians have declared October “Islamic History Month.” I don’t know how I feel about this. No other religion gets this treatment, and I don’t think they should. I would argue against a similar move here in the US because I think it would further emphasize that Muslims are different. Multiculturalism in Canada is an odd duck, so maybe it makes more sense there.
New Books on Religion Podcast
A colleague is involved in this wonderful project. It’s a real pleasure to see so many of my friends coming out with books now. Please take a listen to podcasts. I would like to draw your attention to the website New Books in Religion (http://newbooksinreligion.com/). This is a regular interview podcast with authors of new books exploring religion and religious studeis. Being an Islamicist, I find the study of Islam both essential and illuminating for the study of religion more generally. Many of the books that will be discussed on New Books in Religion revolve around Islamic studies. Additionally, there…
Is the Bible more Violent than the Qur’an?
NPR does the story. I am uncomfortable with this sort of comparison because it still buys into a paradigm of one religion being better than the other. Interestingly, I think the most intelligent comment comes from the critic of Islam who argues that the Qur’an is not about history, but the present. It is, in many ways, about always defining the present, which means it’s reading cannot be fixed in the past either. He does not take the argument to the logical conclusion. If the guidance is meant to be read for the present, than we as Muslims must struggle…