altmuslim

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Friday, January 18, 2008

The politics of exclusion

As the presidential primary elections come to a head, the campaigns have reached a fever pitch as the candidates on both sides of the fence make a last-ditch effort to win the nomination. One thing that has struck me most is the language used by candidates in an effort to garnish the vote.... Sign in to see full entry.

Requiem for a "daughter of destiny"

An assassin's bullets and suicide bomb have ended the life of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Tragically, she followed in the footsteps of her father, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Pakistan's Prime Minister [1973–1977], who was brutally hanged by political rival and subsequent military... Sign in to see full entry.

To my neighbor

I don't blame you for having a skewed image of me. Every day, it seems like there's another story that undoubtedly affects your perception of the Muslim community. Whether it be the ridiculous response to offensive cartoons, or the nearly daily attacks that take place in our war-torn countries, it... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

44th ISNA Convention: Ready for a close-up

Only weeks before the annual conference of the Islamic Society of North America ( ISNA ), critics of the group (and Muslims in general) were hurling a new accusation toward it - the awkward appellation of "unindicted co-conspirator" as described in a federal lawsuit against a Texas charity where the... Sign in to see full entry.

High stakes in Texas Muslim charity trial

Casual observers of US attempts to shut down Muslim charities might have an image in their head: funds solicited by Muslim charities for basic needs such as food, traded instead in shadowy back alleys for Kalashnikovs. It would be hard to blame them, given efforts by the authorities to paint US... Sign in to see full entry.

For Muslims, social networks bring new challenges

In the oft-cited glory days of the Islamic world, Muslim explorers like Ibn Battuta created vast networks around the world to promote trade and to learn about other cultures. The Silk Road Ibn Battuta travelled linked nations together in a way they never had before, changing them irrevocably and... Sign in to see full entry.

The final call for the Nation of Islam?

In the year 2000, a very public reconciliation took place on a Chicago stage between the leader of the Nation of Islam (NOI), Louis Farrakhan and the man who once took his place, Imam Warith Deen Muhammad. When WD Muhammad was chosen to lead the NOI after his father's death in 1975, he moved the... Sign in to see full entry.

Jose Padilla verdict: A flawed victory

On the surface, it may seem that the guilty verdicts against the alleged "dirty bomb" plotter Jose Padilla - made in a civil court after being held for three years without charge - signals the end of a long battle against the US government's most high profile use of "enemy combatant" status against... Sign in to see full entry.

Unwelcome pilgrims

For Shia pilgrims to Mecca and Medina, few can forget the that occurred in 1987. Each year prior to that, a group of Iranians, Saudis, and other nationals held a peaceful, Saudi government-approved demonstration to denounce internal hypocrisy in Islam (even though it was a not-so subtle jab at the... Sign in to see full entry.

The tower that slaves built

On July 21, 2007, the Burj Dubai surpassed the Taipei 101 skyscraper and the Sears Tower to officially become the world's tallest building. The Burj, which means "tower" in Arabic, will have between 160 and 190 floors upon completion, as well as a luxury hotel and four luxury swimming pools along... Sign in to see full entry.

The mother of all non-sequiturs

In the ongoing debate on terrorism, nothing is more polarising, nothing sends political discourse into a tailspin more than the contention that foreign policy is one of the root causes of terrorism. As much as it is a favourite slogan among Muslims, it sends skeptics of Muslims and Islam into a near... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Seeing Eye To Eye On Extremism

The debate on Islamic extremism in the US is often like watching a tennis match, with government officials and Muslim representatives volleying accusations back and forth. On one side, the government (and many in the media) sees a Muslim community with a dismissive or lackluster (at best) response... Sign in to see full entry.

In Turkey, Democracy and Secularism Collide

This week's deadly blast in the Turkish capital of Ankara may or may not have been related to the recent tensions between Army-backed secularists and the government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his "mildly Islamist" Justice and Development Party (AKP), but you'd never know it. The country has been... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

What Polls About US Muslims Don't Tell You

The comprehensive survey of over 1,000 Muslim-Americans released this week by the Pew Research Center was supposed to be a harbinger of good news, as evidenced by its title, " Muslim Americans: Middle Class and Mostly Mainstream ". And in many ways, it has positive things to report: most Muslim... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, May 21, 2007

Seeing Eye To Eye On Extremism

The debate on Islamic extremism in the US is often like watching a tennis match, with government officials and Muslim representatives volleying accusations back and forth. On one side, the government (and many in the media) sees a Muslim community with a dismissive or lackluster (at best) response... Sign in to see full entry.

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