The Seatbelt as Bid’ah (Religious Innovation) and the Destruction of Muslim History



These cases demonstrate that sites of common historical value should not be placed under the whims and controls of one entity, the Wahabbis-Saudis in this case. Rather, these sites should be administered by an international body whose sole aim is to preserve. Unless Muslims act to pressure the Saudi government and their own governments, we can look forward to further wanton destruction.

Islamophobia



I obey a higher law your honor, the Law of Conscience. Nothing that collides with that law has priority, even if it has the entire justice system behind it.

Announcing the Progressive Muslim Meetup



Many of you have written us asking for ways to go beyond just the website. Here it is.

Indigo Fields



With your tender hands You gave me colors that will not fade - an everlasting blush

In Search of Anti-Semitism: The Truth Behind the Wiesenthal Center’s Campaign Against the World Social Forum



The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) has cited the WSF as one of the centers of what it and others refer to as the “new anti-Semitism”, and these charges have been picked up by various journalists as evidence of a dangerous new trend on the left.

Looking East: Observations of a Malaysian in Pakistan



Prior to making the trip from Berlin to Islamabad, I made the usual round of good-byes and was somewhat surprised by the reaction I received from my colleagues in Europe. Most, if not all, had offered me the same morsel of advice: “You are going to Pakistan for your holiday? Be careful!”

Muslims for Bush! Muslim Organizations Officially Undecided, But Muslim Americans Pour Thousands into 2004 Bush Campaign



It is no wonder that these groups are suddenly so timid about their endorsement plans. They don't even seem to agree on whether AMPCC still exists.

Women’s Space in the Mosque: Sikhs Might Have a Solution



My experience has shown me that Sikhs may hold the answer to the current controversy over women’s equal access to space in our mosques.

A Multifaceted Fraud: Reviewing Irshad Manji's "Trouble With Islam"



Reading her book, it becomes clear that it is not the work of a self-critical individual trying to hold the Muslim community accountable, but a self-congratulatory Westerner, cheering for powerful states and whitewashing the crimes of her "family".

Journal of a Dumpster-Diving Sufi



My last time at a massage parlor, Savannah asked if I played any sports and I knew she was only looking for a way to talk about her kid—these girls always mentioned their kids because it’d make you tip more, or maybe just so you’d show them some manners.

Yes or No to Hijab: Not for Men to Answer



The ban on the headscarf, or hijab, also ironically strengthens, rather than weakens fundamentalists. By problemitizing and forbidding hijab, a favorite fetish of Muslim fundamentalists and the Western press alike, the French government has forced a reaction from those forces that includes sworn proclamations that the headscarf is a mandatory religious duty for women, and that banning the scarf is tantamount to interfering with the fundamental practice of Islam itself.

Howard’s End: Dean's Fading Is No Big Loss



“I’m a fiscal conservative,” Dean said in early in the primaries. “I’m most proud of our fiscal stability—I left the state in better shape than I found it … Capitalism is a great system.”

Pure Predictability: Egypt and My Mother-in-Law



I know she will shout in English “hypocrite” to the young woman who walks by us wearing the hijab and a form-fitting shirt embossed with glittered English red letters LIPSTICK.

What Future for Muslim Identity?



The unabated spate of suicide bombings hardly serves the Muslim cause or, for that matter, any other human concern. From attacks on the World Trade Center through Istanbul synagogue and the Moscow subway, these senseless acts stand to reinforce the prevalent stereotypes.

Muslim Daisies Grow in Brooklyn: Girl Scout Traditions Mix with Muslim American Identity



Led by their Girl Scout leader Stacey Salimah Bell, the girls learned how to properly handle, fly, fold and dispose of the American flag.

God by Any Other Name



God can thus be referred to by any word that implies Him to be a supreme, non-human existence, without partner.

The Dialogue Between Civilizations Revisited



A brother was dumbfounded when asked, “What have you people done for Science lately?” The reply of course enumerated all those conspiracies that we are familiar with.

Big Islam for a Small Planet



Farid Esack has given us some pointers on how to live Islam in a way that avoids self-righteousness, moral inconsistency and hypocrisy.

Brand Name Hitler



Hitler® is a registered trademark and valuable commercial property. It is owned by a small and predictably murky group of powerful individuals and institutions. There are strict rules about the right and wrong ways of using the Brand Name.