Letter from Iraq



Who is responsible? Who will hear us? Where are our human rights? Nobody is answering. Death is everywhere. Bombs are everywhere. Fear is everywhere.

Andy Warhol at Abu Ghraib



The War in Iraq is a living historical moment and, yet, many of the images coming from this particular place are diffuse, contextless, agentless, or nonexistent.

Islamists and Hindutva Fascists: Two Sides of the Same Coin



Islamists and Hindutva fascists cannot survive without each other despite claiming to be the most inveterate foes.

The Rise of Political Christianity



My recommendations to Muslims is to dump ideology, specially the Islamist ideology which is the mirror image of political Christianity, and adopt a pragmatic approach designed to protect the American Muslim community and work towards integrating it with the American mainstream.

In Defense of AMT



The alarming level of factual inaccuracies has finally compelled me to set the record straight once and for all.

'Just Like Khadija': The Sisters Are Coming



I sat in the back of the room, looking around, trying to match faces with the names that have figured so prominently in my life over the past two years.

A Canadian's Eid in New York



Deciding to spend Eid in New York this past weekend, turned out to be a ‘joyous’ decision on my part, and while tradition has it that Eid last for three days, I celebrated in a variety of ways for the whole week.

Statement on the Atrocities in Fallujah and Darfur



As Muslims, we are called to acknowledge the dignity of all human life, Muslim and non-Muslim, male and female, rich and poor, gay and straight. We are to stand with the suffering of the marginalized regardless of whether Muslims are the victims as in Fallujah or some of the oppressors, as in Darfur.

Why We Are Launching a Progressive Muslim Union



We stand for the idea that to be a Muslim is not simply to follow an unquestioned corpus of laws, or to subscribe to a narrow reading of the faith, but rather is an act of self-identification with a great spiritual, philosophical and civilizational tradition. We embrace the simple proposition that you are a Muslim if you say you are a Muslim -- for whatever reason or set of reasons -- and that no one is entitled to question or undermine this identity.

Muhammad: The Last Prophet



The film is appealing, but it missed an opportunity to showcase many of the positive aspects of Muslim society.

Yasser Arafat's Passing and the Future of Palestine



We must recognize that, regardless of his failure to create a functioning democratic government, Yasser Arafat internationalized the struggle of the Palestinian people.

Irresponsible Art & Tragic Death: Theo Van Gogh's 'Submission'



If Van Gogh sincerely intended to “help” Muslims, to reform them-- he would have made a different film.

On Surviving 4 More Years



Draft Reinstatement: Die in piece. I’m beyond draft age. Die though, in the knowledge that your death did not buy me safety from terrorist nor did it get me cheaper gas. (points: 0)

Praying for Pain: An American Muslim's Anguished Reflections on the Ramadan Battle of Fallujah



I am thinking of the terrified mothers of Fallujah and the worried military-moms all across the US. The “liberation” and “pacification” of Fallujah is going to be as transient as that of Samarra was. So why all this bloodshed? I ask myself.

Transcending the Boundaries of the Soul: RAY



By the end of the movie Ray Charles Robinson becomes the heroic comedian who overcomes all demons and disabilities to become the master of the game, an internationally recognized superstar and innovator who changed the world of music.

Progeny



The last Night of Power when heaven, pregnant with consonants, gasped accent marks and gave birth.

The Fun of Watching Bush Get Elected in a Foreign Country



I walked into the taxi, consumed by a sense of both excitement and anxiety. “Do you know what today is,” I asked the driver. He looked at me with a confused look. So, I repeated the question, annunciating my words more carefully. “It’s Tuesday,” he said.

'America’s Tragedy Has Become Ours As Well': The Bush Victory As Seen by the World



The fact that both George Bush and Hamid Karzai announced their electoral victories on practically the same day is ironic – as both elections have been bogged by charges of irregularities.

The Things They Do in the Name of Male Guardianship



How can a grown woman with her son be prevented from leaving the country because she doesn’t have permission from her other son who is her legal guardian?

An Exclusive Interview with Shaytaan



I tend to split my time between here, Jerusalem, Rome and Mecca. I also just bought a new place in Rio de Janeiro but that’s mostly a vacation home.

What a Difference a Day Makes



Do not be depressed. There is work to do. There is light to make.

An Appeal for the Release of Abul Kashem Faruk, a Bangladeshi Kidnapped in Iraq



We earnestly appeal to all Iraqi groups for the release of our compatriot, Mr. Abul Kashem Faruk. On behalf of the Bangladeshi people and ourselves, we urge and plead for the release of Mr. Faruk in the name of our common humanity and brotherly compassion.

America Is the Greatest... Schizophrenic Mind



Americans love to talk about how great America is. I heard someone on TV last night saying how "The people were talking and they showed up to vote. That's what makes America so great." Is it just me, or has America actually gone a bit loopy?

A Possible Solution to US Electoral Problems

Today Is the Day, Yalla Vote Now!



This short message is intended rather for those who are not planning to vote or those who are planning to vote for our fellow Arab American, independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader.

Holbrooke and East Timor: Key Kerry Advisor's Disturbing History



What the mainstream media and others have failed to disclose this election season is that one of Senator Kerry’s key policy advisors, Richard Holbrooke, happened to play a significant role in perhaps the largest US backed genocide of the twentieth-century.

The Lord Cromer and President Bush Connection: Touting Freedom Abroad While Suppressing Them at Home



Lord Cromer viewed Britain's control of its various possessions with an almost missionary zeal: yes trade was important and the supply of raw material for British factories had to be secured, but it was also his duty to "civilize" the natives, lift them from their centuries of social decay and laziness, and liberate their women.

My Mother Wants to Vote



"I want to vote this year," my mother said. This came as a bit of a surprise to me as she has never wanted to vote before. Trust me, my mother has a keen interest in politics.

A Principled Vote for Nader Will Prove Muslims’ Real Voting Power



Bush and Kerry take almost the same position on civil rights. Both support the Patriot Act, the nation's anti-terrorism law, which many believe has resulted in the mistreatment of Muslim citizens and immigrants.