Browsing All Posts filed under »Islam«

The Double Standards of Western Liberalism and the True Freedom of Faith

February 1, 2015

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Despite the unpopularity of religion in the intellectual sphere, a new philosophy with sacred principles has seeped its way into this primarily ideological community.

Anti-Muslim Violence Escalates in Sri Lanka

June 17, 2014

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As written for MuslimMatters (June 17, 2014) Riots broke out in the coastal Sri Lankan town of Aluthgama yesterday in an escalation of Muslim targeted violence that many Sri Lankans fear would intensify into a resemblance of the incidents of Black July – the anti-Tamil lawlessness of July 1983 which was said to have ignited […]

French explorer Gibran Hasnaoui globe-Trots to combat Anti-Islam sentiment

April 15, 2014

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As written for The National (April 15, 2014) When the French national Gibran Hasnaoui first landed in the UAE in 2010, he had no idea that the next two years would send him in a direction he could never have fathomed. Although born into Islam, Hasnaoui never felt a connection with God – or his […]

The Trials of Ease – Reflections of a Forehead Well-Traveled

February 3, 2014

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As written for MuslimMatters (February 03, 2014) In Ramaḍān, from the balcony of my flat in the United Arab Emirates, I can hear the boom of a cannon fired from a few kilometres away signalling the end of a day’s fast. Following immediately is the call to the Maghrib prayer – 3 different adhāns in […]

Must Wedding Bells Go Ka-Ching? -A Muslim Perspective On The Wedding Industry

November 20, 2013

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As written for Muslim Matters (November 20, 2013) When it was confirmed that I was to be married and the dates for the event set, family members went into a flurried pseudo-state of panic and anticipation. We have a wedding to plan! The dress! The venue! The guest list! The frenzy that ensued soon began to seep […]

Ramadan Musings

July 28, 2013

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As written for Yahoo! Maktoob (July 24, 2013) To anyone looking to truly appreciate Ramadan, I would say: put on those blinders. Block out the clichéd crescent-themed commercialism lacing the highways – the hawking of seasonal sugar syrups competing with the peddling of fast food all-you-can-eats. Ignore the ostentatious Ramadan tents and the allure of their […]

Dignity in the Time of Islamophobia

March 29, 2013

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Following months of an incendiary campaign against Muslims in Sri Lanka, a Muslim-owned fashion store was attacked last evening by mobs of hate-mongers led by men in the saffron garb of Buddhist monks. I refuse to dignify these robed madmen by associating them with the religion they claim to represent, just as I would be […]

Anti-Muslim Bigotry on the Island: Sri Lankan Muslims in the Face of a New Civil War?

February 11, 2013

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As written for Muslim Matters (February 11, 2013) The island nation of Sri Lanka celebrated its 65th Independence Day on the 4th of February amidst conflicting emotions. Although no stranger to tourism brochures as the idyllic holiday getaway, this teardrop isle has also had its fair share of the spotlight in making international headlines – there was the incapacitating […]

Ramadan for the Self-Righteous

August 13, 2012

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As written for Muslim Matters (August 13, 2012) For most, the onset of Ramaḍān is heralded by the sighting of the moon. Here in the Middle East the sands are alive with the sound of Oudh strings in the form of un-innovative radio adverts, and it’s the mounds of Ouzi and vats of Sharbat being marketed to the masses as […]

The Dambulla Mosque Debacle and The Rise of The Minority Extremist

April 25, 2012

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As written for Muslim Matters (April 25, 2012) The city of Dambulla in Sri Lanka, more known for its representation in tourism brochures as a registered heritage destination for culturally-inclined tourists to the island, made headlines of a less-idyllic nature on the afternoon of Friday the 20th of April – when Buddhist monks led a 2000-strong protest against a […]

Sadakat Kadri: Heaven On Earth – A Journey Through Sharī‘ah Law

April 16, 2012

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As written for Muslim Matters (April 16, 2012) “Almost 1400 years after the Prophet Muḥammad first articulated God’s law –the Sharī’ah- its earthly interpreters are still arguing over what it means. Hardliners reduce it to amputations, veiling, holy war and stoning. Others say that it is humanity’s only guarantee of a just society. In Heaven On Earth, the […]