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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.
April 15, 2014
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 […]
February 3, 2014
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 […]
November 20, 2013
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 […]
July 28, 2013
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 […]
March 29, 2013
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 […]
February 11, 2013
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 […]
August 13, 2012
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 […]
April 25, 2012
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 […]
December 25, 2011
As written for Halal World (October-December 2011). The Arab Spring, a label for a series of revolutions which we hoped would prove more deciduous than seemingly-endless, has now outrun seasons to cross-over into Autumn. Undoubtedly, the Middle East is portraying a bleak reflection of its current state of affairs. With despots toppling like a line of […]
February 1, 2015
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