I am your Muslim neighbour in London. As there are almost a million of us here (almost one in eight people), I would not think my presence here is strange at all. But it can be alienating to be a Muslim in London these days. While Muslims are a familiar sight, there are still some deep rifts between us and other Londoners. After the terrorist attack of 7/7 (nearly fifteen years ago!)... Read more
I believe the Muslim world needs a #NoHijabDay to return the power of choice to Muslim women! The hijab, more than any other cultural signal, is the most ready identifier of Islam today. Almost twenty years after 9/11, the world is still seeing a rise in Islamophobia. Islamophobes of the physically aggressive variety zero in on to these cultural signals and the hijab is the most obvious one. Hijab wearing women are victims of these attacks quite sadly possibly... Read more
This essay is meant to be a primer on a series in which I analyse the thoughts of Muslim Dissenters whom I define as atheists, agnostics or ex-Muslims who still maintain links to the Islamic cultural matrix. Contrary to what the title suggests, I actually welcome their presence in Islamic discourse. It is only through open conversations that we may refine our understanding of our own faith. It is also a religious matter... Read more
The ‘assimilatibility’ (ease of assimilation) of the Muslims into Western society is a great topic for social media attention. You will find stories like ‘Muslim taxi driver refuses to take passenger with dog (preferably a guide dog for the blind)’ or ‘Muslim sales assistant refuses to sell condoms to unmarried couple or alcohol’. Muslims are seen as unable to fit into mainstream society and ripe for a healthy dose of finger pointing. Christmas is probably the best time for this... Read more
I have to be very frank with you – I do not like Nouman Ali Khan (NAK). I admire his knowledge greatly, to be sure, but I do not like him. I admire him for his knowledge of the Quran. He has an uncanny ability to detect subtleties in the text which are lost to most scholars thus helping us to discover its deeper wisdom. So why do I not like him? Because he used intellectual sleight of hand... Read more
In recent years, the phenomenon of the lone Jihadi has become iconic. Not only in the West but in the Middle East. In Iraq, only a decade ago, we would read about them on a daily basis. It is hard to formulate the exact motivations of these senseless killers but one factor we can never take out of the equation is martyrdom. These Jihadis have all been told, if they performed their dastardly act, they would become martyrs. But why... Read more
He said there are "a hundred verses" in the Quran instructing Muslims to kill unbelievers and claimed he would be killed as well. That was not only a gross exaggeration, it was a bald faced lie to boot! Read more
Muslim in the Middle
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