June 12, 2019 |

The Death Economy and “Radical Revolution of Values”!

The world is addicted to weapons, armaments, militarism and death, a reality which has been intertwined into every aspect of the global economy. In the past year alone, the world has spent some $1.6 trillion on the buying and selling of death machines that have no purpose other than death itself. The sooner and faster…

Colonialism Islamic Politics Islamic Thought Race/Racism

October 2, 2018 |

On privilege, sexual violence and the US’ school/college culture

The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary testimony from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Sept. 27, 2018 opened a window into the life of privilege, excessive drinking, sexual violence and America’s school/college culture. In the testimony, Ford accused judge Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a party while…

Islamic Thought Politics Race/Racism

September 23, 2018 |

Law, Religion, and Disorder in the Arab States

The law in the contemporary Arab states is an amalgamation of statutes, codes, and regulations put in place over the past 100-150 years in the process of forming the modern nation-state project. Often, the “Islam” or “Sharia”, to be more precise, is the primary source cited in the first few articles in almost every constitution…

Islam Islamic Law Islamic Politics Islamic Thought

October 17, 2017 |

Envisioning an Islamic Economic Union!

What are the possibilities of an Islamic Economic Union that can harness the strength and market competitive advantage of a diverse set of countries that are endowed with enormous resources and highly talented populations? The basis for forming such a market is present and the conditions are optimal to achieve it in a period of…

Islamic Law Islamic Politics Islamic Thought Muslim History Politics

July 11, 2017 |

From Granada to Guantanamo: The Torturing of the Muslim Subject

Teaching a summer course on Muslim Decolonial Thought in Granada, Spain brought me again into contact with the history and consequences of the Inquisition and the Muslim and Jewish expulsion in 1492 and afterward. More to the point, a visit to the Inquisition Museum in Granada and the Torture Museum in Cordoba raised a series…

Colonialism Islamic Thought Muslim History Palestine

May 28, 2017 |

Ramadan: A Time of Renewal and Reducing Our Carbon Footprint!

Attaining “Taqwa” is the purpose given in the Qur’an for fasting the month of Ramadan. The Arabic term “Taqwa” or the root basis of it, is very difficult to translate into a single word in English but among the possibilities are: Protection, Shield, Fear of God and Consciousness of God. In this essay, I will…

Islam Islamic Thought Muslim History

January 13, 2017 |

Islam’s Metaphysical Economy: “Trade Based on Contentment”

In a number of verses, the Qur’an uses the term, “trade based or established on contentment of the parties involved in the transaction.”  The term “contentment” appears in various places in the Qur’an and overall imparts a positive outlook. Here, I am interested in the specific framing and association of trade and contentment in the…

Islamic Education Islamic Law Islamic Politics Islamic Thought Muslim History

January 5, 2017 |

Islam Vs. Islam: What is the way forward?

Any observer of unfolding events in the Muslim world will have to conclude that a major conflict is afoot, pitting one interpretation of Islam against another with each claiming to “defend” the true tradition. The intensity of the conflict is getting bloodier by the day and no end is in sight to this calamitous period….

Islam Islamic Politics Islamic Thought Muslim History

October 26, 2016 |

The Metaphysical and the Crisis of Spiritual Materiality

The word “spiritual” — frequently used in increasingly non-descriptive and narrowly understood ways in the modern and post-colonial period —  is a term that postulates a new relationship between the human and God that is no longer regulated by existing “tradition” or normative religious discourses. Just as modernity, post-modernity, or neo-liberal world order defined every…

Colonialism De-Colonial Islam Islamic Thought

September 13, 2016 |

The Meaning of Eid for the Ummah

The Hajj, the fifth pillar in Islam, rightly serves as the culminating experience for a Muslim’s spiritual journey in life and the struggle with which it is associated. Following the rights of Hajj, believers all around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, meaning that which regularly returns. What is the meaning of…

De-Colonial Islam Islamic Education Islamic Politics Islamic Thought