LATEST ARTICLES
Islam and Sectarianism
Zulfiqar Shah
Pakistan is at a crossroads, its federal structure severely threatened by provincial independence movements fuelled by ethnic tensions, structural political failures and the allocation of tax revenues....
Current Affairs
Khaled Mansour
They look around for a father figure to adopt them and issue the orders they are accustomed to receiving – even if grudgingly. After such a failed patriarch leaves, together with his ruling family, they leave in their wake a burdensome legacy and dilapidated system with many citizens yearning for authoritarianism and looking around to hand these paternal powers to a new custodian....
The War Within Islam
Bassem Youssef
Heated debate about this phenomenon has appeared on Islamist websites, YouTube and religious TV programs. As usual, extremist people have surfaced who know nothing other than insults. Some of them have even called for punishment for apostasy....
Current Affairs
Asad Rahim Khan
Pakistan and India, the unstoppable force and the immovable object: Will they ever find peace and put us all out of our misery? The mutual prisoner-killing, the assault on diplomats, the endless war drums, all of it begs the question, when does it end? Left on its own, not anytime soon. But as just half the problem, we might only resolve to extend a hand and hope to grasp theirs. The alternative, history proves, has been to lose out; lately, more than they do....
Islamic Culture
Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum
More than 1,200 years ago, while Europe was in its Dark Ages, the Muslim world was ruled by a dynasty of Islamic leaders who embraced free thought and creativity from all corners of the globe. Never before had history witnessed such cultural openness and symbiosis as during the reign of the Abbasid Caliphs. They built the world’s first university, named it Bayt Al Hikma (House of Wisdom) and filled its library with the finest cultural, scientific and literary creations known to mankind....
Islam and Politics
Nervana Mahmoud
Meanwhile, it’s time to stop using the term “moderate Islamists”. Whatever the outcome of the current crisis in Turkey, this flawed term is incorrect and frankly patronising, as it dooms Muslims to accept a less-than-perfect form of democracy. In the Muslim world, like in the rest of the world, there are only either true democrats or undercover autocrats. The use of any other description would only be a travesty on every level....
Islamic Sharia Laws
What is meant by normative Islam are those opinions and views based upon an understanding of the Qur’an and those Prophetic traditions (Sunna) which are widely held to be authentically traced back to the Prophet, supported by the opinions of historical traditional scholars whom the majority of Muslims would consider as representative of Muslim orthodoxy. ….
Islam and the West
Mahir Ali
If enemies of the US can draw sustenance from evidence of American crimes against humanity, surely the ideal antidote would be to ensure such crimes are not committed in the first place, rather than seeking to indefinitely shroud them in secrecy....
Islam and Politics
Turkey’s problems—autocracy, Islamic democracy, modernization, westernization—are the Middle East’s problems. Its lessons are for the Middle East to learn. The distance from Europe has grown…..
Islam and Sectarianism
Allah in MalaysiaPierre de Charentenay SJ
Pierre de Charentenay SJ
The ambiguity is still reinforced when the Malay tradition makes identification between races and religion: all Malays are Muslims. What does that mean for those who are neither Muslims not Malay? Is it enough to say that all religions are welcome and respected? The desire of the government is obviously to fix ones and for all the boundaries between cultures so it would avoid trouble......
Islam and Politics
Rod Dreher
In what sense is “true” Islam peaceful? I don’t doubt that most Muslims are peaceful, but that’s not the same thing as saying that the doctrines and teachings of the religion are peaceful, in the sense of being non-violent and tending towards living in harmony with others. To be sure, I don’t think that human beings are naturally peaceful, so it follows that human beings of all religions, and no religion, can be and often are violent….
Hindi Section
इस्लाम में पति लोगों को हुक्म है कि वो अपनी बीवी के साथ अच्छा व्यवहार करें। अच्छे व्यवहार का मुख्य पहलू ये है कि पति अपनी जीवन संगिनी पर मानसिक और शारीरिक हिंसा से पूरी तरह परहेज़ करे लेकिन समाज में ऐसे कई जाहिल और ज़ालिम मर्द हैं जो अपनी कमज़ोर बीवी को जानवरों की तरह मारते पीटते हैं और उसे अपना अधिकार समझते हैं। ये बात कैसे उचित हो सकती है कि मर्द एक तरफ तो अपनी बीवी से मानसिक सुकून और शारीरिक सुख प्राप्त करे बेहतरीन वक्त गुज़ारे और दूसरी तरफ उसके साथ इतना वहशियाना व्यवहार करे? ये एक अत्यंत अमानवीय और असभ्य हरकत है….
Urdu Section
اٹھارہویں صدی تک، ایک طرف صفوی شیعہ خاندان کے درمیان اور دوسری طرف سنی عثمانیہ اور مغل سلطنتوں کے درمیان پریشان کن بقائے باہمی کا غلبہ تھا ۔ بصرہ، بغداد اور بیروت کی گلیوں میں شیعہ اور سنی دونوں نظریات اور اصول سے بے فکر ہو کر شاید ہی فرقہ بندی کے کسی بھی جذبات کے ساتھ ان کے روز مرہ کے معمولات پر عمل کرتے تھے۔ مصر میں اسماعیلی فاطمیوں کی حکمرانی کے دوران بھی اکثریت سنی آبادی نے اپنے حکمرانوں کو نظر انداز کیا اور مداخلت کئے بغیر اپنی روز مرہ زندگی گزارتے تھے ۔ دنیا کی مشہور الازہر مسجد اور یونیورسٹی شیعہ فاطمیوں کے ذریعہ قائم کی گئی تھی، اور وہ اب بھی پوری دنیا میں سب سے زیادہ اہم سنی ادارہ ہے۔
Urdu Section
بعض شوہر اپنی بیوی کو غیر مردوں کے سامنے لے جاتے ہیں بلکہ ان سے مصافحے کراتے ہیں اور اسے ماڈرن تہذیب و سوسائٹی کا حصہ مانتےہیں ، کبھی بیوی آزادی نسواں کے نام پر روشن خیالی کے دعوے کی وجہ سے غیر محرموں سے اختلاط کرتی ہے تو ایسا شوہر جو اپنی بیوی کے بے پردہ غیروں کے سامنے جانے یا غیر محرموں سےمیل جول پر روک نہیں لگا تا او راس کو پسند یا برداشت کر لیتا ہے ایسے شخص کو حدیث پاک میں دیوث کہا گیا ہے۔
Radical Islamism and Jihad
Dr. Mohammad Ghitreef , New Age Islam
Now Qatar-based renowned Egyptian Islamic scholar Yusuf Al-Qarzawi, himself a member of Muslim Brotherhood, called on the Sunni world to go to Syria and support Sunni Jihadists against this cruel, anti-Sunni, Shiite, Ishmaelite-Alawite regime, yet after his appeal the situation worsened. … When Qarzawi issued his fatwa, … why didn't he realize that in doing so he was only furthering a Shia- Sunni spilt and making the two factions pitch in a horrible and endless sectarian battle?....
Interfaith Dialogue
As the Parisians of 1240 remind us, intellectual examination can actually interfere with the daily realities of religious coexistence. Above all, religious groups need to be respected, and to see that someone is making an active effort to coexist with them. Listening is important, for sure. But some of the details of religious traditions don’t make for easy hearing. To repurpose an old saying about marriage: in interfaith relationships, it’s wise to be a little deaf....
Islam, Women and Feminism
Sajida, a single parent
India's 'Virtual Widows' Suffer As Husbands Seek Work in the Gulf
Among 19, a woman ‘who helped Pak spy’
The Hefazati Future for Bangladeshi Women
CRPF Unveils First Squad of Women Commandos
Sexual Harasser to Stand Trial for Cairo Bridge Attack
Sudanese Aid Nurse Killed In Darfur Crossfire
Iranian Women ‘Learning about Their Rights and Fighting Back’
Islamist Turkey PM Wants to Outlaw Belly Dancing Girls
Child Domestic Workers Increasing In Bangladesh
Time to Take Ugandan Fashion Seriously
Girl-Centred Advocacy to Protect 600 Million Girls from Violence: Women Deliver Conference
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Islamic World News
US General Dunford
Arab World
Early, Forced Marriages Haunt Jordan's Syrian Refugees
1,000 Iraqi Kurdish soldiers desert army, officials say
Syrian regime kills 26 attempting to break Ghouta siege
India
India’s first Eidgah with water harvesting system, bulldozed
Muslim Scholars: Modern Education Key to Muslims' Progress
Imams Learning How to Make Sermons More Effective
Pakistan
Of firsts: Shia delegation attends Tablighi Ijtema
CII yet to make final recommendation on DNA tests
North America
US General Dunford: 'Fight for Afghan rights not over'
US civil rights group challenges NSA phone surveillance programme
Judge Allows Suit on Border Questioning of Muslims to Move Forward
Europe
Egypt replaces Waziristan as main training centre for militants: Report
South Asia
Motorcycle bomb kills 2, wounds 15 in Afghanistan
Maldives’ support for the “one-China policy”
Southeast Asia
Indonesian Judge to Be Taken to Ethics Tribunal for extramarital affairs
Mideast
Al-Quds Dominates Muslim Donor Summit
Uneasy calm in Turkey's riot square after violence
Africa
Timbuktu damage to Mali historic sites 'underestimated'
Mali's Tuareg rebels ready to sign peace deal: Source
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
For Details and More Headlines from All Regions, Please click, ‘More’
Islamic Culture
Muslim women do need liberating — not from Islam — from their indigenous cultural practices, often conflated with Islam. Muslims must not be reticent; they need to bear the responsibility for the liberation of Muslim women and ensure that they are not deprived of the rights granted to them by Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) more than 1,400 years ago....
Islam and the West
Muhammad Abdul Bari
Lee Rigby’s killers were known to be linked with the extremist group (Al-Muhajiroun) that was banned a few years ago. The group re-emerges in variant forms with the same message of hate and as far as I am aware, mosques and Islamic centres up and down the country are a ‘no go area’ for this group; the Muslim community has ostracised them, but sadly some of our national media provide them with disproportionate oxygen of publicity for probably offering sensational news to people....
Islam and Sectarianism
Ahmed Kadry
“Muslims and Christians are one hand continues to be chanted across the country,” I could retire today. But what has perhaps been lost from those revolutionary days to the present is that such proclamations of unity are completely unnecessary because they go without saying....
Islam and the West
Mehdi Hasan
Is it too late to stop Syria’s descent into hell? Since the uprising against the despotic Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011, 70,000 people have lost their lives, one million refugees have fled across the border into the neighbouring countries of Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, and four million Syrians – a fifth of the population...
Radical Islamism and Jihad
Poppie Mphuthing
This war of attrition by Boko Haram against Jonathan’s government in a bid to create an Islamic Nigeria simply goes on, while the casualties and fatalities steadily rise. While Jonathan insists that the fight against Islamists is being successfully fought by the Nigerian military, the tone is more one of false bravado than the self-assured sentiment of a man with a plan. The man with the plan seems to be US President Barack Obama, putting money where his mouth is in a bid to disable Boko Haram….
Islam, Women and Feminism
Naila Missous
The role of women in society must be reviewed within the family and the community at large, enforced through the media and education. Oppression, or as it seems to the outside world looking in at the Middle East, is but a dainty word that needs to be broken down to understand. What one culture sees as oppression, another sees as liberation to women....
Islam,Terrorism and Jihad
Linda Woodhead
The appeal is clear. God’s word is now accessible to all. Young men and women can do religion for themselves without having to defer to elders. The message is there in a book. It is easily portable, and universal – great advantages in a time of mobility and globalisation. And though the message is strenuous, its rewards are great: community with the like-minded, moral certainty and superiority, blessings in this world and salvation in the next…..