May 2013 M T W T F S S « May 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 -
Recent Posts
- A Few Words On Christopher Hitchens’ Fondness for Noam Chomsky
- Bin Laden, Willful Destruction of Evidence, and the Rule of Law
- Personal Reflections on Knowledge, Writing and ‘Eloquence’
- Reflections on France’s Ban on the ‘Burqa’: An American Muslim’s Perspective
- Rolling Stone Special Report: War Crimes in Afghanistan
- Qur’an Burning, Violence and the Political Instrumentalization of Islam
- Reflections on Pakistan’s World Cup Loss: A Nation Impervious to Defeat
- Islam’s View on War and Terrorism: A Survey of the Qur’an and Prophetic Traditions
- An Introduction to Islamic Doctrine: A Young Muslim’s Perspective
- Were Imam Ghazali and Ibn Taymiyyah So Different, After All?
- Uncritical Reliance on Authority
- Rushdie Revisited and False Liberalism
- Salman Rushdie: A Question of Literary Genius or Family Loyalty?
- Selfless Love: A Young Muslim’s Perspective
Author Archives: nyc
A Few Words On Christopher Hitchens’ Fondness for Noam Chomsky
Christopher Hitchens’ obsession with Noam Chomsky will fascinate anyone with even a remote interest in psychology. The fixation almost has the quality of a jealous admirer racked by childhood insecurities. Amidst all the horror and bloodshed that envelopes the world, one wonders … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
Tagged Christopher Hitchens, Noam Chomsky, Osama Bin Laden, Salman Rushdie
67 Comments
Bin Laden, Willful Destruction of Evidence, and the Rule of Law
In what marks a departure from usual form, Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz raises several excellent points in the following piece in which he writes, “burying [OBL's] body at sea constituted the willful destruction of relevant evidence.” As an experienced criminal defense attorney, Dershowitz acknowledges the … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
Tagged Alan Dershowitz, Glen Greenwald, International Law, Osama Bin Laden
Leave a comment
Personal Reflections on Knowledge, Writing and ‘Eloquence’
As much as I would like to claim otherwise, I did not possess any bookish inclinations as a young child. To me, reading was something that required undue mental exertion and served as a bothersome distraction from the kind hooliganism … Continue reading
Reflections on France’s Ban on the ‘Burqa’: An American Muslim’s Perspective
It is rare to find a contemporary Western nation pass legislation that is so lacking in redeeming social and moral value that almost nothing can be said in its defense. In my mind, France’s recent ban on the Muslim burqa represents such … Continue reading
Rolling Stone Special Report: War Crimes in Afghanistan
For several months the Pentagon twisted heaven and earth to conceal the story of the U.S. “Kill Team” in Afghanistan. The reason for the quarantine effort hardly needs explication as the events at issue raise very serious questions about the extreme … Continue reading
Qur’an Burning, Violence and the Political Instrumentalization of Islam
For many Muslims, writing about the recent Qur’an burning incident and ensuing criminality in Afghanistan is a highly problematic exercise. It puts one in the unenviable position of wanting to condemn subhuman behavior that contravenes the most elementary canons of … Continue reading
Reflections on Pakistan’s World Cup Loss: A Nation Impervious to Defeat
To ensure that I could watch today’s India-Pakistan World Cup semifinal without interruption, I opted not to go into the office this morning. I must confess that my knowledge of all things cricket is exactly zero, including not knowing the basics … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Islam, Pakistan
Tagged Faith, India, Islam, Pakistan, Pakistan Floods, World Cup
5 Comments
Islam’s View on War and Terrorism: A Survey of the Qur’an and Prophetic Traditions
Perhaps no issue in contemporary politics is the source of greater misunderstanding and caricature than Islam’s view on war and terrorism. The indiscriminate bloodshed wrought on September 11th, the London and Madrid bombings, and the nearly daily suicide bombings that … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Islam, Law, Politics
Tagged Hadith, Holy War, Islam, Islamic Ethics, Islamic Morality, Islamic Rules of Engagement, Jihad, Just War, Muhammad, Old Testament, Qur'an, Religious Violence, September 11th, Suicide Bombing, Terrorism
10 Comments
An Introduction to Islamic Doctrine: A Young Muslim’s Perspective
Preface: What follows is the first segment to a multi-part “Introduction to Islam” in which I hope to discuss issues of general interest to a non-Muslim audience: Islamic doctrine, sacred law, women’s rights, the laws of war, Islam’s view of … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Islam
Tagged Afterlife, Bible, Christianity, Doctrine, Forgiveness, Islam, Islamic Doctrine, Judaism, Prophets, Qur'an, Salvation, Sin, Vicarious Sacrifice
Leave a comment
Were Imam Ghazali and Ibn Taymiyyah So Different, After All?
One of the most well-known Islamic websites in the West is operated by a gentleman by the name of Masud Ahmed Khan (http://www.masud.co.uk/). Khan’s site provides a rich repository of insightful articles by English-speaking Muslim intellectuals such as T.J. Winter and Nuh … Continue reading
Posted in Islam
Tagged Ash'ari, George Makdisi, Ghazali, Hamza Yusuf, Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya, Ibn Taymiyyah, Kalam, Madhabi, Masud Ahmed Khan, Mu'tazilah, Nuh Keller, Salafi, William Montgomery Watt, Zaid Shakir
5 Comments
