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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
Category Archives: Politics
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
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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
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
6 Comments
Salman Rushdie: A Question of Literary Genius or Family Loyalty?
Victor Klemperer served as a celebrated professor of literature at the Dresden University of Technology in the early part of the twentieth century. A Jew who was forced to flee Nazi Germany, Klemperer composed a diary during his time in captivity in which he expressed his unreserved … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Islam, Politics
Tagged Blasphemy, Boycott, Fatwa, Islam, Salman Rushdie, Satanic Verses
3 Comments
One in Four Humans on Earth will be Muslim by 2030
Several days ago I wrote a piece in which I sought to explain why blasphemy is a source of such profound offense to Muslims. I noted that Islam is the single most powerful unifying force in the Muslim world and … Continue reading
Posted in Islam, Pakistan, Politics
Tagged Identity, Islam, Muslim population, Religion, Tribalism
2 Comments
False Conservatism in Modern Islam and a Case for Moderation
In recent years I’ve come to believe that a large percentage of “conservative” Muslims living in the West suffer from what psychologists would term cognitive dissonance. That is, a psychic state in which there exists a disharmony between what one articulates … Continue reading
Posted in Islam, Law, Politics
6 Comments
Musharraf Arrest Warrant Issued
AP reported that Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Court issued an arrest warrant today for Pervez Musharraf and his alleged role in the murder of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Musharraf devotees appear unable to come grips with the fact that the former … Continue reading
Posted in Pakistan, Politics
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