Iz Uyghurçe, n. Trace For as long as I can remember, my mother would recite the poem Iz by Abdurehim Ötkür (see end for poem) in its original Uyghur tongue (Uyghurçe). What followed was always the same: praise of how Ötkür brilliantly narrates the Uyghur struggle, how deftly the Uyghur language carries the weight of centuries of heritage, the systematic dissolving of our history and culture through … Continue reading Iz – A Uyghur poem
In part 1 of 2, Nura S. discuss how the Muslim community should perceive the American Dream. First, in the economic sense: Can the American dream constitute life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all? I have witnessed American Muslim leaders invoking the “American Dream” as their common denominator with the rest of American society multiple times. Their attempt is reasonable given the American … Continue reading American Dream 101
By Zeynep Celik Hijab; what the modernist sees as a tool of self-imposed religious piety and what the islamophobe claims to be a tool in the degradation of women. Although the contrast of these perceptions is quite stark, and despite supposedly being rooted in “good intentions” , these approaches ultimately lead to the same outcome: the alienation of women who wear hijab. Of course islamophobes … Continue reading On the celebration of not wearing hijab
By Iman Amin A few weeks ago in my fiqh class a fellow student posed a series of questions to my teacher on the topic of slavery in Islam, and more specifically, the topic of having intimate relations with your slave girl. So my teacher proceeded to answer his question, followed by the teacher from next class who overheard. I watched in admiration as both … Continue reading Stepping up: Approaching controversial Islamic issues
Once again, some of the most blessed nights of the year are upon us, the last ten nights of Ramadan. Among them, the greatest jewel, Laylatul Qadr, the night of power, the night the Quran was revealed, is waiting for us to reap its rewards. But after 20 days of fasting, working or studying full time, caring for our families, and trying to make the … Continue reading Seeking Laylatul Qadr – a guide for the last 10 nights of Ramadan
The Qarawiyyin Project 