Reflections on Violence

Aisha Hasan Israel’s recent bombardment of the Gaza Strip has brought the occupation of Palestine back into the mainstream media. After ten days of heavy bombardment, the Friday ceasefire saw the Palestinian death toll at 248, including 66 children, with nearly 2,000 wounded. With nearly 17,000 homes, 53 schools, six hospitals, and four mosques destroyed or damaged, as well as 50% of Gaza’s water supply … Continue reading Reflections on Violence

Emily and Empire

Musabika Nabiha Days after Netflix’s latest production Emily in Paris premiered to millions of viewers around the world, a critic described it as a “love letter to American exceptionalism.”[1] In the days that followed, tweeters and digital publications alike echoed the sentiment: the show disrespects French culture, its portrayals of French people are wrong and clichéd, and worst of all, its protagonist displays a supreme American … Continue reading Emily and Empire

Why Muslims should care about war studies

Esra N. Kandur The post-9/11 era has witnessed an entire generation of Muslims reach adulthood with a heightened sense of political awareness. With increased public scrutiny of Muslims around the world and greater coverage of events in Muslim countries, the news is often a subject of constant discussion at home. Whether rooted in an ummatic consciousness or feelings of conflicted identity, young Muslims in several … Continue reading Why Muslims should care about war studies

Bogeymen and where to find them: Reading Bennabi

Sarah B. Who can we blame for the ummah’s problems? Muslim governments? Non-Muslim governments? Scholars? Activists?  Or can we blame events, historical and contemporary — colonisation or the War on Terror? Or do we blame ourselves? Are our material conditions a reflection of our spiritual state? The list of culprits is endless, but such attributions of blame rarely serve as a mirror to assess our … Continue reading Bogeymen and where to find them: Reading Bennabi

Principles of Engagement: Navigating dissent

Sarah Bellal وَلَوْ شَاءَ رَبُّكَ لَجَعَلَ النَّاسَ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً ۖ وَلَا يَزَالُونَ مُخْتَلِفِين And if your Lord had willed, He could have made mankind one community; but they will not cease to differ. [11:118] Of the many things Muslims love to lament is our lack of communal unity. It is easy to be disheartened by frequent debates between our leaders and confused by the various … Continue reading Principles of Engagement: Navigating dissent