Upon a Christian feminist expressing to me her discomfort with the idea of the Virgin Mary delivering a child without having consented to conceive or carry him, I decided to reread the corresponding verses in the Qur’an that describe the conception of Prophet Jesus, son of Mary, since there has already been an instance—the sacrifice …
Continue reading The Conception of Prophet Jesus, Son of Mary
Most people, especially most religious people, are not aware that they are not living in a vacuum. They aren't aware that their words and actions are politically charged, or of the wider implications and interpretational consequences. They think they are just being religious. They think they are just being religious and living their lives even …
Continue reading When ordinary Muslims say things in the media (and it sounds outrageous)
I received these two questions in my inbox today and figured I would answer them here. This isn’t really that type of site (so the personal email was appropriate) but I’m sure both questions are common amongst non-Muslims (and Muslims alike). Starting with the first--I’m kind of staggered when Christians ask this question, because it …
Continue reading “Why do Muslims pray that way? And why toward the Kaaba?”
This post is brought to you by some schmuck who took it upon himself during an abortion debate, in which he was distressed that I would legalize late-term abortions, to inform me that there is no such thing as inalienable rights, and that rights are “whatever humans decide they are” and therefore I cannot assert …
Continue reading Abortion is a right. At any and all times. (or, American Principles 101)
I have probably written more posts on this over-scrutinized practice than I had ever intended to write or would ever read from myself (I sincerely thank you all for tolerating them with magnificent patience.) While I usually approach the dynamics of determining what is or isn’t modest from the oppressive claims of patriarchal men (and …
Equality, liberation, and justice are actively preserved, not merely obtained and expected to survive unchecked and abandoned; thus, a power struggle over the applications of Quranic interpretation will always prevail with relevance in the future as it has for the previous centuries. As the feminist message of the Qur’an is exposed, the justification for gender …
Continue reading Reclaiming Shari’ah: (Part III) the Significance
Discrepancy between the ideal vision of an Islamic state as one that adheres fully to the employment of the shari’ah as perfect law embodying the integrity of Islam and the reality of the actual implementation amounting unimpressively to policing women’s bodies and exercising a pre-Islamic model of social gender relations is often attributed to Muslim …
Continue reading Reclaiming Shari’ah: (Part II) the Opponents
the fatal feminist 