Contemporary Movements and Trends in Islam

Remembering Fāṭimah: New Means of Legitimizing Female Authority in Contemporary Shī‘ī Discourse

by Matthew Pierce

Globalization of Sufism: traditional turuq, neo-Sufism and New-Age (Ukrainian)

by Oleg Yarosh

Published in: Islam: history, essential dimensions and contemporary trends, 2008

Present research deals with the contemporary tendencies of the evolution of Sufism: both within the framework of... more Present research deals with the contemporary tendencies of the evolution of Sufism: both within the framework of traditional Islam as well as new religious movements influenced by Sufism. This research also presents typology of these movements and analysis of their doctrine and organizational principles.

Muslim communities and Islamic network institutions in Ukraine: contesting authorities in shaping of Islamic localities

by Oleg Yarosh

Co-authored with Denys Brylov, published in: Muslims in Poland and Eastern Europe: widening the European Discourse on Islam (ed. by Katarzyna Górak-Sosnowska), Warsaw, 2011

The heterogeneous nature and inner diversity of Islam as a religious tradition is reflected in Ukraine in full scale.... more The heterogeneous nature and inner diversity of Islam as a religious tradition is reflected in Ukraine in full scale. Despite a relatively small number of Muslims in the country, different and even contesting Islamic institutions are present, which makes Islamic tradition in Ukraine extremely polarized. Local conditions of Islamic revival (including religious, ethnocultural and political), of constructing and reconstructing Islamic institutions, have shaped the understanding and practice of Islam among Ukrainian Muslims. On the other hand, these conditions are under the influence of international Islamic network institutions, bringing their disputes and feuds into the Ukrainian context.

Ideas and Activities of Sayyid Jamal-al din Afghani

by Murat Çalışkan

Salafism and the internet in contemporary Indonesia

by Asep Iqbal

Review of POLITICAL ISLAM, IRAN, AND THE ENLIGHTENMENT: PHILOSOPHIES OF HOPE AND DESPAIR by Ali Mirsepassi (Cambridge University Press, 2011)

by Amir Dastmalchian

published in AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ISLAMIC SOCIAL SCIENCES
2011, vol. 28, issue 3

Cool Example: Caramel Wonderland

by Nelson Pinheiro

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VmnlrB2uBw

What is it:
It is Werther’s candy story inside Epcot (Walt Disney World). It brings out our childhood imaginary and creates an aura of fantasy and desire. The store sells the normal industrial products. However, it also has a cook and a team that manually produces a full range of candies, cakes, and other sweets.
This store is a good example of how to create a magical place that sells more than just candy, since it promotes a unique experience. Werther´s sales on this store alone rival those made in the Walmart chain. It provides not only a product, but also a fantasy.

Why is it Cool:
1. Because it is associated to a very strong and magical brand (Disney), bringing a sense of fantasy and childhood joy;
2. Because it sells more than a product, it provides a unique experience, involving the client in a fantasy like store;
3. Because it brings a sense of the traditional and handmade product, giving an idea of going back in time to a less artificial and more magical world. In this perspective, it reminds us of our childhood stories;
4. Because it brings to a very big brand an idea that small is beautiful, attaching to the perception of the brand a concept of quality uniqueness.

Related Trends: Cool Wonderlands & Human Pearls, Roots and Wings, Give me narratives.

Nelson Pinheiro Gomes

Beyond Whirling and Weeping: Tasawwuf in America

by Julianne Hazen

'Islamophobia' is Not a Phobia

by Jalees Rehman

Published in the Huffington Post

While so many examples of what constitutes "Islamophobia" are presented, little effort is devoted to... more While so many examples of what constitutes "Islamophobia" are presented, little effort is devoted to clarifying what does not constitute "Islamophobia". As the widespread usage of the expression "Islamophobia" is increasing, the danger of a vague and broad definition becomes apparent. Without a reasonable effort to delineate what is and what is not "Islamophobia", this term could be easily used to stigmatize or suppress legitimate criticisms of Muslim society, culture or theology. Not every rejected mosque building permit is necessarily a form of anti-Muslim discrimination, not every criticism of Muslim society, culture or religion is necessarily a manifestation of an "Islamophobic agenda". Academic scholars that use the expression "Islamophobia" are likely aware of the need to use this term in a narrow sense, so that it refers to true prejudice or hostility towards Muslims and is not abused to suppress legitimate critical views of Muslim society, culture or theology. However, for the expression "Islamophobia" (or any other expression that describes anti-Muslim prejudice and hostility) to be used in a meaningful manner by the wider public, there is a need to clearly formulate what does not constitute "Islamophobia".

Islam, Science and Concerns About Creationism in the Classroom

by Jalees Rehman

Huffington Post

I have often been asked why we scientists are so resistant to introducing ideas such as "creation science"... more I have often been asked why we scientists are so resistant to introducing ideas such as "creation science" in the biology classroom. My first reaction is to say that these ideas are not really scientific and therefore do not belong in a biology class, and I would be similarly opposed to teaching lacrosse rules or musical "song and dance" routines in a biology class. I have also realized that one of my key concerns is the harm that teaching creationist ideas in a biology classroom can do to the development of scientific thought in schoolchildren. I will first briefly illustrate some aspects of scientific work in biology, and then I will use a specific example from recent Muslim creationist literature to show how it can be potentially detrimental for students who want to develop rigorous scientific thought. For the purpose of brevity, I will use the all-encompassing term "creationism" to describe beliefs based on religious scriptures about the development of life on earth. An in-depth discussion of the different types of creationism can be found in the excellent overview by Ronald Numbers entitled "The Creationists: From Scientific Creationism to Intelligent Design".

The Parallel Realities of Modern Science and Islam

by Jalees Rehman

Huffington Post Article

Porkophobia: A closer look at our culture of disgust

by Jalees Rehman

Published on www.altmuslim.com on Nov 15, 2010

Porkophobia: A closer look at our culture of disgust


What is most puzzling about the prohibition... more Porkophobia: A closer look at our culture of disgust


What is most puzzling about the prohibition of pork consumption in Islam is that this simple dietary law has lead to a whole culture of disgust, whereas other Islamic laws and Qur'anic prescriptions on social justice or spiritual growth have not.

Oversimplifying the Complex Relationship between Religion and Biomedical Science: Does it Serve Either?

by Jalees Rehman

Journal of the Islamic Medical Association (JIMA) 2008

This issue of JIMA contains an important article by Rahman et al entitled "Therapeutic interventions: an Islamic... more This issue of JIMA contains an important article by Rahman et al entitled "Therapeutic interventions: an Islamic perspective" (Rahman 2008), which addresses major points that are currently being debated in the field of Islamic Medicine. The complex relationship between Islam and Science has recently gained significant interest amongst scientific scholars (Edis 2007) as well as in the popular science press (Pitock 2007), however, most of these works focus on the interface between Islam and the natural sciences, while the relationship between Islam and the clinical sciences or therapies has generally been neglected. Therefore, the current paper is a timely addition, as it addresses a possible “Islamic” perspective on therapeutic practices in clinical medicine.
Unfortunately, the authors do not address many of the key challenges in this important debate, and this article exemplifies the problems with many recent attempts to explore the relationship between Islam and scientific enterprise.