The Reformist Islamic Thinker Muhammad Shahrur In the Footsteps of Averroes Muhammad Shahrur’s work is a comprehensive attempt to reconcile the religion of Islam with modern philosophy as well as the rational worldview of the natural sciences. According to Shahrur, jurisprudence in the name of God is a farce benefiting only those wanting to maintain political power. Loay Mudhoon introduces this contentious reformist thinker | Bild: Muhammad Shahrur: “The religious inheritance of Islam must be critically read and interpreted anew.” | Although many Muslims would reject out of hand the notion of reform with respect to Islam, as they regard … Continue reading Muhammad Shahrur – In the Footsteps of Averroes

Interview with Nasr Hamid Abu Zaid “I am a Witness to the Changes in Islam” Leading Islamic reformist and literary scholar, Nasr Hamid Abu Zaid, believes that individual freedom is an essential prerequisite to faith. Everyone, therefore, also has the right to convert to another faith. He talked to Erhard Brunn about some of his ideas | Bild: The relationship between the Muslim and the non-Muslim worlds is one that is deeper and more historical than we think, believes Abu Zaid | The question of what the Muslim attitude to violence is still one that very much preoccupies the West. … Continue reading Nasr Hamid Abu Zaid – individual freedom can empower Muslims

Portrait Sadiq Al-Azm An Argumentative Arab Enlightener The Syrian philosopher Sadiq Al-Azm is one of the highest-profile and most strident critics of the Arab world. To this day, his ideas are between all fronts, making him enemies of both Islamist and secular dogmatists. Sadiq Al-Azm is soon to celebrate his 75th birthday. A portrait by Kersten Knipp | Bild: The Six-Day War, the fatwa against Salman Rushdie, the Iraq War and Islamist fundamentalism: Sadiq al-Azm has barely missed a chance to dive headfirst into a debate over the past 40 years | There are no doubt numerous advantages to coming … Continue reading Sadiq Al-Azm – Argumentative Arab Enlightener?

On second thought… Recent admissions by some clerics in Saudi Arabia that the monarchy’s strict gender segregation may have been the result of Qur’anic misinterpretations could help align that country more towards its moderate peers. But it also raises questions about the infallibility of past Islamic rulings. By Hesham Hassaballa, from altmuslim.com Guilt by association? Chicago, Illinois Some astounding things have been coming out of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as of late. One of the most recent developments is the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), a high-tech university intended to promote international research which opened last … Continue reading Qur’anic misinterpretation on gender segregation?

Surveillance system monitors conversations A controversial covert surveillance system that records the public’s conversations is being used in Britain. telegraph.co.uk The devices are designed to distinguish between distress calls, threatening behaviour and general shouting. Photo: ALAMY The technology, called Sigard, monitors movements and speech to detect signs of threatening behaviour. Its designers claim the system can anticipate anti-social behaviour and violence by analysing the information picked up its sensors. Related Articles Police cameras to be regulated Internet records to be stored for a year General Sir Richard Dannatt: A heroic advocate of the Army Councils use bugs to spy on … Continue reading British peoples conversations monitored

They suffered under the mujahideen and the Taliban – but Afghan Sikhs still feel a strong bond with the country Nushin Arbabzadah guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 6 July 2010 10.00 BST Article history Few people outside Afghanistan are aware of the Afghan Sikh community: a little-known, inconspicuous religious minority whose mass exodus from Afghanistan began with the coming to power of the mujahideen in 1992. The decision to leave Afghanistan at that particular juncture made sense. After all, the new rulers had an established reputation for religious intolerance. The collapse of the Soviet-backed regime had left Afghan Sikhs in a vulnerable position. … Continue reading Afghan Sikhs: forgotten victims

Clothing and accessories that men hate on women By Afsheen Omartribune.com.pk Where women try their best to look good with the styles in vogue, men have a completely different point of view regarding fashion. Women are known to be more conscious of their bodies, and ongoing trends, trying to keep up with the latest ones and claiming to own the ‘first of its kind’ pieces. Where women try their best to look good with the styles in vogue, men have a completely different point of view regarding fashion. Asking around, it seems a lot of men (to remain anonymous) highly … Continue reading Do you hate women wearing these?

By Faraz Maqsood Hamiditribune.com.pk 1. Dear Aries: Bugger. The zodiac has officially conspired to make you its bugger-in-chief. Because only you know how to really bug the universe. Your passion (read aggression), unfailing sense of adventure (read aggression), and love for advantage (read aggression) have scarred your back from many unseen daggers. 2. Dear Taurus: You won’t be moved by this summation. Because you never do. Move, that is. Your efforts to remain stationary have pre-ordained you to eternal bovinity. (That’s not a word, by the way, but do you even care?) Your persistence at procrastinating helps you inch closer to … Continue reading 10 things I hate about Horror-scopes

By Yousuf Nazartribune.com.pk The writer is an analyst (yousaf.nazar@tribune.com.pk) Pakistan’s failure to evolve as a stable and civilised society with a viable political system relates to some fundamental contradictions with deep roots in its history. It needs to come to terms with and recognise what may be unpleasant facts that have contributed to doubts about national identity, pervasive hypocrisy, misconceptions about the role of religion in the affairs of the state, and failure to generate a climate for honest public discourse perversely dominated by a section of media patronised by the intelligence agencies. The nature of the establishment-media-mullah nexus has … Continue reading A nation in denial

By Ayesha Siddiqatribune.com.pk The writer is author of Military Inc. and a visiting professor at Johns Hopkins University, US (ayesha.siddiqa@tribune.com.pk) Quite a few people are anxious about the recent death and destruction at Data Darbar, Lahore. While the government and its agencies must be rummaging through heaps of evidence, there are some who already have an answer. The Hizbut-Tehrer (HuT), a movement for global jihad’s Pakistan chapter, has already committed its findings for its supporters and potential followers on the internet and its press releases. One of HuT’s press release condemns American for involvement in the recent attacks in Lahore. … Continue reading Who’s behind the Lahore attack?