Category: Religion
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Iran and The Hijab Row
Illustration by Mir Suhail There is a need to revisit the issue of women’s rights not only in Iran but also in several other countries. Dr. Sadaf Munshi In her book Iran Awakening: One Woman’s Journey to Reclaim Her Life and Country (2007), Shirin Ebadi, an Iranian political activist, lawyer, a former judge and founder…
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Is there a conflict between Fiq’h and Uniform Civil Code?
In the past few weeks, we have seen a lot of hue and cry lately among many Indian Muslims, men in general and clerics in particular, including All India Muslim Personal Law Board and some socio-religious organizations claiming to represent Muslims, against “politicizing the issue of triple-talaq”. People have posted fiery lines on social media advising…
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Unveiling the Hijab: a Socio-historical Overview
Does Qur’an mandate a specific dress code for Muslim women? Hijab has been a topic of much debate and controversy both within and outside the Muslim world. In Islamic countries where a Shariah (Islamic) Law is enforced, women are required to follow a strict dress code. There are also many countries where millions of Muslims live and…
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Traditionalist Islam and the death of inductive intellect
One of the characteristic features of most reverential legends is that they obfuscate more than they reveal about religious personalities. When the Prophet of Islam returned to Mecca, his point of origin, in January 630 and consummated what Ziauddin Sardar (a scholar/writer/critic specializing in Muslim thought, in his seminal work “Mecca: The Sacred City”, 2014)…
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Male hypocrisy and the lies about Islam
Given the touch-me-not attitude one experiences in Kashmir, I have observed that many rational voices steer clear of indulging in talking about controversial topics, especially those related to religion and politics. Several months ago during my annual visit to Kashmir, I had expressed an objection to the extensive use of loud speakers for broadcasting religious…
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Music in Islam: Religious matter or cultural taboo?
Language is the only trait that differentiates a human from a non-human. Poetry and music are the ultimate artistic form of expression; a society that denounces it, denounces life and human existence. Religious scriptures are a testimony to the fact that there is no objection to this art even in religion. Many years ago…
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