QeRN

Gibbon's narrative on Islam in the 'Decline and Fall' of the Romans

The well known British historian, Edward Gibbon, describes the rise and expansion of Islam as: “one of the most memorable revolutions which has impressed a new and lasting character on the nations of the globe.” A study of Gibbon's digression towards the East must be studied in detail

hadith

The Distilled Essence

Imam Abu Hanifa advised his son Hammad to remember 5 of the 5000 or so narrations of the Prophet Muhammad that he had gone through. These five are an abstract essence of the entire corpurs of the narrations attributed to the Prophet, known as Ahadith

theology

Uthaymeen, Five Years after the 'Qad Khalat' Debate

Exactly five years ago, I engaged in a deep theological debate with Waqar Akbar Cheema on a mis-translation of a verse of the Quran 3:144. I am always very sensitive to scholars and writers not distinguishing between translation and commentary and doing nip, tuck and tweak with scripture in

islam

Malcolm X knew Islam's History of Slavery, not Racism

An interesting article appeared in the Telegraph, titled "The conversion to Islam of Malcolm X is the wrong model for young black men [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/11425643/The-conversion-to-Islam-of-Malcolm-X-is-the-wrong-model-for-young-black-men.html] ." Although the author, David Edward, cites historical events, he makes a serious error that fatally undermines

Islamophobia

No Solutions to British Muslim Problems without Mutual Respect

Jonathan Russell of the Quilliam Foundation has a logical premise on which he bases his piece about the signatories [http://leftfootforward.org/2015/03/the-muslim-community-joint-statement-offers-no-progressive-solutions/] of the Joint UK Muslim Statement [https://jointmuslimstatement.wordpress.com/]. It is indeed a valid assertion that the signatories did not offer any solutions. When

catholic

Evangelii Gaudium - Pope Francis on Muslims

From the apostolic exhortation (EVANGELII GAUDIUM) of Pope Francis. Apostolic Exhortation on the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today’s World (24 November 2013) : 252. Our relationship with the followers of Islam has taken on great importance, since they are now significantly present in many traditionally Christian countries, where they

2014

The Caliphate, Sharia and the Search for an Islamic Political Theology: A Contemporary Perspective

by Dr. Nevin Reda Dr. Nevin Reda is an assistant professor of Muslim Studies at Emmanuel College of Victoria University in the University of Toronto. Her main research area is the Qur’an, often in relation to Islamic law, the Bible or women. She is also a participant in the

Pipes

The Caliphate Brings Trauma

By Daniel Pipes Conference on “The Caliphate as a Political System: Historic Myth or Future Reality?” August 16, 2014 I am delighted to address this timely event and thank Akber Choudhry for the opportunity to do so. I only regret that prior plans prevented me from delivering this short paper

Gaza

Sayeeda Warsi, the Conscience of Britain

I would not be writing this were it not for the utterly unwarranted criticism of Sayeeda Warsi by the Daily Mail and the Spectator [http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2014/08/baroness-warsi-was-over-promoted-incapable-and-incompetent/] . Britain has a long history of ministers resigning when their conscience would not let them continue with

2014

Discussion: Caliphate as a Political System - Myth or Reality?

* Speakers’ Papers and Presentations - Dr. Nevin Reda: The Caliphate, Sharia and the Search for an Islamic Political Theology: A Contemporary Perspective [http://www.qern.org/en/the-caliphate-sharia-and-the-search-for-an-islamic-political-theology-a-contemporary-perspective/] * Dr. Tahir Qazi: Caliphate as a Political System [http://www.qern.org/en/tahir-qazi-caliphate-as-a-political-system/] * Dr. Daniel Pipes: The Caliphate Brings Trauma [http:

2014

Humanize Palestine

Very simple and to the point: The martyrs of Gaza 2014 http://humanizepalestine.com/

apostasy

Is Apostasy a Capital Crime in Islam?

An excellent article by Dr. Jamal Badawi. Link and excerpts below: http://www.fiqhcouncil.org/node/34 > It is inconceivable to attain that peace if any person is forced or coerced to become a Muslim or to remain a Muslim against his or her free will. It is also

Voltaire

The Ugly Side of Voltaire

I had always recognised Voltaire as a philosopher and an important cog of Western liberal thinking but I recently came across a play written by him:Le fanatisme, ou Mahomet le Prophete [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahomet_(play)], literally Fanaticism, or Mahomet the Prophet. Voltaire, and his admirers, have

Economics

Are the Muslims Right about Debt?

The Quran denounces riba in the most categorical terms. The term riba is synonymous with the traditional concept of usury, and in modern terms, generally means interest, i.e. exploitative interest on debt, especially to the poor. Generally, it excludes commercial discounting on current trade — which is not usury or

Identity

Third Annual QeRN Muslim Identity Award – 2012

We are pleased to announce our third annual award. The award goes to the Web site loonwatch.com [http://www.loonwatch.com/]and its driver, Steven Danios. As opposed to last year, we have chosen an entity that is not identified by a single event, but has taken a novel

ban

Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer barred from UK

In a welcome move, the UK government has barred Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer from entering the United Kingdom to address events organised by the EDL (English Defence Lesage). The EDL is a British far-right movement that is particularly anti-Muslim, considering Muslims a threat to English society. Ms. Geller and

De-fund Orwellian Terrorist Factories to Regain the Moral High Ground

The terrorist bombings in Boston have brought home a very hard truth: Western moral certainty that led us through the Cold War is ceding its surefooted stance to extremist Islamists. Open and transparent justice has always worked simply: innocent or guilty, resulting in exoneration and freedom or sentence and punishment.

shiite

Guess who is Progressive on Women? Vatican or Al-Azhar?

[http://www.irtiqa-blog.com/2013/04/the-role-of-al-azhar-university-in.html]On most aspects of women’s rights, the clock cannot be rolled back. In fact, birth control and planning can be instrumental in social and economic planning. Among the four religious power-houses that affect the social lives of 60% of humanity, the

assimilation

Neo-con Conspiracies? Burma Burning to Birmingham Burqas

A quick search of Google News yesterday showed that, with the exception of Reuters, no Western media outlet or news agency is regularly reporting on the recent massacre against Muslims in urban Burma (Myanmar). The BBC, while reporting on a curiously silent Aung San Suu Kyi devoted a paragraph to

Journalism

Academics Finally Take Note of Islamophobia

[http://www.qern.org/en/academics-finally-take-note-of-islamophobia/islamophobia-journal-spring2012/] For a number of years, we have been taking academics to task for not doing enough to tackle rising Islamophobia. Academic research makes it way into public policy sooner or later, and a certain paralysis had descended upon the academic community after the

Christmas

Muslims: Treat Christmas with Due Respect

Dear Readers. Please accept out apologies for being very late with updating blog posts. We were hard at work changing the Web platform and putting together a video platform. Please enjoy this, and prepare for a long backlog of posts coming very soon. by Abdul Malik Mujahid (http://www.soundvision.

Journalism

Silly Season: Bureau Chief Sebastian Abbot with AP's 'Big Lie'

Here is another factually incorrect article that uses incorrect information and inappropriate words to twist the story. The problem is that this is the Associated Press’s ‘Big Story’, and its stories get picked up by other outlets: AP [http://bigstory.ap.org/article/pakistan-shuns-physicist-linked-god-particle] , Yahoo [http://news.yahoo.com/

Islamophobia

Robert Fisk on Anonymous Internet Cowards like David Toube

Robert Fisk has rightly lashed out at the scourge of the Internet – extremist anonymous people [http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/anonymous-comments-are-as-pathetic-as-the-anonymous-sources-that-contaminate-gutless-journalism-from-the-new-york-times-bbc-and-cnn-8446788.html] with too much time writing and saying things they would not otherwise say in real life. He writes, Now in the old days, when someone stuffed

freedom

Reprieve, Yunus Rahmatullah, and Habeas Corpus

(This piece is from a mailing by Ken Macdonald [http://www.reprieve.org.uk/kenmacdonaldqc], Chair, Reprieve [http://www.reprieve.org.uk]. Reprieve is an organisation that we support and with whom we agree that Habeas Corpus remains the foundation of modern liberties.) Whether they’re held without charge in

theology

The Veil & Islam

by Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Chief Justice, Baluchistan Hight Court, Pakistan A member of the provincial assembly of the NWFP has introduced a resolution requiring that wearing a veil should be made compulsory for every girl above 12 years of age (Dawn, May 2). Without citing any Quranic text in