The Erasure of Islam from the Poetry of Rumi
The New YorkerJalaluddin Rumi, the thirteenth-century Persian poet, is often described as the “best-selling poet in the United States,” but is rarely described Muslim. The New Yorker examines why this aspect of Rumi’s identity is often left out.
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What ISIS Really Is
New RepublicOmer Aziz discusses Graeme Wood’s new book, “The Way of the Strangers” and asks how debates over “what Islam is” are central to concerns whether about whether “ISIS is Islamic or not.”
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My Muslim Sons Will Never Learn to Hate People
TIMEOmar Saif Ghobash, the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Russia, writes an open letter to his son in a book titled Letters to a Young Muslim.
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Muslim woman who voted for Trump asks Georgetown to intervene over professor’s ‘hateful, vulgar’ messages
The Washington PostAsra Q. Nomani, a former Georgetown professor and former Wall Street Journal reporter, requested help from Georgetown after being harassed online in response to her Washington Post article titled, “I’m a Muslim, a woman and an immigrant. I voted for Trump.”
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Politically Speaking, Who Am I, And What Do I Want As An American Muslim?
American Learning Institute for MuslimsSherman Jackson, professor at the University of Southern California, pens a confessional piece concerning the intersection of his Black American & Muslim political identity vis-a-vis the American constitution.
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Faith on the Hill
PEW Research CenterAccording to a PEW Research poll, the 115th Congress is around 91% Christian, which is nearly the same as the 87th Congress which was around 95% Christian. This poll found that “some religious groups, including Protestants, Catholics and Jews, have greater representation in Congress than in the general population.”
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How the USSR’s effort to destroy Islam created a generation of radicals
The Washington PostMany Central Asian countries were predominantly Muslim, but the USSR’s official stance on religion was atheism, which pushed many Muslims to radicalization.
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Political Islamists brace for Trump era
Al MonitorMuslims who are politically minded have been greatly affected by the election of Trump. Many fear the start of “a witch hunt that threatens to undo the few gains they were able to secure post-Arab Spring.”
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Walking Dully Along: A Dispatch From Istanbul
New RepublicTurkish novelist, Kaya Genç, writes about the persistence of the mundane and the continuation of everyday life in the aftermath of recent attacks in Turkey.
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It’s harder than ever to teach Islamic art — but never more important
The Washington PostYale professor, Kishwar Rizvi, discusses the academic and moral difficulties of teaching about Islamic art in the aftermath of war and destruction of places like Damascus and Baghdad.
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The U.S. Army Just Made It Easier for Religious Troops to Wear Beards, Turbans and Hijabs
TIMENew revisions to the uniform regulations allows brigade-level commanders to approve religious accommodations, which will make it easier for troop members to wear beards, turbans, or hijabs.
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Why are Yazidis being uprooted again?
Al MointorThe Yazidi refugees who fled ISIS in Iraq are now being forced to vacate their camp in Turkey with no clear reason. Journalists are not allowed in the camp to speak with the refugees and AFAD officials refuse to speak to journalists to explain why this is happening.
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Maydan editors selected some of the most thought-provoking news items on issues around Islam, religion and public-life for you. Let us know what you have been reading. Drop us a line at mediaroundups@themaydan.com!