VIDEOS
ARTICLES
Racism’s Suffocation of the Human Spirit
I can’t breathe. George Floyd’s last words, conveying, verbatim, Eric Garner’s last words, with echoes through a long chain of souls – Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown, Walter Scott, Freddie Grey, Jamar Clark, Alton Sterling, Stephon Clark and Botham Jean – is a testamentary call that should pierce every Muslim’s mind and heart.
An Answer to ‘Should Muslims Support Black Lives Matter?’
Protests have swept across the streets of America regarding the need for new policing measures after the brutal murder of George Floyd by officers of the Minneapolis Police Department. Indeed, the cries of Americans of varying racial and ethnic backgrounds reside in the reality that Floyd is but one of countless Black people who have been killed while unarmed by law enforcement.
Between the Coronavirus & Ramadan: On Vigilance & Building a Better Now
I pray that, as we continue to lovingly welcome and vigilantly discover the blessings inherent in Ramadan upon us, we awaken to all the moments and especially the moment that Allah has chosen to place us. A quotation from Charles Dickens, the opening to one of his novels, is worth reflecting on: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
PODCASTS
Ep. 66: Best Practices: Addressing Masjid Dysfunction - Yasir Fahmy
It's no secret that many Muslim institutions, while founded with good intentions, have become bastions for ego and politics, and beset by dysfunction. Should our mosques be run like businesses to fix the current malaise? Shaykh Yasir Fahmy returns to the podcast to lay down the foundational principles needed to establish a model for ethical governance in our organizations.
Ep. 65: Not Feeling It - Mohamed Ghilan
How we feel often dictates what we do. What then, when we don't "feel" the spiritual elation we expect or crave in acts of worship? Should we leave it if we don't feel it? Dr. Mohamed Ghilan returns to the podcast to discuss finding connection in a modern world that breeds disconnection and distraction.
Ep. 63: Sinan and the Soul of Aesthetics - Ozayr Saloojee
What role do aesthetics play in spiritual spaces? Ozayr Saloojee, Professor at Carleton University in the Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism, discusses the mastery of the Ottoman architect Sinan and what we can learn from history as Muslims attempt to cultivate their own modern style today.
Ep. 62: Divided States: Muslims Post Trump - Salman Younas & Hassan Shibly
What's next for Muslims after the 2020 presidential elections? Impacted by the polarized political climate, divisions within the Muslim community itself deepen, with some moving further left and others further right. Where do Muslims fit in the liberal setting of a Biden presidency?
Ep. 61: Conversations on Shariah: Part 2 - Hassan Lachheb
Our conversations on Shariah continue as Shaykh Hassan Lachheb discusses the challenges for Muslims today in articulating the Shariah beyond a stale regurgitation of the classical tradition. How can the tradition be critiqued to take it to the next level consistent with the ideals of the Qur'an and Sunnah and coherent for the modern age?
