Critical Muslim – serie

How do we identify and judge beauty? Does it distract us from more pressing questions and issues? Is beauty the handmaiden of privilege? Or can it be found in everyday, ordinary things? Whatever happened to beauty in contemporary Islam? Do Muslims have a inkling of what beauty is and why is it significant? This issue of Critical Muslim looks at beauty from a number of perspectives -- from beauty in the Qur’an and the Beautiful Divine Names to racism and the beauty industry, politics of fashion, calligraphy, plastic surgery, female wrestling, Muslim beauty contests and the male and female gaze.

How do we communicate meaning in the age of fake news? What is the difference between narrative and information; between ideology and political narrative; between ‘narrative fiction’ and a story? Will the narration continue forever? What is history and what is propaganda? What shall we do tonight? What might we believe tomorrow? We look at the past, present and future of narratives and tell a few tall tales ourselves.

How is the future changing? Is there a single determinant future or a plethora of alternative futures? How do we actually study futures and can we trust anything anyone says about 'the future'? Are Muslim societies prepared for the coming tsunami of change? This issue of Critical Muslim takes a searching look at all things 'futures', from trends to scenarios, from Sofia the Robot to weaponised code, and from Afrofuturism to climate change. It explores what images and metaphors of the future say about the present. With contributions from a string of noted futurists including Sohail Inayatullah, Wendy Schultz, Christopher Jones, Jordi Serra and others. About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

How does one navigate the rich cultural and political geography of West Africa? Mapping the diverse manifestations of Islamic influence, this issue of Critical Muslim brings together the resplendent but manifold articulations of Muslim and African identity. From the forest Kingdom of precolonial Ashanti to the cultural theatres of free and independent Senegal, Islam astounds nobility and flirts with creativity. A human story of struggle, living, belonging, and daring unfolds. About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

As we teeter on the brink of climate collapse, this issue of Critical Muslim asks how we got here and whether environmental catastrophe can be averted. From the arid plains of Andalusia to landlocked Jordan, we see how communities are navigating extreme conditions and making the most of scarce resources. With the Muslim South disproportionately impacted by climate change, contributors will explore the consequences of water wars, worsening refugee crises and the innovation required to face a brave new world. Critical Muslim is a quarterly magazine of ideas and issues showcasing ground breaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world.

Music is haram, goes the old adage. This issue of Critical Muslim begs to differ, as Jeremy Henzell-Thomas urges the ummah to move forward from its anxieties that music is a licentious influence. Celebrating the rich tradition of musical arts throughout the Muslim world, we are invited to private audiences with performers from Bollywood to Central Asia and are offered an insight into the life of a Muslim punk in 1970s Britain. Putting the Muslim into classical music and the Islam into heavy metal, every genre is brought in from the theological cold.Critical Muslim is a quarterly magazine of ideas and issues showcasing ground breaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world.

The sacred and the revered, the divine and the musealised, relics have long been integral to Islamic practice. Wahhabisation has cast a modernist spectre over celebrated traditions such as the visiting of shrines and pilgrimages to the birthplaces of beloved religious figures, yet these rituals continue to thrive. In this issue of Critical Muslim, we look at footprints ascribed to the Prophet Muhammad, to Adam and to Jesus. We pay our respects to Sufi saints, who may or may not be Islamicised versions of the Buddha, and we ask whether tradition is nothing more than a relic of times gone by.About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

This issue of Critical Muslim explores the idea of a 'Muslim Atlantic' by looking at transatlantic connections between Muslim communities in the US and the UK. Based on and inspired by Paul Gilroy's work on the Black Atlantic, we hope to reframe his theory in terms of faith as well as race. Through essays and reportage, we will consider issues such as gender, race, leadership and popular culture, as we ask in what ways Muslim communities on both sides of the pond have shared experiences, and where their trajectories sharply contrast.About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

It’s not just intelligence that’s going artificial! Numerous elements of our everyday life reek of inauthenticity. Even the grass we walk on and the plants we decorate our homes with demonstrate how the artificial has permeated our lives in ways we do not often give a thought to. In this issue of Critical Muslim, we explore how the artificial controls our lives—from the cities we live in to the online lives in which we immerse ourselves at every free moment. Challenges will be explored: AI has irrevocably changed the way we work and increased the ease with which we spend money. Notions of desire and freedom dissolve or fall by the wayside. Fake news and the lies we continue to tell ourselves give the phoney impression that everything is situation normal—yet the truth is anything but. About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

What is the ultimate destination? Is it a place, a state of mind, or a vision of how we would like things to be? Slick airline adverts tell us it’s the journey, not the destination, that matters--but the selfie generation is all about capturing, filtering and digitally preserving the destination, in all its Instagrammable glory. How has ‘the destination’ evolved in our rapidly changing times? Whether it is a physical reality that we yearn for, a spiritual reckoning or an introspective quest to find one's self, this issue of Critical Muslim explores what it means to want to get there, and maybe even how our original goals--even the destination--may change, wherever or whenever they may be.About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

The coronavirus has upended the post-World War II narrative in global affairs, as the United States and the European Union struggle to contain what may well become the deadliest pandemic in a century. Countries with some of the world's most advanced biomedical research systems were slow to lock down, slow to set up testing and contact-tracing, slow to equip their health workers with personal protective equipment, and slow to mandate mask-wearing in their populations. This has been in contrast with other countries--especially in Asia--which are further on the road to eliminating the virus completely. In much of Africa, too, where HIV and Ebola have helped to prepare public health systems for epidemics, the policy response has been of a higher quality than that in much richer nations. In this issue of Critical Muslim, we explore the impact of the virus on the world, examining how different countries have responded to the pandemic; why the science and health policies of richer nations were found wanting; and the implications for a post-pandemic future. About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

Hassan Mahamdallie remembers the comedy and comedians of his youth, Hussein Abdulsater explores the Islamic approach to humour, Bruce B Lawrence is enthralled by Sufi satire, Gilbert Ramsey and Moutaz Alkheder dissect Jihadi jokes, Boyd Tonkin relishes the wordplay in Ahmad Faris al-Shidyaq's Leg Over Leg, Robert Irwin enjoys old Arab gags, Eric Wagner explores Muslim comedy in America, Leyla Jagiella dissects the old theory of biological and psychological humours, Scott Jordan is astonished that comedy and news have merged into a single entity, Hussein Kesvani half-regrets his viral tweet, Shazia Mirza has a good laugh, Mevlut Ceylan retells Nasreddin Hodja tales, Shanon Shah is impressed by Arab political humour, Samia Rahman takes a sip from the famous drink of Abu Nawas, Ziauddin Sardar defends the integrity of put-upon pigeons, and RachelDwyer hands out Bollywood Comedy Awards.Also in this issue: Deena Mohamed's superhero Qahera, Giles Goddard on Christian-Muslim relations, Hoda Yusuf watches the first feature film from Djibouti, and a short story by Medina Tenour Whiteman.About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

It is a tragedy that we only appreciate what has already been lost—this is where the concept of a ‘world order’ first arises in historical memory. The ordering of the world has been a notion observed by historians and thinkers throughout the ages and around the globe. Rises and falls have provided incentives for the categorisation of civilisations, and other forms of global ordering. The West’s control of history, its power over the present, and its attempts to colonise the future are coming to an end, and a new narrative is about to emerge. Amidst environmental apocalypse, the end of Western dominance and unbridled technological advancement, this issue of Critical Muslim analyses the terms of world order, exposing its problems and limitations, and asks what will define it next, as the world begs for something truly new.About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

As Critical Muslim celebrates ten years of insight and thought, the theme of biography fittingly challenges its readers: to reflect on our past, our memories and our stories, and to look ahead towards what we may leave behind for the stories yet to be told. Stories have always been an essential aspect of human society– from the cave paintings in Sulawesi, dating back over 43,000 years, and oral tales conveyed from bard to audience, to the written word, and now the projected image, on screens large and small. As memory and history become increasingly important for a deeper understanding of the present and our emerging futures, this issue explores how biography allows for something more personal–for the myths and fables of childhood to come to life–and offers snapshots of history to be opened up. We explore a rich historical tradition of biography in Islamic societies, and explore the ways biographies have influenced Muslim thought and culture. Through biography, we can learn much about ourselves, by stepping out of our own worlds and taking on the lives of others.

In our turbulent times, all varieties of bodies face serious dangers. Bodies of water are disappearing before our eyes; bodies politic risk suppression, lying on the razor's edge of the democratic struggle; human bodies fear annihilation at the hands of hate and xenophobic fascism. The biological body is no longer a husk for the intellect, but itself a vital piece of identity. The black body and female body, tethered to historical narratives, have become a cause worth fighting for in the BLM and #MeToo movements. More broadly, posthumanism and changing sexuality and identity politics are challenging our conceptions and limitations with regards to bodies. And the monolithic human body, once seen as divine perfection--a gift from above--is today quickly cast aside for the next, more advanced model. In this issue, we explore the bodily familiar, the celestial bodies, the invisible bodies of metaphors, and those under the microscope--all with the power to start and stop our fragile little world on a whim. As we walk into the future, this issue challenges readers to prepare for a new type of body, fit for a world beyond our present predicaments. About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centres on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

We are often led to believe that liberty is synonymous with freedom--but is that really so? And what does it entail? In this issue of Critical Muslim, we explore who defines the liberty we are told we enjoy, and how our worldviews impact the ways we assert our liberty. How can we achieve a balance between individual liberty and social responsibility? How do we establish the public good, and which groups among us are asked to curtail their liberty for collective benefit? Just what is the connection between freedom of speech, rights of minorities, and state security? Has the notion of liberty been rendered meaningless? If liberty involves freedom for all to do as they wish, what dangers does it raise for the society as a whole? Should faith communities expect to confine their liberty to the law of the land in which they reside, even if this is contrary to their religious values? Our writers explore these and other questions to understand how we construct our understanding around the idealised notion of liberty. About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centres on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

We pay a great deal of attention to pursuit of knowledge, but overlook its constant companion: ignorance. Where our world is inundated with information, from 24-hour news and social media and the internet of things, what we do not know can be just as important as what we do. Agnotology—the study of ignorance—is a rising field of inquiry, and set to become increasingly important as reforms to education and knowledge creation rattle the foundations of traditional disciplines. Ignorance has rapidly proliferated in the early twenty-first century. Since US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld penned his famous memo on known knowns, unknown knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns, it has become a key, yet unseen, factor in global decision-making—in politics, business, and various complex networks exemplified by Covid-19. In this issue, ignorance is given its long overdue analysis, and its role in our chaotic times examined.About 'Critical Muslim': A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centres on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

History is not just a subject taught in school. It is the lived reality of tradition that informs and, at times, colonises our present. So, any project that wishes to see us smoothly into the future must begin with a thorough analysis of the past. History is also not as simple as we once thought: the reality of inequalities and bias that plague the present condition also run backward into our past, white-washing and leaving out certain details, even telling blatant lies. Revisionism and postmodernism further complicate the matter. In this issue, the rich and contentious history of Islam will be critically analysed; along the way, insight will be provided into the larger human story. As various articles debunk old narratives and illuminate lost perspectives, the hope is that lessons from the past can be properly considered, so that the same blunders that have toppled civilisations are not doomed to repeat themselves.About 'Critical Muslim': A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centres on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

Is our existence in the world a set of separate moving parts to which we must continuously adapt? Or is life a series of transitions as we evolve our understanding of what goes on around and within ourselves in order to realise an authentic self? Transitions can be sought or imposed, external and internal; deemed either a threat to social cohesion or a sign of progress. All around us is continual change—in the climate, the seasons, our bodies as we age, and from era to era since time began. Are transitional phases important moments in themselves, merely marking the end of one set of conditions as another takes over? Much has been made of Islam and Muslims being in a state of transition, whether assessing Islam’s compatibility with modernity or with modernisation. This issue examines what it means to transition, what we can expect when we are in transition, and whether transitions are inevitable, for better or worse.

There is more to Scotland than the intensifying debate on independence. This is a rich land, with a rich culture and past that defy commonly held stereotypes of the Scottish people. But their nation also played a central role in the British Empire and has links to slavery. There are Muslims in far-flung places, and their influence on Scottish identity and culture is increasing.In this issue, we explore the history and diversity of Scotland, relate the chronicles of Scotland’s Muslims, get high on Scottish poetry, trace the influence of Scots on Muslim novelists, and unpack the politics of Scotland’s minority language–speakers.About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

As 2023 marks the 300th birthday of Adam Smith, ‘Father of Capitalism’, capital apparently makes the world go round—but, as this issue explores, it is not the only structure we can use to orchestrate interactions, transactions and the business of conducting our lives. As permacrisis engulfs the planet, capitalism seems unfit for purpose, moving between hero and villain in our increasingly complex world. This issue considers capital as acquisition, mentality, a place to live, and a severely unjust basis upon which we seem to exist. Can the system hold? What might lie beyond a capital state of mind?

Hannah Arendt spoke of the banality of evil--the normalisation of the unutterable, simply because that was how things were in any given place and time. Is evil really so disappointing? We expect evil to be dramatic, unfathomable and remarkable; the workings of a twisted genius, a fallen angel, Iblis. But what if the mediocre perpetuate it, the followers, the weak, the masses? What defines evil? What is the devil's greatest trick in our contemporary world? Some even claim evil no longer exists--if it ever did. The greying morality of postmodernism begs the question of whether one can even be good.

Saliha, translated, means 'virtuous'. A question becomes timeless not because it lacks an answer, but also because it requires revisiting as contexts change. So, in our ever- changing, post-normal world, the time is ripe to ask: What does it mean to be a good person or to bring out the good in others or society? Whereas 'virtues discourse' largely revolves around ethics dominated by Ancient Greek and modern or contemporary Western thought, this issue seeks a more critical analysis of Islamic and other non-Western virtues. We will explore other, less-often-heard, harder-to- name virtues, fit for the present era.

Muslims have a very special relationship with water. In the desert-dwelling populations where Islam was born, it was a coveted asset. The great Muslim cities were built around rivers. Water still accompanies each of the daily prayers, through the performance of wudu (ritual ablution); the Sharia provides rules for using and preserving it; and the Qur’an and hadith mention, numerous times, that water is essential for life. An ancient respect for this element, which covers 71 per cent of our planet’s surface, runs through Islamic teachings—but rivers are dying, ecosystems have been thrown into disarray, and pollution and plastics are making it undrinkable. While water is normally a metaphor for calm and purity, as climate change becomes climate catastrophe, we see some cities overstressed and running out of water, while others are sinking beneath the waves. This issue of Critical Muslim confronts the existential threats around water and seeks to restore the balance between the human and natural worlds.About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

Since its beginnings--born out of the Enlightenment--liberalism has risen to become the global standard; an almost utopian ideal, against which political and moral philosophies have been judged. Yet, one quarter of the way through the twenty-first century, we wonder if the liberal idea is all but dead. The freedoms imbued by civil and human rights, individualism and private property have built the modern world, but not without growing pains and vestigial aches. More than a simple philosophy, liberalism has informed economics, secularism, language and culture. As the global hegemon, it has at times been cast as an enemy of the 'other'; but, in fact, the liberalism that dominated in the West is not without its non-Western seeds and influences. This issue of Critical Muslim gives liberalism a long overdue analysis, evaluating how well it has fared up to the present, and considering how the future will continue to be shaped by its legacy.About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

Is journalism dead? This age-old question followed the emergence of the internet and 24-hour broadcast news, both threatening to change the game entirely. Yet nothing compares to the changes we have experienced since the mid- 2010s. Money is always a concern in terms of distribution, ratings and influence. Issues of bias and quality remain pressing, as we wonder, what is ‘good journalism’ in a post-truth world? Are facts really impossible to pin down while inundated with social media conspiracies, fake news, influencers and information overload? This issue of Critical Muslim asks what happened to the integrity of trusted newspapers and broadcasts; what billionaire owners of media outlets actually want; whether citizen journalism will come to the rescue, or whether social media will rule the world. Can there even be journalistic ethics to govern this new era? Or is the Fourth Estate no longer fit to print, broadcast, post, like, share or comment in our turbulent times?About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

Humanity shares an intimate history with fire. It appears in arts and language predating civilisation, often seen as its origin point. From Prometheus’s theft and Hawaii’s volcano goddess Pele to the smokeless flames that created djinns in pre-Islamic tales, where we see humanity, we see fire. It can be a source of creation and a source of destruction. Necessary, but uncontained—troublesome indeed. Revealer, for better or worse. Fire features in a variety of religious practices, often as a metaphor for divine intervention, especially in the Abrahamic religions. Today, however, fire seems to be the element of the age—from the scorching words and red-hot extreme opinions of our public debates, to the climate change–fuelled flames that now regularly engulf entire continents. We seem upon the precipice of ultimate irony: born by flame, to perish by flame. But must the tale of humanity and fire end in a terminal ash heap? This issue of Critical Muslim investigates.About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

Never has a cardinal direction taken on such an identity as ‘the West’. And we’re not just talking about the Wicked Witch of the West, harbinger of the direction the Western world was headed in! Where once the West allegedly led the family of nations, taking down the spectres of fascism, communism, tyranny and genocide, today it is a glutton, choking to death on the very evils it sought to defeat. As ‘the West’ leaves a vacuum, other ways of being are presented—especially from those championing the Global South, such as BRICS states. The West is no longer said to be the standard of governance, law, culture, economics, or thought. We have reached a breaking point, amid the continued absurdity of the US, the irrelevance of Europe, and Western acceptance of genocide and war run amok. This issue of Critical Muslim asks what’s gone wrong with the West, what lies beyond the West and, most importantly, what happens next.About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

The decades-long, worldwide project to reform higher education has failed to live up to either present challenges or projected future change. The university is now facing existential threats. Since the pandemic, the question of whether we need the university, as a physical entity, has been raised with increasing frequency. Advances in technology, including growing digitalisation and the spread of AI, have also increased the risk of the whole enterprise going down with the bricks-and-mortar buildings. Moreover, the race for financial survival and profit may have consigned the university as an institution of academic excellence to the dustbin of late-stage capitalism. Can it survive in its current form? What might replace the ossified teaching machine, unable to adapt to change? How might we find new democratised ways—freed from concerns about rankings and fiscal gains—to continue knowledge building and prepare new generations for the future? This issue of Critical Muslim examines these and other related issues.About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centres on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.