Islam in the U.S.

Islam's holy month

Why more non-Muslims are taking part in Ramadan

Ramadan's observance is widespread in the Middle East, often involving non-Muslims in the region's celebrations. In Christian-majority countries, participation has been less common, but this trend is starting to shift
Alcohol in Iran, Turkey and the USA

Are all taboos justified?

Iran's ban on alcohol has led to a rise in methanol poisonings, revealing the deadly side of prohibition. The situation mirrors past failures in the U.S. and contrasts with more lenient policies in countries like Turkey. By Niloofar Gholami
Laury Silvers' "Sufi Mysteries Quartet"

Sleuths on a Sufi path

Rarely has the world of crime-writing taken such an interesting turn. Richard Marcus spoke to American Muslim historian and novelist Laury Silvers about her four detective novels set in Baghdad under the Abbasid caliphate and the advantages of self-publishing
Fatima & Zawahry's "American*ish"

Not quite the American dream

"American*ish" – co-written by Aizzah Fatima and Iman K. Zawahry, and directed by the latter – is a rom com for an America too many don't want to acknowledge. Whereas most mainstream American TV and films present the Muslim immigrant community as a monolithic group with a kind of hive mind, this film goes out of its way to break the mould. By Richard Marcus
9/11 twenty years on

Muslims in the West – the cultural go-betweens

Twenty years after 9/11, the world is faced with the dual challenge of Islamophobia and anti-Westernism. Ahmet Kuru argues that Muslims in the West, well versed in both Western and Muslim cultures, are key to resolving the mutual antipathy felt by many
BBC Radio 4

Covering Edward Said – 40 years of Islam, media and the West

Author and columnist Nesrine Malik explores the legacy of Edward Said's "Covering Islam", published forty years ago – and his views on the relationship between Islam and the media.
Book review: Michael Muhammad Knight's "Muhammad's Body"

The Prophet, a figure central to Islam's inherent complexities

In his latest book, "Muhammad's Body: Baraka Networks and the Prophetic Assemblage", Michael Muhammad Knight delves deeply into the idea and belief that Muhammad's body has blessed people both during his lifetime and after his death. By Richard Marcus
Book review: Jacob S. Dormanʹs ʺThe Princess and the Prophetʺ

Birthing America's Nation of Islam

In the ʺPrincess and the Prophetʺ, Jacob S. Dorman traces the winding path and idiosyncratic heritage of Noble Drew Ali, founder of The Moorish Science Temple of America, and America's fascination with all things Oriental at the turn of the 20th century. By Richard Marcus
An enduring stereotype

The West's gleeful obsession with the 'oppressed Arab woman'

The stereotype of the oppressed Arab woman continues to dominate public discourse throughout Europe. Not only is this skewed image altering the perception of changing notions of family and roles within the Arab world, it is also an expression of our own cultural insecurity, writes Claudia Mende
Michael Muhammad Knight's "Muhammad: Forty Introductions"

An arba'in for non-Muslims

In his latest work, Michael Muhammad Knight – the enfant terrible of American Muslim writers – has sifted through the thousands upon thousands of Islamic hadiths to find 40 he feels best serve as an introduction to the Prophet Muhammad. Richard Marcus read the book
Book review: Samira Ahmedʹs "Love, hate and other filters"

A sense of not belonging

Samira Ahmedʹs novel "Love, hate and other filters" brings the reality of being the child of South East Asian immigrants in America to life in the guise of a young adult coming-of-age type story. Richard Marcus read the book
Interview with Pakistani American actress Aizzah Fatima

"Human, flawed and funny"

Actor and writer Aizzah Fatima made waves in 2014 with her provocative play "Dirty Paki Lingerie" which explored what it meant to be a Muslim in the post 9/11 world. Fatima spoke to Roma Rajpal Weiss on her upcoming work – "The Art of Hijab, Kohl Black and The Right Way To Pray", a play that engages with the stigmatisation of hijab-wearing Muslim women in the Western world