Reform Islam
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Muslim month of pilgrimageHajj – a vision of interfaith solidarity
When Muslims turn to the Kaaba as a common centre point, they are reminded of their sacred bond with the entire human race and their special relationship with the other Abrahamic religions
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The Iranian theologian and feminist Sedigheh VasmaghiA revolution in Islamic law
With her work, Iranian feminist and legal scholar Sedigheh Vasmaghi is putting an end to male dominance in Islamic jurisprudence, striking at the very heart of the Islamic Republic.
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Reform IslamTranscending the secular-sacred divide
Sherman Jackson's "The Islamic Secular" makes a compelling case for an alternative understanding of 'secular', which is neither outside religion nor a rival to it
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Imams from Germany"The idea of a German Islam isn't all that strange"
Ender Çetin is one of the first imams to have been trained in Germany. Are these imams the bridge-builders Germany needs right now?
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Alcohol in Iran, Turkey and the USAAre 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
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Iran protestsWomen defying hijab laws forced into psychiatric treatment
Authorities in Iran are trying to enforce laws obligating women to cover their hair by sending them for psychological treatment.
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Islamic feminismEvolving gender rights
In her latest book – "Journeys Toward Gender Equality in Islam" – legal anthropologist and activist Ziba Mir-Hosseini talks to six leading Muslim reformists about gender, women's rights and the latter's evolution over time. Interview by Tugrul von Mende
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IndonesiaIndonesia’s Islamic peace diplomacy: Crafting a role model for moderate Islam
Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, is continuously increasing its Islamic diplomacy portfolio. A central element is the deployment of a moderate Islam discourse for global peace.
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Shia clerics in Iran"Save Islam" – or just the mullahs?
Are the Shia clergy disappearing as a pillar of Iranian society, degenerating into a mere power apparatus? Nationwide attacks, vilification and the murder, or attempted murder, of mullahs are becoming more frequent. Every turban wearer is seen as representing and symbolising the hated regime. By Ali Sadrzadeh
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Turkey-Syria earthquakePolarising religious narratives
Religious discussions on the causes and aftermath of the earthquake disaster in Turkey and Syria have dominated Arab discourse recently, revealing the urgent need to support marginalised, humanist religious voices and those placing the human above polarisation and the instrumentalisation of events. By Mustafa Karahamad
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The Prophet MuhammadOxford study sheds light on Muhammad's "underage" wife Aisha
New scholarship suggests the story of Islam's prophet marrying a minor is baseless propaganda fabricated for political and sectarian motives
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Islam’s conscientious thinkersPeople of reason vs. people of the hadith
Past attempts to reconcile logic and belief within Islam tend to be dismissed today – not because they lack merit, but because they were politically defeated, argues Mustafa Akyol