Being a Muslim is becoming an increasingly complex faith-based identity, that is greatly impacted by cultural, social, historical, and political dynamics in today’s world. People have started using hyphenated identities such as liberal-, conservative-, secular-, or progressive-Muslim to define themselves. Some argue that using such terminology makes the Muslim identity about the politics of liberalism,… Read more »
Identity & Diversity
The Bektashi Sufi Order in Albania by Dr. SeyedAmir Asghari
Sufism, the inner and spiritual dimension of Islam, boasts a history as old as Islam itself. The chronicles of Sufi orders often intertwine with myths, and the Bektashiyyah order is no exception. The significance, impact, and influence of the Bektashi order since the sixteenth century, especially in the Balkans, are undeniable. Among the communities in… Read more »
A space of solidarity: Muslim women’s contribution to creating a functional community by Niger Sultana
Women in major world religions like Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, and Buddhism do not hold official authority to lead religious practices in their places of worship. For this reason, the acknowledgement of their informal responsibilities and contributions to society has also been largely ignored. Even though women do not hold leadership positions in most faiths, their… Read more »
Pearl of the Indian Ocean – Sri Lanka by Hannah Niyaz
Sri Lanka is an island of diverse landscapes, ethnicities, and cultures. This enchanting country, often dubbed the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean,” boasts a rich history shaped by various ethnic groups, each contributing to the unique mosaic that defines Sri Lanka today. As you explore the histories of this island nation, you will encounter… Read more »
A Message for 2024, by Muslim Voices Public Scholarship Project
It was 15 years ago when we first submitted a grant proposal to the Social Science Research Council to implement Muslim Voices, a multi-media and public-facing academic initiative to dispel the harmful stereotypes in North America around Islam and Muslims by exploring the religion’s diversity across the world. Within three years we accomplished podcasts, videocasts,… Read more »
“Just One Night” A Critical Review II by Abigail Leonard
While the opposite can be argued, I feel that “Just One Night” addresses an otherness felt by some of the young Muslims in the West. It has an opening scene with two hijabi friends trying to fix their headscarves in a manner that makes them stand out less in the bathroom of a bar where… Read more »
“Just One Night” A Critical Review I by Rachel Tagoulla
In the mini movie “Just One Night”, two headscarf-wearing Muslim women go out to a bar to experience bar life for “just one night.” The protagonist’s friend claims she has never been to this bar before; however, the protagonist discovers her friend is a regular at the bar after seeing her picture on the wall…. Read more »
Kurds and Religion, Then and Now by Claire Jacobson
Depending on whom you ask, the meaning of “Kurdish religion” varies greatly. In Iran, Kurds constitute a religious as well as an ethnic minority, making up a large part of Iran’s Sunni Muslim population. In Türkiye, Kurds are mostly part of the Sunni majority, although there is a significant Kurdish Alevi minority as well. In… Read more »
Rapping in Germany When Your Roots are Turkish and Muslim – Aziza A.! and Matters of Representation…. by Derya Doğan
Imagine listening to hip-hop with lyrics in German but the melody starts and ends with a Turkish folk song, and there is the Islamic Sufi flute Ney playing in the middle… Or rapping in German as if speaking in Turkish…This is exactly what Aziza A. does! [1] Born and raised in Berlin to Turkish immigrants[2],… Read more »
Hijab in Sports: Bilqis Abdul Qaadir Visits IU with Messages of Empowerment and Spirituality for Muslim Women by Narmeen Ijaz
Hijab (Veil) is a term which has multiple images associated with it. For some it might bring to surface images of the ongoing protests in Iran by women to end the mandatory hijab, while for others, it might recall images of Muslim women in France fighting against the Hijab ban. Such duality of the meaning… Read more »