Lucknow-based Swami Lakshmi is not, as his last name might suggest, an orthodox Brahminical priest. He heads the ‘Hindu-Muslim Unity Front’, dedicated to promoting harmony between Muslims and Hindus. His way of promoting the cause is somewhat unique: exploring and highlighting what he regards as the

Egyptians are tired of the problems that have persisted for decades: the corruption and bribery that paralyse the nation’s law enforcement and legal system; the perpetual poverty that 20 per cent of the population suffers from; the nearly constant 10 per cent rate of unemployment; and a flawed educa

The recent controversy over the Freedom Flotilla heading to Gaza with humanitarian aid has sparked heated debates in every venue where people exchange their opinions, online and off.
However, it isn't only the violence that occurred on the flotilla that deserves our attention, but also the attitud

Blogs are becoming increasingly popular in Lebanon as they cover the political and social landscape, expressing society’s demands. As a result, blogs and online groups have become a true political tool in the hands of civil society to promote causes online.
Many web actors, mainly bloggers, are wor

When it comes to determining what is appropriate for a free press to report and publish, government regulation by any name is censorship. And censorship, especially in a democracy, is a slippery slope indeed. This would appear to be the path the Pakistani government is tracing with its efforts to ba

Greek word "phobos" which we get in English as "phobia" meaning Fear. The literal meaning of fear is to be afraid of or anxious about something. Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger. In Bible two types of threat is mentioned, fear of God and worldly fear, which includes fea

This Fourth of July, Americans gathered at barbeques, watched firework displays and remembered the men who assembled in Philadelphia to sign the Declaration of Independence in 1776. For many, the celebrations serve as a reminder of the value of freedom, of a country forged by the people in direct op

Until recently, Kyrgyzstan – a landlocked country in Central Asia with an 80 per cent Muslim population – was one of the safest countries in Central Asia. However, its neighbour Uzbekistan which has a 90 per cent Muslim population, has suffered from many problems, such as religious extremism. These

In recent weeks, Turkey has been internationally reappraised after a Turkish Gaza-bound aid ship raided by Israeli troops led to nine deaths, and a Turkish-Brazilian brokered deal foreshadowed a “no” vote on sanctions in the UN Security Council over Iran’s nuclear programme.
These events have inci

Much has been written in recent years, particularly by a new generation of Muslim women writers, about gender-justice from within an Islamic framework. This no longer remains a mere academic exercise, though. Across the world, and, now, in India, too, activist groups are seeking to spread this messa

It is striking how, despite India’s vast Muslim population, very few Indian Muslim women there are who have made a mark in the field of Islamic scholarship and social activism. Mumbai-based Uzma Naheed is one of these rare women. I had long wished to meet her, and it was by chance that I did so at a

At a 2008 conference for Britain’s National Union of Teachers, a resolution was passed declaring that state schools should have the flexibility and adaptability to accommodate the faith-based needs of parents and children. Unfortunately, such measures often cause reactionary backlash from fringe gro

The past 20 years have been witness to several positive developments amongst Morocco’s civil society, demonstrating that organisations in this sector can inform national policy in this ever-evolving country.
Morocco experienced dramatic changes in the 1990s when economic difficulties and social pre

A few weeks ago, the Wall Street Journal published an article with the catchy title “Intrigue in Turkey’s bloodless civil war”. It was referring to the ongoing “cold war” climate between Turkey’s Islamic-leaning ruling party – the Justice and Development Party (AKP) – and the country’s old laicist e

When I made the decision to move to Vienna, I was unprepared for the repercussions my attitude, behaviour and opinions would have in forming and influencing European perceptions of women from Saudi Arabia, a country that is at a crossroads between modernity, globalisation, liberation, empowerment, h