religion

Dawn Newspaper: Contextualizing the Dawn of Islam: Glowing Review of Cole’s Muhammad: Prophet of Peace Amid the Clash of Empires

Hachette Muhammad: Prophet of Peace Amid the Clash of Empires By Juan Cole Bold Type Books, US ISBN: 978-1568587837 336pp. By Taha Ali | – (Dawn) – Every once in a while, if we are lucky, we get a book which brings the early days of Islam alive for us in a way that is […]

Islam

Very Early Muslim Piety toward the Prophet Muhammad: Blessings and Intercession

Juan Cole

The great scholar Annemarie Schimmel quoted Arthur Jeffrey, the Australian scholar of Islam, to this effect: “Many years ago . . . the late Shaikh Mustafa al-Maraghi remarked on a visit to his friend, the Anglican bishop in Egypt, that the commonest cause of offence, generally unwitting offence, given by Christians to Muslims, arose from […]

Antisemitism

In US History, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism have Gone together as Hate Speech

The Conversation

By Peter Gottschalk | – Congresswoman Ilhan Omar tweeted recently that “Islamophobia and anti-Semitism are two sides of the same bigoted coin.” Her comments came in response to media reports that the suspect behind the shooting at a San Diego synagogue was also under investigation for burning a mosque. Hate crimes associated with both Islamophobia […]

Qur'an

Headcanon: Review of Juan Cole, “Muhammad: Prophet of Peace” at Northwest Progressive Institute

Juan Cole

David A. Johnson has written, for The Cascadia Advocate (a project of the Northwest Progressive Institute), a review of my new book on the Prophet Muhammad: Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires, published October 9, 2018 Available at Barnes and Noble And Nicola’s Books in Ann Arbor And Hachette And Amazon Here […]

Antisemitism

The Alarming Rise of Anti-Semitism in Europe

Human Rights Watch

By Eva Cossé, Researcher, Western Europe | – (Human Rights Watch) – European Governments and Public Should Stand Up Against Hate On May 24, a Jewish cemetery was vandalized in the city of Bordeaux, France. On May 26, Germany’s government anti-Semitism Commissioner warned Jewish men against wearing the kippah in public following a spike in […]

Qur'an

The Prophet’s Tribe: The First Mention of Quraysh in an Inscription from the Dawn of Islam

Juan Cole

The Qur’an, the Muslim scripture, speaks of the Quraysh as a tribe that engaged in travel and worshiped at a shrine. Qur’an 106, “Quraysh,” says, Because of his benevolence toward the Quraysh they were enabled to undertake the winter and summer caravans. So let them worship the lord of this shrine, who provided them with […]

Featured

Why Israeli Gov’t May Fall: Like US, Secularists and Fundamentalists are Polarized

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – We’ll know later today whether prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu will succeed in forming a government. If not, Israel will have snap elections in September. In parliamentary systems, coalitions are often made after the election. In the US, the two big parties have already made their coalitions before the election. The […]

Environmentalism

Young Muslims fashion a Green Ramadan: Faith, Fasting and Environmentalism

The Conversation

By William Barylo | – Muslims worldwide are about to enter the second half of Ramadan, a month widely known to the public as one for fasting. However, growing concerns around the environmental crisis and social struggles across the globe have lead Muslims to consider its deeper meaning. An environmental demonstration by the MADE charity. […]

Qur'an

Love, Peace, Forgiveness and Light dominate the Qur’an

Juan Cole

339 – Times words from the root for mercy and compassion (rhm) occur