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Articles on Islamic history

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An homage to Samuel Paty, a teacher murdered after showing caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed from the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, Oct. 18, 2020. Adnan Farzat/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Beheading in France could bolster president’s claim that Islam is in ‘crisis’ – but so is French secularism

Macron wants to ‘build an Islam in France that can be compatible with the Enlightenment.’ But that goal assumes France is compatible with Islam, says a Muslim scholar of religion and politics.
Political dignitaries attend the funeral for three of the six victims of the Quebec City mosque shooting in Montreal in February 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

A year later: The mosque massacre & rising Islamophobia

A year after the Quebec mosque shooting, it’s clear that little has changed for Muslims in Canada. They’re still almost unequivocally rejected.
A mosaic of King Roger II: we should celebrate his 12th-century example of inter-cultural collaboration. Matthias Süßen/Wikimedia commons

What can the medieval King Roger teach us about tolerance?

A new production of the opera King Roger will open this week. At a time when Europe was charged with fear of the ‘Muslim threat’, this 12th century king collaborated with an Islamic scholar on an extraordinary project.
Calls for Islamic reform overlook the political motivations of extremism, and attack fundamental religious practices. Elias Pirasteh

An Islamic reformation is not the solution to stop extremism

Calls for a reformed, modern Islam will not combat the political and social motivations that underly radical and extremist ideologies.
The moderate majority of Muslims need to claim Islam as a religion of peace to counter the loud voices of extremists. AAP/Nikki Short

Muslims need to counter violent jihadists’ claim to represent Islam

A struggle is underway for the heart and soul of Islam. Moderate Muslims need to engage in the contest to ensure their view of Islam is the one that prevails.
Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, as self-declared caliph, seeks to exploit the historical resonance of the caliphate for a brutal present-day cause. EPA/Furqan Media

Caliphate, a disputed concept, no longer has a hold over all Muslims

The Caliphate has inspired disputes among Muslims for centuries, but attempts at revival in modern times are unlikely to succeed. Most of the world’s Muslims would not accept its authority over them.

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