Islam

Many thanks to Simon Mabon, Professor of International Politics at Lancaster University and prominent Middle East specialist, for hosting me on his Sepad Podcast to speak about my new edited book, Peace Movements in Islam This book results from two conferences held at the International Institute of the University of Michigan to explore the theme […]

art and photography

The Nativity, Jesus and Mary in Paintings of the Muslim Mughal Court of India

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Here’s a Christmas entry. The Mughal dynasty, originating in what is now Uzbekistan, ruled India from 1526 until the 18th century, though the dynasty continued under British rule until 1857. Some of the members of the royal family were remarkably open-minded about religion, being a Muslim minority in a sea […]

Books

You heard that Right – “Peace Movements in Islam” – Juan’s new Book Challenges Stereotypes

Juan Cole

Today is a special day for me. In 2015, at the height of the ISIL cult’s influence in Iraq and Syria and during a time of extreme bigotry toward Muslims in the United States, I conceived a project on “Islamic Peace Studies.” The point was not to deny the violence of cult-like movements such as […]

Islam

The Qur’an and Plato’s Republic: Hellenism and Early Islam (Juan Cole Video Interview)

Juan Cole

Interview by Ziryab Jamal of Juan Cole | – “THE QUR’ĀN’S CHAPTER “The Cow” contains a verse (2:138) having to do with believers being dyed with the dye of God, which has occasioned speculation both among Muslim exegetes and academic scholars. I translate it this way: “The dye of God! Who is better than God […]

Islam

On Writing the Biography of the Prophet Muhammad: Juan Cole Video

Juan Cole

I was honored to be asked to address a seminar of the AIME organization on the biography of the Prophet Muhammad on November 6, 2021. It was a wonderful audience and they were very kind to listen to me talking about how academics approach he sources for the Prophet’s life. Here is the video: “Mercy […]

Islam

Muslim Generosity and the Obligation of Zakat

The Conversation

By Iqbal Akhtar | – Muslims see wealth as a gift and a divine dispensation. The Quran urges individuals to share their wealth and income with those of lesser means. Almsgiving is one of the five pillars of Islam – a fundamental practice within the faith. One key way this happens is through Zakat, the […]

Donald Trump

In Irrational COVID Policy, is there any Difference between Republicans and Iran’s Ayatollahs?

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – David Axe at the Daily Beast reports on what he says is very bad news for the US red states whose Republican governors are depending on herd immunity to get us past the COVID-19 pandemic. Some Iranian provinces have, since its beginning, reported more cases of the coronavirus than they […]

Islam

Juan Cole’s “Muhammad” is one of Best Five Books on the Prophet Muhammad (Muqtedar Khan Youtube)

Juan Cole

Muqtedar Khan is Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Delaware. His doctoral dissertation at Georgetown University was on Islamic political thought. He edited Debating Moderate Islam: The Geopolitics of Islam and the West (University of Utah Press, 2007) and authored Jihad for Jerusalem: Identity and Strategy in International Relations (Praeger […]

Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Taliban Forcibly Evict Minority Shia — Hazaras Targets of Collective Punishment

Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch – (New York) – Taliban officials in several provinces across Afghanistan have forcibly displaced residents partly to distribute land to their own supporters, Human Rights Watch said today. Many of these evictions have targeted Hazara Shia communities, as well as people associated with the former government, as a form of collective punishment. […]