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Although globalisation's influences on education have contributed to cultural evolution, economic development and social progress, they also have generated mixed reactions among Muslim populations. This article shows how globalisation has facilitated the infiltration of Western culture into Muslim societies through modern educational modes. Some conservative Muslim communities perceive this infiltration as a threat to Islamic values, creating a culture of fear. Combined with decades of colonisation, social injustice, and defeat, this fear has triggered a state of hatred and anger motivating the rise of extremism, terrorism, and retaliatory attacks on education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Man cannot depend solely on science and technology to solve environmental problems. In fact, scholars and environmentalists have observed that some of the causes of environmental deterioration are rooted in science and technology. It is clear that environmental problems need ethical solution. However, environmentally ethical behaviour (EEB) is often overlooked in the life of a Muslim. This behaviour is important, particularly, to ensure the future of civilization of the Islamic world and, generally, civilization as a whole. Given the fact that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are more sensitive to the transformation of public behaviour compared to other groups, this article discusses the perspectives of Malaysian NGOs on the transformation of Muslim EEB in Malaysia in three aspects: (a) The type of EEB practiced by Muslims in Malaysia; (b) The transformation process of EEB experienced by Muslims in Malaysia; and (c) Whether or not the transformation of EEB of Muslims in Malaysia is motivated by the values advocated by Islam. The research adopted a qualitative research method of data collection, i.e., focus group discussions (FGDs). FGD's results illustrated that: (a) Pre-cycling, reusing and recycling are the common types of EEB practiced by Muslims in Malaysia; (b) The transformation process of EEB experienced by Muslims in Malaysia is not accelerating at the speed that we hoped for; and (c) The transformation of EEB of Muslims in Malaysia is motivated more by economic and social factors as well as level of education and regulation enforcement compared to the values advocated by Islam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on ethnographic fieldwork in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, this article tracks the imbrication of ordinary and mystical desire in the life of a Muslim man who disavows pietistic forms of ethical striving. It examines the way tropes of desire from Sufi poetry affect everyday life and desire in ordinary relationships with friends and kin. Revising the notion of the "infinity of desire," which explains the traction of the paradigmatically mystical figures of lover and beloved in pious frameworks, the article argues that the finitude of desire in relation to intimate others in everyday life provides one context in which these figures, and Sufi poetry more generally, may become attractive to contemporary Muslims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In classical Islamic era, the discussion on the concept of fate (divine predestination) or qadar has created various debates with regard to its relationship to the problem of freedom (hurriya), choice (ikhtiyar) and free will (irada). The word qadar has been treated differently by various Islamic thinkers such as the jurists, the Sufis, the philosophers and the theologians (mutakkalimun) according to their respective concern. Classical discourse on qadar is found predominantly in debates between two main sects, the Murji'ites and the Jabarites who believe that God had predetermined the human life at one hand, and the others, the Muktazilites and the Qadarites who believe in human's free will. The modern discourse on qadar shifts to different tunes. It is believed that qadar was responsible for paralyzing the energies of the Muslims and was the chief cause of their moral degeneration. The doctrine of qadar causes the Muslims to regard all their actions and achievements as dependent on the will of God and, for the same reason, they were unable to safeguard their rights and protect their countries from tyranny - thus obstructing thei r overall progress. This paper attempts at discussing both the classical and modern Islamic conceptions of qadar and its dynamism as the source of strength for Muslims to think about the future in positive attitude - that it is the only space which they could actively participate and operate in order to choose their destiny, be it good or bad, whether on the earth as God's servants and vicegerents, as well as in the hereafter where they will taste the consequences of their actions. Understanding the true concept of qadar and also its dynamic association with the organic concept of time is about knowing the consequences of human actions and this is the very basic of futures thinking in Muslim mind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the significance attempt of al - Faruqi in making Islamic civilization a mandator y course in his Islamization of Knowledge project. In any attempt of Islamization of Knowledge, the students of Islamization should be comprehensively mastered Islamic Civilization. Al - Faruqi systematically developed four required components in civilizational study that were critical for Islamization project, i.e., to give the Muslim student knowledge of the first principles of Islam as essence of Islamic civilization in the first year ; the historical achievements of Islamic civilization in the second year; how Islamic civilization compares and contrasts with other civilizations in essence and manifestation, in the third year , and; how Islamic civilization is the only viable option in dealing with the fundamental problems of Muslims and non - Muslims in the contemporary world, in the fourth year. The significance ideal projected by this comprehensive stages as characterized by al - Faruqi were crucial for student to understand the secular worldview that bring the collapse of civilization in the past and not to re peat this catastrophic consequence in contemporary civilization of the Ummah. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The local controversy over Cordoba House or the “Ground Zero Mosque” peaked at a May 2010 Lower Manhattan Community Board meeting that was open to the public. Examining the tolerance rhetorics evoked both for and against Cordoba, this paper argues that both tolerance rhetorics function differently to re-center the white non-Muslim subject and to structure inclusion and belonging within the nation. Extending the literature of tolerance, which tends to focus on the discourse of normative subjects, I analyze the tolerance rhetorics of two Muslim-American rhetors whose testimonies reveal the tensions, contradictions, and complicities involved in claims of national belonging. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article focuses on gender performativity in Abdulrazak Gurnah's debut novelMemory of Departure(1987). Like all of Gurnah's oeuvre, this novel is underpinned by Muslim codes of conduct, which demands that the production of meaning be unraveled from this starting point. The ambiguity of social constructions of gender that sexualize relations of domination are highlighted in this novel, which renders Muslim men more visible as gendered subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prophet Muhammad was sent to establish a community based on moral principles, and in doing so, he set out to perfect people's ethics. During his leadership, he established a comprehensive system of laws in which the duties of each person was taken into consideration to form an independent and unified nation. He encouraged public participation and eradicated structures of idol worship in Mecca by replacing them with places of worship for Muslims. In part II, Prophet Muhammad's ethical management of the economy in the Islamic state was described. Part III studied his peace-making strategies, management of war, and dealing with opposition within and outside Medina, such as his judicial and political approaches, his emphasis on the use of consultation, and leniency and kindness towards war captives. This last part focuses on the Prophet's own ethical conduct as the perfect exemplar, and his efforts to eradicate differences based on tribe, gender, race, and social class to create a system grounded on principles in which all believers have equal rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on the traditional and religious attire of Muslim females in Western countries, Europe especially Great Britain, as a result of the anti Muslim sentiment after the 9/11 incident in the U.S. It discusses the psychology of population when it feels threatened. The Muslim community felt threatened after the 9/11 incident and they reacted by attaching themselves strongly to their religion. In most European countries, the ban on wearing the veil was implemented without consulting women, the prime stake holders of the ban, and was interpreted as saving Muslim women. It also mentions that the freedom of women to wear what they want is compromised with the implementation of the legislation.

The article presents a sermon on the text from the book of revelations. Topics include passages from the book of revelations, the threat of terrorism in the world especially from Islamic organisations threatening Christians and the story of the apostle John and the scroll that had information on how the world will end.

The day of aşure is the tenth day of Muharrem month (first month of muslim calendar). The day, which is believed to be one of the days of redemptive miracles, has been celebrated by muslims and Ottomans as a bairam. By celebrating this day every year, the Ottoman Palace set an example and pioneered its becoming an ongoing tradition. In this frame, every tenth day of month Muharrem, in state quarters, schools and in matbah-ı amire (palace kitchen) aşure had been cooked and served in İstanbul. It has also been noticed that besides the conventional aşure, different types of aşure as "strained aşure" and "Frenk barley aşure" was cooked in the matbah-ı amire. As a result of the analyses on the ingredients of the aşure that was cooked in the Ottoman palace and palace units in the19th Century, it has been observed that wheat and sugar were the main ingredients and that they constituted a considerable percentage in the aşure of the time. For example, in an aşure that was cooked in 1870, the percentage of the wheat was noticed to be 30,4% and sugar to be 41,9%. The type of wheat that was used specifically for aşure was "high quality" and it was usually supplied from Silivri Quay and its neighborhood. Moreover, the Agha of Istanbul (the chef) had been granted 30 çeki of wood (around 7500 kg. of wood) every year for aşure cooking festivities. Aşure had been served to public and the statesmen with a peculiar fashion. It was sent to the houses of the rulers and "ulema" in precious and elegant cups and jugs, and sometimes with a letter of politeness accompanying it. The sultan personally granted many gifts to the chef, other cooks and to those officers who delivered the aşure from the units of the state to be served in the palace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

أصول الإيمان لها أثر كبير في حياة المسلم، إذا خالطت بشاشته القلوب أينع وأثمر كشجرة أصلها ثابت وفرعها في السماء تؤتي أكلها كل حين بإذن ربهاوالعقيدة عامل محرك للإنسان، بغض النظر عن صوابها أو خطئها، وهذا ما يؤكد أن الإيمان مركوز في فطرة الإنسان.جاء الإسلام بأصول الإيمان وهي: الإيمان بالله، وملائكته، وكتبه، ورسله، واليوم الآخر، والقدر، خيرة، وشره.وهذه الأصول لها آثار سلوكية وإيمانية على حياة الأفراد والمجتمعات١- الإيمان بالله تعالى خالق الخلق، فهو سبحانه مستحق لجميع صفات الكمال ونعوت الجلال، والعالم الذي نعيشه اليوم أثر من آثار أسمائه وصفاته، كما أن أفعاله في الكون أثر من آثار صفاته، وهي: الحكمة، والقدرة، والجبروت، والعلم، إلى غير ذلك من صفات الكمال.٢- كما أن الإيمان بالملائكة: وهذا الركن يلقى بأثره على حياة المسلم من حيث العلم بعظمة الخالق الذي خلقهم من نور، كما خلق الجان من مارج من نار، وخلق الإنسان من طين.٣- الإيمان بالكتب: وهذا يورث العلم بعناية الله تعالى بخلقه من أولهم إلى آخرهم، حيث لم يتركهم هملاً.٤- الإيمان بالرسل عليهم السلام: وهذا يورث العلم برحمة الله تعالى، حيث لم يترك أمة من الأمم إلا وخلا فيها نذير، وحيث لا عذاب بلا رسالة {وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولاً} (سورة الإسراء الآية ١٥)٥- الإيمان باليوم الآخر: هذا له أثر عظيم على خلق المسلم، لأن من اعتقد بمجيء هذا اليوم لا بد أن يستعد له، ولا بد أن يحرص على أداء العبادة على أكمل وجه.٦- الإيمان بالقضاء ولقدر: وهذا الباب باب عظيم، يدخل فيه باب التوكل. وهو: الاعتماد على الله تعالى بعد بذل الأسباب المادية، ومن ثم الإقدام على عظائم الأمور، كما يدخل في هذا الباب: الرد على القدرية النافين للقدر، والداعيين الاستسلام والخمول والكسل، وترك السعي والكسب، وهذه شبهة قديمة حديثة في الوقت ذاته، وجاء في البحث: الرد على هذه الشبهة.ثم تأتي في ختام البحث خصائص الدعوة إلى الدعوة إلى الله ومميزات الشريعة المطهرة، وفيها: الربائية، وهي أنها منزلة من الله تعالى. والشمول: بمعنى أنها شملت الدين والدنيا، ولم تأخذ جانباً وتهمل آخر، ثم المرونة، وهي: مسايرتها للنوازل والتغير الزمان، وهذا يدخل تحت باب الاجتهاد ومما تميزت به ايضًا: التوازن بين مصالح الدنيا والآخرة.ويأتي مبحث التزكية وأهميتها في نهاية البحث، وهذه لا بد منها، ليحصل الكمال الإنساني، وليحصل الفلاح الأخروي، لقوله تعالى: {قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّهَا} (سورة الشمس الآية ٩ ) ولها آثار كثيرة على المسلم، لأنها سبب طهارة قلبه، كما أن القدورة الحسنة لها متعلق كبير في باب التزكية، فالصحابة رضي الله عنهم اقتدوا بالنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بأفعاله وأقواله، وأخلصوا في ذلك كله.وأدركوا - ايضًا- أهمية الإخلاص لله تعالى في أعمالهم كلها، فهي منازل السائرين لرب العالمين، وبالإخلاص لله تعالى يتحقق النصر للأمة، وتتحقق النجاة من العذاب يوم القيامة الوقاية من الضلال، والسمعة لطيبة، والذكر الجميل بين الناس، وطمأنينة القلب، وتفريج الكروب، كل ذلك من ثمرات الإخلاص لله تعالى. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the Al-Wala wal-Bara doctrine in Islam which jihadists use to justify terrorism. The doctrine requires Muslims to be loyal to Islam and sincerely love Allah, compassionate with Muslims, and ruthless to infidels or non-believers. Verses from Qur'an and quotations attributed to Prophet Muhammad are noted. Topics include the Muslim imperative of establishing an Islamic community or "umma" and imposing Shari'a law and the concept of "Tawhid" or the acknowledgement of God's oneness. The Islamic doctrine of al-Fitra which encompasses human nature and leads to the belief that all babies are born Muslim is also mentioned.

Through a corpus of notarial deeds issued by the maḥākim šar'iyyah of Algiers in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, we will tackle the relationship between emancipated slaves and legal authorities. In its daily life, the community of emancipated slaves resorted to the judicial body for many different reasons, first, for the issue of status. In order to become emancipated, the slave had to obtain a deed: a testament or a declaration that justifies his access to this new status. Second, for deeds of civil status, deeds of marriage and divorce, deeds recording property in case of acquisition or transmission, acknowledgements of debts and so forth. If for the majority of people resorting to the legal authorities for questions of civil status, identity, property and other issue is usual, it is different for the community of emancipated slaves as their relationship to the judicial body quite complex. We will use samples of the archives of the legal authorities of the period in order to dissect the daily life of this community, and analyze their complex and confused relationship to the judicial body by tackling the different facets that crystallize this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By the late 17th century Nazareth was no more than a sleepy little hamlet. Within the next five decades, it emerged as an important urban centre. This change was prompted by major economic and political processes that affected the whole of Palestine. In the following I will outline the three main factors that combined to put Nazareth on the map: Europe's growing interest in the region, and the weakness of the Ottoman Central government, with local chiefs taking advantage of both and acquiring near autonomous status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a pattern in the worldwide Muslim community, called the Ummah, that indicates drastically falling fertility levels corresponding with changes in traditional marriage patterns and living arrangements. Topics include the fall of total fertility rates (TFRS) in Muslim-majority countries over the last three decades of the 20th century, comparisons of these results to figures in traditionally developed regions such as the U.S., and the historical relationship between fertility decline and socioeconomic modernization.

Christianity and Danishness are mutually reinforcing phenomena in Denmark. Three factors applying specifically to Denmark explain this: first, the lack of national representative bodies of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark; second, the journal Tidehverv (“New Era”) has nurtured a conservative and nationalistic Christian ethics among parts of the Danish clergy; and third, Danish politicians' abuse of the links between Christianity and Danishness as a tool in their anti-immigration strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the reasons why Muslims live in peace both among themselves and in multicultural societies is the commands and prohibitions decreed by Islam which suit to human nature and Islamic ethics which are in universal character. Islam has brought ethical rules that cover every moment of human life from birth to death. Rather than discussing the ethical rules that has been brought by Islam we have discussed the theoretical background, fundamental principles and features that these rules are based within the framework of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. The sources of Islamic Ethics and fundamental principles such as accountability, bindingness and sanctions according to Islamic Ethics have been discussed comparatively with other ethical movements. Besides this we touched upon certain fundamental principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on fieldwork carried out on Islamic Relief's relief programme for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, this article contributes to the debate on whether Muslim aid agencies bring added value when working with Muslim beneficiaries in Muslim areas. The author explores the significance of religion in relations between actors in the aid process and argues that a common religion does not necessarily override political, social, and cultural divisions. The article questions whether it is useful to claim that Muslim solidarity exists in the aid process when in practice it is difficult to have any meaningful engagement with religion in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the ways by which Muslims approach the concept of business and finance according to the context of various Islamic principles including the avoidance of interest, money treated as potential capital, and sanctity of contracts. It states that the Islamic way of banking has started as a mean to promote trade and business activities during the Middle Ages. It notes that this style of banking is based on the key principles of basic common sense rules and is being governed by the basic tenets of the Islamic socio-economic system. It discusses several modes of financing such as Al-Bai Bithaman Ajil and Two-Tier Mudaraba. Moreover, a table is presented that lists the Sharia principles being practiced by various Islamic countries including Bangladesh, Bahrain, and Pakistan.

Al-Rihla is the scientific journey in Islam. It is a journey for exploration, for the discovery of the other peoples, and it is one of the major means for Muslims to be in contact with the others. Through these scientific journeys Muslims, since the Middle Ages up to recent times, were able to be in contact and know the others, the most diverse peoples, the geography, the different climates, agricultural and industrial productions, the legends, the history, etc. Al-Rihla has also tremendous cultural, religious, and personal repercussions in Islam, which are the major themes analyzed in this essay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the Islamic insurance related to religion, ethics and law. It is stated that the Islamic insurers provides financial assistance to members of Muslim communities in obedient to the commandments of Allah. It offers information concerning the Muslim lifestyle in conformity to the teaching of Islam which is to stay away from the accusations of uncertainty, gambling and usury.

Recently developed to serve the consumption needs of an emergent Islamic bourgeoisie, English-language Muslim lifestyle media depart from previous community media by including fashion as an integral part of the genre. Creating fashion editorial brings lifestyle publications up against internal debates about the representation of the female body and concepts of modesty. Central to this is the problem of what Muslim looks like, or what looks Muslim. The challenges faced by Muslim style intermediaries in staging a dressed body recognizable to readers as Muslim parallel those faced by the new queer lifestyle media established a decade previously. This paper draws on interviews with Muslim lifestyle journalists to explore how they negotiate internal community debates about female modesty while dealing externally with the mainstream fashion industry. These magazines strive to produce content that meets the needs of modesty and fashion in a context where Muslim women's dress is accorded hypervisibility by majoritarian cultures. The study raises questions about the relationship between marketability, fashion, and piety in the ongoing development of faith-based consumer cultures, evaluated in relation to critiques of neoliberalism's fostering of consumer subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines conversion narratives of some Sufi ascetics by looking closely at their life-stories as expounded in Sufi biographical traditions. How is the ascetic conversion told in the Sufi biographical sources? What kind of purpose do the ascetic conversion narratives serve? In what sense can we see the ascetic practices as an intentional language of protest and opposition? and against whom/what? These questions form the major concern of this article. Different narratives of ascetic conversion will be discussed with the intention of demonstrating the larger context of setting the boundaries of an Islamic piety within which the portrait of idealized pious Muslims is framed in the main traditions of Sufi hagiography. It is, therefore, hoped that this article will shed light on the transformation of individuals from ordinary people to idealized pious Muslims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the promising, new subject matter of Islamic branding, which is yet to receive the academic attention it deserves. It provides a better understanding of Islamic branding, through conceptualizing the terms relevant to the brand-Islamization efforts of non-Muslim brands, by identifying the necessary ‘branding to Muslims’ practices. It differentiates between Islamic products and Islamic brands, identifies and explains the various types of Islamic branding and links them to the Islamization of originally non-Muslim brands, that is, international brands, and it discusses various halal-related issues that an Islamizing firm needs to adhere to in order to improve its chances of success in the Islamic market. Existing information sources at both academic and business levels reveal that knowledge remains scarce in this field. Therefore, the identification and conceptualization of the various Islamic branding terms offers ample opportunities for researchers to investigate. Researchers investigating the concept and practice of Islamic branding currently are drawing the inaugural road map for future research, and thus determining its long-term direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this study is to test whether work ethic can be explained by religious orientation, which is defined as a generalized disposition to use particular means to attain particular ends in living (Pargament, 1992). The relation between religious orientation and work ethic is predicted to be established through locus of control, which is the tendency to attribute events in life either to external factors or to own actions. Understanding how attitudes toward religion and locus of control influence work ethic in a predominantly Muslim country, is of great importance in assessing the validity of concepts developed in the Western management circles. The analyses show that work ethic could be explained by two reliable dimensions namely; responsibility and equality. As predicted, selfcontrol and societal religiousness were able to explain work ethic. Also, self-control was found to mediate the relation between extrinsic religious orientation and both of the equality and responsibility dimensions of work ethic. Gender differences and cultural implications of the results are discussed and directions for future research are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an essay on the 2010 Muslim Miss USA beauty pageant and the cyber-discourse that resulted from the victory of Rima Fakih who represented the state of Michigan and is of Lebanese Shi'ite origin. The idea argued is that a sense of exhaustion exists among young Muslim Americans which is apparent in their blogs. Topics include criticism on Muslim websites of Fakih for her decision to enter the contest and the beauty pageant sponsored by businessman Donald Trump.

In this article the author discusses the spiritual aspects contained in the act of suicide bombing by adherents of Islam. Central to the examination is the widely held contention among Muslims that Islamic teachings hold that suicide bombers are martyrs and such are assured of a prominent place in the afterlife. The justification of suicide bombing found in the interpretation of the hadith, the sayings of Muhammad, is examined. Also discussed are female suicide bombers, the role of religion played in the holy war against Israel and the redemptive nature of suicide bombings.

A major academic survey of Muslims in Germany seeks to measure and describe their attitudes to integration, religion, democracy and violence in order to identify the 'problem group' of those who are at risk of radicalisation into Islamist extremism. Yet the design of the survey and its categories of interpretation tell us more about the assumptions of the researchers than about the cultural, religious or political life of Muslims in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: There are very few studies that have examined sexual intentions and behaviors of adolescents in Islamic countries. This study employs the Health Belief Model to assess the correlates of the intention to remain sexually inactive among male adolescents in the Republic of Iran. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed with a sample of 314 adolescents recruited from 3 high schools from Tehran, Iran. RESULTS: Fifty-seven percent of this sample planned to remain abstinent until marriage. Another 23% rejected the notion of remaining abstinent and 20% were uncertain. Multinomial logistic regression revealed that students whose mothers were employed and who received a higher daily allowance were more likely to report that they would not remain abstinent. No significant independent relationship between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related knowledge and an intention to remain abstinent was detected. However, consistent with previous studies conducted in Asia, Africa, and in Western countries, we documented that (1) perceived subjective norms, (2) self-efficacy, (3) and perceived susceptibility to contracting the HIV virus all are associated with the intention to remain sexually inactive among adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: It seems abstinence until marriage is more likely to be practiced in traditional families. However, Iranian society is changing rapidly and traditional family structures, values, and norms may not sufficiently protect adolescents from HIV infection. The data from this study support previous studies conducted in Western countries, which found that intervention programs that focus on knowledge alone are ineffective in their ability to alter adolescents’ intentions to postpone sexual activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the emergence of a 'demand for Islam' at the local level, particularly the demand for places of worship in French cities and neighbourhoods. Such demands contribute to the emergence and strengthening of issues related to a 'global Islam', such as for example, the interference of other states, the intrusion of foreign ideologies or capital, radicalism and terrorism. Whether real or imagined, these imported issues in turn influence the way in which the 'demand for Islam' is addressed at the local level. The paper also deals with the internal and external dynamics, related to the emergence and development of the demand for places of worship. Both these processes are examined within a particular Muslim community that claims a mosque, and in relation to other groups and local institutions. The demand for a mosque often satisfies the group's ritualistic need, and can also generate a feeling of membership and solidarity, which gradually comes to play a crucial role in the identity of these individuals, and for some it may even form the basis for thinking in terms of a globalised Muslim community. The analysis in this article is based on fieldwork in two French cities (Nantes and Mantes-la-Jolie) on the emergence of the demand for a place of worship and the organisation of local Islam in these cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes published narratives specifically the depictions of Muslim culture composed by the Royal Danish missionaries between 1706 and 1813 at Tarangambadi, India. It notes that South Indian Islam's characterization reflects the disputes within Protestant discourse prevalent in Europe during the 17th and 18th century. It explores the reasons behind the clashes between advocates of Lutheran, Pietism, Enlightenment orthodoxy and rationalism.

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Recently politicians in Australia have raised concerns that some Muslims are not adopting Australian values to a sufficient extent. In this paper I explore the notion of Australian values with respect to immigrant youth. By analysing interviews with 32 Muslim students who are 15-18 years of age and of diverse backgrounds in two state schools in Sydney, I focus on the extent to which these young people seem to be adopting Australian values. I discuss the factors that hinder the adoption of Australian values, and whether such hindrance can lead to a possible jihadi threat. This paper relies on oral testimonies and secondary sources, including international literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religion and conflict resolution in general, and Islam in particular, have become a main area of research since the September 11 attacks. This article argues that, to develop effective conflict resolution models and practices for sustainable peace in the Muslim world, it is not only necessary to understand how religious and cultural traditions can contribute to peace, but also to work together with and incorporate local peace-building actors, as their legitimacy and knowledge can contribute to the effectiveness of peace-building initiatives. Although there is a growing literature exploring Islamic principles of peace and conflict resolution, research analyzing how these principles are put to use by Muslim actors to resolve their conflicts is lagging behind. This gives the impression that there are no actors working toward peace in these communities. The authors argue to the contrary, which is based on an analysis of data collected from the Balkans and the Great Lakes region and includes a combination of interviews and surveys submitted by more than fifty Muslim peace actors that describe their efforts and perception of Islamic peace. This essay analyzes the unique characteristics of Muslim peace-building actors, who are doing critical work under extremely difficult conditions, and evaluates their strengths and weaknesses to inform the development of effective conflict resolution and peace-building models in these regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses politics and society in the Muslim world in the early 21st century. A poll of some 50 thousand Muslims, conducted by the Gallup organization over the course of several years, is discussed. The data indicate that a majority of Muslims are in favor of democracy, but not of secularism. Terrorism is said to be broadly unpopular among those polled, although many admit to feeling angered by the foreign policies of the United States. Among the small percentage of respondents who expressed a belief that the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 were justified, none cited the Koran in their responses. The question of which authorities are regarded as authentically representing the traditions of Islam is also discussed.

The universalist discourse of human rights cannot be defended without assuming a metaphysical position concerning the sanctity and inherent moral endowment of humankind. The canonical texts of Islam are accommodative of multiple interpretations. Traditionalist interpretations of the texts appear to stand in conflict with the universalist discourse of human rights principles, whereas the contextual readings of the Qur'an reveal a profoundly liberating ethos as regards universal human rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on aspects of Muslim morality. The article examines a group of Muslim converts in Missouri and the moral codes they have created through their religion. Ethnographic fieldwork and interviews are used to gather data. The author cites Muslim practices such as ritual prayer, fasting, and covering used by the Muslim group. Topics include the author's use of the theories of Bourdieu in the article, moral disposition or habitus, identity, rationalization, and how modern society affects religion.

This article explores competing discourses and understandings of proper Muslim practice as they are reflected in controversies among female supporters of Islamic moral renewal, and between them and Muslims who do not consider themselves part of the movement. Supporters of Islamic moral renewal highlight the primacy of deeds, such as proper behavior and correct ritual performance, as ways to validate their newly adopted religious identity. Their emphasis on proper action, and their dismissal of talking about religiosity, stand in tension with their own tendency to construct elaborate narratives about their decision to embrace what they consider a more authentic form of Islam. The importance they attribute to the embodied performance of virtue leaves many supporters of Islamic renewal in a double bind: despite their claim to unity, their conception of the relationship between individual ethics and the common good, combined with the tendency among supporters of Islamic moral renewal to set themselves apart from "other Muslims," reinforces trends of differentiation among Muslims who aspire to a new moral community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We utilize pooled data from Zogby International's 2002 Arab Values Survey (carried out in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and UAE) in order to test for “cultural,” “social” and/or international “political” influences on Arab Muslim attitudes toward “Western” countries (Canada, France, Germany, UK, and USA). We find little support for “cultural” hypotheses to the effect that hostility to the West is a mark-up on Muslim and/or Arab identity. We find only limited support for “social” hypotheses that suggest that hostility to the West is predicted by socioeconomic deprivation, youth, and/or being male. We find the strongest support for a lone “political” hypothesis: hostility toward specific Western countries is predicted by those countries' recent and visible international political actions in regard to salient international issues (e.g., Western foreign policies toward Palestine). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The involvement of Muslim physicians in the London and Glasgow airport terror conspiracy on June 29-30,2007, forced both non-Muslims and moderate Muslims to question how those trained to heal could embrace terrorism. The doctors involved in the attempt to detonate car bombs in London and blow up a passenger terminal at the Glasgow airport did not represent an isolated phenomenon. Many Muslim doctors have adopted the extremist doctrines espoused by the Muslim Brotherhood, Saudi Wahhabis, and Pakistani jihadists. Groups such as Al-Muhajiroun, a group banned but still active in Britain and famous for celebrating the 9-11 terror attacks, recruit medical students. Tablighi Jamaat,[1] an Islamist movement prominent in Great Britain among Muslims of South Asian origin, also welcomes Muslim medical students. Medical professionals represent an elite in Muslim societies. They have moral and social standing that can influence others to stray from the observance of traditional, mainstream, and spiritual Islam toward radical ideologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the intersection of Islam and counseling. It argues that interventions comparable to Western counseling methods are evident in Islam and can be located in three sources of Islamic doctrine and practice. These sources are Muslim Personal Law (MPL), which regulates Muslim family life; Islamic traditional healing based on a model of spirit (jinn) possession; and Sufism, the mystical tradition of Islam. These disciplines each provide a framework for counseling in Islam and knowledge of its basic tenets as well as limitations in its application and can be useful for counselors, especially in Western societies, to achieve the goals of counseling when working with Muslim clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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