Packed Malls and Road Rage: Hajj Break in Kingdom

ABU MOHAMMED: Many of us on the Hajj break are slaves to our cars, busy transporting our loved ones from beach to mall to play center
Scams and Expense Hitting Mecca Pilgrims in Morocco

THE VIEW FROM FEZ: There has been a marked increase in the number of scams as well as increased cost, two factors hitting religious pilgrims in Morocco
The Good, Bad and Interesting of Life in Jeddah

ABU MOHAMMED: Life’s more expensive than the capital, Riyadh, but Jeddah provdes a haven of outdoor art and it’s close to the sacred sites.
Definitions: What Exactly Is Islam and What Is It Not?

ABU MOHAMMED: There is a great deal of misunderstanding concerning the nature and practice of Islam. Here are some key points.
‘Erasing Idolatry’ or ‘Making Way for Five Star Hotels’?

ABU MOHAMMED: The destruction of several historic buildings in and around Mecca is being justified in religious terms. But what will replace them?
My First Hajj: It’s ‘Your Whole Life In Microcosm’

ABU MOHAMMED: There will always be some little detail from your first Hajj that will stay with you as the years roll by.
Arabs Have Potential to be ‘Best or Worst’ Muslims

ABU MOHAMMED: For me the opportunity to be close to the ‘Kaba’ is a huge privilege, for many of my Saudi acquaintances it’s taken for granted.
Jeddah: The Sculptural Capital of the Arab World

SUSIE OF ARABIA: It’s a little known fact but the original work of some of the world’s most famous sculptors is scattered throughout the Saudi port city.
‘Occupy Mecca’: Time is Running Out To Save City

OMID SAFI, TABSIR: It’s not the Americans or Israelis who are wreaking destruction on Mecca a radical solution is required.
The Purpose and Pleasure of Difference

SHELINA ZAHRA JANMOHAMMED:In both the Olympics and pilgrimage, people are put into close proximity with each other, forced to look past difference towards their common goals.
Fasting: The Challenges Facing Muslims This Ramadan

THE VIEW FROM FEZ: Whether it’s the longer daylight hours or because you’re an Olympic athlete there are particular challenges for Muslims this Ramadan
The Dynamics, and Players in Saudi Succession

DAVID ROBERTS: A key part of Saudi succession lies in the different power blocks of family lineage, but influence also comes with ability…
Not For the Squeamish: The Power of Bawl

ABU MOHAMMED: Older Saudis know it as an elixir of good health. Their modern counterparts take a bit of persuading, however.
‘Give Muslims A Hiroshima’: Pentagon’s Curious Class

JUAN COLE: The Pentagon has launched an investigation into a class on Islam which characterises all Muslims as radical, violent extremists
‘Suspect’ Shisha Banished from Mecca

CROSSROADS ARABIA: Mecca has become a smokeless environment, with Shisha, religiously suspect, being banished to the city’s limits.
“No Women Allowed”: Saudi’s Unsporting Message

MICH CAFE: Human Rights Watch have just published a report that highlights the deep discrimination against women in Saudi Arabia.
Challenging Thinking: What is the Kaba?

ABU MUHAMED: I ask one question; having little to do with their world view they seem so dead set on believing. The question I ask is: “What is the Kaba?”
Thoughts of a Pilgrim: Always a Second Chance

SHELINA ZAHRA JANMOHAMED: We don’t have to wait for a life-changing event to give ourselves a second chance.
Hajj Exhibition: ‘Standing in Another’s Shoes’

SHELINA ZAHRA JANMOHAMED: A major exhibition in the British Museum is attempting to recreate the experience of Hajj.
The Problem I Have With the Term ‘Islamism’

DANIEL M. VARISCO: The right-wing media in the United States, in particular, has worked itself into a frenzy about the term ‘Islamism’. They need to chill and think straight.