Abu Muhammed

Packed Malls and Road Rage: Hajj Break in Kingdom

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

 The View From Fez

Scams and Expense Hitting Mecca Pilgrims in Morocco

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

 Abu Muhammed

The Good, Bad and Interesting of Life in Jeddah

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.

 Abu Muhammed

Definitions: What Exactly Is Islam and What Is It Not?

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.

 Abu Muhammed

‘Erasing Idolatry’ or ‘Making Way for Five Star Hotels’?

‘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?

 Abu Muhammed

My First Hajj: It’s ‘Your Whole Life In Microcosm’

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.

 Abu Muhammed

Arabs Have Potential to be ‘Best or Worst’ Muslims

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.

 Susie of Arabia

Jeddah: The Sculptural Capital of the Arab World

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.

 Tabsir

‘Occupy Mecca’: Time is Running Out To Save 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.

 Shelina Zahra Janmohamed

The Purpose and Pleasure of Difference

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.

 The View From Fez

Fasting: The Challenges Facing Muslims This Ramadan

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

 David Roberts

The Dynamics, and Players in Saudi Succession

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…

 Abu Muhammed

Not For the Squeamish: The Power of Bawl

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.

 Juan Cole

‘Give Muslims A Hiroshima’: Pentagon’s Curious Class

‘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

 Crossroads Arabia

‘Suspect’ Shisha Banished from Mecca

‘Suspect’ Shisha Banished from Mecca

CROSSROADS ARABIA: Mecca has become a smokeless environment, with Shisha, religiously suspect, being banished to the city’s limits.

 Mich Cafe

“No Women Allowed”: Saudi’s Unsporting Message

“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.

 Abu Muhammed

Challenging Thinking: What is the Kaba?

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?”

 Shelina Zahra Janmohamed

Thoughts of a Pilgrim: Always a Second Chance

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.

 Shelina Zahra Janmohamed

Hajj Exhibition: ‘Standing in Another’s Shoes’

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.

 Tabsir

The Problem I Have With the Term ‘Islamism’

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.