Islam

This article was originally written around 2008 and published on Google Knol. It is republished here as a historical document and reflects the author’s ideas at the time of writing. This is part of the Project Policrateia series. Muslim Anarchism sounds to many like an illusion, as most Muslim nations are known for harsh governments and suppression. However, Islam has many anarchist tendencies incorporated. This article will study these anarchist components and offer an alternative for Islamic politics. ...

This article was originally written on 14 June 2007 and published on blog.luxzenburg.org. It is republished here as a historical document and reflects the author’s ideas at the time of writing. A debate is currently raging about the secular republic of Turkey. A new president is being chosen by parliament, in which the religious AK Party holds an absolute majority. In the first round, Gül, the AK Party’s candidate, won. But the constitutional court has declared the elections invalid. The military has already stated it will defend the secular republic by all available means — and last weekend hundreds of thousands of Turks protested against the election of a ‘religious’ president. His wife even wears a headscarf. ...

This article consists of two separate posts, originally published on 15 October 2005 and 14 March 2007 on blog.luxzenburg.org. They are republished here together as a historical document and reflect the author’s views at those moments. I. The Burqa Ban (October 2005) The Dutch parliament has voted in favour of banning the burqa in public spaces. As a Dutch person and as a Muslim, I find myself wondering what the advantages and democratic justification for this ban are. ...

This article was originally written in September 2003 and published on blog.luxzenburg.org in December 2004. It is republished here as a historical document and reflects the author’s experiences at the time of writing. My interest in Islam began after a trip to India, where I came into contact with an Indian Muslim who became a very close friend of mine. His mother is Dutch and his father is an Indian Muslim. We discussed faith, the values of a good life, and all manner of things related to spirituality on a regular basis. We also talked about our doubts, choices and feelings. All those conversations inspired me enormously. ...

This article was originally written on 15 October 2004 and published on blog.luxzenburg.org. It is republished here as a historical document and reflects the author’s ideas at the time of writing. I read a short note on Wikipedia about the region of ‘Asir in Saudi Arabia, which included the following passage: Saudi Arabia annexed ‘Asir, Najran and Jizan from Yemen in 1934, but the culture of the region has more in common with that of Yemen than with the rest of Saudi Arabia. This is most visible in clothing and architecture, which have been adapted to the sometimes heavy rainfall. Moreover, ‘Asir has been much less influenced by the oil boom than the rest of Saudi Arabia, and the modern urban development of cities like Riyadh is entirely absent here. Tribal laws and customs are still exceptionally strong among the population of this region. ...