Month: November 2016

The practice of shunning and its consequences

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The practice of shunning and its consequences

By Dr Savin Bapir-Tardy   Humans are most commonly considered to be social beings by nature. This makes an individual’s social life critical in their mental well-being. In fact, an individual’s survival depends on having strong long-lasting relationships, based on mutual trust. Taking into account the importance of our social life, it would be obvious to state that when this is taken away, it can have harmful effects on an individuals’ mental wellbeing. This need is often used by communities, their leaders to be more specific, to ensure that everyone…

Interfaith Engagement Can Provide Much-Needed Space and Opportunity to Ask Difficult Questions

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Interfaith Engagement Can Provide Much-Needed Space and Opportunity to Ask Difficult Questions

By Sarah Ager When I was young I was horribly mutated in a madrassa experiment gone wrong. I became a Half-Muslim, Half-Atheist replicant. At least that’s one theory. The Internet has come up with many odd comments like this, which as well as being entertaining, highlight one of the challenges of interfaith engagement online – namely, being seen as not fully part of the group you claim to be from. The accusation that you are a disingenuous member of your religious or non-religious community if you engage in interfaith can…

Indian Muslim Women: The New Warriors in the Fight for Justice

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Indian Muslim Women: The New Warriors in the Fight for Justice

By Arshia Malik   It is a very crucial time for Indian Muslims, especially the women. The fight that they have entrenched themselves in for abolishing the triple talaq, the talaq halala and polygamy, all regressive practices in Islam with no Quranic sanction, just got bigger with the larger reform recommendation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC)  projected under the slogan One Nation, One Law taken up by political parties. The Women’s Movement of India spearheading this revolutionary change is doing all it can to end the choke hold of…

Unblemished Virginity

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Unblemished Virginity

By Serena   Virginity. What this word means to you is subjective: you might consider it no issue at all; you might be eager to lose it; or if you’re religious and traditionalist, you will wait until you’re married. Islam is famous for its promises of 72 virgins in heaven, for its strict religious rulings such as veiling, segregation, FGM and punishments of hellfire and lashes for a person if they have pre-marital sex. Virginity is neither precious or honourable. It is a social and religious construct. Virginity applies to…