Illume Magazine

First Pakistani Starship Captain in latest "Star Trek" film

Tue, 12 May 2009 23:21:29 PST

Thugs in The Masjid

Wed, 06 May 2009 22:24:37 PST

Hip-Hop was born out of the ashes of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements. The messages of Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali and other Muslim activists arose naturally into the lyrics of Hip-Hop from day one. Today, there are Muslim rappers in every major metropolitan city. Many are outspoken, but others are more quiet in their practice. For some reason, the Islamic faith has always appealed to the some of the streets coldest and boldest characters. Its no wonder then, that Freeway, Benie Siegel and The Jacka came to Islam. Each of them were buidling a legacy on the block before they began to praying to the East. Each of them, learned to humble themselves through prayer and studying the Qu'ran. In cities coast to coast, thugs in the masjid give thanks and praise, seeking better days. This interview was conducted several one ago. It was lost and recently found on an old audio file.

Mother of the Believers

Tue, 05 May 2009 04:35:08 PST

The premise of the new book Mother of the Believers by Kamran Pasha is a familiar one: the book is about one of the most beloved wives of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Aisha. There was a book last year that was released under much controversy, Jewel of Medina, which focused on Aisha's relationship with the Prophet (peace be upon him).

My Interview on KGO-TV (ABC Ch. 7) news

Sun, 12 April 2009 17:10:53 PST

I was recently interviewed by KGO-TV (ABC Ch. 7) news about U.S. Aid to Pakistan, the flogging of a young women in the SWAT valley and Illume magazine's coverage of Greg Mortenson's work of building schools in the mountain areas of Pakistan.

The Mini-Palestine In The Caucasus

Wed, 08 April 2009 12:20:05 PST

Two days ago was the first that I’d heard of a “mini-Palestinian situation” in the Caucasus as it relates to the challenges faced by the people of Azerbaijan.

Congo: The Forgotten Tragedy

Mon, 30 March 2009 12:55:39 PST

Bordering Sudan, whose leader was recently indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity relating to the crisis in Darfur, is a nation that perhaps has seen the greatest levels of violence and suffering in the past decade, yet has received the least amount of attention and concern from the international community.

The Happy Muslim Men And Women Who Confuse You

Tue, 24 March 2009 11:27:33 PST

There’s something wrong with the pictures coming out of Pakistan these days.

Ever since Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari reinstated the country’s chief justice, I’ve been trying to figure out what it was.

And then it hit me.

Happiness. Joy. Celebration.

Muslim westerners have built - and become - a bridge

Tue, 24 March 2009 10:24:46 PST

That fateful day in July of 2005 came scarcely a few days after I completed the initial draft of my book on Muslim Europeans. People from the community I had studied for years carried out that operation, which we now call “7/7”. As I look back on the last few years since then, I consider how Muslim westerners have contributed far beyond the security agenda – to the West, to their own communities there, but also to the Muslim world as a whole.

Film on American Muslim Plight Wins Grand Prize

Sun, 22 March 2009 07:32:44 PST

Last year, Link TV and One Nation joined together for the first time to announce the "One Nation, Many Voices" online film contest, a project which "aims to promote diversity, pluralism, and respect for religious freedom of all Americans by providing an online forum for real-life stories about American Muslims."

Where do Muslims stand on Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and the ICC?

Sat, 21 March 2009 13:23:23 PST