Illume Magazine

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).

Watchmen

Sat, 14 March 2009 20:12:35 PST

This is no crowd-pleaser. And proudly so. Unabashedly, even.

Whatever enthusiasm the opening night audience may have had for director Zack Snyder’s mammoth epic Watchmen when the film began, it was barely palpable as the credits rolled. The throng quietly filed out of the screening room, attempting, no doubt, to puzzle together their own reactions. Certainly that was the case for me. I knew right away that I admired it. It was impossible not to. But I needed to sleep on it before I could figure out whether I liked it.

Al’ America: Travels Through America’s Arab and Islamic Roots

Sat, 07 Feb. 2009 20:32:51 PST

In Al’ America: Travels Through America’s Arab and Islamic Roots, journalist Jonathan Curiel explores the influence Arab and Islamic culture has had on the United States of America. Curiel provides Americans with an accessible book that forces one to look at America since its inception and recognize that we should not all fear Arabs and Muslims because in fact, many things can be traced back to these origins.

Big Love gets Big Props

Mon, 05 Jan. 2009 19:47:55 PST

HBO series Big Love gets big props

Boy in Striped Pajamas

Thu, 18 Dec. 2008 00:15:22 PST

I cried watching “Boy in Striped Pajamas,” a film directed by Mark Herman and written by John Boyne. But the uncomfortable truth is that most Muslims around the world, like myself, will witness something entirely different than mostwatching on the western side of the hemisphere. In fact, many of the director’s audience will construe what I saw as utterly blasphemous.

Pebbles and Boulders

Sun, 23 Nov. 2008 12:02:50 PST

A film review for Slingshot Hip-Hop with a quick glance at the large and small factors measuring the weight and influence of Hip-Hop in

Desperately Seeking Paradise

Thu, 20 Nov. 2008 02:09:13 PST

Ziauddin Sardar is a writer, broadcaster and cultural critic. He is considered a pioneering writer on Islamic science and the future of Islam.

A first glance at part of the book title Journeys of a Skeptical Muslim might give the impression that Sardar is someone who doubts the soundness or possibly the validity of the Islamic tradition—this is not the case. Desperately Seeking Paradise is the latest in a long line of over 40 books on various aspects of Islam and this is in some ways a semi-autobiographical account of Sardar’s journey within Islam—geographically, spiritually, philosophically.

Evolution Theory And Islam

Thu, 20 Nov. 2008 02:08:02 PST

People of no faith are either agnostic or atheist. Agnostics suggest that they don’t know (or don’t care) and atheists argue with firm conviction for their position of disbelief. A central plank of the atheist argument is the theory of evolution. It is commonly and mistakenly assumed to have disproved the existence of a Creator (an Observer subtitle asserted as such only recently). It did not of course. It merely provided an alternative (and highly improbable) explanation as to the origin of man. Providing an alternative explanation does not count as disproof.

W.

Thu, 20 Nov. 2008 02:05:07 PST

“Oliver Stone’s fascinating and entertaining portrait of W. depicts George W. Bush as the prodigal son whose desire for paternal validation breeds a paralyzing insecurity that simultaneously drives and suffocates his ambitions.

Stone and company at times veer dangerously close to parody in their depiction of the Magnificent 7 [Bush, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Rice, Rove, Powell and Tenent]: the camaraderie of Bush cronies responsible for the disastrous decision to attack Iraq.

The Muslim Next Door: The Qur'an, the Media, and that Veil Thing

Mon, 17 Nov. 2008 11:24:09 PST

What if you could sit down at a kitchen table with an American Muslim mom and ask her anything you wanted about her faith and religious practice?