Islam | Islam
Sep.04.2009
Palestinians and Israelis take an eternal debate into the classroom, leaving the UN stuck in the middle. By Matt Beynon Rees - GlobalPost
JERUSALEM — In the Book of Lamentations, the people of Jerusalem cry out against the destruction of the city: “Is any suffering like my suffering?”
The answer,...
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Aug.23.2009
Why are Indians saying 'Ramadan'? It was always Ramzan for me. I don’t follow any Muslim rules this month, so why do I mind at all by what name it is called? Because it infringes on a cultural attuning. It is an Arabic word.
I do not fast. It isn’t for 'unreligious' reasons. It is a personal choice...
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Aug.22.2009
Just want to say a quick but heartfelt, "Ramadan kareem!" to my Muslim readers. For those who may not be familiar with this pillar of Islam, my blog of last year offers a brief explanation.
It's the first day of Ramadan in Jordan and, since the holy month commences in accordance with...
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Aug.13.2009
Here's my latest post on the International Crime Authors Reality Check blog:
In the West, our names tend to be pretty nailed down and unvaried. Unless you’re the child of some Hollywood goof who named you Moon Unit or Pilot Inspektor, you’re likely to share your name with many other people. Take me...
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Aug.04.2009
Dear Reader,
"But what he, the writer, is asking, is impossible. Why should... there be anyone else who comprehends what he is trying to do?"
This quote comes from Doris Lessing's 1971 introduction to her magnificent novel, "The Golden Notebook," which I am currently reading.
It...
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Jul.18.2009
I've always suspected that the religions of the world all boil down to the basic premise of the Golden Rule. Now I finally have proof. Well, not proof exactly, but the authors of Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar...Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes had the discipline that I lacked to find...
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Jul.07.2009
Dear Reader,
Something new happens almost every day regarding my debut novel, "The Jewel of Medina," and its forthcoming sequel, "The Sword of Medina."
Today, news outlets around the world are carrying the story that the three men convicted of setting fire to the home office of...
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Jul.06.2009
Some British Islamic cleric Anjem Choudary called Carla Bruni a prostitute. Why? Because he wants to hit back at French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s attempts to ban the burqa. He said:
“Sarkozy may be content with being wed to a prostitute who flaunts her body to the world believing it to be...
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Jun.28.2009
This weekend I was the guest of Munther Fahmi, who runs the excellent bookshop at the American Colony Hotel in East Jerusalem, for a reading from my newest Palestinian crime novel THE SAMARITAN'S SECRET. Munther and I have been scheming for some time to organize an event, so it was great to finally...
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Jun.14.2009
The magazine of Harvard's Nieman Fellowship asked me to write an essay about Jeffrey Fleishman's "Promised Virgins: A Novel of Jihad". I wrote about why international correspondents like me and Fleishman, Cairo bureau chief for the LA Times, turn to novels to express the depth of what we...
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