Islam
November 2, 2009
- I was alarmed by news reports of two Chicago men arrested in connection with a Pakistani plot to attack Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard and Flemming Rose, the culture editor at Jyllands-Posten. One of the men allegedly wrote in a Yahoo! chat that he was “disposed toward violence” toward these men and toward me because of my books, “The Jewel of Medina” and “The Sword of ...
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October 23, 2009
- Do miracles happen? Do they serve a larger purpose other than giving signals? Must all miracles have a religious basis?We know that parts of Russia have been going through turbulent times. In the Kizlyar region of Dagestan, one such place, a nine-month old is being touted as a “miracle baby”. Ali Yakubov is oblivious to the hordes descending to see the verses from the Quran appear on various ...
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October 16, 2009
- A 90-year-old bachelor decides to give himself the gift of a night with an adolescent virgin. This happens in life and it takes place in Gabriel Garcia Marquez's latest novel Memories of My Melancholy Whores. Anti-prostitution groups are objecting to a movie being made on this work. They believe it will promote child prostitution.Literature, cinema, art have always been questioned along these ...
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September 28, 2009
- Dear Reader,Traveling to foreign countries, being on TV and the radio, it all sounds so glamorous! And it is ... but it's also very hard work.I arrived in Stockholm at about 4 p.m., to greet my publisher Shadi Bitar of Earbooks, waiting for me bearing a sign with his own name on it (a security precaution). After a warm handshake he drove me to the Rival Hotel, a truly wonderful place (especially ...
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September 20, 2009
- Today is the first day of Eid al-Fitr in Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and other Muslim countries where the new moon has been sighted, marking the beginning of the lunar month of Shawwal and the end of the holy month of Ramadan.Last year I blogged about how the holiday is celebrated, but there are also some more personal accounts here.Eid Mubarak (English translation: happy ...
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September 4, 2009
- Palestinians and Israelis take an eternal debate into the classroom, leaving the UN stuck in the middle. By Matt Beynon Rees - GlobalPostJERUSALEM — 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, of course, is: No. Ever since, Jeremiah’s phrase has pretty much been the catchphrase of the ...
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August 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. If I feel like doing it, then I will. I respect people's beliefs; they ought to respect my ...
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August 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 the lunar calendar, I'm not sure whether it's begun yet in Algeria or India or other countries ...
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August 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, for example. The family name Rees accounts for 15 percent of Welsh people – not to mention ...
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August 4, 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 struck a chord with me because I recently received a letter from a Muslim man -- a Pakistani Muslim -- ...
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