Articles — The Revealer

A Theory of Ethical Blasphemy

October 11, 2012

By Austin Dacey The claims of the believer and the claims of the blasphemer, so-called, are symmetrical.The value motivating...

A Spiritual Defense of "Impiety"

October 8, 2012

by Austin Dacey The trick with monotheisms is that competition comes not just from neighboring gods, but even from...

African Responses to "Muslim Innocence"

September 25, 2012

by Alex Thurston Protests against the Innocence of Muslims film have taken on a global scope...in sub-Saharan Africa, responses...

Everybody's Sacred Cows or Nobody's Sacred Cows? Equality for Impieties

September 14, 2012

By Austin Dacey F. M. Husain was hounded out of his native India...by Hindu conservatives outraged by his...

The Trouble With "Religious Hatred"

September 4, 2012

By Austin Dacey Opponents of hate speech laws contend that there is no evidence to suggest that the state...

Are Salafis "Conservative"?

August 21, 2012

by Alex Thurston The media’s use of the term “ultraconservative” is also connected with some Salafis’ support for implementing...

A Human Right to Blaspheme?

July 30, 2012

by Austin Dacey Do you have a human right to blaspheme? Ask a philosopher and you may get two...

Salafism for Dummies

July 26, 2012

by Alex Thurston Suddenly, Salafism seems to be everywhere: mainstream Salafism, political Salafism, Wahhabist Salafism,

Balancing Act: Sectarian Leaders in Lebanon

July 25, 2012

by Irina Papkova Last week marked twenty-two years since the signing of the Taif Accords put an end...

The Globalization of Blasphemy

July 18, 2012

by Austin Dacey The Indian Penal Code was drafted in 1837 by the Indian Law Commission...In their commentaries,...

Bad Sudanese? A "Marginal Revolt" is Underway

July 12, 2012

by Alex Thurston Should Sudan’s protesters topple President Omar al Bashir, I believe the media would get excited, but...

Kenyan Muslims Debate Anti-Terror Law

July 7, 2012

by Alex Thurston AMOK turns the logic of the law’s critics around: the bill will not target Muslims but...

Rethinking Mali's Political Culture

June 28, 2012

by Alex Thurston The MNLA and Ansar al Din have dominated the headlines about Mali this spring and...

How Blasphemy Got Personal

June 25, 2012

by Austin Dacey Fifty-six years before Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses thrust blasphemy into the spotlight of Western...

Mauritania: Islamic Response to the Sahel Drought

June 15, 2012

By Alex Thurston 9/11 changed the trajectory of Islamic humanitarian agencies in Africa and around the world...The US government...

Mass Wedding in Kano

June 11, 2012

by Alex Thurston A recent story from Nigeria, one that touches on both marriage and shari’a, offers the possibility...

Al Shabaab: Where Do They Go From Here?

June 7, 2012

Joe McKnight Ever since Somali President Siad Barre’s government was removed from power in 1991, Somalia has lacked an...

Nigerian Universities: Islamic Studies in Secular Universities

June 4, 2012

By Alex Thurston Nigeria has around 100 universities, most of them public, and many public and private colleges. Various tertiary...

In the World links, Unfinished Business edition

April 13, 2012

Nora Connor: In 2008 the Chinese government recognized the annual Qingming festival, or Tomb Sweeping Day, as a national...

Education as Battleground: Schooling Muslims in Northern Nigeria

April 10, 2012

by Alex Thurston This post is the first of a series on Muslim schooling in Northern Nigeria. Steady acts of violence...

In the World Links: Lost & Found in Translation Edition

April 4, 2012

Nora Connor: In Poland, the Bhagavad Gita is now available in translation directly from Sanskrit to Polish, thanks...