Nooooo kidding!

I'm glad someone's finally getting a clue...

Though the war in Iraq and many U.S. policies haven't helped, a basic truth is that if Islamic societies are going to reform, change has to come from within.

(snip)

The United States has pushed for Muslim countries, particularly in the Middle East, to mimic achievements that took centuries in Western societies. Such cajoling is resented. It risks overshadowing debates between moderates and extremists that are more fundamental to the future. Better if Egyptians and Muslim feminists can lead the way.

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The banished voices of Muslim women

It was very refreshing to read the following article, after reading that stupid post about niqab from slate magazine. This sister puts it very well.

For if you are a Muslim woman, you can either be the victim of a suffocating oppressive patriarchal society which dictates everything you do, including what you should wear and whom you should marry, or a woman who has turned her back on all that is "Islamic". If you are the former, then await our benevolent intervention to free you of your bondage and break your chains and shackles. If the latter, expect to be celebrated and to have your photos decorate glossy magazines from London to Paris, Amsterdam to Washington, Hirsi style.

(snip)

The burden of liberation rests on the shoulders of the Muslim woman herself. It is she who must define her own direction and chart her own destiny, not those who cry crocodile tears over her.

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Cat Stevens releases first album since embracing Islam in 1970s

This is great! Although it's weird that they say he hasn't released an album in 30 years, because I know he's released Islamic music since then.. I guess that doesn't count?

Yusuf Islam, the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens before he became a Muslim in the 1970s, has released his first commercial album for nearly three decades.

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Legal staff can wear veils in court in UK

While I'm no proponent of the full face veil, this is good news for freedom of religion.

Judges have been told to allow solicitors and other legal advisers to wear the Islamic veil in court unless it interferes with the "interests of justice".

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