by Mohsin Hamed. Changez’s personal journey of transformation and the conflicts driving it were believable enough I guess, but not particularly dramatic or striking (and lacking almost entirely in fundamentalism). His critique of American society/empire was also fairly tepid. I suppose that’s where the “Reluctant” comes from in the title, but it made the novel […]
Monthly Archives: September 2013
Gurindam 12 Fasal 3
The 12 Gurindam of Raja Ali Haji
This is the gurindam of the third issue:
When we guard the eyes,
Idle fantasy is …
No God But God
… and Reza Aslan is the Author. Tight composition, fast pacing, authoritative tone: it’s no surprise it was a bestseller. Of politics and history it is a good introduction for the non-muslim. But if the intent was to present a vision of how muslims should understand their faith under the challenge of modernity, it falls way […]
Universalising Islam in Malaysia
by Hew Wai Weng in the Malay Mail [Full Text]. “In the past, ethnic Chinese who became Muslims were assumed to lose their Chinese cultural identity and become “Malay”. The recent emergence of Chinese Muslim cultural identities, which combine both Chinese cultural symbols and Islamic messages have challenged this widely held perception that “Chineseness” and Islam […]
Gurindam 12 Fasal 2
The 12 Gurindam of Raja Ali Haji This is the gurindam of the second issue. Whosoever grasps what follows here Must know the true meaning of fear. Whosoever neglects the prayer Is like a home without a pillar. Whosoever neglects the fast Has lost in both this life and last. Whosoever neglects zakat Earns from […]
Gurindam 12 Fasal 1
This is the gurindam of the first issue:
Whosoever to his faith holds not
Is a man whose name will be forgot …