Akala doesn’t make music to entertain for the sake of entertaining, he rather provokes his listeners to question everything there is to know. He has never conformed to the stereotype many rappers are famous for. His lyrics contain virtually no mention of money, cars or hoes. He doesn’t appear interested in impressing everyone and his intelligence is, well, striking. Continue reading
Interview with the Bishop of London: Daily Mail, homosexuality & depression
Right Rev Richard Chartres has been the Bishop of London since 1995 and became the 132nd person to hold the position. He studied history at Trinity College Cambridge before going on to hold various positions of Chaplaincy. He is an author and is married with four children.
At the late Margaret Thatcher’s funeral in April, he gave a memorable sermon to a hall of her political allies and foes, in which he was praised for his words of calm, compassion and conviction. Continue reading
Britain’s role in Muslim extremism
As the EDL protest in London today and with attacks against the Muslim community having soared since the tragic Woolwich incident, let’s remind ourselves of the backdrop of Islamist extremism. Continue reading
The Boston Bombings show Islamophobia at its worst
Following the deadly explosions near the finishing line of the Boston Marathon yesterday, leaving three people dead and at least 140 injured, the reactions by Muslims, Islamophobes and those who do no fit into those two categories have been highly revealing. Continue reading
The Quran’s Message to Atheists
Today when I was at the Mosque, it was a shame to see so many people dozing off as the Imam gave his sermon. It clearly didn’t interest them enough to keep them awake. It’s a big problem: far too often Imams at Mosques repeat stories from the Quran that they’ve told many times before.
The Quran, however, is not just a book of stories. It deals with everything from cosmology and cosmography, to psychology and the existential questions philosophers have lost sleep over.
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community: Controversial Muslim Sect Continues to Grow – The Times
My blog in The Times today.
Ahmadi Muslims challenge mainstream Islam
There is a palpably tranquil atmosphere in the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden, London. Hundreds of guests, including: MPs, Secretary of States and Senior Members of the Armed Forces, are slowly making their way into Western Europe’s largest Mosque – which can accommodate 10,000 worshippers – an impressive white building, donning a 16m dome and two lofty minarets.
Reflections
The goal of the mystic is to allow human spirituality to always precede human psychology.
By allowing emotion to become the dominant force in our life, the spiritual component within us dissipates or lies dormant. Continue reading
