"If there is one single thing that Arabs and Muslims could do to reform and re-vitalize their crisis ridden cultures, it would be to liberate their women and provide them with the full rights women are enjoying in more and more countries around the world. Women’s equality is key to a real Arab Spring."
An interesting viewpoint from Mustafa Akyol's column for the Hurriyet Daily News. Akyol is a Turkish political commentator and author based in Istanbul. He thinks and writes on issues relating to Islam and modernity.
Kabir Helminski on the living tradition of spiritual transformation and the vision of the Baraka Institute, a non-sectarian, collaborative initiative, offering residential retreats, as well as online media and courses. Available in 3 parts.
Lesley Hazleton explores the Koran and finds much that is quite different from what is reported in commonly cited accounts.
In recent years, the dominant image of Islam in the minds of many Westerners has been one loaded with violence and shrouded with fear. This may be the Islam of a radical fringe, but in an era of flag-burnings and suicide bombings, it is the Islam of the moment. Read more: Time Magazine