My first piece for the Foreign Policy Association blog. The recent attack against Ismaili Muslims in Karachi, Pakistan, will be read by most as part of a simple narrative of an ongoing Sunni-Shi’ah conflict. Unfortunately, as consistent fear-mongering has demonstrated with Sharia, bandying about non-English words conveys a facade of…
I was interviewed for PBS Newshour on questions of sexuality and Islam. Interesting situation in South Africa.
I was recently interviewed on NPR about Riyaaz Qawwali, a group out of Austin, TX. Hussein Rashid, a professor of religion at Hofstra University, says that many qawwaliartists working in South Asia today have limited themselves. He believes this American group is bringing the music back to its roots. “You know,…
Controversy Swirls Around Oscar-Nominated Film – The Takeaway. Today, a highly acclaimed new film hits theaters across the U.S. It's called "Timbuktu," and it's a French-Mauritanian drama directed by Abderrahmane Sissako. … Hussein Rashid is professor of religion at Hofstra University. He joins us to share his thoughts on…
Muslims’ mixed response to new Mohammed cover – CNN.com. “My initial thought is that the cover is a near perfect response to the tragedy,” said Hussein Rashid, a professor of Islamic thought at Hofstra University in New York. “They are not backing down from the depiction of Mohammed, exercising their…
Charlie Hebdo: Freedom of Speech, or An Excuse to Bully? – The Takeaway. Europe remains on edge in the wake of the deadly terrorist attack at the satirical publication Charlie Hebdo. The attack has highlighted deep divisions between French nationals and Muslim immigrants—a community that Hussein Rashid, a professor of…
Why Islam forbids images of Mohammed – CNN.com. In a bitter irony, the sometimes violent attacks against portrayals of the prophet are kind of reverse idol-worship, revering — and killing for — the absence of an image, said Hussein Rashid, a professor of Islamic studies at Hofstra University in New…
#GivingTuesday Chat with Dr. Hussein Rashid | Ismailimail. My faith teaches that being attached to the world detaches you from God. Need balance btwn din (religion) & dunya (world) #GivingTuesday
‘Serial’ whodunit shows how perceptions of Muslims have changed (COMMENTARY) – Religion News Service. The podcast “Serial” is an addictive radio documentary that revolves around a real-life whodunit: the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee and the conviction of her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, for the crime. It also illustrates how our thinking about…