Islamophobia may be defined as “a useful shorthand way of referring to dread or hatred of Islam — and, therefore, to fear or dislike of all or Most Muslims”, and may range from benign misinformation and micro-aggressions to overt discrimination. Islamophobia results from the complex interplay of multiple factors, including…

The Qur’an both promotes peace, and allows warfare. Whilst there are some verses in the Qur’an that give permission to Muslims to defend themselves and to stand up for justice, they come with the caveat that the motive for doing so must be just. Therefore, though the Qur’an acknowledges that…

Shari’ah plays a prominent role in the lives of Muslims as it determines the rules and principles of faith and worship. However, Shari’ah also encompasses civil law and human relations including social, political and economic factors. There are four sources to Shari’ah Law — the Qur’an, the Sunnah, analogical reasoning…

Since the turn of the century, climate change and the environmental crisis has become an increasingly important topic globally. Whilst most of the discourse revolves around the secular narrative, there has also been discussion around its impact on Muslim populations with steps taken to formulate an Islamic response to the…

The Gallery of Small Things presents ceramic artist Grace Brown’s first solo exhibition in Canberra — Down an unassuming residential street in the Australian capital of Canberra, lies a gallery dedicated to small works of art. Follow the path through a luscious garden to a small studio, and The Gallery of Small Things (GOST) welcomes you with open arms. It was quite by a stroke of…

Years after leaving my ambitions for a career in Surgery, I’m still finding my path. — It’s been five years since I made the decision to leave Surgery as a career. It had always been my dream: every day I had walked up the stairs to my biology class in college I had looked to my right, staring at the poster of a female surgeon plastered…

These are the tough parts that I wish I knew about 1 — You have to move house A LOT Since graduating from medical school, I have lived in eight houses and one hospital lodging, across two continents. I am now a pro at packing and unpacking, I can have a house feeling like a home within a couple…

Renowned calligrapher Haji Noor Deen gives ijaza to two Deen Arts Foundation students An ijaza marks the graduation of an apprentice to the rank of a Master, and is a sign of their teacher’s confidence that they have mastered the material and are now proficient to pass on the knowledge…

The opening of Musee Dezentral signals the dawn of a new era for NFTs, and art in general — The COVID lockdowns did a lot to change not only how we live, but also how we see the world around us, speeding up changes that otherwise may have taken decades. Crypto, NFTs and the blockchain have been clear winners, and, as a result, new questions have arisen. When art…