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The Thinking MuslimLeanne Mohamad on Palestine, The Nakba, & Political Power Ep. 2Donate to our charity partner Baitulmaal here: http://btml.us/thinkingmuslim Help us expand our Muslim media project here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipThe Nakba Never Ended. The Nakba, the “Catastrophe”. It wasn’t just a moment in 1948 — it is a reality that has lived on for 77 years. It’s in the bulldozed homes of Gaza. It’s the children laying underneath the rubble. It’s in the olive trees ripped from the West Bank. It’s in the silence of classrooms where students are told not to speak the word “...2025-06-2647 minThe Thinking MuslimSubverting the Narrative: Exposing Zionist Influence with Dr Asim QureishiHelp us expand our Muslim media project here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipDonate to our charity partner Baitulmaal here: http://btml.us/thinkingmuslim So much of the anti-Palestine prejudice that dominates political and media framing comes from a well-calibrated campaign waged by opaque pro-zionist lobby groups. Dr Asim Qureishi is a human rights lawyer and research director for Cage International. Together with his team, he has diligently uncovered how these organisations operate and how they manage to influence the corridors of power.You can find Dr Asim...2025-06-251h 18The Thinking MuslimLiberté, Égalité, Islamophobie - Uncovering France's Pipeline of Hate with Rayan FreschiHelp us expand our Muslim media project here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipDonate to our charity partner Baitulmaal here: http://btml.us/thinkingmuslim The horrific murder of Abu Baker Cisse shocked the Muslim community in France. But his murderer was radicalised by an approach to Muslims that starts with politicians in grey suits, who have charged up the French population on a diet of islamophobic hate, competing with the pernicious right wing. For the French Muslim, it's relentless.As elections come closer, Rayan Fresachi from Cage International...2025-06-2057 minThe Thinking MuslimThe Thinking Youth Ep.1: Islam Is Not Left or Right with Muhammad JalalDonate to our charity partner Baitulmaal here:http://btml.us/thinkingmuslimHelp us expand our Muslim media project here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipThis is the first episode of our new youth show — The Thinking Youth Podcast. A show by the youth, for the youth. Led by a passionate team of young thinkers, researchers, and hosts, this platform was created to amplify the voices and stories of Muslim youth.Rooted in our experiences, driven by our questions — this is an endeavour that aims to lead our youth towa...2025-06-191h 32The Thinking MuslimHow Islamic Psychology Heals Your Mind and Soul with Dr Francesca Bocca-AldaqreDonate to our charity partner Baitulmaal here: http://btml.us/thinkingmuslim - Please do remember that charity never reduces our rizq and gives Barakah to our wealth. Help us expand our Muslim media project here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipFrancesca Bocca-Aldaqre holds a MSc in Neuro-Cognitive Psychology & a PhD in Systemic Neuroscience (both from Ludwig-Maximilians Universität Munich, Germany) and a Diploma in Islamic Psychology (Cambridge Muslim College). She works as a counsellor in Islamic Psychology worldwide. She authored several books in poetry as well as essays on the relationship between Western th...2025-06-101h 24The Thinking MuslimGaza: Is The Tide Finally Turning? with Dr Azzam TamimiDonate to our charity partner Baitulmaal here: http://btml.us/thinkingmuslim - Please do remember that charity never reduces our rizq and gives Barakah to our wealth.Help us expand our Muslim media project here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipIs the tide turning? The sentiment in Europe suggests that criticism of Israel is increasing, even from those who have previously been staunch allies. Is this a genuine attempt to correct a past miscalculation, or is it a cynical effort to salvage a failing international system and protect tarnished reputations? At the same...2025-06-0857 minThe Thinking MuslimGaza Is Not Lost, Muslims Are Lost with Abubaker AbedDonate to our charity partner Baitulmaal here: http://btml.us/thinkingmuslim - Please do remember that charity never reduces our rizq and gives Barakah to our wealth. Help us expand our Muslim media project here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipMeeting someone who has experienced the trauma of Gaza is really humbling. Journalist Abu Bakr Abed did not start out as a war journalist. In relatively calmer days before the genocide, his reporting mainly was on football. But like so many Gazans, the slaughter changed lives and in so many cases ended them. ...2025-06-041h 07The Thinking MuslimAl-Sharaa and the New Syria with Dr Diana DarkeThe new Syrian government has had to deal with a bewildering array of internal and external challenges. How it deals with these will determine the future integrity and progress of the country. Today we welcome back onto the show historian Dr Diana Darke who told us previously that she will return back to the country and her house in the old city of Damascus after a period of being barred from entering. She tells us about the new Syria, its hopes and challenges. You can find Dr Diana Darke here:X: https://x.c...2025-05-3059 minThe Thinking MuslimIndia vs Pakistan – Dissecting Pakistan’s Tactical Triumph with Ibrahim MoizDonate to our charity partner Baitulmaal here: http://btml.us/thinkingmuslim - Please do remember that charity never reduces our rizq and gives Barakah to our wealth. Help us expand our Muslim media project here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipThe recent escalation of military hostilities between Pakistan and India resulted in some decisive tactical victories for Pakistan, despite the sheer weight of misinformation coming out of India. The downing of five Indian aircraft with the confident use of Chinese hardware would have sent a signal to India that its war readiness is i...2025-05-221h 09The Thinking MuslimThe Bloodied Emirates: How the UAE Fears a Free Muslim World with Dr Andreas KriegDonate to our charity partner Baitulmaal here:http://btml.us/thinkingmuslim - Please do remember that charity never reduces our rizq and gives Barakah to our wealth.Help us expand our Muslim media project here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipThe UAE has curated a string of anti-revolutionary non-state actors across the Middle East to serve the state’s deeply secular interests. Abu Dhabi has waged a war against Islamic civil society and non-state actors under the pretext of fighting “terrorism” and today acts as the primary means by which the small...2025-05-131h 01The Thinking MuslimThe Abraham Accords and the Arab Street with Dr. Tareq Al-Suwaidan (Archive)Donate to our charity partner Baitulmaal here:http://btml.us/thinkingmuslim - Please do remember that charity never reduces our rizq and gives Barakah to our wealth. Help us expand our Muslim media project here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipAs the Israeli war machine is in full motion, the position of the West lays bare the hollowness of its claims to observe international law. With every US-manufactured bomb dropped on Gaza, the vacuousness of its liberal world order is exposed to Muslims and the world. Yet what can we do...2025-05-0634 minThe Thinking MuslimFarhat Amin’s Funeral Prayer and Reminder - Sami Hamdi Part 2Innā lillāhi wa innā ilayhi rājiʿūn"Indeed, to Allah we belong, and to Him we shall return.” It is with great sadness that Muhammad Jalal’s wife passed away on Wednesday. She had been courageously living with cancer for over three years. She was a soul who remained obedient to her Lord to the very end and never wavered in her iman and goodness. May Allah open the doors of mercy for her and leave her good deeds and service to the ummah as sadaqah jariah for her.يٰۤاَيَّتُهَا النَّفۡسُ الۡمُطۡمَٮِٕنَّةُارۡجِعِىۡۤ اِلٰى رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَّرۡضِيَّ...2025-05-0309 minThe Thinking MuslimFarhat Amin’s Funeral Prayer and Reminder - Dr Sohail Hanif Part 1Innā lillāhi wa innā ilayhi rājiʿūn"Indeed, to Allah we belong, and to Him we shall return.” It is with great sadness that Muhammad Jalal’s wife passed away on Wednesday. She had been courageously living with cancer for over three years. She was a soul who remained obedient to her Lord to the very end and never wavered in her iman and goodness. May Allah open the doors of mercy for her and leave her good deeds and service to the ummah as sadaqah jariah for her.يٰۤاَيَّتُهَا النَّفۡسُ الۡمُطۡمَٮِٕنَّةُارۡجِعِىۡۤ اِلٰى رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَّرۡضِيَّ...2025-05-0218 minThe Thinking MuslimThe Genocide Must Be the Jolt That Awakens Us From This Slumber- Muhammad JalalThe current crop of rulers that litter the Muslim world are amongst the most detestable of people. They sit silent, often proactive only in the degree to which they collude with the joint enterprise of genocide. Many of the Gulf rulers live in hedonistic metropolises, their empty lives and cities punctuated occasionally by inane regional summits – to bury their ineptitude in the pomp of ceremony. Never has the Muslim world's seats of power been occupied by such wretched leaders. If anyone were to seek a resolution from any of these regimes to save the lives of Palestinians, one would kn...2025-03-2005 minThe Thinking MuslimImran Khan: The People's Champion or a Populist Illusion? with Professor SherAli TareenPakistan is an enchanting country, fertile and vast, with a talented young population and, at least on paper, all of the ingredients of a regional powerhouse. But the country is experiencing a tumultuous time. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan languishes in prison while the country’s military leaders use every greater coercion to maintain the status quo. Pakistan’s economy is faltering, and the brain drain of qualified professionals continues to leave the country, devastatingly affecting public services and businesses. To help us understand the sheer predicament many Pakistanis feel, we have Professor SherAli Tereen, who recently returned from the...2025-03-101h 33The Thinking MuslimThe Seerah Must Radically Transform Our Lives with Sami HamdiThe Seerah (biography) of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) is a key reading for all Muslims. However, many view it through a lens that misses its essence. Sami Hamdi explains how we need to rethink how we view Seerah so that we can internalise it in our lives.This Ramadan, support an alternative Muslim media platform rooted in faith, thought, and enlightened activism. Your donation is an investment in Sadaqah Jariyah, bringing you rewards that will last long after this life. Become a monthly member today and be part of The Thinking Muslim’s sacred mission. 2025-03-061h 28The Thinking MuslimTrump's Gaza Riviera - Muhammad Jalal Trump’s Gaza Riviera, in the impossible event it was realised, would be built on the corpses of hundreds of thousands of dead Palestinians, half of them children. The idea is a grotesque display of American profligacy. A hegemon that knows no bounds. It would be wrong to blame it on President Trump's excesses. Trump is no more than another vile iteration of this crumbling colossus. The Biden administration was responsible for this genocide. They armed Israel, gave it diplomatic cover, undermined international law to protect it and financed its death machine. Trump is a benefactor of...2025-02-0604 minThe Thinking MuslimJalal's Take: Elon Musk’s CrusadeIn a world of alternative facts, Elon Musk acts as the high priest of disinformation. The world’s richest man has exploited his platform, X, to embark on a vitriolic anti-Islam tirade with real-world consequences. It is unfathomable that he believes his incendiary messages are based on reasoned evidence and intellectual rigour. But truth and integrity are expendable commodities in this new world of democratised lies. Musk appeals to a radicalised Western population experiencing the repeated shocks of a flailing empire.Let me remind all viewers that to help us continue to engage critical thought at th...2025-01-1208 minThe Thinking MuslimHow Waqf Endowments Built The Foundation of Muslim Society with Maulana Tahir TalatiThe Waqf, or endowments, is an age-old Islamic method of supplying public services. Throughout Islamic history, this third space enabled entrepreneurs and the monied to donate to causes that would multiply their reward. Many of the key services from health to education in history were funded by this method and it became a model of giving, emulated by many Westerners. Oxford University, it is said, built its endowment structure on the Waqf model.But what is a Waqf, and why do many call for its reintroduction today? My guest believes in this forgotten sunnah, and has set...2025-01-0856 minThe Thinking MuslimWhy the West Wants to Bring Down the New Syrian State - with Sami Hamdi (Part 2)In this second session of our 2024 roundup we have Sami Hamdi back on the show to discuss Syria in more detail. Syria is in many ways a ray of hope but also raises all sorts of uncertainties. What path will the revolution take? How do we assess Jolani and the rebel movement? What of the demands of regional and global actors, ideological and otherwise. And how does Syria navigate the US and Israel's anxieties about the new government and its Islamic colour.Become a member to ger access to exclusive monthly calls: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com...2025-01-031h 47The Thinking Muslim‘The Reason of State’ - How Germany Facilitates Genocide with Hebh JamalThe situation in Germany is very tense for Muslims. The recent Christmas market attack has brought into focus how the political elites in the country malign muslim voices. but it goes deeper, there is a systematic campaign to make advocating for Palestine unlawful.Hebh Jamal is a Palestinian journalist and activist based in Germany , currently working on an upcoming documentary film, The Reason of State: Germany’s War on Palestinians.Let me remind all viewers that to help us continue to engage critical thought at this time, please consider becoming a member: https://www.th...2025-01-0248 minThe Thinking MuslimSyria’s Struggle and Allah’s Promise: Insights from Dr. Shadee ElMasrySyria has witnessed a remarkable victory in recent weeks, with a brutal dictator falling against all odds. What is the Islamic significance of this? How should we understand the concepts of victory and seeking Allah’s help? To delve deeper into this topic, we welcome Dr Shadee al-Masri back on the show to enlighten us about these crucial ideas of victory and seeking Allah’s assistance. How much do Allah’s help and victory rely on our actions, iman, and preparation? What are the religious implications of surrendering the struggle or feeling disheartened?Become a member to ger...2024-12-291h 17The Thinking Muslim2024: Gaza’s Defiance and the Miserable Muslim Rulers with Sami Hamdi - Part 1This year we have seen two Muslim countries move away from bitter dictatorships, Bangladesh and Syria. Yet the horrific scenes in Gaza remain. Any joy that comes from Syria is always muted as we endure the horrific genocide perpetrated by the west and its colonial enterprise. Gaza exposes the hollowness of an international order.The civil war in Sudan remains active, Pakistan’s generals have consolidated power, and the Egyptian pharaoh seems comfortable aiding Israel in its blood-shedding and the Saudis are looking forward to selling Palestine for a US security deal.We have the pl...2024-12-271h 26The Thinking MuslimYoung US Muslims and TrumpJoin our Patreon to get access to exclusive monthly calls: https://www.patreon.com/TheThinkingMuslimAs part of Muhammad Jalal’s conversations with young Muslims from around the world, he speaks with Mosaab and Watfae about the Trump presidency and what this will mean for young Muslims.Let me remind all viewers that to help us continue to engage critical thought at this time, Please consider becoming a Patron. https://www.patreon.com/TheThinkingMuslimYou can also support The Thinking Muslim through a one-time donation: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/Donate...2024-12-2536 minThe Thinking MuslimJalal's Take: “Assad or We Burn the Country”: Syria’s Struggle For LiberationBecome a member to ger access to exclusive monthly calls: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipThe Syrian revolution began in 2011 as a grassroots civil society uprising against one of the most tyrannical rulers in the Muslim World. Bashar al-Assad, like his father before him, presided over a state of terror, with mass disappearances, secret police repression and a brutal, corrupt state machinery that governed through fear. Assad had four secret service agencies (mukhabarat) that worked independently. If you got onto a list, your life would become a never-ending Kafkaesque tragedy. All four had to pardon you...2024-12-2221 minThe Thinking MuslimWhy Europe has a Muslim Problem? With Mehreen KhanBecome a member to ger access to exclusive monthly calls: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipIs the European Union a model for Muslim unity? Can the often fractious and politically weak Muslim world improve its regional strength and international standing by pooling economic and even political sovereignty and creating a zone of prosperity that harnesses talents and halts a brain drain to the West? Until 1924, the Muslim world came under a caliphate; many calling for a modern unity cite the EU as a model.But is the EU really something to aspire to...2024-12-201h 01The Thinking MuslimUnderstanding HTS and the New Syria with Bilal Abdul KareemBecome a member to ger access to exclusive monthly calls: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipSyria is now free. But what does the future hold for a revolution that we believed had all but been decimated? The most recent spectacular offensive has given the rebel groups control over the country's major cities. There now is an appetite for change and unity. I have been struck by the jubilation felt by most Syrians as the tyrant fell. Many who escaped his brutality are returning. The optimism has to be maintained, and the positivity it expresses should not...2024-12-1555 minThe Thinking MuslimHow Did Syria Move From Torture To Triumph? With Robin Yassin-KassabBecome a member to ger access to exclusive monthly calls: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipSyria has finally been liberated after 13 years of struggle. We mourn the lives of all that have fallen and celebrate with Syrians. But the horrors of Assad’s gulags are coming to light for the world to see. The scenes from Seydnaya, the slaughterhouse, have shocked many of us. Reflecting on the horrors and looking at some of the challenges, I am honoured today to have a Syrian who has been at the heart of this struggle.Robin Ya...2024-12-1247 minThe Thinking MuslimAssad Was a Tyrant, Not an Anti-Imperialist with Moazzam BeggBecome a member to ger access to exclusive monthly calls: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipThis episode was filmed on Saturday, before Damascus fell.The Syrian revolution began in 2011 as a grassroots, civil society uprising against one of the most tyrannical rulers in the Muslim World. Bashar al-Assad like his father before him, presided over a state of terror, with disappearances, secret police repression and a punitive state machinery that governed through fear. Assad styled himself as an anti-imperialist when in reality he had colluded with the West in past conflicts and after 9/11...2024-12-0846 minThe Thinking MuslimWhat they are not telling you about the Syrian Rebellion with Sami HamdiBecome a member to get access to exclusive monthly calls: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipThe demands of the people were snuffed out by a deranged dictator who decided he would burn his country, before giving up power. We thought the revolution had ended, and the millions of Syrians dispersed around the world were never to see their homeland again. This all spectacularly changed this past week, where, to everyone’s surprise, the opposition was able, for the first time, to take over Aleppo and are now fighting to expand their territory. Many questions remain, and a...2024-12-051h 15The Thinking MuslimSyria: Can The Tyrant Assad Fall? With Razan SaffourBecome a member to get access to exclusive monthly calls: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipIt’s been a spectacular week in Syria. The world had written off the rebellion that began in 2011, believing Assad, with the support of Russian air power and Iranian militias, had consolidated his rule. In the past weeks, it has been reintegrated into the Arab League, and it just seemed the best the revolution could accept is a rump state in Idlib. There are many who have not followed the developments in Syria over the past 13 years of revolution, and the Th...2024-12-0459 minThe Thinking MuslimThe South African Imam on Justice and Struggle – Moulana Ebrahim BhamJoin our Patreon to get access to exclusive monthly calls: https://www.patreon.com/TheThinkingMuslimMoulana Ebrahim Ismail Bham was born and raised in South Africa. He has attained his masters in the Islamic sciences and theology under great traditional scholars. Shaykh Ebrahim I. Bham is known to be one of the most active scholars in South Africa for education, development and advocacy.Let me remind all viewers that to help us continue to engage critical thought at this time, Please consider becoming a Patron. https://www.patreon.com/TheThinkingMuslim...2024-11-3047 minThe Thinking MuslimWhat next for US Muslims? With Imam Tom Facchine and Mobeen VaidJoin our Patreon to get access to exclusive monthly calls: https://www.patreon.com/TheThinkingMuslim Now that the US elections are over, I want to explore deeper issues today with my guests. Is political participation really the principal way by which we are going to proceed, and who best should be charged from within us to undertake this task? Some have argued that to progress, we have to play the ‘long game’ and adopt the Zionist prototype of influence.Let me remind all viewers that to help us continue to engage critical thought at t...2024-11-271h 10The Thinking MuslimCan Muslims Resist Modernity? with Hasan SpikerHow do Muslims deal with what looks like the comprehensive success of Western civilisation. Is it time to accept defeat, as one writer put it? Or does Islam have something to offer the world that can move us beyond this dysfunctional world.Our guest today is Hasan Spiker, he argues that modernity is not neutral. The assumption is that modernity is regarded as universal is false. He argues that modernity is Western and its embrace is a means to Western hegemony and domination. He is the author of this soon to be published work, published on the 26...2024-11-221h 51The Thinking MuslimWill Trump Be Bad For Muslims? with Sami HamdiJoin our Patreon to get access to exclusive monthly calls: https://www.patreon.com/TheThinkingMuslim What does Trump mean for the wider world, how do we position Trump’s America First philosophy in the context of US Unipolarity. Are we seeing the unravelling of the US in the world? To help us understand Trumps America I am happy to have back on the show Sami Hamdi. Sami is an analysts and campaigner and we are forever indebted to his energy.Let me remind all viewers that to help us continue to engage critical th...2024-11-181h 59The Thinking MuslimGaza: Is International Law a Waste of Time? With Francesca AlbaneseJoin our Patreon to get access to exclusive monthly calls: https://www.patreon.com/TheThinkingMuslim Should we, people who remain married to justice, accept that international law, if it ever did work, is today defunct? In a broader sense, when we pursue its application are we in danger of creating a sense of false hope. These are the existential questions we are now asking ourselves as the genocide proceeds at pace into its 2nd year.My guest today is Francesca Albanese, an international lawyer who has been in the eye of the storm, speaking...2024-11-1448 minThe Thinking MuslimKeir Starmer's Secret War on Gaza with Matt KennardThere’s an assumption that the West have remained honest brokers in the Gaza genocide, or at least critical friends of Israel. My guest today Matt Kennard argues that contrary to public utterances, the British government, like the Americans are deeply involved in Israel’s merciless bombing of Gaza. They are providing military support, intelligence, diplomatic cover whilst at the same time claiming they want a quick resolution to the slaughter.Matt is an independent journalist and author of three books Irregular Army, Silent coup and The RacketLet me remind all viewers that to h...2024-11-091h 08The Thinking MuslimUS Elections: Why We Must Be Radical - Professor Butch WareThe US elections are nearly upon us, and we have all be subject to the empty words and rhetoric of of the two main political parties. The Green Party has gained a lot of traction, especially amongst the countries small but very important Muslim community. I have already interviewed the leader of the Greens, Dr Jill Stein. But Today I have the pleasure to speak with Professor Butch Bilal Ware, its Vice Presidential nominee.Professor Butch Ware is a lifelong activist and educator specializing in the history of empire, colonialism, genocide and revolution. For the past two...2024-11-011h 20The Thinking MuslimA Man on a Mission to Punish Genocide - Dr Hassan Abdel SalamThe Abandon Harris campaign has been making waves across the US. It has galvanised largely Muslim and conscientious Americans so build a coalition together to resist the genocidal administration through the ballot box. They have a lot of detractors, paid democratic people ready to defame them. But my guest today is relentless.Hassan Abdel Salam is one of two founders of the Abandon Harris movement. He is also the Executive Director of the Civil Rights Alliance for America, which is the organization that is organizing and coordinating the Abandon Harris movement. Hassan Abdel Salam has been a...2024-10-3045 minThe Thinking MuslimJalal's Take: Can the Green Party Deliver for US Muslims?I know that not all Americans value what I have to say on the US elections. However, I do receive many emails and messages daily asking for advice, and my podcast, The Thinking Muslim, has been fairly instrumental in setting the correct intellectual parameters in parts of the US Muslim community when forming a conscious electoral decision on November 5th.My original position was to echo the views of many leaders within the US Muslim community who have said Muslim voters must disavow the two parties and opt for a third-party option, whoever that may be...2024-10-2806 minThe Thinking MuslimWhy Muslims Should Vote For The Green Party with Dr Jill SteinThe pro-genocide administration of Biden and Harris has been involved in a frenetic outreach to America’s small but vocal Muslim community. These critical constituents in crucial battleground states like Michigan are where November’s election will be won or lost. Both parties, the Democrats and Republicans, are Zionist to their core, but this genocide has happened with the seal of approval and the consent of the Biden-Harris administration. Is Gaza a turning point? Can we move beyond this two-party nightmare? Are third-party options plausible in a system that approves only two possibilities? Or is voting for anyo...2024-10-271h 06The Thinking MuslimAfrican Americans, Democrat Deceit & Principled Politics with Imam Dawud WalidI have been struck by the thoughtful and nuanced conversations that are being had across the US about the coming elections. But there remains confusion. One such community that probably has reason to be sceptical of mainstream Muslim organisations and their approach to politics, as relationships, is the all-important African American Muslim community – very often neglected in any conversation.I have invited today to show someone who I deeply respect for how he thought through these essential topics long before Gaza came along to haunt us. Imam Dawud Walid is the author of Towards Sacred Activism an...2024-10-251h 19The Thinking MuslimThe General's Plan: The Killing Fields of Northern GazaWe have seen the horrific genocidal scenes unfolding in the north of Gaza and in particular the onslaught by the occupation in Jabaliya. There is a horrendous cleansing of Palestinians, apparently to make way for Israeli settler expansion and cut the territory into two. This is a Nakba but worse. A catastrophe. But the world seems to remain silent. On a deeper level – many are asking when will the help of Allah come? How do we deal with this situation as a personal trauma. My guest today, is Imam Fuad Abdo, himself from palestine. Imam Fuad is t...2024-10-2337 minThe Thinking MuslimThe Imam Taking on Kamala Harris and her Cheerleaders - Imam Tom FacchineThe US elections are in full flow, with the two big parties focussing on the key swing states that will decide this election. In states like Michigan, a slight movement of voters can determine the outcome. And this means Muslim voters may play a decisive role.To help us understand the political and intellectual climate, I have invited back onto the show Imam Tom Facchine show. Imam Tom has been instrumental in galvanising Muslims behind the anti-Harris campaign, and he joins us from Pennsylvania. You can also support The Thinking Muslim through a one-time...2024-10-231h 02The Thinking MuslimGaza: How The Media Manufactures Consent with Hamza YusufTo help us unpick the relationship between Western foreign policy and media our guest this week is Hamza Yusuf is a British-Palestinian writer and journalist whose work focuses on Palestine. He has reported on daily life under occupation for Palestinians, including home demolitions and forced expulsion and the conditions for Palestinians in Israeli prisons. He is an investigative journalist at Declassified amongst other publications.You can also support The Thinking Muslim through a one-time donation: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/DonateSign up to Muhammad Jalal's newsletter: https://jalalayn.substack.com...2024-10-1854 minThe Thinking MuslimJalal's Take: Harris Must Pay a Political Price for GenocideThe Biden-Harris administration has aided and abetted genocide. The argument they still deserve our vote is not only politically naïve but is also built upon a bed of lies. We must show courage in this election and vote for a third party. This is not only morally the correct position; it is the only way to build long-term political leverage for the American Muslim community. Read Muhammad Jalal's full article here: https://jalalayn.substack.com/p/harri... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2024-10-1314 minThe Thinking MuslimQ&A: Muhammad Jalal Talks Gaza, Podcasts & US EmpirePlease subscribe ** Dr Yakoob Ahmed interviews your host, Muhammad Jalal. The genocide in Gaza and the need for enlightened activism was captured by the guests and content that came out on The Thinking Muslim. We had become accustomed to calls for immediate action, some of which were short-lived. But what The Thinking Muslim did was to place this activism within a sacred responsibility. That's why it captured so many imaginations and activated so many people.Much of The Thinking Muslim's content has been carefully curated and well thought through, and the guests showcased are...2024-10-111h 35The Thinking MuslimIs Modernity Destroying Childhood? With Ahmed Paul KeelerIs modern society failing our children? Has the quest for constant progress, through the use of technology and the desire to constantly engage our children with stimuli and keep them busy with lives that we have curated for them, been to the detriment of childhood? A recent global childhood report found that British children are the most unhappy in the Western world despite our relative material progress. Yet, there is rarely a conversation about the root causes.My guest today, Ahmed Paul Keeler, is the AUTHOR OF RETHINKING ISLAM AND THE WEST. And also the author...2024-10-041h 34The Thinking MuslimWhy US Muslims are Abandoning Harris with Sami HamdiApologies for the slight deterioration in sound, especially in the first 30 minutes of the interview.Let me remind all viewers that to help us continue to engage critical thought at this time, Please consider becoming a Patron. https://www.patreon.com/TheThinkingMuslimThe ongoing slaughter in Gaza and now the carpet bombing of Lebanon has at its backdrop the US elections. Both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have clearly stated their intentions to back Israel, and it is hard sometimes to place a cigarette paper between them.So how should...2024-09-281h 47The Thinking MuslimExploding Pagers and Shattered Credibility with Sami HamdiJoin our Telegram channel Telegram: https://t.me/thinkingmuslim Let me remind all viewers that to help us continue to engage critical thought at this time, Please consider becoming a Patron. https://www.patreon.com/TheThinkingMuslimSami Hamdi has been at the fore of the conversation about how Muslims should respond to the unparalleled attack upon Gaza. The brutality with which the Israelis now act with impunity is clear for the majority of the world to see, but the West remains immune to its crimes. That’s partly because the West does not an...2024-09-211h 02The Thinking MuslimCan the Sunni-Shia schism be resolved? With Dr Tareq al-SuwaidanThe Sunni Shia divide remains an open wound and a means by which our enemies meddle in our internal affairs. Since the war on terror, and the horrible sectarianism unleashed on Iraq, this divide has got even bigger and has often led to bloody violence. However, amidst this turmoil, we often hear voices from within the Ummah and beyond, dreaming of unity to confront the misery, humiliation, and suffering of the oppressed, especially in the current situation with Palestine. But it’s a difficult topic, there are a host of theological and political concerns and the current tussle between Sa...2024-09-1336 minThe Thinking MuslimWhat We Get Wrong About Studying Muslim History With Dr Yakoob AhmedIt is said a people without a past are a lost soul. And in today’s turbulent world, the Muslim ummah has come to realise that we have, in many cases, been taught a version of history that fails to appreciate what the late Shabbir Akhtar called Islam as a imperial faith.Dr Yakoob Ahmed is an academic specialising in late Ottoman history. He was until recently a lecturer in Islamic history at Istanbul University. He is a regular to this podcast and writes and lectures extensively on Ottoman history. He is the author of a soon to...2024-09-071h 12The Thinking MuslimWhy Has the Muslim Ummah Failed Gaza? With Dr Tareq al-SuwaidanPlease consider becoming a Patron. https://www.patreon.com/TheThinkingMuslimGaza has been a hurtful experience. This year we saw the passing of a milestone, 100 years without a central leadership. The last Ottoman Caliphate, with all its faults, remained a global force and acted as a shield for this ummah. So why have we declined to such a degree that it seems our leadership is inept and our ummah has not moved over Gaza. And what now can we do about it?Dr Tareq al-Suwaidan is a prolific writer, speaker, trainer and in many...2024-08-301h 00The Thinking MuslimResisting US Hegemony with Matt KennardToday, The United States strides the globe as one of the world's most powerful empires ever witnessed. Its hegemonic ambition, devised after the Second World War and consolidated with the untimely fall of the Soviet Union, knows little limits. With a litany of military bases, a network of alliances, an international economic architecture that places it at the centre of the world economy and enormous structural power in the form of global institutions, its empire is all-encompassing.My guest this week is Matt Kennard; he argues there is a global network of elites who do the...2024-08-1658 minThe Thinking MuslimManaging Your Money and the Halal Economy with Harris IrfanFor a conscientious Muslim, managing ones money in the West can be a difficult prospect. Islam has a series of rules to do with money, the prohibition of riba (interest) being the key one, and rules on trade that often places it at odds with a rather laissez faire Neo liberal model. Muslims feel a sense of unease when we place our money in banks or engage is investment opportunities that may contravene Islamic precepts. Our guest today was an Islamic finance industry insider. Harris Irfan is currently the CEO of Cordoba Capital Markets. He has 29...2024-08-101h 10The Thinking MuslimBangladesh – Hasina’s Brutal Crackdown with Dilly HussainTo help us understand the situation in Bangladesh after the student protests, journalist and commentator Dilly Hussain joins us. Dilly is known for his public engagements, his fearless contribution to Muslim conversation, and his editorship of 5pillars.Let me remind all viewers that to help us continue to engage critical thought at this time, please consider becoming a Patron. https://www.patreon.com/TheThinkingMuslimYou can also support The Thinking Muslim through a one-time donation: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/DonateSign up to Muhammad Jalal's newsletter: https://jalalayn.substack.com2024-07-311h 16The Thinking MuslimTranslating the Qur’an for Today with Professor Abdel HaleemThe Quran is the majestic word of Allah (swt), it gives Muslims life. In the Quran, Allah speaks to all human beings and those that read the Quran revere the majesty of its style and prose. Professor Muhammad A. S. Abdel Haleem is the Professor of Islamic Studies and director of the Centre for Islamic Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies of London University, as well as editor of the Journal of Qur’anic Studies. Born in Egypt, he learned the Qur’an by heart during childhood. Haleem has published two translations of the Qur'an including the...2024-07-271h 00The Thinking MuslimThe Gaza Surge - Analysing the UK Elections with Riaz HasanThis week, I invite Riaz Hasan, an economist and data scientist who has worked with me throughout this period on the elections. Riaz and I worked together over these past weeks to inject some data into the conversation about Muslim electoral weight. He was instrumental in offering the communities advice on moving forward, using the clarity of numbers to run good-quality local campaigns.Let me remind all viewers that to help us continue to engage critical thought at this time, please consider becoming a Patron. https://www.patreon.com/TheThinkingMuslimYou can also...2024-07-2154 minThe Thinking MuslimThe Political Strategy of the Prophet Muhammadﷺ With Dr Fadhl HasanA question many Western analysts have attempted to answer is whether Islam is a political faith. To help us understand the subject, we have invited an Dr. Fadhl Hasan. Dr Fadl is a Co-Founder of the Dar Al Ilm Institute. He was born and raised in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he memorised the Quran and attained his foundational knowledge of Arabic and Islamic sciences. He runs a publishing solutions company that, in addition to publishing Islamic texts, focuses on the revival and awakening of the Islamic Ummah. His research interests include Usul, Fiqh, and Muamalaat - Islamic Economics.2024-07-151h 12The Thinking MuslimSpecial - Leanne Mohamad: The Courage to Defy The Labour PartyUrgent Call: To help leanne’s campaign in the last few days head to https://airtable.com/appE47RFg1wKrv41... This is probably the most important political campaign in the country. Leanne Mohamad is looking to cause a massive political upset for Labour this election night. Leanne Mohamad is a British Palestinian organiser and politician who is looking to win a seat in the UK general election on the 4 July. We speak about courage and the need to build a moral and principled politics. You can read about her pledges here: ht...2024-07-0229 minThe Thinking MuslimWill Gaza Change The World? With Sami HamdiHow do we conceptualise where we are, the international situation and what comes next. To help us understand ourselves and the world, we are happy to invite back onto the Thinking Muslim our friend Sami Hamdi.Let me remind all viewers that to help us continue to engage critical thought at this time, please consider becoming a Patron.https://www.patreon.com/TheThinkingMuslimYou can also support The Thinking Muslim through a one-time donation: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/DonateSign up to Muhammad Jalal's newsletter: https://jalalayn.substack...2024-06-231h 39The Thinking MuslimHave our Student Islamic Societies failed Gaza? with Dr Ayo KhalilAt a time when the youth of the world are rising up for Gaza, it is probably not uncontroversial to say that Muslim students on university campuses are lagging behind. Dr. Ayo Khalil is a medical Doctor, community worker, and former student activist who spearheaded student political campaigns against Islamophobia, racism, and Israeli apartheid. He was also a VP at Fosis in 2020, leading their political work. Join our Patreon to get access to exclusive monthly Zoom calls: / thethinkingmuslim Listen to the audio version of the podcast:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show...2024-06-201h 13The Thinking MuslimThe Party’s Over with Tasnime AkunjeeUntil recently, lawyer Tasnime Akunjee was standing to be an MP in the British Westminster Parliament – standing in the seat of Bethnal Green and Stephney. I say until recently, because in order to prevent a split vote he did the honourable thing and stood down – sparking praise across the country. In Britain’s 4 million strong Muslim community, Tasnime’s behaviour is a model for how we should act – in unison to achieve our ends rather than for our individual ambitions.Tasnime is a criminal defence lawyer specialising in terrorism. He has defended high profile clients including Shamima Begüm and...2024-06-1542 minThe Thinking MuslimMuslims in an Age of Crisis with Ahmed Paul Keeler and Imam Tom FacchineThe Thinking Muslim team was honoured to host this exclusive event at Gatton Road Mosque, London with two lucid and outstanding thinkers. Ahmed Paul Keeler and Imam Tom Facchine discussed Muslims in an Age of Crises. Recording from 19th April 2024Join our Patreon to get access to exclusive monthly Zoom calls: / thethinkingmuslim You can also support The Thinking Muslim through a one-time donation: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/DonateSign up to Muhammad Jalal's newsletter: https://jalalayn.substack.comPurchase our Thinking Muslim mug: https://www.t...2024-06-0859 minThe Thinking MuslimUK Muslims, Elections and the Power of Nightmares with Peter OborneOur guest this week has been dismayed at the negative media coverage given to Muslims who place Gaza as a voting concern. Terms like fifth column and insurrectionists have been evoked to claim the Muslim vote should be deeply feared. Peter Oborne writes principally for the Middle East Eye, among other outlets. His books include "The Fate of Abraham: Why the West is Wrong about Islam” and “The Assault on Truth.”Join our Patreon to get access to exclusive monthly Zoom calls: / thethinkingmuslim You can also support The Thinking Muslim through a one-time do...2024-05-2644 minThe Thinking MuslimGaza - Do Boycotts Work? With Ibrahim KhanTo help us navigate BDS, Ibrahim Khan is our guest. He is currently the CEO of Islamic Finance Guru @IFGuru and its sister investment company Cur8 Capital. He holds a BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from the University of Oxford, an Alimiyyah degree from the Al Salam Institute, and an MA in Islamic Finance. Prior to setting up IFG, Ibrahim was a corporate lawyer.Recommended BDS Links - https://bdsmovement.net/Act-Now-Again... - https://boycott.thewitness.news/browse/1You can also support The Thinking Muslim through a one-time...2024-05-2353 minThe Thinking MuslimAre British Schools Hostile to Muslim children? with Dr Amina ShareefDr Amina Shareef is Assistant Professor in Education at Goldsmiths, University of London. Her research seeks to understand how Muslim people are unmade as tawhidic subjects—subjects forged in relation to tawhidic worldview in which there is no god but God—and remade as liberal subjects by anti-Muslim racism.Join our Patreon to get access to exclusive monthly Zoom calls: https://www.patreon.com/TheThinkingMuslimYou can also support The Thinking Muslim through a one-time donation: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/DonateSign up to Muhammad Jalal's newsletter: http...2024-05-1156 minThe Thinking MuslimCrumbling Colossus: Gaza and the Unraveling of US Empire with Imam Tom FacchineImam Tom Facchine is the research director of the Department of Islam and Society at Yaqeen Institute. And a prolific speaker and commentator on Islam and philosophy. He discusses the US empire, American exceptionalism, liberalism and US Muslims abandoning Biden.Join our Patreon to get access to exclusive monthly Zoom calls: / thethinkingmuslim You can also support The Thinking Muslim through a one-time donation: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/DonateSign up to Muhammad Jalal's newsletter: https://jalalayn.substack.comHost: / jalalayn Hosted on Acast. See acast...2024-05-041h 08The Thinking MuslimLabour's Gaza Betrayal with Owen JonesThe Labour Party is en route to form the next government of the United Kingdom with what most analysts describe as a landslide majority. The Conservatives have resided over a failed government, with Brexit, economic crisis and poor public services now associated with the Rishi Sunak’s lacklustre government. Labour’s leader, Keir Starmer is comfortably ahead in the polls and it is now openly stated that the tories may be out of government for a generation.Yet on Gaza, Labour policy has been horrendous. It has given a green light to Israel from the very star...2024-04-261h 11The Thinking MuslimPrayer in UK Schools: Multiculturalism and Liberal Tyranny with Lord Bikhu ParekhThis interview was conducted before the most recent verdict in the High Court rejecting the right of a student to conduct Muslim prayers in British schools. Over the past few years there has been intense debate about the place of Muslim practice in liberal western societies. Across the west, partly because of the war on terror, politicians talk of unwelcome cultural shifts and the the need to chasten Islam in public life. In many European capitals, theres a debate about whether multiculturalism, a policy coined in the 1960s to integrate migrants, has had its day. Here...2024-04-2151 minThe Thinking MuslimThe Spirit of Badr: Faith, Courage, and Strategy with Dr. Wajid AkhtarThe 17th Ramadan marks the most decisive battle in the history of early Islam. Dr Wajid Akhtar, founder of Charity Week for Orphans and Children in Need and Council member of the British Islamic Medical Association discusses the great battle of Badr, the most consequential battle in Islamic history.Join our Patreon to get access to exclusive monthly Zoom calls: https://www.patreon.com/TheThinkingMuslimListen to the audio version of the podcast:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7vXiAjVFnhNI3T9Gkw636aApple Podcasts: https...2024-03-271h 25The Thinking MuslimGaza: Channelling our Rage and Anger with Dr Kamal Abu ZahraWe are all angry. We live in an unjust world. The so-called rules-based system, the rhetoric surrounding human rights, the endless speeches on democracy and freedom – all of it turned out to be hollow. The death and destruction in gaza is juxtaposed with the triviality with which the political elites in the west talk of human life. We are angry. How does a Muslim deal with this visceral anger. How do we deal with the inhumanity of these western elites yet stay true to ourselves and who we are? Should we learn to stop being angry and liv...2024-03-171h 13The Thinking MuslimGaza and the Power of Narratives with Ahmed Paul KeelerJoin our Patreon to get access to exclusive monthly Zoom calls: https://www.patreon.com/TheThinkingMu...The current slaughter meted out on innocents in Gaza, fully supported Western Governments, is founded upon a bed of lies. It is said that the truth is the first casualty of war, yet in this war the truth is not hidden –the decapitated bodies, crushed skulls, emaciated children, the callous shelling of hungry souls as they clamour for flour – all of this is known to the world and there remains little doubt that what we are witnessing is truly horrific. Yet...2024-03-1453 minThe Thinking MuslimThe UAE's Bloody War in Sudan with Sami HamdiJoin our Patreon to get access to exclusive monthly Zoom calls: https://www.patreon.com/TheThinkingMuslimAt the time where our attention is fixed on Gaza, rightly, another conflict is taking place with horrendous cost to human life. Sadly As always, our ummah has become subject to the political ambitions of egotistical actors and their outside backers. Sudan is burning. There are 8 million people on the move, escaping the indiscriminate murder, rape and pillage of what can only be described as two warlords that thwarted a people’s revolution – aided by external powers. To...2024-03-091h 00The Thinking MuslimGaza: Has Biden lost control of Netanyahu? with Sami HamdiJoin our Patreon to get access to exclusive monthly Zoom calls: / thethinkingmuslim Sami Hamdi for the past five months has helped us untangle and understand the motives and actions of the actors that wage genocide in Gaza. The conflict, if that is even a proper term to use, seems to be continuing despite discussions of an end game. At the time of recording this interview, we have heard from Joe Biden casually licking an ice cream and talking of ceasefires when tens of thousands starve in Northern Gaza. The callousness with which the west now talk of mo...2024-03-041h 21The Thinking MuslimImran Khan's Army Problem with Kashif GilaniWe had a problem with our guest’s audio this week. Apologies for this, we wanted to however get this episode out. Join our Patreon to get access to exclusive monthly Zoom calls: https://www.patreon.com/TheThinkingMu...This past few weeks in Pakistan have been a rollercoaster ride. We have seen the continued, brazen army interference in elections that for so long has earned the country the dubious title of possessing a ‘sham democracy’. The country’s elected leader, Imran Khan, is languishing in prison on what are trumped-up charges and hundreds of his p...2024-02-271h 09The Thinking MuslimThe Muslim Mindset and Islam’s Mission with Dr Sohail HanifOur guest this week, Dr Sohail Hanif, argues that we need to reconnect with not just our relationship with our umma but also have to reorient our lives to live like the murabitun of the past, those who saw themselves as within a wider objective of thinking about deen and the umma and their part within this rubric. In this endeavour, to change our mentality, we have to reconfigure how we view some of the fundamental Islamic ideas of zakat, ummah and jihad. Are we in the west manning an outpost of this umma. And has Gaza taught us...2024-02-171h 35The Thinking MuslimWhy Every 18 year old Should Study Islamic History - Dr Yakoob AhmedHow do we learn from the wisdom of others in a world intent on ruthless autonomy? Today, with the Gaza war as our backdrop, we ask Dr Yakoob Ahmed what pieces of advice he would give to his 18-year-old self. Dr Yakoob Ahmed is an academic specialising in late Ottoman history. He is a PhD graduate of the School of Oriental and African Studies and currently teaches Islamic history at Istanbul University. He is in the process of completing his first book on the late Ottoman ulema, to be published next year....2024-02-101h 15The Thinking MuslimGaza: Is the ICJ Ruling Enough? with Tayab AliThe recent ICJ interim order has been interpreted in many ways by its proponents, who hail it a victory and its opponents, who denounce it as an Israeli conspiracy. However, many have questioned the efficacy of the interim order, pointing to the ICJ’s lack of enforcement and the absence of an explicit mention of a ceasefire. To help us understand the complexities surrounding the judgement, we have invited, at short notice, Tayab Ali in once again. Tayab Ali, is a lawyer specialising in international law. He is a partner at the legal firm Bindmans. He...2024-02-021h 08The Thinking MuslimGaza Eyewitness: The Doctor Treating Genocide - Dr Ghassan Abu-SittahWhen we consider the ongoing slaughter that is Gaza and the West's complicity, it's not the world leaders, East or West, who have captured our collective imagination – it's the ordinary people who have made the difference. It's the journalists, poets – the doctors and nurses that have helped the world see the atrocities of settler colonialism and its abject violence. Certainly, a defused media has given the world, possibly for the very first time, the ability to witness the horrors of Israel – but it is people like my guest today who have been able to articulate a narrative that rises above...2024-01-2748 minThe Thinking MuslimHow Zionism Indoctrinated the West with Ahmed Paul KeelerZionism is the ideology that underpins the barbarism that has been meted out on Palestinians, its latest chapter being the slaughter that is currently happening in Gaza. Yet its ideals remain respectable in establishment circles. In the United States, political leaders fall over one another to declare their un denying loyalty to the creed and in Britain, there has been a long tradition of Christian Zionism that spans back to the early twentieth century and the Balfour Declaration. Ahmed Paul Keeler. He argues that Zionism has become embedded into the Western mindset through education and cul...2024-01-221h 10The Thinking MuslimGaza: Cruel Zionism, Past and Present with Professor Avi ShlaimToday, we are confronting nothing short of a campaign of ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians of Gaza, not seen since the Nakba or Catastrophe of 1948. Yet many in the Western world are silent to the suffering. Much of what justifies Israel and its actions in the West is premised on history, and many European and American historians have been ready to present a compelling argument for Zionism and the case for Israel in the heart of the Middle East. This historical justification, based on persecution and antisemitism, gives the story of Israel a potency that...2024-01-161h 36The Thinking MuslimGaza: Understanding the Houthis & Will US Muslims Abandon Biden with Sami HamdiWe have now passed three months of the Gaza slaughter, and according to the UN, Gaza has become uninhabitable. During these past few days, we have seen another frenetic series of diplomatic meetings by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in the region as the US looks to consolidate the status quo. The genocidal intent of the Israeli state. If it was unclear at the start of the conflict, it is clear now that the United States has given the green light to the Israelis to mete out their punishment. The Arab and Muslim states have, it seems, mostly...2024-01-101h 58The Thinking MuslimGaza: Resilience & Hope with Dr Omar SuleimanIn the long durée of Islamic history, we often lose sight that every generation, even the best generation, that of the companions, had deep challenges to overcome. Our enemies have continuously worked to undermine our unity, and it is often the hard lessons of these challenges that help us overcome our petty disputes and territorial differences. This episode we focus on the notion of unity and its real implications. If we agree the lack of Muslim unity is holding us back – how do we overcome this challenge? And are we destined to slide into further decline? And is the...2024-01-061h 11The Thinking MuslimThe Lawyer Prosecuting the West and Israel - Tayab Ali** This interview was recorded a few hours before South Africa initiated its ICJ case - the Genocide Convention is discussed in detail here. When we consider the disgraceful actions of the Israeli state, it becomes evident that they operate in a system of impunity. But what, if anything, can we do about this? My guest today, Tayab Ali, is a lawyer specialising in criminal trials. He is a partner at the legal firm Bindmans. He has been described as “an irresistible force – he’s fearless.” He is rated as a Super Lawyer by Thompson...2024-01-011h 07The Thinking MuslimGaza: Dissecting Israeli Propaganda with Dr Azzam TamimiThe events in Gaza, the horrific slaughter of over 20,000 Gazans remains a deep wound all people of conscience have had to contend with over the past two months. The callous way with which the lives of young innocents can be so openly calculated and traded is shocking yet predictable in equal measure. Much of what has happened is premised on a set of collective myths the west has attempted to perpetuate about Israel and its intentions. A compliant media and a political class that have provided a thin veneer of acceptability to Israel’s murderous rampage has all but sh...2023-12-2951 minThe Thinking MuslimChina’s Silent Uyghur Genocide with Abdureşid EminhaciJoin our Patreon to get access to exclusive monthly Zoom calls: https://www.patreon.com/TheThinkingMuslimThe plight of the Uyghur Muslims in East Turkestan has been described as a genocide. An entire ethnic, cultural and religious group is being erased. We hear stories of mass detention, the banning of Ramadan, and the closure and demolition of mosques. We also hear the disturbing reports of women being forced into marriage, forced sterilisation and children being removed from families and reassigned to Chinese couples. But at the same time, people question these accounts...2023-12-231h 19The Thinking MuslimThe Israel Lobby, Settler Violence and the Labour Party with Peter OborneAs the unrelenting Gaza killing of civilians continues unabated, another potential ethnic cleansing in Palestine is underway – again in plain sight. The gradual conquest of Palestinian land is continuing at pace. Armed Israeli settlers, with the full backing of the state, pillage and forcibly vacate entire villages and farming communities. Yet the international community remains mute. This is ethnic cleansing on two fronts. Today, we have back on The Thinking Muslim. Journalist, author, and public commentator Peter Oborne recently returned from a visit to the West Bank. Peter is almost unique in the mainstream media for be...2023-12-1552 minThe Thinking MuslimGaza: Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Kissinger, China and US HegemonyJoin our Patreon to get access to exclusive monthly Zoom calls: https://www.patreon.com/TheThinkingMuslimThis past week, the world has reflected on the death of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. As Nixon's national security advisor, he was notorious for his ultra-realist approach to international politics, which saw the policy of triangulation with China and the Soviet Union that was pivotal in bringing China into the Western sphere and ultimately helping the emerging economy become a global power. But also the carpet bombing of Laos and Cambodia, in a failed attempt to solicit concessions...2023-12-0941 minThe Thinking MuslimGaza: Why do Liberals Support Genocide? With Hasan SpikerThe events of the past 6 weeks have exposed the sheer double standards that apply to the implementation of international law. The so-called liberal international order has been found to be nothing short of hypocritical. Gaza has exposed not only this duplicity but also the very ideas that undergird such a system. Today, we explore these ideas. Many surmise that the West has taken a wrong turn, and if only they return back to their original noble enlightenment values. Yet Gaza unveils a more unsettling truth. That the values of secular liberalism have always remained connected to European chauvinism. Their...2023-12-021h 06The Thinking MuslimGaza: Graveyard of America's World Order With Wadah KhanfarWadah Khanfar is the President of Al Sharq Forum and former Al Jazeera Director General from 2003 to 2011. Gaza has been described as a graveyard of children. But it also represents a graveyard of the liberal world order. The very values that undergird this so-called rules-based system have been revealed for what they really are — a set of norms created to preserve the interests of the West. Their unrepentant support for the worst crimes of Israel, the brutality of indiscriminate bombings, the targeting of civilian infrastructure, the carpet bombings of entire neighbourhoods, and the use of the mo...2023-11-241h 10The Thinking Muslim10 Books PAUL WILLIAMS Thinks Everyone Should ReadPaul Williams of Blogging Theology talks to Muhammad Jalal about his ten most influential books, why he recommends them and the importance of reading. Titles mentioned in order of rank: 1. The Meaning of the Holy Qur'an by Abdullah Yusuf Ali2. Islam and the Destiny of Man by Charles Le Gai Eaton3. The Book of Hadith: Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad from the Mishkat Al Masabih selected by Charles Le Gai Eaton 4. Encountering Mystery: Religious Experience in a Secular Age by Dale C. Allison Jr.5. Ibn Taymiyya on Reason and Revelation by Carl Sharif El-Tobgui6. Muhammad: His Life Based on...2023-04-151h 04
The Thinking MuslimConstructing an Ummatics Centered Caliphate – with Prof. Ovamir AnjumOur guest this week, Professor Ovamir Anjum argues that any future reconstruction of this sacred institution has to be premised upon what he calls an Ummatics framework, an ummah-centric model. He argues that the rashidun model was fundamentally based on the consent of the ummah, and through shura, that is, consultation, and this is how the earlier caliphs successfully built an empire unlike any other. In this interview, Muhammad Jalal asks him to spell out what it means to think in an ummatic way and elucidate on the practicalities.Ovamir Anjum is the Imam Khattab Chair of Islamic Studies at...2022-08-161h 25
The Thinking MuslimIslamophobia & The Trojan Horse Affair with Tahir AlamThe trojan horse affair upended education policy in the UK and gave rise to one of the most problematic policies, the prevent duty. If you haven’t already, The New York Times Serial podcast on the subject is worth a listen – Tahir and his colleagues were vindicated as concerned parents caught up in a systematic programme of islamophobia. Riaz Hasan and Muhammad Jalal caught up with Tahir Alam - the man at the centre of the scandal - to try to understand the broader motivations of government and others hell bent on tuning back the tide of young...2022-06-231h 17The Thinking MuslimOttoman Decline & Muslim Collective Amnesia with Dr Yakoob AhmedThe Ottoman state was the last Islamic Caliphate, that at its height brought diverse Muslims together under one banner. Yet, for a state that dominated world politics and created a unique order in the world, very little of its details are studied and understood by Muslims. According to Dr Yakoob Ahmed, my guest this week, this ‘collective amnesia’ was deliberately devised as a means to consolidate the modern nation state. I initially asked Dr Ahmed to discuss Ottoman decline, why this vast empire fell in 1924, but as you will hear – his rich understanding of Ottoman history takes the conversation to many f...2021-07-031h 38The Thinking MuslimIn Conversation with Mohamedou Slahi - the most tortured man in Guantanamo BayMohamedou Slahi’s period of unlawful detention in Guantanamo Bey has recently been portrayed in the film ‘The Mauritanian’. His resilience and sense of human dignity comes through in the movie. In this episode, we reached out to Mohamedou to find out about his fortitude, what gave him the ability to remain strong throughout his ordeal? I asked him about his childhood, the context of his arrest and his ability to contextualise his incarceration and not descend into bitterness. I start with some of our pre-formal discussion where he talks about the restrictions that remain upon him, which prevents him from t...2021-04-2746 minThe Thinking MuslimUnderstanding Ramadan Moonsighting with Ustadh Iyad HilalThe subject of the sighting of the moon has become a metaphor for our broader division as an ummah. We have disputes over the correct day to start and end Ramadan and invariably this leads to division. This weeks guest Ustadh Iyad Hilal argues that in origin what constitutes sighting has been subject to differences between the classical scholars. To insist on one way, as some Islamic groups do, in the absence of a caliphal authority, comes from a shallow understanding of the lawfulness of difference of opinion in Islam and contravenes notions of adab of iktilaaf. He talks through a...2021-04-101h 01The Thinking MuslimThe Mauritanian with Moazzam BeggIf you want to see a film that simultaneously depicts the horrors of man’s excessive barbarism but also the indominable spirit of human resilience, you have to watch The Mauritanian. Set in the legally dubious post-9/11 world, it tells the gripping story of Mohamedou Ould Slahi and his rendition to the infamous ex-Soviet airbase, Bagram in Afghanistan and then Guantanamo Bey. Slahi was falsely accused of links to Al-Qaeda and without recourse to due process, international treaties and conventions and the so-called cherished principles of the US constitution, he ended up spending 14-long years in Camp X-ray. Yet the po...2021-04-0344 minThe Thinking MuslimDemystifying social science and the religion of liberal economics with Dr Asad Zaman (Pakistan)The social sciences, the humanities, politics, geography and the like are looked upon with the same reverence as natural sciences. And the queen of these sciences is economic science. Economists in the new era have convinced us that they have unearthed the universal truth of human economic activity and the markets are infallible. We often hear newsreaders speak of ‘the markets’ as if they were a natural law, a deity that cannot be questioned.Our guest this episode is Dr Asad Zaman has a unique view of modern economics and he concludes capitalism is a house of cards masquerading as obje...2021-03-201h 04The Thinking MuslimThe plight of the Uyghur Muslims of Xinjiang - with Arslan HidayatThis week we shall be looking at the situation of the Muslim’s in China. Welcome to the first podcast of The Thinking Muslim, follow the show on @thinking_muslim and do remember to subscribe. For the past few years news about the plight of the Uyghurs in the restive north-western region of Xinjiang, known as East Turkestan, has gradually worsened. The destruction of Mosques; the use of technology to monitor every movement of the population, the banning of fasting in Ramadan, the introduction of Han Chinese visitors to each home to observe the family unit, the closing of Isl...2019-08-1246 min