Not to be confused with South Africa, the country, Southern Africa is a subtropical and temperate region comprising many culturally, ethnically and religiously diverse nations, including Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and the vast desert in the middle formed into the shape of Namibia. Southern Africa's varying success is connected to its rich natural resources: Zambia is laden with copper mines, while neighbouring countries hold the world's largest deposits of platinum, uranium and gold; South Africa is well- known for its diamonds, which only partly explain its status as Africa's richest country. Yet the region's potential for prosperity remains blocked by legacies of the colonial scramble for Africa. South Africa still struggles with the trauma of apartheid, while World Bank debts have hollowed out the financial capacity of countries like Zambia and Mozambique. Meanwhile, China is expanding its influence through trade and cultural cooperation. This issue lifts the lid on an oft-neglected region and asks what we can know about Southern Africa--past, present and future.

As 2023 marks the 300th birthday of Adam Smith, ‘Father of Capitalism’, capital apparently makes the world go round—but, as this issue explores, it is not the only structure we can use to orchestrate interactions, transactions and the business of conducting our lives. As permacrisis engulfs the planet, capitalism seems unfit for purpose, moving between hero and villain in our increasingly complex world. This issue considers capital as acquisition, mentality, a place to live, and a severely unjust basis upon which we seem to exist. Can the system hold? What might lie beyond a capital state of mind?

Hannah Arendt spoke of the banality of evil--the normalisation of the unutterable, simply because that was how things were in any given place and time. Is evil really so disappointing? We expect evil to be dramatic, unfathomable and remarkable; the workings of a twisted genius, a fallen angel, Iblis. But what if the mediocre perpetuate it, the followers, the weak, the masses? What defines evil? What is the devil's greatest trick in our contemporary world? Some even claim evil no longer exists--if it ever did. The greying morality of postmodernism begs the question of whether one can even be good.

Third Text is an international scholarly journal dedicated to providing critical perspectives on art and visual culture. Third Text addresses the complex cultural realities that emerge when different worldviews meet, and the challenge this poses to Eurocentrism and ethnocentric aesthetic criteria.

This book, first published in 1977, aims to present a Muslim view of development and highlights some of the related issues that were being debated in the Muslim world. The author outlines the parameters of the Muslim world as well as the Muslim world-view, and provides an analysis of science, science policy and Muslim culture. This title will be of interest to students of economic and social policy, as well as students of Middle Eastern studies.

Few books have had a more profound impact on human history than the Qur'an. It shapes the beliefs, lives and behaviour of over 1.5 billion Muslims, who regard it as the Word of God, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. Speaking directly to Muslims, it has been the basic source of law, morality and politics for over 1,400 years. Almost everything that happens in a Muslim society is a direct or indirect product of what the Qur'an says. But what does the Qur'an really say? How should it be read and interpreted? What is the significance of its teachings, if any, for the 21st century? In this enlightening and highly readable book, Ziauddin Sardar, one of the foremost Muslim intellectuals of our time, offers a refreshingly new interpretation of the Qur'an. Emphasising plurality and inclusiveness, Sardar demonstrates the importance of reading the verses of the Qur'an in the context in which they were revealed, and highlights the relevance of its teachings for today. Sardar reads the Qur'an from several perspectives.He begins with the traditional, verse-by-verse interpretations and subsequently shows how the multilayered verses and stories of the Sacred Text are open to a number of different and more enlightening interpretations. He also reads the Quran thematically, exploring its basic concepts and themes, painting a dynamic picture of the kind of society that the Qur'an aims to create. Also scrutinised is what the Qur'an says about such contemporary topics as power and politics, the rights of women, suicide, domestic violence, sex, homosexuality, the veil, freedom of expression and evolution. Throughout, Sardar uses several different methods, from traditional exegesis to hermeneutics, critical theory and cultural analysis to draw fresh and contemporary lessons from the Sacred Text. He shows what the Qur'an means to individuals like himself, why its interpretation has been so controversial throughout history, and how translations can be used to promote misunderstanding as well as enlightenment. Argumentative and lively, Reading the Qur'an is an insightful guide to understanding the Sacred Text of Muslims in these conflict-ridden and distressing times.Whatever one believes or does not believe, the central importance of the Qur'an in today's globalised world cannot be ignored.

This book, first published in 1977, aims to present a Muslim view of development and highlights some of the related issues that were being debated in the Muslim world. The author outlines the parameters of the Muslim world as well as the Muslim world-view, and provides an analysis of science, science policy and Muslim culture. This title will be of interest to students of economic and social policy, as well as students of Middle Eastern studies.

The management of social, religious and ethnic diversity is a key social policy concern in Britain, and Muslims in particular have become a focus of attention in recent years. This timely and topical volume examines the position of Muslims in Britain and how they are changing and making social, political and religious space. With contributions from world renowned scholars on British Muslims and from policy makers writing on issues of concern to Muslims and others alike, the book explores how British Muslims are changing social and religious spaces such as mosques and the role of women, engaging in politics, creating media and other resources, and thus developing new perspectives on Islam and transforming Muslim society from within. Chapters cover issues of religion and politics, Britishness, governance, parallel lives, gender issues, religion in civic space, ethnicity, and inter ethnic and religious relations, as well as the role of intellectuals, chaplains and activists in reforming Islam and renovating the British political landscape. Providing a broad and comprehensive examination of the key issues surrounding Muslims in the UK, this book will be a valuable resource for students, lecturers and researchers in sociology, social policy, geography, politics, Islamic studies and other related disciplines.

The management of social, religious and ethnic diversity is a key social policy concern in Britain, and Muslims in particular have become a focus of attention in recent years. This timely and topical volume examines the position of Muslims in Britain and how they are changing and making social, political and religious space. With contributions from world renowned scholars on British Muslims and from policy makers writing on issues of concern to Muslims and others alike, the book explores how British Muslims are changing social and religious spaces such as mosques and the role of women, engaging in politics, creating media and other resources, and thus developing new perspectives on Islam and transforming Muslim society from within. Chapters cover issues of religion and politics, Britishness, governance, parallel lives, gender issues, religion in civic space, ethnicity, and inter ethnic and religious relations, as well as the role of intellectuals, chaplains and activists in reforming Islam and renovating the British political landscape. Providing a broad and comprehensive examination of the key issues surrounding Muslims in the UK, this book will be a valuable resource for students, lecturers and researchers in sociology, social policy, geography, politics, Islamic studies and other related disciplines.

Postmodernism is often presented as a theory of liberation that promotes pluralism and gives representation to the marginalized peoples of the non-West and Other cultures. This book offers an examination of postmodernism from a non-Western perspective. It argues that the claims of postmodernism are a sham. By making a systematic assessment of the main spheres of postmodernism - from philosophy, art and architecture to film, television, pop music and consumer lifestyles and new age religions - it sets out to reveal that, contrary to commonly-held notions, postmodernism in fact operates to further marginalize the non-West and confound its aspirations. In this outspoken testimony it is asserted that, while there is superficial reference to the Other, the people of the non-West are actually redundant in the postmodern present and irrelevent to its future. The book offers ways in which the non-West can counter the postmodern assault and survive with their histories, identities and cultures intact.

Saliha, translated, means 'virtuous'. A question becomes timeless not because it lacks an answer, but also because it requires revisiting as contexts change. So, in our ever- changing, post-normal world, the time is ripe to ask: What does it mean to be a good person or to bring out the good in others or society? Whereas 'virtues discourse' largely revolves around ethics dominated by Ancient Greek and modern or contemporary Western thought, this issue seeks a more critical analysis of Islamic and other non-Western virtues. We will explore other, less-often-heard, harder-to- name virtues, fit for the present era.

Is our existence in the world a set of separate moving parts to which we must continuously adapt? Or is life a series of transitions as we evolve our understanding of what goes on around and within ourselves in order to realise an authentic self? Transitions can be sought or imposed, external and internal; deemed either a threat to social cohesion or a sign of progress. All around us is continual change—in the climate, the seasons, our bodies as we age, and from era to era since time began. Are transitional phases important moments in themselves, merely marking the end of one set of conditions as another takes over? Much has been made of Islam and Muslims being in a state of transition, whether assessing Islam’s compatibility with modernity or with modernisation. This issue examines what it means to transition, what we can expect when we are in transition, and whether transitions are inevitable, for better or worse.

History is not just a subject taught in school. It is the lived reality of tradition that informs and, at times, colonises our present. So, any project that wishes to see us smoothly into the future must begin with a thorough analysis of the past. History is also not as simple as we once thought: the reality of inequalities and bias that plague the present condition also run backward into our past, white-washing and leaving out certain details, even telling blatant lies. Revisionism and postmodernism further complicate the matter. In this issue, the rich and contentious history of Islam will be critically analysed; along the way, insight will be provided into the larger human story. As various articles debunk old narratives and illuminate lost perspectives, the hope is that lessons from the past can be properly considered, so that the same blunders that have toppled civilisations are not doomed to repeat themselves. About 'Critical Muslim': A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centres on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

Mecca is the heart of Islam. It is the birthplace of Muhammad, the direction towards which Muslims turn when they pray and the site of pilgrimage which annually draws some three million Muslims from all corners of the world. Yet Mecca's importance goes beyond religion. What happens in Mecca and how Muslims think about the political and cultural history of Mecca has had and continues to have a profound influence on world events to this day. In this captivating book, Ziauddin Sardar unravels the significance of Mecca. Tracing its history, from its origins as a 'barren valley' in the desert to its evolution as a trading town and sudden emergence as the religious centre of a world empire, Sardar examines the religious struggles and rebellions in Mecca that have powerfully shaped Muslim culture. Interweaving stories of his own pilgrimages to Mecca with those of others, Sardar offers a unique insight into not just the spiritual aspects of Mecca - the passion, ecstasy and longing it evokes - but also the conflict between heritage and modernity that has characterised its history. He unpeels the physical, social and cultural dimensions that have helped transform the city and also, though accounts of such Orientalist travellers as Richard Burton and Charles Doughty, the strange fascination that Mecca has long inspired in the Western imagination. And, ultimately, he explores what this tension could mean for Mecca's future. An illuminative, lyrical and witty blend of history, reportage and memoir, this outstanding book reflects all that is profound, enlightening and curious about one of the most important religious sites in the world.

As Critical Muslim celebrates ten years of insight and thought, the theme of biography fittingly challenges its readers: to reflect on our past, our memories and our stories, and to look ahead towards what we may leave behind for the stories yet to be told. Stories have always been an essential aspect of human society- from the cave paintings in Sulawesi, dating back over 43,000 years, and oral tales conveyed from bard to audience, to the written word, and now the projected image, on screens large and small. As memory and history become increasingly important for a deeper understanding of the present and our emerging futures, this issue explores how biography allows for something more personal-for the myths and fables of childhood to come to life-and offers snapshots of history to be opened up. We explore a rich historical tradition of biography in Islamic societies, and explore the ways biographies have influenced Muslim thought and culture. Through biography, we can learn much about ourselves, by stepping out of our own worlds and taking on the lives of others.

The rise of populism in the US and Europe is the focus of this issue of Critical Muslim. It will explore issues and trends that led to Brexit and the emergence of President Trump. There will be essays on American populism, the emergence of far right movements in France, the Netherlands and Scandinavia, the impact of rising Islamophobia on Muslim communities in the US and Europe, the characteristics of charismatic leaders, the skills of demagoguery, fake and not-so-fake news, populist Muslim preachers, and the representation of 'white trash' in films. Plus reviews, fiction, poetry and our list of top ten demagogues.

We pay a great deal of attention to pursuit of knowledge, but overlook its constant companion: ignorance. Where our world is inundated with information, from 24-hour news and social media and the internet of things, what we do not know can be just as important as what we do. Agnotology-the study of ignorance-is a rising field of inquiry, and set to become increasingly important as reforms to education and knowledge creation rattle the foundations of traditional disciplines. Ignorance has rapidly proliferated in the early twenty-first century. Since US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld penned his famous memo on known knowns, unknown knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns, it has become a key, yet unseen, factor in global decision-making-in politics, business, and various complex networks exemplified by Covid-19. In this issue, ignorance is given its long overdue analysis, and its role in our chaotic times examined. About 'Critical Muslim': A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centres on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

The World Wide Web exploded into public consciousness in 1995, a year which saw the coming of age of the Internet. People are communicating, working, shopping, learning, and entertaining themselves, as well as satisfying carnal desires and even finding God through the simple act of connecting their computers to the wide universe of cyberspace.

We are assured, at the same time, that this progress will have profound effects on work, culture, leisure--everything, including the ways in which we interact with each other. Yet just what these effects will be, how power will be distributed, and what recourse will be available to those adversely affected by the new technologies, are issues that have yet to be negotiated. Aside from the occasional panic over cyber-porn, few have considered the wide-ranging effects of our increasing reliance on interactive technologies.

"Cyberfutures" offers a close examination of issues that will become increasingly important as computers, networks, and technologies occupy crucial roles in our everyday lives. Comprised of essays from a range of occupational and disciplinary perspectives, including those of Vivian Sobchack and Arturo Escobar, this volume makes essential reading for students in cultural and media studies, anthropology, as well as for citizens interested in considering the larger implications of the Information Superhighway.

What is the ultimate destination? Is it a place, a state of mind, or a vision of how we would like things to be? Slick airline adverts tell us it’s the journey, not the destination, that matters--but the selfie generation is all about capturing, filtering and digitally preserving the destination, in all its Instagrammable glory. How has ‘the destination’ evolved in our rapidly changing times? Whether it is a physical reality that we yearn for, a spiritual reckoning or an introspective quest to find one's self, this issue of Critical Muslim explores what it means to want to get there, and maybe even how our original goals--even the destination--may change, wherever or whenever they may be. About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

The sacred and the revered, the divine and the musealised, relics have long been integral to Islamic practice. Wahhabisation has cast a modernist spectre over celebrated traditions such as the visiting of shrines and pilgrimages to the birthplaces of beloved religious figures, yet these rituals continue to thrive. In this issue of Critical Muslim, we look at footprints ascribed to the Prophet Muhammad, to Adam and to Jesus. We pay our respects to Sufi saints, who may or may not be Islamicised versions of the Buddha, and we ask whether tradition is nothing more than a relic of times gone by. About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

Music is haram, goes the old adage. This issue of Critical Muslim begs to differ, as Jeremy Henzell-Thomas urges the ummah to move forward from its anxieties that music is a licentious influence. Celebrating the rich tradition of musical arts throughout the Muslim world, we are invited to private audiences with performers from Bollywood to Central Asia and are offered an insight into the life of a Muslim punk in 1970s Britain. Putting the Muslim into classical music and the Islam into heavy metal, every genre is brought in from the theological cold. Critical Muslim is a quarterly magazine of ideas and issues showcasing ground breaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world.

How does one navigate the rich cultural and political geography of West Africa? Mapping the diverse manifestations of Islamic influence, this issue of Critical Muslim brings together the resplendent but manifold articulations of Muslim and African identity. From the forest Kingdom of precolonial Ashanti to the cultural theatres of free and independent Senegal, Islam astounds nobility and flirts with creativity. A human story of struggle, living, belonging, and daring unfolds. About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

How is the future changing? Is there a single determinant future or a plethora of alternative futures? How do we actually study futures and can we trust anything anyone says about 'the future'? Are Muslim societies prepared for the coming tsunami of change? This issue of Critical Muslim takes a searching look at all things 'futures', from trends to scenarios, from Sofia the Robot to weaponised code, and from Afrofuturism to climate change. It explores what images and metaphors of the future say about the present. With contributions from a string of noted futurists including Sohail Inayatullah, Wendy Schultz, Christopher Jones, Jordi Serra and others. About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

We are often led to believe that liberty is synonymous with freedom--but is that really so? And what does it entail? In this issue of Critical Muslim, we explore who defines the liberty we are told we enjoy, and how our worldviews impact the ways we assert our liberty. How can we achieve a balance between individual liberty and social responsibility? How do we establish the public good, and which groups among us are asked to curtail their liberty for collective benefit? Just what is the connection between freedom of speech, rights of minorities, and state security? Has the notion of liberty been rendered meaningless? If liberty involves freedom for all to do as they wish, what dangers does it raise for the society as a whole? Should faith communities expect to confine their liberty to the law of the land in which they reside, even if this is contrary to their religious values? Our writers explore these and other questions to understand how we construct our understanding around the idealised notion of liberty. About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centres on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

Hassan Mahamdallie walks the streets of Detroit - the city America allowed to die, Ziauddin Sardar visits the 'first city' at the crossroads of Asia, Boyd Tonkin is shocked at the new gleaming cultural capitals of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Robert Irwin unearths Basra during the Abbasid period, Kevin Ovenden looks at modern-day Athens in turmoil, Judy Cox sees London through the visions of William Blake and Nazry Bahrawi takes in the nostalgia and popular culture of Singapore. Also in this issue past and present explorations of Lahore, Melbourne, Istanbul, a photo essay on the dreams of the migrant workers of the Gulf and the last word column by Myriam Francois-Cerrah.