The brutal attack which killed at least 50 people and wounded at least 50 more at a nightclub in Orlando last weekend has once again shaken this nation. The extended TV and press coverage (which I must confess I am unable to consume) chronicles in excruciating detail the events of that night and lists what… Read More »
Andy Stanley and Ramadan
A funny thing has happened to me a little over a week into observing Ramadan: I’ve been profoundly influenced by the Christian minister Andy Stanley. As I read those words, even to me it sounds a little odd. So what is this all about? One of the recommended disciplines of Ramadan is to read the… Read More »
Ramadan is Coming
The title of this piece draws from “Christmas is coming [and the goose is getting fat]” and draws on the personal and cultural excitement of the approach of Christmas – of the Holiday Season in general. As a kid I would become quite overwhelmed at that time – so much so that the emergence of… Read More »
Ostracizing Mainstream Muslims
I am as utterly revolted by ISIS and their grotesque acts as anybody I know, but while I share the sentiment that Western governments trying to negotiate directly with ISIS is no panacea for peace, equally I am deeply concerned by much of the public response is emotional and misdirected and will, I fear, exacerbate… Read More »
The Middle Way in the Middle East
The situation in the Middle East – Gaza and Palestine in particular – continues to fill my heart and my head with suffering. I suffer with my Jewish, Palestinian and Muslim friends, most of whom can see wrongs on all sides; but I also suffer with the many people I know who are of neither… Read More »
