Sufi of Suburbia: Struggles of a Muslim identity in Bangladesh

Shahana Siddiqui.

Published in Forum on 7 February 2010.

This piece takes a journey of self-discovery while trying to understand the notion of the Bengali Muslim identity.

All America is hallowed ground for freedom

Bridget Kustin

Published in the Washington Post on 30 August 2010.

This piece explores the state of tolerance in the United States in the context of the ‘Ground Zero Mosque’.

Live and Let Live

Faisal Gazi

Published by Forum on 3 August 2009.

This piece explains why secularism is key to Islam.

What Sheikh Hasina should do now

Mridul Chowdhury
Publised in the Daily Star on 31 Dec 2008.

WE have made history! Not only in the national context, but also in the global context. Just when many were thinking that our country was increasingly falling within the grip of Islamic fundamentalists and that their religion-based fear-mongering campaigning was working, the people of this nation have spoken with decisiveness.

The secular vote bloc

Naeem Mohaiemen

Published by the Daily Star on 29 Dec 2008.

STANDING at many intersections. What were the arguments in favour of secularism? In the 1960s, a push-back against West Pakistani colonisation. In 1971, it was simply and joyfully, a decisive rejection of the Pakistan model. Later in the 1980s, it was also expanded to explain that religion was for private space, inner life, spiritual healing; but not for politics. Now in this decade, we also insistently emphasise that religion is to be respected (because secularism’s critics falsely accuse it of being anti-religion), but it should not be involved in the running of the state.