SPIEGEL Surfs the Web: English in the Spotlight - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News

Everyone’s a critic — especially when it comes to language. The Internet offers them all a home. It also lets the pundits argue about a central question: What exactly is English?

Al-Ahram Weekly | Culture | Living in Arabic

The debate on the need to reform Islam, the Arabs and their language — by adopting demotic rather than classical Arabic — continues. Before his death last September Edward Said argued such a debate reflects an extraordinary lack of the quotidian experience of living in Arabic

Boing Boing: Hilarious essentialist comparisons of English and other tongues

Independent Online Edition >  Facelifts in Delhi, tummy tucks in Cape Town: UK’s cosmetic tourists go worldwide.

With a holiday on the beach thrown in or a few days on safari, the fashion for combining sun, surgery and savings makes for big business overseas, as Steve Bloomfield reports

Coffee high in health-giving anti-oxidants

But be moderate; and cut down on the sugar and stuff… 

Birth, death, balls and battles - Books - Times Online

It has no clear beginning, middle or end, but the first translation of War and Peace for 50 years reaffirms its greatness. Tolstoy brilliantly interweaves the historical and the personal, says Orlando Figes

Wired News: Flickr Fans to Yahoo: Flick Off!

A splinter faction of Flickr photo-sharing community members is threatening a symbolic "mass suicide" to protest closer integration with the website’s new owner, Yahoo.

Tariq Ramadan: What would traditional Sunni scholars say about him?

An answer by Sidi Hamza Karamali.

Professor Tariq Ramadan is a creative intellectual and committed social activist. He was born and raised in the West to a religious family and has dedicated his life to forging what he describes as a "Western Islam" that allows Muslims to retain their core religious principles while fully engaging in Western society as good citizens concerned for the well-being of their countrymen….

His keen insight into high-level strategy for Muslims in the West notwithstanding, Professor Ramadan is–as he describes himself–a reformist….

Iraq’s Unseen War: The Photos Washington Doesn’t Want You To See - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News

How to pray well — Hatim al-Asamm explains…

Abu Nu`aym relates in Hilyat al-Awliya [8.74], with his chain of transmission to Rabah ibn al-Harawi:

Isam ibn Yusuf passed by Hatim al-Asamm — one of the great early masters of the spiritual path — while he was speaking to a gathering. Isam said, "O Hatim! Do you pray well?" Hatim replied, "Yes."

Isam asked him, "How do you pray?"

Hatim responded…

NPR : Making Foreign Aid Work for Struggling Nations

Liane Hansen speaks with Nancy Birdsall, President of the Center for Global Development, about lessons from past attempts to help impoverished countries improve their economies. Birdsall recently co-authored the article "How to Help Poor Countries."

Online slog from Guardian Unlimited: Newsblog

An acrimonious industrial dispute is rocking the broadcasting world in Canada.

After talks over workers’ contracts failed, Canada’s public broadcaster locked out more than 5,000 workers - more than 60% of all staff - on August 15, leading to the decimation of CBC’s usual TV and radio programming. The remaining managers recycled programmes in an attempt to keep stations on the air.

NPR : Reviewing Multi-Culturalism in Britain

Since July’s transit-system attacks, the British have taken a hard look at the impact of diversity. Tariq Modood of the University of Bristol in Great Britain, discusses the concept of multi-culturalism with Scott Simon. [6 min]

Guardian Unlimited | Life | Middle Earth has different pace of life

Middle Earth really is a different place, and moves at a different pace. The planet’s solid iron core, which generates the planet’s magnetic field, sloshes around at speeds slightly different from the core’s outer shell, geologists report in the journal Science.

Can I delay giving up my virginity until my husband loses weight?

The Question: I recently married but have not yet consummated marriage. I love my husband very much, and I look forward to consummating our relationship. However, I know that it won'’t be enjoyable for me the first time, and my husband needs to really lose weight. So is it ok for me to hold off giving my virginity to him until loses weight?

The Observer | UK News | Shakespeare was a political rebel who wrote in code, claims author

A code-breaking book which aims to change the image of William Shakespeare and reveal him as a subversive who embedded dangerous political messages in his work is to be published in Britain.

My question is: did anyone understand it? If not, what was the point… ?

Bustan Natural Perfume

Folks, this perfume simply rocks. Beautiful beyond belief… Subhan Allah.

Like the description says:

A walled garden after the rain, Bustan evokes the whole fragrant garden experience. A base of Patchouli and Sandalwood enlivened with notes of Indian Rose and Egyptian Geranium.

CaravanSaray has a lot of other quality Islamic products… and you’ll find them at the ISNA Convention… 

Scattered Pictures: Reflections of an American Muslim. New Book Release by Imam Zaid Shakir. A collection of essays and articles.

"This collection of Zaid Shakir’s essays is long overdue. For some years now he has brought a clarity of mind and feeling to substantive issues challenging Muslims today. It is good to see some of his fire-fly, lightning bolt thinking captured in words and put between covers." - Michael Wolfe
 

Who needs parables - Janet Suzman - Tanner Lectures on Human Values (pdf)

Truth & Freedom News Can Google Talk Beat Skype?

Islamic Jordan

Jordan is a young country full of natural wonders - graced with sites, shrines and tombs of prophets and companions from the dawn of the Islamic faith.

New Scientist Breaking News - Erotic images can turn you blind

Audio: Alawi Sama’a - "I drew close to Layla’s neighborhood when I heard her call…"

By Shaykh al-Alawi. 

IslamOnline - Views Section Is Democracy Taking Hold in Iraq? Two opposing viewpoints on democracy and freedom in the war-torn country…

E-mail Addiction -American Prospect

MediaGuardian.co.uk | Media | Birt: TV needs more ’scholarship’ and less ‘cruelty’

Guardian Unlimited | Guardian daily comment | The contract with Muslims must not be torn up

Britain’s culture of tolerating radicalism is in the national interest and should not be swept away by the urge to get tough, says Michael Clarke, professor of defence studies at King’s College London and editor of Terrorist Attacks in Britain: The Next Phase.

NPR : Defying Syrian Authorities with a Camera Lens

SojoNet: Faith, Politics, and Culture

In 1972, the king of Bhutan declared that his Himalayan country (which is the size of Switzerland) would henceforth measure progress with gross national happiness instead of gross national product. It is still the only country in the world to do so.

This is an entirely appropriate decision for a country that treats happiness, not economic gain, as the goal of development. In inventing their government, Bhutan’s leaders asked themselves how to maintain balance between materialism and spiritualism while seeking the clear benefits of science and technology; the possible loss of tranquility and happiness with the advance of uncontrolled modernism was an abiding concern.

 Found via Minor Wisdom.

C.S. Lewis: The Inner Ring … On Making Good Men Do Bad Things [Free Republic]

Islam Online- News Section Livingstone to Sue Gov’t if Banning Qaradawi

Audio: Interview with Imran Khan on his spiritual transformation - MeccaOne

Language Log: JP versus FHC+CHF versus PJ versus HCF

On August 19, 2005, the journal Cognition posted on line a 19,000-word article by Tecumseh Fitch, Marc Hauser and Noam Chomsky, entitled "The evolution of the language faculty: Clarifications and implications" (free version here), referencing an additional 6,000-word appendix "The Minimalist Program". This is the third turn in a (so far) four-turn, three-year debate with Steve Pinker and Ray Jackendoff…

Islam’s ‘heart of darkness’ - Sh. Abdal Hakim Murad - The  Tablet

Wahhabism, the hardline ideology at the core of current terrorism, has cut deep wounds in Islam, and helped alienate young UK Muslims. Can a British version of Islam break free of its influence?

Zaytuna Institute & Academy

According to Imam al-Kattani, in his original work of scholarship Taratib al-idariyyah, the Prophet appointed a timekeeper in Medina to maintain sacred time for the community. Scholars understood from this that sacred timekeeping was an obligation binding upon some among the community (fard kifayah) in order to maintain correct prayer times as well as to determine days and months according the lunar calendar. Both fasting in Ramadan and performing hajj are individual obligations that the community of Muslims is required to maintain until the end of time, and both are solely determined by the lunar calendar.

Google Talk is released - The Office Weblog - office.weblogsinc.com _

See: Google Talk Download Page 

On English: Soyinka’s "Telephone Conversation" Soyinka’s "Telephone Conversation"

The price seemed reasonable, location
Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived
Off premises. Nothing remained
But self-confession. "Madame," I warned,
"I hate a wasted journey—I am African."
Silence. Silenced transmission of
Pressurized good breeding. Voice, when it came,
Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled
Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was, foully.
"HOW DARK?"… I had not misheard… "ARE YOU LIGHT
OR VERY DARK?" Button B. Button A. Stench
Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak…

 Soyinka’s "Telephone Conversation"

Islamic Relief - Sudan - Darfur: an unremitting crisis

Two million people have been driven from their villages because of fighting that began two years ago in Sudan’s troubled Darfur region. Today, the crisis is still unresolved, and they are unable to return home…

If angels are protected from sin, then how could Harut and Marut engage in magic?

Answered by Sidi Shariq Khan 

village voice > news > The Interpreter by Joy Press

Fareed Zakaria’s career reads like some crazy America fantasy: Neoconservative policy wonk becomes darling of the ultra-liberal Daily Show. Political columnist and editor of Newsweek International is dubbed an "intellectual heartthrob" by Jon Stewart. Upper-class Indian academic raised in mostly secular household becomes America’s favorite explainer of the Muslim world, regularly appearing on Charlie Rose, This Week With George Stephanopoulos, and now on his own weekly PBS news series…

Scholars Urge Dialogue to Combat Terror  - Islam Online - News Section

For those who know Arabic, you can listen to talks by leading Muslim scholars in condemnation of terrorism, including Dr. Wahba Zuhaili, Dr. Muhammad Said Ramadan al-Buti and others.

Undergraduate recruitment | In search of the ideal employer | Economist.com

Audio: Qasida Burda - Sayyid Furqan Qadri

Download Squad

Google’s recently released Google Desktop 2.0 beta, however, appears to be a whole different ball game…

Defining Conservatism Down

As the Right’s popularity has grown, its intellectual challenge to the Left has diminished.

Is it disrespecting sacred knowledge to pursue secular studies after studying in a dar ul uloom?

BBC NEWS | Programmes | Click Online | Search engine race gets personal

When you fire up your browser, do you go straight to a search engine, like Google, or do you go to a portal, like Yahoo or MSN? Spencer Kelly finds the battle for the number one spot is playing into our hands.

Part two: Portal race goes local and global

In Finland’s Footsteps

How to decide? There’s no financial difference; both forms of day care cost the parents nothing. There’s no difference in the schooling that will follow day care — all the kids in Kuhmo (and throughout Finland) will have essentially identical opportunities in Finnish schools, Europe’s best. There is no "elite" choice, no working-class choice; everyone is treated equally.

It’s a dilemma that American parents don’t have a chance to confront. And it’s a vivid example of the difference between what the Finns call a social democracyand our society. Finland is a leading example of the northern European view that a successful, competitive society should provide basic social services to all its citizens at affordable prices or at no cost at all. This isn’t controversial in Finland; it is taken for granted. For a patriotic American like me, the Finns present a difficult challenge: If we Americans are so rich and so smart, why can’t we treat our citizens as well as the Finns do?

Calligraphy: "Your Mercy, O Lord!" Written by the contemporary Turkish calligrapher, Ustadh Muhammad Ozjay.

Seth riffs on “urgency” - The Office Weblog - office.weblogsinc.com

It applies to individuals too… Subhan Allah…