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.

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There has been what can only be described as an intense disinformation campaign in recent days regarding Syria. If we were to believe it, there exists an unholy alliance of the American right, Assadists, Iranian propagandists, and Russian trolls who argue the new Syrian government is intent on eradicating minorities in the western coastal cities and towns of Syria. Much of this has been driven by naked propaganda to undermine the new liberated Syria. However, is there any truth in the claims that civilians have been caught up and perhaps even targeted in reprisals as forces attempt to deal with a pro-Assad insurgency? And how should we understand the demands of Israel, which has suddenly become the protectors of the Druze in the south? Are we poised to see sectarianism used as an excuse to destabilise the new Syria?

To assist us in untangling fact from fiction, we have Hussam Ayloush on the show. He is the CEO of the California chapter Cair (Council on American Islamic Relations) and hails from Damascus, Syria.

You can find Hussam Ayloush here:

X: https://x.com/HussamA

Also, for the past 16 months, we all know how difficult it has been for food and essential supplies to reach the beleaguered people of Gaza. This, Insha'Allah, is changing. We have partnered with a charity, Baitulmaal, because now, more than ever, there is a need not only in Gaza but also in Turkish controlled Northern Syria and in all the places we routinely talk about in this program where our ummah is subject to abject poverty. We have chosen this charity because Baitulmaal is a non-profit with people on the ground who organize well-thought-out projects and serve the most needy.

To donate to their Critical Aid campaign, please visit the link on our screen now and in the description.

To donate to Baitulmaal's Critical Aid campaign, please visit:

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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.

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Books on Kashmir

Victoria Schofield - Kashmir in Conflict

Victoria Schofield - The History of Kashmir

Alastair Lamb - The Birth of a Tragedy

Alastair Lamb - A Disputed Legacy

Christopher Snedden - The Unwritten History of Kashmir

Khalid Bashir - Kashmir: Exposing the Myths Behind the Narrative

Shah Nalik Haider Chadura - Tarikh-e-Kashmir

Mridu Rai - Hindu Rulers, Muslim Subjects: Islam, Rights, and the History of Kashmir

Assorted Authors - Do You Remember Kunan Poshpora?

Sanjay Kak - Until My Freedom Has Come: The New Intifada in Kashmir

It was the great Mughal emperor Jahanghir who said about Kashmir, Gar firdaus, ruhe zamin ast, hamin asto, hamin asto, hamin ast - If there is a paradise on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here.

For 76 years, this beautiful land and its wonderful people have been under Indian occupation. In 1947, upon partition, the original settlement between the principalities and the Indian government was to create an autonomous region, where the vastly Muslim population would govern themselves under Indian sovereignty. Over the successive decades and governments, this agreement has been eroded and today Kashmir is one of the most heavily militarised places in the world.

Yet we do not talk enough about Kashmir and the plight of its Muslims. To set the record straight I am honoured to have on the show Dr Muzammil Thakkur who is the President of World Kashmir Freedom Movement.

You can find Dr Thakkur here:

X: https://x.com/M_A_Thakur

To donate to Baitulmaal's Critical Aid campaign, please visit:

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Pakistan 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 country, to share with us his experience and understanding of the underlying power dynamics of the country.

SherAli K. Tareen is the author of the award-winning books “Defending Muhammad in Modernity” (2020) and “Perilous Intimacies: Debating Hindu-Muslim Friendship after Empire” (2023) – he is currently a professor of religious studies at Franklin and Marshall College

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.

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Also, for the past 16 months, we all know how difficult it has been for food and essential supplies to reach the beleaguered people of Gaza. This, Insha'Allah, is changing. We have partnered with a charity, Baitulmaal, because now, more than ever, there is a need not only in Gaza but also in Turkish controlled Northern Syria and in all the places we routinely talk about in this program where our ummah is subject to abject poverty. We have chosen this charity because Baitulmaal is a non-profit with people on the ground who organize well-thought-out projects and serve the most needy.

To donate to their Critical Aid campaign, please visit the link on our screen now and in the description. Please do remember that charity never reduces our risk and gives Barakah to our wealth.

You can find Professor SherAli Tareen here:

X: https://x.com/SheraliTareen

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The 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.

Also, for the past 16 months, we all know how difficult it has been for food and essential supplies to reach the beleaguered people of Gaza. This, Insha'Allah, is changing. We have partnered with a charity, Baitulmaal, because now, more than ever, there is a need not only in Gaza but also in Turkish controlled Northern Syria and in all the places we routinely talk about in this program where our ummah is subject to abject poverty. We have chosen this charity because Baitulmaal is a non-profit with people on the ground who organize well-thought-out projects and serve the most needy.

To donate to their Critical Aid campaign, please visit the link on our screen now and in the description. Please do remember that charity never reduces our risk and gives Barakah to our wealth.

You can find Sami Hamdi here:

X: https://x.com/SALHACHIMI

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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.

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We often associate Ramadan with seeking closeness to God, which is its aim. A believer abstains from food and drink in the daylight hours to commit themselves to Allah. We draw closer to him through worships and good deeds and this is a month of charity. Muslims give more in this month than any other time in the year, hoping that our sincerity reaches Allah and in the process he overlooks our failings.

But in many ways Ramadan stands as a denunciation of capitalism, the insatiable wants, greed, selfishness and gluttony. It teaches us to focus on what is important – family, ummah, justice and of course our own salvation. This is the argument of Imam Tom Facchine, who joins us today. Imam Tom Facchine is research director at Yaqeen institution.

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To donate to Baitul Maal's Critical Aid campaign, please visit Donate at http://btml.us/thinkingmuslim - Please do remember that charity never reduces our risk and gives Barakah to our wealth.

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Bait ul Maqdis – the sacred precinct in Palestine - is a blessed place in Islam – but today, we have downplayed maybe its centrality to what it means to a believer. From my last conversation with Dr Khalid El-Awaisi – where he controversially said that al Aqsa and these blessed lands have to be more clearly central to our faith and worldview – we want to explore how we practically manifest this nearness to Bait ul Maqdis and Palestine.

Dr Khalid El-Awaisi is from Hebron, Al Khalil, in Palestine. He is a lecturer in the pioneering field of Islamic Jerusalem Studies. He is an Associate Professor of Islamic History at the Social Sciences University of Ankara.

You can find You can find Dr Khalid El- Awaisi here:

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At the time of recording, the German election results have just been announced, revealing an extraordinary outcome for the far-right AFD party, which came second in the Bundestag (parliamentary) elections with 20% of the popular vote, primarily from the country's East but also among some younger voters in the West. The opposition CDU party, led by Friedrich Merz, is on track for victory but will need to negotiate with either its traditional adversaries, the SDP, led by former Chancellor Scholz, or the minority parties. The AFD openly calls for the repatriation of ‘non-Germans,’ wherein ‘German’ is defined through a cultural and racial lens. Elon Musk has expressed support for the AFD, having spoken at one of its rallies. The party is avowedly anti-Islam and aims for a Germany free of Muslims. So, how do Muslims in Germany respond to these unprecedented and potentially challenging times ahead?

We are pleased to have Marcel Krass with us today. Marcel Krass converted to Islam in 1995 at the age of 18. Since 2007, he has been active in German Dawah and, alhamdulillah, is well known throughout the country. His specialty is Quranic Arabic, which he studied and now teaches at his institute, Deen Akademie, founded in 2020. Since 2018, he has been the spokesman for the Muslim civil rights organisation, Federal Islamic Union.

For the past 16 months, we all know how difficult it has been for food and essential supplies to reach the beleaguered people of Gaza. This, Insha'Allah, is changing. We have partnered with a charity, Baitulmaal, because now, more than ever, there is a need not only in Gaza but also in Turkish controlled Northern Syria and in all the places we routinely talk about in this program where our ummah is subject to abject poverty. We have chosen this charity because Baitulmaal is a non-profit with people on the ground who organize well-thought-out projects and serve the most needy.

To donate to their Critical Aid campaign, please visit the link on our screen now and in the description. Please do remember that charity never reduces our risk and gives Barakah to our wealth.

You can find Marcel Krass here:

X: https://x.com/marcelkrass?lang=en-GB

IG: https://www.instagram.com/marcelkrass/?hl=en

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

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