Zahed Amanullah
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EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Zahed Amanullah
London, England
Zahed Amanullah has been Associate Editor of altmuslim.com since 2002 and full time Executive Editor as of 2009. He is a founding member of AMILA (American Muslims Intent on Learning and Activism). He has been involved with a number of American Muslim organisations including the Islamic Center of Southern California and the Muslim Public Affairs Council before relocating to London, England in 2003. He has been featured in a number of media outlets, including BBC TV and radio, the Guardian (UK), CNN International, Alternet and many others. Zahed has also served as an advisor to a variety of organisations including Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society and the US State Department on matters dealing with extremism, integration, technology, and media. Born and raised in Southern California, he is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. | |
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 | | | Movie: "The Infidel" | |
“The Infidel” finds a happy place By Zahed Amanullah, April 9, 2010 Some thought that David Baddiel and Omid Djilali's new film The Infidel, opening today in the UK, would offend with its premise that a Muslim finds out he was born Jewish. But so far, Muslims love it - and you will too.  ( No comments) |
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 | | | Year in review | |
The top ten good news stories of 2009 By Zahed Amanullah, January 3, 2010 The year 2009 has brought with it stories from the Muslim world both good and bad.. though this year, things seemed particularly bleak. But being the optimistic types, we now present you with the good ones once again. ( 1 comment) |
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 | | | Hizb-ut-Tahrir and the media | |
Gotcha Islamism By Zahed Amanullah, October 27, 2009 As a recent incident on Britain's Islam Channel shows, the often subversive use of the media by the global pan-Islamist group Hizb-ut-Tahrir speaks to the difficulties the group has with its image and worldview. ( 4 comments) |
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 | | | British parliamentary candidate Osama Saeed | |
Muslims in Europe: The Scottish example By Zahed Amanullah, July 1, 2009 The Scottish National Party (SNP) has a new candidate for British Parliament from one of its key districts in Glasgow - activist Osama Saeed. But what's a young Glaswegian Muslim doing running with a nationalist party in Europe? We speak to Saeed to find out. ( 1 comment) |
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 | | | Obituary: Michael Jackson | |
The way he made us feel By Zahed Amanullah, June 26, 2009 Like him or not, Michael Jackson, who passed away this week at 50, had an intriguing and tangential relationship to Islam in addition to his many controversies. Nevertheless, he was loved by millions of Muslims for his music and talent. ( 2 comments) |
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 | | | Author Shelina Zahra Janmohamed | |
“Life is on hold until you get married” By Zahed Amanullah, April 3, 2009 Author Shelina Zahra Janmohamed sits down with us to discuss the issues brought up in her new book Love in a Headscarf, which documents Janmohamed's search for a partner in a landscaped blurred by culture clashes, mixed identities, and double standards. ( 19 comments) |
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 | | | American Muslims | |
Thriving in America? By Zahed Amanullah, March 3, 2009 Headline figures from a new Gallup poll – which say that Muslims are doing better in the US than the UK – don't tell the whole story. Applying one country's model to the other won't complete the story either. ( 53 comments) |
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 | | | Former Dutch MP Fadime Örgü | |
Muslims in Europe: The Dutch example By Zahed Amanullah, February 23, 2009 With all the challenges Muslims in Europe face, it's hard to find examples of social and economic progress. But Muslim communities in the Netherlands are making a difference - and former Dutch MP Fadime Örgü was at the centre of it. ( 1 comment) |
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 | | | Extremism and the media | |
The talented Mr. Butt By Zahed Amanullah, February 16, 2009 Former Al Muhajiroun activist Hassan Butt sold a compelling story to the media and governments about radicalization. By admitting he made it all up, Butt exposed the weaknesses of systems put in place to protect and inform the public. ( 6 comments) |
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 | | | Barack Obama | |
The PR president By Zahed Amanullah, January 27, 2009 Just one week into his presidency, Barack Obama is setting the tone for a new relationship with the Muslim world that differs dramatically from his predecessor. But success will depend on following through with his actions. ( 4 comments) |
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 | | | European Muslims | |
A declaration of independents By Zahed Amanullah, December 12, 2008 A new European Muslim media network aims to bridge the divide between Muslims and non-Muslims in Europe, as well as between European Muslims themselves. The Internet, along with a better understanding of media, is making it possible. ( 1 comment) |
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 | | | Assalamu aleikum, Mr. President | |
Obama prevailed. So will we By Zahed Amanullah, November 5, 2008 President-elect Barack Obama has endured the most sustained and aggressive onslaught of anti-Muslim hysteria ever foisted on the American public. So have American Muslims. ( 131 comments) |
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 | | | Imam Warith Deen Mohammad | |
The imam cares By Zahed Amanullah, September 10, 2008 Imam Warith Deen Mohammad spent much of his life keeping a low profile while at the same time leaving a lasting impression on the greater Muslim American landscape. ( 15 comments) |
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 | | | Language and extremism | |
You say jihadi, I say extremist By Zahed Amanullah, May 5, 2008 The struggle against extremism has turned into a larger struggle over the use of Islamic terminology. It's a struggle the pragmatists among mainstream Muslims and Western governments are winning. ( 6 comments) |
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 | | | Kosovo independence | |
State of confusion By Zahed Amanullah, February 25, 2008 Young Kosovo has the potential to become the kind of Muslim country Europe has been dreaming of. But how long can it last with its current diplomatic and religious isolation? ( 5 comments) |
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 | | | Islamic law in the West | |
One man’s sharia By Zahed Amanullah, February 11, 2008 Nothing gets a debate going more than proposing the introduction of Sharia law in the West. That goes for non-Muslims too. ( 6 comments) |
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 | | | Crisis in Gaza | |
Turning out the lights By Zahed Amanullah, January 23, 2008 With every Palestinian crisis, such as the one currently occurring in Gaza, there is a sense that neither side knows how to respond next. In the meantime, only the innocents suffer. ( 25 comments) |
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 | | | Educator Sadek Hamid | |
“Muslim youth work has yet to be understood” By Zahed Amanullah, November 16, 2007 Doctoral student Sadek Hamid has created Britain's first university degree programme in Muslim youth social work. We speak to him to find out how programmes like his can make a difference. ( 1 comment) |
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 | | | Extreme literature | |
War of words By Zahed Amanullah, November 8, 2007 Once again, scary literature has been found at Islamic bookstores and mosques. If Muslims continue to be careless about the books they sell, those books will continue to be exploited against us. ( 25 comments) |
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 | | | Tablighi Jamaat | |
Mega mosque, mega problems By Zahed Amanullah, October 3, 2007 London's proposed Abbeymills mosque has been a lightning rod for allegations of extremism by its proponents, the isolationist and conservative Tablighi Jamaat movement. They may have learned from the experience. ( 22 comments) |
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 | | | Khalil Gibran Academy | |
Little Rock in the Big Apple By Zahed Amanullah, September 7, 2007 The controversial opening of an Arabic-language school in New York revives memories of the school integration struggles in Little Rock, Arkansas fifty years ago. ( 4 comments) |
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 | | | José Padilla verdict | |
A flawed victory By Zahed Amanullah, August 20, 2007 Forced to reveal its hand in the Jose Padilla case, the US dropped its "dirty bomb" scenario in favor of a lesser conviction and an admission of no direct threat. Gone with it is the rationale for his detention. ( No comments) |
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 | | | Muslim response to terror | |
The mother of all non-sequiturs By Zahed Amanullah, July 8, 2007 Tony Blair and George Bush sold the Iraq war to a jittery public by conflating it with an increased risk of terrorism. In opposing them, why on earth do Muslims insist on doing the same? ( 42 comments) |
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 | | | Terrorism in the UK | |
A shifting terror strategy emerges By Zahed Amanullah, July 2, 2007 Many people might be relieved at the apparent lack of a homegrown element in the recent London and Glasgow bombing attempts. But there is still much to worry about. ( 30 comments) |
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 | | | Guantanamo Bay detainees | |
Poetic justice By Zahed Amanullah, June 26, 2007 The courts agree, the public agrees, and now, the Bush adminstration agrees. But will the desire to close Guantanamo mean that detainees will have their day in court? ( 1 comment) |
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 | | | Turkish elections | |
In Turkey, democracy and secularism collide By Zahed Amanullah, May 24, 2007 The presidential crisis in Turkey is less about Islam and more about the role of that country's powerful military in protecting secularism. If democracy works, neither one needs to suffer. ( 2 comments) |
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 | | | Pakistan Judiciary | |
A misjudged reaction to reform By Zahed Amanullah, March 26, 2007 A decision by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to attempt to dismiss Pakistan's chief justice has strained the countries patience in dealing with his extraconstitutional tendencies. ( 12 comments) |
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 | | | Hijab & soccer | |
Butting heads over headscarves in Quebec By Zahed Amanullah, March 3, 2007 Eleven year old Asmahan Mansour was ejected from a soccer game in Quebec for wearing a hijab, despite being allowed everywhere else she played. FIFA's failure to back her raises more questions. ( 46 comments) |
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 | | | Hamas and Fatah | |
Between a (Dome of the) rock and a hard place By Zahed Amanullah, February 11, 2007 Though both Fatah and Hamas patched up many differences at a groundbreaking summit in Mecca, selling their agreement and curbing the violence between them may be another story. ( 10 comments) |
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 | | | Provocative preachers | |
Imams gone wild By Zahed Amanullah, January 23, 2007 Why do so many Imams get caught on camera saying things that are embarrassing, militant, misleading, or just plain wrong? And why do the rest of us point the blame elsewhere? ( 8 comments) |
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 | | | Musician Yoriyos | |
So, Mr. Islam has a new album out… By Zahed Amanullah, November 15, 2006 The real surprise this month is not a new record by a musically rejuvenated Yusuf Islam, but one by the son who inspired him to play guitar again. Meet Yoriyos. ( 3 comments) |
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 | | | Visa denials | |
Fear of a Muslim opinion By Zahed Amanullah, November 1, 2006 A pattern of denied entries to the United States of Muslim scholars - with no evidence given - is exacerbating tensions caused by an already existing lack of dialogue ( 1 comment) |
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 | | | Movie "Death of a President" | |
Be careful what you wish for By Zahed Amanullah, October 24, 2006 While controversy simmers around a fictional assassination of President George Bush, the new movie "Death of a President" is really more about the system surrounding the man. ( 1 comment) |
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 | | | Papal speech fallout | |
A papal apology, but a deeper rift By Zahed Amanullah, September 18, 2006 A controversial quote delivered by Pope Benedict XVI last week caused an outcry in the Muslim world before an apology was offered and widely accepted. But a pattern is emerging. ( 48 comments) |
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 | | | Perceptions of Muslims | |
Polls, damn polls, and statistics By Zahed Amanullah, August 21, 2006 With the recent increase in tensions between Muslims and the West, many have turned to polls to figure out what Muslims are thinking. But how much do they really tell us? ( 9 comments) |
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 | | | Media warfare | |
The propaganda war so far By Zahed Amanullah, August 3, 2006 With so many sympathisers watching the Israel-Lebanon conflict from the sidelines, the propaganda wars between them are taking liberties with the truth. ( 45 comments) |
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 | | | 7/7 Anniversary | |
One year later, the gap is greater By Zahed Amanullah, July 6, 2006 Twelve months after the London bombings, the British government and Muslim leaders have made little progress in combatting terrorism and extremism. Both sides share the blame. ( 5 comments) |
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 | | | Somalia ICU takeover | |
The courts of Somali opinion By Zahed Amanullah, June 14, 2006 Somalia is effectively under control by a single group for the first time in fifteen years. Will its Islamically oriented rulers lean toward Taliban-style governance or relative peace? ( 41 comments) |
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 | | | Dutch Immigration scandal | |
The ups, downs, and outs of Ayaan Hirsi Ali By Zahed Amanullah, May 15, 2006 Former Dutch MP Ayaan Hirsi Ali gained notoriety for her statements against Islam and Muslim immigrants to Holland. Caught lying during her own immigration, her credibility lies in tatters. ( 93 comments) |
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 | | | Singer Deeyah | |
So who’s hung up on the ‘Muslim Madonna’? By Zahed Amanullah, March 1, 2006 If Norwegian-born Muslim singer Deeyah wants to be the next 'Muslim Madonna,' will mixing Muslim commentary with scantily-clad videos gain her credibility or just cheap publicity? ( 130 comments) |
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 | | | British Muslims | |
Fear and loathing in the MCB By Zahed Amanullah, January 12, 2006 The poorly conceived battles fought by the Muslim Council of Britain threaten to cause lasting damage, but the group forges ahead regardless - despite a string of embarassing failures. ( 21 comments) |
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 | | | Indonesia's Courts | |
The strange spiritual journey of Michelle Leslie By Zahed Amanullah, November 28, 2005 When Australian model Michelle Leslie stated she was a Muslim in an Indonesian drugs trial, she gained her freedom - at the expense of her reputation and for an uncertain future. ( 13 comments) |
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 | | | Egypt's Copts | |
Is what’s good for France also good for Egypt? By Zahed Amanullah, November 10, 2005 Lost in the furor over France's treatment of Muslims is the long simmering conflict between Coptic Christians and Muslims in Egypt, with both conflicts stemming from the same intolerance. ( 18 comments) |
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 | | | Movie "The Hamburg Cell" | |
Buying into HBO’s hard “Cell” By Zahed Amanullah, January 5, 2005 A controversial new film portraying the events leading to the September 11th attacks finds its way into American living rooms and shows Muslims and non-Muslims what they may not want to see. ( 7 comments) |
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altmuslim this week - august 23, 2010 - This week, is there a connection between the heated rhetoric over Park51 and increased hate crimes against Muslims? Also, parallel struggles against anti-Muslim protests in Bradford, England and the innovation (and integration) on display in the 30 Mosques, 30 States and 30 Nights, 30 Grants projects.
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How Miss USA will push the secret Muslim agenda - A leaked memo confirms a nefarious plot to infiltrate America using the one weapon we can't resist: Total hotness. (May 17, 2010)
South Park: The controversy continues - In a special for Salon.com, our Associate Editor Wajahat Ali offers his take on the controversy over South Park. If you think South Park's Muslim brouhaha was messy, you should see what's going on in the neighboring town of East Park. (April 28, 2010)
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altmuslim review 033 - We're baaaaack! We speak about the ongoing controversy over Park51 and what means for the future of lower Manhattan. Also, a discussion with Farhad Chowdhury of the M100 Foundation, which seeks to change the way Muslims pay zakat (August 13, 2010)
altmuslim review 032 - Muslim writers everywhere! We speak about the new wave of Western Muslim literature and interview two authors with recently released books. Our own Irfan Yusuf talks about his memoir, Once Were Radicals and Reza Aslan tells us more about his second book, How to Win a Cosmic War (June 11, 2009)
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Recent and upcoming talks and offsite articles by altmuslim contributors
It's the occupation, stupid, Wajahat Ali, Salon.com, June 4, 2010
Sex and the City 2's stunning Muslim clichés, Wajahat Ali, Salon.com, May 28, 2010
Draw Muhammad Day: Collectively Punishing Muslim Americans, Shahed Amanullah, Huffington Post, May 25, 2010
Shahed will be a guest on the BBC World Service's World, Have Your Say discussing the proposed French ban on niqab (and fines for husbands who compel their wives to wear them) on May 18, 2010.
Even Controversial Views Should Be Protected by Freedom of Speech, Asma Uddin, The Huffington Post, May 7, 2010.
What I understand about Faisal Shahzad, Wajahat Ali, Salon.com, May 6, 2010
No freak out about South Park, Zahed Amanullah, The Guardian, Comment is Free, April 23, 2010.
Shahed will be a guest on the BBC World Service's World, Have Your Say discussing the South Park controversy along with Zarqa Nawaz (Little Mosque on the Prairie) and other guests on April 22, 2010.
Shahed will be a guest on NPR's State of Belief discussing Barack Obama's outreach to the Muslim world, April 17, 2010.
Zahed will be attending a panel discussion entitled " Are Islam and Free Speech Compatible?" in London, England on Friday, March 26, 2010 sponsored by The City Circle. He will be accompanied by Riazat Butt (The Guardian), Hamid Khan (Consultant in Offender and Youth Development), Abu Muntasir (JIMAS), and Dr Usama Hasan.
'Jihad Jane': not the usual suspect, Wajahat Ali, The Guardian, Comment is Free, March 18, 2010.
Al-Awlaki, a new public enemy, Zahed Amanullah, The Guardian, Comment is Free, December 30, 2009.
Islamophonic: Review of the year, Riazat Butt, Zahed Amanullah and David Shariatmadari, Cif Belief (The Guardian), December 18, 2009.
Fort Hood has enough victims already, Wajahat Ali, Comment is Free (The Guardian), November 6, 2009
The pitfalls of filming Muhammad, Shahed Amanullah, The Guardian, Comment is Free, November 4, 2009.
Children of Dust (published by HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins), the first book by longtime altmuslim.com contributor Ali Eteraz, is released in the US, Canada, and the UK on October 13, 2009.
Shahed will be attending the m100 Sansoucci Colloquium in Potsdam, Germany, September 14-16, 2009. He will be moderating a panel discussion on the Danish cartoon crisis with Denis MacShane MP, Jasim Al-Azzawi (Al Jazeera English), and Flemming Rose (Jyllands Posten).
Associate Editor Wajahat Ali's play "The Domestic Crusaders" is having its premiere at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in New York City, NY, September 11, 2009. The play will continue through Sunday, October 11, 2009.
Shahed will be moderating or participating in three panel discussions at the Islamic Society of North America's annual convention, including Muslim Journalists: The View from the Inside, Supporting Social Entrepreneurs and Civic Leaders, and Blogistan: Muslim Americans on the Web in Washington, DC, July 3-6, 2009.
State-sponsored Sufism, Ali Eteraz, Foreign Policy, June 10, 2009.
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Media appearances and analysis featuring altmuslim editors
Helping U.S. reach out to young Muslims worldwide - Soon after Farah Pandith was named last year as the State Department's first special representative to Muslim communities, she sat down with the editor of an independent Muslim website for her first official interview. Altmuslim.com, a forum for opinion and analysis about current issues facing Muslims, was a fitting choice. Pandith has said a strong focus of her work is to reach out to younger Muslims around the world, often those most likely to use the Internet for news and networking. (June 5, 2010)
Censorship is in the ascendant - Zahed Amanullah, associate editor of altmuslim.com, has argued in a national newspaper blog that, since the warning came from an unrepresentative group, the media interest was not justified. As for events of the past – the fatwa on Salman Rushdie, the Danish cartoons, the murder of van Gogh – they were "three incidents over a 20-year period from amongst 1.6 billion people. These things do happen. But we all need a bit of perspective." (April 30, 2010)
Muslims say new security rules unfair, ineffective - ''Muslims are doing their duty. Muslim parents are being attentive. It's the TSA that's not being attentive. It's the TSA that's not doing its duty," said Shahed Amanullah, an editor at the Web site altmuslim.com. "There's nothing more that Muslims can do than turn in their own families." (January 7, 2010)
US Muslims & media… Lost love - "We have a big problem; it’s that other people are shaping the story about us," Shahed Amanullah, editor-in-chief of altmuslim.com, told IslamOnline.net. (December 16, 2009)
Moves to Seize Mosques Spark Outrage - "I'm extremely skeptical that the link between these mosques and this organization is so strong as to merit the seizing of a considerable amount of assets that do a lot of good for the Muslim community," says Shahed Amanullah, a prominent Muslim blogger based in Austin. "The government better be prepared to make a very good case, because this is unprecedented." (November 17, 2009)
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