A while back, I decided to change up mosques for Friday prayer due to a lack of inspiration. Essentially, I’ve spent the past two years trying to find one that had something to offer but alas, it seems recycled material is what passes for a good khutba (sermon) these days. I even started a pet […]

It’s too bad this year it looks like it’s going to be a wet Christmas instead of a white one. But then again, it’s the Middle East. What did you expect? A miracle? Bah humbug. Consider it an opportunity to wear that red and green wool scarf your grandma knitted for you five Christmases ago […]

There’s an article today in the Jordan Times attempting to articulate the predicament many Jordanians have found themselves in this year: the rising price of Jordanian sheep. There has been a noticeable price difference between the local variety and the international variety coming mainly from Australia, and that difference is related the rising prices of […]

“When there is no freedom, there is no creativity.” - Jordan Writers Association President, Soud Qbeilat, on the jailing of 27-year-old Jordanian poet Islam Samhan, who has been charged with insulting Islam and the Koran as well as violating the Press and Publications Law for incorporating Koranic verses in to his love poems. If found […]

“I’m also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the [Republican] Party say… such things as ‘Well, you know that Mr Obama is a Muslim’. Well the correct answer is, ‘He’s not a Muslim, he’s a Christian, he’s always been a Christian’. But the really right answer is, “What if he […]

I found this BBC article pretty interesting. The oldest bible in the world, the Codex Sinaiticus, which was lost and scattered for a very long time, is now being put together for the first time, online. And starting July 2009, anyone any where can read it online, which I think is pretty cool and an […]

Right about now, everyone is busy logging on to their Facebook accounts to write an eid-oriented status. May it be a blessing on you all!

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Qaradawi is sparking a bit of a controversy in the region with his views on Shiites, which are not new. In this of all things, there are two routes to consider. One can point out the differences between the sects in an attempt to find common ground and bring about unity (which I think rarely […]

…Along with Tom & Jerry and the rest of my childhood…

Well, it should be pointed out that I think the brief second of hesitation towards the end suggested the he was aware Mickey is a cartoon and so was being somewhat satirical about the killing of him. Because really, how do you kill a cartoon? […]

Who would’ve thought that blogs, social networking, SMS messages and the Internet in general, would be such a Ramadan-enabler, creating what is perhaps a Ramadani Web 2.0 subculture in the Arabian peninsula. Here’s a sampling of just some of the SMS messages that arrived to my cell phone since Ramadan began…
[translated from Arabic] The month […]

Disclaimer: I want to emphasize that this post is an opinion and it is not one based on religious doctrine. It is based on political and social elements. I know it’s Ramadan, but I implore you to avoid quoting me the entire Quran just to prove a point or as a way of insisting that […]

…like all great fatwas, it started with a phone call…
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - Saudi Arabia’s top judiciary official has issued a religious decree saying it is permissible to kill the owners of satellite TV networks that broadcast immoral content.
The 79-year-old Sheik Saleh al-Lihedan said Thursday that satellite channels cause the “deviance of thousands of […]

And can anyone blame me? With Ramadan starting on the first of September this year, I can’t help but think of Ramadans to come. Yes, the mere thought of Ramadans to come sends shivers down my spine. I imagine being unable to eat and more importantly drink (H20) until the red hot summer Sun descends […]

I usually don’t write these types of open-ended posts as I do have a bias towards sticking to Jordanian-related subjects, however polygamy is an issue that’s been on my mind these past few days after watching the first season of HBO’s “Big Love”. The series is essentially about a polygamist in Utah who is married […]

I read about this the other day but I wanted to see if it was verified or simply premature enthusiasm on the part of the local press. Apparently it’s the real deal.

AMMAN (AFP) - Archaeologists in Jordan have unearthed what they claim is the world’s first church, dating back almost 2,000 years, The Jordan […]

A letter written by Albert Einstein is sold in auction, describing belief in God as “childish superstition” and that Jews are not the chosen people. Meanwhile, the Vatican makes it OK for Catholics to believe in Aliens.
But by far, the most interesting news on religion this week has to be the unexpected Darth Vader attack […]