Abraham's sacrifice in the Qur'an: beyond the body

It has been stated that the body has overtly or latently been a focal point in the history of the three Abrahamic religions’.  However, Islam’s scripture, the Qur’an, does not say that Abraham (Ibrahim in Arabic) binds his son’s body, nor is the body the focal point of the story—nor, indeed, is it of more than passing interest in Muslim history. This has lead me to question the tendency to homogenize the narrative of Abraham’s sacrifice and, by extension, the religions that claim their descent from him. There is no denying their family resemblance of course, but while the family may be Abraham’s, Abraham himself is not identical in the Qur’an and the Bible and neither are his trials. The term ‘Abrahamic religions’ is not very helpful here since, in spite of its linguistic pluralism, it obscures this crucial distinction between a genealogy that is shared and depictions of a common ancestor that are not. Nonetheless, it is more accurate than the standard alternative, ‘the Judeo-Christian tradition’, a phrase that papers over the fissures in this tradition while also excising Islam from what is surely an ‘interreligiously shared’ world. The author suggests that the only way to include Islam in this world does not have to be through an assimilative embrace that stifles its individuality; one could, instead, find ways to honour both the plurality of the Abrahamic tradition as well as the specificity of Islam within. The author recites the Qur’anic story of Abraham, as a way to unbind the lessons of his sacrifice from the body and also to illustrate the inappropriateness of using Isaac’s bound body as a universal template for all the Abrahamic religions.

Globalização da igualdade: a mulher muçulmana, teologia e feminismos

Neste artigo, em que se discute a situação da mulher mulçumana no mundo globalizado, são abordadas, essencialmente, três questões: a crítica ao papel da tecnologia na mudança política e social no mundo moderno, uma perspectiva hermenêutica do Alcorão sobre o princípio da igualdade sexual e o emprego das tecnologias na reforma democrática nas sociedades muçulmanas. Como alegação básica, propõe-se que as tecnologias de comunicação global só poderão transformar a vida de mulheres (e homens) muçulmanas de maneira significativa se estiverem associadas a – ou melhor, se puderem ajudar a concretizar – uma mudança epistêmica fundamental no modo como os muçulmanos interpretam e praticam o islamismo. Essa mudança exigiria uma disposição em encontrar a ideia de “libertação” no mesmo versículo que os muçulmanos usam para discriminar as mulheres

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Uncrossed bridges: Islam, feminism and secular democracy

In this article I review two contrasting approaches to Muslim women\u27s rights: those that want Muslims to secularize the Qur\u27an as the precondition for getting rights and those that emphasize the importance of a liberatory Qur\u27anic hermeneutics to Muslim women\u27s struggles for rights and equality. As examples of the former, I take the works of Nasr Abu Zayd and Raja Rhouni and, of the latter, my own. In addition to joining the debates on Muslim women\u27s rights, this exercise is meant to illustrate that secular attempts to undermine Islam also undermine the prospects for rights and democracy in Muslim societies. In fact, I see the secular project in Muslim societies as a form of self-harm. Lastly, I revisit Antonio Gramsci\u27s critique of democracy as a way to query the title of the İstanbul Seminars, \u27The Promises of Democracy\u27. © The Author(s) 2013

Abraham's sacrifice in the Qur'an: beyond the body

It has been stated that the body has overtly or latently been a focal point in the history of the three Abrahamic religions’.  However, Islam’s scripture, the Qur’an, does not say that Abraham (Ibrahim in Arabic) binds his son’s body, nor is the body the focal point of the story—nor, indeed, is it of more than passing interest in Muslim history. This has lead me to question the tendency to homogenize the narrative of Abraham’s sacrifice and, by extension, the religions that claim their descent from him. There is no denying their family resemblance of course, but while the family may be Abraham’s, Abraham himself is not identical in the Qur’an and the Bible and neither are his trials. The term ‘Abrahamic religions’ is not very helpful here since, in spite of its linguistic pluralism, it obscures this crucial distinction between a genealogy that is shared and depictions of a common ancestor that are not. Nonetheless, it is more accurate than the standard alternative, ‘the Judeo-Christian tradition’, a phrase that papers over the fissures in this tradition while also excising Islam from what is surely an ‘interreligiously shared’ world. The author suggests that the only way to include Islam in this world does not have to be through an assimilative embrace that stifles its individuality; one could, instead, find ways to honour both the plurality of the Abrahamic tradition as well as the specificity of Islam within. The author recites the Qur’anic story of Abraham, as a way to unbind the lessons of his sacrifice from the body and also to illustrate the inappropriateness of using Isaac’s bound body as a universal template for all the Abrahamic religions.

Reading the word in a foreign tongue: Islam’s scripture and non-Arab Muslims \u3csup\u3e†\u3c/sup\u3e

© 2019, © 2019 International Linguistic Association. Observant Muslims strive to live in accordance with the teachings of our scripture, the Qur’ān. However, the vast majority of Muslims is neither literate nor Arab and cannot understand Arabic, the language of the Qur’ān’s revelation. Thus, we rely on dominant interpretations and translations of it in our own languages. Yet, Muslims also believe that the translated Qur’ān is not the “real” Qur’ān. What does it mean, then, for Muslims to encounter our sacred text in a foreign tongue? As a non-Arabic speaker, I grapple with this conundrum by giving examples from my own life, as well as my work on Qur’ānic hermeneutics. In the process, I touch on some of the themes in the conference’s description about language, identity, and translation

Women’s readings of the qur\u27ān

Some 1,400 years ago, when the Qur\u27ān was being revealed to the prophet Muhammad, his wife Umm Salama reportedly asked him why it was not addressing women. It seems she was not impressed by the fact that in the Arabic language, as in many others, the male gender is inclusive of the female and that in using it the Qur\u27ān was, in effect, addressing both. Of course if this had been an idle question on her part and nothing had come of it, the incident probably would not have found its way into Muslim tradition. Yet, not only does tradition record it, but many Muslims use it to explain the context in which the Qur\u27ān became the only scripture to speak directly to women. Women in the Qur\u27Ān Indeed, not only does the Qur\u27ān address women, but it frequently does so in a manner that should leave little room for doubt that it considers them equal to men. One example is Q 33:35: \u27For Muslim men and women, for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast (and deny themselves), for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in God\u27s praise; for them has God prepared forgiveness and great reward.\u27 In spite of such verses, and the Qur\u27ān\u27s counsel to read it for its best meanings, most Muslims continue to project sexual inequality, discrimination and even misogyny into it. Before considering why this is so, it seems appropriate to dwell for a bit on Umm Salama\u27s question since it offers such compelling and potentially unending lessons for believers

Uncrossed Bridges: Islam, Feminism and Secular Democracy

In this article I review two contrasting approaches to Muslim women’s rights: those that want Muslims to secularize the Qur’an as the precondition for getting rights and those that emphasize the importance of a liberatory Qur’anic hermeneutics to Muslim women’s struggles for rights and equality. As examples of the former, I take the works of Nasr Abu Zayd and Raja Rhouni and, of the latter, my own. In addition to joining the debates on Muslim women’s rights, this exercise is meant to illustrate that secular attempts to undermine Islam also undermine the prospects for rights and democracy in Muslim societies. In fact, I see the secular project in Muslim societies as a form of self-harm. Lastly, I revisit Antonio Gramsci’s critique of democracy as a way to query the title of the İstanbul Seminars, ‘The Promises of Democracy’