My latest article has been published by Duke University’s IslamiCommentary. Inspired by Reza Aslan and Hasan Minhaj’s open letter, I challenge the prevailing myth of an intolerant and homophobic Islam by exploring the complex and nuanced history of Islam with same-sex relationships and marriage. Check it out: http://islamicommentary.org/2015/07/same-sex-relationships-the-fluidity-of-marriage-in-islamic-history-by-ali-a-olomi/
Tag Archives: equality
The Tragedy of Farkhunda-My Article
The death of Farkhunda was a shock to all of us. The international community and Afghans were horrified by what happened to her. The question of why it happened and what this means for Afghanistan is something that I tackle in my latest article. It’s been published by the History News Network. Give it a read and hopefully a conversation will begin to ensure no more Farkhundas happen. http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/159025
Chapel Hill Shootings
Sometimes you wish that you could spend one day, just one day, not hearing about a world full of hate and violence. But alas this was not to be. I was working quite late on Wednesday evening on some research I had been doing in the archive–in fact it would be accurate to call it early Thursday morning. I took a break to head over to twitter which is when I saw #ChapelHillShooting trending. I quickly clicked and with growing horror followed the story.
The Historian’s Role In Ferguson
A young black teen is dead and no one will be held accountable. That is what the grand jury told the nation in the case of Michael Brown, who was shot and killed by Officer Darren Wilson. Some were shocked by the outcome, but those more jaded with the ways of our legal system were not surprised.
Marriage Equality
On Tuesday, March 26th, the Supreme Court of the United States heard arguments for Prop 8, a Californian proposition passed in 2008 banning gay marriage. The very next day the Supreme Court heard arguments for The Defense of Marriage Act or DOMA, an act passed in 1996 defining marriage as heterosexual or as between a man and a woman. Both high-profile cases mark historic moments for the gay rights movement and for the nation as a whole as people tuned in to get a glimpse of which way the high court of the land may be leaning. No decision has been made, but there are indications of which way the court may be leaning in either case.