Tag Archives: the west

Mindfulness, Sufism, and “the West”: Islam as (in)Compatible with our Understandings of Mental Health Practice

Visit the University of Vermont’s Wellness Environment, and you’re sure to see students being guided through a group yoga flow on the green and practicing mindfulness through meditating in their “Healthy Brains: Healthy Bodies” class. Step inside any mental or … Continue reading

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Veiling in Turkey not oppression but expression

  When I first saw women wearing headscarves (known as hijab) or veils (known as a niqab) I had no idea it was a Muslim custom. It was only after I heard Westerners talk about Islam and the “oppression” of … Continue reading

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Turkey: Can a Unique Democracy be Accepted?

According to Charles Kurzman secularism is a “concept in many Muslim communities, where it is associated with atheism and Western cultural imperialism” (Kurzman, 615). Kurzman summarizes the idea present amongst Muslims that secularism as a uniquely European ideology that has come … Continue reading

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Dear ‘the West’ – Stop Being Regina George, Sincerely Cady Heron

Kristen Smith REL195: Islam and Modernity Professor Morgenstein Fuerst When we think of ‘the west’ and ‘the east’ it is tempting to imagine them as singular, homogenous entities in opposition to each other. But, we know that this is wrong … Continue reading

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