Islam in Central Asia
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Aga Khan Master Musicians' "Nowruz"Sunshine, peace and the smell of home
While intent is always important, it is no guarantee of artistic merit. "Nowruz", the Aga Khan Master Musicians' debut album, is an example of both in perfect synthesis. Richard Marcus had a listen
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Human rights in AsiaTajik women turn to polygamy to survive
Dire economic conditions are spurring an increasing number of women in Tajikistan to enter polygamous marriages. But it comes at a price. With few rights to underpin their existence, they bear a burden of social stigma that taints not only their lives but those of their children too. Madina Shogunbekova reports
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Turkey-Syria earthquakePolarising religious narratives
Religious discussions on the causes and aftermath of the earthquake disaster in Turkey and Syria have dominated Arab discourse recently, revealing the urgent need to support marginalised, humanist religious voices and those placing the human above polarisation and the instrumentalisation of events. By Mustafa Karahamad
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Human rights in ChinaSearch tool offers Uighur diaspora harrowing insights
Overseas Uighurs have gained insights into their family members in China's Xinjiang region, thanks to leaked data and a new search tool. Some say they feel a deep sense of guilt, others are filled with fear. William Yang reports from Taipei
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The hidden treasures of SufismIn the footsteps of Rumi
Rumi's poems, though generally stripped of their Islamic symbolism, are hugely popular around the world. Yet Islamic mysticism is still very much at the heart of these verses. Marian Brehmer has spent more than ten years exploring the form Sufism assumes today. By Lisa Neal
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Uighur repression in ChinaDonald Trump, the obstacle to Washington's Uighur policy
A broad U.S.-led effort to hold the Chinese government to international account for its abuses of largely Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang would, at the very least, remind China that the world is watching. Sadly, President Donald Trump’s actions will likely convince Muslims only of the depths of his hypocrisy. By Anne-Marie Slaughter and Wardah Khalid
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The weavers of Kashmir
Already reeling from a couple of blistering winters, the weavers of Kashmir face a bleak future. With few prospects to tempt the young and the collapse of the 2020 tourism season, the days could be numbered for this time-honoured craft. By Sugato Mukherjee
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Interview with sinologist Kristin Shi-Kupfer"The aim is to rob the Uighurs of their identity"
Hundreds of thousands of Muslim Uighurs are being held in "re-education" camps in Western China. The more pressure the ethnic group faces from Beijing, the more important their Islamic beliefs become, says sinologist Kristin Shi-Kupfer in conversation with Luise Sammann