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Aasif Mandvi on Islamophobia, Acting, and the Long Shadow of Jon Stewart

By Haroon Moghul

This couldn’t be a more topical interview. Aasif Mandvi might be most famous for his hilarious commentary on The Daily Show, but he’s also a very well-regarded actor, creator, artist, and writer. At a time when we’re not having a debate about Islam and extremism so much as we’re slinging talking points past each other, Aasif Mandvi took time out of a very busy schedule to talk about Halal in the Family and much more. Namely: He teases us with gli…

Another Manufactured Outrage: Rep. Ilhan Omar Did Nothing Wrong in Listing Hamas, Israel, and U.S. Together

By Joshua Shanes

…t to the International Criminal Court (ICC) alleging war crimes, or crimes against humanity, by both Israel and Hamas in Israel/Palestine, and by Afghan, Taliban and American forces in Afghanistan. The ICC, based in the Hague, is charged with prosecuting these terrible crimes and its right to do so has been ratified by over 100 countries, though not the United States or Israel. Her question was not particularly controversial: “If domestic courts c…

The 17th Century Roots of Roy Moore’s Refusal to Concede the Election

By Karen E. Park

…sing but solid defeat by Doug Jones, Roy Moore refused to concede. Even in Alabama, ground zero for voter suppression, mysteriously broken voting machines in poor black neighborhoods, and every attempt to keep citizens likely to vote blue from exercising that right, old fashioned democracy prevailed. Doug Jones eked out a narrow victory, and Judge Roy Moore lost fair and square. But he didn’t concede. Moore’s short non-concession speech late Tuesd…

Diplomatic Suckerhood: Why Israel Is Fighting Toward its Own Demise

By Ira Chernus

…ther there is any truth in them; though they are fighting an uphill battle against the dominant tendency of their society and its history. Since so many Israelis have learned to see themselves as victims, they take every criticism as further proof that they are unfairly singled out for the world’s harsh judgment. So in order to even approach a solution to the crisis in Israel/Palestine, it’s necessary to ask: Where did this self-image come from? T…

The Sacred and the Dead: Truckin’ as a New American Pilgrimage

By Varun Soni

…s being discussed, debated, and delineated through commemorative concerts, academic conferences, books, box sets, and a feature-length documentary film. A special series on religion and culture produced in collaboration with the Office of Religious Life at the University of Southern California This new body of scholarly literature and pop cultural production reveals the Grateful Dead as a uniquely American phenomenon with an extraordinary American…

Sex and the Chosen People: Be Fruitful and Multiply, Etc.

By Mandy Van Deven

…inkers who explore a broad range of fundamental questions in an effort to balance ancient tradition and modern sexuality.” The Passionate Torah aims to “bridge the gap between the sacred and the sexual.” I recently spoke to Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg about the challenges of bringing new perspectives on sexuality and feminism to the forefront of Judaism. I went to my first Passover seder this year and was interested to learn that part of the tradition…

Modern Vampires: Your Neighbors and Spouses

By Joseph Laycock

…arned of a massive survey being conducted by the Atlanta Vampire Alliance (AVA). Their project was relevant to the sociology of knowledge: instead of defining their identity group through a creed or a manifesto, here was a community defining itself through data. I began doing ethnographic research with the AVA, which led to a paper I presented at the American Academy of Religion. I frankly did not expect to be taken seriously simply because I was…

‘Pro-Life’ Theater, Open White Nationalism, and Virility Fear — Day 3 of NatCon

By Annika Brockschmidt and Ben Lorber

…sident Donald J. Trump is waiting in the wings. And when he assumes office again, let me tell you, the globalists and their entire regime will be smashed to pieces and scattered to the winds. Keep in mind that he derided “globalists” at a conference with a distinctly global focus. It’s a bit more legible, of course, when you recall that the term “globalists” has a distinctly antisemitic history. The election, he claimed, was the only chance to “ev…

American Christianity Is Changing Fast: Five Stories to Watch in 2016

By Richard Flory

…ious freedom” laws that would allow them to discriminate. When President Obama mouthed platitudes during the funeral of the slain Rev. Clementa Pinckney at Emanuel AME, activist Bree Newsome took it upon herself to scale a flagpole and take down an instrument of hate and bigotry. Pope Francis is a rock star, but Americans are still leaving church in droves. This and other powerful juxtapositions are just part of the reason many of us now refer to…

Death With Dignity: Combatting Religious Opposition to Physician-Assisted Suicide

By Krista Kapralos

…eath becomes much longer and more horrible.” “Death with Dignity brings a balance back to medicine,” she said. The fight over whether terminally ill people can take their own lives has attracted religious heavyweights. The Roman Catholic Church leads the fight against the practice, and many major denominations are following. Even now, months after physician-assisted death became legal in Washington State, patients have trouble finding doctors who…