Confronting Caste Privilege & The Need To End Hinduism (As We Know It)
I was 11 years old when I completed what my family describes as the “thread ceremony.” It took place in our ancestral village in West Bengal. Alongside my cousin who[…]
Category: Religion
First Day: The Joy of Coming Together for Ramadan
It is always the hardest, that’s what everyone says. There is some truth to it, I suppose. If you’re not used to fasting on a regular basis, don’t find yourself[…]
Life · Literature · Religion
Fasting, Feasting
I used to live in Saudi Arabia, where Ramadan is a big deal. You’re expected to fast and if you can’t, the rule is you’ll respect everyone else by not[…]
Strangers, Aliens, & Being “American”
The first sermon I ever preached was on citizenship. The occasion was to recognize the 50th anniversary of the dedication of my home congregation’s sanctuary. The service that day was[…]
Politics · Pop Culture · Religion
The Most Talked About South Asian Man In Canada Battles Racism In Politics With Love
Within the space of a few moments, Jagmeet Singh became one of Canada’s most admired politicians. His cool-under-pressure reaction to being confronted by an angry heckler is just one of[…]
Islam & The Imagination: Notes From An American Artist In The 21st Century
By Time. Indeed man is in loss, Except those who have faith and do righteous deeds, and enjoin one another to [follow] the truth, and enjoin one another to patience.[…]
On Making Cards For Eid & Ramadan: “It’s About Visibility”
Ten years ago, on the hunt for an Eid-ul-Fitr greeting card, writer and interfaith activist Hafsa Arain came away empty-handed. So she decided to make her own. She dived into[…]
Embracing Bengali Folk Islam & Complex Lived Experiences In The Diaspora
Learn about namaj before you do it. Keep your eyes on the human Mecca. Fulfill human’s desire here and now, through human. Handsome Kala [Krishna] plays in the world of the[…]
Walk Humbly, My Diasporic Desis
I am not entirely sure what it means to be a devout Hindu. What I do know is that I almost certainly am one. I’ve spent some of my past[…]