3 thoughts on “Mona Siddiqui, professor of Islamic studies, New College, University of Edinburgh”
Interesting one this, not because of what she said particularly, but because of the previous piece. We have often noted how the editors seemingly undermine the TFTD by the choice of the neighbouring pieces, but this was the first I have heard where the reverse was true.
Sarfraz Manzoor was scathing about Luton, his home town, giving the distinct impression that he considered himself better than it. The implication is that those people who didn’t “escape” Luton are less than him for that reason.
In contrast, Mona rightly pointed out that all places are home to someone, and that a comment about a place’s character is very often a thinly disguised comment about its people. That’s certainly how the earlier piece felt.
Mona has an all-inclusive concept of Ummah. Probably most Muslims limit its scope to the people of Islam. Some of them regard non-Muslims as second class persons, who should be made to choose between conversion and exclusion or worse. I expect Mona is a good example of the majority of Muslims in this country. But let’s not pretend that the others don’t exist.
BTW, one of the principal owners of substandard housing in West Baltimore is Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Platitude of the Day 
Interesting one this, not because of what she said particularly, but because of the previous piece. We have often noted how the editors seemingly undermine the TFTD by the choice of the neighbouring pieces, but this was the first I have heard where the reverse was true.
Sarfraz Manzoor was scathing about Luton, his home town, giving the distinct impression that he considered himself better than it. The implication is that those people who didn’t “escape” Luton are less than him for that reason.
In contrast, Mona rightly pointed out that all places are home to someone, and that a comment about a place’s character is very often a thinly disguised comment about its people. That’s certainly how the earlier piece felt.
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“Here are my IMF-less thoughts about ‘home’. Oh, and Islam has a concept not dis-similar to something or other.”
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Mona has an all-inclusive concept of Ummah. Probably most Muslims limit its scope to the people of Islam. Some of them regard non-Muslims as second class persons, who should be made to choose between conversion and exclusion or worse. I expect Mona is a good example of the majority of Muslims in this country. But let’s not pretend that the others don’t exist.
BTW, one of the principal owners of substandard housing in West Baltimore is Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
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