Islamic World Research Articles

Haram Lost and Found

With its great religious significance, the Holy Mosque in Makkah welcomes millions of tourists every year. The problem of misplaced objects at this holy site poses a problem for both guests and guards. In order to tackle this issue and improve worshippers' and visitors' overall experience, this study project explores the ideation, creation, and testing of a state-of-the-art mobile application called the "Lost and Found Assistance" app. This software makes use of modern technologies to expedite the process of finding misplaced items inside the Holy Mosque. The 'Lost and Found Assistance' app's main objective is to offer a workable answer to anyone who have misplaced their belongings inside the enormous Holy Mosque. It presents an easy-to-use and effective platform that enables users to report misplaced things, facilitating their prompt recovery. Additionally, it enables users to look for misplaced items, providing comfort to individuals who could have momentarily misplaced priceless items while visiting. In order to provide insight on the Holy Mosque's hallowed legacy and importance in the Islamic world, this study initiative examines the historical significance of the building. It explores the issues surrounding misplaced objects at this hallowed location, highlighting the demand for an up-to-date, technologically advanced solution. In addition, the research highlights the revolutionary role that mobile applications play in a variety of contexts as it examines the current state of lost and found services. Through an analysis of current applications and technological breakthroughs, it pinpoints chances to modify these advances to meet the particular difficulties presented by the Holy Mosque. The entire development process of the 'Lost and Found Assistance' app is described, from the first conceptualization to the design and coding stages. The project emphasizes the value of intuitive design concepts and user-friendly interfaces in making sure that the software is useful and accessible to a variety of users. An analysis of the app's usefulness in helping users find misplaced goods within the Holy Mosque completes the research endeavor. It talks about user pleasure and feedback, highlighting how the software improves users' experiences. It also looks at how widely the app might be used and offers ideas for improvements down the road. The 'Lost and Found Assistance' app helps to maintain a calm and serene atmosphere inside the Holy Mosque by utilizing contemporary technologies. The ability of technology to solve long-standing issues and improve the pilgrimage and visitor experience for millions of worshippers and tourists who visit this holy site is demonstrated by this study effort.

Analysis of Islamic finance, Islamic accounting and standards research

Purpose The Islamic financial system is a sector with a high potential for development, and the agenda has been set with theoretical studies before practical studies in this field have begun. The increase in theoretical studies on the establishment of the Islamic financial system has led to the issue being placed on the agenda of the Islamic world. Following the theoretical studies, the sector gained popularity with applications. The aim of this study is to systematically review the literature on the subject, which has been theoretically agenda-setting and functionalised with applications. Design/methodology/approach In this context, the place of the concepts of “Islamic Finance or Islamic Accounting and AAOIFI or IFRS” in the international literature and their coverage were examined; a bibliometric analysis of the articles written in this field between 2001 and 2023 and scanned in the Scopus database was carried out. The R bibliometrics software was used to analyse the data, and the results were evaluated by carrying out performance and scientific mapping analyses of the publications. Findings Based on the results of the bibliometric analysis, a total of 969 publications in the form of articles, books, book chapters and proceedings were identified in the Scopus database. It is evident that there has been a steady increase in the number of articles pertaining to the research topic over the years, and the years with the highest volume of publications are 2020 and 2022. The Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research is the most frequently published journal in this field, with the most commonly published authors being K. Hussainey and M.K. Alam. Originality/value A bibliometric analysis of the literature pertaining to the subject has been conducted to examine primarily theoretical shortcomings and translate them into practical improvements. This pioneering study of theoretical investigations on the subject is aimed at eradicating practical deficiencies.

Antecedents of Murabaha home financing among Muslim household – an integrated framework

PurposeThough Murabaha financing experienced substantial growth in several majority-Muslim countries, its market share in the Moroccan banking industry is still very narrow than other conventional banks’ instruments. The current research investigated the ability of an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) framework to explain the main drivers of attitude and intention to use Murabaha financing among Moroccan households. The moderating effect of Islamic religiosity was also scrutinized.Design/methodology/approachData were collected via a survey of 512 Moroccan consumers and analyzed using the partial least squares (PLS) technique.FindingsFirst, attitude toward Islamic banking products is a key predictor of consumer intention to use Murabaha financing. At the same time, consumers’ attitudes are influenced by Islamic financial literacy, subjective norms, behavioral control and profit and loss sharing. Islamic religiosity was also found to positively moderate the link between attitudes towards Islamic banking (IB) and intention to use Murabaha financing, e.g. positive attitudes toward IB are more likely to convert into an intention to use Murabaha financing among Muslim consumers with higher levels of religiosity.Managerial implicationsTo boost consumers’ intention to use Murabaha financing, Islamic bank managers should consider further investment in advertising to enhance consumers’ awareness about IB products. Islamic banks should also consider digital and social media marketing to increase consumers’ awareness about the products and spread a positive e-WOM with regards to their products. Our findings emphasize the importance of Islamic religiosity in shaping Muslim consumers’ intentions to use Murabaha financing. Islamic banks ought to make sure that Murabaha financing contracts are strictly adherent to and compliant with Shari’ah principles. They should also train their frontline employees on Islamic financing activities so that they can effectively respond to the queries and questions of Murabaha potential consumers.Originality/valueThe study findings contribute to the IB literature by demystifying the key factors shaping Muslim consumers’ intentions to use Murabaha financing. The study also extends the literature by emphasizing Islamic religiosity as a basis for Muslim consumers’ behavior in the context of IB. To the best of our knowledge, this study is among the first to empirically investigate Muslim consumers’ intention to use Murabaha financing in North Africa and the Arab countries.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-10-2022-0680

Exploring the Ethnicity and Social Condition of Muslim Calligraphers: A Short Note on Two Scribes from the Horn of Africa in the Mamlūk Period

Thus far, very little is known of the social origin and position of scribes and calligraphers in the premodern Islamic world. The difficulty in finding data on the biographies and activities of the professional practitioners of calligraphy in historiographical works is probably one of the main causes of this regrettable situation. Taking as a starting point the results of some previous groundbreaking research, the present article gathers scattered information retrieved from different sources about two calligraphers from the Horn of Africa that lived and worked in the Middle East during the Mamlūk period. In the analysis of these two cases, it is hoped that some light will be shed on the presence of calligraphic masters from the Horn in the Arab world from which may be gained, on a more general level, a better picture of the personalities of calligraphers in the Islamic world.

Cross-Cultural Influences in The Satanic Verses

The novel The Satanic Verses focuses on the cross-cultural influences and delves into the complexities of cultural hybridity by exploring the collision and blending of diverse traditions, identities, and belief systems. The narrative follows the intertwined lives of two Indian expatriates, Gibreel Farishta and Saladin Chamcha, who survive a terrorist attack on their flight from Bombay to London. Following the miraculous survival, the characters experience a series of surreal and fantastical transformations, blurring the lines between reality and myth. Rushdie's novel is renowned for its exploration of cultural syncretism, where elements of Eastern and Western cultures converge and coalesce. The characters navigate between different cultural landscapes, grappling with questions of identity, belonging, and the clash of civilizations. The narrative traverses various historical and geographical contexts, including India, Britain, and the Islamic world, highlighting the interconnectedness and fluidity of cultural boundaries. Central to the novel is the concept of hybridity, where characters embody multiple cultural identities and negotiate the complexities of their hybrid existence. Through vivid imagery, intricate storytelling, and linguistic experimentation, Rushdie depicts the rich tapestry of cultural influences shaping the characters' lives and experiences. The novel challenges essentialist notions of cultural purity and celebrates the dynamic interplay between diverse cultural traditions. Furthermore, the text explores the impact of colonialism, migration, and globalization on cultural formations, illustrating how power dynamics shape cultural exchanges and encounters. Rushdie critiques the hegemony of dominant cultural narratives and emphasizes the importance of embracing pluralism and diversity in contemporary societies. Overall, "The Satanic Verses" serves as a provocative and illuminating exploration of cross-cultural influences, offering profound insights into the complexities of cultural identity, hybridity, and the ever-evolving nature of human experience in an increasingly interconnected world.

Editorial

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful Waqf: A Key Islamic Social Finance Instrument Waqf is a key tool of Islamic social finance that has been practised since Islam’s inception as part of Muslims’ religious obligations and benevolence to assist the needy and gain the pleasure of Allah (SWT). In the early years, Islamic social finance was not formally institutionalised within the Islamic economic system, except to a limited extent in a few Muslim-majority countries, which for instance, managed some Islamic social finance tools such as zakat and waqf at the state level. In the early 2000s, there were increasing discussions about the social responsibility of Islamic finance, questioning whether profit should be the sole business objective of Islamic financial institutions or whether they should also be attributed social roles in view of the Islamic philosophical foundations that underpin their establishments. As businesses’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) grew in importance in mainstream discussions, many Islamic financial institutions engaged in CSR-based activities on an ad-hoc basis, as a philanthropic exercise, as they became more profitable, viable and sustainable. This started the trend of mixing the practice of Islamic commercial finance with Islamic social finance. As Islamic finance evolved further, there was an increased realisation that the effectiveness and applications of Islam’s social and philanthropic instruments could be further strengthened by integrating Islamic social finance within mainstream Islamic commercial finance. Thus, there were unified efforts to establish cooperation between charitable instruments and the different sectors of the Islamic finance industry. The commercialisation objective of Islamic social finance instruments has been particularly visible in the waqf sector. Waqf has historically been limited to pursuing only the social interests of the donor, who sought reward in both this world and the afterlife by helping the poor and the needy. In the modern practice of waqf, the social objective is integrated with the profit motive so that the initial waqf capital generates more returns for the beneficiaries. Prominent developments in the modern practice of waqf include the following: · The modern concept of waqf is not limited to immovable assets (e.g., land, orchards, wells) and movable assets (e.g., jewellery, Qur’an, books, equipment) which are donated for charitable purposes. Innovative strategies are adopted today to develop waqf as an alternative asset class by using contemporary forms of wealth such as cash and financial securities. Latest waqf instruments include cash waqf, temporary cash waqf, waqf-banks, waqf-shares, waqf-unit trusts, waqf-venture capital funds, waqf-ṣukūk, and waqf-Islamic real estate investment trusts. Modern structures of waqf introduced professional management of waqf funds that ensures the sustainability of waqf assets and generates better returns to beneficiaries. Innovative and effective channels of investments through Islamic banks, the Islamic capital market and the takāful sector have been used to develop dynamic and progressive waqf projects. An example is the case of myWakaf in Malaysia which leverages on the synergy between the State Islamic Religious Councils (SIRCs) and a consortium of Malaysian Islamic banks to manage waqf investments and channel the investment returns into waqf projects. Utilisation of waqf proceeds are extended beyond the traditional sectors (e.g., mosques, cemeteries, Islamic schools) to provide a wider range of welfare services relevant to current societal needs (e.g., waqf qurban, waqf for funding impactful SMEs, reviving dormant or abandoned waqf assets into productive properties). Modern waqf management introduces good governance that increases transparency and accountability of waqf institutions. Application of technology in the management of waqf has widened the base of waqf donors/investors, thus expanding public participation and increasing the supply of waqf funding.

African Religion in our Contemporary Society

Characteristically, African Religion is a resilient enterprise that cuts across centuries of interaction with other religions such as Christianity and Islam. This research article sets out to unveil its resilient characteristics, as it underlines the fact that it is part and parcel of the African cultural heritage. Methodologically, it highlights the multi-dimensional ways in which the African Religion has permeated into the lives of Africans to date. In the context of Christianity and Islam, it has remained a ‘controversial’ areaof research among theologians, as some fail to understand its relevance. On the flip-side, there are other scholars who contends that it needs to be recognized as an independent and self-fulfilling religion, just as it is the case with Christianity, Islam, and other world religions.To address the divergent views, an application of an Afro-Biblical Dialogue, as a theory, has been proposed to address this development. As the dialogical methodology, this model which was first adopted by the Jerusalem Christian Council in the wake of Hellenism(Acts15), will thus attempt to answer the question regarding the place of Gentiles who became Christians. Were they meant to abandon their religio-cultural backgrounds?

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in the Wake of the Eid al-Adha: A Single-Center, Five-Year Investigation.

(1) Background: The Festival of Sacrifice, commonly known as Eid al-Adha, has a profound religious and cultural impact on nations with a Muslim majority. This festival is celebrated every year in Muslim countries; however, it is a time in which patients present to the emergency department with serious injuries. In our study, we examined current injuries occurring during Eid al-Adha in one of the largest hospitals in Türkiye, providing the largest patient population to date. This included mapping tendon and maxillofacial injuries, a first in the literature. To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest case series of injuries sustained during Eid al-Adha. The significance of this study lies in its potential to significantly benefit patients and healthcare systems by providing reference data. (2) Methods: Patients admitted to Ankara City Hospital during Eid al-Adha between 2019 and 2023 were examined. The demographic characteristics, injury patterns, and injury sites of patients admitted on the four days of Eid al-Adha were collected and analyzed. Maxillofacial traumas during the festival were analyzed. Tendon injuries on the left hand, which is the most commonly injured body part in the literature, were mapped into a figure. To compare the change in the number of patients, a comparison was made with the number of patients in our hospital for four consecutive days 2 weeks before Eid. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows. (3) Results: A total of 610 patients, including 101 female and 509 male patients, were included in this study. A statistically significant increase (p < 0.001 for all years) in hospital admission due to injury was observed. Individuals between the ages of 30 and 40 years were the most frequently admitted patients (n = 182, 29.8%). Knife injuries were significantly more common in all patients (p < 0.001). When the total number of patients was evaluated in terms of injured areas where patients present to the emergency department, left-hand injuries were found to be significantly more common than injuries in other areas (p < 0.001 for all). The extensor pollicus longus tendon was the most commonly injured tendon among all extensor and flexor tendon injuries (n = 104). The most commonly injured tendon was the flexor tendon in zone 2 of the first finger (n = 45). This study showed that injuries to the extensor tendon in zone 1 of the fifth finger, the flexor tendon in zone 4 of the first finger, and the flexor tendon in zone 1 of the fifth finger were never seen. Twenty-five patients with maxillofacial injuries were admitted to the hospital. Orbital floor fractures were the most common type of maxillofacial injury. The anesthesia technique we preferred for all patients was local anesthesia (n = 267). Wide-awake local anesthesia no tourniquet (WALANT) was the second most preferred anesthetic technique. The number of patients who were selected in a random 4-day period for each year were compared with the number of patients who came during Eid al-Adha. The Mann-Whitney U tests revealed a significant increase in injuries on the first day of Eid al-Adha compared to non-festival days (p < 0.001). However, no significant differences were observed on the subsequent days or in the overall injury counts during the festival period (p = 0.841 for day 2, p = 0.151 for day 3, p = 0.310 for day 4). (4) Conclusions: According to this study, which is the largest known case series in the literature, the number of patients admitted to the hospital increased annually. In our study, we observed a significant increase in injuries only on the first day of Eid al-Adha compared to a randomly selected 4-day period of the same year. Left-hand extensor tendon injuries from a knife were the most common injuries in middle-aged men. The extensor pollicis longus tendon was the most commonly injured extensor tendon, with zones 3 and 4 being the most commonly affected. The flexor pollicis longus tendon was the most commonly injured flexor tendon in zone 2. During this period, patients may not only need hand surgery but also maxillofacial plastic surgery. We recommend, in addition to the indications I,n the literature that during Eid al-Adha, the WALANT technique should be widely adopted in patients where local anesthesia will be insufficient. We also recommend utilizing a diagram to manage the patient load during Eid al-Adha and prevent overburdening the healthcare system.

Traditional archetypes of institutions for the socialization of orphans in the Arab world

The article identifies the traditional archetypes of social care institutions for orphans. Modern architectural solutions do not take into account the centuries-old traditions that have developed in Arabic architecture. Based on the method of historical and genetic analysis of objects of traditional architecture of children's educational institutions in the Islamic world, the article identifies stable elements of the system that allow maintaining the stability of development and determining genetically important features of architectural and planning solutions. For the formation of steadily developing architectural and planning solutions, the interrelations of the functional zones of educational complexes that do not contradict the traditions of Islam are determined. Rethinking these traditions in the light of new construction technologies will create an innovative product that can develop sustainably in today's dynamic world. In the context of the crisis of the 21st century, which is taking place in Syria and the Middle East today, a new interpretation of identity and cultural continuity will solve the problem of the demand for children's educational institutions for orphans in Syria during the period of reconstruction of the country. In the modern world, social protection of children is one of the priority areas for the development of a civilized society and state. The conditions in which a child's personality is formed have a great impact on the socialization and future of a citizen of the country.

Public Health Policy, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and Food or Substance Control: A Halalan- Tayyiban Perspective

Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease are among the top public health threats facing the world today. Meanwhile, alarming rate of NCDs, other health and mental problems strongly linked to sugar and tobacco consumptions in Muslim majority countries is on high record. This paper considers this NCDs prevalence in these countries as ironical in view of wholesome, ethical and healthy Halalan-Tayyiban dietary life styles stipulated for Muslims. Hence, it becomes crucial to: review the existing Public Health Policies (PHP) targeted at control of NCDs; further explore the links between food or substance consumption and NCDs; and offer Halalan-Tayyiban perspectives. This paper aims to highlight the existing public health approaches and policies aimed at controlling NCDs and their risk factors; identify the gaps and concerns in these policies; highlight and draw more attentions to alarming rate of NCDs and related public health threats especially in Muslim countries; and offer Halalan-Tayyiban perspectives after a critical review of the concept. As an integrated literature review study, the paper explores relevant literatures and studies on different aspects of the subject. In order to be moderately restrictive, papers and studies written or published between 2010 and 2023 were selected. Relevant keywords were searched in notable online databases like Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholars, Academia.edu etc. Some gaps have been identified in the existing PHP targeted at control of NCDs and its risks factors. These gaps include needs for public health policies to be more comprehensive and culturally relevant, faith-based, populations tailored, and integrated with Social Determinant of Health (SDH) amongst others. Also, to control the alarming rates of NCDs and related risk factors which are ironically identified in Muslim majority countries: this paper explore the two inextricably linked concepts of Halal and Tayyib; and established that their convergences can inform an effective Halalan-Tayyiban based PHP approach. Hence, a Halalan-Tayyiban perspective, approach and recommendations are offered for various stakeholders in public health policies especially in Muslim majority countries.

Islamic Banking Performance in Majority and Minority Muslim Region

Islamic Banking attracted many consumers in many Muslim majority countries. The rules and obligation to follow the Islamic law is one of key factors that make this banking is popular in Muslim community. There is also interesting fact that many Non-Muslim also become customers of this Islamic Bank. They found the business operation of Islamic Bank is interesting, with no interest and transparency. This study examines the collaboration and internal resources on Islamic Banking Performance with Majority and Minority Muslim Community region as moderator. Another objective of this study is to analyze the collaboration strategy as a mediator in the relationship between Innovation and Business Performance. This research used a quantitative method with structural equation modelling analysis. Data was collected from 300 Sharia bank executives throughout Indonesia. Data was processed using SmartPLS version 4.1.0 to analyze the hypotheses for this study. The results showed that Majority and Minority Region has no moderation impact to Collaboration on Business Performance (β = .03, p = .04), The Majority and Minority Region also has no moderation effect to Internal Resources on Business Performance (β =- .01, p = .75), Internal Resources impact to Business Performance (β =- .35, p = .00). Furthermore, Collaboration Strategy mediated the relationship between Internal Resources and Business Performance (β =- .16, p = .00). This research finds that Majority and Minority Region has significant direct effect on Business Performance

What Drives Anti-Shia Framing in Indonesia?

As a global phenomenon, the Anti-Shia movement in Indonesia is damaging the moderate characteristics of Indonesian Islam. Even though previous literature showed the role of state actors in Anti-Shia movement in Muslim-majority countries and uncovered religious, economic, and political causes, this current study focused on Anti-Shia framing and the contributing factors. Furthermore, fieldwork and library studies on MIUMI (the Indonesian Council of Young Intellectuals and Ulama) and ANNAS (National Anti-Shia Alliance) showed Shia was framed as a heretical sect and a source of conflict in Muslim society. To address this issue, a nationally applied fatwa and the prohibition of Shia organizations, institutes, and foundations were required, in addition to exercising jihad against Shia. This was due to interconnected factors between religious ideology, majoritarian mindset, and perceived threat. Therefore, cultural and socio-psychological dimensions were significant in social movement studies.

Holy war and the international order

ABSTRACT Scholars have traditionally characterised perang sabil, the Malay term for waging holy war in the way of Allah, as the predominant feature of the Aceh War in the late 19th century. In this sense, perang sabil was often understood as a natural response of Acehnese Muslims toward the Dutch (kafir) invasion of Aceh. This perspective emphasised the existence of rigid borders and centuries of rivalry between the Muslim world and Christendom. It tends to locate the Sultanate of Aceh as an outsider of the broader international society. Recent scholarship, however, has challenged such depictions. Scholars maintain that Muslim empires or sultanates historically integrated into and contributed to international society, effectively dismantling the binary notion of Muslim versus Christian. Ibrahim Alfian, an Acehnese scholar, has suggested that the Acehnese ulama formally declared perang sabil after 1877, four years after the Dutch first invasion, and it gained popularity in the 1880s. This raises the question: If perang sabil is considered a natural Muslim response to a Christian (kafir) empire, why did it not occur from the outset of the Aceh War? This article posits that Acehnese perang sabil was a reaction to the evolving stratification of the international society in the late 19th century, the persistent racialisation of Muslims, and the Dutch colonial genocide during the Aceh War.

Islamic Fintech Research Worldwide: A Bibliometric Analysis

Islamic Fintech continues to grow as innovation in the field of technology accelerates human life. Although relatively new, research on Islamic Fintech continues to grow and has been quite attractive to researchers in recent years. Seeing this phenomenon, it is necessary to anticipate the increasing interest of academics in researching Islamic Fintech. This paper aims to facilitate researchers in finding out the development of Islamic Fintech research, find topics that can be developed, and know the main contributors and sources that shape research in the field of Islamic Fintech. This research analysis is a Bibliometric analysis with Biblioshiny and VOSviewer software, using metadata consisting of 98 Scopus-indexed data published in 10 years, namely 2013-2022. The results of the study found that the potential for developing research on the theme of Islamic Finance is huge, topics that can be developed for further research include "Crowdfunding" and "Crowdsourcing.” Meanwhile, Muslim-majority countries dominate Islamic Finance research, including with their authors and affiliations.

Thinking with Rosa: assent in philosophy of the Islamic world

ABSTRACT In Thinking with Assent: Renewing a Traditional Account of Knowledge and Belief, Maria Rosa Antognazza offers a historical narrative of pre-modern epistemology. She argues that until very recently, philosophers generally held that “knowing and believing are distinct in kind in the strong sense that they are mutually exclusive mental states”. This paper tests, and ultimately confirms, that account by applying it two thinkers of the Islamic world, al-Fārābī (d.950 CE) and Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna, d.1037 CE). It is shown that both of them used the term ‘assent (taṣdīq)’ as an umbrella term covering two very different states, knowledge and belief. In the case of Ibn Sīnā, this contrast is ultimately tied to his sharp distinction between immaterial intellective thinking and embodied thinking that uses a physical organ.

Melaka in the Arabic, Persian and Turkish sources

ABSTRACT This paper examines Melaka’s links with the Middle East during the long fifteenth century through the evidence of the sources written in Arabic, Persian and Turkish. These comprise Arabic navigational texts, Arabic inscriptions from Melaka itself, Persian geographical texts, and Turkish chronicles and administrative documents. Together, they show how the Melaka sultanate was perceived and remembered in the broader Islamic world.

WALISONGO DAN VOICE OF BACEPROT: SYIAR ISLAM INKULTURATIF DI INDONESIA

Voice of Baceprot (VoB) is a heavy metal band consisting of three young Muslim sisters from Garut, Indonesia. The emergence of VoB is a catalyst in the Islamic world. In the context of the propagation of Islamic values, the presence of VoB with its heavy metal music can be compared to the propagation method applied by the Wali Songo to the Javanese community. Clifford Geertz gave the title to the Wali Songo as cultural brokers because of their role in synthesizing Javanese traditions with Islamic teachings. If Wali Songo used the macapat &amp; gamelan art traditions to spread Islam to the Javanese people, VoB chose the heavy metal music genre to spread Islamic values to the world today. VoB's choice of music with the heavy metal genre itself has certainly raised many questions, how Islam views music, especially heavy metal. The composition of VoB band personnel consisting of 3 young women with complete hijab clothing and singing heavy metal music as their stage identity not only makes VoB a cultural broker but also a political actor for Islamic women in the world arena. When analyzed with the framework of Christian theological reflection from theologian Kosuke Koyama, what VoB has done is part of the concept of contextual participatory theology. Koyama expresses the importance of respecting local culture and context in the appreciation and meaning of faith. Thus, VoB emerges as a unique and innovative representation in preaching, providing a new understanding of the role of women, and heavy metal music in today's Islamic world.

Women's Health and Reproductive Health Needs of Lesbian Individuals in Türkiye

Health is a basic right that all individuals have from birth. The World Health Organization defines reproductive health as a state of complete mental, physical, social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or impotence, in all matters relating to the reproductive system, its functions, and processes. Reproductive health services include the freedom to have children, fertility, adolescent sexuality, unwanted pregnancies, unhealthy abortions, maternal and infant mortality, related disabilities, HIV/AIDS, and sexually transmitted diseases. LGBTQI+ includes different gender identities, and sexual orientations including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex. Gender is assigned at birth, based on chromosomal, hormonal, physical, or anatomical characteristics. However, sexual orientation is defined as the gender to which one's sexual impulses are oriented or the ongoing emotional, romantic, and sexual attraction to an individual of a particular gender. These groups face important existential problems, especially in developing, traditional lifestyle predominate countries or in Muslim countries like Türkiye. STDs and HIV/AIDS are among the diseases that can be treated in the lesbian population through expanded RHS. General gynecological, breast cancer should also be considered in protecting, and improving lesbian individual’s health. This study draws attention to women's health problems in Türkiye, including breast cancer and other gynecological health problems, as well as reproductive health problems of lesbian individuals. It aims to share LGBTI+ health care problems and in this context, to emphasize the women's health and reproductive health needs of midwives and nurses, lesbian individuals in Türkiye, which are generally practiced as a female profession in Türkiye.

ORIENTALISM IN JOHN UPDIKE’S TERRORIST

The goal of this research is to look at John Updike's "Terrorist" as a Neo-Orientalist depiction of Muslims, particularly Arabs. Indeed, since the Crusades, there has been a centuries-long conflict between the West and Islam. The crusaders' philosophy was centered on the duality of "we" versus "them.". Western monarchs, clergy, missionaries, businessmen, and authors tended to see Islam and Muslims through myopic lenses, creating an exotic, weird, and distorted image of Islam and Muslims in their stories. These tales had a profound impact on how the Muslim and Islamic worlds were portrayed in the scholarly subject of Orientalism. The study demonstrates that orientalist depictions of Muslims as barbarians, lethargic, unprogressive, and a potential threat to world peace are still prevalent in today's world. Neo-Orientalism is the post-colonial label for this reincarnation of orientalist ideology. This Neo-Orientalist thought is echoed in many literary works written in the aftermath of 9/11. The famous novel "Terrorist" by John Updike, released in 2006, has been chosen as a model work for this purpose. The use of the Critical Discourse Analysis approach to the critical analysis of the story, particularly the depiction of Muslim characters. Furthermore, Updike's portrayal of Islam is based on its flaws, such as its indifference for self-improvement and modernity. The Muslim other is framed as the flawed equivalent of the perfect non-Muslim American in this novel's orientalism and imperfection designs.

Analyse de quelques aspects de la tradition orientale dans Fictions et L’aleph de Jorge Luis Borges

This article studies the presence of oriental resonances in some of Jorge Luis Borges’ short stories, and highlights intertexts from the Islamic world, mysticism and Buddhism.