Critical Muslim 01: The Arabs are Alive

In the inaugural issue of Critical Muslim: Ziauddin Sardar tries to understand the significance of what just happened in the Middle East, Robin Yassin-Kassab spends some quality time in Tahrir Square, Ashur Shamis dodges the bullets of Gaddafi's henchmen, Abdelwahab El-Affendi traces the roots of the uprisings, Anne Alexander tunes into the digital revolution, Fadia Faqir joins women protestors, Shadia Safwan asks how long could Assad last, Jamal Mahjoub contemplates futures of the Sudan, Jasmin Ramsey joins the activists in Tehran, and Jerry Ravetz ponders the significance of Ibn Khaldun to the Arab Spring. Also in this issue: Rachel Holmes visits the Palestinian Festival of Literature, S. Parvez Manzoor asks if Turkey is a good model for the Muslim world, Muhammad Idrees Ahmad is overwhelmed by leaks, Taus Makhacheva takes 'Affirmative Action', Aasia Nasir accuses Pakistan and Merryl Wyn Davies's 'last word' on Saudi women drivers. Plus a new short story from Bilal Tanweer and revolutionary poetry from Nizar Qabbani, Tawfiq Zayyad, Abul-Qasim al-Shabi, Ayat al-Qormezi and Naomi Foyle.

Ziauddin Sardar, co-editor of Critical Muslim, is a renowned writer, broadcaster and cultural critic. A former columnist on the New Statesman, he has also served as a Commissioner on the Equality and Human Rights Commission. He is Professor of Law and Society at Middlesex University, and the author of numerous books, the most recent being Reading the Qur'an (Hurst); Desperately Seeking Paradise: Journeys of a Sceptical Muslim (Granta); What Do Muslims Believe? (Granta); and Balti Britain: A Provocative Journey Through Asian Britain (Granta). Robin Yassin-Kassab, co-editor of Critical Muslim, is the author of the acclaimed novel, The Road From Damascus (Penguin). Born in west London, he has lived and worked in France, Pakistan, Turkey, Syria, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Oman. He is a regular contributor to the literary pages of The Guardian and The Independent. Muhammad Idrees Ahmad, journalist and critic, is finishing a PhD at the School of Applied Social Sciences, University of Strathclyde Saffi Ahmad, a social activist, is contemplating his future Anne Alexander, Buckley Fellow at the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Cambridge, works on new media and political change in the Middle East Rose Aslan is a doctoral student in religious studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and specialises in narratives of pilgrimage, ritual and sacred space in Muslim traditions Merryl Wyn Davies, writer and anthropologist, is Director of the Muslim Institute and author of Introducing Anthropology Abdelwahab El-Affendi is Reader in Politics, Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster Fadia Faqir's latest novel is My Name is Salma Naomi Foyle co-founded British Writers In Support of Palestine upon her return from the Gaza Freedom March in Cairo Rachel Holmes is finishing her latest book, a biography of Eleanor Marx Robin Yassin-Kassab's only novel is The Road From Damascus Jamal Mahjoub's novels include The Drift Latitudes and Travelling with Djinns Taus Makhacheva is an artist based in Moscow, Dagestan and London S Parvez Manzoor is a critic based in Stockholm Ehsan Masood is editor of Research Fortnight and author of Science and Islam: a history Aasia Nasir is a Member of the National Assembly in Pakistan Nizar Qabbani was the most accessible pioneer of Arabic modernism Ayat al-Qormezi currently resides in a Bahraini prison cell Samia Rahman, who is writing her first novel, is Deputy Director of the Muslim Institute Jasmin Ramsey is a freelance journalist, writer and editor Jerry Ravetz, a well-known philosopher of science, is the author of The No-Nonsense Guide to Science Ziauddin Sardar's latest book is Reading the Qur'an Shadia Safwan is a Syrian blogger Abu al-Qasim al-Shabi's verses inspired the Tunisian revolution Ashur Shamis was involved with the Front for the Salvation of Libya for several years Bilal Tanweer is writing his first novel Tawfiq Zayyad was the Communist Mayor of Nazareth, and is an important figure in modern Arabic poetry.