Politics

What Does Akbar the Great Teach Us About Tolerance in Islamic History?

Note: Akbar the Great, ruler of most of South Asia in the 16th and early 17th century, rejected bigotry and made unprecedented moves to help non-Muslims feel at peace in his Mughal empire. Below is passage from my article Finding Tolerance in Akbar, the Philosopher King, published in April 2013. You can also watch my short…… Continue reading What Does Akbar the Great Teach Us About Tolerance in Islamic History?

Film-work

Short Documentary: “Finding Pluralism in Akbar the Great”

Akbar the Great is an extraordinary figure in history. Who is he? What did he stand for and what can we learn from his legacy? These are some of the questions which are touched upon in this short documentary. It is inspired by some research I conducted for an article in the Huffington Post Religion. Related articles…… Continue reading Short Documentary: “Finding Pluralism in Akbar the Great”

Interfaith

Finding Tolerance in Akbar, the Philosopher-King

By Craig Considine for Huffington Post Akbar the Great, ruler of most of South Asia in the 16th and early 17th century, rejected bigotry and made unprecedented moves to help non-Muslims feel at peace in his Mughal empire. In reflecting more closely upon his character and conduct, we can see how Akbar’s actions are antithetical…… Continue reading Finding Tolerance in Akbar, the Philosopher-King

Religion

Allowing Others to Love, Akbar the Great

You can read more about the life of Akbar the Great in my Huffington Post Religion article, “Finding Tolerance in Akbar, the Philosopher-King”

Religion

Akbar the Great’s Legacy and Religious Freedom

Akbar the Great, ruler of most of South Asia in the 16th and early 17th century, rejected bigotry and made unprecedented moves to help non-Muslims feel at peace in his Mughal empire. In reflecting more closely upon his character and conduct, we can see how Akbar’s actions are antithetical to current discrimination and violence against…… Continue reading Akbar the Great’s Legacy and Religious Freedom

Religion

Akbar the Great a Pioneer in Interfaith Dialogue

Akbar the Great, ruler of the Mughal Empire during the late 16th and early 17th century, was a true pioneer of interfaith dialogue. Akbar’s desire to build interfaith bridges is clear in a letter he wrote in 1582 to King Philip II of Spain” “As most men are fettered by bonds of tradition, and by imitating…… Continue reading Akbar the Great a Pioneer in Interfaith Dialogue

Religion

Pope Francis I, Akbar the Great, and the Jesuits

The Jesuits, members of a religious order of Christianity founded in the 16th century, have entered the public spotlight after the election of Pope Francis I, himself a Jesuit. In reading more about the their philosophy, I stumbled across an interesting story about one of their missions to the court of Akbar the Great of…… Continue reading Pope Francis I, Akbar the Great, and the Jesuits

Religion

An easy way to debunk a common myth (‘kill the infidel’) of Islam

Muslim Americans are often harassed and forced to defend themselves against controversial verses in their holy text – the Qur’an.  One of these verses is Surah 9:5 (the ‘kill the infidel’ verse).  I am not a Muslim, but I still have concerns over how ‘experts’ say Muslims kill because the Qur’an tells them to (Representative…… Continue reading An easy way to debunk a common myth (‘kill the infidel’) of Islam